Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes Isa 2. 3. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes Psal 119 33. But many people they have no desire to hear the Word nor any heart to be taught by the Word Nay they think the Word is much beholding to them if they will vouchsafe him an hours time to come and hear have these men tender hearts to please God who care not at all to know the mind of God Secondly They will not walk according to the rules and prescriptions of it but They will not walk according to it esteem of them as burthens which they would cast off and as cords which they would break asunder Psal 2. 3. or as superfluous niceties and preciseness which they need not to regard Their wills are absolutely incomplying with the will of God and condemning the will of God and perking up above the will of God Can any rational man imagine that such persons have soft and tender hearts to fear the Lord to obey his voice whose heart will not yield to his Word nor submit at all unto it Object But will some say Are there any such men Sol. 1. There have been such amongst those to whom the Word hath come Jer. 44. 16. As for the word which thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee And ver 4. I sent unto you all my Prophets saying O do not this abominable thing that I hate ver 5. But they harkned not nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness to burn incense to other gods ver 17. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouthes c. Zach. 7. 9. Thus speaketh the Lord of Hâ—sts Execute true judgement and shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother ver 10. and oppress not the widow or the fatherless the stranger nor the poor and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart ver 11. But they refused to hearken and pulled away their shoulder and stopped their ears that they should not hear Secondly And there are such amongst our selves who will not conform unto the will of God nor obey his Word The Lord saith swear not at all Matth. 5. 34. but they will swear by their faith and by their troth and by the creatures c. The Lord commands every man everywhere to repent Acts 17. 30. but they will not leave their sins he that was proud is proud still and he that was filthy is filthy still and he that was drunken is drunken still The Lord commands us to keep the Sabbath day holy Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy but men will not hearken to the Lord in this they will have their delights and will sell their wares and will have their pastimes and meetings on that day c. The Lord commands Parents to teach and instruct their children and to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord and Governours of Families to set up his worship and fear in their houses but men will not do this c. The Lord commands us all to walk strictly and circumspectly Ephes 5. 15. and according to the rule Gal. 6. 16. But we will not be bound up to the straight path of life we will allow our selves such a loosnesse of Opinion and such a loosness of speaking and such a loosness of walking which the Lord doth not only not allow but expresly forbids and condems in his Word assuredly this is farre from the frame of tender and soft hearts Thirdly They do slight and mock at the threatnings of the Word and misuse They slight the threatnings of the Word the Messengers of the Lord Isa 21. 11. Watchman what of the night watchman what of the night Jer. 23. 23. What is the burden of the Lord Chap. 5. 12. They have belyed the Lord and said It is not he neither shall evill come upon us neither shall we see sword nor famine Jer. 6. 10. Behold the Word of the Lord is a reproach unto them 2 Chron. 36. 16. But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets Acts 2. 13. Others mocking said These men are full of new wine Unquestionably such men as these are far from softness and tenderness of heart which when any have it they do fear the Word of the Lord and do tremble at his threatnings Nevertheless we do find it among our selves that many persons do slight and mock at the reproofs and threatnings of the Word and do misuse the Messengers of God when reproving their sins and applying those threatnings which God himself hath denounced against them for their sinnings As like Solomons fool they do make a mock of sin so like those hardned Jews they do make but a mock of Gods threatnings for their sins despise and laugh at them whereas they should humble their hearts under them and repent of their sins that so they may avoid that wrath which God threatens them for their sinnings Fourthly They will not be brought under the obedience of it let the Lord do what he will Hose 6. 5. I have hewed them by the Prophets I have slain them by They will not be obedient to the Word the words of my mouth and thy judgements are as the light that goeth forth ver 7. But they like men have transgressed the Covenant there have they dealt treacherously against me Zeph. 3. 5. Every morning doth he bring his judgement to light he faileth not but the unjust knoweth no shame ver 6. I have cut off the Nations their Towers are desolate I made their streets waste that none passe by their Cities are destroyed so that there is no man that there is no inhabitant ver 7. I said Surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive instruction so their dwellings should not be cut off howsoever I punished them but they rose early and corrupted all their doings Thirdly By untowardlinesse and untractablenesse of their hearts under all the mercies By untractablenesse under mercies of God and all the merciful dealings of God Beloved that man is certainly under the dominion of hardness of heart and without all softness and tendernesse on whom no mercies of God will work why nothing will work if mercy will not work Now there are six choice merciful dealings of God which yet work not to any purpose on the hearts of many men viz. 1. Gods merciful Providence 2. Gods merciful Treaties 3. Gods merciful Strivings 4. Gods merciful Waitings 5. Gods merciful Warnings 6 Gods merciful Repentings First Gods merciful Providence in manifold nay in daily fruits of preservation His merciful Providences and deliverance of goodness and blessings the Lord it is who gives us life and all things that pertain to life he feeds our bellies and clothes our backs and maintains our health and multiplies our seed sowen and makes us to prosper and thrive
on this Law in the true sense and spiritual interpretation thereof as particularly binding our souls Secondly A knowledge of approbation Though a man doth know the spiritual part and intent of Gods Laws yet if his soul rises up against them as A knowledge of approbation cruel as unjust as vain and unprofitable such a knowledge as this conjoyned with dislike and exception will never conduce to our obedience or walking in them but rather to disobedience to the knowledge of apprehension joyn the knowledge of approbation our judgements must comply with and acknowledge that Divine Excellency and equity in the statutes of God Rom. 7. 12. The Law is holy and the Commandement holy and just and good Psal 119. 138. Thy testimonies which thou hast commanded us are righteous and very faithful Thirdly A knowledge of Application we must know the statutes of God A knowledge of Applicatioâ— and approve of them as righteous and good and also we must apply the righteousness and goodness of them to our selves i. e. that they do concern every of us in particular as obliging of us and good for us As Eliphas spake to Job Job 5. 27. Lo this we have searched so it is hear thou iâ— and know thou it for thy good So say I you must hear and know the statutes of God how righteous they are how good they are how blessed they are what a command and power they have and this you must apply unto your selves not only as belonging to others and speaking to others but as belonging also to your selves to order your lives by them Psal 119. 4. Thou hast commanded to keep thy precepts diligently Ver. 5. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes When you know that Commandement Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord in vain or that Commandement Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day c. You must know these Commandements as respecting you and obliging you that you must not swear and that you must not break the Sabbath but that you must know the Name of God and sanctifie the day of God c. 2. Quest What can knowledge contribute towards a walking in Gods statutes c for many know them and yet do not c. Sol. To this take briefly these Answers First Though possibly a man may know the statutes of God and yet not walk How knowledge contributes to obedience in them yet that knowledge is no cause of it Knowledge is in itself a help and furtherance to walking as the light is to working it is not any hinderance at all that which hinders knowing persons from obedience is not the light of their knowledge but the lust of their corrupt affections which bear down their knowledge Secondly Without knowledge of the statutes of God that which we call duty or obedience is neither practical nor acceptable 1. It is not practical Knowledge is a necessary previous quality unto acts Without knowledge obedience is not practical of duty It is impossible to obey the will of God if we know not the will of God Can a servant do the will of his Master who knows not the will of his Master our obedience in Rom. 12. 1. is called a reasonable service and rational it cannot be without knowledge without knowledge it is rather brutish than reasonable 2. It cannot be acceptable The Apostle saith in Heb. 11. 6. That without Nor acceptable Faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him But faith there cannot be without knowledge there cannot be Faith for the acceptance of duty unlesse first there be a knowledge of Gods Command of that duty Thirdly There is an aptitude of knowledge of things to be done to put us upon the doing of those things For knowledge is a Spiritual light and spiritual light it is not only Representative but also operative it will work upon the conscience and will and affections to draw them up to that performance of what is known This you see in enlightned sinners who are made to see the will or commands of God that the light hath an influence upon their hearts and consciences and services to excuse or condemn them and so still it doth untill they do imprison or extinguish that light 4. At least knowledge may serve your thus far to put you upon prayer to seek the Lord to give you an heart to walk in his statutes If it be not able to make you to walk in his statutes yet it is in some measure conducing to lead out your desires to the Lord to write his Laws in your hearts and to cause you to walk in his statutes Thirdly As you must get the knowledge of Gods statutes if you would walk in We must have our hearts and wills sanctified if we will keep Gods Commandments them so likewise you must get your hearts and wills sanctified Our walking in Gods statutes is stiled newness of life Rom. 6. 4. That we should walk in newness of life and a service in newness of Spirit Rom. 7. 6. implying the necessity of a new spirit towards a new life You know that to the walking in Gods statutes there must be 1. A subordination of our wills to Gods will Gods will must not go one way and our wills run another way If our wlls be contrary to his this is a plain disobedience But now to reduce our will to the way of God this requires holiness or renovation in our wills forasmuch as the carnal will is enmity to the Law of God Rom. 8. 7. 2ly A conformity or similitude our walking and Gods Precepts must agree what is to be found in Gods Commands that must be found in our practice else it is not a walking in his stattutes you do not set them up as your Rule as your Copy if you do not commensurate your actions by them and to both these holiness of heart is required For the heart must be sanctified and renewed or else it can neither yield up it self nor conform itself to that holy will of God consider that passage of the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. â— 2. Through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience why doth not the Apostle say election to obedience but through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience not that we are not elected unto obedience but that there can be no obedience without the sanctification of the Spirit As there can be no action of life without a principle of life so there can be no actions of Spiritual life without the great principle of holiness in the heart and when God puts that holy disposition into our hearts this will as sweetly incline us to walk in the statutes of God as we were wont to be enclined to walk in ways of wickedness when we were under the power of an unholy and sinful disposition Four things a man shall find when
Fourthly There is not any one statute of God but it is good and for our All the Commandements are good and for our good good Ergo we should walk in all his statutes Deut. 5. 25. Ye shall walk in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you that you may live and that it may be well with you What one path hath the Lord commanded us to walk in but as it concerns his own glory so likewise it concerns our good Is it not good for us to love and fear the Lord and to put our trust in him and to worship and serve him after his own mind and will and to honour his glorious Name and to sanctifie his day how many blessings hath God promised unto such and to honour our Parents and forsake all those sinnes mentioned in the Negative Precepts c. Fifthly Our hearts must be perfect with the Lord our God Deut. 18. 13. Our hearts should be perfect with the Lord. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God And Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me and be thou perfect Now how can our hearts be said to be perfect with God if we do prevaricate with him if in some things we will obey him and in other things we will not obey him if we walk in some of his statutes but will not walk in all his statutes if in some part we will be his servants and in other parts of our lives we will be the servants of sin Sixthly Lastly Either we must endeavour to walk in all the statutes of God or else we must find some dispensation and toleration from God to free God hath exempted us from none us and excuse us and hold us indemnified though we do not walk in all of them now what one Commandement is there from obedience whereunto God excuseth any man or will not punish him for the neglect of obedience unto it The Apostle saith That whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Jam. 2. 10. i. e. If he prevaricates with God as to any one particular Commandement of his his heart is naught he is guilty of all he hath really no regard of any of the rest of Gods Laws Therefore for the Lords sake consider of this all of you that hear me this day and let your souls be humbled within you for your loose and unfaithful walking in Gods statutes One will not pray another will swear another will not set up religious duties in his family another will not keep the Sabbath day holy another will cheat and over-reach his neighbor another will lye and speak evil and back-bite c. Is this to walk in all the statutes of God is this fully to walk in all his wayes c. Object But it is impossible for any man on earth to walk in all Gods statutes It s impossible and fully to do his will Sol. I answer there is a twofold walking in all the statutes of God First One is Legal when all is done which God requireth and all is done as God requireth There is not any one path of duty but we do walk in it A Legal obedience is indeed impossible perfectly and continually thus no man on earth doth or can walk in all Gods statutes or fully do what he commandeth for in many things we offend all it was but a proud vain self-delusion in that young man who said All these things have I kept from my youth Secondly Another is Evangelical which is such a walking in all the statutes of God and keeping of them as is in Christ accepted of and accounted of But Evangelical is possible as if we did keep them all this walking in all Gods statutes and keeping of them all and doing of them all it is not only possible but it is also actual in every freely believing and repenting person and it doth consist in these Particulars 1. In the approbation of all the statutes and Commandements of God A believer approves of all Rom. 7. 12. The Commandement is holy and just and good Ver. 16. I consent unto the Law that it is good Psal 119. 128. I esteem all thy precepts concerning all thinhs to be right 2. In a consciencious submission unto the authority of all the statutes of God Every one of them hath an authority within his heart and over his heart he Conscientiously submits to all stands in awe of every one of them and hath a spiritual regard unto them all Psal 119. 6. I have respect unto all thy Commandements 3. In a real delight in all the statutes or Commandements of God Psal Really delights in all 119. 47. I will delight my self in thy Commandements which I have loved 4. In a cordial desire to walk in them all Psal 119. 8. I will keep thy statutes and O that my wayes were c. the desire of our soul is to thy Name and Cordially desires to obey all to the remembrance of thee 5. In a sincere endeavour to keep them all a man doth put out himself in all the wayes and parts of obedience he doth not willingly and wittingly slight or Sincerely endeavours it neglect any Commandment but is striving to conform himself thereunto Simile As a dutiful son doth to all his Fathers commands so your right Christian makes conscience c. Quest But here it may be demanded Whether we must shew an equal respect unto all Gods statutes and precepts and do sin if we do shew more respect to some Whether an equal respect must be shewed unto all It must not of Gods Commandements than unto others of them Note Sol. This being granted that we must shew respect unto all Gods statutes I answer that it is not necessary nor are we bound to express the same equal respect to all Gods Commandements For although all the Commandements of God be equal in respect of authority and Soveraignty of the commands yet in respect of the things commanded or forbidden and in respect of the strictness of the charge laid upon us for the doing or not doing of them some are greater than others Matth. 22. 36. Master said the Lawyer to Christ which is the great Commandement in the Law Ver. 37. Jesus said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind Ver. 38. This is the first and great Commandement 1 Sam. 15. 22. And Samuel said Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better than to sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of Rams Matth. 9. 13. Go ye and learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice Quest Which of Gods Commandements should we have most special care to walk Which are principally to be respected Such as most respect Gods glory As as are most necessary to our
than your own lives yea and more than your own souls you should love your God sine omnibus super omnia without all and above all c. And verily there are most choice and most strong reasons for all this in the Covenant alone because he is your God for because he is your God therefore For 1. He loves you with an unutterable love the purest and highest love with a fatherly He loves you love with a faithful love with a tender love with an everlasting love The Schoolmen distinguish of amor gratuitus and of amor debitus our love is but of debt which we owe to God Gods love is a gracious gift unto us we love him but can adde nothing to him he loves us and his love makes us up for ever he begins in love oâ—ly from his love and we love when he sheds abroad his love into our hearts he loves and receives nothing from us we love and receive all from him 2. He blesseth you provides for you bestows all upon you enricheth you He blesseth you gives Christ and Mercy and Grace and Peace and Glory Who would not love a God who is Goodnesse it self and Love it self and Blessednesse it self who would not but love a God who is his God who delivers from hell who quickens from death who pardons all sins who cleanseth from all iniquity who makes us near unto himself who puts his Name upon us who speaks peace to our consciences who blesseth us with all blessings who guides and keeps and feeds us all our dayes who will give eternal life at last Walk in all manner of holinesse before your holy God In holinesse of dsposition 3. You who are the people of God you should walk in all manner of holinesse before your Holy and Omnipresent God There is an holinesse 1. Of Disposition which is the renewing of the heart by the Holy Ghost Lev. 11. 44. I am the Lord your God ye shall therefore sanctifie your selves and ye shall be holy for I am holy ver 45. I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the Land of Egypt to be your God ye shall therefore be holy for I am holy Lev. 19. 2. Ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy Of Conversation 2. Of Conversation 1 Pet. 1. 15. Be ye holy in all manner of Conversation 1 Thess 2. 10. Ye are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves amongst you that believe Esay 35. 8. And an high-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holinesse Luke 1. 74. That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear ver 35. In holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Which consists This holinesse of Conversation consists partly In a separation from all sinful wayes 1. In separation from all sinful and polluted wayes and courses of the world Come out from among them and separate your selves 2 Cor. 6. 17. Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. Walk not as other Gentiles walk Ephes 4. 17. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknesse Ephes 5. 11. In exercising our selves in all holy duties In doing our civil works with holy hearts and to holy ends Reasons why such should walk in holinesse Holinesse suits with the end of the Covenant 2. In the exercising of our selves in all holy duties and works and that after an holy manner with godly fear and reverence 3. In the managing of the civil works and employments of our ordinary callings with spiritual and holy hearts and for spiritual and holy ends so that whither we deal with God or with men whither you deal in heavenly businesses or in earthly something of holinesse flows out and appears in them boâ—h Esay 23. 18. Her Merchandize shall be holinesse to the Lord. Now that the people of God who have him to be their God should be holy and should live very holy lives it may be thus demonstrated 1. If you consider the scope and end of the Covenant or of taking us into Covenant the end of the Covenant is to glorifie the riches of Gods mercy and grace for the praise of the glory of his grace and the end of taking us into Covenant is that we might glorifie God who is so rich in mercy and grace unto us See 1 Pet. 2. 9. upon either of these accounts his people must be holy and live holily for should they live profanely and unholily this would pollute the Name of their God and extreamely dishonour it Ezek. 36. 21 22. and cause his Name to be blasphemed Rom. 2. 24. It is the life of holinesse which makes his Name to be glorified openly amongst men as it is the life of faith which makes it to be glorified secretly in the heart Maâ—th 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven 2. You are taken into Covenant that there might be a near relation 'twixt Holinesse fits for communion with God you and your God and that there might be a delight ful communion between God and you but holinesse is necessary to both these you must be sanctified if you will be near unto him for unholinesse is the greatest distance from God who is holinesse it self neither will he have fellowship with you without holinesse because similitude is the foundation of communion there can be no fellowship 'twixt light and darkness nor 'twixt God and Belial 2 Cor. 6. 14. All your communions with God are in acts of holinesse as aâ—l his communions with you are by his holy Spirit 3. The people of God are made high above all Nations in praise and in name and in honour Deut. 26. 19. They are the excâ—llâ—nt on the earth Psal 16. 3. Holinesse is our praise and honour A precious people Jer. 15. 19. A peculiar treasure unto the Lord Exod. 19. 5. But then he addes in verse 6. And ye shall be unto me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation Why How can you be above all other in praise and in name and in honour if your hearts and lives continued in the same inglorious condition and course of wickednesse and sinfulnesse with others Or how could you be said to be the excellent on earth if your hearts and lives were as base and common as the vilest on earth No certainly but it is holinesse which raiseth your natures and it is holinesse which raiseth your lives As God is said to be Glorious in Holinesse Exodus 15. 11. so his Church or people is said to be glorious when it is holy and without blame Ephes 5. 27. 4. You have certainty and Testimony from your holinesse that you are indeed Holinesse is the
on mans part or by way of promise on Gods part And well he may do so inrespect of that Infinite Goodnesse and Wisdome in God who knows much better how to lay the frame of a Covenant betwixt himself and man than man can know how to draw a Covenant betwixt himself and God SECT II. 2. THat there is a Covenant which God makes betwixt himself and believers There is such a Covenant So you have it often expressed in Scripture Gen. 17. 2. I will make my Covenant betwixt me and thee verse 7. I will establish my Covenant betwixt me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations after thee to be good unto thee and to thy seed after thee Deut. 4. 23. Take heed unto your selves lest you forget the Covenant of the Lord your God which he made with you 2 Sam. 23. 5. He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure Psal 50. 5. Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice Jer. 31. 31. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah which is repeated by the Apostle Heb. 8. 8. all which places do manifestly prove that there is a Covenant betwixt God and Believers Against this a great objection will lie There are some who argue that there Sect. 2. Obj. The Covenant is only betwixt God and Christ is no Covenant made betwixt God and us there is only a Covenant betwixt God and Christ by vertue of which all Good is derived unto us The ground of this opinion is drawn from Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made he saith not And to seeds as of many but as of one And to thy seed which is Christ Whence they inferre there is no Covenant at all made to us but only with Christ or to Christ Sol. I desire not to make rents but where I find them I would willingly make them up againe but of necessity I must consider this present opinion for if This opinion considered and cleared in three particulars this were true how can this Text I am now upon be true which saith I will make an everlasting Covenant not only for you but with you For the better stating and clearing of this doubt and difficulty I will deliver my self in these Propositions 1. That there is a Covenant made betwixt God the Father and his Sonne Jesus Christ 2. That there is a Covenant made betwixt God and every believing person 3. That the place alledged doth not infringe this truth 1. That there is a Covenant made betwixt God the Father and his Son Jesus There is a Covenant betwixt God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ Christ touching the whole businesse of mans salvation Hence it is that Christ is called the Covenant I will give thee for a Covenant of the people saith the Lord speaking of Christ Isa 49. 8. In hope of eternal life which God who cannot lye promised before the world began Tit. 1. 2. This promise which was ante tempora seculorum was made to Christ I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest them me Joh. 17. 6. All that makes up a Covenant passed betwixt the Father and the Son On the Father part He dâ—signed Christ to the office of Mediatour 1. On the Fathers part 1. He designed his Sonne unto the office of Mediatour him hath God the Father sealed John 6. 27. Set apart marked out for that work and the Apostle Peter speaking of our Redemption by the precious blood of Christ saith that Christ was fore-ordained thereunto before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1. 20. And hereunto did Christ consent and agree Heb. 10. 7. Then said I lo I come in the volum of thy book it is written of me to do thy will O God and againe ver 9. lo I come to do thy will O God 2. He promised to give him the Spirit in abundant measure The Spirit of the He promised to give him the Spirit in abundant measure Lord shall rest upon him Isa 11. 2. I have put my Spirit upon him he shall bring forth judgement to the Genetiles Isa 42. 1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me Isa 61. 1. God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him Joh. 3. 34. 3. He promised to assist him in that great work I the Lord have called thee And to assist him in that great work in Righteousnesse and will hold thy hand and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles Isa 42. 6. What is that holding of Christ by the hand but his effectual supporting and strengthening of him to finish the work which he agreed to undertake 4. He promised a blessed successe to this undertaking he shall see his seed And a blessed successe to his undertaking and he shall see the travaile of his soul Isa 53. 10. Nations that know thee not shall run unto thee Isa 55. 5. 5. He promised him Dominion and Soveraignty His arme shall rule for him And dominion and soveraignty Isa 40. 10. He shall sit in judgement in the earth and the Iles shall wait for his Law Isa 42. 4. He shall judge amongst many Nations Mic. 4. 3. 6. He promised to glorifie him after all Joh. 17. 5. Now Father glorifie thou And to glorifie him after all me 2. Christ an his part consents to the Father undertakes the will and work of On Christs part He consents to him undertakes his work Depends on him dischargeth it and expects the glory promised There is a Covenant with Christ personally and mystically considered his Father Depends on his Father Trusts on him for help The Lord will help me Isa 50. 7 9. My God shall be my strength Isa 49. 5. And he dischargeth all the work agreed on for the Redemption and salvation of the elect I have finished the work thou gavest me to do And expects the glory promised by the Father I would be tedious to speak all that might be said concerning this high Covenant betwixt God the Father and Christ touching the elect and all that concerns them I might adde that as there is a Covenant betwixt God and Christ personally considered so also betwixt God and Christ mystically considered Take him as the Head of the Church his body the Covenant principally looks at Christ I will be your God this principally looks at Christ and I will be your Father this principally looks at Christ and so the maine promises as those of Life of Grace of Justification so they principally look at Christ As there was a respect to the people of God in the Covenant betwixt the Father and Jesus Christ so there was a respect to Christ in the Covenant
Israel Jer. 31. 9. As the Sonne as God manifested in the flesh he is your Christ Christ gives himself to be yours And as the holy Ghost so also he is yours Oh what a Covenant is this wherein the covenanted have such a propriety The eternal God is my God The All-sufficient God is my God The holy Ghost is my God The merciful God is my God The omnipotent loving gracious God is my God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is my Father and Jesus Christ God the Sonne is my God and God the holy Ghost is mine I have an interest in him and them and I have a communion and fellowship with them 3. Engagement of himself with all that he hath and all that he can do What Engagement of himself a God can be or can do for your good Thus farre doth God engage unto his people when he makes a Covenant with them to be their God he makes over himself and all by bond unto you what I am I am to you and for you and what I have or can do it shall be for you I am the holy God I will be Holinesse to you I am the merciful God I will be merciful to your transgressions I am the gracious God I will shew favour to you and will freely love and blesse you I am the All-sufficient God and I will be a Sunne and a Shield unto you I am the Omnipotent God I will up old you by the right hand of my power I am All and will be All in All unto you I am God blessed for ever and I will be Blessednesse to you for my Covenant with you is the engagement of my self and of all good unto you 4. Perpetuity I will be a God unto you or I will be your God in a Covenant of Grace it is as if he should say I will be a God unto you as long as I am God Perpetuity I am God for ever and I will be your God for ever This God is our God for ever and ever Psal 48. 14. I will love you and blesse you for ever Did I not say aright when I told you that Gods engaging of himself to be our God in the Covenant was the soul the life the summe of the Covenant what can we have more or desire more A God to be our God a merciful gracious blessed blessing God to be our merciful gracious our blessed our blessing God and all this as long as he is God for ever and for ever 3. In this Covenant he promiseth that we shall be his people Jer. 31. 33. I will be their God and they shall be my people So Ezek. 11. 20. They shall be He promiseth we shall be his people my people and I will be their God Zach. 13 9. I will say It is my people and they shall say The Lord is my God This is the Covenant This mutual engagement on either side is it I will be your God and you shall be my people This is a Marriage I will be your Husband and you shall be my wife I take you to to be my Husband and I take you to be my wife This Reciprocal consent and this Reciprocal agreement Thou shalt be mine and I will be thine Thou shalt be for me and I will be for thee Hos 3. 3. this makes the marriage So the Reciprocal acceptance consent and agreement betwixt God and us makes up the Covenant between us in the very formal and vital nature of it Here are two questions unto which I would speak a few things Quest 1 What this expression of the Covenant imports you shall be my people or what it is to be a people in Covenant with God What it is to be a pâ—ople in Covenant As there is some singular thing in that Covenant expression I will be your God or I will be a God to you So there is some special thing in that Covenant expression likewise you shall be my people or you shall be to me for a people And if I mistake not there are three things in it Sol. 1. A Separation you shall not be any others nor for any other but for my self Three things in it A separation and this is expressey declared Deut. 29. 12 13. That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself and chap. 7. 6. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a spâ—cial people unto himself and chap. 16. 6. The Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Come out from amongst them and be ye seperate saith the Lord And I will be a Father unto you and you shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty 2. A dediâ—ation of our selves to God A kinde of consecration wherein we choose him to be our God and binde our selves to him to be his A willing A dedication of our selves to God choyce Deut. 26. 17. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God verse 18. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people Isa 63. 19. We are thine thou never barest rule over them they were not called by thy name Isa 64. 9. Behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people Psal 116. 16. Oh Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant Psal 119. 94. I am thine save me c. 3. An obligation to hearken unto him to obey him and to walk with him An obligation to obey him Deut. 27. 9 10. Take heed and hearken O Israel this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God Thou shalt therfore obey the voyce of the Lord thy God and do his câ—mmandments and his statutes which I command thee this day Jos 24. 22. Ye are witnesses against your selves that you have chosen the Lord to serve him and they said we are witnesses Quest 2 How we come to be his people whether by any voluntary act of our own or How we come to be Gods people in Covenant by the sole effect of his grace because he saith ye shall be my people For the resolution of this know that the Covenant may be considered two ways Sol. 1. As to the Platforme of its constitution which shews of what forme the contracting is when God declares that he as a God makes over himself unto his The Covenant may be considered As to the Platforme of its constitution As to the real execution of it people and his people make over themselves unto him 2. As to the real and effectual execution of this in an actual and mutual acceptation of each other and obligation of themselves to each other Thus considered you must distinguish betwixt the act of voluntary consent in the people or persons covenanting with God and betwixt the cause of that willing consent election and estimation There is a voluntary consent in
God and you There are four acts which God doth expresse when he becomes our God in Covenant 1. There is his choosing act he makes choyce of us before any other to be his people The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all the people that are upon the face of the earth Deut. 7. 6. 2. There is his loving act When I passed by thee and looked on thee Behold His loving act thy time was the time of love And I sware unto thee and entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Ezek. 16. 18. 3. There is his engaging act He bindes himself to be our God by Promise His engaging act and by Oath Ezek. 16. I sware unto thee 4. There is his imparting act He doth in this Covenant bestow himself and His imparting act all that he hath or can do upon us I am thine and I will blesse thee and do thee good And all these acts are free not compelled and they are also fixed acts never will he reverse or alter them Answerable unto these acts of God are the Acts in such who are the people of On our part God by Covenant What God acts towards them they do act by the instinct of his Spirit towards him They do also 1. Choose him before all other to be their God You have chosen you the Lord to serve him Josh 24. 22. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God We choose him Deut. 26. 27. As the wife owns the husband this is the man on whom her heart is set and none but him 2. Love him I love the Lord said David Psal 116. 1. Thou shalt love the Love him Lord thy God Deut. 11. 1. We loved him because he loved us first 1 John 4. 19. Oh how dear is his presence and his favour to them how sweet are their mutual communions 3. Engage themselves unto him Many Nations shall be joyned to the Lord in Engage our selves to him that day and shall be my people Zech. 2. 11. They yield themselves unto the Lord or as it is in the original they give the hand unto the Lord 2 Chron. 30. 8. As the custome is when men make a Covenant or Agreement they strike hands or take one another by the hand arguing hereby their consent and engagement as the people in Ezra 10. 19. gave their hands that they would put away their wives So in covenanting with God we give out the hand unto him i. e. we give up our selves unto him and binde our selves unto him 4. Impart themselves and all that they have or can do unto him their hearts Impart our selves to him and lives and gifts and services that God may have all and draw out your All All your hearts all your graces all your parts and lives and estates Josh 24. 17. The Lord is our God Ver. 24. The Lord our God will we serve Rom. 14. 7. None of us liveth to himself Verse 8. Whether we live we live unto the Lord c. Now is it thus with us have we indeed chosen the Lord to be our God and are we engaged unto him and love him and own him and are become his and none but his and have we made over our selves and all that we have unto him and count nothing no not our lives too dear for him The Lord hath passed by thousands and hath set his heart on you and have you passed by all others and set your hearts only on him But are you sure that you have not chosen some other Object with him or before him only the Lord God is chosen by you and set up by you No sinful object and no earthly object is set up And are you so become his as that you will be his for ever you are bound to him you cleave unto him nothing shall part you and your God no outward preferments afflictions and crosses do you count it your only happiness to enjoy him and your only unhappiness to be deprived of him do you say None but God none but God as the Martyr said None but Christ. But are you so his that he is the greatest desire and the greatest delight and the greatly beloved of your souls Whom have I in heaven but thee There is none on earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73. 25. Nay but may the Lord make use of you as his If he should say I must use your wisdome or your power or your authority or your zeal or your estate or your lives for the service of my glory Can you now answer O Lord I am thine I am thy servant all that I have is thine and all that I can do is thine thou shalt command my heart my parts my estate my life my All c. 2. You may know whether the Lord be your God and you be his people By our mutual interests and properties By your mutual interests and proprieties inclusively and exclusively God hath an interest in you and you have an interest in God he hath a propriety in you and you have a propriety in him in all that he hath you have an interest and in all that you have he hath an interest what he is he is for you and what you are you are for him he is only for you and you are only for him None hath that interest in you as God hath if indeed he be your God Nay you have not such an interest in your selves as God hath in you you are not your own you are wholly his if indeed he be your God and you be his people No Sinne can say You are mine and no Creature can say You are mine only God can say You are mine As in the Covenant of Marriage none but the Husband can say This woman is mine So if God be our God in Covenant none can say You are mine but God only Levit. 20. 26. You shall be holy unto me for I the Lord am holy and have sever'd you from other people that you should be mine Ezek. 16. 8. I entered into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Cant. 2. 16. My beloved is mine and I am his O sirs these two words mine and thine make up the Covenant Nay if I may be rightly understood this one word mine makes up the Covenant when you summe up all it is in this God is mine he is my God he is my Lord he is my Father he is my friend he is my mercy he is my wisdome he is my counsel he is my rock he is my help he is my comfort he is my hope he is my salvation he is my portion he is my life he is my happiness Domine ubi sunt omnia mea tuscis said Paulinus And when God looks on any person in Covenant with him he can say This person is mine he is my child and my friend and my servant I have all his heart and all his love and
the garden he will water He will end forth â—udgement unto victory Mat. 12. 20. 2 Cor. 3. 18. We are changed into the same image from glory to glory 3. He will preserve your holinesse and you being holy in holiness To the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holinesse 1 Thes 3. 13. and He will preserve our holinesse 1 Thes 5. 23. I pray God that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ver 24. Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it Phil. 1. 6. He which hath begun a good work in you will performe it untill the day of Jesus Christ 4. He loves your holinesse and takes delight in it for it is his own Image and He loves your holinesse his own work the fruit of his own grace the birth of his own Spirit 5. He will crown your holinesse ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end He will crown our holinesse everlasting life Rom. 6. 22. Blessed are the poor in heart for they shall see God Matth. 5. 8. Therefore is holinesse called a change from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. Holiness at first is weak and little at length it is much and strong at last it shall be perfect and glorious At first it is like a spark of fire covered with ashes at length it is like a burning fire at last like a flaming fire at first it is in groans and desires at length it is in conflicts and combates at last it is in victory and glory 4. God is an Omniscient God he knows all things whatsoever and all persons God is an omniscient God and all conditions and all the hearts and all the counsels and thoughts and words and wayes of all men at all times and in all places and that most clearly and perfectly by his own infinite light he knows all that is past and all that is present and all that is future and all that is possible Heb. 4. 13. There is not any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Consider this place seriously which declares Gods Omniscience There is not any creature that is not manifest in his sight There be many millions of millions of creatures and they be farre and near over all the world but whatsoever they are and wheresoever they are they are manifest in his fight though they be hid from us yet they are known to God and though they be out of our fight yet are they manifest in his sight they are before his eyes which runne to and fro throughout all the world And all things are naked and open to his eyes there is no darkness twixt him and them no curtain is drawn over his eye they are as naked to him as the childe which is newly born is unto our eye or as every pile of grass is discovered by the Sun at noon day or as the parts of a diseased body c. Psal 139. 2. Thou knowest my down-lying and my up-rising thou understandest my thoughts afar off verse 3. Thou art acquainted with all my wayes vese 4. There is not a word in my tongue but lo O Lord thou knowest it altogether Quest You will say This is granted it is very unquestionable that God is omniscient that he knows all things But what is this for the comfort and good of What comfort have we by this his people what good have they by being interested in an all-knowing God Sol. 1. The good and comfort thereby is exceeding great for Gods omniscience This is the key to open all his other Attributes is as it were the Key to open all his other Attributes it is the spring which sets them all to work and without which they could not work at all for your good Though the Lord be an All-sufficiency yet unlesse he were omniscient unlesse he did know all your wants what good could his all-sufficiency do you And though the Lord be of a very merciful nature ready to pity and help yet unlesse he did know your miseries he could not help you in your miseries It is his omniscience which doth if I may be so bold to expresse it acquaint and inform all his other glorious Attributes and put them on and draw them out to work for our good 2. That the omniscient God is your God this is an unspeakable comfort unto It is comfortable if we consider you whether you consider what he knows or how he knows as concerning your selves For what he knows as concerning your selves and your conditions The Lord What he knows as concerning our selves The integrity of our hearts knows who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. He knows the integrity of your hearts notwithstanding all your weaknesse and failings But the High places were not taken away neverthelesse the heart of Asa was perfect all his dayes 2 Chron. 15. 17. 2 Sam. 7. 20. Thou Lord knowest thy servant John 2. 17. Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee He knowes all your wants and all your distresses I know thy works and tribulation All our wants and poverty saith Christ to the Church of Smyrna Rev. 2. 9. Your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things Matth. 6. 32. He knows all your desires and prayers and tears Rom. 8. 27. He that searcheth All our desires the heart knows what is the minde of the Spirit Psal 38. 9. Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee Psal 56. 8. Put thou my tears into thy bottle are they not in thy book He knows all your active and passive service in his cause for his glory all the All our active and passive service How he knows us and our conditions With a knowledge Of approbation good that ever you have done and all the evil that ever you have suffered Rev. 2. How he knows you and all your conditions He doth know all the conditions of his people with a knowledge 1. Of Approbation The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous Psal 1. 6. that is he likes their way he approves of their way so Rev. 2. 9. I know thy works that is I like them exceeding well I am pleased to see them 2. Of Compassion The Lord said I have surely seen the afflictions of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-masters for Of compassion I know their sorrowes Exod. 3. 7. If one loved us much but did not know our wants and conditions if one did know all our conditions but did not love us it were sad but God knows and loves c. As a father knows the distresses and wants of his childe and pities the childe in that condition his bowels are troubled for him and if he can he will relieve
the hearts of men they shall pity you and help you in your wants if he saith to one Go and comfort such a Christian go and counsel him go and deliver him be a friend unto him he shall come unto thee and be this unto thee The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof 3. What shall I say more seeing Sovereignty and Dominion belong to your Then all the Ordinances of grace are at his command God Therefore all the Ordinances of grace and life are at his command and they shall yield out their strength and drop down their fatnesse at his will and pleasure he can open them and he can let out all their joyes and revivings and consolations they shall be effectual means of all-saving good unto you upon his command 12. He is and will be a good God unto you The Lord is good Psal 136. He will be a good God unto you Ten things concerning the goodness of God to his people He intends them good He will bring unto them the good promised He delights in doing good He accounts this his honour 1. Thou Lord art Good Psal 86. 5. And truly God is good to Israel Psal 73. 1. O how great is thy goodnâ—sse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Psal 31. 19. There are ten things concerning the goodness of God unto his people 1. He intends them good I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an un exâ—ected end Jer. 29. 11. 2. He will bring upon them all the good which he hath promised them Jer. 32. 42. 3. He delights in doing good unto them I will rejoyce over them to do them good Jer. 32. 41. 4. He looks upon his doing good unto his people as his honour and praise it shall be to me a name of joy a praise and an hâ—nour before all the Nations of the earth which shall hear all thâ— good that I do unto them Jer. 33. 9. 5. He thinks no good too good for them he will give grace and glory and He thinks no good too good for them He will never cease from doing good He will do them good every day He prevents us with goodness He doth more good than they seek for He reserves the best good to the last no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Psal 84. 11. 6. He will never cease from doing them good Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life Psal 23. 6. See also Jer. 32. 40. 7. He will do them good every day his mercy is nâ—w every morning Lam. 3. 23. Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits Psal 68. 19. 8. He is so ready to do you good that he oftentimes prevents you with his goodnesse before they call I will â—â—swer Isa 65. 14. 9. He doth them more good than they look for Thou didst terrible things which we looked not for Isa 64. 3. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion we were like them that dream Psal 1 26. 1. 10. He reserves the best good to the last For besides all the good which he doth for his people in this life there is also an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for them 1 Pet. 1. 4. Eye hath not seen nor the eare heard c. 1 Cor. 2. 9. 13. He is a very kind God unto his people Thou art a God of great kindnesse He is a very kind God unto hiâ— people This contains foure things in it Nehem. 9. 17. He hath shewed me his loving kindnesse Psal 31. 21. His merciful kindnesse is great towards us Psal 117. 2. The kindnesse of God contains foure things in it 1. The sweetnesse of his loving nature unto his people without the least disdain of them and harshnesse towards them he will not bruise the bruised reed nor The sweetnesse of his nature despise the day of small things 2. The easinesse of the communication of himself and goodnesse unto them The easiness of his communications His favourable encouragings as waters flow out from a full fountain 3. His favourable encouragings and acceptance of them in their persons and addresses unto him as the father ran and embraced the returning childe and fell on his neck and kissed him 4. His respectful tenders helpful forwardnesse of dealing with his people His respectful tenders in all gentlenesse and elemency And therefore he is said to pity and spare his people as a father pities his childe Psal 103. 13. and spares his childe that serves him Mal. 3. 17. and to draw his people with loving kindnesse Jer. 31. 3. and to draw them with bands of love Hosea 11. 4. and to take them by the armes Hosea 11. 3. and gently to lead them and to carry them in his bosome Isa 40. 11. and to dandle them upon his knees Isa 66. 12. and to speak comfortably unto them Hosea 2. 14. In the Old Testament he would commune with his people and give out all his answers at the Mercyseat And in the New Testament he gives them audience at the Throne of grace and mercy and would have them in all their petitions to look upon him as their Father Our Father c. Though the distance be infinite 'twixt him and us yet he represents himself unto us altogether as a kinde God and Father and makes kinde promises unto us and gives us his own Twelve things may assure you God will be kind to his people His relations to them His love is exceeding great unto them His tender apprehensions of any unkindness offered unto you His daily passing by your failings Sonne to be our Mediatour that so we may still finde favour in his eyes There are twelve things which may assure you that your God is and will be a kind God unto you 1. His relations to you Thy Maker is thy husband Isa 54. 5. I will marry thee unto my self in loving kindnesse Hosea 2. 19. 2. His love is exceeding great unto you he loves you above all the people in the world and his choice delight is in you you are his Hephzibahs and Benlahs because the Lord delights in you Isa 62. 4. 3. His tender apprehension of any unkind and harsh injuries offered unto you he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye 4. His daily passing by the many failings and weaknesses he pities them and will not mark them nor insist upon them 5. His easie reception of you into favour if he sees but a tear in your eyes he His easie reception of you into favour will be gracious to the voice of your tears I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself I will surely have mercy on him 6. His sympathy with you in your distresses and afflictions in all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them His sympathy
which he stands engaged unto you in his Covenant He remaines and continues to be your God for ever and ever and therefore all your dayes may you go to him and expect good and help from him 3. Is it such an exceeding and compleat happiness to have God to be our God in Encourage your selves in the Lord your God Covenant Then the people of God should encourage themselves in the Lord their God and make up themselves in their Covenant interest against all the discouragements which they meet with in the world There are the Creature interests and there are the Covenant interests you are many times deprived of the former The world loves his own and the world hates you and deals hardly and deceitfully with you The world slights and contemns and reproaches and withdraws and opposes and troubles you and persecutes you Now in such cases you should not suffer discouragements to sink and tear your hearts you should remember 1. That you are not of the world but are chosen out of the world 2. That you have a Covenant interest God is your God in Covenant and by vertue of that Covenant interest you shall find that in your God which is denyed you in the world As the Church spake Isa 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledget us not Thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer c. You shall finde it better in your God then it can ever be found in the world You cannot find love and kindness and favour and good dealing and faithfulness and help from the world O but you shall find at that time love and kindness and favour and tender dealing and faithfulnesse and help from your God Though men will not love you yet your God will love you though men will curse you yet God will blesse you though men forsake you yet your God will help you Yea and you shall find the love of your God in Covenant and his countenance and his presence and his gooness a thousand thousand times more sweet and refreshing and comforting then all the comforts could be to you which are denied unto you by the weake Creature O Christians Be not so dijected upon Creature with-drawments and upon Creature failings or upon Creature oppositions there is enough in your God and there is better in your God There is fulness in him and a living fulnesse you have all and abound by enjoying God to be your God Though you have not the Candle yet you have the Sun though not the dirty puddles yet you have streams and fountains Reckon the enjoyment of God for your God reckon this as something reckon on it as your best and fullest good Assuredly it is enough to make up your happinesse and that which is enough to make you happy It is enough to countervaile all other things which can never make you happy 4. Give diligence to make out unto your soules this Covenant relation twixt God Make out your Covenant-relation and you as you have a real interest in God so rest not untill you do attaine unto a personal evidence that God is your God and that you are his people untill you can say as the Church in Isa 64. 8. But now O Lord thou art our Father verse 9. Behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people Two things I would briefly speak concerning this duty 1. You may attain unto this personal evidence and certainty of knowledge That You may attain to this personal evidence God is your God and that you are his people for asmuch as 1. You have expreesse promises for this in Zach. 13. 9. They shall call upon my Name and I will hear them I will say It is my people and they shall say The Lord is my God So Ezek. 34. 30. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they even the house of Israel are my peaple saith the Lord God 2. Both the graces of the Spirit and the testimony of the Spirit can make the Covenant relation evident unto you The graces in you are the infallible characters that God is indeed your God and that you are indeed his people The Spirit of grace is given only unto the people of God and unto every one of the people of God and besides that you have the testimony of the Spirit Rom. 8. 15. Yea have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Gather Verse 16. The Spirit it self beâ—â—eth witnesse with our spirit that we are the Children of God You should strive to attain to this evidence The advantage of it For the setling of the heart 2. You should strive to attain unto this personal evidence of your relation Next to your being in the Covenant I do not know any one thing of that advantage unto you as the knowledge upon sure grounds that God is your God in Covenant It is of singular advantage and benefit unto you 1. For the setling of the heart If this Covenant relation were known of you you may say as David Return unto thy rest O my soule Psal 116. 7. Your souls cannot be setled by knowing what is happiness but by knowing your propriety in happinesse whiles your propriety is unsetled all is unsetled within you and if that be obtained all is peace and at peace I know that this God is my God 2. For the Comfort and joy of your hearts It is fruition joyned with knowledge For the comfort of your hearts which is the Spring of all delight and comfort You have heard the precious comforts which belong unto the people of God who have God to be their God and yet none of them have made comfort within your soules because you are doubtful whether God be your God it is certain you cannot taste the comforts whiles you fear your title and interest But if your interest were clear your joy would be full happinesse known to be ours is a necessary cause of joy The Saints in glory have most joy because they have the fullest knowledge of the enjoyment of their happinesse 3. For your confidence in approaching unto God and in the application of the several For your confidence in approaching to God promises of God your wayes to God would be alwaies open and faire in all your duties and in all the Ordinances you might say I am now going to my God and Father to help me and that promise is my portion and this promise is my hope They are all of them mine for God himself is mine He hath given them every one of them unto me 2 Pet. 1. 4. That I might not fear that I might have strong hope and consolation and encouragement I will say no more unto you but this the knowledge of your Covenant-relation unto God it is the life of your lives and the life of your prayers and the life of your confidences and the life of your hope and
you from the love of God Rom. 8. The Covenant holds beyond death it doth not bring you only into a present enjoyment of God but it is to bring you into a fall perfect and everlasting enjoyment of God in glory the Covenant yields you the least part of your good of your portion of your happinesse in this life the greatest and fullest portion of good promised unto you by God in this Covenant lies in the arrears in the reserves in the full possession of the inheritance after death and then why should you fear to dye and go to take a full possession why should you fear to dye and to enter into the joy of your Master why should you fear to dye and go home to receive all the desires of your hearts and all the eternal preparations of glorious blessednesse for your souls 7. You who are the people of God and have him to be your God in Covenant Walk without offending God you should walk without offending of him and without displeasing or grieving of your good God Mal. 1. 6. A sonne honoureth his Father and a servant his Master If then I be a Father where is mine honour And if I be a Master where is my fear friends in Covenant carefully avoid mutual offences and provocations you should fear the Lord and his goodnesse Hosea 3. 5. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God Deut. 10. 20. Seeing that Thou our God hast given us such deliverance as this should we again break thy Commandments c. Ezra 9. 13 14. so seeing that the Lord is become our God and hath delivered us from wrath and made us to be his people should we grieve him by sinning against him Grieve not the Spirit of God by whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption Eph. 4. 30. Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing Colos 1. 10. It were an excellent height if we could say unto God as he spake unto his people in Micah 6. 3. O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee So if we could say O our God what have we done against thee and wherein have we displeased and grieved thee There are nine sinnes which if they be found in the people of God they do extreamely Sins much displeasing God Grosse transgressions offend and displease their God 1. Grosse transgressions when their spots are not the spots of his children Deut. 32. 5. Davids adultery displeased the Lord 2 Sam. 11. 27. 2. Murmuring complaints against the dispensations of their God Numb 11. 1. Murmuring complaints against his dispensations When that people complained it displeased the Lord 〈◊〉 the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled ver 4. They fâ—ll a lusting and wept again and said Who shall give us flesh to eat ver 10. And the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly 3. Their manual divisions and contentions and envyings and evil-speakings Muâ—ual divisions and reproachings of one another these dishonour themselves and grieve the Spirit and offend their Father 4. Spiritual pride and loftinesse of heart being vainly puffed up with knowledge Spiritual pride or any spiritual attainments and enjoyments foolish boastings 5. Carnal security and carelesnesse of their hearts and wayes and turning Carnal security the grace of God into wantonnesse 6. Vnfruitfulnesse and barrennesse under the Gospels Ordinances and Unfruitfulnesse helps 7. Conformity unto the world fashioning themselves thereunto and complying Conformity unto the world with the ungodly 8. Lukewarmnesse of spirit in the cause of God and of the truths of Christ and of the power of godlinesse suffering all these to be opposed and blasphemed Lukewarmnesse 9. Particular unbeliefs and distrusts as in Moses case c. when their faith Particular unbeliefs hath a special call to honour God amongst people in difficulties c. These and some other sinnes if found among the people of God do exceedingly displease and grieve him and therefore be you very watchful against them yea and against all Reasons why we should be watchful against all sinnings sinnings whatsoever because 1. Your God hath shewed you exceeding riches of grace and mercy There is mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feared 2. Your relation to so holy a God should make you to fear all unholy actions you should be holy as your heavenly Father is holy 3. Your receipts have been high and your returns should be answerable you have received favour and Christ and the Spirit and hopes of heaven and should you offend your God after all this O what ingratitude worst of ingratitude were this 4. You will extreamely darken your communions with God by it and your heavenly relation by it your Sun will set at Noon day 5. You will break up the peace in conscience and conscience will lay hold on you from all your interest comforts received 6. God doh usually correct and chastise his people in this life very severely and sharply for their disobedience 8. You who are the people of God should walk with all contentednesse and Walk with all contentednesse and well-pleasednesse well-pleasednesse of spirit for you have God to be your God saith David Psal 16. 5. The Lord is the portion of mine in eritance and ver 6. I have a goodly heritage That man will be contented with nothing who cannot finde contentment in the enjoyment of all things There are three things which I desire you to take notice of For 1. That God is the portion of his people Thou art my portion O Lord Psal God is the portion of his people 119. 57. All the world is too low and too little to make up a portion for any one holy or godly man he sets not out any estate as your portion but himself If the Lord should say to a godly man I will give you all the world and that shall be all your portion O Lord would he say let others have that portion but I beseech thee give me thy self 2. That God alone is portion enough all-sufficiency is questionlesse a sufficient God alone is portion enough portion as Joseph said unto his brethren Gen. 45. 20. by the command of Pharaoh Regard not your stuffe for the good of all the Land of Egypt is yours so may we say to all the people of God Regard not be not troubled so much for the poor stuffe of earthly revenues for the all-sufficient God is yours The Lord is my Shepherd therefore I shall not want Psal 23. 1. He that wants nothing hath enough I am thy shield and thy exceeding great râ—ward Gen. 15. 1. Hâ—â—ho is secured from all evil and is blessed with all blessings certainly this man hath enough 3. That your fruition of God for your God sweetens any outward portion be Out fruition of God sweatens any outward poâ—tion it never so little the little of earth with the enjoyment of God as loving as reconciled
as accepting of us in Christ as shining in his favour on our souls as our God in Covenant how satisfying how delightful a portion is this The small Ring with the rich Diamond cannot that delight and please you Object O but I have very little of these outwards Sol. A little of them is enough much is but a superfluity and is like the water that runs besides the Mill. Though but a little yet It is enough It is blest 2. Your little is blest it is the cluster of grapes with the blessing of the Lord a little wholsome food is better than a feast that is poysoned so c. 3. Your little will last As the Widows Oyle ran out still and ran out so much It will last as served to sustain her all the time of Famine so God by little and little will preserve you all your dayes 4. Though little in hand yet still sufficient and of the best in promise which will There is sufficient in the promise rain Manna down upon you all the time of your journying and travelling untill you come to Canaan 9. You who are the people of God should walk with all humility before God Walk with all humility before God Micah 6. 8. What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God There are four goodly sights 1. To see a pardoning God and a mournful sinner 2. To see a promising God and a believing sinner 3. To see a good God and a thankful sinner 4. To see a gracious God and an humble sinner No people are raised so high as the people of God and no people with such lowliness and humbleness as these To walk humbly is to walk 1. With a sense of our own unworthhyness I am not worthy of the least of all the With a sense of our own unworthinesse mercies of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant said Jacob Gen. 32. 10. Who am I and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto said David 2 Sam. 7. 18. 2. With a sense of our own insufficiencies we are not sufficient of our selves to With a sense of our own insufficiency think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3. 5. O Lord I know the way of man is not in himself It is not in man to direct his steps Jer. 10. 23. 3. With a full acknowledgement of the grace of God as the reason and cause of With a full acknowledgement of the grace of God our all By the grace of God I am what I am And I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me said Paul 1 Cor. 15. 10. 4. With a low opinion of our selves as 1 Cor. 4. 6. That not one of you be puffed up With a low opinion of our selves for one against another verse 7. For who maketh thee to differ and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it Why they should walk humbly Because They are saved by mercy Their enjoyments are the gifts of grace And there are five Reasons which the people of God have to walk humbly 1. Because they are all saved by mercy and brought into their high relation by the meere love of their God In his mercy he saved them and in your blood he set his love upon you and said unto you live 2. Because all the great enjoyments which they have they are the meere gifts of grace Ye are called by grace and justified by grace and adopted by grace and renewed by grace and saved by grace 3. Because you continually live in a dependance upon God All your actings are in his strength and all your communions with him are by his presence and by his power They live in dependency upon God your graces and your comforts and particular abilities would die in your hands if he should but withdraw and leave you 4. Because your God is a great God and you are but Dust and Ashes before him Their God is a great God And besides that he knows so much of you that you have cause to be vile in your own eyes and to lie low before him 5. Because you do so little for so good a God You make but poor returns in proportion They do so little for so good a God to your exceeding great receits your best performances and acts of obedience are so short to his mercies that you need mercy still to passe you by You should walk with all chearfulness and gladnesse of heart before your blessing Walk with all chearfulness and blessed God Psal 100. 2. Serve the Lord with gladnesse Deut. 28. 47. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulnesse and gladnesse of heart for the abundance of all things O how chearful should your life be who enjoy such a God to be your God This enjoyment should be like a good conscience which is a continual feast yet God is my God and Christ is my Christ and mercy and glory are mine Yea it should make you exceeding forward and chearful in the services of your God not calling them your burdens but delights you should rejoyce in him and rejoyce to obey him and delight to do his will account it your meat and drink and you should a bound in the work of the Lord. 11. You should be constant in walking before him you should never be weary of him nor of his works you should think a short life too short for the serving Be constant in walking before him and the honouring of such a God as the Martyr was troubled because he had but one life to part with for Christ so should we because we have no more lives or no longer time of life to blesse and praise our good and gracious God you should serve him in holiness and righteousness all your dayes Luke 2. Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Psal 23. 6. 12. You who ate the people of God should walk before him in all zeale for the honour of that God who hath so much honoured you as to make you his Walk before him in all zeal people What shall I do for my God! you should deny your selves and extend your selves and improve all your gifts and graces and powers for the services of his glory you should not count your time nor riches nor honours nor lives dear unto you so that you might honor and glorifie such a God as your God is and is to you you should speak and pray and study and act and enact for him who is so good a portion and will be your everlasting and blessed God SECT XV. Use 4 THere is yet one Use more
this Covenant both As to the composition of it composition of it and to the happinesse in and by it 1. This Covenant of grace is so modell'd and framed with as winning and alluring a way for sinners as possibly can be drawn out by the wisdome of a kinde and good God It is made with all advantages to the sinner so that if there be any loosing or damnifying it falls rather to God than to the sinner all the expressions of it are upon the account of Gods grace And it is made with such tender respects to poor sinners that all the active part to make them to be the people of God is undertaken by God himself he undertakes to make us to be his people to give himself to give Christ to give his Spirit to give a new heart to give the Spirit of prayer to give the Spirit of faith to give pardoning mercy to give all O how might all this if seriously and rightly meditated upon melt in our hearts to God and make us willing to take him for our God! 2. And as the Covenant of grace is framed to allure in the sinner so when the sinner is brought in it settles upon him the only true happinesse and all true happiness And as to out happinesse in and by it with certainty and to all eternity As soon as ever you take God to be your God and are become his people immediately is blessednesse settled upon you as your portion and as your portion for ever Psal 34. 12. Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance Psal 144. Happy is the people whose God is the Lord CHAP. V. Isaiah 55. 3. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David I Have discoursed of the Covenant of grace as it stands in opposition to the Covenant of works and likewise of the vital nature of it the very marrow and summe of it in those expressions I will be to you a God and you shall be to me a people I am now in the third place to open unto you this Covenant in the adjuncts or properties of it which do as it were blazon and ennamel this Covenant or set it out in beautiful colours to the eyes of us poor and distressed sinners as God appeared unto Moses in his glory when he made himself known unto him in his gracious Attributes so this Covenant appears in The adjuncts or properties of the Covenant wonderful glory when it is opened in the admirable adjuncts or properties of it There are twelve adjuncts given unto this Covenant 1. It is a new Covenant 2. It is a plentiful or perfect Covenant 3. It is a bountiful and giving Covenant 4. It is a free or gracious Covenant 5. It is a well-ordered Covenant 6. It is a pure or holy Covenant 7. It is a sure or stedfast Covenant 8. It is the last Covenant 9. It is an everlasting Covenant 10. It is the best Covenant 11. It is a clear and open and plain Covenant 12. It is the only Covenant SECT I. 1. THis Covenant is a New Covenant I will make a new Covenant with It is a new Covenant the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Jet 31. 31. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Heb. 8. 8. In Scripture the word New is diversly taken 1. Sometimes that is stiled New which succeeds another in Exod. 1. 8. there The several exceptions of the word New in Scripture It succeeds another Covenant arose a New King in Acts 7. 18. this New King is called another King In this respect this Covenant is a New Covenant it succeeds another Covenant a former Covenanâ— it follows the Covenant of works Quest. It may be argued Why the Covenant of works should be first and the Covenant of grace next Sol. We may be satisfied concerning this order First from the pleasure of The reason of the order of the two Covenants God that he would have it thus Secondly from the wisdome of God who by this order glorifies his justice in the one and his mercy in the other Thirdly From the capacity of man who being at the first created righteous was thereby fitted for a Covenant of works and his created condition was unmeet for a Covenant of grace but being fallen his sinful condition became fit and meet for a Covenant of grace and utterly unfit for a Covenant of works 2. Sometimes that is stiled New which is wonderful unusual the like not It is a wonderful Covenant heard of before The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth a woman shall compass a man Jer. 31. 22. That a Virgin should conceive and bring forth a man-childe this was a new thing it was wonderful indeed so Isa 43. 19. Behold I will do a New thing I will even make a way in the Wildernesse and Rivers in the Desart this was a new work that is wonderful and unusual In this respect also is the Covenant of grace stiled New that is it is a wonderful Covenant how wonderful is it that the Lord who was so exceedingly dishonoured and injured and provoked by sinners should yet so infinitely condescend to sinners as to treat afresh with them and to offer life unto them upon better and surer terms than before and should promise such exceeding mercies and give such a gracious Redeemer and Mediator There are foure things wherein and for which God will be eternally admired 1. In making this Covenant of grace 2. In giving his only Son for a Saviour 3. In bringing any sinner to Christ and into the Covenant 4. In the glorifying of them that believe 3. Sometimes that is stiled New which is excellent and very necessary John It is an excellent Covenant 13. 34. A New Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another this Commandment is a new Commandment that is it is a rare an excellent a necessary Commandment so Revel 2. 17. To him that overcomes I will give a New name that is an excellent name to be one of the sonnes of God which is called a dignity an excellent priviledge John 1. 12. In this respect also is the Covenant of grace stiled New it is an excellent Covenant and very If it be considered necessary It is excellent consider it either comparatively no Covenant like unto this Comparatively that Covenant of works falls exceeding short of it and that Covenant with nature for the preservation of common life is not to be compared with it Or absolutely in it self it is all of excellencies an excellent love an excellent Absolutely Christ the most excellent mercies and the onely excellent happinesse Or respectively unto us our hopes our helps our comforts our life our Respectively eternal life lies in this Covenant all
good God but also as a wise God and his delays are not his denials but only his trials and therefore hear himself speaking in this case Hab. 2. 3. The Vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry waite for it because it will surely come it will not tarry Micah 7. 7. I will waite for the God of my salvation my God will hear me 3. They are discoveries of many mens hypocrisie but no evidences of Gods mutability You shall have a company of men boast of their strong faith in God and of their great love to God and how they trust in him with all their hearts this they speak in the dayes of their prosperity but let the Lord put forth his hand upon them let him but blast their Jonah's Guord let him cut off those armes of flesh upon which indeed they do depend let him but break down their creature-supports and comforts and hopes and hold out never so many sutable and faithful promises why they have no hopes a word of promise is of no life or support at all unto them This evil is of the Lord why should I wait for the Lord any longer said that wicked Prince in 2 Kings 6. 33. Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him Hab. 2. 4. 4. They are many times the displayings of the best mens infirmities but no tokens of any uncertainty in Gods Covenant The best men though they may attain to the knowledge of the truth of that grace in their hearts yet they may be much deceived as to the measure and strength of that grace and as many other things can declare this unto them so do these delayes and respites and contrary dealings of God much very much shew it Alas what expressions in such cases have fallen from the lips of precious men what complaints what impatience what charges of God himself what disputes what exceeding weaknesses Psal 116. 11. I said in mine haste All men are lyars thus David in that condition Jer. 15. 18. Wilt thou be altogether unto me as a lyar and as waters that fail what a sad expression is this Jonah 4. 3. Take away I beseech thee my life from me for it is better for me to dye than to live Verse 9. I do well to be angry even unto death Job 3. 3. Let the day perish wherein I was born and the night wherein it was said there is a man-childe concâ—ived c. You see what strange weaknesses God doth discover in the hearts of his own people by delays by his dealings with them in ways sensibly contrary to his promises by which they come more fully to know themselves and to be humbled before him and to seek unto him for more assistance and notwithstanding all this yet the Covenant of God is sure to his people he will yet performe all the good which he promiseth unto them though under all this they may discern their own weaknesses and unworthinesse 5. They do serve for the greater demonstration of his truth and are no diminutions of it at all that notwithstanding all visibly contrary workings and notwithstanding all the fears and doubtings and contrary opinions of his own servants yet God will be true though every man be a lyar his word shall stand and his Covenant be found true and sure Psal 31. 22. I said in my haste I am cut off from before thine eyes neverthelesse thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cryed unto thee 4. Then be upright do not use any indirect wayes or sinful shufflings what Be upright need of these the Covenant contains as much good as you need and it is sure for the performance of all Psal 37. 3. Trust in the Lord and do good so shalt thou dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed Ver. 4. Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desire of thine heart Ver. 5. Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to passe SECT VIII 8. THe eighth property of this Covenant is this It is the last Covenant it It is the last Covenant It succeeds a former Covenant may be called the last Covenant in a twofold respect 1. Because it succeds a former Covenant and removes it See Heb. 8. 13. In that he saith a new Covenant he hath made the first old now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away 2. Because no Covenant shall ever succeed this If any Covenant should succeed No Covenant shall ever succeed it this it must be a Covenant either of works or of grace not a Covenant of works for that would bring us all under a curse and make our condition utterly desperate nor a Covenant of grace because more grace cannot be shewn in any other Covenant than in this here is all grace and all mercy and Jesus Christ with all his righteousnesse Mediatorship merit purchase this Covenant is so perfect and is so every way accommodated to the condition of sinners that nothing can be altered nor can be added nor mended therefore it is the last Covenant O therefore take heed what you do stand not off refuse not to come into this Covenant sin not against this Covenant for that he offers it no more it is the last Covenant no hope no mercy no love no Christ no acceptance no life but in this SECT IX 9. THe ninth property of this Covenant is It is an everlasting Covenant so It is an everlasting Covenant the Text I will make an everlasting Covenant with you Isa 55. 3. Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live And I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Gen. 17. 7. I will stablish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee for an everlasting Covenant to be God unto thee and to thy seed after thee 2 Sam. 23. 5. He hath mâ—de with me an â—verlasting Covenant c. Psal 105. 9. Which Covâ—nant he made with Abraham and his oath unto Isaac Ver. 10. And confirmâ—d the same unto Jacob for a Law and to Israel for an everlasting Covâ—nant Isa 61. 8. I wâ—ll dirâ—ct their work in truth and I wâ—ll make an everlasting Covenant with â—hem Jer. 32. 40. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I wâ—ll not tâ—rn away from them to do them good Heb. 13. 20. Through the blood of the everlasting Covenant Hosea 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever Psal 48. 14. This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide evâ—n unto death All the things of the Covenant are stiled everlasting viz. All the things of the Covenant are stiled everlasting 1. God is an everlasting God Rom. 16. 26. 2. Jesus Christ is the everlasting Father Isa 9. 6. And a Priest for ever Heb. 6. 20. 3. The
hath promised this unto his people Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you 2. Another is a sincere heart though hypocrisie be vanishing yet sincerity A sincere heart will continue there is faithfulnesse and stedfastnesse in sincerity and God hath promised to give this heart unto his people Ezek. 11. 19. I will give them one heart and one way Zach. 8. 3. Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth and ver 8. They shall be my people and I will be their God in truth and righteousnesse Isa 1. 22. Then shalt thou be called the City of righteousnesse the faithful City 3. A third is entire and exceeding love this will hold out unto the death yea Intire love it is stronger than death and this hath God also promised to give his people Deuteronomy 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul 4. A fourth is the fear of himself which is the beginning of wisdome and The fear of God the deliverance from sinne this also God promiseth to give unto his people in that Covenant Jer. 32. 40. I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me 5. A fifth is sound faith 1. Of union 2. Dependance both these he Sound faith promiseth They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth fast for ever John 6. 45. They shall be all taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the father cometh to me Zeph. 3. 12. And they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. Hab. 2. 4. The just shall live by his faith 2. God doth expresly promise to keep his people from falling away from him God promiseth to keep his people from falling and that he will never leave nor forsake them 1 Sam. 12. 22. The Lord will not forsake his people for his great Name-sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people Psal 37. 24. Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand Ver. 28. The Lord forsaketh not his Saints they are preserved for ever Psalme 94. 18. When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up Hosea 14. 4. I will heal their back-slidings 2 Thess 3. 3. The Lord is faithful who shall stablish you 3. God doth expresly promise to strengthen and increase their grace The righteous God promiseth to strengthen and increase their grace shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Job 17. 9. The path of the just shall be as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4. 18. He will make all grace to abound he will work in us to will and to do of his own good pleasure Those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall still bring forth fruit in old age 4. God doth promise to confirm his people unto the end and to finish the work God promiseth to confirm his people to the end which he hath begun in them 1 Cor. 1. 8. He shall confirm you to the end that ye may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Jesus Phil. 1. 6. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begunne a good work in you will perform it will perfect it he will carry it on untill the day of Jesus Christ 5. God doth promise to break down all which might else cause his people to God promiseth to over-power whatsoever may make his people tâ— break Covenant break off the Covenant There are but five causes supposable for the breaking off that Covenant on our part and God removes every one of them from his people 1. One is the power of sin but God hath promised to subdue our iniquities Mic. 7. 19. And sin shall not have dominion over us Rom. 6. 14. 2. A second is the power of Satan but God hath promised that he will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape 1 Cor. 10. 13. He hath promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his people Matth. 16. 18. He hath promised that the seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. and that he will bruise Satan under our feet Rom. 16. 20. and resist the devil and he shall flye from you James 4. 7. 3. A third is the power of the world but said Christ to his Disciples John 16. 33. Be of good chear I have overcome the world and 1 John 5. 4. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even over faith 4. A fourth is the supposed liberty and inconstancy of mans will that a man if he will he may cast off his God and give over to be one of his people but this God promiseth to remove by giving of his own Spirit which shall cause us to walk in his Statutes and to keep his Laws and to do them Ezekiel 36. 27. and Jeremiah 32. 39. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever 5. A supposition that God will substract or with-draw his grace from his people Neither shall this be for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance so Rom. 11. 29. And Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be takâ—n from her Luke 10. 42. 2. A second Argument to demonstrate the everlastingnesse of the Covenant 'twixt God and his people shall be taken from several considerations of Christ From several considerations of Christ and believers and believers who are the people in Covâ—nant 1. Christs suretiship 2. Christs Mediatorship 3. Christs union with them 4. Christs love 5. Christs intercession 6. Christs promises and preparations for them 1. The suretiship of Christ in Heb. 7. 22. Christ is said to be made a surety The suretiship of Christ of a better Covenant so I conceive the word should be rendred viz. Covenant and not Testament for a surety is not of a Testament but of a Covenant A surety is one who is engaged and stands bound for another and is responsable for him as Judah for Benjamine Gen. 43. 9. I will be surety for him of my hands shall they require him And in matters of contract 'twixt person and persons a surety is taken in for this very end That the contract may be made sure and good may not faile but be truly and perfectly performed and the surety is a distinct person undertaking and engaging in the behalf of him who is of himself the more weak and insufficient contractor As to this consideration Christ is stiled the surety of the
of his grace and mercy unto his people Now there are foure things which magnifie God in these First his graciousnesse freely to make us to be his people A second is his goodnesse in the plentiful blessing of his people And thirdly his faithfulnesse that he will surely blesse his people And fourthly his everlastingnesse that he will never forsake his people and never will turn away from doing of them good Why this exalts his mercy indeed that it endures for ever and his love indeed that it continues for ever and his grace indeed that as it is free so it is everlasting In respect of his people The everlastingnesse of the Covenant is a just reason of perfect thankfulnesse 2. There are reasons for this in respect of his people I will mention a few of them 1. The everlastingnesse of the Covenant is a just reason of full and perfect thankfulnesse Psal 100. 4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his Courts with praise Be thankful unto him and bless his Name Verse 5. For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting Psal 136. 1. O give thanks unto the Lord for hâ— is good for his mercy endureth for ever 2. His people have cause now to trust on him for ever Isa 26. 4. Trust ye in His people have now cause to trust in him for ever the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times ye people pour out your heart before him God is a refuge for us Selah Vse 1 Is the Covenant which God makes with his people an everlasting Covenant then that opinion is very false which delivers out unto us such a Covenant of grace as is mutable and alterable and may be broken off and cease between God For confutation of that opinion that the Covenant is mutable and alterable and his people That a man may be made a child of God and yet may become the child of the Divel that he may be graffed into Christ and yet may be broken off from Christ that he may have true faith and grace and yet he may lose true faith and grace that he may finde love and mercy from God and yet may so sinne as actually to forfeit and that for ever all the love and mercy of God Certainly this is a very sad assertion that any person should be translated from death to life that he should be delivered from the power of Satan and translated into the Kingdome of Christ that he should be effectually called and become a believer and thereupon a Sonne of God and heire of glory that he should for a while believe and rejoyce in his God and be sealed with the holy Spirit of promise and yet upon a sudden notwithstanding all the love and promises and engagements of God unto him in Covenant his Sun should set at noon-day he and his God should part and be utter enemies again that he should cast off God from being his God and God should forsake and cast him off from being any of his people and as it is a sad opinion so it is an opinion utterly inconsistent with this truth of the everlastingnesse of the Covenant of grace A relation which ceaseth to be that relation is not everlasting and that agreement or Covenant which is broken and frustrated that Covenant is not everlasting to be temporary and to be everlasting are questionlesse inconsistent neither will that evasion of a temporarinesse on our part and everlastingnesse of the Covenant on Gods part any way patch up the businesse because there is no such Covenant of grace which God hath made with his people Jer. 31. 31. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Ver. 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 Mark the place God makes no such Covenant as shall be broken on our part but such a Covenant as shall hold and be kept on our part as well as on his part verse 33. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes 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 c. And cap. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me The principal if not the onely ground of this breaking and falling opinion is a supposition of a power in the will of man according to the pleasure and use whereof the Covenant of Gods grace must stand or fall must continue or break off And to speak plainly according to the Arminian doctrine all the stability and state of a sinners salvation is made to depend upon the will of a sinner the election of God the conversion of a sinner the beneficial Redemption by Christ the perseverance in Christ and grace all of these do lie at the mercy of the will of a poor sinner and truly I must confesse that if the Covenant of grace had no surer foundation then mans wâ—ll it may quickly cease to be an everlasting Covenant But we read of other and better foundations for the perpetuity of this Covenant thâ—n mans will we read that it is grounded on the immutable counsel of God and on his absolute promises and on his Oath and on the blood of Christ confirming and establishing of it and on his power and intercession and presence and love and Spirit and faithfulnesse But as to the opinion of these men which indeed is none other but that of the To state the stability of the Covenant upon the will of man Pelagians and Papists and Arminians Give me favour to speak a few words 1. It is very improbable that God would make a new Covenant with us and state the stability and everlastingnesse of it upon the will of us sinners for hereby 1. There should be no difference as to the ground of safety and certainty Is very improbable 'twixt this Covenant of grace and that of works for if Adam had improved the power and liberty of his will he had continued and had enjoyed the life which God promised unto him Now wherein doth the grace of this Covenant exceed the other of Works if eternal life be left unto the pleasure of our will as formerly it was to Adams 2. Nay it should be harder and more unsafe for us to be in the Covenant of grace than it was for Adam to be in the Covenant of works because in that condition Adams will was created with a perfect righteousnesse and conformity and sufficiency to have continued in that Covenant but we are fallen with him and
have lost that perfectly inherent righteousnesse and the grace which comes in the room of it is very weak and imperfect so that as to the perpetuating of the Covenant we should be extreamly disadvantaged in comparison of our imperfect holinesse with his perfect righteousnesse and thus we by grace should have only a less power and strength to continue in Covenant with God than Adam had 3. God undertakes more for our part in this Covenant than he did for Adam in that Covenant for there he did give a sufficiency of righteousnesse and so left man unto himself but here he doth not only call us to be his people and give us grace to make us to be so but also promiseth and engageth his own power and his Christ and the Spirit of grace to assist and uphold and preserve and confirm and stablish us unto the end Surely then it is not probable that he would leave the issue of so much mercy and happinesse to the power and sole pleasure of our own will 4. That God should glory so much in making this Covenant with his people and please to speak so much of his great kindnesse and riches of grace and mercy and of what he hath done and will do for them and yet when all comes to all it is no more but this if your will pleaseth you shall enjoy all this 2. It is very incongruous to make the Covenant thus to depend for the lastingnesse Is very incongruous of it on the power and pleasure of mans will it would rob Gods grace of all the glory for our abiding in the Covenant for as the sole blame would be ours if we did break the Covenant so the sole praise and honour must be ours if we by our own wills do continue and perpetuate the Covenant God will give this and will give that if we continue stedfast in his Covenant and that stedfastnesse depends only upon the power and pleasure of his will God say they no where promiseth that gift absolutely but we must look for that in our selves And I beseech you now tell me where the glory of our perseverance unto glory must light shall the grace of God have it no it is not the fruit or work of Gods grace determining then the man must have it who did so manage and stirre and improve his will as to hold out to the end and thus by placing the lastingnesse of the Covenant upon the power of mans will the creature gets away the glory from the Creatour and Gods grace which should reign in this Covenant must lose the Crown unto the supposed power and pleasure of mans will 3. It is very uncomfortable to ground the lastingnesse of the Covenant upon It is very uncomfortable the power and pleasure of mans will for hence it will necessarily follow that you cannot till the very last minute of your breathing come to any certain conclusion of your state in grace nor of your portion in glory Why so because it is in the power of your own will whither you will stand or fall hold fast or break off relation with God it may be you will it may be you will not perhaps your own corruptions may be too strong for you or Satans temptations or something from the world and then your hearts fall off from God and you are lost for ever so that it is impossible by this doctrine ever to have any settled comfort fixed peace or stedfast hope because all the happinesse of your estate is but conditional upon the good behaviour of your own wills which is very changeable Obj. But therefore we will pray the more to God that our wills may not be led aside from him but keep fast to him and his wayes Sol. True and this is indeed a direct course to stand fast in the Covenant but then consider that this course will break the neck of that opinion which makes the lastingnesse of the Covenant to depend upon the sole power and pleasure of mans will For when you pray to God for his grace and his strength and his continued presence that you may thereby continue with him in Covenant you do herein deny your own power and sufficiency and you do acknowledge that you are strong in his strength and not in your own might and consequently that the lastingnesse of the Covenant doth not depend on the power of the will but upon the presence and power and assistance of his grace and so fall in with us that the Covenant is everlasting not in respect of mans will but in respect of Gods grace 4. I will adde one consideration more it is not possible I speak ex hypothesi It is impossible in reference to the Will and Power and Truth of God revealed in the Covenant that the people of God really brought into Covenant with him should break off the Covenant with him and so make it mutable and voyd on their part Suppose but this that the Covenant shall not faile nor cease on Gods part that God will be but true to performe what he hath promised unto his people I then affirme that it is not possible that the Covenant should faile on our part my reason is this Because the full performance of the Covenant on Gods part doth essentially and naturally include the performance of it on our part and prevents all breaking and voiding of the Covenant God in this Covenant doth promise unto his people 1. That he will be their God for ever 2. That he will never cast them off 3. That he will never forsake them 4. That nothing shall separate from his love 5. That he will never turn away from them to do them good 6. That if his people transgresse he will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquities with stripes neverthelesse his loving kindnesse he will not take away from them nor suffer his faithfulnesse to fail 7. That he will be merciful to their transgression and will heal their back-ssiding 8. That he will give them his Spirit which shall cause them to walk in his Statutes and to do them 9. That he will give them an heart to feare him for ever and that he will put his feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from him 10. That he will confirm his people unto the end and that he will performe or perfect the good work which he hath begun in them untill the day of Jesus Christ and that he will preserve their whole soul and body blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Now I say grant me but this supposition That God will be faithful to make good these promises unto his people which the Scripture peremptorily saith he will and that it is impossible for him to lie Heb. 6. 18. and God who cannot lie hath promised Titus 1. 2. it will hence necessarily follow That it is impossible the Covenant should be broken and made void by the people of God For upon the
Israel were both under the same Covenant Exod. 34. 27. I have made a Covenant with thee and with Israel If any doubt under what Covenant Moses did stand whether of works or grace let him peruse Heb. 11. 26. what a description he shall there finde of Moses He shall there finde him to be a Choice and eminent believer in Christ Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt and having respect to the recompence of reward c. Now certainly such a choice believer in Christ was not under a Covenant of work 4. That Covenant which was confirmed by blood and sprinkling which typified the blood of Christ confirming and ratifying the Covenant was no Covenant of works But the Covenant which God then made with the Israelites was confirmed by blood Exod. 24. 7. Moses took the book of the Covenant and read in the audience of the people and they said All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient verse 8. And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words Now this very place is quoted by the Apostle in Heb. 9. 19. He sprinkled both the book and the people verse 20. saying This is the blood of the Testament which God hath enjoyned unto you and expresly interprets it and applies it to the blood of Christ verse 14. and veâ—se 23. And therefore that Covenant with that people was not a Covenant of works which never was nor shall be confirmed by the blood of Christ 5. That Covenant which did so convince of sin that it did also shew the way of expiation of sin and of forgivenesse could not be a Covenant of works for that Covenant convinces and condemns But this Covenant at Mount Sinai shewed sin and the way of forgiveness for it taught men to look for forgiveness in the blood of Christ specified in the sacrifices 6. If the Law had been given to the Israelites for a Covenant of Woâ—ks Then upon the breaking of that Covenant all the Israelites had been cut off from all hope of salvation My Reason is this Because a Covenant of Works once broken presently condemns and as to it Salvation therefore becomes impossible it not at all admitting of repentance or of mercy or of a righteousness and satisfact on by another But there was no such Covenant made with the Israelites as the sinning against which did make their salvation thus desperate but that upon repentance they might be received to mercy And for this see Deut. 4. 29. But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt finde him if thou seek him with all thine heart and with all thy soule verse 30. When thou aâ—t in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter dayes if thou turn to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient to his voice verse 31. For the Lord thy God is a mercifull God he will not destroy thee nor forsake thee nor forget the Covenant of thy Fathers which he sware unto them Lo here is a way prescribed for repentance in case of transgressions And here is mercy and acceptance in case of repentance and all this in reference to the Covenant made with their Fathers and with them And are any of these to be found in a Covenant of works or upon the transgression of it 7. It had been strange kindnesse in God to help the Children of Israel out of Egypt by an out-stretched arm and after this to make such a Covenant with them that they should never have found mercy nor salvation as in a Covenant of works there is not 3. The Covenant made with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai was at least subserviently the Covenant of Grace and given for gracious ends and purposes The Covenant at Mount Sinai was at lâ—ast subserviently the Covenant of grace I say a Covenant of Grace for the substance of it though propounded in a more dark way and in a manner fitting for the state of that people and that present time and condition of the Church namely so as to convince them of sin and of their own impotency and of the great need of Christ and to flie for mercy to God revealed in Christ and to be a Rule of life for a people in Covenant with God that so they might inherit the promises of mercy Gal. 3. 19. The Law was added because of transgressions verse 24. The Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we might be justified through faith This assertion I shall endeavour to make out unto you from the Word As appears by of God 1. The Praeludium unto the Law makes much for this Read it in Exod. 19. 5. The Praeludium of the Law If you will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant Then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people verse 6. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of Priests and an holy Nation And the Apostle makes use of these expressions and applies them to those who are in the Covenant of grace in 1 Pet. 2. 9. But ye are a chosen Geneeration a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar peoâ—le c. And verse 10. Which in times past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy Now I beseech you mark me Is there any Covenant unlesse that of grace wherein the Lord doth thus own and thus exalt a people Is it not meerly of the grace of God in Christ by whom we are made Kings and Priests to God Is it imaginable that any people should be as it were Gods own proper goods which he loveth which he sets his heart upon which he keeps in store for himself for his own special use which he will not part withall which God accounts as his rare and exquisite and precious treasure as all this the word Segulah doth signifie and yet this people are not in a Covenant of grace The immediate Introduction to the giving of the Law 2. The immediate Introdâ—ction unto the giving of the Law Exod. 20. 2. I am the Lord thy God which have c. why there is the very Covenant of grace here is God as our God and blessed are the people who have the Lord to be their God and here is Jesus Christ the Mediator of the Covenant implied for in Christ doth God become our God and there is our redemption from sin and Satan intimated by their deliverance out of Egypt and presently there is the worship of God instituted and appointed which if acceptable to God must be performed with faith for without faith it is impossible to please God God would not command his people so to worship him as to displease him Lev. 26. 12. I will set my Tabernacle amongst you and my soul shall not abhor
you and I will walk among you and will be your God and you shall be my people and in the very Covenant Exod. 20. 6. shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me The Preface made before the renewing of the Law upon the breaking of the Tables 3. Upon the breaking of the Tables of that Covenant before they were written again there is such a preface made by God as can no way fit any Covenant but that of Grace as you may see in Exod. 34. 7. The Lord the Lord gracious and merciful long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiveing iniquity transgression and sin 4. The Ceremonies were Appendices of the Moral Law especially of the first and second Commandments as given to the Israelites and what did those The Ceremonies were Apendices of the moral Law ceremonies shadow out even Jesus Christ and Redemption and Reconciliation and Remission and Salvation by him c. Moses is said therefore to write of Christ Joh. 5. 46. 5. Many other Arguments might be brought as that if those people were not Many of them under that Covenant were saved in a Covenant of Grace then none of them could be saved for a sinners salvation is in no Covenant but that of Grace and yet many of them under the Covenant which God made with them were saved Acts 15. 11. We believe that through grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they c. I now proceed to the Second Particular 2. Quest Wherein that Covenant of Grace under which the Fathers lived Wherein these Covenants agree doth consent or agree with the Covenant of Grace under which we now do live Sol. They do consent and agree in three Particulars 1. In the Parties God was one party and fallen sinners were the other party in the Old and so they are in the New Covenant Before the coming of Christ In the Parties which respects the Old Covenant none but sinnerâ— were lookt on and brought into Covenant and after the coming of Christ which respects the New Covenant none but sinners which work not but beâ—ieve in him that justifieth the ungodly are taken into Covenant The Grace of God is manifested towards sinners in the one and towards sinners in the other Covenant 2. Both these Covenants had a Mediator who stood between the parties at a In the Mediator distance and reconciled them even Jesus Christ who is said to be the same yesterday and to day and for ever You have him promised to Adam and made known to Abraham who saw the day of Christ and rejoyced Joh. 8. 56. and prophecied by of Moses Act. 3. 22. Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall you hear c. he was promised to the Fathers and expected oâ— them Luk. 1. 69. He hath raised up an born of salvation for us in the house of his Servant David Vers 70. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been siâ—ce the world began And verse 72. To perform the mercie promise to our Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant Vers 73. The oath which he sware unto our Father Abraham c. 3. They do agree in the main Promises the spiritual promises of good things In the main Promises Rom. 15. 8. Jesus Christ was a Minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the Promises made unto the Fathers Some think that the Fathers under the old Covenant were fed only with temporal Promises Indeed they had many temporal Promises and some were of special Blessings and Gifts as the land of Canaan c. Nevertheless they had the same spiritual Promises which we have under the New Testament Forgiveness of sins besides that place formerly mentioned in Deut. 4. 29 30 c. you read of frequent Promises of forgiving of sins upon their Sacrifices in Levit. 9 and 2 Chro. 7. 14. If my people shall humble themselves c. I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin Eternal life both promised and enjoyed Many shall come from the East and West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God Matth. 8. 11. They embraced the promises of a better Country even an heavenly vers 11 13 16. Prepared for them a City We hope to be saved even as they Acts 15. 11 c. 3 Quest Wherein they differ and wherein the betterness of the New Covenant Wherein they differ of Grace doth consist Sol. Although both these Covenants do agree in substance and end yet they differ very much as to the particular from of administration or dispensation I will touch only on Five differences 1 In Obscurity and Perspicuity 2 In Burdens and Liberty 3 In Weakness and Efficacy 4 In Restraints and Extent 5 In Time and Duration 1. The New Covenant is a better Covenant than the Old because there is a In Obscurity and Perspicâ—ity greater Perspicuity in the new Covenant and a greater Obscurity in the old Covenant Hence 't is that the Gospel is called The revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began But now is made manifest Rom. 16. 25 26. He doth not mean that it was kept secret or hid or covered absolutely from the beginning of the world to that time but he speaks comparatively that iâ— Now Jesus Christ and the way of salvation by faith in him appears most clearly the Sun is risen and shines without any cloud Behold the Lamb of God Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself He that believes shall be saved We are saved by grace c. I am the way the truth and the life There was not comparatively such clearness in expression in the Old Testament Hence it is that the Apostle speaking of both these Testaments in 2 Cor. 3. he tells us of a vail on the one Testament vers 14. and of an openness in the other Testament vers 18. We with open face behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord c. Let me give you a few Instances that you may the better understand this 1. Consider Jesus Christ it is true that he was revealed in the Old and in the New Covenant but yet with a marvellous inequality of light he is called the Seed of the woman and the Root of Jess and the Oyntment and the Mighty God and the Childe to be born But the clear expression of him is in the New Covenant Luk. 2 11. This day unto you is bern in the City of David a Saviouâ— which is Christ the Lord. Joh. 1 14. The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father Acts 11. 38. God hath anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and
the year of Jubile was come and he might have Accept of the Redemption by Christ gone free yet he chose rather to be a servant So when Christ hath wrought Redemption for us and offers that plenteous redemption unto us now to refuse it and not accept of it But to say I had rather serve my sins still and I like my bondage better why If you will not be perswaded to accept of deliverance and redemption by Christ but your Spiritual slavery and captivity doth better please you then remain as you are But woe unto you if you do so for within a few years or weeks or dayes when God and Conscience and Death and Hell fall upon for your sins you would give ten thousand worlds if you could command them that you had accepted of of your Redemption by Christ but then it is too late 5. Then you who take your selves to be Christ's and to be the Redeemed of Carry your selves like Redeemed ones the Lord Carry your selves like redeemed Persons and walk worthy of the Redemption which you have by Christ 1. Give way unto your Redeemer suffer him to rule youâ— hearts and to order Let your Redeemer rule you your wayes for you are his by a right of Redemption As the men of Israel spake to Gideon Judg. 8. 22. Rule thou over us for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midean So say you to Christ Lord Jesus Rule thou over us for thou hast redeemed us from the hands of all our enemies Thou hast bought us with a price and we are not our own but thine 2. Give not way to any works of bondage retuâ—n not to Egypt again but walk Give no wâ—y to any works of bondage on strait in the way to Heaven and abound in all good works Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works 3. Spend not your dayes in vanity neither fashion your selves unto the present Spend not your dayes in in vanity course of the world why so will you say because Christ hath redeemed you Why is this contrary to our redemption by Christ it is so whatsoever you you may think 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. You were redeemed from your vain conversations with the precious blood of Christ Not only iniquities but vanities fall under our Redemption by Christ Gal. 1 4. Who gave himself for our sinnes that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God 6. Long for the day of your full and perfect Redemption by Christ Be not so Long for the day of your full Redemption afraid of death nor of the coming of Christ to judgement Death will nothing disadvantage you nor will the coming of Christ to judgement any thing prejudice you No no that is the day of perfect Redemption both in point of deliverance and in point of possession Then shall your bodies also be wholly ransomed from the grave and in soule and body shall you be glorified for ever with the Lord your Redeemer Be thankful 7. Be â—xceeding thankful if you be brought into Christ and do partake of Redemption by him O sirs what mercy is this Redemption think a little of it what a mercy it is that your sins shall never damn you that the curse of the Law shall never fall on you that the wrath of God is taken off that your sinful lusts which you formerly served and which ruled you are broken down and you will serve them no more nor shall Satan command you as heretofore c. that you are brought into a state of Spiritual liberty He that lies in bondage and would be Redeemed let him by faith look up to Jesus Christ 8. If any poor soul lying in bondage and groaning for deliverance would be redeemed then let him by faith look up to Jesus Christ for he only is the Redeemer Do so For 1. Whatsoever your bondage may be Jesus Christ is a suitable Redemption Perhaps your bondage is under sin pehaps it is under Satans temptation perhaps it is under slavish fear of wrath and death but Christ is perfect Redemption and full and plenteous Redemption 2. He is made of us unto God Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. God hath set him up and raised him up to be your Deliverer 5. A fifth singular benefit depending upon the sufferings of Christ as our Mediatour is his Meritorious purchase or Acquisition His Meritorious purchase The sufferings of Christ had a double aspect 1. One unto the Evils under which we lay and to which we were obnoxious In which respect his sufferings were a satisfaction 2. Another unto the good which we did need and would enjoy and in this respect his sufferings were a purchase Jesus Christ did suffer not only to deliver us from an evill and miserable condition but also did restore us into a good and happy condition And his sufferings were not only a price of payment to get off our debts but they were also a price of purchase to procure and that Meritoriously all blessedness for us Where sin abounded Grace did abound much more Rom. 5. Ephes 1. 11. In whom we have obtained an inheritance There are six things which Jesus Christ our Mediatour hath purchased Christ hath purchased by his death 1. All the Elect They are his by way of Donation Thine they were and thou All the Elect. gavest them me Joh. 17. 6. And they are his by way of purchase The Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Acts 20. 28. 2. Everlasting life which is called the purchased possession Ephes 1. 14. And Everlasting life the gift of God through Jesus Christ Rom. 6. 23. The blood of whom is worth Heaven it self We have no right unto the heavenly and glorious inheritance nor any hope thereof but by Jesus Christ Grace reigns through Righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. 22. 3. Nearnesse of Relation Adoption of Sons we who were in bondage Nearness of Relation who were strangers who were enemies are now made nigh by the blood of Christ Ephes 2. 13. and do by him receive the adoption of Sons Gal. 4. 5. To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sonnes 4. The Holy Ghost In his graces assistances and comforts Not one grace nor The Holy Ghost comfort nor answer which you have but it is the fruit of Christs purchase Jesus Christ hath purchased and obtained this Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever verse 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he is made unto us sanctification 1 Cor. 30. 5. The forgivenesse of our sins Your sins are forgiven you for his Name-sake 1 Joh.
the 11. verse 4. Fourthly Jesus Christ doth professedly disown some as being such that he never had any affection or respect unto did he ever intend to dye for these and to do as much for their salvation as for the salvation of others Matth. 7. 22. Many shall say in that day Lord Lord have we not Prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out Divels and in thy Name done many wonderful works verse 23. And then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity Many shall say and yet Christ will say to those many I never knew He doth not say I do not now know or own you or I did once know you but I never knew you Christ is said to know his sheep Joh. 10. 14. for whom he laid down his life verse 15. But there are many to whom Christ will say I never knew you never acknowledged you never loved you never liked you no not when they Prophecied and wrought miracles in his Name Christ will not then know them because they rejected him and were wicked workers yet I never knew you There you see that this universal redemption cannot finde foundation either in the intention of God the Father or in the intention of God the Son and as Christ who wrought Redemption for sinners 3. I shall now advance to a third Conclusion that there was not an universal impetration of reconciliation and remission of sins and of eternal life by the death of Christ This is that thing upon which the Controversie about the universality of the death of Christ doth principally depend concerning which the Arminians unanimously deliver themselves thus Christus ex patris sua intentione omnibus singulis hominibus indiscriminatiâ—â— â—â—m pereâ—â—tibus quam servandis impetravit Reconciliationem cum doo â— Remissionem peccatorum vitam ateriam Christ according to the intention of his Father and his own did obtain for all men and for every man indifferently as well for them that shall perish as for them that shall be saved Reconciliation with God Remission of sinnes and life eternal Before I present you some Arguments against this Opinion I shall crave your favour that I may spread the whole summe and frame of it as it is by the Arminians themselves set forth in their writings they teach I. That upon the fall of mankind in Adam there was a gracious affection in God by which he was yet mercifully affected to love all and every man alike so as seriously to desire the salvation of all men and of every particular man Vt nullus omnino homo sit cujus salutem non velit so that there was not any one man whose salvation God did not will II. That for the extending of this favour unto all and every man Jesus Christ was sent into the word to dye that by his dâ—ath God justice might be satisfied for all the sins of all men and that thereupon Godâ— might without any prejudice to his justice Plenario voluntatis proposito velle salvare with a full purpose will salvation III. That Jesus Christ did come into the world and by his death did satisfie the justice of God and so opened a door of grace for a possible salvation for all and every sinner Mercy now being set at liberty which before was bowed up IV. That all and every sinner hath a liberty of freedom to enter into that door of grace and besides that there is so much sufficiency of help afforded unto them that if their free-will be pleased to make use of it they may accept of it if they will and if they will not it is their own fault V. That neverthelesse you must distinguish of the death of Christ according to a two-fold decree of God as they say there is One Decree which is according to his affection or will desiring to save all and in respect of this the death of Christ was an universal impetration i. e. it did work so far in relation to God that he might without any injury to himself will an universal salvation to all men and accordingly he did will and decree it Christ having impetrated it Another Decree of God by which he intended the actual bestowing giving and communicating of this salvation universally purchased by the death of Christ which they and we do call the Application of the death of Christ and this they say is Solis fidelibus only to Believers who by faith do receive Christ So that if you demand of the Patrons of universal Redemption Did God indeed desire and will the salvation of all lost sinners they answer he did But did God seriously will this yes he did And was Christ sent for this end he was And did Christ by his death procure and obtain this for all yes he did But did God ever decree or will that all and every man should have benefit by this No verily but only Believers only such as suffer themselves to believe and repent these actually are reconciled pardoned and saved Nevertheless Jesus Christ did by his death obtain this for all Universal Reconciliation universal Remission universal Salvation are purchased by the blood of Christ although some only shall partake of it All have a right in the salvation purchased though only Believers have the benefit nay though no man should ever believe yet there was an universal salvation purchased by Christ for all men Though that Assertion that all Believers and they only partake of actual Reconciliation and Remission and Salvation by Christ be a truth which we all agree in yet that there is such an universal Reconciliation Remission and Salvation purchased by the death of Christ for all men whatsoever is an opinion unto which we cannot subscribe but must reject as opposite unto Scripture and religious Reasons I shall let passe some Arguments which some make use of against this Opinion Arguments against this Opinion verse 9. 1. Some were in Hell when Jesus Christ died Did Christ obtain Reconciliation and Remission of sins and Eternal life for them If not for them how then for all and every man But did God ever intend it for them or accepted of the death of Christ for them those for whom Christ laid down his life he saith of them that they shall never perish Joh. 10. 15 28. Do not they perish who are in hell 2. How comes it to passe that many misse of heaven who yet never refused or rejected Christ If Christ obtained salvation for all and theirs it is if they refuse it not how come they to misse of that obtained salvation Misse they shall not lay the Arminians unlesse and untill they refuse but refuse say we they cannot unless it be offered and offered it is not but by the Gospel and the Gospel offers it not where it comes not but in all timâ—s and ages of men it comes not to all and every man yea that there were any inhabitants in America was
the heavens What may not a man bear and what losse is he at who knows Christ to be his and a reconciled God to be his c. Eighthly This assurance will ease all our worldly burdens it will take off It will ease all our worldly burdens our hearts and it will take off our vexations cares and thoughts if we know that God gave Christ for us we cannot but know that he will with him freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32. And besides that the more assurance we have of our interest in Christ c. the more our hearts will minde Christ and the benefits by Christ and will be the lesse after other things I have a goodly heritage thou art my portion Psal 16. 5. I have enough nay let him take all c. Ninthly This assurance breeds confidence and comfort in death Why are even It breeds confidence in death good people sometimes afraid to dye but because they are not yet assured they cannot say with Paul Christ loved me and gave himself for me But if assurance be on their hearts then death is welcome Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation said Simeon Luk. 2. 29 30. And I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ said Paul What is death to the assured Believer but a short passage a speedy in-let and conveyance unto that glorious and eternal blessednesse which he knows that Christ hath purchased for him and God reserves for him in heaven Case 5. Whether a person having attained a certain knowledge that Christ dyed for him may ever after that doubt again and question that point again Whether after this assurance he may ever doubt again He may doubt again Sol. I answer plainly he may sensible assurance is very comfortable but yet it is mutable Pauls vision in Acts 10. 11. was drawn up into heaven again yea and his choice revelation was quickly attended with a violent temptation 2 Cor. 12. 7. Reasons whereof may be these First The Divine pleasure the date of your comforts and the Patent of Reasons of it The Divine pleasure them is ad placitum God gives you this assurance that you may taste his kindnesse and goodnesse and he takes it off again that you may acknowledge his authority Secondly The Divine wisdome God would rather have us live by faith than The Divine wisdome sense indeed the life of our assurance is more for our comfort but the life of faith is more for his glory Thirdly Our own foolishnesse not improving aright such gracious manifestations Our own foolishnesse but abusing them to pride and high-mindednesse and sometimes blurring the fair copy of our evidence with foul transgressions Fourthly Subtilty and prevalency of temptations which we did not so watch The subtilty of temptations and fear because of our assurance as if that were security enough c. Object But what comfort and support if this assurance may fail Sol. Much for all that for 1. Though assurance fails yet faith by which we are saved fails not 2. Though assurance fails yet the interest and estate assured shall never fail Christ is still thine and the reconciled God is still thine and reconciliation and remission the estate is sure though particular and contingent effects be not so 3. The Spirit hath more work then only to comfort if he still strengthen thee and supply thee that is comfort to thee 4. Though assurance go away yet it may return again it is as possible to receive it as to lose it 5. In your new fear remember your old assurance I tell thee that assurance once had upon good grounds may serve to support though against many doubts in after-times THE GIFTS OF THE Covenant The second Part. CHAP. I. Ezek. 36. 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you I Have heretofore opened unto you divers things about the Covenant of Grace viz. the Nature and Adjuncts of it the difference 'twixt it and the Covenant of Works the condition and the Mediator of the Covenant I now proceed to handle one thing more concerning the Covenant and that is the gifts of the Covenant the gifts which God doth promise to bestow upon those people The gifts of the Covenant which are in Covenant with him This verse which I have read unto you and the subsequent verses do report unto us divers of those gifts which may be considered First As to their order and thus you have the promise first of spiritual gifts or blessings from ver 25. to ver 28. and then you have the promise of temporal mercies from ver 28. to ver 37. Secondly As to their kinds the spiritual gifts or blessings for I shall insist awhile only upon them do respect 1. Our Justification expressed in ver 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you c. 2. Our Sanctification First in the habitual part of it in ver 26. a new heart c. Secondly in the actual part of it in ver 27. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes c. The Text which respects our Justification contains in it a promâ—se 1. Of the pardon of sins I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean 2. Of the pardon of the greatest sins from your filthinesse and from your Idâ—ls will I cleanse you 3. Of the pardon of all their sins from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will â— cleanse you Before I handle the particular points I would touch upon some things in the general viz. 1. That God doth promise unto his people yea unto his people in Covenant with him spiritual gifts or blessings as well as temporal 2. That the first promâ—ses are the best or of the best things first the spiritual and then the temporal blessings 3. That whatsoever blessings which may or do concern the people of God in Covenant God himself doth undertake to give them unto his people 4. That those gifts which God doth promise to give unto his people in Covenant he gives them not for any worthinesse in them but upon the account of his own graciousnesse SECT I. Doctr. 1 Doctr. 1. THat God doth expressely promise to give unto all his people in Covenant with him spiritual blessings as well as temporal I hardly know any one place of Scripture where the Covenant of grace is insisted upon but God gives his people in Covenant spiritual blessings as well as temporal there you shall finde expresse promises of some one spiritual blessing or other Jer. 31. 33. 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
punishment enuogh for all those who refuse to enter into Covenant with God that they shall never partake of any spiritual blessing and mercy which God hath promisâ—d There is the forgivenesse of sins promised but their sins shall never be forgiven and there is renewing grace promised but their hearts shall never be renewed and sanctified and there is eternal glory promised but their souls shall never be saved They shall be left unto their own sinful guilt and unto their own sinful coâ—ruptions and unto their own sinful deserts and all the wrath of God threatned against them shall fall upon them Therefore I beseech you who hear of Christ and who hear of the Covenant of Grace take heed to your selves that you resist not the grace which is offered unto you in Christ and the terms of reconciliation propounded unto you least you cast your selves out of the Covenant and from all spiritual blessings which God hath therein promised lest you never have grace and never have mercy and never have blessednesse Use 4 Lastly since spirâ—iual blessings are promised by God unto all in Covenant with God let the consideration of this mollifie our hearts and bow them into acceptance of God to be our God and to resign up our selves to be his people in Covenant Accept of God to be your God and to walk with him and before him in all uprightnesse why so because now the promises of spiritual blessings are to you and by this you become heirs of all those blessings O that we did know what the love of God was and what the enjoyment of Christ was and what the forgivenesse of sins was and what the excellency of grace was and what the eternity of glory was how miserable we are and must continue so for ever without them and how happy we shall continue for ever with them then our hearts would be perswaded to disannual our Covenant with sins and condescend to become the people of God c. SECT II. Doct. 2 Doctr. 2. THat in the Covenant spiritual blessings are first promised and after them temporal blessings God promiseth both of them unto his In the Covenant spiritual blessings are first promised people but first the spiritual Ezek. 36. 25. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean Ver. 26. A new heart also will I give you c. And then follow the promises of temporal blessings in ver 28. And ye shall dwell in the Land which I gave unto your fathers Ver. 29. And I will call for the corn and will increase it Ver. 30. And I will multiply the fruit of the Tree and the increase of the Field Psal 84. 11. The Lord will give grace and glory there are spirituals no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly here are temporals Hosea 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement and in loving-kindnesse and in mercies Ver. 20. I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord here are the spiritual blessings Ver. 21. And it shall come to passe in that day I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the heavens and they shall hear the earth Ver. 22. And the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oyle and they shall both hear Jezreel here are the temporal blessings Quest Why is God thus pleased to order his promise for blessings as first the Reasons of it spiritual and then the temporal Sol. Reasons thereof may be these 1. He suiteth his blessings with the desires and necessities of his Saints they To suit blessings to the desires of Saints To give advantage to faith to seek them first need these most and shall have them first 2. Hereby is some advantage given unto faith first to believe spirituals and then to believe temporals for if God will give the greater will he deny the lesse Rom. 8. 32. Faith to believe them as the choicest blessings for not only spiritual blessings are promised but also that they are the first in promise and thence faith concludes the first appearing of Gods love and gracious will and purpose towards us are the choice blessings should we question the donation of them when we find them to be the first of the Legacies sealed with the blood of Christ 3. Hereby the Lord sets out both the goodnesse and greatnesse of his love To set forth the goodnesse and greatnesse of his love 1. The goodnesse of his love in securing of our souls and regarding of them for only spiritual blessings do serve them q. d. the first thing that I will do for you is this that I will take care to save your poor souls I will bestow such things on them as shall for ever make them happy 2. The greatnesse of his love for God to give us ordinary things this comes from his love but for God to give us the spiritual blessings this comes from his great love Eph. 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he hath loved us Ver. 5. even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved Titus 3. 4. After that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared Ver. 5. according to his mercy he saved us by the washing and regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Rom. 5. 8. But God commendeth his love toward us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us 4. Spiritual blessings are far before and above temporal blessings therefore They are far before and above temporal blessings no marvail that God makes promise first of them they are before and above them the shekel of the Sanctuary was double to the ordinary shekel they are the best 1. In nature they are the pearl of great price the one thing necessary as In Nature the Sun amongst the Stars the better part we set such a value upon our natural life that all the world is inferiour unto it all that a man hath will he give for his life yet one spiritual blessing surmounts it Psal 63. 3. Thy favour is better than life It is a good speech of Gregory Nazianzen Aequius est ut vincat quod me lius est which is the greater or better the gold or the Altar that sanctifies the gold 2. In influence and virtue Can earthly things alter the frame of the heart In influence or deliver from death or avail in the day of wrath or make our peace with God or relieve a distressed conscience or put you in possession of Christ or give you hope of heaven or help your soul at all but spiritual blessings can do all these renewing grace doth change the heart Jesus Christ delivers from death and wrath his blood pacifies Gods assurance of forgivenesse quiets the conscience rejoyceth the heart all these will give you
people in Covenant he gives them only upon account of his graciousnesse in Covenant he will and doth give them not for any worthinesse in them but only upon the account of his own graciousnesse In this Chapter you have God undertaking all sorts of mercies for his people and it is observable that both Antecedently and Consequently he disclaims all worthiness of them on his peoples part Ezek. 36. 22. Thus saith the Lord God I do not this for your sakes O house of Israel but for mine holy Name sake ver 32. Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you Deut. 7. 7. The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because ye were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people ver 8. but because the Lord loved you and because he would keep the Oath which he had sworn unto your Fathers hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bond-men from the hand of Pharaoh King of Egypt Consider all the blessings of the Covenant for soul or body for this life or for the next life Spiritual or temporal the reason of them lies not in our worthiness but only and altogether in Gods graciousness not in the receivers but only in the giver See it in these particulars First That God loves us and makes a Covenant with us this comes to pass not God loves us from his own graciousnesse for our worthiness but from his own graciousnesse Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live ver 8. Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was a time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I sware unto thee and entered into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Secondly That God gives his Son Jesus Christ this respects no worthiness in God gives Chrâ—st of his oâ—n graciousness us but his own graciousnesse Rom. 6. 5. For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly ver 8. God commendeth his love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son c. Thirdly That any man is effectually called unto Christ this doth not arise from Effectual calling is from Gods graciousness any dignity in us but only from Gods graciousnesse 2 Tim. 1. 9. who hath called us with an holy calling not according to our own works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began Fourthly That any man is Sanctified and renewed by the Spirit of Grace this So is Sanctification comes not from the account of any thing in us but only from the account of Gods graciousnesse Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour 5. That any man is Justified there is no reason for this in our works but in And Justification his grace Rom. 3. 23. For all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God ver 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace Sixthly That any man is Saved and comes to the enjoyment of eternal life this depends not upon our worthiness but on Gods graciousnesse Ephes 2. 5. By And salvation grace ye are saved ver 8. By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God ver 9. Not of works least any man should boast Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Seventhly Nay all our temporal blessings do flow not from our worthiness but from his graciousnesse Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered And all temporal blessings him up for us all how shall he not also freely give us all things 2 Sam. 7. 21. For thy Word sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things to make thy servant know them For the further discussing of this Point I will shew unto you 1. That God doth not enjoyn on his people nor expect from them any worthiness God doth not enjoyn nor expect any worthiness as a reason of his blessings Three Demonstrations of it as a reason of his blessings 2. Why all his blessings are given unto us upon the account of his own graciousness First That God doth not enjoyn on his people nor doth he expect from them any worthinesse as a reason of any of his blessings Indeed he doth command his people to â—eek unto him and to trust upon him for all that good which he promiseth to give unto them But for any personal worthiness as a reason of his goodness and bounty unto us this he neither requires nor expects For First A personal worthinesse of the blessings of the Covenant is impossible on our part we are in an absolute incapacity of meriting any good from the hands of A personal worthiness on our part is impossible God Dan. 9. 7. O Lord Righteousnesse belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face c. Isa 64. 6. We are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Consider either our best doings or our greatest sufferings no merit or worthiness is to be found in either of them For our doings when we have done all that we can Christ saith that we must say and confess that we are but unprofitable servants Luke 17. 10. For our sufferings the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the which glory shall be revealed in us But let me now punctually demonstrate this Assertion that there can be no worthiness or meriting from us for any good thing 1. No gift of God can really merit for us any good from God but all the good that we have is the gift of God Ergo. The fiâ—st Proposition is clear because in receiving what is only given an Obligation rests only upon us but none upon the giver and therefore we merit nothing Simile no more than a beggar can merit from us by receiving an almes
from us The second Proposition is as clear That all the good we have or can do is from God Every good and perfect gift comes from him Jam. 1. 17. What hast thoâ— that thou didst not receive 1 Cor. 4. 7. We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3. 5. By the grace of God I am what I am 1 Cor. 15. 10. It is God which worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. Vnto you it is given to believe Phil. 2. 29. If God will give them repentance 2 Tim. 2. 25. 2. No debt which we owe to God hath merit or worthinesse in it Doth any man merit ought at any hand by paying unto me what he ows unto me Simile But all the good we have or can do is a debt which we owe to God Ergo cannot merit any thing from him Doth not our believing fall under a Divine Precept This is his Commandment that we believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3. 23. Doth not our repenting fall also under a Divine Precept But now God commandeth all men everywhere to repent Act. 17. 30. Doth not praying likewise fall under a Divine Precept Call upon me Psal 50. Pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5. 17. Do we any thing but what we ought to do when we believe or repent or pray or walk in newness of obedience and if no more be done by us than what ought to be done by us where is our merit or worthiness 3. If we fall short in the best and most that we do then we cannot merit by any thing that we do but we do fall short in the best and most that we do the line which we write may be written fairer the good that we do may and should be done better Domine said one lava lachrymas me as yea so short that we need mercy for our best performances and Christs Mediation and Intercession for them Aaron was to bear the iniquities of the holy Offerings Exod. 28. 38. And the prayers of the Saints were to go up with the Incense of the Altar Rev. 8. 3. Nehem. 13. 22. Remember me O my God concerning this also and spare me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy Secondly A personal worthinesse for any good from God is inconsistent with a A personal worthinesse is inconsistent with the Covenant of grace Covenant of Grace and likewise with the Office of Christ the only Mediatour of that Covenant It is inconsistent with the Covenant of Grace for according to that Covenant all is given and all is freely given in that we are freely loved and freely justified and freely blessed and saved yea the worthiness of our works and the riches of Gods grace do one destroy and remove the other Rom. 11 16. If by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then it is no more of grace otherwise work is no more work And with the Mediatorship of Christ who alone is the merit and purchase And with the Mediatorship of Christ of all grace and glory of all blessings and blessedness Hath Christ merited all or hath he not If his Alsufficiency hath not can our insufficiency do any thing or where do you find any one word in Scripture that Jesus Christ hath left any thing for us to merit or that any of our works gain so much of his Prerogative as to merit by his merits the merits of Christ do make our good works accepted with God but they do not make our works to merit for he himself had not merited had he not been both God and Man â—hirdly There is in us an indignity or unworthinesse of any mercy and God Theâ—e is in us an unworthiness of any mercy would have us to acknowledge so in our Requests for and Receits of his blessings First An unworthiness of any mercy Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all these mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Luke 15. 19. I am no more worthy to be called thy Son Secondly And God will have us to acknowledge our selves unworthy Deut. And God will have us acknowledge our selves unworthy 26. 3. Thou shalt go unto the Priest that shall be in those dayes and say unto him I professe this day unto the Lord thy God that I am come unto the Country which the Lord sware unto our Fathers for to give us Ver. 4. And the Priest shall take the basket out of thine hand and set it down before the Altar of the Lord thy God Ver. 5. And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God A Syrian ready to perish was my Father and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there with a few â—nd became there a Nation great mighty and populous c. Deut. 8. 10. When thou hast eaten and art full then thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee Ver. 17. Beware least thou say in thine heart My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth Deut. 9. 4. Speak not thou in thine heart after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee saying For my Righteousnesse the Lord hath brought me in to possesse this land Ver. 5. Not for thy Righteousnesse or for the uprightnesse of thine heart c. Ver. 6. Vnderstand therefore that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possesse it for thy righteousnesse for thou art a stiffe-necked people Thirdly And rejects us pleading of our own worthinesse looks on it as pride And rejects us pleading our own worthinesse and vain-glory as the Pharisee who insisted on his own worthinesse And thus you see that our worthiness is not admitted as any Reason or Cause of Divine blessings whence it must necessarily follow that God then gives them unto us upon the sole account of his own graciousness Quest 2. And what the Reasons thereof are is the second particular to be spoken unto viz. Why all blessings are given unto us upon the account of Reasons of it Gods graciousness Sol. The Reasons briefly are these First This way of giving suits best with a Covenant of grace In which the reasons of our mercies as well as the mercies themselves are to be found nay the This way of giving suits best with a Covenant of grace reasons of our mercies do most of all illustrate this Covenant of grace and do principally constitute it for with reverence be it spoken this Covenant would lose the nature of being a Covenant of grace if the mercies or blessings promised were not given unto us upon the reason or account of Gods graciousness alone Gratia est nullo modo quae non est gratuita omni modo Secondly This way of giving suits best with God
and him Such as through unbelief persevere in refusing Christ 4. Such as through unbelief persevere in the refusing of Christ you think it no great matter to have Jesus Christ preach'd unto you and offered unto you and yet for you to slight Jesus Christ thus offered but remember what I say that person who refuseth Christ doth refuse God to be his God in Covenant He that refuseth you refuseth me and he that refuseth me saith Christ despiseth him that sent me Luk. 10. 16. God becomes our God and our Father only in Christ and therefore Christ saith I go to my God and to your God and my Father and your Father Joh 2. 17. We are brought near to God by Christ and he becomes near to us through the blood of Christ there you find hâ—s love towards you c. and therefore if you will not embrace Jesus Christ there is no covenanting 'twixt you and God he only being the foundation and head and Mediator of the Covenant All uncovenanted people are an unforgiven people Secondly The second conclusion is this that all uncovenanted people are an unforgiven people i. e. all who do continue to refuse God to be their God in Covenant and to be his people in Covenant their sins neither are forgiven nor ever shall be forgiven why so will you say because 1. Forgiveness of sins is only promised in the Covenant of Grace in no Covenant but Reasons of it this not in the Covenant of Works for that is a letter of death and condemnation unto the sinner 2. And as it is only in the Covenant of Grace so it is promised only to the people in that Covenant 1 Kin. 8. 34. Forgive the sin of thy people Ver. 36. Forgive the sin of thy servants Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity 3. Only those who are in Christ shall have their sins forgiven Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Acts 10. 43. Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Joh. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he ye shall dye in your sins Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already 4. All impenitent persons are unforgiven persons all uncovenanted persons are impenitent persons Ergo. The first Proposition is clear in Scripture see at leisure Ezek. 18. 31. Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed for why will ye dye O house of â—srael Luk. 13. 3. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Prov. 28. 14. He that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief Rom. 2. 5. But thou after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Thirdly Now follows the third conclusion Because these sins are unforgiven therefore The dreadful â—â—ndition of â—â— unforgiven people Sâ—mile they are in a most miserable and dreadful condition It is reported of Caesar that he wondered at one who could sleep so quietly and yet had so many debts upon him In like manner we may wonder at many persons who can live so merrily and jovially and yet have all their sins unforgiven surely they are persons of very gross ignorance and stupidity or else are very high and desperate Atheists But to the point in hand there are eight things which may set forth the dreadful In eight particulars misery of an unforgiven sinner 1. His unutterable privation and loss 2. The full power of the Law against him in all its threatnings and curses 3. The wrath of God under which he walks all his days and which may fall on him whensoever the Lord pleaseth 4. The authority which conscience hath to deal with him in a way of accusation and condemnation 5. The unavoidableness of death and the sting thereof when sins are unpardoned 6. That just and irreversible sentence of condemnation from God in the day of judgement 7. The immediate portion and condition in hell amongst the damned after the sentence of condemnation 8. The eternity of that miserable estate unto which impenitent and unbelieving and unforgiven sinners are adjudged First The unforgiven sinner is under the greatest loss and privation which man possibly He is under the greatest losse and privation can be and what is that greatest loss and privation if you know what the greatest good and happiness is you may then quickly tell what the greatest loss and privation is to enjoy God perfectly and fully and eternally in glory is there any good and happiness like unto this O but the unforgiven sinner shall never see God in glory he shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord heaven is no place for the enemies of God sins unpardoned are like the Angel with a flaming Sword who kept the passage into Paradise there is no entring into life with sins unpardoned they do certainly and eternally bar up that door of heaven and heavenly happiness and now how miserable must that soul be which is eternally excluded from all true happiness Secondly The Law of God is in full power against every unpardoned sinner 1. All the The Law of God is in full power against him inditements and charges of the Law for being transgressed 2. All the threatnings of the Law in the several sorts of judicial punishment 3. All the curses of the Law even to the utmost extent of them Cursed is every one c. the soul that sins shall dye and there is no one moment of this life that he can secure himself c. they may light on him in the house or in the field when he is waking or when he is sleeping when alone or when in company when rejoycing or when making merry when boasting when in highest abundance and confidence when sinning and putting far from himself the evil day Thirdly The unforgiven sinner walks all his dayes under the wrath of God He is all his dâ—yes under the wrath of God God is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7. 11. not with a Paternal but with a Judicial anger even to hatred and abhorment The wicked is an abomination unto him and he hates all workers of iniquity Prov. 3. 32. 15. 9. And this wrath God can reveal it to his soul and poure it forth upon him when he pleaseth and when God poures on him the fierceness of his wrath and indignation he can neither decline it nor sustain it it is like the tempest and whirlewinds it is like burning fire and devouring flames it drives the sinner to his feet breakes down all his arrogancies and vain hopes and sensual joyes and fills him with amazing distractions and terrors and despairs How heavy was this wrath on Christ suffering for our sins it made him to sweat clods of blood how terrible is the apprehension and fear of it to David to Heman how infinitely dreadful will the sense of it be to the unforgiven
ordinarily do count so people do look on it as a very small offence 1. To omit praying and reading in their Families but God threatens to poure out his wrath upon the Families that call not upon his Name Jer. 10. 25. Though this be spoken of the Heathens yet it is much more true of Christians 2. To pass by Christ offered unto them but the Scripture saith He that believes not shall be damned and that he shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Mark 16. 16. 3. To despise the Ministers of Christ but Christ saith He that despiseth you despiseth me Luk. 10. 16. 4. To come unworthily to the Lords Table but the Scripture saith He that eats and drinks unworthily doth eat and drink damnation to himself 1 Cor. 11. 5. To be proud and speak lies but the Scripture saith that a proud look and lying tongue are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 6. 16 17. 6. To speak idly and vainly but Jesus Christ saith Matth. 12. 36. That every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgement for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned 7. To wound the name of others behind their backs whisperingly and cunningly and privately but the Scripture saith Deut. 27. 24. Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly 8. To give way to wicked thoughts and sins of heart but the Scripture shews that these are no small sins Acts 8. 22. Pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee 9. To make mention of the Name of God vainly and rashly and irreverently on any occasion in ordinary discourse O God! O Lord but the Scripture doth not look on this as a small sin Exod. 20. 7. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes his Name in vain 10. To profane the Sabbath by buying and selling but God threatens to send a fire for this Jer. 17. 27. Thirdly God hath expressed himself very severely against persons for those sins which we perhaps look upon as small Adam eating of the forbidden fruit it lost him Paradise and brought an exceeding misery on mankind Vzzah did but put out his hand to stay the Ark and he dyed for it on the place Vzziah would be medling with the Priests office and he was immediately struck with a leprofie to the day of his death 2 Chron. 26. 19 21. Korah Dathan and Abiram misliked the authority of Moses and Aaron and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up Ananias and Sapphira for a lye are struck dead Fourthly This very conceit that sins are so little and small that God will pass them by in course may lose a man the forgiveness of sin for it is a means 1. Of carnal security 2. Of impenitency 3. Of neglect of Jesus Christ 4. To implore God by prayer for the forgiveness of sins like the proud Pharisee who sought not for mercy and missed of mercy because he took no notice of his sins at all the greatest sin is pardoned upon repentance the least sin will damn without repentance Secondly I now come to the second position which is this That some do put Some put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness themselves out of a capacity of the forgiveness of their sins and there are eight sorts of these persons 1. They who sin the sin against the Holy Ghost 2. They who will not repent and forsake their sins 3. They who delay and defer Repentance 4. They who do repent feignedly and hypocritically 5. They who do not believe on Christ and refuse to be his 6. They who do absolutely despair 7. They who do rest on their own works as reasons and causes of the forgiveness of their sins 8. They who are unmerciful and unplacable and will not forgive others who trespass against them They who sin the sin against the Holy Ghost First They do put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness of their sins who do sin the sin against the Holy Ghost Matth. 12. 31. All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men Ver. 32. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come Here you find it expresly and peremptorily delivered from the mouth of Jesus Christ himself that the sin against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven Quest But will some of you say What is this sin against the Holy Ghost What that sin is which never shall be forgiven Sol. It is a wilful and malicious and reproachful opposition of the Gospel attended with a total and final Apostacy from it after and against the clear convictions of the Holy Ghost First It is an opposition of the Gospel the Gospel must be preached and the Gospel must be opposed by such as hear it else it is not the sin against the Holy Ghost they therefore who are charged with this sin are said to hate the light Joh. 3. 20. and to hate Christ and to hate the truth Joh. 15. 25. and to be disobedient unto the Gospel and to be a gain-saying people Rom. 10. 21. and to reject the Corner stone Acts 4. 11. and to refuse to hear Acts 13. 46. and to put the Word from them who resist the truth and contradict it 2 Tim. 3. 8. as you may read of the Pharisees and other of the Jews Secondly It is a peculiar kind of opposition not of ignorance not of inadvertency not of passion but 1. A wilful opposition therefore they who commit this sin are said to sin wilfully Hebr. 10. 26. If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin A man sins wilfully when the reason of his sinning rests solely in the perverseness of his will though his judgement be disarmed of all Apology and his conscience be convinced yet he will sin and oppose the Gospel because he will do so 2. A malicious opposition it ariseth from a bitter hatred against Christ and rage against the truth therefore they who sin this sin are said to offer or do despite unto the Spirit of grace Hebr. 10 29. as if they did sin on purpose to vex and affront the Spirit of God 3. A reproachful opposition hence it is affirmed of these sinners that they speak evil of the ways of Christ and blaspheme his Word The Jews were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming Acts 13. 45. that they mock at Jesus Christ Matth. 27. 41. The chief Priests mocking him with the Scribes and Elders c. Ver. 29. When they had
sinnes Repenting sinners confesse their sins First You shall find Repenting sinners confessing their sins Ezra 9 6. O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens Ver. 10. And now O our God What shall we say after this for we have forsaken thy Commandments c. Psal 51. 3. I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me Ver. 4. Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Dan. 9. 4. I prayed unto the Lord my God and made my confession and said O Lord the great and dreadful God c. Ver. 5. We have sinned and committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements c. Ver. 8. O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day Luk. 15. 18. I will arise and go to my Father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Ver. 19. and am no more worthy to be called thy Son c. Secondly Now these penitently confessing sinners you shall expresly find And are under the promise of forgiveness to be under the promise of the forgiveness of sins I Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins Psal 32. 5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne Selah 3. The third and last part of Repentance is conversion or turning from Conversion from sin to God sin unto God Ezek. 33. 11. Turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes Repenting in Scripture is to this purpose styled a putting away of sins Isa 1. 16. and a casting away of our sins Ezek. 18. 31. and a forsaking of our sins Prov. 28. 13. and a departing from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. and a turning to repent of sin and to continue in sin are a contradiction as if you should say that a man leaves his sins when yet he holds them fast and will not let them go Two things you also read of this part of Repentance 1. One That truly penitent persons do forsake their sins they turn from Penitent persons forsake their sins them they put them away Isa 30. 22. Ye shall defile the covering of thy graven images of silver and the ornaments of thy molten images of gold Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth Thou shall say unto it Get thee hence Hos 14. 8. Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols Judg. 10. 15. And the children of Israel said unto the Lord We have sinned Do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee Ver. 16. And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the Lord. Job 34. 31. Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more Ver. 32. That which I see not Teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Jonah 3. 8. Let them every one turn from his evil way Ver. 10. And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way 2. The other That they who do penitentially turn from their sins are They who turn frâ—m sin are under the promise of pardon under the promise of forgiveness of sin Prov. 28. 13. Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy Many men confess their sins who yet do still love to keep their sins and therefore shall miss of mercy but the way for mercy is to forsake their sin as well as to confess sin Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and let the unrighteous forsake his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Thus have I opened unto you the integral parts of Repentance which doth certainly bring us within the capacity of the promise of forgiveness of sins Secondly I shall now proceed to handle the Qualifications of every one of The right qualifications of those parts of Repentance these parts of Repentance by which you may know that you do in truth act every one of them and consequently are under the promise c. And the rather do I insist on this because many persons do think that they are sorry for their sins and do think that they do rightly confess their sins and do think that they forsake their sins and thereupon do presume upon forgiving mercy whereas really they are still under the love and power and service of their sins and do not repent at all all which you shall find in every part which I have mentioned clearly instanced in Scripture First For mourning and weeping and afflicting the soul persons have acted something in this way and yet have not repented in truth and therefore have missed of forgiveness Mal. 2. 13. This have ye done again covering the Altar of the Lord with tears with weeping and with crying insomuch that ye regarded not the offering any more All this was but hypocrisie for notwithstanding all these tears they dealt treacherously every one against his brother Ver. 10. And profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved and married the daughter of a strange god Ver. 11. Isa 58. 3. Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our souls and thou takest no knowledge Ver. 5. Is it such a Fast as I have chosen a day for a man to afflict his soul c. Secondly For confession of sins some have done this and yet they have not rightly and penitentially done this Exod. 9. 27. Pharaoh said I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked see what a confession is here but then see Ver 34. when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder were ceased he sinned yet more and hardened his heart he and his servants Thirdly For turning from sin some have pretended thus far and yet have not truly acted therein Psal 78. 34. When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God Ver. 35 36. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongues Ver. 37. For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Jer. 2. 20. Of old time I have broken thy yoke and burst thy hands and thou saidst I will not transgress when upon every high hill and under every green Tree thou wanderedst playing the harlot Thus you see that some have pretended to all the parts of Repentance and yet have not acted up to any one part in truth Therefore I will now deliver unto you the right qualifications of all
what is it to be justified but to be pardoned 5. And so for Repentance and Faith certainly they have been true if forgiveness of sins have been granted unto you because to none but unto such who do truly repent and who do truly believe is forgiveness of sins promised 6. And lastly If your sins be forgiven you shall be undoubtedly saved Rom. 8. 30. Whom he justified them also he glorified So Acts 26. 18. That they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified Secondly If your sins be forgiven you then your way is opened and cleared You have access to God with all boldness with all boldness of access and confidence to your God and Father There are three choice Cordials and Encouragements to all who have obtained pardoning mercy 1. They may look upon their God as sitting altogether and always on his Throne of grace and mercy as their loving God as their kind God as their good God as their Father as their Helper as their Saviour O what a sight of God is that sight of him in heaven where there is love and nothing but love peace and nothing but peace joy and nothing but joy favour and nothing but favour blessed communion and nothing but blessed communion Such a kind of sight of God have justified and pardoned persons here on earth they may now look on God as their God as their Father as loving of them delighting in them and rejoycing over them to do them good and what should hinder them to come with a filial confidence to such a God and Father 2. They may look up unto him for any mercy which they do need and which he doth promise unto them Psal 81. 10. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Hos 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and in judgement and in loving-kindness and in mercy Ver. 21. And it shall come to pass in that day I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the heavens and the heavens shall hear the earth Ver. 22. And the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oyle and they shall hear Jezreel Beloved there is no partition wall but sin nothing that separates between God and us but sin nothing that hinders good thingâ— from us but sin now if that partition wall be broken down as certainly it is when sin is forgiven there is nothing on your part to hinder you from asking and nothing on Gods part to with-hold him from giving any thing that is good unto you 3. They may look on all their enjoyments as mercies as the fruits of love with marvailous contentment and delight mercies are sure and sweet unto them As every one of the Vessels had that inscription upon it Holiness to the Lord so every receit which the forgiven sinner partakes of hath this superscription on it A token of love from the reconciled God you have the bond and the seal the wine and the sugar the day and the Sun-shine mercies from mercy mercies in mercy this and that and my sins pardoned Thirdly If your sins be forgiven you this will be a great support strength It will be â— great support in all times and occurrences whatsoever In times of outward wants relief upholdment unto you in all occurrences whaâ—soever and in all times whatsoever 1. In times of outward wants and straits as Lactantius said of Lazarus he was sine domo but not sine Domino sine veste but not sine Fide sine cibo but not sine Christo The like may we say of the pardoned person he may be without money but not without mercy he may be without friends but he is not without a Father he may be without outward mercies but he is not without the God of mercies his body may want riches but his soul is not without forgiveness God is his forgiving God and his reconciling God and his blessed God and portion for ever and ever 2. In time of outward troubles when all the world is in combustion and distraction and there is no rest nor peace to be found amongst men why then can the pardoned sinner find rest and peace peace in his God and peace in his In time of outward troubles Christ and peace in his conscience my sins are pardoned it is God that justifies me he is at peace with me and I am so with him and therefore I can rejoyce in tribulation it self 3. In times of losses and trials God hath taken away this friend and that parent this childe and that comfort but he hath not taken away his loving-kindness In times of losses and â—ryals from me 'T is but a cross 't is not a curse 't is but a refining fire 't is not a consuming fire 't is but the rod of Father 't is not the word of a Judge 't is to heal and pacifie 't is not to harden and destroy 't is but the physick of love 't is not the sting of wrath for if sins be pardoned then enjoyments are from love and then losses are from love If God gives that is in mercy if God takes away that also is in mercy O Sirs a loss a cross sits heavily on the heart when the guilt of sin sits strongly on the conscience but if the guilt be taken off there as certainly it is upon the forgiveness of sins then may a man take up the cross and kiss it then may he stoop down and bear it then may he take in a mercy and rejoyce and then can he give back a mercy and bless that God who hath given and now hath taken c. 4. In times of sickness and death when all the world is leaving of us and when we are leaving all the world and the short minute of time is expiring In times of sickness and death and the larger date of eternity is appearing when Physitians say there is no hope and friends are taking their farewel for ever and no earthy thing can be of comfort or relief O then the fiduciary apprehension of a reconciling Christ and of a reconciled God and of all our sins as pardoned why this revives this stays this chears up our spirits this is better than life this is life in death Now let thy servant depart in peace said Simeon for mine eyes have seen thy salvation now let me dye and go to my God and Father it is certain that that man may look on death with joy who can look on Christ and the forgiveness of his sins with faith 5. In times of temptations How many temptations are answered if once our sins are pardoned In times of temptationâ— 1. God will damn thee for thy sins O no he hath pardoned my sins and therefore he will not damn me for them 2. But do not thy sins deserve hell and damnation they do so but God hath forgiven according to the riches of his grace in the blood of Christ 3. But thinkest thou
of his ways but when that comes then he judgeth of himself as he is and of his ways as indeed they are and have been Psal 73. 22. So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a Beast before thee 1 Tim. 1. 15. To save sinners of whom I am chief and for his wayes he now looks on them as ways of death and paths of hell in which who so walks shall find no rest nor peace In respect of God and his ways God is now look't upon as an only happiness and could I enjoy him for my God in Christ I were blessed for ever and his ways are righteous and good and holy and most pleasant and only safe the way of Repentance the way of faith the way of holiness the way of a godly Conversation how excellent how beautiful how desirable are all of them to an heart renewed by grace which yet in former times were judged with scorn and contempt and hatred Thirdly Where the Lord gives a new heart there he gives new cares and New cares and requests requests Before the Lord renews the heart by grace a sinner is very careful and very careless He is very careful for two things One is for the world What shall I eat and what shall I drink and wherewith shall I be cloathed Matth. 6. His heart is set on the world and he minds earthly things and his heart goes after his covetousness and who will shew us any good his affections are set on things below The other is for his fleshly lusts They that are after the flesh minde the things of the flesh Rom. 8. 5. And they make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 14. But he is very careless about his soul therefore he is said to despise his soul and not to know the day of his visitation nor the things which concern his peace and to make light of the invitations of Christ But when the Lord begins to renew the heart by grace there are new cares and new desires O how the soul is taken with the soul and for the soul Lord What will become of my poor soul and what shall I do for my poor soul if I get not Christ my soul is lost and if I get not mercy I am undone Take the world who will and take sinful pleasures who will but O Lord be merciful to me a sinner and O Lord be thou reconciled to my soul and lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me Every new heart hath new thoughts and cares and desires What shall we do said they to John the Baptist Matth. 3. And What shall we do said they to Peter Acts 2. 37. And What shall we do to be saved said he to Paul and Silas Acts 16. 30. Fourthly If a new heart be given there will then be found in you the presence New principles of all new principles which are contrary to all the old principles in the old sinful heart there is not any one spiritual and heavenly principle respecting salvation but they may be found in you v. g. 1. Ignorance that is one principle of an old heart the contrary unto it viz. Knowledge is given when you come to partake of a new heart Colos 3. 10. And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge Eph. 5. 8. Ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. 2. Carnal wisdome that is another principle of the old heart the contrary unto that is given to a person when God renews his heart viz. Spiritual and heavenly wisdom a wisdom for salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. A wisdom unto that which is good Rom. 16. 9. A wisdom to approve the things that are excellent Phil. 1. 10. A wisdome to know the times or seasons of grace and to imbrace and improve them Hebr. 3. 3. Vanity of spirit that is another old principle in the old heart an old heart is a vain heart and an old mind is a vain mind but when the Lord gives a new heart he then gives a spiritual seriousness unto the heart To work out its salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 12. And to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Hebr. 12. 28. And to give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 1â— And taking heed of neglecting so great salvation Hebr. 2. 1 3. 4. Hardness this is another principle in an old heart the heart is a stony heart Ezek. 36. 26. and an heart of Adamant Zach. 7. 11 12. But when God gives a new heart there is a principle contrary unto this put into the heart namely a soft and tender and mournful heart Josiah had a tender heart 2 Chron. 34. 27. God maketh my heart soft Job 23. 16. They shall mourn as one mourneth for his only son Zach. 12. 10 5. Pride this is another old principle of the old heart Mark 7. 22. so Psal 73. 6. Pride compasseth them about as with a chain So Jer. 48. 29. We have heard the pride of Moab he is exceeding proud his loftiness his arrogancy and his pride and the haughtiness of his heart So Rom. 1. 30. Deceitful proud boasters But when the Lord gives a new heart there is a principle of humility given which is contrary unto that pride of heart Deut. 33. 3. All his Saints are in thine hand they sit down at thy feet every one shall receive of thy words Psal 131. 1. Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty c. Ver. 2. Surely I have behaved and quieted my self as a childe that is weaned of his mother my soul is even as a weaned childe Acts 20. 19. Serving the Lord with all humility of minde 6. Stubbornness of resistance and unyieldingness this is another principle of an old heart an old heart is a stubborn heart as for the Word which thou hast spoken in the Name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee said they to Jeremiah Jer. 44. 16. Ye always resist the Holy Ghost ye stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart said Stephen unto them in Acts 7. 51. But when God gives a new heart there is given a contrary principle unto this even a yielding and obedient spirit to the Word and Will of God Acts 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 10 33. We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Isa 66. 2. To him that trembleth at my Word Psal 119. 161. My heart standeth in awe of thy Word Rom. 6. 17. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you 7. Hypocrisie this is another principle in the old heart an old heart is an hypocritical heart it is full of guilt and deceit Jer. 17. 9. Deceitful above all things But when the Lord gives a new heart he gives a principle contrary to this viz. sincerity and uprightness of heart and a true heart John 1. 47. Behold
waters from the Rock are forgotten and they slip away they stay not sometimes one minute though other discourses are held fast In his judgement there is such a hardness that raiseth enmity and resistance and affords a world of carnal reasonings to oppose and put by the truth In his will there is such a hardness of obstinacy and perversness that when all is said that can be said by Law or Gospel yet men will not hear Joh. 5. 40. though they may be saved nor will they hear though therefore they shall be damned In his affections there is such an hardness that men sin without fear and without all compunction and sorrow of heart and though the glorious things of Christ are revealed and offered and pressed upon them yet no delight no love no desire at all can be raised in them c. In his conscience which under all the threats of God and terrors of God revealed remains quiet unstirred scared and careless as if these were fables and impertinent notions Secondly The Contracted hardness is that which we bring upon our sinful Contracted hardness hearts and adde unto them by the frequency of our sinning actions or practices or by a voluntary opposing of all the means which do tend to the softning our heart And by the way let me tell you that there are three kinds of sinning which do extreamly super adde to the hardning of mans heart One is the sinning against clear light The second is the sinning with delight The third is the customary way of sinning long going in a path often beating the anvile Thirdly The Judicial hardness which is that unto which God gives the stubborn sinner up for not harkning unto him but still continuing and persisting Judicial hardness in a sinful course and therefore he leaves him unto himself and to his own lusts and his Spirit shall no more strive with him and hereupon the sinful heart being left unto it self breaks forth into all manner of wickedness and so doth exceedingly obdurate it self it becomes more unsensible and more fearless and more enraged against all that is good c. Now the stony heart or hard heart spoken of here in the Text is principally that which is natural and I will not deny that the Contracted hardness may be meant but not the Judicial Quest 3. But how then may it be demonstrated that naturally every mans Demonstrations of it heart is a stony or hard heart Sol. There are six things which may convince us that it is so First The forwardness in men to sin every natural heart is ready to sinful The forwradness in men to sin acts and easie unto them Ephes 4. 19. If temptations present themselves the natural heart presently entertains them and complies with them and if no temptations from Satan and the world present themselves the natural heart will tempt it self why this is a conviction that the heart is hard for if it be a good sign of a tender and soft heart when it is afraid to sin How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God said Joseph Gen. 39. 9. Then surely it is a sign of a hard heart when it is forward to sin and greedy to sin and easily and willingly lets out it self to sin and fears not at all to sin but every mans heart naturally is so forward and bent to sin that it cannot and it will not be restrained from sin Gen. 11. 6. Nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do Zeph. 3. 5. The unjust know no shame Secondly The silence and quietness in conscience under all sinnings Men neglect Quietness under sinning all holy duties and sweaâ— and lie and deceive and are drunken and commit adultery c. and conscience saith nothing to them Assuredly this is a strong conviction that their hearts are hard for where there is any softness of heart there conscience is alive and hath some power to warn and check and oppose before sinning and likewise to accuse and condemn and trouble after sinning But now natural men generally find it thus that conscience is dead and takes no notice or it is weak and can do nothing with them before sinning it appears not and after sinning it troubles not Ergo. their hearts are hard Thirdly The security of heart Taken me any one broken-hearted sinner Security of heart why under the sense of any one transgression he goes heavy all the day long and he weeps bitterly and he waters his couch with his tears and he is afraid of the Lord whom he hath provoked and he makes in earnestly for reconciliation and peace with God and why doth he so because his heart is soft and tender But on the contrary the natural man he sins and is confident exposes himself to wrath and yet is secure and though God saith he is offended and displeased with him and though God threatens him with wrath and though he knows that God hath destroyed some for the same sin of which he is guilty yet the man goes on in his sinful practices and makes no account of this And what is the cause of it it is this his heart is hard and hardened Were not the man under a reprobate sense infinitely stupid and seared he could not rest so secure Fourthly The absence of all penitential works Whensoever the Lord gives The absence of penitential works a soft heart which is opposite to this stony heart then ariseth presently 1. A sight and solemn consideration of sin 2. An humble mourning and lamenting for sin 3. A self-judging confession of sin 4. A cordial aversation from sin 5. Importunate supplication for pardoning mercy and grace 6. A serious application of the heart to Christ And on the contrary where the heart is hard there are none of these no hard heart considers of its ways saying What have I done no man smites on his thigh and is humbled no man repents no man seeks after the Lord no man cries out for mercy or for grace or for Christ Certainly so much as there is of impenitency so much there is of hardness of heart but naturally every mans heart is impenitent and he is not only a stranger to these penitential works but also he is an enemy unto them Ergo. Fifthly The inefficacy of the Word the Word of God is compared The inefficacy of the Word sometimes 1. To the Sun which enlightens and quickens 2. To water which softens and cleanseth 3. To the hammer which bruises and breaks 4. To fire which heats and melts and refines but on the natural heart either it hath no efficacy at all or it is a long time before it can make any impression and yet a longer time before it make any saving impression either the heart will not suffer us to hear the voice of the Word or it will not suffer us to acknowledge the truth of the Word or it is so hard that it will not suffer us
both convince Preparatively and break the heart of a sinner The Spirit by the Law doth let in the sense of sin and wrath which is irresistible upon the Conscience which is of that authority and force that it rents the heart and fills it with fear and trembling and astonishment This is that which the Schoolmen call Attrition And our Divines usually stile Legal preparation and the Scripture the spirit and bondage whereby all the powers and presumptions and confidences of the soule are shaken and the heart is made so sensible of its transgressions that it quakes and trembles and hath no rest nor peace but is filled with bitterness and terror and cries out with woful complaints I have undone my self I have sinned I have sinned and what will become of me I feel the wrath of God and what shall I do to be delivered I cannot live thus and I dare not dye thus if the Lord shew me not mercy I perish for ever Secondly The Lord takes away the hardness of the heart Effectually and this Effectually he doth when he diâ—solves and melts the stonyness of the heart It is one thing to break a stone into pieces and it is another thing to melt a stone as it were into water Simile The Lord doth by the Law break the stony and stout heart of a sinner but he melts and dissolves the heart by the Gospel and on this wise he doth dissolve and melt it 1. By revealing of mercy and hope of mercy to the broken and distressed sinner thus and thus hast thou â—â—nned against me and now thou seest and findest it to be an evil and bitter thing to slight my Word and resist my Spirit and to harden thy heart thou art now fallen into the hands of the living God and I can make all my wrath to fall on thee and to destroy thee at once for all thy rebellions But I am the Lord merciful and gracious I desire not the death of a sinner but rather that he turn and live Lo I have given mine own Son Jesus Christ to dye for sinners and I have said that whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3 16. Therefore go thou broken-hearted sinner go thou unto him and be saved accept of him and thou shalt find mercy to pardon all that is past he is able to save thee to the uttermost and he is a merciful High Priest O how this works on that sinner but is it possible that there should be such a surpassing goodness in God what and to such a proud and stout-hearted sinner as I have been what mercy to one who hath so often slighted mercy and Christ for one who hath so often refused Christ this begins to melt the hard heart of the sinner 2. By the offer of mercy and particular invitation of the broken-hearted sinner to lay hold on it The Lord Jesus comes as it were to the very house of this sinner and knocks at the door and saith Here dwells a broken-hearted sinner and my Father hath sent me to him that I may save his poor soul Come come unto me be not afraid I my self do call thee to come unto me And I do assure thee in the word of a Saviour that I will not reject thee but I will pity and help and refresh thee I will answer for thy sins and I will make thy peace though thou hast been very wicked I will not stand upon that and though thou art utterly unworthy yet I will not stand on that neither only receive me and I will be thine and mercy and salvation shall be thine freely and aâ—suredly 3. By the collation of Faith which makes the sinner willingly and really to close with Christ The Lord by his Spirit doth enable the broken-hearted sinner to receive Jesus Christ and to take livery and seizin of a reconciled merciful loving blessing God in and by him And now the apprehension and possession of all this rich mercy and great love and exceeding goodness of God in Christ melts and dissolves the stonyness of the heart this works in him a tenderness a mournfulness a pliableness and all that is contrary to hardness of heart Thirdly The Lord takes away the stony heart from his people successively Successively or by degrees indeed the dominion of it is taken away in an instant as soon as ever the sinner is brought into Christ as soon as he is called and converted the raigning power of hardness is taken away the man shall never have such a stubborn opposing resisting base heart any longer But yet the grudging of the stone the remaining gravel the reliques of hardness are taken away by degrees the remaining hardnesse the Lord takes away First one while by Afflictions Psal 119. 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy Word Secondly Another while by mercies and kindnesses Ezek. 16. 60. I will remember my Covenant with thee in the dayes of thy youth I will establish unto thee an everlasting Covenant Ver. 61. Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed So Hose 3. 5. Afterwards shall the Children return and seek the Lord and shall fear the Lord and his goodness Thirdly Sometimes by his Word and Ordinances which are like Refining fire to melt and purge away our dross How frequently do the people of God find the Word of God to be the power of God to melt away their carelesness and their indisposition of heart and deadness of heart and backwardness and unruliness of heart Fourthly The Lord takes away the stony heart from his people perfectly and compleatly Root and Branch so that no part of it and no degree of it shall Perfectly ever be found in their hearts any more This shall be done in the very moment of death when we come to the dissolution of soul and body we shall then come to the perfect dissolution of all hardness and of all remaining sinfulness of heart Quest 2. Now to the second question why the Lord will take away the stony Why God takes away the stony heart and that by promise The Lord will do it that They may be his people heart from his people and why he himself doth undertake it by promise Sol. The Lord will take away the heart of stone from his people That First They may be his people and receive him for their God and Lord Beloved as long as hardness of heart prevails on any people it is impossible that they should become the people of the Lord they will not hearken to his voice nor obey his voice nor receive his Laws nor fall in with his offers and entreaties but will reject his Word and despise his counsel and will follow the lusts of their own hearts and therefore of necessity the Lord must take away the hardness of heart if he will have any people to be his people he must break down the pride and stoutness and resistance
when fervency daily degenerates into formality surely tenderness is falling into hardness of heart Watchlesness over the spirit Fifthly A watchlesnesse over the spirit or soul it is not minded observed lookt unto in its motions affections transactions as formerly but the guard is drawn off there is less fear and more security less diligent care and more loose presumption The man was wont to keep his heart with all diligence narrowly observing the passages and workings of his Spirit the inclinations of his heart temptations of Satan behaviours of every day alone and in company and accordingly did apply himself with variety of petitions to God and humbled himself for what was amiss and renewed his strength in the Lord for the time to come O but now it is not thus the precious soul is neglected the City is not watched the thoughts and affections and actions are not observed the poor man is asleep and drowsie and his spirituall frame is impaired and he considers it not 2ly The sadnesse of this condition The sadness of this condition It is an evill distemper First It is a very evil and naughty distemper an hard heart softning that is good but the soft hardning again that 's very evil Was it good to tremble at the Word what is it now not to be moved by the Word was it good to think of sin and mourn what is it now to hear of thy sins and not to be troubled at all was it good to act duties with affections and life what is it now to neglect the duties or to act them with a heavy and careless Spirit There are four things which shew this hardning to be very evil 1. The marvellous ingratitude in it that the Lord should shew so much mercy to heal the disease and yet you relapse into it again 2. There is an express self-condemnation why you were exceedingly troubled at the hardness of your hearts and prayed against it and sought the prayers of others and now to harden your hearts again 3. There is presumption in it you do tempt the Lord by it Do you mean to continue in this case then you are undone do you mean to come out of it why do you then tempt the Lord by falling into it and presuming on his grace to recover you 4. If you look not speedily to your selves where think you will this hardning end perhaps in some great desertion perhaps in some great transgression perhaps in some exceeding great and long trouble of conscience Secondly It is a very uncomfortable condition How is thy Sun eclipsed It is a very uncomfortable condition and thy Spring cut off what is become of that spirit of Prayer what is become of that excellent assurance of which thou hast so much spoken where is that sweetly excusing testimony of Conscience what is become of that joy in the Holy Ghost and that peace with which thou wast wont to work Ah! thou hast suffered thy heart to harden again and God looks not on thee as he was wont and Conscience speaks not as it was wont and the Spirit of God manifests not himself as he was wont and Ordinances smile not on thee as they were wont nor doth Providence shine upon thy Tabernacle as it was wont But instead of these thou meetest with many a sharp affliction with many piercing reproofs with many a sad item and reckoning and scourges which no man knows and feels in the sting and bitterness of it but thou thy self Thirdly It is a very formal and empty estate how may it grieve thee to see It is an empty state a fruitless Vintage of thy soul Tell me what returns hast thou had all this while that this hardning distemper hath been upon thee thou hearest carelesly and negligently what hast thou been the better for all the Sermons which thou hast heard thou prayest coldly and formally and what good hath returned upon thy soul after them thou hast had no trading all this while at heaven how dull must grace be which is not used and how decaying must thy Spiritual strength be which all this while recovers no more strength Fourthly It is a very dangerour posture though it be not absolute Apostacy It is a dangerous posture yet it looks toward it Though I will not say that it is the turning of the grace of God into wantonnesse yet it bends towards it Though it be not falling from grace and though it be not a forsaking of God yet unquestionably it is a gâ—ieving of God and a provoking of him and for which he may very far leave a person 3ly Directions in this case for recovery Directions for recovery Finde out the cause First By all means find out the cause or causes of the hardning observe well 1. What conscience tells thee in thy bed at night or in the day of fear and affliction or in a day of Solemn Humiliation or in the meditation of thy short appearances before God 2. What the Word of God hints and points at in thee at what it levels and strikes there is an arrow some time or other shot which falls into thy very heart a message that is secretly delivered in way of conviction and reproof which saith Thou art the man and this is thy way and thy doings 3. What thy faithful and watchful friends say unto thee what their suspicions and fears are and unto what their friendly counsels do tend A thousand to one but some of these things which I shall mention have brought on thee this new hardness upon thy heart 1. Either spiritual pride this hath made thee to neglect thy watch and to neglect the Ordinances 2. Or a worldly surfet thou hast been taking in too much of the world and worldly business and this hath robbed thee of thy precious time to converse at heaven to meditate to examine to read to hear to pray to confer with thy Fellow-Christians 3. Or the deceitfulness of sin Thou hast ventured on lesser sins and they have ensnared thee and drawn thee to greater sins and these have brought upon thee the hardness of thy heart again c. Secondly When you have found out the spiritual causes by which your hearts Judge your selves and repent have been hardned then judge your selves and repent remember from whence thou art fallen and repent said Christ unto Ephesus Rev. 2. 5. Nay do not stay to look when this hardning will fall off from thee but hasten but compel thy self to retiredness and to a penitential consideration of thy hardning with the causes of it and the great evils in it and fall down before the Lord in humble confessions of thy great back-slidings and poure out prayer upon prayer O wrestle with the Father of mercies for his Christs sake to pity and pardon and heal and once more to cure and recover thee Follow on to seek the Lord though he doth secretly upbraid thee though for a while he delays thee though to thy
a groan and sigh Fourthly That they may walk without offence to God and man tenderness of heart is a ground of circumspection and holy jealousie and that is a ground of unblameable walking not to do any thing willingly by which God may be dishonoured or men justly offended SECT III. Vse 1. DOth God give unto all his people in Covenant a soft and tender Tryal whether we have such a heart heart a heart of flesh Let us then carefully survey and search our hearts whether God hath bestowed on them this heavenly quality this Jewel this Covenant-grace of softness or tenderness of heart This Point is of wonderful consequence and therefore I must carefully dispense it and manage it which shall be in this manner 1. Convictions in a privative way that many persons are utterly destitute of spiritual softness of heart 2. Convictions in a defective way that many persons deceive themselves with a false softness of heart 3. Demonstrations of the manifold miseries incumbent upon and incident unto all persons destitute of softness of heart 4. Testimonies and true Characters of a heart really softned by grace 1. Convictions in a privative way that many persons are utterly Convictions that many are destitute of it By the disposition of their hearts to sin Six things shew this Easiness to sin destitute of spiritual softness of heart First By the disposition of their hearts unto sin by which only God is offended and grieved and dishonoured yet there are six things evidently appearing in in many men about sin which shew that there is no spiritual softness or tenderness of heart in them at all v. g. First Easiness to sin Solomon speaks of some who will transgress for a piece of bread Prov. 28. 21. The Prophet speaking of Ephraim saith that he willingly walked after the commandment Hosea 5. 11. Ahab sold himself to work wickedness 1 Kings 21. 25. Judas goes and offers himself to betray Christ Matth. 26. 15 16. and the chief Priests and Captains were glad Luke 22. 5. When a small temptation is bait and hire enough but a look but a thought but a word and the man is presently ready to sin hath he a soft and tender heart to fear the Lord any temptation will master him nay he will sin without a temptation Secondly Boldness in sinning When a person makes no bones of great transgressions Boldness in sinning but can sin with an high hand and dares to venture on presumptuous sins and yet is not ashamed at all Isa 3. 9. They declare their sin as Sodom they hide it not Jerem. 6. 5. Were they ashamed when they had committed abominations nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush When people can swear and for-swear and curse and blaspheme and commit whoredom and steal and oppress and lye and murder and with the Whore in the Proverbs Wipe their mouths and say What evil have I done doth this shew the least of tenderness of heart which quakes at lesser iniquities Thirdly Joy and delight in sinning Solomon speaks of such who rejoyce to Delight in sinning do evil Prov. 2. 14. and the Prophet in Isa 66. 3. Their soul delighteth in their abominations and the Apostle in Phil. 3. 19. Whose glory is in their shame and the Psalmist Ps 10 3. The wicked boasteth of his hearts desire Who can say that any man hath a tender heart least he should sin and after he hath sinned who makes his very sins the object of his delight and joy and rejoycing and boasting such a time of his filthiness another time of his drunkenness c Fourthly Diffusion or spreading of sin of such Solomon speaks Prov. 4. 16. Spreading of sin They sleep not except they have done mischief and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall like Jeroboam the son of Nebat which made Israel to sin 1 Kings 16. 26. or like Manasseh who made Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem to erre 2 Chron. 33. 9. or like the Whore in the Proverbs With much fair speech she caused him to yield with the flattering of her lips she forced him Prov. 7. 21. O where is this softness and tendeâ—ness of heart when it sufficeth us not all alone to offend and anger and dishonour the Lord but we will also cause others to sin against the Lord draw others to drunkenness and uncleanness seduce others to errors and profaness make others to neglect Ordinances and duties to break the Sabbath to steal and purloine to lie and forswear themselves c. Fifthly Progresse in sin to go from evil to worse not only to multiply sins Progresse in sin in several kinds but to heighten and raise sins in further degrees and still to step on further in sinful wayes to be like Ezekiels waters which did rise from the ancle to the feet from the feet to the knees and then into a river Or as the Prophet spake Isa 2. 7. There is no end of their Charets so there is no end of their sinning but they overflow in wickedness and revolt more and more and adde drunkenness to thirst Sixthly Vnalterable resolution to sin when men will not forsake their sins but Unalterable resolution to sin will hold them fast and will not cease from evil though the Lord expresly threatens them and although the Lord punisheth others for the same sins nay although the Lord doth in eminent manner judge them themselves and punish them for their wicked doings as in Amos 4. 6 7 8 c. and made them sick in smiting of them and desolate because of their sins Micah 6. 13. Who can say that these obstinate and perverse sinners who dare thus to contend with God himself and will try to the utmost and provoke him when he inflicts his wrath on them for provoking of him have in them the least degree or pretence of softness and tenderness of heart Secondly By the carriage of their hearts towards the Word of God which is such By their carriage towards the word as palpably proclaimes they have no spiritual softness or tenderness of heart and that appears in four particulars First They care not to know it nor to be taught by it the mind and will of God They care not to know it Job 21. 14. They say unto God depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Hose 8. 12. I have written unto them the great things of my Law but they were accounted aâ— a strange thing Prov. 1. 23. Though the Lord saith I will make known my words unto you yet ver 24. they regarded not but ver 29. they hated knowledge Let him that hath an ear hear what the spirit saith to the Churches Rev. 2. 7. Be swift to hear James 1. 19. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom Col 3. 16. Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of
durationis He that hath a soft heart mourns and grieves 1. For his own sinnes Ezek. 7. 16. They that escape of them shall escape and shall be on the mountains like Doves of the valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity David that man of a soft heart how mourning and lamenting for his sin My sin is ever before me Psal 51. 3. I water my couch with my tears Psal 6. 6. Those in Zechary mourning as one mourneth for his only son And in bitternesse as one that is in bitternesse for his first born Zech. 12. 10. Mary Magdalen weeping and washing the feet of Christ with her tears Luke 7. 38. Peter remembred the words of Jesus who said unto him Before the cook crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice and he went out and wept bitterly Mat. 26. 75. The Penitent Corinthian so mourning for his sin that Paul writes unto the Church by all means to forgive and comfort him least he should be swallowed up with over much sorrow 2 Cor. 2. 7. Now by the way observe that persons whose hearts have been really soft and tender they have mourned not only for their gross sins but also for their lesser sins not only for corporal sins but also for their spiritual sins for pride hypocrisie vain-glory unbelief not only for outward sins but also for inward sins not only for the sins in life but also for their sins in heart for the sin of nature original sin and the secret motions thereof not only for his sinful doings but also for his sins which do accompany his best doings not only for the sins which they have committed alone but also for the sins which they have caused others to commit either by their perswasion or by their evil example Not only for their sins of knowledge but also for their sins of ignorance as he prayed Lord forgive me my known sins and Lord forgive me my unknown sins so c. not only for present sins but for sins long since committed and pardoned 2. For the sins of others as well as for his own sins Psal 119. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy law Ezek. 9. 4. Go through the mid'st of the City through the mid'st of Jerusalem and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the mid'st thereof Jer. 13. 17. If you will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride Exod. 32. 31. Oh this people have sinned a great sin and have made them Gods of gold Luke 19. 41. When he came near he beheld the City and wept over it The sins of others do grieve the Lord Fourty years long was I grieved with this generation Psal 95. 10. and dishonour him and how can a tender heart endure to see his God and Father grieved and dishonoured but his soul must grieve and mourn be afflicted and troubled Paul reproves the Corinthians because they grieved not for the sin of the incestuous Corinthian Thirdly Fear to sin True tenderness of heart alwayes breeds the greatest care to please God and the greatest fear to displease God where there is no Fear to sin fear to sin there is no tendernesse of heart and where there is true tendernesse of heart there is an exceeding fear to sin against God Prov. 23. 17 Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long Act. 9. 31. The Churches walked in the fear of the Lord. There is one who sets out seven degrees of fear which are to be found in every truely tender-hearted child of God viz. 1. He is afraid to commit grosse sinnes though never so secretly as you finde in Joseph when tempted by his Mistris O saith he How can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God! Gen. 39. 9. And in David when he was strongly tempted to take revenge of his mortal enemy and had an opportunity also put into his hands yet he durst not do it and why because he durst not sin against God! Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless 1 Sam. 26. 9. 2. He is afraid to commit little sins what a small matter had it been for Daniel and the three children being brought into Babylon to have eaten of the meat and to have drunk of the wine which Nebuchadnezzar appointed for them but Daniel saw it was such meat as was contrary to the Ceremonial Law then in force and therefore he would not defile himself with it Dan. 1. 8. 3. He is afraid to omit the least duty Moses was commanded to fetch the people of Israel with their cattel and substance out of Egypt Pharaoh consents for the people and their little ones but he would have the Flocks and Herds stayed by no means saith Moses Our Cattel also shall go with us there shall not an hoof be left behind Exod. 10. 24 26. So in the setting up of the Tabernacle and in all other Services commanded by God he was faithfull in all things he durst not leave out one knop not one tach not one pin which the Lord prescribed about the Tabernacle c. 4. He is afraid to serve the Lord carelesly and negligently Awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake early Psal 108. 2. With my whole heart have I sought thee Psal 119. 10. Not slothful in businesse fervent in Spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. 5. He is afraid to do any thing that is of evil report which though in itself it may be lawful yet if advantage may thereby be taken to cause Religion or the profession to be reproached and evil spoken of he is afraid to do that thing 1 Cor. 6. 1. Dare any of you having a matter against another go to Law before the unjust and not before the Saints And why might they not do so what unlawfulnesse was there in that Is not civil Magistracy ordained of God 't is true but though all things are lawful all things are not expedient 1 Cor. 6. 12. At that time such applications would have exposed the Christian Religion and Profession unto scorn and contempt amongst unbelievers c. Give none offence neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God he speaks it concerning things indifferent 1 Cor. 10. 32. 6. He is afraid not only of apparent evils but also of the appearance of evil 1 Thes 5. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil if it hath the look or shew of evil it is enough to a tender heart to avoid it and abstain from it If it looks like pride if it looks like unchastity if it looks like unbefitting service of God if it looks like persecuting of the Gospel c. like error idolatry c. 7. He is afraid not only to do any thing that is evil Let not any iniquity have dominion over me Psal 119. 133. nor only to speak any evil Set
the testimonies of Gods reconciled favour O how doth the tender heart take on and judge and condemn it self if at any time it fall into sin O what a fool what a beast and why have I dealt thus with my God! why did I deal so unkindly with my kind God is this my love unto him is this my fear of him is this my tenderness of his glory O my soul what hast thou done why hast thou broken the bonds of friendship what hath the Lord been to thee that thou hast thus sinned against him And now the man falls a weeping and lamenting as if his heart would break and after some respite he thinks of his father again but he is ashamed to come to him and yet he will go to him and return with weeping and supplications O I cannot live thus I will home again to my fathers house and say I have sinned and am no more worthy to be called thy son Luke 15. Though shame and confusions belong to me yet mercies and forgiveness to him Dan. 9. O Lord heal my backslidings and forgive my backsldings and reoeive me graciously Hose 14. 2. And return again in mercy and make thy face to shine upon thy servant for the Lords sake Thus have I opened unto you the first Character or evidence of a heart spiritually soft and tender it is a heart filled with shame for sin and with grief for sin and with fear to sin and with zeal against sin and with care to be kept from sin and with restlestness till it can find God mercifully pardoning sin O that such tenderness and that such fruits of tenderness might be found in all our hearts Secondly A second Character by which we may know that we have the true The activity and life and power in conscience spiritual softness and tenderness of heart is the activity and life and power in conscience when God gives any one a soft and tender heart he gives him a conscience arrayed and enabled with other qualities and powers than in times past The Conscience heretofore was asleep but now it is awakned heretofore it was blind but now it sees heretofore it was silent but now it speaks heretofore it was loose and large but now it is strict and narrow heretofore it was dull and weak but now it is quick and powerful heretofore it was stupid and senceless but now it is apprehensive and active But I must not speak of all things about this that which I will pitch on is this the speciall Activities of Conscience where the heart is indeed tender 1. Concerning the good estate and welbeing of our souls 2. Concerning particular facts as to our doing or walking First Where the heart is tender there Conscience becomes active to clear out The conscience is active to clear our state the good and safe estate and well-being of our souls It will not suffer the poor soul to delude and deceive itself in matters of life and death to lay no grounds nor to venture all upon false bottoms and grounds of salvation and damnation of favour and wrath O saith Conscience thy soul is immortal and is for eternity and there are wayes to that eternity of Gods making and of mens making there is a reall relation to Christ and there is a seeming relation to Christ there is the power of godliness and there is the form of godliness there were virgins with oyle and there were virgins with lamps only there are some which believe and are saved and there are some that believe but for a time and perish If a man mistake himself he is undone for ever hereupon it is that Conscience in tender hearts dares not take up the estate of the soul upon trust and proud confidence and vain pretences or common grounds or every appearance but puts them on and makes them to study the Word of God and to prove what is the good and acceptable will of God and what indeed are the marks which do accompany salvation what are the infallible tokens of life of union with Christ of the new creature of a child of God born of the Spirit it causeth us to search our hearts and try our wayes to prove and examine our selves whether Christ be in us of a truth to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling it will not suffer us to be careless sluggish dallying delaying c. Conscience takes those saving promises of the â—ord as unquestionable that a man must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that will be saved and that he must repent that will have his sins pardoned and that he must be regenerated and born again who will enter into the kingdom of heaven And hereupon Conscience puts us on if our hearts be tender exceedingly to make clear and evident the assumption I do truely believe I do truely repent I am born again and my sins are pardoned and my soul shall be saved A tender heart would be sure that it is in a state of life and favour Secondly Where the heart is tender there conscience is alive in respect of the particular facts of our lives whether good or evil For good actions which concern us in our places and callings Conscience puts us upon the careful and sincere practice of them will not suffer us to omit and neglect them but enclines and hearkens unto them although danger and trouble be incident unto us for the performance of them Act. 4. 19. But Peter and John answered and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye ver 20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Act. 21. 13. Then Paul answered What mean you to weep and break mine heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Josh 24. 25. If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. For evil actions Conscience puts forth itself against them partly by warning It is evil if thou do it not partly by threatning It will be bitter unto thee it wlll deceive thee and break thy peace and confidences partly in striving with us and presenting argument upon argument consideration upon consideration Gods favour on the one hand and Gods displeasure on the other hand the happiness of walking uprightly the shortness of sins deceitful pleasures c. and all to keep us from sinning which if they prevail not then Conscience begins to be unquiet and it smites for sinning and accuses and condems and The respectiveness of our hearts to the Word of God troubles and vexes and
will never be quiet untill repentance be renewed and God appears to be pacified Thirdly If we have hearts spiritually soft and tender this will appear by the respectiveness of our hearts to the word of God And there are ten Properties of a tender heart in relation to the Word of God 1. It sets up the Word as a Light and Rule So Psal 119. 105. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths ver 133. Order my steps in thy Word 2. It studies the Word and meditates therein to understand the mind of God concerning it Psal 119. 15. I meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways ver 148. Mine eyes prevent the night watches that I might meditate in thy Word 3. It layes up and gives special heed unto what God saith in his Word 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have also a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed Psal 119. 11. Thy Word have I hid within my heart that I might not sin against thee Prov. 7. 1. My son keep my words and lay up my commands with thee ver 3. Bind them upon thy fingers write them upon the table of thine heart 4. It stands in awe of the Word Psal 119. 161. My heart stands in awe of thy Word 5. It is led and guided by the Word Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel Psal 73. 24. Thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellors Psal 119. 24. My sheep hear my voice and follow me Joh. 10. 17. 6. It keeps close to the Word in all matters of faith and practice receives all and admits no more will not go without it and dares not strive against it 7. It conformes itself unto the Word Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it even to the end Psal 119. 33. All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient Exod. 24 7. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Psal 119. 5. He will teach us his wayes and we will walk in his paths Isa 2. 3. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine whereto ye were delivered Rom. 6. 17. Moulded cast 8. It is quickly reduced wrought upon and recovered by the Word As in Davids case when Nathan said Thou art the man 2 Sam. 12. 7. David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord ver 13. So Judges 2. 2. Ye have not obeyed my voice why have you done this ver 4. And it came to passe when the Angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel that the people lift up their voice and wept ver 5. And they called the name of that place weepers Bochim and they sacrificed there unto the Lord. 9. It will often review and try itself by the Word lest it hath sinned or lest it should sin against God Psal 77. 6. I communed with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search Psal 119 59. I considered my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies 10. It desires and endeavours to comply with all the Word of God and to fulfill all the will of God and to walk according to it in all things I have lived in all good Conscience unto this day Act. 23. 1. We trust we have a good conscience Heb. 13. 18. I have respect unto all thy commandements Psal 119. 6. Zachary and Elizabeth walked in all the Commandements and Ordinances before the Lord blameless Luke 1. 6. Fourthly If we have hearts Spiritually soft and tender this will appear by By our sensibleness in cases of Gods honour or dishonour our sensibleness and choice behaviour in the cases of Gods honour and dishonour This I think is one of the fullest discoveries of a soft and tender heart and therefore I will insist the more upon it by shewing unto you 1. The several wayes how God is honoured 2. The several expressions of a tender heart in relation unto Gods honour 3. The several wayes of Gods dishonour 4. The several affections and workings of a tender heart in the case of Gods dishonour First The several wayes of Gods being honoured God may be and is honoured How God is honoured As â—â— his Name and Attribuâ—es 1. As to his glorious Name and Attributes Deut. 28. 58. That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful Name the Lord thy God When we do acknowledge and admire and exalt God in his holiness and goodness and mercifulness and Omnipoâ—ency and wisdom and greatness and authority and justice and faithfulness c. Exod. 15. 11. Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Job 9. 4. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength Exod. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth Ver. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquiâ—y transgressions and sins and that will by no means clear the guilty Deuter. 7. 9. Know that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandements to a thousand generations 2. As to his worship and service Psal 29. 2. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name or as it is in the Hebrew the honour of his Name worship the As to his Worship Lord in the beauty of holiness When we set up the true worship of God and serve him only and worship him only in Spirit and in truth and keep faithful unto it now we do honour and glorifie our God Thou hast not honoured me with thy sacrifices Isa 43. 23. The place where God is worshipped is called the place where his honour dwelleth 3. As to his Word and truths when they are magnified believed and embraced At his Word and upheld and obeyed when they have liberty and prosperity and success of efficacy 4. As to his works of Providence whether merciful respecting the good As to his Works of his people or judicial respecting the punishment of his adversaries in both which very much of God is to be seen and admired and blessed Secondly Now a soft and tender heart is exceedingly affected with Gods honour How the tender heart is affected in case of Gods honor and glory and with all the wayes publick and private for the honouring of God Such a person will take much pains to recover and restore the honour of God as you may see in Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah and Josiah to restore the true worship of God such a person will be at much cost to promote the honour of God 1 Chron. 29. 3. Because I have set my affection to the house of my God I have of mine one proper goods of gold and silver which I have given to the house of my God over and above all that I have prepared for thy holy house even three thousand talents of gold of the
can fit and prepare us for that heavenly glory but the Spirit c. Thirdly Conformity There is a twofold conformity required in the people Conformity of God 1. To God their Father they must be like their heavenly Father be holy as he is holy be merciful as he is merciful love what he loves hate what he hates honour what he honours c. this cannot be unless they have the Spirit given unto them 2. To Christ their Head they must partake with him of the same Nature of the same Life which cannot be unlesse they partake with him of the same Spirit Fourthly Excellency the people of God are the most excellent people in all Excellency the world they are the precious of the sons of men a chosen generation a royal Priesthood the beauty of the earth there is that in them which exceeds and surmounts all the glories of the world but what is that which doth exalt them and raise them with such a differential excellency it is the presence of the Spirit and the graces of the Spirit As Pharaoh said concerning Joseph Gen. 41. 38. Can we find such a one as this is in whom the Spirit is c. Before they had the Spirit of God given unto them they were but as other men vile in their natures and at the most but of love and ordinary gifts It is the Spirit which changeth into the image of glory From glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. Fithly The love of God unto them which is exceeding great and rich in the The love of God communication of himself unto them he counts nothing too dear for them neither himself nor his Christ nor his Spirit God is their God and Christ is their Christ and the Spirit of God is also their portion Sixthly Christ hath purchased for them all that is happiness and all that makes for happiness and therefore he hath purchased the Spirit of God for Christs purchase them c. Thus you see that God gives his own Spirit unto his people and the Reasons why he doth so now follows the last Question Quest 4. In what measure God gives the Spirit unto his people whether all the people of God have the Spirit given unto them in the same In what measure he gives the Spirit measure Sol. For the resolution of this Question I will lay down these Conclusions First There are different gifts of the Spirit some are extraordinary as were There are different gifts of the Spirit those of speaking with Tongues and those of Miracles in Raising the dead and Healing the sick and of which some did partake in the Apostles times but now are ceased And some are ordinary which are gifts that the Spirit still bestowes and these are either gifts of Edificatation or of Sanctification of which the people of God do partake they have all of them such gifts of the Spirit which do make them good and which do enable them to do good And different measures Secondly There are different measures of the gifts of the Spirit in the same kind some are more and some are less holy And in Faith some arâ— strong in faith and some are weak in faith And in Knowledge some are higher and fuller and some are shorter and flatter As all the people of God have not absolutely the same gifts of edification so all of them have not the same gifts for sanctification in the same measure or degree Thirdly Every one of the people of God hath a portion of the Spirit as all the Every one hath a portion of the Spirit servants had at least a talent the first had five the second had ten and the other had one Matth. 25. 15. so all the people of God partake of the Spirit of God though they differ in their proportion for the Spirit divides to every man severally as he will 1 Cor. 12. 11. yet every one hath a portion though Benjamins mess was five times so much as his brethrens yet every one of his brethren had a mess sent unto him by Joseph Gen. 43. 34. One Christian may have abundant knowledge of Christ yet every Christian hath a knowledge of Christ and one Christian may be strong in faith yet every Christian hath faith some are young men and some are aged in Christ some are babes in Christ yet every one of them is born of the spirit Every one hath but a small portion at the first Fourthly Every one of the people of God hath but a small portion of the Spirit at first therefore the grace given us by the Spirit as to the first plantation of it is compared unto a grain of mustardseed which is sowen in the fields and is the least of all seeds Matth. 13. 31 32. unto a bruised reed which is very weak and to smoaking flax which is newly kindled Matth. 12. 20 and it is called the day of small things in Zech. 4. 10. I believe said the Father of the child Lord help my unbelief Mar. 9. 24. What I would that do I not but what I hate that do I Rom. 17. 15. And to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not ver 18. The people of God in respect of the first workings of the Spirit are called new born babes 1 Pet. 2. 2. and children and little children Gal. 4. 19. and lambs and plants Fifthly Not any one of the people of God hath the Spirit in perfection in None have it in perfection this life he hath not the Spirit in the absolute fulness of the Spirit 1 Cor. 13. 9. We know in part and we prophesie in part now we see as through a glasse darkly but then face to face Now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known Phil. 3. 12. Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect but I follow after that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus Though the spirit be perfect we do partake of him imperfectly in this life we have but the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8. 23. As the children of Israel had the bunch of Grapes and some of the Figs and Pomgranates before they entred into the land of Canaan Numb 13. 23. Object But do we not read that some were filled with the Holy Ghost and were full of the Holy Ghost as Stephen Acts 6. and Barnabas Acts 11. Sol. There is a threefold fulness of the Holy Ghost 1. Absolute and Intensive as to all degrees this we cannot reach unto in this life none but Christ was thus filled with the Holy Ghost 2. Comparative i. e. more than some or many others this is granted 3. Respective as to such or such a particular work and service unto which the Spirit may let out himself in an eminent and vigorous manner thus were they filled with or were full of the Spirit c.
inconsistent nor are they to be dijoyned Secondly If the Lord Jesus himself hath instituted some men particularly for his service and the benefit of his Church and hath committed the dispensation of Evangelical Ordinances unto them then no man under pretence that he hath the Spirit may slight and neglect the Ordinances but Christ hath instituted some persons in the Church for Ministerial service c. Ephes 4. 11. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers Ver. 12. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ c. Ver. 13. till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ What need of these if the presence of the Spirit without these be sufficient 1 Cor. 12. 28. God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secundarily Prophets thirdly Teachers Ver. 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers To these and not to all hath he committed the dispensation of the Evangelical Ordinances 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God Matth. 28. 19. Go ye and teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself c. and hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation What are all these Ordinances instruted and fixed and that by the will of Christ and yet useless for men that have the Spirit of Christ Thirdly What mean those several passages in the Scriptures Jam. 1. 19. Be swift to hear 1 Per. 2 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby 1 Thes 5. 19. Quench not the Spirit Ver. 20. Despise not Prephesying Luke 10. 16. He that despiseth you despiseth me c. Isa 59. 21. This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit that is upon them and my Spirit which I have put within thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord hence forth for ever Fourthly If the Spirit be given unto us to make the Ordinances effectual unto us then his presence should not take us off from Ordinances but the Spirit is given to make the Ordinances effectual they are so farre life unto us as the Spirit gives life unto them 2 Cor. 3. 16. The Spirit giveth life Secondly Having spoken these things I shall now look upon those forementioned Scriptures and see whether they conclude the needlesness of Ordinances after the reception of the Spirit Object Jer. 31. 34. They shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me c. Hence the Anabaptists do conclude that there is no need of Teachers nor Anabaptists answered Learning Sol. First I would fain know Whether these people have among them a Church of Christ yea or no if they have then I would know Whether they have any The Scriptures opened Teachers of the Word and Labourers in the Word and Doctrine any teaching publickly in their Churches Secondly But to the place of the Prophet who sets out the difference between the Old Testament and the New 1. In respect of efficacy this he layes down in ver 33. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after these dayes saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts c. 2ly In respect of Clarity that in the times of the new Covenant there should be a more clear and plentiful effusion of knowledge than in the old Covenant for when Christ came then did the Sun of Righteousness arise the light of which was sevensold to what the light was before his coming they before his coming had but a dark knowledge those after his coming had a more clear and full knowledge Object True and they had so much knowledge that they needed not to be taught they shall no more teach Sol. That expression is not to be taken litterally and absolutely as if those that live under the Gospel should need no teaching at all for we read an express promise relating unto Gospel-times to the contrary Isa 2. 3. Many people shall go and say Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall go out the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem But the words are to be taken Restrictively and Comparatively therefore if you observe them it is not said only they shall no more teach every one his neighbour but they shall no more teach every man his neighbour saying know the Lord So that God doth promise under the Gospel such a measure of knowledge as that his people now shall not be Alphabetarii any more need to be taught the first Principles of the Doctrine of Faith any more these they should all of them clearly know and much more clearly than many or most living under the old Covenant or Testament Object 1 Joh. 2. 27. You need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things c. Sol. The Apostle having in the former words delivered many excellent and comfortable truths he concludes with a perswasion of their knowledge of and assent unto them q. d. you are the people of God you have received his Spirit you know these things to be true I write them unto you not as to the ignorant but knowing Christian you know them assuredly the Spirit given unto you hath enabled you to know and to acknowledge them so that no man needs to teach you them c. Object 2. Pet. 1. 19. Vnto which you do well to take heed as unto a light that shineth in darknesse untill the day dawn and the day starâ—e arise in your hearts Sol. Untill the day dawn i. e. Pleniori apertiori cognitione quà m sub legis umbris fuerit 1. He commends the Jews for regarding the Prophetical writings 2. He prefers the Apostolical Writings which had more light in them 3. Vntil is gradual and not exclusive Fourthly lastly the Spirit is injured when any do Father upon him their odd Opinions and wild fancies and delusions and sometimes their abominable blasphemies which are not to be named amongst Christians but with detestation The Spirit of God is the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of holiness and to entitle him unto any errors or wickedness it is no less then to blaspheme and reproach him Fifthly The fifth Caution which I would
the more able we are to trust God and to look on his Promises with as much chearfulness as others do If able to trust God without carking cares only in their performances If we can bless and praise God when he takes away as well as when he gives Psal 56. 10. In God will I praise his word in the Lord will I praise his word Sixthly The more complyance with and contentedness in all the changes which do befall us in our journey to heaven in these dayes of our pilgrimage certainly If contented in all changes this declares a presence of much grace The Lord saith of Job that there was not a man like him in all the earth he was eminently good and upright and he it was who blessed God in his great changes Job 1. 21. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Chap. 2. 10. Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil See Paul that strong Christian Phil. 4 11. I have learned in whatsoever estate I am therewith to be content Ver. 12. I know how to be abused and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need Fourthly A fourth duty which concerns you who have received the Spirit is Our hearts must be carried out to spiritual things this your hearts should be more earnestly and fixedly and entirely carried unto and laid out for spiritual things spiritual objects and treasures should be of more value with you and they should draw out your thoughts and affections to the utmost other things should be of small account with you If the Spirit be in you then the things of the spirit should be in you as wickedness is in the wicked man and the world is in the worldly man so should spiritual things be in a man of the Spirit In him i. e. his heart still in the mindings of his heart and in the projects of his heart and in the cares of his heart and in the desires and longings of his heart and in the delights and satisfactions of his heart he should be wholly given up to them and his soul should be resolved into them Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee The spiritual man should be so addicted to spiritual things that he should spiritualize all things he should spiritualize the world and all his dealings in the world and he should spiritualize all the comforts of the world look on them as from his God and raise his heart more to God have much more delight and sweetness in him he should spiritualize all the afflictions and troubles of the world learn Righteousness and more holiness by them and more to live by faith Nay he should spiritualize all his fails grow more fearful selfdenying mournful watchful fruitful well he should spiritualize his conference and converse with all men edifying the good and admonishing the wicked comforting the weak supporting the feeble But to the main thing his heart should lay out it self for spiritual things O more of the favour of God and more of Jesus Christ and more of the fruits of the Spirit c. 1. The great Promises are of thâ—se 2. And the Promises of them are only unto you 3. They are the best portion and your best portion and your only portion 4. These are eternity or for eternity 5. The Spirit is given unto you to carry out your hearts for these 6. These are most suitable to a spiritual nature Now in the desires of spiritual things remember to 1. Desire grace infinitely more than gifts 2. Desire strength and power more than joys and comfort 3. Desire the means as well as the end 4. Desire all for the honour and glory of God SECT VII 5. Use DOth God promise to give his Spirit unto his people Then let us all be Let all look after the gift of the spirit perswaded to look after this great gift of God not to content our selves under the want of it but by all means to obtain it For the managing of this Vse I will present unto you 1. Some Motives to excite us 2ly Some Means to enjoy 1. The Motives to look after the Spirit of God e. g. First The Spirit and Christ come alwayes together If any man hath Christ The Spirit and Christ come alwayes together he hath the Spirit if any man hath the Spirit he hath Christ if any man hath not the Spirit he hath not Christ Christ and the Spirit ever go together Should not this provoke us to strive with God for his Spirit what sinner on earth would not have Christ what will become of us without Christ how happy is every soul in the enjoyment of him how miserable in the want of him how longing are the hearts of some for Christ and for the knowledge that Christ is their Christ But if the Spirit of God be yours then the Sonne of God is yours Here is a double portion at once a double gift at once the Spirit of God and Jesus Christ at once If you mind not the Spirit for the Spirits sake yet mind the Spirit for Christs sake your desires after him must come from the spirit and your union with him must come from the spirit and your knowledge of the person 〈◊〉 propriety or interest in him must come from the Spirit A man may think he hath Christ but if he hath not the Spirit Christ is none of his Rom. 8. 9. A man may fear that he hath not Christ but if the Spirit be given unto him then assuredly Christ is given unto him Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 Joh. 3. 4. Secondly Forgiveness of sins and the Spirit alway are given together Though The Spirit and pardon of sin go together forgiveness of sin be one thing and the Spirit in us another thing yet they are both given together A man hath not his sins pardoned and yet he remains unsatisfied without the Spirit and a man is not sanctified by the Spirit and yet his sins remain unpardoned but both are given together at the same time 1 Joh. 5. 6. This is he that came by water and blood even Jesus Christ not by water only but by water and blood and it is the Spirit that beareth witness 1 Cor. â— 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of of our God It is true that the blood of Christ is the only meritorious cause of the forgiveness of sins God forgives our sins for Christs sake but then it is as true that assurance of forgiveness and reconciliation of the Spirit are given together Hath God sanctified thy heart by his
voluntaries freely offering themselves and freely serving without hire and pay people of a princely spirit and magnificent as if all their acts of obedience were their own free will-offerings Carnal men are but so many hirelings they are coacti serviles not servi but serviles men of a slavish spirit they are forced and driven to their duties out of fear of wrath and punishment and out of terror of conscience their hearts like not God nor his statutes nor doing of them they look on spiritual duties as their grievances and burdens But the people of God are a willing people they obey and serve him with a willing mind with a readiness and freeness of Spirit and well they may for they do discern and find that in their duties and obedience they have communion with God through Christ they speak to their God and their God speaks to them Object How may one know that he willingly walks in Gods statutes When do we willingly walk in Gods statutes When we make them our choice Sol Thus 1. When he rather chuseth them than any other wayes to walk in election is an act of the will Josh 2. 4 15. Chuse ye this day whom ye will serve but I and my house will serve the Lord. Psal 119. 173. I have chosen thy precepts 2. VVhen our obedience unto them springs from a love of them Psal When our obedience springs from love When we find a sweetnesse in them 119. 167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly all the service of love is a willâ—ng service 3. VVhen we find a sweetness in them and in our walking in them Psal 119. 72. The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver And ver 127. I love thy Commandement above gold yea above fine gold And ver 14. I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches 4. VVhen the great desires and requests of his soul are that God would enable When we pray for ability to walk in them and enlarge his heart to walk in them O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Psal 119. 5. And teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end Ver. 33. And give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Ver. 24. Make me to go in the paths of thy Commandements Ver. 35. Incline my heart to thy testimonies Ver. 36. I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart Ver. 32. When we are not weary of well doing We must walk in them seriously 5. VVhen he is not weary of well-doing but his heart still holds â—ut and is in its element when walking with God and accounts it a special favour and happiness to mainâ—ain commuâ—ion with God Secondly VVe should walk in Gods statutes seriously carefully marking what they require of us and conscientiously endeavouring to conform our lives and actions unto them David calls this an ordering of our conversations aright Psal 50. 23. And an ordering his steps in the word Order my steps in thy word Psal 119. 133. As an Artificer puts every stone in the building according to rule and line Simile Or as one who goes in a narrow path 'twixt dangers on either side he hath a care how he sets his feet So a Christian should take heed unto his wayes and direct them by the VVord he should set and square them by the rule Solomon calls this a pondering of our path Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy wayes be established turn not to the right hand nor to the left Pro. 4. 26 27. To ponder is to weigh and to consider well of what we are about to do whether it be agreeable or disagreeable to the will of God what the work or way is for the nature of it and scope and end of it Thus should we ponder the path of our feet i. e. the wayes wherein we walk and all the works we have to do and have a care that they be established i. e. set upon a good foundation and really allowed by God and commanded in his VVord and then we should go on in those wayes without swerving to the right hand or to the left A seriousness of consideration how God would have us to walk what his will is concerning us and then a seriousness of observation conscientiously to do what God would have us to do and to walk as God would have us to walk this is the right and acceptable walking in Gods statutes Now there are four Reasons why we should thus seriously and conscientiously Why we should be so serious Because God hath honour or dishonour by every action consider the statutes of God and every step of our walking 1. Because there is not any step not any one action or work which we do but God hath either honour or dishonour by it for either it is good or it is evil either it is conformed unto his will or it disagrees with his will if it agrees with his will this conduceth to his honour if it doth 〈◊〉 disagree then it is evil and brings dishonour upon him And should we be serious and conscientious in every thing wherein the honour or dishonour of God are concerned 2. Because there is not one moral work of ours but it hath our peace or comfort It bâ—ings either comfort or discomfort or our trouble and discomfort in its hand Let the good we are bound to do be greater or lesser if we do conscientiously observe and act it there will ensue peace of conscience upon the right acting of it Great peace have they that keep thy Law saith David Psal 119. 165. And this is our rejoycing â—â— the testimony of our conscience that we have had our conversation in simplicity and godly sincerity saith Paul 2 Cor. 1. 12. And so on the contrary let our vvandering or swerving from Gods statutes by sinning be never so little there is enough in that little to disquiet conscience and to cause trouble unto us Simile If the foot tread awry but one step though a man fall not into the dirt yet the small irregular motion doth cause much pain So the irregularity or inconformity of any one action may disquiet conscience and may cost us a great deal of sorrovv and trouble Ergo. Every work is a step to eternity 3. Because every individual vvork vvhich vve do it is a step to eternity either to a blessed or to â— cursed eternity Simile Though men think not of it yet every motion or action done by them is a step tovvards eternity as every step that a traveller takes brings him forvvard to his journeyes end VVhen a man vvalks in paths of righteousness or in Gods statutes the further he goes every nevv step that he takes brings him nearer to a blessed eternity And vvhen
David I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever then mayst thou confidenly say with him Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes oâ— my life Psal 23. 6. 2ly Their great sin in Revolting and giving over walking in Gods The great sin of Revolters Statutes There is a Question which I have read somewhere of Infidels and Hereticks and Apostates which of them do sin more heinously And it is Resolved that the Apostate is the greatest sinner of them defection is a greater sin then the negation of subjection because in defection or Apostasie 1. More of God is rejected and the Apostate sins more against God Why Apostaâ—es are such great sinners 2. Having received the knowledge of God and his wayes 3. And likewise breaks asunder more bonds which lay upon him to continue his obedience And indeed the Apostle speaking of Apostates delivers three things concerning them which do set out their sins unto amazment Heb. 6. 6. First One is that its impossible to renew them againe unto repentance How great It s impossible to renew them is that sin which doth so harden the hearts of men that he doth never repent of it nay can never repent of it nay that it is impossible to renew him again to repentance A Second is that they crucify to themselves the Son of God they deal with They crucify to themselves Christ a fâ—esh Christ as the Jews did who rejected and crucified him O what a sin is this to crucify the Son God and to crucify him a fresh to pierce his heart and to shed his blood the second time The third is that they put him to open shame they themselves do put a reproach They put him to open shame and contempt upon Christ and cause others so to do as if Christ were not a master fit to be followed and his wayes were not worth our regarding and that the poor woâ—ld and our base sins are rather to be regarded and embâ—aced and followed then the Lord Jesus and his precepts and his wayes And take one thing more that never did any fall off or turn away from walking in Gods statutes but he grew far more wicked then ever he was before and likewise a desperate enemies to the wayes of God 3ly Their great danger and judgement This I shall shew unto you in three Particulars First Revolters or Apostates are judicially given up to the great power of Satan The great danger and judgement of Apostates They are given up to Satan The Lord doth in his just judgement give them over unto Satan that he should rule them and that they should be his sworn servants who will break off with God and refuse to serve him any longer Mat. 12. 44. That unclean spirit returned unto his house from whence he came out ver 45. and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself and enter they in and dwell there and the last estate of that man is worse than the first Secondly They are judicially given up to the power of their sinful lusts they And to the power of their lusts grow worse and worse they having cast away the cords and all fear of God there is no wickedness but they are ready to obey it and they do now go on in their daring wayes of bold profaness with seared consciences Thirdly They are judiciously given up to the powers of damnation therefore And to the power of damnation it is said that they draw back unto perdition Heb. 10. 39. And the soul of God hath no pleasure in them Ver. 38. O what a dreadful condition is this to forsake the path of life and heaven and to turn back to walk in the path of death and Hell Fourthly They are many times in their life given up to exceeding terrors They are oft given up to terrors of conscience and despair of conscience and despair You may read this in Judas who turned back and what horror did that poor creature fall into he forsook his Master and left the path of life for a few pieces of silver but what got he by this he lept out of the ship into the Sea he could never meet with rest or peace afterwards but conscience brake in pieces and did so pursue him with guilt and terror that thereupon he fell into absolute despair and made an end of himself Simile The like you read of Spira who revolted from the truth and the path of Evangelical obedience after clear convictions and secret warnings of Conscience but what befell him O he presently fell into terror of conscience and despair and never could recover the least hopes of mercy to his dying day Fifthly They are many times punished by some extraordinary judgement here They are oft punished with extraordinary judgements on earth Take an instance in Israel and Judah they gave up to walk any longer in Gods statutes and wayes they forsook God and his Laws and what came of this why God forsook them and gave them up to their own hearts lusts and at last overthrew them with an utter destruction and scattered them over the face of the earth So you read of Joash who did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the dayes of Jehoiada the Priest 2 Chron. 24. 2. But afterwards Ver. 18. He left the house of the Lord and served Groves and Idols but what befell him for this you read of two great judgements that did befall him one in verse 24. That the Syrians came in with a small company of men and the Lord delivered a great Host into their hand because they had forsaken the Lord so they executed judgement against Joash The other is in ver 25. His servants conspired against him and slew him SECT II. 2. Use SHould the people of God continue proceed on and persevere in walking in Gods statutes then you who are the people of God give me leave to offer unto you 1. A few Cautions about your walking 2. A few exhortations concerning our walking 3. A few encouragements for your walking continued walking in Gods statutes 1. The Cautions about your walking You see that it is your duty to walk on to proceed to persevere in walking in Gods statutes therefore take heed unto your selves and beware of four Cautions about our walking in Gods statutes Beware of slothfulness things First Beware of slothfulness and carelesness at any time in doing the will of God or in walking in his wayes Rom. 12. 11. Be not slothful in business but fervent in spirit serving the Lord. When a man doth a business slothfully he doth it with a slight spirit he doth not put out himself not his strength he hath no care in doing of it he doth it not with a serious and diligent spirit but remisly and indifferently as one not affected about what he doth nor addicted unto it saith the Apostle Heb. 6. 11. We desire that every
dead At the end of their journey which dye in the Lord. Beloved admit your lives to be long and your duties of obedience to be many and hard yet two things may still encourage you viz. 1. You are but doing still your Masters work 2. You shall â—re long receive your Masters reward A short time of life in the date of your service but eternity is the measure and date of your recompence We say that finis dat amabilitatem mediis a corruptible crown makes men to run a race that they may obtain it 1 Cor. 9. 25. How much more should an incorruptible Crown draw forth all our strength and earnestness and perseverance â—o enjoy it Fugiâ—â—â—tum said Cicero ad charissmam and patriam ibi pater ibi omnia we should even fly to our heavenly Country where our Father is and all blessedness Aetorna requies Aeterno labore Eternal happiness is worth Eternal pains And should we think much to take a little more pains to be possessed of it A right Christian will take a great deal of pains to gain but a small glimpse a sight of Gods gracious love and favour and should not we insist with all our power on all the wayes of obedience that we may at length come to a full and perfect and eternal sight and fruition of our God in heaven Secondly Though your work be much yet your helps for that work are more 1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the Our helps are more than our work grace of God which was with me Here was more abundant labour but here was also more abundant grace which enabled him for that labour the work which we are to do is for God and the strength to do the work by is from God It matters not how great nor how long our duties of obedience must be as long as we have sufficiency of assistance still to aid us and still to carry us on Obiect Helps will some say what helps have we for our walking in the statutes of God Sol. I will tell you what helps you have Helps for our walking in Gods statuâ—es Helps of â—â—l Christs Ordinances 1. You have all the helps of the Ordinances of Christ which are of power still to direct and still to quicken you and still to resolve you and still to strengthâ—n you and still to comfort you and still to uphold you and still to enlarge and perfect you and still to root and establish you How often are your hearts refreshed by them how often are your hands aâ—de strong by them how often have your souls been satiated and replenished and restored and as as it were renewed and revived by them 2. You have all the helps of all the people of God on earth all their prayers Helps of all the people of God every day are trading for you Thou art still preparing for every one of the people of God and all the people of God are still wrestling for thee Lord help them Lord keep them Lord forsake him not Lord strengthen and uphold him Lord carry him on to the end Lord keep him by thy power through faith unto salvation And let me tell you that the prayers of the righteous and faithful are mighty and prevalent with God Thirdly You have all the helps of Jesus Christ I can do all things saith Helps of Jesus Christ Paul through Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 4. 13. You have the help of his prayers for he ever lives to make intercession for you Heb. 7. 25. Of his Spirit who helps your infirmities Rom. 8. 26. Mortifies your sins ver 13. Quickens your hearts Joh. 6. 36. Vpholds your souls Psal 51. 12. Guides and teaches you strengthens and enables you as you have heard lately when I discoursed of the works of the Spirit Fourthly What shall I say more you have the help of God himself Zech. Helps of God himself 10. 12. I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in his Name Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure And Phil. 1. 6. It is he that hath begun a good work in you and will perform or finish it untill the day of Jesus Christ Thirdly If you fail not in obedience on your part you shall never faile of If you fail not of obedience you shall not fail of comfort comfort on Gods part A constant expence of obedience will bring in a constant revenue of joy and comfort Acts 9. 31. The Churches walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost Psal 119. 165. Great peace have they that keep thy Law There is no man living who hath true comfort or who meets with more comfort than he who walks closely and stedfastly in the wayes and statutes of God 1. He hath comfort in his God Psal 50. 23. To him that ordereth his conversation Comfort in God aright will I shew the salvation of God And Isa 64. 5. Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness those that remember thee in thy wayes And Psal 11. 7. The righteous Lord his Countenance doth behold the upright 2. He hath comfort in his conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our rejoycing Comfort in Conscience the testimony of our conscience that in godly sincerity we have had our conversation Isa 38. 3. I have walked before thee in truth with a perfect heart c. A loose disobedient person though his mouth be filled with laughter yet his conscience is filled with gall and wormwood but the conscience of an upright and faithful person is filled with peace and joy 3. He hath comfort in the hardest and sharpest of all his services Matth. 5. Comfort in all services 11. Blessed are ye when men shall revile and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake Ver. 12. Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven 2 Cor. 1. 4. Who comforteth us in all our tribulations Ver. 5. For as the suffering of Christ aboundeth in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ 4. He hath comfort in the worst of times when troubles and fears and desolations Comfort in the worst of times over-spread the world Jer. 16. 33. yet even then can he find peace and rest in Christ and can joy in the God of his salvation Hab. 3. 18. Vnto the upright there ariseth light in darkness Psal 112. 4. God is his sanctuary and refuge Psal 46. 1 2. 5. He hath comfort in death itself The righteous hath hope in his death saith Solomon Prov. 14. 32. Whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we Comfort in death dye we dye unto the Lord whether therefore we live or dye we are the Lords Rom. 14. 8. Fourthly though your weaknesses in obeying are many yet sincerity of
run to hell 3. If you would enjoy liberty indeed then become the servants of God and walk in his wayes If the Son shall make you free then are you free indeed Joh. 8. 36. Now your shackles and fetters and prison doores are broken open we are freemen in a spiritual sense when we are freed from sin Rom. 6. 18. Being then made free from sin we became the servants of Righteousness We are freed from all slavish fears by reason of sinne when we receive the free spirit of liberty we become a voluntary people to serve the Lord with newness of spirit and freeness of spirit Dsal 116. 16. O Lord truly I am thy servant thou hast loosed my bonds 4. Object But men will disesteem us neglect us cast us out of their favour and But then we shall be disesteemed reproach us if c. Sol. 1. It is their sin to do so but it is our duty to walk as God would have us to walk 2. What men will do so none but ungodly men who speak evil of us because 1. we run not with them to the same excess of riot 2. A goodly conversation is a reproach to their ungodly life and shames them 3. Regard not the praises of men but the praise of God this you shall be sure to meet with he will own you and honour you though men do not Psal 27. 10. When my Father and my Mother forsake me then the Lord shall take me up The Pharisees reviled and cast out the blind man cured by Christ but Christ met with him and owned and saved him Joh. 9. 35 36 c. 4. You will give a fair account to God that you feared man more than God Lord I should have walked in thy wayes but c. 5. Object Then I will walk in these statutes hereafter Then I will do it hereafter Sol. 1. Hereafter may be too late Gods command is for all our dayes and for the set time whiles it is called to day c. Secondly Continuance in sinful wayes will harden your hearts in them keep up the love of sinne and render the wayes of God more distastful unto you Thirdly And God may in judgement give you up to your own hearts lusts to walk in the counsels of them because you do not hearken unto him See Psal 81. 11 12. 6. Object But I have assayed aad can make no work of it But I find I cannot do it Sol. First Because you assayed slightly and not with all your heart Secondly And because you assayed in your own strength 7. Object But it is a great work however to walk in Gods statutes and How shall we get power to do it what shall I do for power to enable me to walk in them Sol. God who requires us to walk in his statutes doth promise to give us power I will cause you to walk c. Ezek. 36. 27. And cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgements and do them THese words as I have heretofore observed contain in them two parts 1. The work or duty which concerns the people of God viz. to walk in his statutes c. this Subject I finished the last Lords day 2. The help or sufficiencies for all that work and duty I will cause you to walk in my statutes whence observe CHAP. XV. Doctr. TThat the people of God have the promise of God to enable them to God will enable his people to walk in his wayes walk in the statutes of God I will cause you c. Zech. 10. 12. I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in his Name saith the Lord. Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Isa 26. 12. Thou hast wrought all our works in us Chap. 45. 24. Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength For the opening of this excellent and comfortable Truth I will shew unto you five things 1. The many parallels 'twixt Gods command of our duties and Gods promise of help for these duties 2. The parallels 'twixt promises to and instanceâ— in Gods people 3. The several wayes how God doth cause or enable his people to walk in his statutes and do them 4. How far the Lord doth engage his strength of grace to enable his people to walk in his statutes 5. The Reasons both in respect of God and in respect of his people why he will cause them to walk in his wayes or statutes c. 1. The parallels 'twixt Gods commands and his promises or 'twixt the Parallels betwixt Gods commands and his preceps duties commanded by him and the helps promised to enable his people First The Lord commands his people to know him and his wayes 1 Chron. 28. 9. Know thou the God of thy Father c. And God doth promise to cause them to know him Jer. 24. 7. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord. And Jer. 31. 34. They shall all know me from the least of them to the greattest of them saith the Lord. Secondly The Lord commands his people to trust upon him Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times Isa 26. 4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever c. And God doth promise to enable his people to trust on him Zeph. 3. 12. I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. 3ly The Lord commands his people to fear him Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him So Deut. 8. 6. Thou shalt keep his Commandements and walk in his wayes and fear him This likewise hath God promised unto his people Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Fourthly The Lord commands his people to love him Deut. 11. 1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Psal 31. 23. O love the Lord all ye his Saints and God doth promise to give them an heart to love him Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise the heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul Fifthly The Lord commands his people to pray unto him and to call upon his Name Call upon me Psal 50. 15. Pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5. 17. I will that men pray everywhere 1 Tim. 2. 8. And the Lord hath promised to give unto them a spirit of prayer Zech. 12. 10. I will poure upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and the Spirit of supplication Sixthly The Lord commands his people to mourn for their sinnes and to loath their sins and to turn from their sins Isa 22. 12. In that day did the Lord call to weeping and to mourning Jam. 4. 10. Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord And
this God doth promise to give unto his people Zech. 12. 10. They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one that mourneth for his only son c. Ezek. 7. 16. They shall be on the mountains as the Doves of the valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity Psal 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil Rom. 12. 9. Abhor that which is evil This also is promised Ezek. 36. 13. Then shall ye remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations Ezek. 18. 30. Turn your selves from your transgressions Hose 14. 1. Return unto the Lord All this is likewise promised to be given unto the people of God Isa 30. 22. Ye shall defile the covering of thy graven images of silver and the ornaments of thy molten images of gold thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Jer. 24. 7. They shall return unto me with their whole heart Seventhly The Lord commands his people not to suffer sinne to reign in them Rom. 6. 12. Let not sin reign in your mortal body And he promiseth that sin shall not reign in them Rom. 6. ver 14. Sinne shall not have dominion over you Eighthly And he commands his people to make to themselves a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 18. 31. Make you a new heart and a new spirit and he promiseth to give these Chap. 36. 26. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you Ninthly What shall I say now The Lord commands his people to walk in his statutes 1. Impartially 2ly Willingly 3ly Affectionately 4ly Uprighlty 5ly Sedfastly And all this he doth promise to cause them to do 1. Impartially Deut. 30. 8. Thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord and do all his Commandements 2. Willingly Psal 110. 3. They people shall be willing in the day of thy power 3. Affectionately Isa 60. 9. Who are these that flee as a cloud and as the Doves to their windows Zech. 8. 21. 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 4. Uprightly Jer. 31. 9. I will cause them to walk by the Rivers of water in a strait way wherein they shall not stumble for I am a Father to Israel c. Isa 61. 8. I will direct their work in truth Zech. 8. 3. Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth Isa 30. 21. Their ear shall hear a word behind them saying This is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left 5. Progressively and stedfastly Job 17. 9. The righteous shall hold on in his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Isa 40. 30. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint 2ly The parallels 'twixt Gods promises and experimental instances Parallels betwixt Gods promises and the Saints experiences wherein you may find that God hath enabled his people there to walk as he hath promised First He hath enabled them to know him Gal. 4. 9. After that you have known God or rather are known of God 1 Joh. 5. 20. He hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true 1 Joh. 2. 21. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth but because ye know it Secondly They are enabled to trust upon him Psal 9. 10. They that know thy Name will trust upon thee Psal 18. 2. The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer my God and my Strength in whom I will trust Psa 22. 4. Our Fathers trusted in thee 25. 2. My God I trust in thee 31. 1. In thee O Lord do I put my trust 52. 8. I trust in the mercy of God Thirdly They are enabled to fear him I fear God said Joseph Gen. 42. 18. One that feareth God said God of Job Job 1. 1. They that feared the Lord spake one to another Mal. 3. 16. I fear the Lord thy God said Jonah Chap. 1. 9. The Churches walked in the fear of the Lord Act. 9. 31. Fourthly They are enabled to love the Lord so David Psal 116. 1. I love the Lord. And Psal 18. 1. I will love thee O Lord my strength Fifthly And they are enabled to pray unto him and to call upon him David Hezekiah Daniel Paul and to mourn for their sins David Peter and Mary Magdalen and to hate sin David Paul Psal 119. 104. I hate every false way and to forsake sin Hose 14. 8. And 1 Thes 1. 9. Ye turned to God from Idols to serve the living aad true God and Rom. 6. 22. Seventhly And so for all the rest of the Particulars you have clear instances that the people of God have been enabled to walk willingly constantly affectionately uprightly and stedfastly in his waies 3ly The several wayes how God doth cause or enable his people to walk in his Statutes and to do them He doth cause them to walk in his Statutes How God enables his people to walk in his statutes First By giving unto them his Spirit who doth 1. Change their hearts and infuseth into them all Holy and Heavenly Graces which are so many inward principles enabling them to acts or works of obedience as our sinfull and corrupt principles make us willing and ready to walk in the wayes of sin so holy and spiritual principles do make us willing and ready to walk in paths of righteousness 2. Excite and quicken their hearts and stir them up to works of obedience by secret motions and workings and by setting the Commands and Promises of God upon their hearts with strong impressions by which they are led out unto a willing and cheerfull and upright performance of obedience 3. Comes in with his Special and Immediate Assistance to all the works which they are to do he helps their infirmities and guides their feet and strengthens their hands The servants of the Lord are strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man Ephe. 3. 16. In the day when I cried unto thee thou heardest me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul Secondly By giving faith unto them and enabling of them to live by faith in all their particular walkings and workings Beloved there is a living by faith for mercy and there is a living by faith for duty A man lives by faith for duty when he goes out of himself as insufficient to afford him strength to perform it and applies himself unto and relies upon Jesus Christ and the promise to give him the ability because this and that duty oâ— work of
people of God Heb. 11. 24 25 26. And so did the Disciples they forsook all and took up the cross and followed Christ Again is it not a great and difficult work for any man to pass through all changes incident to our conditions with a composed quiet and wel-pleased spirit Yet Paul was enabled to do this to come up unto it Phil. 4. 11. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content Ver. 12. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need Once more when we are reduced to the extreamest of outward straits that no visible mercie on earth appears for us is it not then a very hard work to look up to God and to place our confidence upon him Yet Jehoshaphat was enabled in this case so to do 2 Chron. 20. 12. We have no might c. neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee Nay when the Lord himself withdraws and hides his fâ—ce and writes and speaks bitter things it is now a most difficult work to look up unto him and to trust upon him certainly it is one of the hardest works in the world for any Christian to do it Nevertheless the people of God have found such a sufficiencie of Gods assisting grace that in such a case they have been enabled to look up unto him and to trust upon him Esa 8. 17. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him Job 13. 15. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Thirdly Redundancie There is not only a sufficiencie in Gods grace effectually A redundancy of Grace to enable his servants but there is also a redundancie What 's that That is the Lord hath strength more then enough for the works which his people are to perform When you cast up all the duties which do concern you and then think of the greatness of that assistance necessarie for the performing of them and do many times pray for and finde an assistance proportionable to your services why God is able to communicate much more assistance and strength then ever you found or imagined Ephe. 3. 20. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think according to the power that worketh in us When you need power to trust on him he doth give that power and he can enable you more then only to trust in him he can enable you to wait and to rejoyce in him When you need assistance to resist a sin or a temptation God gives you strength so to do and yet he can give you much more power then that he can enable you also to conquer them yea and to be more then conquerers through him that loved you When you need a heart to pray unto him he can give you that heart to pray he can help your infirmities and more can God do than this he can also strengthen you to pray with confidence and to strive and wrestle in prayer and to make your hearts joyful in his house of prayer When you need a heart to suffer he can not only give you strength to suffer but enable you to suffer more then your adversaries can inflict Fourthly Certaintie of enjoying that assisting grace if they do look up to God Certainty of enjoying Gods assisting grace for it Here briefly observe two things 1. That Gods promise of assisting Grace doth not exclude our calling upon God for the same for even for this as well as for the rest of the good things promised by God it holds Ezek. 36. 37. Thus saith the Lord I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them 2. That when we do rightly call upon God for his assistance for his grace to cause us to walk in his Statutes the Lord will not deny it unto us but will assuredly give it unto us James 1. 5. If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given unto him ver 6. But let him ask in faith nothing wavering c. Psal 57. 2. I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me Object But clear this by instances Sol. Psal 138. 3. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst Cleered by instances me with strength in my soule 2 Cor. 12. 8. For this I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me ver 9. And he said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness Object O but for all this I finde many times no help or strength from God although he saith that he will cause us to walk in his Statutes and to do them and this discourages me Sol. To this I would give these answers First The imparting of promised help is not by way of necessarie or natural dimanation as the sun imparts light unto the earth but by way of voluntary and prudent dispensation as a father imparts supplies unto his children who comes in with his helps in a time of need and upon the humble addresses and entreaties of his children Object You want more help but do you call upon the Lord for more help Sol. God expects to hear from you as you desire to hear from him Jer. 29. 12. Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you ver 13. And ye shall seek me and finde me when ye shall search for me with all your art Secondly Though you have prayed yet did you pray in faith He that comes to God must beleive that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. I say unto you what things soever ye desire when ye pray believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them Mar. 11. 24. Thirdly But do you with patience wait upon the Lord The Prophet saith that the Lord is a God of judgment blessed are all they that walâ— for him Esa 30. 18. And the Church saith I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me Micah 7. 7. And David declares it upon experience I waited patiently for the Lord and he enclined unto me and heard my cry Psal 40 1. Now I say unto you put these three things together in practice and then you shall assuredly finde that assisting grace which you need whether it be for resistance of temptations or for victorie over corruptions or for abilitie for performance of duties Object But I would enjoy such a full power of assisting and helping grace at once But I would have full power of assisting grace that I might make a perfect riddance of all sin
aright in a contrary grief and sorrow for his mistake 3. Nor be shamed of his own foolishness Secondly It is soul loss unless the Lord break down this false assurance It is soul loss in our hearts it will end in the eternal loss of our souls I told you the last day that that mans condition is more hopeful whose conscience is filled with terror for his sins than his condition is whose heart is filled with a false perswasion and assurance that his sins are pardoned as Christ spake to the self-conceited Pharisees Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdome of God before you Matth. 21. 31. Or as Solomon spake Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool than of him Prov. 26. 12. So say I there is more hope of the salvation of the most doubting and most terribly dejected and distressed sinner than of the confident and falsly assured sinner why so will you say my reason is this because 1. When a person is in a troubled condition he is rightly sensible of his condition he sees that it is ill with him but the falsly assured sinner doth not see in what an evil condition he is and certainly it is a worse matter to be in an evil condition and not apprehend it than to be in that evil condition and yet to discern it 2. When a person sees himself in an evil condition there may be and usually there are fears to remain in it and cares to get out of it Men and Brethren what shall we do spake those wounded in their hearts for their sins Acts 2. 37. And the Jaylor came in trembling and cryed out What shall I do to be saved Acts 16. 30. But when a person hath deluded himself with a false confidence that his estate is good and with a false assurance that his sins are pardoned and God is reconciled unto him this man is whole he minds not the Physitian looks not after Christ and mercy and so loseth his soul Beloved this is certain that false assurance breeds carnal security and carnal security breeds neglect of Christ and neglect of Christ breeds loss of mercy and loss of mercy will be the loss of the soul It is soul disappointment Thirdly It is soul-failure and disappointment what Solomon speaks in Prov. 25. 19. Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint He is of no use or service unto you that say I of a false assurance when you come to a time of need and then expect help from your false assurance and deluded confidence then you will finde that it will be of no more strength and service to you than a foot out of joint it will utterly fail you and deceive you When the winds and the waves arose then the house built on the sand did fall Matth. 7. 26 27. So when death comes and conscience is awakened and ariseth in exceptions and accusations and chargeth guilt as unpardoned upon the soul in that day what will become of all your vain confidences and of all your foolish and false excusations they will be swept away as the Spiders web and like a dream they presently vanish into nothing Now from all that hath been said you do see great reason as to strive for a right assurance so to take heed and beware of a false perswasion and assurance that your sins are pardoned SECT IV. 3. Vse DOth the Lord promise to sprinkle clean water upon his people i. e. to apply unto them in particular the pardon of their sins with the assurance thereof Hence let me inform two sorts of the people of God 1. Those who have found this sprinkling of assurance concerning the pardon of their sins how they may know that this is the very assurance which is given by God himself 2. Those who never yet have attained to this sprinkling of assurance from God what they should judge of their estate and what they should do to enjoy or partake of the same 1. Quest How may one know that the assurance which he hath found How one may know his assurance is true concerning the pardon of his sinnes be the right and true assurance which God himself undertakes to give by his Spirit unto his people Sol. I humbly conceive that this may be discerned partly 1. By some precedently preparing works 2. By some presently accompanying works 3. By some subsequently following works of the Spirit First You may know that the assurance which you have had or which you now have is indeed from the Spirit of God By these works or qualities which By some precedent works the Spirit alwayes laies in the soul before he gives this particular assurance And there are four works of the Spirit if I may so stile them qualifying and preparing the heart to receive this impression of assurance from the Spirit 1. Humbling and mourning 2. Reconciling and sanctifying 3. Believing and relying 4. Praying and wrestling First There alwayes goes an humbling and mourning heart before a revived heart about the pardon of our sins Luke 4. 18. The Spirit of the Lord is Humbling and mourning upon me saith Christ because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor to heal the broken-hearted to preach deliverance unto the captive And Isa 61. 2. To comfort all that mourn Ver. 3. To give unto them beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness c. Mark here are broken-hearted sinners and these doth the Spirit heal and here are captivated sinners and these doth the Spirit deliver and free and here are mourning sinners and these doth the Spirit comfort Why it is not reasonable to imagine that the Spirit of God will do any thing which is impertinent or improper or repugnant to his own Word but all his works within us are pertinent and are consonant with the Word 1. They are pertinent he will comfort those to whom comfort pertains 2. They are proper he will comfort them that need comfort and in the times of their need 3. They are consonant he will apply comfort to them unto whom God promiseth comfort Now comfort pertains to the broken-hearted and unto mourners for sin and it is proper for them they stand in need of the voice of joy and gladness and God hath in a special manner promised to comfort them that mourn Therefore if the assurance which you find of the pardon of your sins be a gracious peace and quietation and perswasion after conviction and after godly sorrow for your sins this is no feigned nor deluding work of fancy nor of Satan but it is the very voice of joy from the Spirit of God O when a poor troubled soul hath been laid low in the sense of sin hath gone heavily all the day with that burden is even confounded and ashamed and is ready to fail and faint and
cryes out O Lord pity and pardon and comfort my distressed soul with the assurance of thy love and of forgiving mercy for Christs sake And then the voice of comfort and joy speaks Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee and writes this good news upon the conscience Why this is right assurance and right comfort of the Holy Ghost Secondly There always goes a renewing and sanctifying work of the Spirit A renewing and sanâ—â—ifying work before the assuring and witnessing work of the Spirit Here I will briefly clear two Points 1. That the sanctifying work of the Spirit goes before the assuring work of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1. 21. He who hath anointed us is God Ver. 22. Who hath also sealed us Psal 85. 8. He will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints I beseech you tell me whose portion is forgiveness of sins and peace Hath the Lord promised it unto any but unto his people and who are indeed the people of God but Saints but holy people see 1 Pet. 2. 9. Ye are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar people God will forgive none their sins but such as are his people much less will he assure any that their sins are forgiven but his people and all the people of God actually called into Covenant with him are holy therefore men must be sanctified before they are assured 2. It cannot be otherwise whether you consider First The Nature of the Spirit of God The Spirit of God is a holy Spirit and he will not aford his presence to any unless he first make them holy he always makes the Temple holy in which he intends to abide and dwell and if he will not abide in us unless he sanctifies us will he give us the assurance of the great love of God in Christ that our sins are pardoned before he sanctifies us Secondly You find in Experience that when the people of God fall into sin and do oppose the sanctifying work of the Spirit presently they lose comfort and assurance David did so Psal 51. if we must uphold sanctity to preserve the peace and comfort of the Spirit surely then there must be sanctity wrought before peace and assurance be spoken Thirdly A man must be in Christ before he can have propriety in the forgiveness of his sins and assurance that God hath for Christs sake forgiven him this all of you will grant as saith the Apostle If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. Fourthly Once more Mark what God hath threatned to wicked and ungodly persons namely wrath and judgement and destruction and visiting of their sins upon them this is the portion of their cup. Now would you have the Spirit of God to misapply the Word of God whatsoever God hath threatned or promised in his Word that the Spirit of God is to apply his work it is to apply threatnings and his work it is to apply promises and his office it is to apply the one and the other respectively to the persons under the threatnings and under the promises he knows the mind of the Lord and therefore as he will not apply the threatnings of wrath unto the godly so he will not apply the promises of God to the wicked and if so then no assurance shall be by him applied unless men be holy Therefore let no man deceive himself with a deluded perswasion or assurance that his sins are pardoned as long as he remains wicked ungodly or unholy no no the holy Spirit never seals any but holy persons And there is a twofold holiness wrought in us before the Spirit gives assurance 1. One is Internal and Habitual which is the renewing and changing of the heart into a conformity with the Image of Christ 2. Another is External and Actual in the life and conversation Psal 50. 23. To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God Although this be true that every one who is sanctified is not presentâ—y assured yet this is true that the Spirit of God assures no man but first he sanctifies him Thirdly There always goes the believing work before assuring work of the Believing work Spirit the Spirit of God is a Spirit of faith and then the Spirit of comfort or assurance Ephes 1. 13. In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Mark first believing and then a filling with all joy and peace Psal 13. 5. I have trusted in thy mercy my heart shall rejoyce in thy salvation This Assertion I suppose will pass without dispute that the Spirit first works faith and then assurance and really it must be so for 1. You must be in relation of children and heirs before you can assure your selves of the portion of children Therefore the Apostle placeth the Spirit of Adoption before the witness of the Spirit as I hinted out of Rom. 15. 16. But it is by faith that we are children Gal. 3. 26 And receive the dignity of sons Joh. 1. 12. 2. None can assure himself of benefit but he who hath first a propriety in Christ union is the sole foundation of communion see 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdome Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption What faith preceâ—es assurance Quest But now the question may be what faith that is which necessarily is precedent unto assurance Answered Sol. A twofold faith is previously required First A faith of union with Christ Secondly A faith of dependance upon the promises 1. A faith of union from which results propriety that Christ is yours and you are Christs as upon civil Marriage there ensues a mutual propriety this faith doth unquestionably precede the testimony or assurance of the Spirit for no part of Christs purchase can be sealed unto you before you have a part in Christ himself 2. A faith of dependance upon God that according to his promises he will both pardon you and also give you the assurance that he hath pardoned you for Christs sake and this faith is many times put forth to believe in hope against hope Rom. 4. 18. Before the Spirit lets in the assurance that our sins are pardoned I will hearken what c. Psal 80. 8. Fourthly There always goes praying and wrestling before this assuring Praying and wrestling work of the Spirit The Spirit of supplication goes before the Spirit of assurance Zach. 13. 9. They shall call upon my Name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God Jer. 30. 21 22. Who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord ye shall be my