sure 1. He hath sealed it with the death of his Son the death of the Testator maketh the Testament of force Heb. 9.16 Where a Testament is here must also he of necessity the death of the Testator for a Testament is of farce after men are dead otherwise it is of no force at all while the Testator liveth 2ly He hath Sealed it with the Witness of his Spirit every Believer is sealed by the Spirit Eph 1.13 In whom also after ye have believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise it is an excellent confirmation of all the Promises of the Covenant when he gives the Spirit 3ly He hath confirmed it by his Oath Heb. 6.17 Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counset confirmed it by an oath Verse 18. That by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation 4ly He hath confirmed it by the Seals of the Sacraments Baptism and the Lords Supper which should make you when ye hear of the occasion of the Sacrament of the Supper to run to it there are many very indifferent about it yet in other places they run to the occasion in multitudes All these four Seals laid together prove this Covenant to be sure for whom he loves he loves to the end Lay all these grounds together and these four Seals superadded and ye will see that there is not the least ground left to doubt of the certainty of it for both as to the negative and positive Reasons it hath all things that can sicker a Covenant To make way to some Questions about this sureness of the Covenant I will give you these two things superadded to all the former Grounds to prove it sure 1. The Covenant of Grace is surer than the Covenant of Nature now the Covenant of Nature is very sure the Mountains stand firm and the Sea keeps its ebbing and flowing the Sun keeps his course and the Moon keeps her course and loses not an hour and the Stars keep their course so that a man may prognosticat all the Eclipses to the end of the World the reason is the Covenant of Nature is so sure and the Order given to them is so sure as there may be a sure Prognostication given of all the changes to the end of the World yet they are not so sure as the Covenant of Grace he may alter the Covenant of Nature and not be unfaithful he may make the Fire not burn he may make the Sun stand still he may make the Iron swim he may make the Hills skip like Lambs he may divide Jordan and may alter many things in the Covenant of Nature and not be unfaithful but if he alter one Article in the Covenant of Grace if he glorifie not one that is Redeemed and pardon not one that is a Penitent he would be unfaithful he would deny himself for God may alter and overturn things in nature but he cannot alter one Clause of the Covenant of Grace without a reflection on his faithfulness 2ly This Covenant of Grace is no less sure than the Covenant of Redemption that was made betwixt the Father and the Mediator for in effect it is a Stream of that Ocean there are many of our Divines that continue still to make the Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Redemption one Covenant Mr. Dickson hath distinguished them and as appears very rationally they having distinct Articles and distinct Parties but whether they be distinct Covenants or Equal they are equal in the point of certainty they are not surer than other So that if Christ might break one Article of the Covenant of Grace he might break one Article of the Covenant of Redemption SERMON XXX 2 Samuel 23. Verse 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things nad sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow IT is one sweet Property of the Covenant of Grace that it is sure I laboured to prove this in the Forenoon and before I apply this Doctrine there are two practical Questions I will but briefly touch Quest. The first is this is not the Covenant unsure in some things Particularly is it not unsure as to the date and time of the accomplishment of the Promises Who can tell when he will bring in the Jews or when the fulness of the Gentiles will come or when he will give deliverance to his Church or when he will return to a Believer whom he hath deserted Do we not find the Promises generally sine die there is no day nor term put in the Promises Who would take a Bond and count it a sure Bond that had no term nor day set down in it And doth not this render the Covenant unsure Now for clearing of this Question I desire ye may take notice of these three things 1. It 's true the Promises have not a day set down they that will sit down and tell within such and such a time such and such things will come to pass they are adding to the Covenant their own Inventions yet we have in the Covenant several things relating to the term and day that are sufficient and ye will find four things relating to the Term and Day 1. Ye find the Vision is for a set time there is a determinat time with God Psal 102.13 Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come So we know and may comfort ourselves in this that there is a set time of the accomplishment of the Promises with God Habakkuk 2.2 and 3. vers And the Lord answered and said write the vision and make it plain upon tables that he may run that readeth it for the vision is not yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lie though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry 2. We have this relating to the Term that it will be a short time it 's among the last Letters that we received from the Mediator of the Covenant Rev. 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be He is making all the haste he can he will not tarry nay he will come quickly and that is more than he will not tarry 3ly We have this in the Covenant that that time will be a seasonable time when he comes with the accomplishment of the Promise It will be a seasonable time 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time 2 Cor. 6.2 For he saith In a time acceptable I have heard thee c. That is a seasonable time now what would we have more Is there any uncertainty in the Promises though they be sine die or
what hath he under taken for us I will have occasion to speak of this afterward but I will tell you two things he hath undertaken Answ 1 To get our consent to the Covenant all that the Father hath given me shall come unto me that is to say they shall imbrace the Covenant indeed this was a great undertaking and that he may be true to that trust he sends his Word to reveal the Covenant his Rod to presse it his Spirit to perswade to imbrace it 2. He has undertaken to pay all our faillings otherwayes the Father could not deal with us for we are Dyvors and Adam when he was perfect the Father knew in the state of innocency what it was to trust man without a Cautioner so he undertakes to the Father that we shall give our consent and for any failling or transgression he shall be comptable for it and it shall be on his score And lastly he is the Substance of the Covenant he is the marrow the very marh of the Covenant therefore all the promises of the Covenant are nothing else but the execution of his three Offices all the promises of pardon and of peace are the execution of his Priestly Office all the promises of teaching and guiding are the execution of the promises of his Prophetical Office all the promises of ruling defending and subduing our enemies are the execution of his Kingly Office So all the promises of the Covenant are but Christ representing himself as King Priest and Prophet of his Church So to take from Christ and ascribe to the Covenant would be very injurious to God for he is the Purchaser the Mediator the Surety and Substance of it Secondly to Answer the Question the doing of this is no injury to Christ to say that when we are at our last words the great encouragement is the Covenant no more than to abscribe to the Rayes of Sun or the pype or conduit that convoyes the water from the fountains that we are warmed with the Rayes of the Sun or that we are Quenched by the Water that comes from the pype for this derogats nothing either from the Sun nor from the Spring so this derogats nothing from Christ to say that our great encouragement at death comes from the Covenant for Christ is the Spring and the Covenant is the Conduit that convoyes the water from the spring and Christ is the Sun and the Covenant is but the Rayes that comes from the Sun both its heat and its Rayes comes from this Sun and this is necessary in two cases 1. To shew that sometimes in desertion when he hides or withdraws or frowns all the Promises and all the Ministers nay if Angels should Preach they will not prove conducible for an outgate or for scattering terrors the reason is the pype cannot communicat water without the Spring and the Rayes cannot communicat heat without the Sun it 's remarkable 2 Kings 4. when the Shunamites child died the Prophet Elisha sent his servant and his staff but the child remained dead untill the Prophet came himself so the Covenant and all the Promises abstracting from Christ if they were in the mouth of Angels cannot be an encouragement untill he come himself conferences and discourses bringing reasons convincing reasons from the Covenant from the freedom from the fullness of it will not bring one from desertion untill he come himself On the other hand It 's necessary to rebuke them that catch a Promise of the Covenant and will feed upon it and say they will come to Glory and God his made a Covenant with them and God has made Promise to them and yet has no interest in Christ it 's even as ye saw a man coming through a Garden and he claughts a Branch of an Apple-tree and he goes and layes it in his Chest and expects he will have Fruit of it in the Spring But the Branch cannot bring forth Fruit except it abide in the Root so what we say of encouragement among our last Words from the Covenant it derogats notthing from Christ more than a man should glory of such an Apple-tree I plucked Apples it derogats nothing from the Tree for abstract the Branch from the Root it will bear neither leaves nor Apple so the poynt holds true that the only encouragement when we are going to die is from the everlasting Covenant Vse 1. For Application First Is this the great encouragement when will be at our last words and we will be there ere it be long an interest in the Covenant it serves to reprove those who are seeking their encouragament else-where some take their encouragement in Life and Death from the World Soul take thee rest thou has enough laid up for many years as one observes well he might al 's well laid down a Promise for his body to feed on as to lay down enough for his Soul to feed on some has common convictions some has moraâ— qualifications and possibly some go a little higher but alâ— these seek their water our of gutters and come not to thâ— right Barrel for the wine the great encouragement is thâ— Covenant and an interest in it Question Before I go any further in this Vse I will clear thâ— practical Question how shall a Person know and by what Ruleâ— shall they try if they make their great encouragement to be the Covenant of God Answer For opening this a little I desire you may take notice that the Covenant takes in two things Promises and Duties now if we would try if the Covenant will be our great encouragement or if we make it our great encouragement we must first cast an eye to the Promise and â—â—en to the Dutie 1. Then for the Promises the design of â—â—em being to exalt Grace and Christ a Person may examine â—â—d find if they bring in their greatest Consolation from the â—ovenant in these Three or Four Cases First When they are cheerful not so much on the account â—f the possession of promised Mercies as on the right to the Mercie there are many indeed if they get sense and if they â—et the accomplishment of any Promise they presently are â—eady to be much cheered against Death and Terrors ay but â—emove that they can lay no weight on the Covenant it self â—t's indeed a desireable thing to have our hand full and the â—ensible accomplishment of promised Mercies but when Persons â—ant that Possession and they lay no weight on the Covenant â—t self and on a right to it that is to bring in your consolation from your Enjoyment rather than from the Covenant â—t's remarkable Song 2. The Bride is in a deserted case and what hath she to keep up her heart under all desertions in that Chapter My Beloved is mine and I am his Her right to the Covenant and Interest in it even when there is a cloud betwixt him and her makes her sing and in that she is encouraged So that when we have no enjoyment to crack of
the dead will rise now he that is particularly applying the covenant hath no less made over to Him than I will be thy God 2ly A second advantage is that a Believer may go and plead the Promises of the covenant the mercy of God indeed is a sweet argument but the Promises are a Debt to him we may go and as it were lay his hand-writ before him as some Antients that went to pray in a particular place they would lay the Bible before them and point out such a Promise and tell him what he had bound himself to in how many cases is it advantagious to have the Promise to plead when they have covenanted with him 〈◊〉 Suppose thou go to God and plead for Bread thou has a Family and thou has Children and all the toil and shift thou can make cannot serve to get them Bread the Promise is He remembred his Covenant and gave them Bread suppose in another case thou go to Him for Pardon thou art exceeding guilty it 's a strange way that they that have made a Covenant with him will take in pleading for Pardon Psal 25. Pardon mine iniquity for it is very great the Covenant will admit of the pardon of iniquity They that have accepted the Covenant and Indentured with him sincerely on the Terms of the Covenant may go and seek pardon for their iniquities are very great for it 's like the Covenant 3ly A third advantage in time of desertion suppose he be hiding himself and thou cannot tell where he is nor whether he is gone the Covenant will influence his return She that was termed forsaken shall be so no more I have forsaken thee for a little moment but with everlasting mercy will I gather thee is not Zion married to him are not his walls continually before him and the mother may forget her sucking child but he cannot forget him what case is there that we can go to him in prayer but constantly the Argument is taken from the Covenant and thou that has sincerely Indentured with him thou may go as warrantably and plead the Promise as he can command thee to thy Duty though he be a Soveraign Lord and thou a bit of clay yet since the Covenant hath made thee a Debtor to thy Duty the same Covenant hath made him a Debtor to his Promise for as thou art bound to the one he is graciously bound to the other no that thou art to suspend thy Duty until he perform the Promise but thou may press the Promise as much on him as he may press thy Duty 3ly Thou may lay the Covenant for an excellent ground to cast in the Anchor of Hope without the Covenant we might renounce our Hope I know not what ground of hope we have abstracting from the Covenant we need not nor Hope never gets a surer Anchor than the Covenant and what an excellent too-look hath Hope when one hath accepted the Covenant to have all that God hath to give and all the purchase of Christ and all that is contained in the Covenant may not thou take up thy hope to the top of Mount 〈◊〉 and let it see the promised Land that flows with Milk and Honey and let it see the City with the twelve Ports and twelve Foundations and say all these are mine What an excellent help is it in all straits of the time when the time is that many will think that Popery will rise and thou may be put to deny Christ or then to suffer for him To be brief this personal covenanting with God hath so many advantages in it that it 's difficult to tell them all but take these three God makes over himself and all that he hath his Son and all thou has the Covenant to plead with him as he hath the Law to plead with thee if he charge thee with the Law and command what thou in the Covenant has Indentured to obey then turn back the Promise on him where he hath engaged to fulfil what thou hast Covenanted and if thou hast sincerely Indentured with him in the Covenant thou may take a view of the twelve Ports and the City with the twelve Foundations and say my Father and my Fathers House and all is mine If any ask what is the ground of this Ye have taken hold of the Covenant and imbraced Christ he hath made over himself in his Fulness and the Righteousness of his Son to thee if thou wilt take hold of his Covenant therefore go home if thou hast the work of sincere Covenanting with him thou may go home and take up for time and eternity all things of absolute necessity and at length may sing all is mine and if any ask what is thy Charter and Right There it is I have accepted him and entered in a Covenant with him and who can question my Right to these SERMON XIX 2 Samuel 23. Verse 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow AFter I had removed many Objections against this personal Covenanting I came to press it with the advantages that would follow on entering in a personal Covenant with God I will not follow this a little for it is very conducible and useful in the pressing of it the gain will be great all ye that love gain follow this way of personal covenanting with God all ye that would be Rich and Great and secure in both enter in this personal covenant with God that I may the better press this I would open to you some few Advantages that the Soul hath that hath made a personal Covenant with God First I shall give you two generals then four or five special and particular advantages that ye will have by it First the two Generals shall be these 1. By being in Covenant personally and particularly with God all that is in God will be yours Micah said of his Idol Ye have taken away my gods and what have I more If ye have God what would ye have more It 's very remarkable I will be thy God Gen. 17. was the sum of the whole Covenant So 1 Cor. 6 16. I will dwell among them and walk among them and I will be their God This is the thing that these that are in Covenant with him have they have God and all that is in God to be theirs but because this General will not sufficiently open this Priviledge I would have you to notice these three or four things that are in God that if ye be particularly in Covenant with him will be yours First All his Attributes will be yours his Power his Mercy nay his Holiness and Justice will be yours he will be just to forgive as John calls him his Omnipotency his Goodness his Truth and all his Attributes will be yours and they will be yours in the same way that they are Christs