took he Counsel and who instructed him and taught him in the Path of Judgment and taught him Knowledg and shew'd him the way of Vnderstanding Behold the Nations are as a drop of a Bucket and are counted as the small Dust of the Balance Behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing The Majesty and the infinite Power that is in God when some glimmering of it is beheld by the Soul how doth it lay it in the Dust before him and make it willing to be resigned up unto him to be disposed of by him For as his own Pleasure and his own Glory was the moving Cause why he created Angels and Men so in disposing of them according to his own good Pleasure who shall say to the most High Why dost thou thus God will be honoured by all his Creatures in a way of Mercy or in a way of Justice That he secured part of the Angels in the state wherein he created them is infinite Grace to them that he gave up others that fell from him to follow the Counsel of their own Wills and to persist in a course of Rebellion against him that so they might glorify the Attribute of his Justice is no Injustice in him the Evil which they brought upon themselves being a voluntary Act of their own That part of the Offspring of Adam are rescued out of their fallen state by rich and free Grace whilst the rest are left to the Light or Law of the first Covenant under which the great Creator hath placed them determining to proceed towards them according to the Tenor of that Covenant which they stand under before him is his own good pleasure In clearing up the Soveraignty of God I shall proceed a little further and before I leave it open two or three Scriptures in Job Chap. 2.3 And the Lord said unto Satan Hast thou considered my Servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth a perfect and an upright Man one that feareth God and escheweth Evil and still he holdeth fast his Integrity altho thou movedst me against him to destroy him that is in his outward Estate without cause From hence I observe that Sin was not the moving cause why that great outward Calamity fell upon Job but an Act of God's Soveraignty over his Creature intending to bring Glory to himself out of the Misery of his Servant of whom he might dispose as he pleased without the least Injustice And Job beholding God dealing with him in a way of Soveraignty his Soul was kept in a right frame before him ver 9 10. Then said his Wife unto him Dost thou still retain thy Integrity Curse God and die But he said unto her Thou speakest as one of the foolish Women Shall we receive Good at the hand of God and shall we not receive Evil The best Support for God's Children when under Affliction is to look at the Soveraignty of God that so they may be kept from murmuring against him When we look up unto God as no ways bound to us but as he is pleased himself it makes us stoop before him and when the Soul goeth from its Duty here it goeth from that which should support it in Peace and Quietness An Example we have in Job when he begun to stand upon terms with God how was his Spirit unsettled as Chap. 31. from ver 1 to the 35th and then he breaks forth O that one would hear me Behold my desire is that the Almighty would answer me And in ver 37. I would declare unto him the number of my steps as a Prince would I go near unto him Look forward into Job 40. from ver 1 to 15. and we find that God doth come forth to answer Job but how doth he answer him Doth he give Job an account why he brought such Calamity upon him No he stands upon his Soveraignty ver 2. Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him He that reproveth God let him answer it Doth Job now make good what he said that he would declare unto him the number of his steps as a Prince doth he go nigh unto him No he falls under him ver 3 4. Then Job answered the Lord and said Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth Here is the end of the Creatures standing upon terms with God and here is the safety of God's Children to endeavour to witness a humble submissive frame of Spirit to him I have treated hitherto of the Soveraignty of God I come now under the second Head to shew that Election proceeds from God as an Act of Grace and Goodness the advancing of his own Glory being that which is carried on in the Decree of Election Rom. 9.23 And that he might make known the Riches of his Glory on the Vessels of Mercy which he had afore prepared unto Glory For altho God was infinitely happy in himself yet so great is his condescending Grace to those whom he doth by his eternal Decree choose to be Vessels of Mercy that he is pleased to manifest of his Goodness to them and to take them into a state of eternal Glory with himself nothing foreseen at all in them being the moving Cause of God's choosing of them the only Cause being the good Pleasure of his Will 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy Calling not according to our Works but according to his own Purpose and Grace which is given us in Christ Jesus before the World began Chap. 2.19 Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are his This Doctrine administreth great Comfort to the Saints who feel the Work of Election upon their Hearts that their Salvation standeth by God's eternal Decree that cannot be changed and not in themselves that daily might lose it How doth this make the Saints love God to the uttermost who hath manifested so great Love to them How doth this serve to humble them that they had nothing of themselves for their Salvation but it freely came from God Thirdly I shall proceed to shew how the Lord Jesus Christ is made the Head of the Elect and the way through which electing Love doth pass to every elect Person I shall prove it by these following Reasons 1st Because that our Nature in him was fitted as a Tabernacle for the receiving of the eternal Word the second Person in the Godhead the Holy Ghost by his incomprehensible Power working his Conception supernaturally purifying that Matter of which his Human Nature was taken in the Womb of the Virgin so that his Nature had not the least Defilement in it The Divine Nature and the Human Nature became united in him to him run all the Promises and to all the Elect as they are united in him 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the Promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the Glory of God by us that through him
Soul can have no real Satisfaction that it is called of God to the work of the Ministry of the Gospel because there wants a Union by Faith with the Lord Jesus Christ from whence fresh Supplies should be drawn for the discharging of that great Work besides there wants the knowledg of the worth of poor Souls accompanied with yerning of the Bowels after their eternal good But Learning being put under the Qualification of which I have been speaking and brought to be a Servant to it is to be prised as a very choice Jewel Yet so greatly are Christians degenerated from the Power of Christianity that Learning is made the main thing in this day and their Hearts are taken up more with the curiousness of the Stile of the Minister than with a serious search about the matter delivered and so their Faith stands in the Wisdom of Man and not in the Power of God Having shewed that the extraordinary and the ordinary Qualification to dispense the Gospel with the holy Spirit 's accompanying of it as the instrumental means to gather the Elect out of the World unto God do depend upon the Intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ as being their Head and Mediator I proceed in the second place to shew that the keeping of them in the way of Salvation until they be brought to the Manisions of eternal Rest is committed to him and dependeth on him And under this Head I shall endeavour to shew the nature of that Work which the holy Spirit carries on in the Hearts of the Saints In shewing that the keeping the Saints in the way of Salvation until they be brought to the Mansions of eternal Rest doth depend upon the Lord Jesus Christ I shall consider the Power with which he is invested as the Church's Head his Prevalency with his Father for them and his unlimited Power over all the Church's Enemies for the Church's good Acts 2.36 Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ The Father hath given him to the Elect to be unto them Christ a Saviour that by feeding upon his Person by Faith they should find that comprehended in him which should be sufficient to keep them for ever in the Love and Favour of God and a Lord to them as having an unlimited Power vested in him Mat. 28.18 And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All Power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Compared with Ephes 1.22 23. And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church which is his Body by Church here is meant the whole Body of the Elect. For the good of these he is set over the holy Angels that they might be imploy'd by him for their good Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation And gave him to be Head over all things to the Church not Head unto all things Neither Satan nor his Instruments have any benefit by this unlimited Power that the Father hath invested him withal but the Elect only yet his Power is of so large extent as to overturn all the Plots and Designs of Satan so as to make the issue of them end in the Church's good and his own Glory he countermines them and either takes out their Powder by which they designed to blow up the Church or in the springing of it makes the Ruin fall upon themselves In clearing up a little further this Soul-refreshing Truth I shall open the words of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 11.3 But I would have you know that the Head of every Man is Christ and the Head of the Woman is the Man and the Head of Christ is God In opening the words of the Apostle we are to understand the Head of the Woman is the Man where the Woman is joyn'd in Marriage-Union to the Man and by the Head of every Man is Christ must be meant every elect Person who comes to witness a Union with him and by the Head of Christ is God we must understand him as having his Human Nature join'd to the second Person in the Godhead and so brought into a nigh relation with the Father Now that I may-come to some discovery of this glorious Mystery I shall consider the Relation which the Woman hath to her Husband by this Marriage-Union and the Privileges that she is invested with by this Relation That her Relation is very great doth appear in that of two Persons they are so far made one that ever after this Knot of Marriage is tied he looks upon her as a part of himfelf she loseth her own Name and takes the Name of her Husband thereby shewing that she is become a part of him and so great is her Privilege by this Union that how mean soever her Extraction hath been before Marriage it is from that time forward forgotten and she is made a sharer with her Husband in whatsoever Honour he is invested and whatever is confer'd upon him she becomes a sharer with him in it This saith the Apostle it a great Mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the Church That is he was for typifying out the Relation that was betwixt Christ and the Church by it And this leads me to the second thing in the Apostle's words viz. to shew how every elect Person doth become one with the Lord Jesus Christ and a sharer with him in the Honour the Father hath invested him withal Every elect Person doth become one with the Lord Jesus by the free tendering of himself to them this must be to bring about the Marriage And O what Condescension is here in this excellent Person that he should stoop so low to take such unworthy Creatures into so nigh a relation with himself Persons that before they become related to the Lord Jesus Christ are under the Penalty of the first Covenant that is are under the Sentence of the Law whose Threatnings are no less than eternal Misery an eternal Exclusion of Soul and Body from the Presence of God being that which is comprehended in the Sentence That this should be the state that the Elect are in before the offers of these Tenders and that Embassadors should be employ'd to make Tenders outwardly and the holy Spirit sent from the Bridegroom to draw the Hearts of the Elect to condescend to this Marriage-Union O wonderful amazing Work if we consider the different state that these two Parties are in before Marriage The Hearts of the Elect being drawn to accept him upon the terms he is offered with what Cheerfulness is the Heart given up to him to be one with him and how do they look upon themselves ever after this Union to be concerned in his Interest as it is in the World Doth it call for a daily bearing the Cross With what willingness of Heart do they come to it
come to partake of them the Promises run to him and fix in him as in an immoveable Rock that can never be shaken 2dly He is the Head of the Elect and the way through which electing Love doth pass to every elect Person because they are given to him as a Seed Psal 89.27 28 29. Also I will make him my first-born higher than the Kings of the Earth My Mercy will I keep for him for evermore my Covenant shall stand fast with him His Seed will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the days of Heaven Compared with Heb. 2.13 And again I will put my Trust in him And again I and the Children which God hath given me As the first Adam conveys natural Defilement to all his Seed and that which causeth the loss of Communion with God so the Lord Jesus Christ that conveys to all the elect Seed which removes that which hinders Communion and restores Communion to them John 6.57 As the living Father sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me Here is three Livers here is 1. The Life of the Godhead 2. Here is the Man Christ living upon the Godhead 3. Here is the Believer living upon the Lord Jesus Christ as God-man in one Person the Divine Nature putting Life into the Manhood and conveying of that Life to the Elect. Gal 3.16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made He saith not To Seeds as of many but as of one And to thy Seed which is Christ Is Christ mystical here meant saith Leigh then the Elect are comprehended in him To Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made to Abraham in Christ and not to Christ in Abraham saith Kendal against John Goodwin 3dly It doth appear that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Elect and the way through which electing Love doth pass to every elect Person from the Experience of the Saints from Abel to this very day The Elect that were in the World before his appearance in the state of his Humiliation did all by Faith look at him and through him were brought to the enjoyment of God and upon him lay their hope of persevering with God Heb. 12.1 2. Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a Cloud of Witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the Sin that doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the Race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our Faith This Cloud of Witnesses that look'd unto Jesus were the Saints from Abel's time in the 11th Chapter The Saints that have been and are in the World in the times of the New Testament through Jesus do go to God through Jesus do enjoy Communion with God 2 Cor. 4.6 For God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined into our Hearts to give the Light of the Knowledg of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ To sum up this Chapter Was the Lord Jesus Christ comprehended in the Womb of the Decree of Election Was the Union of the two Natures in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ comprehended in the Decree as the Head of the Elect and by the Decree appointed to be the Conveyer of Grace to every elect Person Then whatever was acted and done by him was subservient to the Decree and proves the Covenant of Grace and Redemption to be but one Covenant Joh. 4.34 Jesus saith unto them My Meat is to do the Will of him that sent me and to finish his work CHAP. II. Of the Redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ in two parts First Perfect Obedience to the Law Secondly Satisfaction to the Penalty of it for the Elect subservient to the Decree of Election and leading to answer the great Designs of it THE great God that he might make good that threatning against Satan That the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents Head doth by the incomprehensible Power of the Holy Ghost first sanctify that Matter of which the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ was made and then without the help of Man's Seed did create or form it into the shape of Man to which a living Soul was given that so he might appear to be like his Brethren the Elect. To this second Man so wonderfully made was the eternal Word the second Person in the Godhead united in the Womb of the Virgin Mary and brought forth into the World our Emanuel the Mighty God the everlasting Father the wonderful Counsellor the Prince of Peace His Divine Nature being the express Image of his Father's Substance and in respect of it it was no Robbery in him to be the Father's equal and one with the Father That he might be one with the Elect he is wonderfully united to their Nature in the Womb of the Virgin and that he might figure out the Misery that all the Elect were in by Generation he is born in a Stable and laid in a Manger typifying out that by reason of their natural Pollution they were like their first Father Adam who was driven from the Presence of God amongst the Beasts He is put under the first Covenant that he might fulfil the Righteousness of it Gal. 4.4 5. Made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons And he is not only put under the first Covenant to give it a perfect Obedience that in that Obedience of his the Elect might appear before God but he is likewise put under the first Covenant to give Satisfaction to the Wrong done to it by the Elect as they successively come into the World Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree Compared with Heb. 2.14 Forasmuch then as the Children are partakers of Flesh and Blood he the eternal Word also himself likewise took part of the same that through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death that is the Devil Those that stood in the Decree of Election as Children coming into the World in such a way by Generation as brought them under the defilements of Sin and so under the Penalty of the first Covenant the eternal Word takes hold of their Nature and by sanctifying of it in Death perfuming the Sacrifice by his Divine Nature the Penalty of the first Covenant is removed and a Pardon laid in for the Children as they shall successively come into the World and have it applied to their Souls by the Spirit They being interested in this Satisfaction the Penalties of the first Covenant are removed and the executive Power of it taken out of the hands of Satan Having now by way of Introduction opened the door into the Work of Redemption wrought by the Lord Jesus Christ I come in the next place to consider this Soul-amazing
tarry ye here and watch with me Mark 14.35 And he went forward a little and fell on the ground and pray'd that if it were possible the hour might pass from him Compared with Luke 22.42 43 44. Father if thou be willing remove this Cup from me nevertheless not my Will but thine be done And there appeared an Angel unto him from Heaven strengthening him And being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly and his Sweat was as it were drops of Blood falling down to the ground He prayeth for freedom from that Cup and Hour that is from the grievous Torments that were upon his Soul yea so great was the Sorrow wherewith his Soul was ready to be overwhelmed that he seeks for help by the Prayers of his poor drousy sleeping Disciples There is an Astonishment or an Amazement which falls upon the Soul two ways that is an Astonishment of Admiration and an Astonishment of Fear the latter is here meant He saw himself fallen on a sudden into such Distress as he knew he could not be delivered from it and being in an Agony he wrestles with Grief and Fear which pressed his precious Soul yea he struggles and wrestles with it that he might not be so far overcome by it as to bewray any kind of Impatience he vents his Grief and Sorrow in these words Not my Will but thine be done The first Adam had a Garden of Pleasure to walk in the second Adam hath a Garden of Sorrow to weep and mourn in The Garden in which Adam and Eve was placed had a pleasant River running through it to water it this Garden is watered with the Blood of the second Adam that is forced through his Veins by inward Grief and excessive Sorrow he not only is said to have sweat drops of Blood but as it were to have bedew'd the place Saith Jansen upon the words If we behold him upon the Cross he there complains of the withdrawings of the Divine Nature from him in these words My God my God why hast thou forsaken me I come secondly to speak of the Sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ in his Body he experienced the fulfilling of the words of the Prophet Isa 50.6 I gave my Back to the smiters and my Cheeks to them that pluck'd off the Hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting Pilate who was his Judg pronounceth him innocent and as an outward sign of his Innocency washeth his hands when he pronounceth Sentence against him to clear himself of his Blood yet scourgeth him and deliver'd him to be crucified Mat. 27.27 28. Then the Souldiers of the Governour took Jesus into the common Hall and gathered unto him the whole band of Souldiers And they stripped him and put on him a scarlet Robe The putting on the Scarlet Robe was for two Reasons the first that the pain of his scourging might be increased upon him the second reason to shew their Contempt of his Kingly Power Ver. 29 30. And when they had platted a Crown of Thorns they put it upon his Head and a Reed in his right-hand and they bowed the Knee before him saying Hail King of the Jews And they spit upon him and took the Reed and smote him on the Head They would not only mock him with the putting of such a Crown on him but by the same also shew their Cruelty to him by fastening the Thorns into his Head Ver. 32. And as they came out they found a Man of Cyrene Simon by name him they compelled to bear his Cross It was a Custom among the Romans that those Malefactors that were to be crucified did bear their own Cross but such had been already the grievous Sufferings of this innocent Lamb that his Body was wearied and made unable to undergo it so a Stranger is laid hold of to carry it for him to the place of Execution Ver. 38. Then were two Thieves crucified with him one on the right-hand and the other on the left This Death of the Cross was a very painful and shameful Death the weight of the Body being born up by Nails struck through the Hands and Feet until they died by a languishing Death He was numbered with the Transgressors having a Thief on each hand that we might be reckoned amongst the Sons of God His Arms were stretched open to shew his willingness to receive poor returning Sinners with one Arm inviting the Jews with the other the Gentiles to flee from Wrath to come by taking Sanctuary in him O my Soul dost thou desire to behold the abominable nature of Sin Dost thou desire to know how hateful it is in God's sight Then take a view of thy suffering Lord. How was his precious Soul fill'd with Anguish How was his precious Body which was formd by the incomprehensible Power of the Holy Ghost in the Womb of the Virgin Mary wearied out by a painful Death Behold this Man of Sorrow that is acquainted with Grief The Vail of the Temple is rent at his Death to shew that he was plucking away that Vail that interposed betwixt God and poor Sinners The Sun was darkned being asham'd to behold the Rage of the wicked against him the Earth who had long groaned under the Curse for Sin trembles to behold what the Son of God indures to remove the Curse Thirdly I proceed to shew that the Redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ was subservient to the Decree of Election and answers the Designs of it And I shall clear it up from these following Scriptures Acts 2.22 23. Ye Men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a Man approved of God among you by Miracles and Wonders and Signs which God did by him in the midst of you as ye your selves also know Him being delivered by the determinate Counsel and foreknowledg of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain I shall pass by the Wickedness of these malicious Jews and only take notice of what is contain'd in this 23d Verse concerning the Decree of God his determinate Counsel and Fore-knowledg having determined it to be so that is that his Son should thus suffer which did not in the least lesson their Sin The reasons of our Lord's Death in reference to the answering of the Decree we have in John 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctify my self that they also might be sanctified through the Truth Compared with Heb. 2.11 For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one for which cause he if not ashamed to call them Brethren By sanctified and sanctifieth in these two Scriptures is not meant the sanctifying Work of the holy Spirit but his being set apart to the Work of Redemption performed by the Lord Jesus Christ being the Head of the Elect for their sakes he willingly submitteth to those Conditions his Father required to clear them from the Penalty of the first Covenant That the Redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ is subservient to the Decree
of Election and answers the Designs of it doth further appear from Rev. 13.8 And all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him whose Names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World Here are some by eternal Decree secured from falling into Idolatrous Worship here is the Death of the Lord Jesus Christ taken in by the Decree as the means appointed by the Decree to secure them from falling To sum up this Chapter If the Redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ be comprehended in the Decree of Election as the means appointed to answer that part of the design of the Decree which was the satisfying the Conditions of the Covenant of Works that so the Elect might be delivered from the Penalty of it it will appear to any unprejudiced Christian that the Covenant of Grace and Redemption are but one Covenant CHAP. III. Of the Mediatorship of the Lord Jesus Christ in two parts First In procuring and sending of the Spirit to fit for the publishing of the way of Salvation Secondly For the Spirits accompanying the outward Declaration by opening the Heart and so leading into the way and keeping the Saints in it subservient to the Decree of Election and answering the Designs of it IF we consider the state of the Elect as they come into the World which by reason of the natural Pollution that doth attend them doth make them wholly unfit for Communion with God it is necessary that they should have one to be their Head who doth partake both of the Nature of God and of the Nature of Man as the Person that was to stand betwixt them and God He must be Man of kin to the Nature offending that he might satisfy the Justice of God for the Righteousness of God did require that the same Nature which had committed Sin should undergo the Penalty due to Sin And he must be God that so his Justice Goodness and Righteousness being every way infinite and eternal might make the Sufferings of that Nature to which it was united of no less force than eternal Torment in others to the satisfying of Justice for whom he suffered And altho the eternal Word did not actually take our Nature on him that he might discharge the Elect from the Penalty of the first Covenant until his appearance in the state of his Humiliation yet he stood as the Head of the Covenant and through his Undertaking Mercies were conveyd to the Elect and Judgments prevented from falling upon them We have several Instances in the Old Testament upon special occasions of his appearing in Man's Nature and that as Mediator upon the account of the Elect Gen. 18.1 2 3. And the Lord appeared unto him in the Plain of Mamre and he sat in the tent-door in the heat of the day And he lift up his Eyes and looked and lo three Men stood by him and when he saw them he ran to meet them from the tent-door and bowed himself toward the ground and said My Lord if now I have found favour in thy sight pass not away I pray thee from thy Servant That one of these three was the eternal Word in Man's Nature appears ver 20 21. And the Lord said Because the Cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their Sin is very grievous I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the Cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know That his Eye was upon the Elect in Sodom doth appear ver 32. And he that is Abraham said O let not the Lord be angry and I will speak yet but this once Peradventure ten shall be found there that are righteous And he said I will not destroy it for tens sake Compared with Chap. 19. and the former part of the 22d Verse Haste thee escape thither for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither The Son of God who is the Head of the Elect hath searched after the number of the Righteous in this place and hath found them in it who belong unto him they must be removed before the wicked can be destroy'd A second Scripture for the confirming of what I am treating of is Gen. 32.24 And Jacob was left alone and there wrestled a Man with him until the breaking of the day That this Man is the eternal Word in Mans Nature will appear ver 28. And he said Thy Name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel for as a Prince hast thou Power with God and with Men and hast prevailed The Son of God sympathizes with his poor afrighted Member who was in danger to be destroy'd by his cruel Brother Esau Hosea 12.4 Yea he Jacob had power over the Angel of the Covenant and prevailed he wept and made Supplication Having opened the way into this Chapter by the foregoing Introduction I come now to clear up the Matter containd in it and I shall confine my self to the times of the New Testament which affords us the greatest Light in these Truths And first I shall shew that the sending of the Spirit to fit for the publishing of the way of Salvation dependeth on his Intercession as Mediator betwixt the Father and the Elect and that the Spirit 's accompanying the outward Declaration and opening the Heart to receive the Truths held forth in the Gospel Declaration dependeth likewise upon him Secondly That the keeping of the Saints in a way of Salvation dependeth likewise upon him And under this Head I shall endeavour to shew the nature of that Work which the holy Spirit carries on in the Hearts of the Saints Thirdly and lastly I shall shew how it is all subservient to the Decree of Election and answers the Designs of it And first I shall shew that the sending of the Spirit for the publishing of the way of Salvation dependeth upon the Intercession of the Lord Jesus I shall divide this Head into two parts and first treat of the extraordinary Qualification wherewith the first Publishers of the Gospel were indued Secondly the ordinary Qualification without which a Person can have no real Satisfaction to his own Soul that he is call'd of God to that great Work and Service And first I shall treat of that extraordinary Qualification wherewith the first Publishers of the Gospel were endued The Lord Jesus Christ after he was risen from the dead bids his Disciples stay for the Qualification wherewith they should be fitted for the dispensing of the Gospel in these words Luke 24.49 And behold I send the Promise of my Father upon you but tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem until ye be endued with Power from on high Compared with Acts 2.1 2 3 4. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they that is the Disciples were all with one accord in one place And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty Wind and it filled all the House where they were
he shall neglect to hear these two or three Witnesses then tell it to the Church that is let his Offence and his persisting in it after Admonition be laid before the Church to whom the Offender belongs as a Member but if he neglect to hear the Church in admonishing of him of his Offence then let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man and a Publican that is as a Person that is a Stranger from the Church and not belonging to it Thirdly A third Reason why the New Testament requires a Work of true Conversion upon the Heart as that which qualifies or fits a Person to be a Member of a visible Church is because as every Member doth receive Grace in a measure so it is their Duty to communicate of that Grace to their fellow Member holding the Head the Lord Jesus Christ who by Faith ties and knits every Member of the Body unto him and from that fulness that is in him gives forth Nourishment to every individual Member so that as they grow up by the strength of Grace they are enabled to add something to the edifying and strengthning of their fellow Members and to add to the Beauty of the Church to whom they do belong for altho many Men that are Members of the Church may not have received such Gifts as to fit them for publick Exercise in the Church much less Women who are strictly forbidden the contrary 1 Cor. 4.34 35. yet in their private Discourses one with another whether Men or Women if the Matter which they discourse of tend not to the advancing of the Lord Jesus Christ and the exalting of the Grace of God through him by which they may be edified such Persons little consider what is required of Church-Members in order to the discharge of their Duty to God and to one another CHAP. V. Of the Ordinances of the New Testament Church what is required to fit for the partaking of them and what they do hold out when administred according to the Rule of the Word THE Apostle Paul lays open the different state of the Church under the Old and New Testament in Heb. 3.5 6. And Moses verily was faithful in all his House as a Servant for a Testimony of those things which were to be spoken after That is Moses was faithful in giving forth the Pattern of the Old Testament Worship which was figurative of what was to be done by the Messiah at his appearance in the state of his Humiliation He by his appearance performing what was figured out by the Old Testament Worship it must follow that there was an end put to that Worship and with the Worship to the Church-state likewise Ver. 6. But Christ as a Son over his own House whose House are we if we hold fast the Confidence and the rejoicing of the hope unto the end The New Testament Church hath the honour to have the Son of God to be the first Discoverer by his own Mouth what was required to be a Member of it and to be the Appointer of the Ordinances to be continued in it Mat. 16.15 16 17 18. He saith unto them But whom say ye that I am And Simon Peter answered and said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God And Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for Flesh and Blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven And I say unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Leigh upon the words faith that it was the Judgment of Hilary Cyril Chrysostom Theophilact and Ambrose that by the Rock is not meant Peter's Person but the Faith which he had professed in Christ an inward discovery of the Lord Jesus Christ by Faith accompanied with an outward Profession of the fame is the Matter of which the New Testament Church is built 1 Pet. 2.4 5. To whom coming as to a living Stone disallowed indeed of Men but chosen of God and precious ye also as lively Stones are built up a spiritual House an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Every Member of the Church is not fitted to be a Publisher of the Gospel but every Member of the Church if such an one as the Word requires is brought through Christ to receive the Grace of God and from an inward feeling of this Grace received to offer up a thankful Heart devoted to him For the gathering in of such Members into the New Testament Church is the Commission given forth to the Apostles and direction is given to admit Persons thus gathered to the initiating Ordinance of Water-Baptism as appears from the words of the Commission and the Practice of the Apostles by virtue of the Commission Mat. 28.18 19 20. And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All Power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World Here three things lie fair from the words without any wresting of them First Outward Teaching the instrumental Means appointed by Christ and made use of by the Holy Ghost to bring to the inward knowledg of him and the acceptance of Grace through him thereby to be made fit Matter for the Church under the New Testament This I have spoken so fully to in the last and in this Chapter that the visible Church of Christ under the New Testament doth consist of such as are call'd out of the World by true Conversion to lay hold of the Lord Jesus Christ and Grace through him that I need not enlarge upon this first Head The second thing contained in the Commission is the admittance of such to the initiating Ordinance of Baptism Acts 2.41 Then they that gladly received the Word were baptized and the same day were added to them about three thousand Souls Thirdly Here is the continuation of what is commanded by the Commission in these words And lo I am with you alway unto the end of the World The Apostles liv'd not till the end of the World therefore I am with you and your Successors who shall be fitted by me for the preaching of the everlasting Gospel appointed to gather the Elect unto God until this World come under a Dissolution As by the Commission and the Practice of the Apostles upon the Commission Baptism is appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ as the initiating or entering Ordinance into a visible Church of Christ under the New Testament so his last Supper is appointed by him to be practised by these that are in a visible Church-state Luke 22.19 20. And he took Bread and gave Thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying This is my Body
to the Temptations that attend a multitude of profane Children If under all these Mercies your Hearts remain hard and insensible it 's a full Proof that you are in an unconverted State 4. Consider what Duties your Creator requires of you and the Penalty annexed where there is a failure of it As the great Creator hath put the World and what is in it under Man that all the Creatures might be made serviceable unto him so hath he put Man under a Law and hath annexed a severe Penalty unto it that so Man might know that he does owe a Subjection to his Creator who hath an absolute Soveraignty over him to dispose of him as he pleaseth It was the Creator's Pleasure to put Man under a Law and endue him with a Light that led to the Obedience of it that so the great Creator in his proceeding with Man in a way of Punishment for the breach of that Law which he put him under might appear to be just and righteous Hosea 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyd thy self but in me is thine help That God doth not proceed in a way of Justice against all the fallen Children of Adam who are as a polluted Lump before him proceeds from his condescending Goodness and that he doth lead some into the state of Children while the great multitude are left to be dealt with in a way of Justice as standing under the first Covenant is the good pleasure of his Will As he is not the Author of Sin so in dealing with Sinners he may either inflict Punishment according to the first Covenant or he may extend Mercy in Mercy 's way Have you a care while you think with Free-willers to vindicate the equitable Right which all Men have in God as their Creator you intrench not upon his Soveraignty That God as a Soveraign Being doth bestow outward and inward Mercies according to his own Pleasure is evident to the very reason of those that partake of each of these Mercies and yet that doth not exclude Man's Endeavours for the getting the former neither Christian Duties as the way which we are led to receive the latter That Heathen King Nebuchadnezzer when he was brought down from his Seat of Pride did acknowledg God's Soveraignty and his right of disposing of all these outward things to whom he pleaseth Dan. 4.35 And all the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his will in the Army of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him What dost thou As he hath the sole right in disposing of Kingdoms in pulling down one and raising up another so likewise in lesser things his right of disposal of all things doth daily manifest it self according to the words of Solomon Eccles 9.11 I returned and saw under the Sun that the Race is not to the swift nor the Battel to the strong neither yet Bread to the Wise nor yet Riches to Men of understanding nor yet Favour to Men of skill but time and chance happeneth unto all God's right of disposal is no bar to your providential Care how to live in the World and making use of means that his wise Providence doth hand out unto you But yet you must know that God doth reserve in his own hands the Power to check the Endeavours of the Creature as often as he pleaseth that so his Soveraign Right may be kept up amongst them Secondly God's Soveraign Right in disposing of spiritual Mercies is likewise evident to those who are made Partakers of them Rom. 3.9 What then are we better than they No in no wise for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under Sin That is in respect of their State and Condition as standing under the first Covenant they were liable to be dealt with in a way of Justice as well as others And this meets the Experience of every sincere Christian The Sentence of the Law is laid open before them and the Justice of the Law to them-wards is presented unto them So that all Pleas that the Soul can make upon the terms of the first Covenant are wholly silenced and the only Plea left is the Plea of the Prodigal Lord be merciful unto me a Sinner But mark it ray Children the Scripture doth not express the Procedure of the General Judgment to be according to the Decrees of God but according to Man's Obedience to that measure of Light that he receives from God and his neglect of Duty according to its requirings And yet I am fully satisfied that the Salvation of the Elect will appear then more clearly to be of Grace than now it doth that Heaven may indeed be a Life of Praise Mark it my Children the Scripture doth with great plainness shew the state of those that are standing under the Law the Laws Threatnings against them it doth likewise with great plainness shew the state of those that are really in the Covenant of Grace and the Privileges that such Persons are made partakers of that are in this well-ordered Covenant Now your great Work is to bring your Hearts to the Glass of the Law and to the Glass of the Gospel that so you may find your State and Condition whether your Hearts move to Godward according to the Light of the first Covenant or that you receive Light and Life from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of Righteousness Is that Virtue drawn down from him by Faith that gives motion to Duty Is it through him that Communion with the Father is enjoy'd Is it through him that Communion with the Father is continued Communion with the Father depends upon Union with the Son as Mediator the way to the Father this you will experience by bringing your Hearts to the Glass of the Gospel if you be in the Covenant of Grace The Scripture shews that in God's bringing the Heart over to himself by Light first received he calls to believe in Christ and then to a sincere performance of Duty from Gospel-Light the means to lead to the Enjoyment of Christ and through him to God as our God the Heart subjected to God as our God engaged to him by Faith and sincerely following him the Evidence of our Interest in him But if you stick in the Birth and are ashamed to follow the Light by a sincere Obedience because of the Reproach that doth attend the good Ways of God you thereby make it appear that you prefer Man before God and altho the Light you have receivd may tend to quiet Conscience at present it will but tend to heighten and aggravate your Misery in Eternity 5. Endeavour to get imprinted upon your Hearts the remembrance of Death and Eternity the certainty of it and the suddenness of it to many When you see Death surprizingly stealing upon Persons of your Age let it be as a warning to you to search into your fitness for it remember there is no
lies Man's chief Happiness Keep thy Heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of Life 2. The things that concern the outward Man are through the Inlightnings of the holy Spirit beheld as of less Concern and Worth altho they do lie next to Sense and the Hearts of the Saints have been inabled to get above them and to part with them when they stood in Competition with the sincere performance of those Duties which God call'd them to The Inlightning of the Spirit doth concern it self for the outward Man but it is that Nature may be satisfied and not Lust gratified it is that such a Supply may be given as Nature may be kept from Temptations not that we may run into Temptations Remove far from me Vanity and Lies give me neither Poverty nor Riches feed me with Food convenient for me lest I be full and deny thee and say Who is the Lord or lest I be poor and steal and take the Name of my God in vain While the Heart is without the Inlightnings of the Spirit it is made a Servant to those things that are most obvious to Sense Daily Experience shews us that the Heart of every unconverted Sinner doth place its Satisfaction in the enjoyment of these things altho they end in Death so that the Inlightnings of the holy Spirit are absolutely necessary in the Duty of Prayer 3. The holy Spirit gives inward Life and Motion to the Faculties of the Soul that so the Soul may be ingag'd in the Duty Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with Groanings which cannot be uttered That is the Spirit follows the Inlightnings with inward Life and Motion by which the Heart is set a working after God for the removal of that which stands in the way of Communion with him and for the obtaining of it there is an inward sensibility doth accompany the Matter which we present unto God in Duty not only the things we pray for are presented unto God as those we have need of but the Heart goes along with them that our Heavenly Father may see we are in earnest with him Psal 25.1 Vnto thee O Lord do I lift up my Soul Compared with Psal 119.20 My Soul breaketh for the longings that it hath to thy Judgments at all times The holy Spirit draws out the Heart with such earnestness unto God as if there were a Separation going to be made betwixt the Soul and the Body 4. The holy Spirit doth lead the Soul in the way by which Entrance is obtain'd into Heaven We must distinguish betwixt the Spirit 's Intercession in us and the Son's Intercession for us The Spirit 's Intercession in us is that supplicating begging frame which the holy Spirit doth inable the Soul to express it self in when it appears before God yet this through the weakness of the Creature is attended with a great deal of Imperfection But the Intercession of the Son for us as Mediator the Church's Head is that upon which our admittance into Heaven is granted His Prayer is a perfect Prayer and carries Incense along with it to perfume ours Rev. 8.3 And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given him much Incense that he should offer it with the Prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar which was before the Throne This Angel is the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus Christ as Mediator and the Church's Head the Censer is his holy glorified Body the Man Christ the Incense is his Divine Nature the Perfume of which perfuming the Supplications or Prayers of the Saints and ascending with them before God gains acceptance That Spirit that would assume a right of giving Salvation by Man's Obedience to it its Work is as opposite to the leadings of the Holy Ghost as Light and Darkness For as the Declaration of the Gospel leads to the Lord Jesus Christ as God-Man in one Person our Emanuel as Redeemer and as Mediator who is able to save all those that come to God by him so with this doth the Holy Ghost agree in his inward Witness in the Souls of the Saints Joh. 15.26 27. But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testify of me And ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with me from the beginning This is that new and living way which the Apostle speaks of which gives Boldness in our approaching before God Heb. 10.19 20. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his Flesh The Holiest that is into Heaven of which the Sanctum Sanctorum under the Law was a Type by a living way that enlivens the Person that walks in it boldness or a holy freedom being given to plead with God which yet causeth great Humility in the Soul its acceptance with God being grounded upon the account of another's Worthiness which by Faith the Soul is inabled to behold and not upon the account of its own Worthiness This is the Way that meets the Experience of the Saints that are now upon the Earth this is the Way that the Flock walk'd in who are gone to Heaven before us we may say we are compassed about with a Cloud of Witnesses The second part of this Head of the Duty of Prayer is to shew the necessity of the continuance of it while we are on this side Eternity 1st Because we have a multitude of Temptations attending of us outwardly And 2dly Because the Soul doth too readily join with the Baits that gratify corrupt Nature First I shall shew you that we have a multitude of Temptations attending of us outwardly The World is gotten to a very high pitch of Atheism and Profaneness Christianity as to the Power of it is not only removed but Persons have lost that Morality that former Ages did enjoy You can hardly deal in the World now but you are in danger every moment to be carried away with the Stream the Difficulties of getting an outward Support for the Body being great Satan takes the advantage of it to draw out the Corruptions of Mens Hearts after these things so as to hurry them forward in their Endeavours to keep and to gain a share in this fading World without any Consideration Where is the Person that hath the Fear of the Almighty before him and an inward Tenderness lest he should offend him Did David take up this Complaint Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech that I dwell in the Tenths of Kedar My Soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth Peace What cause have we every day to take up the same Complaint if we look upon the
sitting And there appeared unto them cloven Tongues as of Fire and it sat upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance As their Commission was to preach the Gospel to all Nations so the Qualification for the Work was agreeable to the Commission Where Persons do pretend to the same Commission with the Apostles and that they have as large an extent of Power and Jurisdiction as they had and want the Qualification wherewith they were endued they carry saith the learned Dr. Owen the mark of Antichrist in their Foreheads That this Qualification for the first publishing of the Gospel did proceed from the Intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ as Mediator for the gathering of the Elect out of the World will appear if we compare these two following Scriptures one with another Acts 2.32 33. This Jesus hath God raised up whereof we all are Witnesses Therefore being by the right-hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear Compared with Acts 10.34 35 36 43 44. Then Peter opened his Mouth and said Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of Persons But in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him The Word which God sent unto the Children of Israel preaching Peace by Jesus Christ he is Lord of all To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of Sins While Peter spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word In Acts 2.32 33. the Qualification is laid down without which Peter had been unable to preach the Gospel to those of Cesarea here is the Holy Ghost as a fruit of the Lord Jesus's Intercession attending the outward preaching of the Gospel and setting it home upon the Heart with Power the outward preaching of the Gospel being the instrumental means appointed to gather the Elect out of the World unto God Rom. 10.17 So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God By the Word of God here is meant the Declaration of the Gospel The outward Declaration of the Gospel doth contain in it these Truths appointed by God for the Salvation of the Elect the Holy Ghost removes the Vail of Darkness from the Heart subjects the Heart unto the Truth and inclines the Heart to join with it I come in the second place to treat of the ordinary Qualification to preach the Gospel without which a Person can have no real Satisfaction to his own Soul that he is called of God to that great Work and Service The extraordinary Qualisication and the ordinary Qualification do not differ in a different Declaration of Truths delivered but in a different work of the Spirit upon the Heart in discovering one and the same Truth the one having it by the immediate impulse of the Spirit of God overpowering all the Faculties of the Soul and making it stoop to the leadings of the Spirit in the other the holy Spirit works not so powerfully but by giving in of Light to behold the Truth already delivered in the Word and sealed by Miracle gives a Gift of utterance to declare it unto others For the clearing up this Qualification I shall compare two Scriptures Ephes 4.7 8. But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ Wherefore he saith When he ascended up on high he led Captivity captive and gave Gifts unto Men. Which Gifts to Men he tells us in ver 12. are for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ the Body of Christ taking in the Saints until Christ's second appearance The Gifts here intended must be meant the ordinary Qualifications of the Spirit for the work of the Ministry as the means appointed by God to gather the Saints into one Body and to edify them when they are gather'd in until they be brought safe to the Mansions of Glory because the extraordinary Qualification did cease in a little time To clear up this a little further lock into 1 Pet. 4.10 11. As every Man hath received the Gift even so minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God If any Man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God if any Man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Jesut Christ to whom be Praise and Dominion for ever and ever Amen Here is contained in these words the Gift given from God the Father here is the Lord Jesus Christ through whose Intercession this Gift is given here is the nature of the Gift which is the Spirit 's inlightnings into the Oracles or holy Scriptures here is the twofold end God's Glory and the Saints Edification Where this Qualification is wanting the Soul can have no real Satisfaction that it is called of God to that Work and Service which I shall make appear by these following Rensons First Altho Learning be very serviceable in order to have recourse to the Original Text for the understanding the Letter of the Scripture in the Original for to stop the mouth of Gainsayers yet the Darkness which is upon the Soul by Nature is not thereby removed Neither can Learning of it self comprehend that inward Life and Virtue which breaths in the holy Scriptures The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Secondly Without this ordinary Qualification of which I have been speaking the Soul can have no real Satisfaction that it is called of God to the work of the Ministry of the Gospel because that altho by Learning many weighty Truths may be collected from the Writings of experienced Christians who have lived in the Power of Christianity yet the inward work of the Spirit being wanting in him that delivers them to others they give an uncertain sound there being a want of an inward sense of these Truths upon the Heart and often a great deal of Man's Corruptions mixt with them which they receive from the Vessel through which they pass Thirdly Without this ordinary Qualification of which I have been speaking the Soul can have no real Satisfaction that it is called of God to the work of the Ministry of the Gospel because without it the Heart is not engaged in the Work that such Persons take upon them neither are their Aims and Ends right in their entering upon this great Work nor in the carrying of it on the getting an outward Support in the World for themselves being the thing they are most concerned for Fourthly Without this ordinary Qualification of which I have been speaking the