they shall enjoy God in all Psal 16.5,6 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance He saw the Lord in what he did enjoy and when he had any thing it was in God when he wanted any thing it was supplyed in him The like did Jacob find when his brother Esau came against him with 400 men and the Lord turned him from the fiercenesse of his wrath here was the Covenant of Abraham the Lord gave him the mouth and arms and tears of his brother Esau what saith Jacob to all this Gen. 33.10 I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God He saw the power and mercy of God in changing the countenance of his elder brother and that is it which sweetneth all that a man doth enjoy the loving-kindnes of God in all is the blessing of all and this likewise doth Jacob acknowledge Gen. 33.5 These are the Children which God hath gratiously given thy Servant and so he looked at them as Gods wives and children and servants and Cattell and this is the very life of the Covenant of Grace when as the Lord is wrapped up in all his blessings when as he giveth himselfe and in himselfe his Christ in Christ Peter and Paul and all things unto his Church 1 Cor. 3.22,23 Rom. 8 32. This is the maine thing given God himselfe the God of the Covenant his Persons Nature Ordinances Providences and now Abraham is made the Lord of the world and so the Apostle doth interpret it Rom. 4.13 the Promise that he should be Heire of the world c. and this is that which Abraham did receive in receiving the Lord to be his God 2 In the Order of giving the Covenant there is something to be observed 1 God giveth first and not the Creature it was not Abraham that gave unto God first for which of all the Creatures shall offer a Covenant unto the Mighty God Rom. 11.35 the Lord hath the preheminence in giving for what should Abraham give unto God if God give not something unto him first He is the first giver 2 He is also the first thing in order that is given for doth he give the world first or Ordinances first or any other spirituall or temporall blessings first No doubtlesse the Lord is the first thing that he giveth by his Covenant and with himselfe all things else also Rom. 8.32 And there is the precedency of Jesus Christ he is given and in him all spirituall blessings as the Apostle saith Ephes 1.3 and this for the order of Nature in giving the Covenant not Obedience first nor Faith first nor any thing else first but himselfe is Donum primum primarium and in him all his goodnesse Exod. 33.19 3 For the Manner of giving in that he giveth himselfe there is implyed both the freedome and eternity of the gift firmnesse therefore and that unto eternity In that he giveth himselfe it must of necessity be done freely for what can any Creature give to purchase God If a man could give thousands of worlds they were not enough to purchase or redeem one soule and if he had millions of worlds to give what were they all to purchase so great a gift as God himselfe is Therefore it must needs be of free gift for the Creature can doe nothing to prevent God God indeed may give with a purpose to receive back againe as God doth require this of Abraham that he should have no other Gods before him c. Gen. 17.1 But though Abraham shall performe this and all the Commandements in an Evangelicall manner yet God himselfe doth undertake in this Covenant to be the Author and finisher of this his faith and obedience Heb. 12.2 And this doth argue the marvelous freedome of the Covenant of Grace for the Lord offereth it out of his grace without the foresight of faith or works for he undertaketh to give both will and deed of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 Object But it may be said Did not the Lord exact it that he should give himselfe back againe or else God would not give himselfe Answ Truly then the Covenant had not been of free Grace but as you see sometimes great Princes will take in a Neighbour Nation into League with them and not tell them of it so doth the Lord deale with his Elect ones otherwise he should not at all intend it nor ever give himselfe unto us for we are not able to give our selves unto him for if Abraham did give himselfe it was because God did take him first and therefore it is that the Apostle telleth us that the Lord took hold of Paul that he might take hold of the Loâ—d Phil. 3.12 I follow after if that I may c Deut. 32.6 If we give up our selves unto the Lord it is because the Lord hath taken hold upon our hearts first Object But doth not the Lord require of him to Circumcise his seed the eighth day Answ So he doth indeed but the Lord giveth him that also God the Father seeth it needfull for the confirmation of their Faith and their everlasting salvation therefore he giveth him Circumcision and giveth him the grace to circumcise his Children I think indeed the Lord doth call for many things under a Covenant of Grace but so as that the Lord 1 Worketh those things in them out of Grace not give Grace out of works 2 He will have them know that those things which they work are nothing without the working of his grace It is true Abraham may circumcise Isaac but who shall circumcise the heart of Isaac It is a small matter to circumcise the flesh so it is a small matter for us to baptize with water but who must wash us from our sins save only the Lord our God So that he doth secretly intimate that what his poor servants doe outwardly he would doe it in effect The Children of Israel shall at the Lords Commandment march about the City of Jericho seaven dayes together and not speak a word and hereby the walls of the City shall faâ—l down flat of what use were these weapons to such an end what would the Lord shew his people hereby hereby he teacheth them to know by what ability and power to bring mighty things to passe they shall doe duties as the Lord commandeth them but he himself shall breath in them to make them effectuall for though we doe never so much yet we cannot reach unto the accomplishment of any good thing Not by might nor by strength but by my Spirit The Lord therefore by his Spirit must work all our works for us Here is the freeness of Gods Covenant in that the Lord giveth himself first Jer. 32 40. You may speak of Conditions in this kind but the Lord doth undertake both for his own part and for our parts also for as the Covenant is free so the Lord will freely maintaine and preserve all his Elect and all from the immutable nature of God it
is not possible that God should lye Mal. 3.6 Hence springeth our eternity perseverance Rom. 11.29 Phil. 1.6 Though the sence of the Covenant doth require it of Abraham to give himself back again unto the Lord though that be Abrahams duty and the Lord doth intend it yet his intendment is to imply that he doth receive Abraham and his seed to be his people for ever Josh 24.3 Thus mind ye the Lord dealeth in the Coven of Grace he looketh towards those that look not towards him as is held forth Hos 3.3 where the Lord biddeth the Prophet love a woman that was an Adulteresse and say unto her Thou shalt be for me and I will be for thee This is a branch of the Covenant when the Lord doth undertake to receive Abraham and his seed unto himself his giving himselfe unto them doth breed a reciprocall returning of them unto him Quest Now it may be demanded How did the Lord take Abraham and his seed to be his people Answ By a double Act as 1 Of Preparation not on Abrahams part or on his seeds part but on his own part the Lord prepared them 2 The Lord did invest him with the blessings of this Covenant 1 For Preparation the Lord prepareth them by a double work of his Spirit which are manifest in all the seed of Abraham Elect of God 1 By a Spirit of Bondage whereby he cutteth off the seed of Abraham from all worldly intanglements and delights thus God took Abraham and brought him from beyond the Flood and so doth he take men off from their Countreys and Fathers houses he seperates them from all such things that he might draw them unto himselfe Thus he dealt with the Children of Israel and called them to be a singular people unto himselfe and yet but in a Covenant of works Deut. 7.6,7,8 Thus doth the Lord deale with all those whom he receiveth to be a people unto himself and by this spirit of bondage he draweth them from all their sinfull lusts and passions so as that they can find no hope of mercy in any thing and this is properly a Seal of the Covenant of works as the Spirit of Adoption is a seale of the Covenant of Grace Rom. 8.15 Now by this bondage the Lord first setteth home unto the Consciences of men the weight and danger of their sins and it is the usuall manner of God to give a Covenant of Grace by leading men first into a Covenant of works as it is his constant manner to work by contraries and so to thrust men out of doors that they may have fellowship with himselfe at length I had a gratious father will the poor soule say but now I may goe and shake my ears like a poor wretch for so indeed he is cast out of the Covenant and favour of God to his sense and feeling but thus the Lord doth even shut him out of doors that he may open to him another and a better way 2 The Lord also Prepareth his people by a Spirit of Burning which upon a spirit of bondage he doth shed abroad into the hearts of men This we read of Mal. 4.1 It is spoken of the Ministry of John the Baptist which did burn like an oven against all the Scribes and Pharisees and left them neither the root of Abrahams Covenant nor the branch of their own good works he cutteth them off from the Covenant of Abraham Mat. 3.9 Think not to say that you have Abraham to be your father c. and so by cutting them off from the root he leaveth them no ground to trust on From their good works the Lord Jesus Christ also cutteth them off Mat. 6.2.5.16 This was a Spirit of Burning which the Lord conveyed by the M nistry of Christ and of John Baptist to burn up all the Hypocrites like stubble and the beauty of their works was blasted by it and this is Gods usuall manner of dealing Now there are many under a Spirit of bondage that never came under a Spirit of burning yet many under a Spirit of bondage doe fear the Lord with some kind of reverence unto his Ordinances for as an Angel of God they received Paul and yet for many of them they were but under the Law and therefore the Apostle saith He is afraid of them least he hath bestowed his labour in vaine Gal. 4.9,10,11 compared with ver 21. where he saith Tell me ye that desire to be under the Law c. A signe that this bondage under which they were did not onely bind them under fear of wrath but did bind them also to obey the Ordinances of God with some kind of devout reverence Now you have many men that rest there but when the Lord doth carry men further then he sendeth a spirit of burning thereby to blast all the fruits and branches of their righteousnesse and to burn up all that under a Covenant of works a man hath wrought and this is that which the Prophet Esay speaketh of Isa 4.4 that the Lord will purge away the filth of the daughter of Sion with a spirit of judgement and of burning The one is a spirit of sanctification and the other is a consuming fire which forceeth them not to build any comfort upon any works that they have done This may Hypocrites reach unto in their judgements so as that they may be convinced that they have neither root within them nor branch growing upon them and yet in the mean while they may not come unto a Spirit of Adoption but hereby also the Lord useth to prepare his people Some blesse themselves in worldly courses and never come unto a spirit of bondage some doe find comfort in their performances and never saw the vanity of their own righteousnesse but there are those whom the Lord doth carry further unto a spirit of burning even unto a sensible feeling of Gods wrath burning against whatsoever is as stubble such is a mans own gifts and parts and worth so that now the poor soule findeth that he hath no root of any good Covenant but seeth it to be an outward face of the Covenant that he doth rest upon and now he seeth no green branch of righteousnesse remaining but all is blasted and broken in pieces according to what the Prophet Esay saith Chap. 40.6,7 and so the Lord cometh to leave a man neither root nor branch for by a spirit of bondage the Lord blasteth all flesh but when it cometh unto the goodlinesse of flesh that is consumed by a Spirit of burning 2 As God thus prepareth us for himselfe so he doth give himself unto us and taketh possession of us by his blessed Spirit The Father giveth himself and his Son by his blessed Spirit for the Spirit it is by which he doth visit the hearts of his people and this is the main blessing of the Covenant of Grace For the better cleering of it this may be demanded Quest How doth the Lord give himselfe unto his people
all Christians but if God doe set it home particularly unto any soule that man receives this gift of God it is made his own first he beleeveth this Promise of free grace and then afterward come other Promises that doe bear witnesse unto the right application of that Promise unto the soule but I am first buâ—… upon a Promise of free-grace or else there is no true closing with Jesus Christ Well then being thus united unto Christ from this Union with Christ do flow all other blessings and benefits of the Covenant of grace and from hence springeth Communion with Christ in all spirituall blessings that the Lord hath wrought for us in him and they are two of them Relative blessings as they are called by Divines and two of them Positive blessings The two former are laid up in Gods owne hand and are not created in us as the other two are 1 For the Relative blessings they are 1 Adoption 2 Justification And they spring immediately simul semel from the former Union with Christ for as soon as ever the spirit of God is in our hearts and hath wrought faith that we doe not spurne against Jesus Christ now is the Divine nature of Christ in us and we are now become the Sons of God as Christ himselfe is Look as in a mans first naturall conception as soon as ever Adam doth live there is an heir of Adam even so soon as the soul liveth So it is in this new spirituall birth as soon as the Holy Ghost cometh and hath wrought this faith now is the seed of God in us and the life of Christ and the Spirit of God and now are we the Sons of God Jo. 1.12 Immediately upon this Union with Christ we are Sons by Adoption and as we are Adopted so likewise our sins are now imputed unto Christ and his righteousnesse unto us and so our persons are justified For how and when was Adams sin imputed unto us Psa 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity c. so soon as ever there was life it was the life of Adam now the imputation of Adams sin falleth immediately upon the soule So when we doe receive Christ by this living faith having the life of Christ in us we have the righteousnesse of Christ also imputed to us for what doth the Child in the womb though it doth neither good nor evill but is meerly passive yet sinfull it is and a Child of Adam So also in this our Regeneration the soule acteth not but onely receiveth Christ by that faith which the Lord hath wrought in it whereby also it is made capable of the priviledge of Adoption and so the Lord accounteth us his Children and imputeth the righteousnesse of his Son unto us whereby we are justified These things doe dwell in Gods bosome and the meaning of them is afterward revealed unto the soule but communicated they are both that of Adoption and this of Justification by the gift of faith wrought in us but we are still upon the first worke of Conversion wherein a Christian is onely passive and receptive and truly it must needs be so in the first work of God upon us 2 Now for the Positive blessings that are wrought in us they are 1 Sanctification 2 Glorification When we are called then are we sanctified then are we glorified 1 Cor. 1.2 As in our naturall conception as soon as ever the Child liveth Adams sin is first imputed and then there is a pronenesse in it to carry it captive unto sin and to make it backward unto any goodnesse so when the life of Christ is dispensed unto the soule now the Lord cometh to convey with it Justification and in it pardon of sin and then there is a pronenesse in a justified person to be lively in duty If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit and by faith our hearts come to be purified Acts 15.9 and the same Spirit quickneth us unto holy duties so that we live yet not we but Christ liveth in us yea the Spirit sanctifying draweth us into an holy Confederacy to serve God in family Church Common-wealth and this sanctification groweth and encreaseth more and more for as corruption of Nature springeth from the imputation of Adams unrighteousnesse so doth sanctification spring from the imputation of Christs righteousnesse and thence floweth a pronenesse unto that which is good and a backwardnes unto that which is evill this is Sanctification 2 The other Positive gift is Glorification which we read of Rom. 8.30 This the Apostle Peter mentioneth 1 Pet. 5.10 as that whereunto we are called and in truth he hath begun the work from the time that he first began to call and sanctifie us 2 Tim. 1.9 From the very first time that God worketh upon the soule gratiously there is a glorious work in that soul and others may see it though himselfe seeth nothing that he hath received Thus we see the second branch of the Doctrine opened how the Lord doth receive Abraham and his seed unto himselfe preparing them by a spirit of bondage and of burning and then savingly by the inhabitation of the blessed Spirit the same Spirit begetting Faith we are alive in Jesus Christ and so come to be adopted and justified in him Afterwards the same Faith which at first onely receiveth Adoption and Justification doth now begin to stir a little and to breath forth into gratious desires and some holy mourning and beginneth now to put forth such works as the Holy Ghost carryeth the soul an end in working all our works in us and for us Now for the third and last part of the Doctrine the Lord took the chiefest of Abrahams seed to be the Mediator of this Covenant unto whom all the Promises were made Gal. 3.16 Quest If the Lord gave him to be Mediator how did he constitute him so to be Answ By a double Act First by receiving Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary to be one person with the second in Trinity hereby laying a ground of a firm Mediation between God and us for now cometh Jesus Christ to be of Gods Nature and therefore he wil be faithfull unto God and of our nature and therefore he wil be compassionate towards us And here is the Root of all the life and power of this Mediation to wit this personall Union betweene Jesus Christ and the Father which maketh up a firm and everlasting communion between God himselfe and Jesus Christ Secondly by Gods giving him to be a Covenant Isa 42.6 I will give thee for a Covenant of the people c. That is to be a Mediator of this Covenant 1 To receive from God all the Offices and gratious gifts whatsoever is requisite to a King Priest and Prophet all things he receiveth from the hand of the Father Col. 1.19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullnesse dwell thus he becometh a plentifull Redeemer And as the Lord gave him
to be a Covenant so he giveth him also to worke all things needfull for our Redemption partly by his Passion and obedience unto the death of the Cross and partly by fulfilling the whole Law all righteousnesse for us The Lord Jesus Christ did fully accomplish whatsoever was requisite for him to accomplish in his owne Person 2 He doth perform all things needfull for the Application of this redemption unto our soules and to this end he it is that sheddeth abroad his Spirit into our hearts John 15.26 16.7 and when this blessed Spirit cometh he applyeth unto the soule all the gratious redemption of Jesus Christ by giving him and all the fruits of his redemption and by working all those blessed works that the souls of his people come to be partakers of and so performeth all those Conditions that are required on our parts If it be needfull for us to have faith he will work it in us If it be needfull for us to live a life of Faith he will help us so to live for it is not of our selves it is the gift of God Ephes 2.9 Thus hath the Lord made him a compleat Mediatour of this holy Covenant and whatsoever we receive we receive it from him for unto him first as the head of the Church are all blessings given and unto us all Promises in him are Yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 for though Christ be not a sinner in his owne persons yet in respect of his Members he is many times lost in them though not in himselfe and poor in them though not in himselfe for us therefore he receiveth the Promises of God and that is the great security of them that they are laid up safe in him and belong unto us if we have Union with the head and in him we perform whatsoever God requireth whether we Pray or Preach or hear we doe all in the Name of Christ going forth in his strength and power Col. 3.17 Thus is the Lord Jesus Christ a firm Surety of the better Covenant Stablished upon better Promises Heb. 8.6 Vse 1. In the first place This may teach us a broad difference between the Covenant of works and the Covenant of Grace In the Covenant of works the Lord offereth himselfe as a Father his Son as a Redeemer his Spirit as a Sanctifier but this upon a condition of works Thou shalt have no other Gods but me and If they shall keep his Lawes and obey his voyce then they shall be a peculiar treasure unto him above all people Exod. 19.5,6 This also they undertake to doe Deut. 5.27 All that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee we will heare it and doe it But O that there were such an heart in them vers 29. When they rebelled he did not pardon them gratiously but the Angel whom he sendeth with them he biddeth them beware of him and obey his voyce and provoke him not For he will not pardon your Transgressions for my Name is in him In the Covenant of Grace he will but not in this here is indeed a Conditionall Redeemer and Saviour and so it is expressed Isa 63.8,9,10 with many of them God was not well pleased almost with none of them but overthrew them in the wilderness Thus in the Covenant of works all is given upon condition of obedience 2 The Lord giving Himself his Son his Spirit upon condition though it be but to works yet he is pleased to receive them into some kind of relative Union expressed Jer. 32.32 Which my Covenant they brake although I was an husband unto them He was marryed unto them in Church-Covenant this was some kind of Union he was their God and they were his peculiar people and yet the Lord cast them off a Generation of his wrath from this Marriage Covenant between them and him from this Union there springeth a kind of Faith by which the soule cleaveth unto the Lord in some measure else there could not be this marriage union and this faith is that which you read Psal 106.12,13 They beleeved his words they sang his praise c. So also Exod. 14.31 it is said They beleeved the Lord and his servant Moses This is that faith which men may receive and yet may Apostate from it spoken of Heb. 6.3 to 6. and Luk. 8.13 but all that faith was never grounded upon any free promise of grace but all was built upon Ordinances and Duties and upon no higher ground In the 2 Chron. 13.8 to 12. marvelously strong are the expressions of Abijah when Jeroboam came against him You think to withstand the Kingdome of the Lord in the hand of David c. Where we see what faith he did expresse and hereupon vers 18. The Children of Israel were brought under and the Children of Judah prevailed and yet this Kings heart was not perfect with the Lord his God 2 Kings 15.3 and yet mind you a strong confidence he had that the Lord was with him and that he would be present with his owne Ordinances there was faith built upon fellowship with Ordinances like unto that Faith in the Scripture before alleadged Luke 8.13 Men are affected with the word and beleeve and find comfort and all this springeth from that Relative Communion which they have with the Lord they find refreshing in their way and work and many times take it for the very Seale of the Spirit of God All which may and oftentimes is found in Hypocrites but here 's the difference in a Covenant of workes God giveth himselfe Conditionally in that of grace Absolutely in both he maketh a Covenant in the one of Grace the other of works in which the Voyce of the Lord is If you be true and faithfull to me then I will not remove you and in this Covenant is Faith found whereby they lay hold upon the head of the Sacrifice but not on Christ it is onely built upon such changes as they finde in themselves and will in the end vanish utterly away 3 There is a difference also that springeth from the fruits of these two Covenants iâ—… their continuance for tho in the Covenant of works there be a semblance of Justification and Adoption and a kind of Sanctification yet they endure but for a season and therefore he calleth them Lo-ammi for ye are not my people and Lo-ruhamah for I will no more have mercy though sometimes they were his people and he then had mercy on them They may also have pardon of sin that is forbearance of punishment for a season Psal 78.37,38 Being full of compassion he forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not yet they were such whose heart was not upright with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant This is plainly held forth in the Parable Matth. 18.23 to the end When the Servant had not wherewith to pay his Lord he fell down and worshipped him saying Lord have patience with me and I will pay thee all his Lord was moved with compassion
given them and so to discern their sanctified estate Now I know that thou fearest me seeing thou hast not with-held thy Son thine onely Sonne from me so the Lord saith to Abraham Gen. 22.12 wherein he bare witnesse to his work and this doth fill Abraham with strong Consolation together with the Oath of God unto him for now the Lord doth not onely know it but cause him to know it also so that if the Lord doth but breath in such fruit of the Spirit if he doth but give power to the soule to doe such a work unto which the promise is made and doe make it appear unto the soule to be indeed such by the revelation of his blessed Spirit then doth the Lord fill the soule with Consolation But though the Holy Ghost himselfe doth not so sweetly and strongly breath and clear up his own Testimony by the comfort which he giveth unto the soule in such a promise yet a man by the Promise may being enlightned of God discerne what God hath done for him and hereby the soule may stay it selfe Psal 9.18 The expectation of the poore shall not perish for ever When the poor soule is meekned by Gods hand and the Lord letteth him so discern it that now he quietly resteth upon the Lord now the Spirit of God doth help David along to be supported with some stay and besides the waiting of a Christian upon him who hath made the promises doth make him yet more patient and hopefull And this is a fourth use of Conditionall promises to strengthen Faith 5 They are of use to work all these qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised by the exceeding pretious Promises we are made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and this is no small work or use of these promises that from them should spring all our gratious qualifications for the Lord having promised such blessings in them these promises being received and enjoyed and meditated on by us we beholding them and the glory of the Lord Jesus in them are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 This great power there is in the Promises to help an end the work of God in the soul of a Christian so that though they were never given to bring us to Christ yet to this end they were given to work all those qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised Yea and they may truly be said to be given to bring us to Christ in this sense That though our Faith be not begotten by any promises to gratious qualifications prae-existent in us yet they may beget such qualifications of Faith to which promises are made 6 They are of use to stir up and provoke Christians to all such duties to which blessings are promised they stir them up effectually The Lord maketh a Promise 2 Cor. 6.17,18 And mark what use the Apostle maketh of it being a conditionall Promise Chap. 7.1 Having therefore these Promises c. let us c. implying that the having of these Promises stirreth up Gods people unto duties and the Lord is wont to breath in them and so to set forwards the work of cleansing of the hearts and wayes of his servants 7 They are of use further to strengthen Faith for the Lord that hath made such Promises will accomplish them for his Servants Gen. 32.9,10 Jacob there putteth the Lord in mind of his Promise and said O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac the Lord which saidst unto me Returne unto thy Countrey and to thy Kindred and I will deale well with thee and he was now returned according to the appointment of God but what now doth he plead the condition mind in the next words I am not worthy the least of all the mercy and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy Servant yet now though he pleadeth not any worth at all yet seeing the Lord had promised such a mercy to him he prayeth for it ver 11. Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother Thus his faith is strengthned though he doth not plead any worthinesse to receive mercy So also doe absolute promises strengthen faith and the prayer of faith 2 Sam. 7.13,14 c The Lord there promiseth David that he would build him an house and that he would not take his mercy from his Children this stirreth up and strengthneth the faith of David ver 28 29 c. This well ordered and sure Covenant of God was all his stay and all his salvation though his house was not so with God 2 Sam. 23.5 So when the Lord promiseth to heal the backslidings of his people Ho. 14.5 their hearts are strengthned to come unto the Lord and say O Lord thy words are true let it please thee to heal the backslidings of thy servants Thus by the promises of God the Faith and faithfull prayers of his servants are both strengthned together Now let me further say thus much let us rightly discern what use to make of the principall part of the Scriptures take heed you doe not close with promises before we have Jesus Christ in them especially take heed you make not use of a promise to a gratious qualification to give you your part in Christ neither be taken aside to make account that the Lord did give you himselfe gratiously in a conditionall promise for these are aberrations from the Covenant of grace consider therefore well what the promises be and what use the Lord would have us to make of them it is not for a woman to take her husbands inheritance before shee take his person you know that all the blessings and all the promises are as it were the Inheritance of the Lord Jesus given unto him and to no other but in his name and therefore there is not any soule under heaven that can challenge his Right in Christ at the first by any promise till Christ first be given either in that promise or in some former if you know that you are in Christ you may know that the promises are yours otherwise you shall not be able to know your right in Christ by your right in the promises and therefore doe not turne them upside downe beyond the scope and intendment of the promises of the Covenant of grace we may take occasion by them to admire the goodnesse and grace of God as David did Psal 31.19 Thus ought we to consider of them and whither to looke that we might enjoy them and the blessings in them If you shall say we have been converted and have had gratious changes wrought in us be not deceived such worke may reach no farther than conviction and you may come to turne your backs upon Jesus Christ Consider therefore did ever the Lord give himselfe to be one with you whensoever the Lord doth strike up the bond of Union it is in a free promise of his grace Trust
not therefore upon every leaning of your soule upon conditionall promises for so you may build upon a Covenant made upon a worke and so you and your Covenant may faile together But when you read how the Lord hath made such promises to such and such qualifications then consider that those things are indeed requisite to be found in you but who is there in heaven or earth that can worke them in you there is none but Jesus Christ and unlesse you have him to be in you you cannot have any of these things wrought in you But will a poore soule say I am not able to reach the Lord Jesus Christ therefore all the promises doe fall heavie upon a man and he seeth that they are too burthensome and too weighty for him he doth not say here is the qualification and here is the blessing promised to it and therefore I will take it to my selfe but one that is taught of God doth forthwith goe and pray unto God that he will set him in the way of those blessings and that so he will make him partaker of them he prayeth that God will give him his Sonne and that he will adorne him with his grace as a bride of Jesus Christ Thus while the soule doth looke towards Jesus Christ and grace in him the Lord doth secretly transforme him into the image of Christ by working such qualifications in him and then beareth witnesse to that sanctification which is wrought in his heart thereby enlarging his soule with strong consolation in Jesus Christ and in the same way it is that the Lord doth strengthen the faith of his people to believe that all those things which God hath promised are accomplished in Jesus Christ and the Law fullfilled in me so farre as Christ is in me and therefore I come unto God in prayer to make good those promises unto me in a right way which would have been preposterously applyed before Christ was given And this may serve for Answer to the 5th Question Quest 6. Wee come now unto a sixt Question If the Lord doe give himselfe first in the Covenant of his grace this may then be a doubt and a question in a Christian soule If God give himselfe before any blessing before any promise in order of nature though he giveth himselfe alwayes in a promise if wee cannot claime any blessing from God at the first in any conditionall promise therefore not by any condition in our selves but as we received all things from God so wee claime all things from him in Jesus Christ and so doe first seeke for him and for all things in him If thus to what use then serveth the Law of God which requireth such and such conditions in us doe we not abrogate the Law make it of none effect and roote it out from having any power over Christians And truly some under pretence of the Covenant of grace have thought it altogether bootlesse to bind Christians unto the Law of God and to looke at it as any part of the direction of their Course Now because this is an imputation usually reflected upon the Covenant of Grace let us Confider therefore and enquire to what use serveth the Law of God if God give himselfe first unto his people in the Covenant of his grace Answ Though the Lord giveth himselfe freely to the soule and his Sonne and all the blessings of the Covenant of grace without respect unto any worke of the Law yet the Law is of speciall and notable use unto all the sonnes of men both unto them that are not yet brought home unto God by converting grace and also to those that are regenerate in Jesus Christ The Apostle Paul did observe that the question would arise upon the doctrine of the Covenant of grace Gal. 3.16,17,18 For if the blessing of Abraham came upon the people of God by Jesus Christ to what end then serveth the Law which came 430 yeares after It cannot disanull grace to make the promise of God of none effect to what end then serveth it Some say it is of no use others say that it is of such use that they had rather renounce the Covenant of grace than it but the Answer is it is of especiall use both unto spirituall and carnall men First unto carnall men and they are of two sorts some belong unto the election of grace though they be not yet called others are not written in the Lambs booke of life but will in the end finally perish and the Law is yet of use unto both sorts of them For the Elect it is of use unto them to aggravate their sin and to multiply it unto them as it were that is to say to aggravate the apprehension of the hainousnesse of sin upon their Consciences and to set home the burthen of sin unto their soules thereby to drive them to feele their great need of the Lord Jesus Christ whom otherwise they should for ever have despised Thus the Apostle answereth in the place aforenamed The Law was added because of transgressions that they might cleerely appeare and be aggravated thereby that a man might plainly discerne how he hath made himselfe liable to the wrath of God by so manifold breaches of so many Commandments in one kinde or other the Law giveth cleere knowledge of sinne and so much the more doth it set on the weight of it upon the Conscience working feare in the heart Rom. 8.15 And hence it is that the Apostle telleth us Gal. 3.24 The Law was our Schoole-Master to Christ As a Schoole-Master driveth his Scholler through feare unto this or that duty either to doe it himselfe or if he cannot to get others to doe it for him so the Law of God driveth the soule through feare unto Jesus Christ not that it doth reveale Christ a Saviour of free-grace but the soule being once brought downe under sense of sin by the terrours of the Law will readily willingly hearken unto the newes of Christ a Saviour for being once made sensible of his owne inability to redeeme himselfe and unworthines to be redeemed from the wrath of God now is the soule fitted to heare the voyce of the Gospell now is the newes of Christ beautifull and glad tidings And of this use is the Law unto the Elect of God before they come under the Covenant of the grace of God 2. But of what use is the Law unto other men First the Disobedience of it is of use Secondly the Obedience of it 1. The Disobedience for if men had not knowne sin it had been some pretence though they had committed sin but when men have the knowledge of the Law and yet commit sin willingly now they have no cloake for their sin Rom. 1.21 compared with 32. where the Apostle speaketh of the great sin of the Gentiles and much more of the Jewes Who though they knew God and the judgement of God and that they which commit such wickednes are worthy of death yet
of God John 15.5 And the Apostle Paul cannot onely not doe any great matter by his owne strength and grace but nothing at all without Jesus Christ and therefore he giveth us to understand that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do Phil. 2.13 If therefore we have any new work to doe look to the Lord Jesus Christ afresh by Faith that he may carry an end all our works in us and for us otherwise it is not any strength or grace in us that can produce any good work word or thought and therefore mind you the Apostle maketh it a principle of Christian Religion that the just man liveth by faith and he often mentioneth it Gal. 2.20 The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Sonne of God where he putteth it into his owne experience Why did not he live by love and patience and zeale c. Yes truly they were lively in him if ever in any man besides our blessed Saviour and yet notwithstanding he never attributeth life to any of these gifts of his but if he speak of life he maketh this his universall life I live by the faith of the Son of God and I am able to doe all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Phi. 4.13 This is the true savour of a Christian spirit that when gifts are at the highest the heart is then at the lowest 1 Cor. 15.9,10 the Apostle Paul there acknowledgeth himselfe to be as one born out of due time for saith he I am lesse than the least of the Apostles not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God yea but by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed on me was not in vaine but I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God in me This is truly spirituall sanctification that when the soule is full of the Holy Ghost and gifts of the Holy Ghost yet he is like a man in great penury as having nothing of himselfe this is a marvelous spirituall poverty and you shall ever find and I desire the Lord would open the hearts of his people to know what I speak that if Christians have fallen their greatest falls have been in their most eminent and exemplary gifts If you shall mark the sins of all the servants of God they have been chiefly found in the very exercise of their best gifts let us take a little tast of them that we may learn to use our gifts in the strength of Jesus Christ Abraham a man full of Faith none went beyond him in the old nor new Testament yet if you read of any failing in him it is in regard of the acting of Faith what made him afraid not once but the 2d time that his wife would be taken from him by Pharaoh Gen. 12. by Abimelech Chap. 20. had not the Lord promised to blesse him wheresoever he came Gen. 12.2 He had so much of the knowledge and grace of God shining in him that Sarah needed not to have dissembled and Abimelech a poor Heathen could say as much Chap. 20.16 Behold thy Husband is to thee a covering of the eyes to all that are with thee and with all other thus she was reproved As if he should say thou needest no shifts and lyes for thy protection and to be a vayle unto thee This a poor Heathen can discern that a man that hath God with him needeth no other shifts nor covering to defend and shelter him Thus we see that these great failings of Abraham were proper acts of unbeliefe Moses a meek man none like him for meeknesse on the face of the earth there is but one sin storied of him after he came to the Government of that state and this was his failing Heare now you Rebells must we fetch you water out of this rock so he lift up his hand with his rod he smote the rock twice Numb 20.10,11 They provoked Moses as meek as he was sometimes when Aaron and Miriam dealt as peremptorily with him he was not moved from the meeknesse of his spirit But now he falleth into passion and this was the very sin for which the Lord excluded him out of Canaan Numb 27.12,13,14 it was the breach of this royall grace Chap. 20.12 Because ye believed me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the Children of Israel therefore you shall not bring this Congregation into the Land which I have given them Which words shew us the reason of his failing in the grace wherein he so much abounded Because yee believed me not The Lord will have him know that he must live by his Faith in his meeknesse if any man think himselfe to be a meek man and nothing shall over-wrastle him there if you believe not in God but in your meeknesse your confidence will soon faile you Peter a man full of courage and you read of two of his principall failings and both in point of courage he failed in the high Priests hall at the voyce of a damsell and in the porch at the speech of another maid and the third time at the voyce of one that stood by Math. 26.69 c. Whereas afterwards when he lived by faith he became undaunted before the whole Councell Act. 4.13 Another failing of his in point of courage we read of Gal. 2.12 He feared those of the Circumcision whereas before he did eat with the Gentiles c. Thus the Apostle Peters eminent gifts did not bring forth their fruits Know therefore that the best of all your gifts faith courage meeknes wisdome love to your brethren will faile if you trust in them and you will be most apt to faile there wherein you do most excell If a man be wise he shall faile in that point and it may be in nothing so much as in that even in those things wherein he thinketh he walketh most wisely and such an one will find most tryalls in point of his wisedome and the like will be found in all other graces and all to this end to teach the Israel of God to know that no man liveth by his wisdome nor by any thing in himselfe but by Faith in Jesus Christ whom God hath given unto his people and who is onely able to give new supplyes of his spirit unto his servants to act every gift which he hath given them I might have mentioned the example of Sarah a meek and a quiet godly spirited woman subject and obedient to her Husband and called him Lord whose daughters you are while you doe well 1 Pet. 3.6 and yet you know one of her greatest failings was in point of reverence to her Husband Gen. 16.5 When she saw that she was despised she said to her Husband Thou dost me wrong c. Where is the reverence of Sarah now Will you have the daughters of Sarah to imitate her herein What had her Husband done There was no
fault in him in this matter she had no reason to tax him upon this point it was her owne Counsel vers 2. that he should goe in to her maid that I may have Children by her therefore there was no colour of any just complaint on her part yet see this meek spirited woman failed in the point of her meeknesse herein and did expresse no greater failing all her life long that we read of she was weak in Faith once but there was great reason for that her womb was dead and her Lord as she called him was old also Nor doth the Angel so much blame her about it but that action wherein she most failed was in that grace wherein she most abounded And though every grace of the Spirit be of great force when the Lord doth act and move it yet let a man goe forth in the strength of his greatest gifts and if ever his heart faile him it will be in them Thinke not when you have done all you can that you are worthy of any thing but say that you are unprofitable servants For though sanctification be the way wherein the Lord will poure out all his blessings upon his servants yet he doth require them to boast in none of their excellencies but look at them all as freely given them of God and consider that the right unto all springeth from fellowship with Jesus Christ that so not onely the gift it selfe is grace but the blessing that followeth upon the gift is grace also and suppose that we have attained all that we pray for shall we then exalt our owne gifts No but let us say with Jacob I am lesse than the least of all the mercies and truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Doe not trust as not upon gifts nor upon duties performed by those gifts to reach the blessing so look not for your Justification from thence at all for the Apostle is plaine that he looked not for any thing for his righteousness before his conversion and after his conversion he counteth it all as drosse and dung that he might win Christ Phil. 3.6,7,8 And for our faith they are not to be trusted upon as grounds of our Faith for all the gifts of our sanctification are fruits of our Faith and therefore our Faith is said to worke by love Gal. 5.6 and so it doth by all other gifts of the Spirit and if they be fruits of Faith then Faith is not built upon them And thus much of the second Use which Christians are to make of their Sanctification 3 There is in the next place a point of Witnesse which this Sanctification doth yield and the Spirit of God with it the water beareth witnesse to the blood and the blood to the water and the Spirit unto both 1 John 5.6,7,8 A mans owne Spirit beareth witnesse also Rom. 8.16 And therefore as a witnesse of God unto our Faith we may lawfully hear what it speaketh But this is the life of a true Evidence that all these gifts of God doe not bear witnesse any further then a man seeth the Lord Jesus working them in him and for him for it is Faith that maketh all the graces of the Gospel active and it is a condition so requisite that unlesse our works be of Faith and flow from it they are not acceptable before God Heb. 11.6 Therefore unlesse Faith carry an end our works they are not works of holinesse such as should bear witnesse to the soule therefore the Apostle doth stir up the Corinthians unto this mainly Examine your selves whether you are in the faith 2 Cor. 13.5 And if he doe exhort them to Examination it is in point of Faith therefore Reverend Forbes of Middleburgh who hath written a Sermon upon that Text saith well That unlesse men find faith in their holinesse none of all their sanctification will become a sound witnesse of the grace of God unto them but if Faith be found then you shall see Jesus Christ accepting you and breathing in you except ye be reprobates There is a marvelous gratious witnesse that Sanctification giveth unto him that liveth by Faith in Jesus Christ if it be in Christ and work from him and for him This onely is that sanctification which the Lord commendeth unto his servants to seek after it 4 A fourth Use of our sanctification is that the Spirit of God helpeth us by it in point of Rejoycing and therefore it is that you shall see the Servants of God rejoycing in their holinesse so doth the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience c. He rejoyceth at what the Lord doth by him and with him Gal. 6.4 But what is it that maketh the Apostle rejoyce before God When he rejoyceth in his work before the Lord you shall ever find him rejoycing at the Lords acting these gifts in him and blessing him in his work Let us look upon two or three Scriptures for this end 1 Tim. 1.12,13 So that mind you as he â—eeth God giving him these gifts and enabling him unto the work so he blesseth God in that behalfe You shall find him also blessing God that had prospered this worke of the Ministry wheresoever he came 2 Cor. 2.14 The Lord working in him and for him maketh him to triumph and to over-wrastle all the difficulties that he meeteth withall The Lord had given him gifts taught him to exercise those gifts and doth accept him and therefore he expresseth himselfe in a marvelous strong speech Phil. 1.20,21 I am in nothing ashamed c. for to me to live is Christ and to dye is gaine To me to live is Christ as if he had said I have no life but from Christ I put forth no act of life but for Christ this is the sum of all his conversation and if Christ be his life then death will be his advantage and Christ will be magnified in either Thus we see how the Saints of God have made use of their Sanctification they are carefull to see that it flow from Christ and yet when they have it they dare not trust in their best gifts for the least duty neither doe they look for their Faith from their best gifts but they expect their best gifts to flow from their Faith They make use of the testimony of their holinesse when they see Christ in it and Faith in it and the Spirit of God carrying them along in the ways and duties thereof Thus they see their holinesse and take comfort in it from the witnesse of it as that by which the Lord dispenseth comfort unto his people when they receive it from the hands of Christ by Faith in him by which they are taught of God to carry an end their whole conversation in his name 5 Furthermore as we receive it from Christ and trust not in it but in Christ and receive the witnesse of it in Christ and in the Holy Spirit of Christ and as we receive
that is the first and fundamentall of all the rest that God doth put forth or any other Person in Trinity for the applying of the Covenant unto the hearts of his people And God in giving his Sonne doth give himselfe Isai 9.6 Joh. 10.30 1 Joh. 2.23 Rom. 5.8 Joh. 3.16 And as God giveth us his Sonne so he giveth us all things else in his Sonne Rom. 8.32 So then this is the first and the great worke of God that he hath given his Son out of his own bosome to take our nature upon him to lead a miserable life and to dye a cursed death and in him hath given all his Attributes his mercy and power unto the sonnes of men an undoubted signe that God intendeth to give himselfe in the Covenant of grace unto his people when he giveth Jesus Christ himselfe in that Covenant as he doth expressely Isa 42.6 where wee may see that God giveth another even that God the Father giveth God the Sonne Thus it is a gift of the Covenant that God giveth his Sonne to be the foundation of the Covenant and the chiefe blessing of it And Chap. 49.8 He speaketh to the same purpose No man hath seene God at any time Joh. 1.18 nor can see him nor will God the Father have immediate fellowship with any creature but the onely begotten Sonne of the Father the Lord hath given him that he might reveale him Thus wee may perceive that the Lord is gratious and marvellous gratious in that he giveth us his Sonne his deare Sonne the second Person in Trinity and thus he saith to his Elect I will be a God unto thee and give thee my Sonne that shall redeeme thee out of all distresse and danger Thus doth the Lord for his people and it is a cleere evidence of his grace and sheweth that his love unto his people is beyond all banks and bottome for the Lord to give us his Sonne and this Sonne so soone as he was promised his people saw him a farre of Joh. 8.56 Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad For when the Lord Jesus Christ was promised unto him Gen. 17.16,17 and the Lord had said unto him I will blesse Sarah and give thee a sonne of her yea I will blesse her c. Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed he did rejoyce that the Lord would give him a Saviour out of his loynes how it could be brought to passe it may be he knew not but by a spirit of Prophecy did he discerne it no doubt This is the first worke of God in giving himselfe by Covenant and this was done long agoe before we were borne he gave him in his eternall counsell when he did elect us in him he gave him when he sent him into the world But this is more when 2. He giveth us unto his Christ by Covenant and draweth us unto him and giveth Christ unto us also And this grace of God cometh neerer us the other did leave us like lambs in a large pasture but now as He giveth us unto Christ so he giveth him unto us and both in present possession And this the Father doth Joh. 6.44 for no man saith Christ can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me Now this kinde of hearing and learning of the Father is a strange kinde of learning which the Lord Teacheth the soule by when he draweth him unto Christ an effectuall Teaching and powerfull 1 Cor. 1.9 This is your effectuall calling and this is the Lords giving us unto his Sonne John 6.37 All this is properly the worke of the Father Men are said to be well given when they give themselves to their bookes to their works and businesse but this we may well say that we are indeed well given when the Lord giveth us unto his Sonne for otherwise we are but in all ill state which way soever we are given Quest If you shall aske How the Father giveth us and calleth us and draweth us into fellowship with his Sonne for they are Scripture-phrases and all of them of like value in Scripture-sense Answ In a word The Lord draweth us unto his Sonne by his Spirit and calleth us as by his word so by his Spirit also and giveth us by his word and Spirit unto Jesus Christ In this thing I shall speake no more unto you than what you have often heard and I suppose long agoe received As that the Lord calleth his people out of their sinnes by the light of the Law and by the Spirit of bondage he setteth home the Law effectually unto the soule and thereby draweth us from sin and from the world in some measure that we have now no minde to those things which before we were full of delight in whether they be sinnes against the Law or sinnes against the Gospell it is the Lords usuall dealing by his Spirit to set home sinnes against both in so much that thereby we come to be afflicted with some kinde of trembling and feare and torment about our spirituall estate And thus it was with Saul who afterwards was Paul Acts 9.3,4,5,6 when Christ called unto him out of heaven and challenged and convinced him of sinne he all trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to doe So it was with the Jaylor Acts 16.29 After the Lord had shaken his heart with an earth-quake which is a sanction of the Law and a ratification of it as all Gods judgements are he called for a light and sprang in and came trembling to Paul and Silas Thus the Lord draweth men out of themselves and their finfull wayes by a spirit of bondage whereby they are convinced of sinne and desert of Gods wrath are greatly and deeply afflicted with feare concerning which the Apostle Paul saith 2 Tim. 1.7 God hath not given us the Spirit of feare or bondage but of power of love and of a sound mind c. Such feare also the Apostle John speaketh of 1 Joh. 4.18 when he saith Perfect love casteth out feare for feare hath torment which commeth from the sense of a mans estate whereby he is forced to cry out many times and to say woe worth my soule that ever I was borne for the Lord causeth the to possesse all my sinnes and presseth me downe to the nethermost hell This is one worke of the Spirit of bondage by which the Lord draweth the soule out of it selfe and sinnes though of it selfe the spirit of feare goeth no further than to shake a mans carnall confidence which is accompanyed with Anguish and Torment 1 Joh. 4.18 Rev. 9.3 11.10 Besides this Spirit of Bondage the Lord hath another work which is called a Spirit of Burning Mal 4.1 The day cometh c. This is a Spirit of burning let us speak unto it a little the Prophet saith I shall leave them neither root nor branch
There are two things in the root 1. The first is the Roote of Abrahams Covenant which this people much trusted upon and that is it of which John Baptist speaketh Now the axe is layd to the roote of the Tree c. and this he spake Mat. 3.9 after he had said Thinke not to say within your your selves Wee have Abraham to our father vers 8. So that all the confidence that they had in Abrahams Covenant and Temple and Tabernacle and such things is burnt up and so they have no roote left them to stand upon And this is one thing intended by the Roote But 2. Secondly there is something more in it for with this Spirit of burning the Lord by the power of this Spirit doth cut us off from any power of our owne naturall gifts and parts and spirituall gifts also whereby we thought to lay hold on Jesus Christ and we are cut off hereby from all the confidences that we have in our owne sufficiency when once the Lord intendeth to bring a soule unto himselfe for there is an usuall preâ—idence that we have in our owne state though the Lord have cut us off from hope in the righteousnesse of our parents and from boasting of his Ordinances yet we thinke there is some power still left us and therefore we hope and will seeke in our owne strength that the Lord may reveale himselfe to us in mercy and peace but when the Lord cometh neerer unto us he will shew us how unable we are to take up the least good resolution we shall finde our selves like bruised reeds unable to hold up our heads for Christ came to seeke and to save that which was lost so that Christ will not declare himselfe to seeke us untill we be lost and therefore he saith Math. 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and follow me And according hereunto it is that those converts Acts 2.37 doe cry out when they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall wee doe Hence it is also that the poore soules that came unto Christ Math. 12.20 were like bruised reeds that could not hold up their heads for the Lord in this case bruiseth them layeth them low that they see no more hope of mercy nor likelihood that God should shew them any hope Thus doth the Lord burne up the Root of Abrahams Covenant wherein men trust and the Roote of all our selfe-sufficiency that now wee find our selves dryed up our strength consumed that now we are not able to thinke as of our selves a good thought And againe the Lord by this spirit of burning doth burne up all our branches also how faire and greene soever they have been All our fastings and humiliations and almsdeeds and prayers such things as the Pharisees much boasted in Math. 6.1,2,3 c. but these things are all burnt up The fruit of bondage worketh unto feare and now all the hope is that a man setteth upon reformation but if the Lord love a mans soule he will not let him stay there but goeth further with him and sheweth him that his prayers and fastings are all empty and fall short of the life and power of Jesus Christ but yet the soule is not quite out of hope though the Law cannot save me if it cannot I must get me unto Jesus Christ and lay hold upon him for salvation as if all were to be had by faith in Jesus Christ if once we can lay hold upon him and nothing else were required but faith in Christ and thereby my laying hold upon him I see plainly saith a man in this case that there is no hope in me as hath been rightly observed and therefore I le trust upon Jesus Christ and give up my selfe to him but now if the Lord love thy soule he will not suffer thee there to rest he will not leave thee so He will presse thee further How comest thou by faith in Christ Why thou tookest it up of thine owne accord thou thoughtest all thy gifts aâ—d duties were in vaine and therefore now thou wilt believe in Jesus Christ Is it so easie a matter Can any man come unto Christ except the Father draw him And is thy faith any more than a resolution of thine owne when thou wast convinced of the emptinesse of thine owne gifts and abilities When this spirit of burning hath blasted this thy faith also and that by the cleere evidence of the Gospel put upon it Now saith the soule I see that I am not in Christ though I said that I would trust in Christ yet I see it is not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven Now I see it is not my faith such a Faith as mine is that will reach Jesus Christ it is not a faith of my own undertaking that will serve the turne I see now Christ alone must worke this great worke in me and Christ in the way of his owne Ordinances therefore I must looke for it in his word and in the fellowship of the Sacraments therefore I will look up unto the Lord in all these and waite for him and seek him therein And I hope I can seeke and waite in that way though I can do nothing else and so the poore soule maketh account that in time he shall finde Christ in the Ordinances and so hammereth out a faith from thence and therein blesseth himselfe Now minde you the Spirit of God when the Lord God the Father will draw home the soule throughly to Jesus Christ will burne up all thy confidence for if thy soule be not utterly lost so long as it hath any roote or power in it selfe it is not come to an utter selfe-deniall though I cannot worke I will believe and if I cannot believe I can waite that I may believe and so here is still the old roote of Adam left alive in us whereby men seeke to establish their owne righteousnesse This old roote putteth forth it selfe and will not suffer the soule to be wholly from Christ and for Christ alone and all because there is a sprigge of Adam left in the soule whence it is that the soule is marvellously apt to have hope and confidence more or lesse from some vertue or power in himselfe therefore it s no small matter to be cut off from Adam that 's contrary to nature As saith the Apostle Rom. 11.24 this is a marvellous strong work when the Spirit of God comes to act things contrary to nature for nature is fully possessed that what God commandeth I am able to doe it nature will not be perswaded to the contrary If I heare God command any thing I will doe it saith a carnall heart and if I cannot do it I will believe and if I cannot believe I will waite and I can waite that I may believe this is still but nature Now when the Lord cometh indeed
to ingraffe us into Jesus Christ this is quite contrary to nature Why wherein is it so contrary I answer whereas nature is active for it selfe now it cometh to passe that whereas a soul hath been stirring and busie in his owne strength at length the Spirit of God by the mighty power of his grace being shed abroad into the soule doth burn up root and branch not onely the root of Abraham's Covenant but all the fatnesse of the root of the Wild Olive by which we are fat and lively to all spirituall work in our owne apprehensions so that we work in our owne strength untill the Lord come and cut us quite down and make us to see that there is not the least good thought as of our selves and therefore unlesse the Lord be wonderfully gratious unto us we cannot be saved till it come unto this the soule is not fit for Jesus Christ Thus the Spirit of God may worke powerfully in the hearts of men and burn up their root and branch and this a spirit of burning may doe and yet leave the soule in a damnable condition for ought I know and such as many a soule may be in and yet never come to enjoy saving fellowship with Jesus Christ therefore as this is one arm of God stretched forth for the salvation of his people when he draweth them out of themselves by a Spirit Of Bondage Burning towards Christ So 2 There is a further work of God in drawing us home throughly and effectually to Jesus Christ when he giveth the Spirit of Adoption which reacheth beyond all the former work he hath cut us off from our selves and now we stand in a state quite contrary to nature and if any saving work be wrought in us it is quite contrary to nature if any thing fall upon the heart and soule of a man to bring his will to this passe to lye downe at Gods feet that he knoweth not what to doe and yet whatsoever the Lord calleth him unto he is willing if it were possible to be done he would run through fire and water to doe it but he findeth himselfe unable to doe any thing and now he will tell you that to believe is as impossible for him as to build a world why then bid him wait waite saith he I but I cannot waite and if I seek the Lord I cannot find him and I see others of Gods servants wrought upon gratiously but dead-hearted I nothing will work upon me now in such a case as this the Spirit of God cometh into the heart of a Christian and taketh possession of the soule for Jesus Christ and so draweth the soule to Christ and maketh it there to stay and there to lye down and to be willing to be drawne yet neerer and neerer unto Christ and to be carried an end by him to take all from him to give all the glory to him This Spirit of Adoption doth give a man a Son-like frame to lye prostrate at his Fathers will like unto the Prodigall Son Luke 15.17,18,19 who when he came to himselfe and saw how unable he was to provide for himselfe and how unworthy he was that his Father should doe any thing for him he came and lay downe at the feet of his Father for he is unable and unworthy of any mercy Now this stooping of the heart unto God and yielding unto him to doe with us as seemeth good in his own eyes is such a prostration of the heart wherein the Lord hath taken possession of the soule that now a man is led unto fellowship with Christ that there is None in Heaven but him none in the earth in comparison of him that the soule desireth after and now a man waiteth upon Christ to see what he will doe for him and though he cannot tell you that he waiteth yet he doth waite that he may be helped of God to depend upon him Thus he receiveth all from Christ and giveth all unto him This is the Fathers drawing of the soule which is expounded to be the hearing and learning of the Father of which John speaketh ch 6.45 He that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me which is when the Lord hath drawne the soule out of his naturall corruptions legall reformations pretences of Faith and waiting upon Christ in his owne strength for Faith if it be wanting Then when the soul doth lie at his feet to be disposed of according to the will of God and is in some measure subject unto the Lord though not so much as he could desire and therefore now the soule doth not content or blesse himselfe in any gifts or works of his own but yieldeth himselfe humbly to the Lord to work in him both will and deed of his owne good pleasure and to teach him how to seek and waite and believe and long after Jesus Christ these things he waiteth for Otherwise untill he be thus taught of God the soule will alwayes think that he can doe something and is not able to come out of himself to utter denyall of himselfe but if any man will come unto Christ he must deny himselfe even all his owne gifts and parts and good works whatsoever for a man is never utterly denyed untill there be nothing left of which a man can say This I am able to doe or this is an hopefull thing in me and when it cometh to this passe then will the soule lie down at the will of God and acknowledge that if the Lord would never shew him mercy just and righteous are his judgements Now when the soule and will of a Christian are convinced of these things as well as his judgement that now he waiteth upon Christ as well that he may be able to waite and seek the Lord as he doth for any other good thing from the Lord he waiteth now upon the Lord for a poor spirit and cannot perke up himselfe no more then a bruised Reed can doe Thus when it cometh unto saving work the will and soule of a man is so cast downe that a man cannot tell what to make of himselfe but there he lieth to see what the Lord will doe with him whether he will reach forth the hand of salvation unto him or no. In this case the soule is left utterly void and hath in himself neither root nor branch but seeth how unable he is in himselfe to beleeve or waite nor can he tell whether Jesus Christ be his portion and now doth the Lord take possession and fill the empty soule If you ask me how this spirit cometh into the soule to make it thus to stoop unto Christ You shall find that the Lord useth to convey himselfe unto the soule in some word of Promise of the Gospel that sheweth unto the soule the riches of the grace of God in Jesus Christ something or other is declared of Christ This word being taught in the publick Ministry of the word or brought to remembrance in some spirituall
giving him to be a Covenant or a Mediatour of it In filling him with all fullnesse to be a King Priest and Prophet 37. In his performing whatever is required on our parts ibid. Use 1 It teacheth the difference between the Covenant of Works of Grace 39. 1 In the one all is given upon the condition of obedience in the other not ibid. 2 The Covenant of Grace is built upon a free Promise of Grace the other upon something else as Ordinances Duties c. 40. 3 In the Continuance the Benefits of the one as Justification and Sanctification doe abide the other not so 42. Two sorts of Hypocrites have a kind of Sanctification Viz Washed Swine and Goates 44. The Goates fall short of Sheep in two things 45. 1 Goats are Capricious affecting eminency ibid. 2 They are Rankish not having the sweetnesse of sheep 47. 4 In respect of the Mediator both of the one and the other ibid. 2 It yieldeth an Argument against the Body of Arminianisme 48. 3 Gods people 〈◊〉 to respect them that are under a Covenant of Workes and not be hopelesse of their Salvation 49. 4 It helps to clear sundry Questions about the Covenant 51. 1 Qu. What is the first Gift that ever the Lord giveth to the Elect 52. Ans He giveth Himself and not saving Preparations fiâ—st ibid. 2 Qu. Whether are the Blessings of the Covenant given before faith to apply them 55. Ans The Spirit is given to work faith ibid. 3. Qu. Whether the Promise wherein the Lord giveth Himselfe be absolute or conditionall 56. Ans ' Tiâ— absolute ibid. 4. Qu. Whether a mans Union with Christ may be evidenced by his Sanctification Answered in foure Propositions 58. 1 Propos That a Sanctification which the Terrours of the Law may produce is no evidence of Union with Christ ibid. Here three things are to be attended unto concerning Sanctification 60. 1 The Root from which it springeth 61. 2 The Rule by which 't is guided 67. 3 The End at which it aimeth 70. 2 Propos That true Sanctification is many times dark unto a Christian 74. 3 Propos That true Sanctification is not discernable before Faith be discerned 75. 4 Propos There is a reall Difference between legall and Evangelicall Sanctification and wherein it lyeth 77. 5 Qu. Of what use are Promises especially Conditionall if not to bring us unto Christ 86. Ans There is a three fold use of them 1 Before Union with Christ both for Doctrine 87. Instruction 88. Exhortation 89. And a three-fold Effect also the Promises have before Union Viz. Of Illumination 90. Affection to despise all other things ibid. Conviction so as to leave without excuse 91. 2 In our Union with Christ 92. 3 After our Union with Christ and that many wayes Viz. 1 For Doctrine that all treasures are in Christ 96. 2 For Instruction where to looke for Qualifications ibid. 3 To stir up to Prayer 97. 4 To help to discern our spirituall estate 98. 5 To worke the Qualifications and Conditions of the Promises in us 100. 6 To provoke to such Duties as to which blessings are promised 101. 7 To strengthen Faith ibid. 6 Qu. To what use then serveth the Law of God which requireth such and such Conditions in us Is not this to make it voyd unto Christians as if they were not under the Law at all 106. Ans 'T is of speciall use both unto them that are Carnall either Elected to make them see their sin 108. Not Elected to harden them 111. Both by their Obedience to it 112. Comfort in their Obed ib. Spirituall being under the Rule of it 114. And the effects of their subjection to it are 1 They feele the Fatherly displeasure of God for their transgressing of it 119. 2 They beleeve Gods gracious acceptance of their Obedience unto it 120. 2 A Christian is not under the Law i. e. under the Covenant of it so as he is not to 1 Look for life by his Obedience nor to fear condemnation by the breach of it 124. 2 Seek for any blessing from his obedience nor fear any curse from his disobedience 128. 3 Look for Conjugall Comfort from his Obedience 130. Divorce from his Disobedience 130. 4 Claime his right to any Conditionall Promise by his Obedience Deny himselfe the Blessing of the Promise because of his disobedience 132. Hence therefore 1 Let none accuse the Doctrine of the Covenant of Antinomianisme 134. 2 The Servants of God may see how far they are freed from the Law 136. 3 Men may come to have some discerning of their spirituall states 137. 4 Gods people may learn how to build their Faith and Hope 138. 7 Qu. If God gives Himselfe and so if his Holy Spirit be in us what need we Gifts or Grace to work by 141. Ans 1. We cannot see God without the same 143. 2 Thereby we are made fit Temples for the Holy Ghost 145. Qu. But if there be Gifts of Holinesse in us then what need the Holy Ghost to dwell in us ibid. Ans 1 To keep those gifts in us 146. 2 To act them in us 147. 3 To witnesse to us by them to our comfort ibid. Qu. How are we to imploy the gifts of Sanctification in us 150. Ans 1 See that we receive them from Christ and that Christ be all in all in them ibid. 2 Trust not on them 152. Either for The performance of any duty 153 Justification from them 160. 3 In point of witnesse and how 161. 4 In point of rejoycing 162. 5 We are to grow up in them to perfection 164. 9 Qu. How doth God give Himselfe to be a God Covenant with us 170. Ans 1 He gave his Son out of his bosome for our Redemption 171. 2 He giveth us unto Christ and Christ unto us 173. Qu. How doth the Father give and call us to Christ 174. Ans By his Word ibid. Spirit Of Bondage 175. Burning 177. Adoption 184. Hence we may learne to discerne how we came to saving fellowship and union with Christ 192. There are foure sorts that fall short of this Union with Christ ibid. Viz. Such as 1 Doe blesse themselves in regard of outward blessings ibid. 2 Find comfort in their Reformations ibid. 3 Rest in a Faith of their owne making 193. 4 Waite upon Christ for Faith in their owne strength 195. FINIS Some Faults to be Corrected by the Reader In the first Treatise Page Line  1 16 read through 11 25 read Eschol 29 14 for penitent read president 31 2 blot out is it 33 22 after us make a period 38 18 for persons r. person 43 26 r. their 44 22 r. Hypocrites 46 23 for recrive r. receive 48 1 for the r. their 49 21 for it is r. is it not 51 3 r. prefidence 53 2 after Christ make 60 7 for attained r. attended   last line but one r. no easie 71  last line in the marg for Answ r. Quest 77 2 for
expresse Restipulation pre-required on Abrahams part We see this likewise held forth Deut. 29.1.13 where the Lord entreth into another Covenant with them in the Land of Moab besides the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb and in this Covenant he doth establish them to be a people unto himselfe as well as give himself to them to be thrir God vers 13. and as God required it of them to circumcise the outward man even the foreskin of their Children so he will also circumcise them taking possession of them and circumcising their hearts and taking away the stonynesse of them and so fit them to be a Temple for himselfe to dwell in 3 The Lord in this Covenant taketh the chiefest of Abrahams seed even the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Mediator and surety of the Covenant and unto him doe all the Promises belong so the Apostle doth expound it Gal. 3.16 and so by him are all the Promises and blessings of the Covenant conveyed unto Abraham and to his seed his faithfull seed all the world over and therefore he is called the Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 7.22 meaning of the Covenant of Grace Heb. 8.6 These three things doe containe the sum of the Covenant of Grace and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and would therefore be plainly discovered unto Christians as 1 What is the meaning of this that God gave himselfe unto Abraham 2 How doth he take Abraham and his seed and make them his people 3 How doth he take Jesus Christ and make him the Surety of the Covenant between them both for the Covenant is established and so is a sure firm and everlasting Covenant Now in this gift that God gave himself unto Abraham observe three things 1 The Blessing given 2 The Order in which it was given 3 The Manner of giving it In the Blessing given When God doth by Covenant give himself to be a God it doth imply two things 1 That God doth give Himselfe the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost the whole Nature of God and all the Persons the God-head with all the Attributes of that Nature and all the Offices of those persons for it is not a confused God that vanisheth away in a generall imagination but God distinctly considered in his Persons Attributes Properties c. Thus the Lord giveth himselfe to Abraham and to his seed I will be a father unto you 2 Cor. 6.18 and that is not spoken unto the Jewes onely but unto all the Israel of God He giveth the Son also Isa 9.6 Joh. 3.16 And for the Holy Spirit Jo. 16.7.13 Isa 59.21 This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words that I have put into thy mouth shall not depart c. And this is it which the Apostle also saith Gal. 4.6 Thus the Lord giveth himselfe unto his Servants from one Generation to another If therefore the Lord God the Father give himselfe he will not be wanting to draw his people unto the Son Jo. 6.44 and what is the chief businesse and work that the Son hath to doe about us No man can have fellowship with the Father but he must have fellowship with Jesus Christ so our Saviour himselfe saith John 14.6 No man can come unto the Father but by me This therefore the Lord Jesus Christ will doe for all the elect seed of Abraham he will open their eyes to see that the Father did not draw them to damnation or utter desolation though at first that be their greatest fear but unto salvation by him This hath he promised to doe and if it be the work of the Spirit of God to establish us both in the Father and the Son then will he convince the world of sin of righteousnesse and of judgement John 16.8 to 11. and so will establish our hearts in the comforts of the Lord our God and this is that which the Apostle prayeth for the Ephesians Chap. 3.16 Hence it cometh to passe that what the Lord would have us to doe he is present by his Spirit to teach us and to strengthen us and so to doe it for us All these things doth the Lord work for Abraham and for his Elect seed So that look what is meet for a Father to do or for a Brother to doe or for the Spirit of God to doe that will the Lord doe unto his elect ones and so he giveth all his attributes and they are even God himselfe and therefore when Moses desired to see his glory and he desired it from the grace that God had shewed him Exod. 34.6 the Lord proclaimed his Name before him Jehovah Jehovah strong mercifull and gracious c. Thus doth the Lord give himselfe and all the Persons in the God-head as they are truly called and Attributes they are no more nor no other then God himselfe 2 And as God himself is implyed so when God is given by Covenant all the Ordinances and Creatures and works of God are given also for so it was in all Covenants of old time when Jehosaphat maketh a Covenant with Ahab King of Israel 2 Kings 22.4 then I am as thou art and my people as thy people and my Horses as thy Horses and all that he hath is for Ahabs service as the King goeth so goeth his strength so thus it comes to passe that if the Lord of Hoasts be for us and give himself unto us then also he gives unto us his Eternall Election and Redemption and whatsoever he hath wrought for the salvation of his Elect He hath not so dealt with any Nation Psal 147.20 but only with the Israel of God unto them hath he given his Laws and shewed them his judgements And for his Creatures they are all given to be for his People to whom he hath given himself If God be a God unto Abraham then shall all Gods people be for him Melchisedeck shall blesse him Aner Eshcot and Mamre shall be Confederates with him the Sun Moon and Stars shall fight in their courses for the people of God the Sea shall give way to passe through it on dry ground What ailed you ye streams of Jordan to goe back Why all the Creatures of God must stoop unto the people of God wâ—… he is in Covenant with them This is that which the Lord promiseth unto his people Hos 2.18 to 22. when the Lord shall marry them to him in faithfullnesse and 1 Cor. 3.22 This is the large gift of Gods Covenant Nay and which is wonderfull and beyond all comprehension when I say all the Creatures and Ordinances of God are ours the very expression of the phrase doth imply that the Lord giveth himselfe to be the staffe and strength of them so that you shall see the presence of God in them he will not only give a man wife and children and Ordinances and providences but he will be in all these and blesse his people in the enjoyment of them all so as that
deliver unto us another Gospel for it is not of Grace that Faith is given us Vse 3. This may also teach the people of God to bear a gratious respect unto those that are under a Covenant of works and not forthwith to condemn them as if there were no hope of their Salvation For God doth not call any into fellowship with himselfe in a Covenant of Grace but ordinarily he first bringeth them into a Covenant of works and casteth them out of doors by a spirit of bondage and of burning and then bringeth them in by the true door and Jesus Christ is that doore Joh. 10.9 Though the Children of the Faithfull be born under the outward dispensation of the Covenant of Grace yet if they be not of the Elect seed they will chose life by their works and so fall under the Covenant of works Gal. 4.24 to 30. So will Professors also Gal. 4.21 yea the Elect themselves before their Effectuall Calling will seek life by their works Hence those that are under a Covenant of works may belong unto the Lord as well as my selfe pray for them therefore Paul was under a Covenant of workes Steven prayeth for him and as most conceive that Prayer was effectuall unto his Conversion and Paul was as dear unto the Lord in his Eternall purpose as Steven himselfe was And thus Paul himselfe speaketh of Onesimus He therefore departed for a season that he might be received for ever So may we say of men under a Covenant of works the Lord may bring any of them home unto himselfe by dashing all his works in pieces and shewing him the presidence of his Spirit though the Lord hath melted him formerly in his Prayers and Preachings and Hearing and Sacraments by a Spirit of burning yet the Lord will discover that he is but hardened by it into another lump of pride against the Lord his God And the Lord will also pluck away the caul from their hearts and then they will have none in Heaven but Christ nor in the earth in comparison of him and then the Holy Ghost convinceth them of this sin above all their other sins that they have not believed on Jesus Christ Doe not therefore censure any such as to say there is no likelihood that they should have fellowship with Christ for if the Lord make them to fall down before him and to yield up their spirits unto the Lord in holy reverence and feare these have now received some secret smoking affections besides a Spirit of burning which the Lord will not quench Vse 4. It may serve in the next place to clear up our judgements in sundry passages that doe concerne the Covenant of Grace by Answers unto these 6 Questions following Quest 1. What is the first gift that ever the Lord giveth unto his Elect Answ First of all he giveth Himselfe the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit this is the foundation and if you shall lay saving Qualifications in the foundation before these the foundation will lye uneasily and the spirit of a true Christian shall not lye long in peace Christ must therefore be first and with him Faith to receive him first he will make a Covenant with us and put his holy Spirit within us and he cometh in with Faith and Fear that we never may depart from him He giveth us his Son and all things else in him he giveth us in him pardon of sins in our Justification and in him some degrees of glory also and in him right unto all the Promises of the Covenant no other foundation but him Take him first for he is the first thing given He taketh us by giving us Faith and we take him by exercising our Faith on him Object But whether doth not the Lord give us some saving Preparations before Jesus Christ for there be those that are gratious Saints that have conceived that there are some gratious Qualifications which the Lord giveth to prepare for Jesus Christ Answ There be saving graces which doe sanctifie us unto God our Father but whether they doe make way for Jesus Christ there proveth a difference but you may discern the truth of the point If the Lord doe give any saving Qualification before Christ then the soule may be in a state of Salvation before Christ and that would be prejudiciall unto the grace and truth of Christ for if there be no name given under Heaven whereby we must be saved but onely Jesus Christ nor his name but in a way of fellowship with him then it will unavoidably follow that whatsoever saving work there be in the soul it is not there before Christ be there it is true John Baptist was sent to subdue all flesh by a spirit of burning which burneth up the Covenant of Abraham I mean their carnall confidence in it and all their fruits of righteousnesse here were indeed preparations for Christ but these were not saving they were still Children of wrath Ye Serpents ye Generation of Vipers notwithstanding all this John did indeed dispense poverty of Spirit and yet though they had received the Holy Ghost they were not sensible of it yet the poverty of spirit was there unto which the Promise was made but then Jesus Christ was there also whether they knew it or knew it not that is not greatly materiall in this Argument But if the Kingdome of Heaven was there Jesus Christ was there first otherwise it will prove dishonourable unto the name of Christ Indeed there is a saving preparation before consolation in Christ and the manifestation of our gratious union with him but for our first union there are no steps unto the Altar Exod. 20. last But Christ doth prepare his Tabernacle for himselfe to dwell in This is in the first place for Instruction concerning what is the first gift which the Lord giveth unto the soule before any work or Promise he giveth saving communion in spirituall union with his Son this standeth firm from the Tenor of the Covenant and the nature of it to my best understanding and therewith giveth us Faith and all other saving Qualifications and Conditions as it is held forth in the Scriptures of God Quest 2. In what order the Lord giveth the Covenant and the blessings of it whether Faith before them or those blessings before faith be able to apply them Answ He doth give himselfe in working Faith before Faith can be there and therefore it is the fruit of the Spirit that Faith is wrought in the soule and this Faith doth receive the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ himselfe by his Spirit and it doth also receive Adoption and Justification but to be able actually to apply it our first birth will not bear it for a man is as passive in his Regeneration as in his first generation onely the Lord giveth us his Spirit that doth unite us unto Christ which is received by Faith together with Adoption and Justification And yet by the Act of believing we are justified
also Gal. 2.26 that is manifested to be justified in our owne consciences Quest 3. Whether doe we receive the Lord Jesus Christ in an Absolute or in a Conditionall Promise Answ We know the Lord can convey himselfe in an Evangelicall Commandement as well as in a Promise as we find it Isa 41.14 Feare thou not worme Jacob I will help thee c. He can also convey himselfe in a threatning to the Devill as unto our first Parents he did convey himselfe wrapping up a Promise in it as Gen. 3.15 from whence the Lord gave them to suck a sweet and comfortable Promise of his free grace And when the like is conveyed in a Commandment the Lord undertaketh to work that which he so commandeth But now it is questioned Whether the Promise wherein the Lord giveth himselfe be Absolute or Conditionall Faith to receive Christ is ever upon an Absolute Promise if you will say it is a Promise to a Condition what kind of condition was it there is no Condition before Faith but a conditon of misery a lost condition or if a gratious Condition it is a Condition subsequent not prae-existent no Condition before it whereby a man can close with Jesus Christ and if it was a Condition after Faith unto which the Promise was made then faith was there before and whatsoever followeth Conversion is no ground of Faith but a fruit and effect of it therefore I say our first coming on to Christ cannot be upon a Conditionall but upon an Absolute Promise And if ever the Lord minister comfort unto any man true comfort upon good grounds is ever built upon a Promise of free grace If the witnesse be unto Justification received it is true indeed a gratious Qualification and a Promise to it may give good Evidence of it a posteriore And so for Sanctification if the Lord come to bear witnesse unto a mans Sanctification then he doth it from some work or other of his grace in him as unto Abraham Gen. 22.12 There is a fourth Question which is as a further branch of this fourth Use which I would not speak to but that I might through the good hand of God the better clear things that we may not stumble in our expressions in any conference about the Covenant of Grace and works Quest 4. Now forasmuch as you heare of a Sanctification under a Covenant of works it doth imply that there is a Sanctification that is but transitory and not everlasting nor immortall Whether then may a man evidence his Vnion with Christ by his Sanctification Answ I answer in foure Propositions that I might not leave any occasion of scruple or difference about what is held forth in our Congregation as being that which doth yield as much Agitation as any other Doctrine that is taught among us let me therefore shortly and plainly discover it and let it be so far received as we see the life and presence and truth of the Spirit of God revealing the doctrine of free Grace according to the Scriptures Prop. 1. That a Sanctification which the terrors of the Law may produce that is to say such a Sanctification as may be found in a Covenant of works is no evidence or witnesse of our union with Christ And I suppose there is no difference there but though there be no difference in mens judgements in this yet it is an easie thing for Christians to abuse their Evidence upon this very ground and as much upon this ground as upon any For when Christians come to be really wrought upon and find themselves discouraged from sin and so reforme their lives and give up themselves to obey the word and find comfort therein and great consolation many times in such a case as this Christians doe much differ upon the point yet I doe not know any of all the Teachers in the Country that withdraw their consents from this doctrine that such Sanctification as is wrought in Hypocrites though it may reach to great improvements yet it is no evidence of Justification at all And it hath been handled in another Congregation and I thinke not without weight of truth that to distinguish in men between that Sanctification which floweth from the Law and that which is of the Gospel is a matter so narrow that the Angels in Heaven have much adoe to discern who differ a work fitter for Angels to cut the scantling in it then for the Ministers of the Gospel though indeed there be great difference of the one from the other Now though this doe not tend to heale any difference in judgement yet it is usefull to heale a misprision of sanctification that may be found in all Hypocrites of this Country and elswhere Three things are to be attained unto in all sanctification 1 From what Root it springeth 2 By what Rule it is guided 3 At what End it aimeth And commonly under one or other of these three are put all the differences between the one sanctification and the other I speak it that it may be searched and God is my witnesse not to unsettle the well-grounded comfort of any soule but if any have built upon an unsafe ground or have built Hay or stubble better it is to know it at first whilst there is hope in Israel than when it is too late In those three things formerly mentioned are all the differences between the sanctification of Hypocrites and of the Children of God and they goe so close together that you will say it is an easie matter to discerne justification by sanctification 1 For the Root of it the soule having fellowship with Christ the Holy Ghost cometh into the soule worketh Faith in Jesus Christ and this is the root of all Christian sanctification Ezek. 36.27 and for Faith it is that which purifieth the heart Acts 15.9 without faith it is impessible to please God Heb. 11.6 So that Faith must concur unto the rootednesse of our sanctification in Christ And the Apostle doth attribute both these Roots unto both sorts Unto those Christians that shall afterwards fall away to sin the sin against the Holy Ghost Heb. 6. They have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost that heavenly Gift was Faith which the Apostle reckoneth chiefly among the Principles of Christian Religion vers 1. A tast they had both of Faith and the Holy Ghost yet from both these they fall away You know what was said of Saul 1 Sam. 10.10 The Spirit of God came upon him and so did it likewise upon Judas and Demas acting them mightily in their Administrations and as they were thus carryed along by the Spirit so likewise the spirit of bondage will marvelously prevaile with the Sons of men to draw them on to strong works of Reformation from whence they reap no small Consolation but think and say as Abijah did that the Lord is with them whilst they are with him And as sometimes David said of himselfe I believed
Prop. 2. That true Christian sanctification which is a work of faith is many times darke to a sincere Christian It is generally granted to be so in the first conversion and in time of temptation and desertion as also when a man looketh at his justification and at the glory of God Woe is me for I am uncleane saith the Prophet Isaiah at such a time there is so much power of flesh even in spirituall Christians specially in young Christians so much power in their lusts and in their passions as will put their best friends to a stand what to thinke of them and much more themselves when as they come to be pressed with the power of their corruptions specially when they compare with such hypocrites as run away with more freedome of spirit than themselves for sometimes their corruptions doe lesse appeare and they are more free from temptations and not exposed to such sinfull courses which sometimes true hearted Christians are subject unto So a poore Christian is discouraged an hypocrite emboldened seeing himselfe more sanctified than the other in view Prop. 3. That true sanctification of a sincere Christian is not discerned by him nor is indeed discernable untill he first discerne his justifying faith A double ground of it so leave it to your christian disquisition and search they are both taken from the necessity of faith both to the acceptance of a mans person and worke there is a necessity of the activenes of faith in a mans sanctification The Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering Gen. 4.4 A mans person must first be accepted otherwise all his worke will not goe beyond the worke of a legall Christian and without faith it is impossible to please God no acceptance therefore without faith It is also necessary to the performance of all spirituall duties for all sanctification is from that faith which Christ doth convey into the soule Now if the just man live by his faith whether it be the life of sanctification or consolation then no Christian can discerne his sanctification to be lively but he must discerne his faith living in it he must see his faith deriving strength and grace and life from Christ or else he cannot approve his sanctification to be the sanctification of the Gospell for as there can be no true sanctification unlesse there be faith whereby the person is accepted and whereby life is received to act in all sanctification so there can be no knowledge of sanctification but there must be knowledg of faith whereby a mans person is accepted whereby strength is conveyed to sanctification for if a poore soule be doubtfull of his acceptance with the Lord he is where hee was notwithstanding his sanctification and wanteth comfort for this doubt remaineth whether he be accepted or no which untill the Lord doe manifest a mans faith unto him by the revelation of the holy Ghost he is still at a losse in it for though true sanctification be an evidence of a mans justification yet it selfe must be first evident Thus we see by this third exposition that a further light is required to the light of sanctification Prop. 4. Notwithstanding this neere resemblance between legall and evangelicall holines yet there is a reall difference between them and such a difference as is discernable to Christians whose wite are exercised in the wayes of the Spirit and in the word of God and is discerned by the revelation or manifestation of the Spirit of God both of the state and worke of good Christians and that ordinarily also for I would not count it extraordinary being that which the Lord by his Spirit doth usually reveale unto his people A reall difference there is both in the Roote and in the Rule and in the Scope which they ayme at and so it will appeare to be at the last day Math. 25.23 Depart from me saith Christ you workers of iniquity I never knew you though they came and told him that they wrought by faith in him indeed they stood in some relation to him but not as members to the head onely as branches to the vine which may be cut off and yet the vine not maimed but if the members should be cut off any one from another then is the body maimed but Christ will not suffer his body to be maimed but take you never so many branches from the vine and it is not maimed but will bring forth more if therefore there be no more fellowship between Christ a Christian than between the branches and the vine you may take them away and yet not hurt the vine But wherein should this relation stand It is very hard to conceive insomuch that those who have been most exact and diligent to enquire into it have professed that it is Angels worke very hard it is so to distinguish them from Gods owne children so as not to discomfort poor christians nor to imbolden hypocrites Wee must be tender therefore that the least of Gods children may not want their bread better leave 99 sheepe than that one poore stray sheepe should not be sought after and better an 100 hypocrites perish than that one poor Christian should want his portion and yet it is not meet that hypocrites should allow themselves in the estate and fellowship of the Saints and yet alwayes blesse themselves in their carnall condition If you shall ask a difference in the Root both of them are partakers of the Holy Ghost Hypocrites may have a tast and a poor Christian will feare that his best fellowship with Christ is but a tast and that manifold experience maketh good Wherein then lyeth the difference Doth the Spirit of God leave the heart of an Hypocrite stony and unmelted It is so indeed with the stony but not with the thorny soile for the hearts of some Hypocrites are melted as iron stones they may come to melt about their owne estates through fear and so all those melt that want not depth of earth as the thorny soile did not but mind you they will grow hard again as iron or lead will doe after it is melted Now look at the Spirit of God when he cometh to work effectually and he doth not onely melt the heart but taketh away the heart of stone and giveth an heart of flesh for it is not enough to breake a stone it will be a stone though it be broken but when the Lord changeth it into flesh then it will be hard no more But though a man may have many temptations yet the Lord will keep his heart soft for ever And this is that which I do believe touching the witnesse of Sanctification unto Justification You see what workes of God are found in Hypocrites and therefore what dangerous deceits we are subject unto if God be not more mercifull Againe you see what state Christians are brought unto when their Conversion and Faith is wrought in them and how it is not grounded upon the sight of their
of free grace without any Qualification mentioned Howbeit many of them that heard the word believed and the â—umber of the men were about five thousand about three thousand of them believed before so that here are two thousand that believe upon this Absolute Promise the Lord Christ is offered to them and they receive him by Faith The like we read also Acts 10.43,44 To him give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins And while Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the words to that the Holy Ghost giveth himselfe and they receive him in an absolute Promise and left it should be a matter of absolute doubt unto any consider thus much that whereas the Lord doth unite himselfe to the soule as a Father to a child or as an Husband to a wife it is free For did you ever know a true reall Marriage made in a Conditionall Promise Doth a man say to his wife If you prove a loving and a kind wife then I will be thine Husband Or doth a wife say to her Husband If you will take me and love and maintaine me and all the children that God shall blesse us with then I will be your wife Would not your soule rise against such a Covenant as this Now I beseech you consider whether we shall not put an unspeakable dishonour upon the Covenant of free grace to conceive and expect that if we carry our selves thus and thus then God will be ours and we his But if thus and thus then he will cast us off Hath the Lord made such a Covenant with his Elect Indeed the Lord would have the Jewes to know that though he were marryed to them yet he would not continue that Covenant but upon condition of obedience when they were disobedient the Lord gave them a bill of Divorce but in the Covenant of Grace spoken of Hos 2.19,20 the Lord giveth himselfe and you take him in an absolute Promise and now the Lord dwelleth in you and the soul yieldeth up it selfe unto God to be wholly at his disposing and doth not stint nor limit God upon this and this condition nor doth the Lord so bind us to the performance of any condition as that if it be not found the Covenant will be voyd yet he requireth many things of us as an Husband will doe of his wife as to be meek and lowly c. but if we faile the Covenant is not broken therefore believe it it doth much dishonour the Covenant of Grace to lay the weight of our interest in it upon any Condition by which we might plead our right unto it I confesse that the Lord doth usually give himselfe in a future Promise which makes us conceive that it is not so absolute a Covenant when persons give themselves one to another they give themselves absolutely and not in a future Promise and say I take thee to be my wife and I take thee to be mine Husband but all times are alike unto God that if the Lord say I will marry thee to me in tender mercies and faithfullnesse and loving kindnesse he doth that for the present which he promiseth to doe and againe it breeds in the soule a Reciprocall Union that though it know not whether the Lord hath given himselfe yet this it findeth namely a patient waiting with hope that the Lord will shew mercy at the length as when a woman hath a promise of marriage from her Husband she waiteth in hope untill he give himselfe so there is an Union or Contract when the soule doth waite upon God but when the Lord giveth himselfe more fully then he speaketh more plainly and giveth himselfe not in a future but in a present Promise and now the soule seeth that the Lord hath gracious fellowship with him for ever and ever Thus we see that promises are not vaine things but there are great use of them before our Union all promises are of excellent use in our Union the Lord giveth himselfe in an absolute promise onely but to take Christ in a Conditionall promise by vertue of the Condition is incompatible to a Covenant of Grace 3 After our union with Christ they are of more abundant use They were of use before we were in Christ for Doctrine and for Instruction and for Exhortation but now they are of more efficacy in the same kind and 1 They serve us for Doctrine to teach us that there is not onely free grace in Christ but there are gifts of grace in him and all the treasures of the good things of God are in him and all the blessings of the promises made unto Qualifications are layd up in him also 2 They serve for Instruction to direct us whither to look for Qualifications and the blessings promised unto them also namely to the Lord Jesus Christ to receive the blessing through him and the Qualification by the same hand for they are first fulfilled in him there is no good Condition but it is found in Christ no blessing thereunto but it is found in him also in him therfore they are to be sought for so that though a poor soule see himselfe wretched and blind and naked yet he hath an husband in whom all riches are laid up this he is taught to know by the promise and directed also to goe to Jesus Christ that enjoying him he may enjoy all good things in him 3 They are of use to stirre up unto Prayer for now I see that all these good things are in Christ and in him they must be enjoyed if they be enjoyed at all hereupon the soule is set a work the Holy Ghost concurring therewith to consider Is there so much grace in Christ and in him abundantly Hath the Lord made so many gratious promises unto such and such gracious Qualifications whether then should I goe either for the one or for the other but unto Christ that he may work in us a spirit of Faith of Love and of a sound mind and whatsoever else we stand in need of Give unto thy Servant a wise and an understanding heart saith Solomon when the Lord bad him ask what he should give him 1 Kings 3.9 Thus are the Servants of God stirred up by Conditionall promises to seek unto the Lord for the supply of all their wants for in him are all good things laid up and by him are they given unto his servants 4 They are of use to helpe us to Know our spirituall state and means to discern thereof All these qualifications to which the promises are made are fruits of the Spirit and will more or lesse declare unto you your sanctified state which is a marvelous blessing Upon the promises made unto such conditions the Lord stirreth up the hearts of his people to seek for such conditions to which the promises are made and when the Lord hath given them he then openeth their hearts to see what he hath
of the sixt Commandment and whosoever shall looke on a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart and broken the seventh Commandment Thus Christ hath as it were revived Moses but as the Law given by Christ is not a Covenant of works but a Commandment of well-doing and he having given it we take our selves bound to be subject unto it The Apostle also presseth the morall Law upon severall relations of men Eph. 6.1,2,3 c. It is an honour to Christ that his servants should be holy as he is holy it is for the glory of God and he requireth it the Apostle James presseth it Chap. 2.8 to the end of the Chapter If you fullfill the Royall Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe ye doe well And againe Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Thus wee see the Apostles of Jesus Christ put it upon Christians to keepe the Law of God and Christ himselfe beareth witnes to the Law for God will never justifie sin to be no sin though he will justifie the person of a sinner Now as the Lord Jesus giveth the Law and as it were renueth it so he doth also give his Spirit unto his servants enabling them to keep it Jer. 31.33 and Ezek. 36.27 Now this Law would he not write in the hearts of his people nor give unto them his holy Spirit enabling them to keepe it were it not his will in Jesus Christ that the Law should be the Rule of holines and righteousnes unto his people hence it is that the children of God though they be not under the Covenant of the Law yet take themselves to be bound to the obedience of it for if Christ have given the Law as well as Moses and if he have ratified it by giving them his Spirit to teach and strengthen them to keepe it though not perfectly yet sincerely then they take themselves bound to obey the Law though they be under the Covenant of grace for doe we make voyd the Law through faith God forbid yea we establish the Law for what need have Christians of free justification by Christ if they were not bound unto the obedience of the Law by the Commandment of the Law therefore the free justification of men under a free Covenant of grace doth establish the obedience of the Law otherwise what need they run to Christ to save them from the Curse of the Law Why doe we still run to Christ for the continuance of our Justification but that we find our selves ungodly Creatures against the righteous and holy Law of God Therefore if God have given men the Law his Holy Spirit to strengthen them in the obedience of it and his grace to save them from the curse of it then Christians are to know that they are bound to keep the Law they lye under the authority of it and dare not pluck their necks from under that yoke Now there are divers effects springing from the subjection of Gods people to the Commandement of the Law 1 As they take themselves bound to the obedience of it so they believe and many times feele the fatherly displeasure of God when they transgresse it now the transgression of the Law could not bring them under the displeasure of God unlesse they were bound unto the Commandement of the Law This displeasure David was sensible of Psal 38.1,2,3 c. where he makes many complaints which doe all of them spring from the conscience of the disobedience of the Law which God hath framed in the hearts of his servants whereby they reflect upon their sin as the ground of all the distempers which lye upon their bodies or minds This is the first effect of the subjection of Gods people to his Law they lye under the faith and sense of the danger of the disobedience of it 2 They are under the faith and sense also of Gods gratious acceptance of their wayes when they are sutable to the blessed directions of his word not that they can raise there-from their justified estate but by the same Spirit of God whereby they are helped to obey the Commandements of God they doe see the Lords gratious approbation of them in their poore and weake endeavours for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous that is acknowledgeth and approveth it Psal 1.6 When the Lord by his Spirit boweth the hearts of his people unto obedience then he knoweth and accepteth their obedience Gen. 22.12 Thus the Lord beareth witness unto his Servants that he doth accept their works so that they sensibly know and believe that the Lord doth acknowledge their poorest and weakest endeavours unto which they are carried forth by his Spirit in the Obedience of his word this the Prophet David confirmeth Psal 18.20 to 26. where he speaketh of his righteous dealing with Saul and whereas his enemies laid it to his charge that he was an enemy unto Saul the Lord beareth him witnes that he had walked toward Saul with a good conscience now the Lord having led him an end to deale justly and righteously and purely with Saul having kept him from all the malice and outrage of Saul and maintained his cause against him and delivered him out of his hands whom the Lord had now rejected herein the Prophet seeth the Lord accepting him when in the name of his Son by the power of his Spirit he is helped to attend unto the Commandements of God This is commfortable unto a Christian spirit when the Lord beareth witnesse unto his soule that he hath an eye to all the Commandments of God And all this argueth that the servants of God being in a state of grace in Jesus Christ have looked at themselves as bound by the Commandements of the Law and as being under the Law to Christ who hath given the Law and power unto his servants sincerely to keep it both by writing in their hearts a Law of obedience and by putting his Holy Spirit within them for if the people of God were not sensible of their bounden duty to the observation of the Law of God they would neither have faith nor sence of Gods fatherly displeasure when they negligently breake these Lawes neither would they be sensible of Gods acceptance of their conformity thereunto But we know what the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience c. And truly the Lord doth often beare witnesse unto the integrity of his Servants against the oppositions of men So he did to Abraham to David to Paul and to sundry of the Servants of God though they are not wont to build their safe estate thereupon Yet this kind of Gods acceptance of their wayes and obedience they doe discern c. yet in their best obedience which they doe perform they see the need they have to goe unto God for justifying grace because if they have failed in
Rom. 4.4,5,6 He looketh not for his blessednesse from his works though he should perform all the conditions to which the Promises are made yet he expecteth all his blessing from free Justification and union with the Lord Jesus Christ Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin this is the blessednesse of Christians It is true the Lord doth blesse the workings of his servants and accept them Mat. 25.34,35,36 Thus Christ blesseth them but they are not sensible of their good deeds so as to expect blessings for their obedience sake and therefore they make answere and say Lord when saw we thee an hungry and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink c Neither do they fear the curse of God or that their sins should separate them from God those that are under the law indeed are cursed if they doe not continue in all things that are written in the Law to doe them But this Curse is removed from the Elect by Jesus Christ 3 This also is a third effect of the freedom from the Covenant of works that a Christian doth not look for conjugall comfort from his obedience nor fear conjugall divorce from his disobedience In a Covenant of works it is with a man as it was with Leah Jacobs wife who expected love and fellowship from her Husband because of her fruitfulnes Gen. 29.32,34 but thus doth not a man under a Covenant of grace for when he hath done all he can he is ready to say I am an unprofitable servant Luke 17.10 and doth not chalenge God for any of his dealing with him he seeth he deserveth not his daily bread and so looks for no reward from his good works though the Lord will gratiously acknowledge his servants in what they doe according to his will yet they are not wont to plead any such thing which is very observable in the practice of Jacob Gen. 32.9,10 c. where he doth not presse the performance of Gods Commandement to procure any blessing but acknowledgeth his unworthinesse and looketh for grace from the Promise of God Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother for thou saidst I will surely doe thee good Nor doth a Child of God fear divorce by his disobedience though it have been very great Sometimes the people of God have not onely rejected the servants of God but the Lord himselfe 1 Sam. 8.7 But when Samuel had pressed hard upon them for their sin Cha. 12. and they were truly humbled then Samuel said unto them ver 20 21 22. Fear not c. Therefore feare you not he will not cast you off So that mind you a poor Christian doth not fear divorce from his disobedience for if we should look for blessings from the one or cursings from the other we walk as not under Christ but under the Law But he that is freed from the Covenant of works is freed also from expecting salvation or fearing damnation for what he doth He knoweth the Lord will hide his face from him if he doe evill but he knoweth the Lord will not cast him off for ever yet he dares not commit sin but being under grace he is the more affected if he shall at any time displease God and procure chastisement to himselfe and by this means the Lord doth mortifie his distempers on the other side if he doe well he will not say now my Husband will cleave unto me and dwell with me No no we are freed from the Law Rom. 7.4 But we were not so if we look for conjugall love from God for our obedience to the law it is true if a man be marryed to the Law his obedience unto it will supply comfort unto him but if we be dead unto the Law we have no life in it nor by it but onely in Jesus Christ from whom we expect our comfort indeed we are troubled that we should sin against the grace of God otherwise we look not at our obedience or disobedience to make us accepted or rejected 4 And finally the soule doth not claim his right unto any Conditionall Promise by his performance of the condition nor doth he deny himse fe the blessing that the Promise may reach forth unto him though he be wanting in obedience to this or that Commandement Pregnant for this purpose is the example of Jacob which we mentioned before Gen. 32.9,10 who though he had a plain and a full Promise of God to doe him good if he would returne unto his Countrey and to his kindred yet when he did returne according to the word of God he claimed not his interest in that Promise for that he had done as God commanded him but I am lesse than the least of thy mercies and yet he cometh unto the Lord for the performance of his Promises but upon this ground onely for the sake of mercy and truth Deliver me I pray thee for thou saidst I will surely doe thee good vers 11 12. So that mind you though the soul can make use of a conditionall Promise and come to God for the blessing of it yet not expecting it in the least manner by vertue of his obedience and truly this is the freedome of a Christian soule whereas another man if he have kept the Commandment and performed the condition he then looketh for acceptance from God as if the Lord make this Promise that He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find mercy This man confesseth his sin unto God and forsaketh it and therefore he looketh for mercy But this is not the manner of Gods people and yet if they look for any mercy it is in the way of God but not for their owne goodnes their hope is in the faithfulnesse and free-grace of God they may make mention to the praise of God how he hath guided them and carryed them an end in his owne wayes yet they chalenge nothing for any thing that they have done but put the Lord in mind of his free Promise that as of his free grace he hath freely promised so from the same grace he may make good what he hath promised Vse 1. If any therefore shall accuse the Doctrine of the Covenant of free grace of Antinomianisme and say it teacheth men freedome from the Law of Moses and if they commit any sin they plead they are not bound unto the Law we see how false such an aspersion would be for all the people of God know that the Lord is an avenger of every such wickednesse There is none under a Covenant of Grace that dare allow himselfe in any fin for if a man should negligently commit any sin the Lord will schoole him throughly and make him sadly to apprehend how unworthily he hath made bold to abuse imbeazle the treasures of the grace of God Shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound God forbid None that have a portion in the grace of God dare allow himselfe in sin but if through strength of temptation he be
at any time carried aside it is his greatest burthen 2 Sam. 12.8,9 compared with 13. Hath not the Lord sayth Nathan done these and these things for thee Wherefore then hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord Then David confesseth I have sinned It pierced him to the heart to consider it that he should abuse his neighbours wife and kill her husband and above all that he should commit that wickednes against God that had dealt so gratiously with him So that the children of the Covenant of grace will onely tell you that they are free from the Covenant of the Law but not from the Commandment of it for as it is given by Jesus Christ and ratified in the Gospell and as Christ hath given us his Spirit enabling us to keep it wee are under it so farre as to take our selves bound by the Authority of it and if we doe trangresse against it we know it is sin in the sight of God therefore it is that the soule in such a case is sensible of the wrath and displeasure of God whether it be his own sin or the sin of his brethren therefore he runneth unto God for mercy which he would not doe if he did not know that his desert according to the Law did utterly cut him off from mercy else would he never pray for pardon of sin nor rejoyce when the Lord helpeth him to doe that which is right and just in his sight nor blesse the Lord for strengthning him unto obedience unlesse he thought it to be his duty and therefore Vse 2. It is of use also to Teach the servants of God how far we are freed from the Law to wit from the Covenant of it so that we neither looke for justification nor salvation from it and let it not be grievous to any soule that a Christian should say he doth not feare condemnation by his disobedience he will be apt to feare in this kinde untill he be assured of the favour of God but when he knoweth his portion in the Covenant then indeed he doth not feare condemnation by his sin nor doth he thinke that the Lord will cleave unto him because of his fruitfulnes he casteth not off his comfort nor looketh at himselfe as divorced from Christ because of his barrennes nor doth he looke for his daily bread from all his obedience but expecteth all goodnesse and blessing from the treasures of the free grace of God Vse 3. This may also serve to Teach men some discerning of their owne spirits and state if you looke for justification no longer than you are obedient and feare eternall condemnation then you are disobedient if you are afraid of divorce from Christ because of your sins or if you looke for any vertue or challenge right to any promise by vertue of any well-doing of your owne in such a case either you are under a Covenant of workes or you are gone aside to a Covenant of works and if ever the Lord open your eyes and bestow his free grace upon you you will know your redemption from such dependances as these be I know a Christian man that hath not been cleerely taught the distinct differences between these two Covenants may be misled into dangerous wayes that might tend unto the utter undoing of his soule but it is a sin of ignorance and the Lord will not leave his servants but cleare up his truth and grace unto them Vse 4. May serve to Teach the servants of God that desire to walke in a way of constant obedience how to build their faith and hope truly if they be grounded upon your own obedience or righteousnes of sanctification if they depend upon you you will find your hearts ever unsetled you may finde comfort as under the Law you shall for the Law will cast in comforts upon a man because of his obedience if he be marryed to the Law but if you shall believe that Christ is yours and comfort your selves because you have been by the power of the Law constrained to duties and restrained from sin and thereupon build your conjugall communion with Christ you will find your soules full of sadnes and feare ere long especially if you have true grace in your hearts and therefore it is the faithfullnes and tendernes of the grace of God unto his people that when Christians come into this Country though they have been marvellous eminent in our native Country yet here they cannot pray fervently nor heare the word with profit nor receive the Seales with Comfort they wonder what is become of their old prayers and hearings and Sacraments and of their lively spirits in holy duties truly the Lord hath disinabled them as it were from such things because they did build their union and fellowship with Christ upon them that so they might know the freedome of the grace of God that justifieth the ungodly then will the poore soule be glad to seeke after the Lord Jesus Christ and say as the people of God sometimes did Hos 2.7 I will goe and returne to my first husband for then it was better with me than now now the soule will plainly see discerne that he closed not with his true husband when as he built so much hope and comfort upon his duties therefore he will finde himselfe weake and dead as it were to all spirituall duties and can finde no life in them no comfort from them and it is the marvellous goodnes and free grace of God unto such a soule whom the Lord will not suffer to blesse himselfe in his works for if a man should lay the foundatiō of his comforts in them and be ready as it were to take it ill if he should not finde God accepting his works Wherefore have wee fasted and thou regardest it not Isa 58.3 If a man rejoyce in the sparks which he hath kindled this shall he have at the hands of God he shall lie downe in sorrow Isa 50.11 Whereas the light of God shall gratiously breake forth unto the servants of God that wait upon him though they be for present in darknes and see no light trust not therefore in any legall comforts but wait upon the free grace of God both to justifie sanctifie comfort and glorifie your soules This is the way of constant peace and if the Lord doe at any time checke his servants when they walke in by-wayes it is that he might build them upon a sure foundation so that their salvation will not lye upon their obedience nor damnation upon their disobedience This is the way of constant peace and s◅ety unto all the Israel of God Quest 7. This Doctrine may serve in the next place to Answer a seventh Question touching the necessitie of sanctification For it may be demanded If the Lord will give himselfe unto the soule in the Covenant of his grace not onely his Attributes but his Person all that is God is given by vertue of this Covenant If God hath himselfe not onely chosen us
to life and glory but given his Sonne to redeeme us and holy Spirit to sanctifie us Ezek. 36.27 What need is there then of Sanctification for if the holy Ghost will dwell in us he can take our wits and understandings and understand all our meditations for us without any such actuall concurrence of ours as might be requisite for that end if the Lord give himselfe to be my righteousnes and holines what need I then these gifts of holines so that this in summe is the Question If the Lord will give unto us himselfe what need we these gifts to worke any thing which God is much more able to performe than we can be this springeth naturally from the doctrine Though the Lord give us himselfe and his holy Spirit to dwell in us yet is it needfull that we should be endued with all the gifts of the Spirit of grace that do accompany salvation You will say what need is there then that the holy Ghost should dwell in us or will not these carry an end our soules unto immortality Truly we have need that the Lord should give us his holy Spirit to dwell in us notwithstanding all the gifts of his grace though they indeed are necessary conditions to be found in the soules of all Gods servants Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with holines without which no man shall see the Lord as if he made it not onely of absolute necessity unto salvation in another world but for a comfortable condition in this world follow peace and holines as if they were ready to fly away from a man and indeed the Originall word doth imply no lesse for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie the pursuit of something that fleeth from a man as peace will many times fly from one a man shall have much adoe to attaine unto it Psal 120.6,7 it is not easily attained unto therefore should not be suffered to depart but held fast when it is enjoyed And so for holines the Apostle would have us make an holy kinde of pursuite after it as if it were still withdrawing it selfe from us which cometh through the corruptions of our hearts for wee are soone weary of holy duties as prayer or conference or the like if holines be in any thing it soone groweth wearisome to flesh and bloud but though our weake and feeble nature will be withdrawing us from holines yet the Lord would have us to follow it and pursue it and so shall a man be withdrawn from the world and from the temptations and bad examples thereof doe not say what shall we be wiser than our fathers is not moderation best in all things but consider what the Apostle saith follow still after it even unto perfection and his words doe intimate the Reason of it Without which no man shall see the Lord for what is holines in its owne nature it is that which giveth God his due as righteousnesse giveth man his due this is a maine ground why we are so slow in works of holines for were they of another nature and did they serve our turnes more as we thinke we should not then account them tedious if a man were to sit and tell money all day long this is for my selfe saith a man and for my profit and if it were for another we should not thinke the time long it may be about that work neither but mind you when it cometh to any thing which doth concerne the Lord then it s so sarre above a mans reach whatsoever we have to doe in the things of God that we should soone be weary of reaching forth our hands all the day long unto the Lord and to be constantly for God from God and with God in all our actions our base spirits are soone ready to be withdrawing from the Lord therefore the Apostle biddeth us Follow after peace and holines without which c. so that great is the necessity of holines and worthy to be followed after for though a mans owne heart and the world and men and Satan withdraw us from it yet follow after it for without it no man shall see God there is a kinde of holines which some men have attained unto many a faire day agoe but t is a thousand to one whether it be the holines that doth accompany salvation for that holines is not easily attained unto but the other will easily cleave close unto a man Now if you shall aske me Quest Wherefore the Lord will have us pursue after holines and what needeth it if the Spirit of holines dwell in me by an Everlasting Covenant if it did withdraw from us as it did from Adam it was another matter but though it may be quenched in us yet it abideth for ever what need then of gifts of holinesse Answ That one word may be sufficient which we finde 2 Tim. 2. If any man purge himselfe from these evills he shall be c. This sheweth us why gifts of holines are requifite to be in Gods people namely that they might become meet instruments in the hand of God and fitted unto every good word and worke therefore it is that the Lord will have us to be filled with all the gifts of righteousnes and fruits of his Spirit that we might be the more fit Temples for the holy Ghost to dwell in and this is the principall Reason of the point Quest If then there be such gifts of holines what need the holy Ghost dwell in us is it not enough that he should shed abroad these things into our hearts cannot the Lord carry an end the worke of our salvation by these gifts Answ There is need that the holy Ghost should dwell in us notwithstanding 1. To keepe these gifts in us 2. To Act them in us 3. To witnesse unto our soules by these for our comfort and the good one of another Some Scriptures for all these 1. That there is need of the holy Ghost that he should keepe these in us 2 Tim. 1.14 there is a worthy thing committed unto us how shall wee keepe it not by our owne wit or wisdome carefull watchfullnes and faithfullnes though such things ought not to be wanting but the charge is Keepe those things by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us we stand in need of gifts to be fit instruments in the hand of God we stand in need of the Spirit of God to maintaine that which God giveth us though Adams gifts were in perfection yet not having the holy Ghost to keepe them for him they all fly from him as soone as ever he had tasted of the forbidden fruit and left him naked and desperate therefore in the Covenant of grace the Lord giveth the holy Ghost to keepe strong possession in his servants against the strong man armed 2. It s the holy Ghost that Acteth the gifts given to us and enableth them in us for the holy Ghost who keepeth possession doth derive continued strength into our faith which putteth life into all
duty as Prayer or Conference or the like for I will not limit the Holy One of Israel yet usually it is done in the Ministry of the Gospel and though the Lord doth not limit himselfe yet he doth limit us to attend upon the means which he usually worketh by but whatsoever the way be this is the manner of Gods working he doth universally come into the soul in some word or other of his grace as for instance that in 2 Cor. 5.19 or that in 1 Tim. 1.15 In some such word of his grace he cometh and putteth life into the soule and maketh it somwhat quies and causeth it to see that there is hope in Israel and the Lord is able and there is riches enough in Christ to save me By such kind of work it is that the Lord bringeth the soules of his servants effectually to Christ and now hath God the Father given us unto him and untill now thou never camest unto him savingly This is the second Act whereby God the Father giveth himselfe unto the soule The third act or work followeth both these as soone as ever the Lord hath given this selfe-denying spirit unto the soule and hath made it like unto a bruised Reed or like a Traveller that is out of his way and willing to take any man by the hand that will lead him into his way againe when the soule is in such a frame the Lord cometh with a third act of Reconcilement The first work was of Conviction the second of Prostration the third of Reconciliation This is the third work of the Father though there is in all these works a concurrence of the whole Trinity yet some are more proper unto each Person as our Catechismes teach us and we are not wont to scruple such expressions in them God the Father created us and we cannot expound it but as God the Father created us at the first so he doth again create you or else if we acknowledg it in the one and not in the other we do wrong unto God even to the Father Well he is then reconciled unto us having given unto us the Spirit of his Son now he doth pronounce us reconciled unto him this is the work which is spoken of Rom. 5.10 and this is the work of God the Father according to that was before alledged 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world c. Now there are two acts of God as fruits that follow hereupon and both of them done at once upon the soule 1 The first is Adoption whereby he maketh us his Children as Gal. 4.4,5,6 John 1.12 So that now we are the Brethren of Christ and the Sons of the Eternall God Adoption is properly the work of the Father but Christ being the naturall Son of God we must be knit unto him before we can be accounted Sons 2 The second is Justification Rom. 8.33,34 This is the Fathers work and it is principally attributed unto him to forgive our iniquities and to make reconciliation in Christ Jesus And look as it is in our naturall Being so soon as ever we have received naturall life from Adam we become the Sons of Adam and his sin is imputed unto us so it is in the new birth as soon as ever the life of Christ is shed abroad into our hearts so soon are we Heires of Christ and the righteousness of the second Adam is imputed unto us now to our Justification as the sin of Adam before was to our Condemnation Vse 1. The Doctrine it selfe is but an Use but I desire that we may all of us apply it unto our selves It will be a help to us for our Instruction to Teach us how we came to saving fellowship with God in Jesus Christ and wherein lieth our spirituall union with Christ and how it is wrought and obtained and this is necessary for as it hath been observed by others so we may now gather it from what we have heard that there be 4 sorts of men that fall short of this union with Christ 1 You have some that blesse themselves in their naturall estate it may be they are rich and honourable among men well they blesse themselves in that estate and will never goe any further 2 There is another sort that are convinced of the danger of their naturall estate they dare not rest there and hereupon they fall upon Reformations and so to duties of Humiliation and such like wherein they find as they conceive such a blessed change and so much comfort as doth satisfie them And indeed God doth comfort men in their Reformations for God will have no man lose by him Mat. 6.2,5 Hypocrices have their reward for their Aime and for their Prayers Herod when he heard John reformed many things and heard him gladly Mark 6.20 Here was a great change and doubtlesse much comfort in that gladnesse yet these men never had the work of God the Father to burn up all that they had received by any strength of their owne 3. A third sort goe a step beyond these they have been convinced that they went forth â—o Reformation in their owne strength they plainly see it and discerne it and therefore they know that it is impossible to be saved by the righteousnesse of the Law and that it is not of works neither of one kind nor of another they are convinced that Faith onely must doe the deed and upon this ground they will take up Faith to believe in Christ for salvation and that Faith which formerly they have pitched upon their good duties they will now pitch upon Christ but still it is the same Faith for the root is not yet burnt up the old corruption still remaineth in them and so here is your old faith still translated from one object to another it was fastned before upon your duties and reformations and now upon Christ though by creature-strength and now a man is ready to plead and say If God had not loved me he would never have set me upon such reformations nor have enlarged me with such comforts if he had not been well pleased with me in Jesus Christ And though I have been sometimes burnt up touching my hope in reformation yet I have translated my Faith to Jesus Christ but how came you to doe that Why I saw my hopes in my owne reformation would not serve my turne and therefore I believed in Jesus Christ and now shall nothing draw me from him nor pull me from my confidence for I have built upon some word of God and some Promise of his made unto such reformation as I have set upon and is not this true Faith in Jesus Christ This is far from true Faith it is no other but a strong fallacy whereby the Devil doth cheat men and in truth this Faith is but a Faith of a mans owne making that I may so speak it is no more than a spirit of Burning at the best that hath burnt up his confidence in