repentance not else Isa 1. 16. Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well Ver. 18. Come now let us reason together saith the Lord Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out what their great sins were you may read in Ver 14. They denied the holy One. And Ver. 15. Killed the Prince of life and if they would have these sins blotted out they must repent of them Fourthly God hath threatned unto great sinners on whom his mercy hath God threatens eternal wrath to them that repent not not wrought repentance eternal wrath and a peremptory privation of mercy with inevitable destruction unto them who have presumed to go on in their sins for the first of these see the known place of the Apostle Rom. 2. 4. Not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Ver. 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God For the latter of these see that smart place in Deut. 29. 19. And it come to pass when he heareth the wâ—â—ds of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkenness to thirst Ver. 20. The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his Name from under heaven Ver. 21. And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in this book of the Law Fifthly A going on still in great sins if it be any sure testimony at all it is Persisting in great sins if any testimony at all it is rather that God will not pardon rather that God will never forgive you than otherwise why so will you say because 1. There is no promise of mercy to any that goes on in his great transgressions but refuseth to hearken and to return in such a condiâ—ion and course no promise 2. There are dreadful threatnings of God against such who shall go still on in their trespasses Psal 68. 21. And God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goes on still in his trespasses Isa 65. 20. The sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed Prov. 29. 1. He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy 3. Your going on still in sinning unless the Lord be infinitely and extraordinary merciful towards you will render you utterly uncapable of forgiving mercy for First This course of sinning is that which doth desperately harden your hearts and fear your consciences that no dealing whatsoever can make any impression upon you toward Repentance Secondly The Lord doth usually give up such sinners to their own hearts lusts and to a reprobate mind and soul Sixthly Though possibly some few sinners who have for a long time continued Though a few such obtain mercy yet they are hardly perswaded of Gods mercy in great transgressions may obtain mercy yet they shall find it a very difficult work to be perswaded of Gods mercy to their souls Psal 6. 3. My soul is also sore vexed but O Lord how long My Reasons are these 1. Because the threatnings of God are so many and so express against great sins especially against the continuing in them that it will not be easie to over-ballance these threatnings of God with the promise of God 2. Because the truth of repentance is very apt to be much questioned by great sinners when yet indeed they do repent they do conceive and that rightly that for extraordinary sinnings extraordinary repentance is required but they feel such a hardness such a deadness of heart O they cannot repent And let me tell you if any great sinner be in dispute about the truth of his Repentance he will also be in dispute about the apprehension of mercy 3. Because of all sins whatsoever great sins do incline us under the clear apprehension of them to despair You shall find this experimentally true that the more desperate people have been in sinning they are more apt to despair when conscience ever sets upon them for their sins The guilt of great sins will be heavy and bitter and the woundings for great sins will be sharp and deep always for them there falls in the sense of Gods great wrath and the fear of Gods great judgement and the instances of the great punishments of God inflicted on great transgressions and with all these Satans great and subtile temptations all which are powerfully apt to sink the sinner with despair and then this is clear that the more apt any sinner is to despair the less apt is the sinner to close with pardoning mercy nay it falls off the more from the hope of it 4. Because the Lord is pleased to hold up the manifestation of his love a long time from those that have a long time sinned against the offers and calls of his love and mercy thereby teaching great sinners how unworthy they are to taste of his goodness and warning other great sinners not to presume of any easie enjoyment of mercy And you shall find it a hard work to settle and perswade the conscience of a great sinner about mercy when the Lord doth after many seekings still hold up the manifestations or sensible expressions of his favour and mercy towards him 5. Because it is a very difficult thing to act faith under the sense of great transgressions lesser iniquities do many times check and keep down our confidences much mort do great transgressions c. SECT V. Cases of conâ—ience What a troubled sinner should do that can find no parallel instance of the like sin forgiven Ansâ—ered Troubled sinners look after instances of like sinners pardoned BEfore I pass away from this Point of Gods pardoning great sins I would speak to a few Cases or Scruples of conscience with which some are or may be troubled Quest 1. What that troubled sinner should do who hath been guilty of some great sin for which he cannot finde any one parallel instance of forgiveness in all the Scriptures i. e. that ever God did forgive any that were guilty of that sinne Sol. To this very sadly distressing Case I would deliver these six Answers First It is true that a person convinced of and really troubled with the sense of any great sin doth look after and will not easily be satisfied in conscience without a parallel instance in the Scripture
all his hope and all his trust and all his delight and all his desire and all his fear and all his service c. 3. You may know whether God be your God By your choice and pecul'ar By your choice and peculiar enjoyments enjoyments or at least by your desire of them your Covenant enjoyments your desire to enjoy Covenant-mercies and blessings if God be your God in Covenant you do enjoy him and such things from him as no othe people in the earth do enjoy what peculiar things do we enjoy I will tell you 1. You enjoy that loving-kindesse and favour as none else do enjoy Remember The loving kindness of God me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people Psal 106. 4. 2. You enjoy that pardoning mercy as none else do enjoy Thou hast forgiven Pardoning mercy the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sinne Psal 85. 2. 3. You enjoy that power of renewing grace which none else do enjoy That Power of renewing grace cleansing from sinne Jer. 33. 8. That subduing of sinne Micah 7. 19. That freedome from sin Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are under grace Rom. 6. 14. That newness of heart Ezek. 36. 26. 4. You enjoy that peace and comfort which none others do enjoy He will Peace and comfort speak peace unto his people Psal 85. 8. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God Isa 40. 1. Sing and rejoyce O daughter of Zion for lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord Zach. 2. 10. Object Oh But we have handly found any of these Covenant enjoyments Sol. I answer every one to whom God is a God in Covenant 1. Either hath expresly found every one of them 2. Or his great desires and longings of heart are after these Covenant enjoyments O a reconciled God a loving God a pardoning God a sanctifying God a Peace-speaking God c. above all things else whatsoever these are most eminently and most earnestly and most constantly to be found in the hearts desire of that person who indeed hath God to be his God Let the conscience speak and bear witnesse whether this be not so All you who have God to be your God and who are his people this day Now tell me you who heare this Sermon and perhaps think that God is your God what are your enjoyments your portions your possessions what Covenant-gift or work is to be found in your souls And what are the great things after which you so pant and sigh Is it the favour of God is it the mercy of God is it renewing and subduing grace I have nothing untill I have these and I cannot be satisfied untill I have these O Lord be my God O Lord forgive iniquity remember me graciously love me freely heal my soul c. 4. You may know that God is your God and that you are his people by your By the conformity of your wills to Gods Will. subordination and by your conformity of your wills to Gods Will Beloved the Covenant betwixt God and us takes in these two things 1. Subordination For it is an agreement betwixt a Superiour and an Inferiour betwixt the great God who is the Lord of all and poor miserable man who is inferiour to him and is to subject himself to his God as to his Lord and Soveraign to be ruled by him and guided by him 2. Conformity of will for it is a Covenant of love in which both parties have as it were but one heart and one mind and one will between them and so in this Covenant if we have God for our God and if we be his people what God likes that do we like and what our God loves that do we love and what our God hates that do we hate and what our God wills that do we will and what God would have done that would we have done This Covenant is an agreement and mutual consent in all things It will not permit us to give limits to God because he is our soveraign Lord Nor will it admit contrarieties and contradictions 'twixt God and us And therefore in this Covenant God writes his law in our hearts i. e. he puts into our hearts such spiritual principles as makes our will delightfully conformable unto his Will Alas if there be an opposition 'twixt our hearts and God a contradiction in our minds and wills unto his mind and Will this enmity plainly testifies that he is not our God and that we are none of his people if you be at that point that your judgement and your will and your lusts shall rule and sway and govern and command and that God must stoop and yield to your thoughts and to your pleasures and to your wills c. But by this it appears that he is your God and that you are his people if God doth rule and you do obey if he commands and you do hearken if his mind rules your judgement if his Will rules your will if his love rules your love if his Law rules your lives O Lord what thou lovest I love what thou commandest I approve good is the Word of the Lord the Commandment is holy and just and good 5. You may know whether God be your God in Covenant by the sweet By our sweet contentment in the manifestations of God to us contentment and satisfaction in the manifestations of your God in any part or branch of his Covenant into your souls If the Lord at any time be pleased to answer the desires of your souls in Covenant-love or in covenant-Covenant-mercy or in Covenant-grace or in Covenant-strength or in Covenant-peace O what a heavenly satisfaction is this But a glimpse of the favour of your God but a taste of the mercy of your God never so little of grace or peace which is an Ambassage a Letter a Token from God that he is your God this is such a life to you it is such a rejoycing it is such a cordial it is such a sweet day to your soules It is a thousand times more than to hear news that the highest of earthly preferments is yours or that the largest of earthly possessions are yours Covenant-manifestations are most precious unto all who are in Covenant Psal 35. 3. Say unto my soul thou art my salvation 6. You may know that God is your God and that you are his people by your dependance on God as your God in Covenant you will go to him and By our dependance on God as our God in Covenant rest on him in all your occasions I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me Psal 57. 2. Thou art my God early will I seek thee Psal 63. 1. So this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us Isa 25. 9. I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will
Satan alas your own strength is insufficient to conquer for you 〈…〉 maintain the fight for you unlesse the Spirit of God put forth his actual help unlesse he take your part what one temptation of lust of doubt of feare is not too hard for you and what one temptation from Satan is not too strong for you Every little touch throws down or hazards the weak child so this c. But this is your comfort that in all your spiritual conflicts you are sure of the Spirits presence to own his own graces and to defend and secure them His gracious presence shall be sufficient for you 2 Cor. 12. 9. and his power makes it self manifest in your weaknesse he will be near to help you strengthen you to make you to resist and to conquer and to be more than conquerours through Christ that loved you We are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Eph. 6. 10. 5. The Spirit helps them in the darknesses upon their spirits my meaning is In the darkness of our spirits in all the with-drawments of Gods favour and light of countenance and in all the sad apprehensions of their own spiritual condition when they think God is become their enemy and that themselves are forgotten of God and cast off by God and have no interest nor hope in Christ Now in these times the Spirit of God works and helps supplies supports stirs up faith against hope to believe in hope and against our own feelings yet to pray and trust and wait and look for God 6. He helps them in the captivities of their souls As when sinne or Satan In the captivity of our souls in this or that particular have been too subtile and too strong for them and have prevailed over them so that they are fallen and not able to rise even then in this condition doth the Spirit of God by his wonderful graces help them up again he makes them to see their sinnes and bewail them and raise them by renewing and strengthening faith on the Lord Jesus Christ Thus he dealt with David with Peter c. As the finding of us in our lost estate so the raising of us from our fallen estate is done by the help of the Spirit 5. The Spirit is yours in respect of his joyes â—r comforts You read of the He is ours in respect of his joyes and comforts joy of the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. And of the comforts of the holy Ghost Acts 9 31. And that Christ himself calls him the Comforter John 16. 7. The Spirit is given unto you not only to unite you to Christ not only to conform you unto Christ not only to lead you in the wayes of Christ not only to help you in the services of Christ but also to comfort your hearts in Christ The Spirit is a comforter in three respects He is a Comforter As he opens to us all the springs of comfort As he actuates our faith in theÌ„ As he applies them to our souls 1. He opens unto you all the true springs of comfort It is he who opens unto you the fountain of mercy and the fountain of the love and grace of God and the fountain of the blood of Christ 2. He actuates your faith to look on all these fountains of joy and wells of comfort as set open for the good and help of your souls 3. He applies all of them unto your souls he makes it evident that God loves your souls and that Christ died for your souls and that you are justified by faith in him and are reconciled and pardoned and accepted unto life and hereupon he fills you with all joy in believing even with joy unspeakable and glorious You cannot imagine what a comfort it is to have the Spirit of God to be our comfort for 1. His comforts are choice comforts There is no more comparison 'twixt the His comforts are choice comforts comforts of the world and the comforts of the Spirit than between the light of the Candle and the light of the Sunne they are the very comforts of God they are the very drops out of the Wells of Salvation they are drawn out from the proper and only grounds of joy They are comforts which of all other do most punctually answer the distresses of your souls 2. He can comfort you under all your discomfirts Who comforteth us in all our He cancomfort under all discomforts tribulations 2 Cor. 1. 4. Yea under the deepest and saddest disconsolations In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Psal 94. 19. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death c. thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me Psal 23. 4. He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds Psal 147. 3. 3. He can comfort you when there is none else to comfort you when you have He can comfort when there is none else to comfort neither father nor mother sister nor brother companion nor friend when you are in prison in exile in the losse of all yet he alone when you are alone can comfort your souls he can shew you the salvation of the Lord speak peace assure you of mercy and cause you to rejoyce 4. Hâ— can comfort you and none shall hindâ—r him neither men nor divels He can comâ—ort and none â—hall hinder â—im nor your own fears and doubts He can create your peace and joyes and make comfâ—rts for you and make you to drink of them And as none can take away your joyes so none shall be able to hinder them 6. The Spirit is yours in respect of his offices There are three special offices beloâ—ging He is ours in respect of his offices Three offices of the Spirit To make all the Ordinances of Christ effectual to us unto the Spirit 1. One is to make all the Ordinances of Christ powerful and effectual unto you Take the doctrines of the Gospel they are not effectual without the Spirit and take the seâ—ls of the Gospel they are not effectual unto you without the Spirit There are excellent precepts in the Gospel and excellent offers in the Gospel and excellent promises in the Gospel the Gospel commands us to repeâ—t to mourn to deny our selves to renounce all for Christ to come and believe on Christ but it is the Spirit which makes all these commands effectual and the Gospel offers Jesus Christ to poor sinners and thiâ—sty sinners and presents singular arguments to perswade and allure and draw the hearts of sinners but it is the Spirit which makes all those offers and all those arguments effectual and the Gospel promiseth all heavenly good of love of grace of peace of joy c. but it is the Spirit which makes all these effectual And therefore the New Testamâ—nt is called the mâ—nâ—stration nâ—t of the Letter but of the Spirit who giveth lâ—fe 2 Cor. 3. 6. And the Gospel hath excellent seals
with your whole hearts O God I cannot be satisfied untill thou art pleased to become my God c. the Lord would certainly answer the desires of your hearts 2. If you would have God to be your God in Covenant you must then break Break your Covenant with sinne your Covenant with sinne There are two Covenants which are inconsistent with this Covenant of grace 1. One is the Covenant of good works 2. The other is the Covenant with bad works If one will set up his confidence on his own good works he makes void the Covenant of grace and if one will set his heart upon his sinne saying I will not leave my sinnes I love them I will not forsake them This man disables himself he doth debarre and exclude himself God will not be his God he will not make a Covenant with him and indeed this sinner will not make a Covenant with God There are three things which God stands upon if we will have him to be ours in Covenant 1. He insists upon your wills you must be willing to be mine saith God to be married unto me to take me for your Husband 2. He insists upon your hearts you must love me I must have your heart your love must be mine 3. He insists upon your service you must be willing to obey and serve me I must be your Lord and you must be my servants But â— one of these will be if you keep up a Covenant with sinne you will never be willing to be his if you resolve to keep your sinnes and you cannot love the Lord if you love your sinnes neither can you serve him if you will obey sinne as your Lord There is an absolute incompatibility for this both on Gods part and on your part and on the Covenants part 1. On Gods part for he cannot nor will not make any agreement with unrighteousnesse nor hold communion with any who will hold communion with darknesse he is of purer eyes than to behold sinne much more than to agree with sinne it is contrary to his nature it were dishonourable for him so to do to admit a competition with that which he so much threatens and which his soul doth hate and abhorre 2. On our part your hearts cannot be brought to hold up a Covenant with God and yet to hold up a Covenant with your sinnes you cannot love God and that which is contrary to God you cannot love sinne and that which is contrary to sinne at the same time for if you love the Lord you will hate sinne and if you love sinne you will hate the Lord. 3. On the Covenants part the Covenant of God is to change the sinful heart it is to subdue iniquity it is to cleanse us from all our uncleanesses it is to make us an holy people â—nto the Lord so that of necessity you must resolve on it to break off your Covenant with sin if you will have God to be your God in Covenant 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come one from among them and be ye separated saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you ver 18. and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty Mark this place it shews expressely the way of coming into the Covenant you must not make agreement with darknesse nor with Idols you must separate from them you must have nothing to do with any uncleanesse that is you must resolve never to joyne your selves to any sinne never to love or serve it and then saith God I will receive you what 's that that is then I will be your God I will take you into Covenant I will own you for mine I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters Are you sure that you will be so yea for thus saith the Lord Almighty Ezek. 11. 18. They shall come thither and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof verse 19. And I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within them c. verse 20. That they may walk in my Statutes and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God Therefore examine your hearts what sinne lies there which makes a breach which keeps up enmity 'twixt you and God and put it farre away c. 3. If you would have the Lord to be your God in Covenant then judge your Judge your selves for your breach of Covenant with God selves for your ancient breach of the first Covenant with him and for your sins since that and confesse your absolute unworthinesse to be admitted and received into another Covenant with him O when a soul comes to be afflicted for sinnes and to acknowledge it self unworthy of mercies this soul is in a right posture for mercies God made a Covenant with us in Adam and stated life upon us in case of obedience but we presently brake Covenant with him and proved unfaithful and dealt treacherously with him fell off from him for a thing of naught and all the dayes of our lives have we been sinning and dishonouring and provoking of him so that had we our desert so farre might God be from accepting of us into a new Covenant that he might justly condemn us for our transgressing of the old Covenant if we did seriously and sadly review these things till our hearts were humbled within us and that we saw our life to be the free gift of God again and that we stood at his mercy only to spare us and pity us and accept of us and in this posture come to God and cry out O save me for thy mercies sake Lord I have undone my self I have left thee I have lost thee I have dealt unfaithfully with thee I have sinned exceedingly against thee I have gone farre from thee yet I come back to thee I hear thou art a merciful God though I am a sinful wretch I hear that thou art a gracious God though I am an unworthy sinner I hear that thou hast made a new Covenant to relieve and succour them who have violated the first Covenant I hear that this Covenant is full of grace and mercy and pity and help and happinesse I come to thee to make peace with thee to be reconciled unto me to shew me favour I perish if thou reject me I live if thou accept of me I can bring nothing I can challenge nothing only thou sayst That thou wilt have mercy on whom thou wilt have mercy and may not a poor miserable unworthy sinner be made capable of thy mercy may he not be received unto mercy why else didst thou give Christ why else didst thou set up a Covenant of grace O Lord receive me graciously and love me freely and for thine own sake become my God and make me to be one of thy people Verily this is a moving way and this is a taking way for
withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned A branch may be in a tree two wayes One is by a meer corporeal adherence by cleaving and sticking to the body of the tree and so every dead branch is in the tree as well as those that live such branches have no union they are dead and cut off and cast away into the fire Another is by a real participation of the life sap and influence of the root That which makes us to be in Christ any kind of way is Faith and according to the differences of faith are those differences of being in Christ You may read in Scripture of a dead faith James 2. 26. This dead faith takes in an external profession of Christ and a self aiming dependance on Christ to keep us from Hell and get us to Heaven But for all this there is no real union with Christ And we read too of a lively and unfeigned faith of a faith which joynes us and Christ in one Spirit which graffs us indeed into Christ and makes us partakers of the life and grace of Christ O where is this faith this living faith this ingraffing faith this uniting faith is the only precious faith and the only faith which brings us into the Covenant and the only faith which can look on God as our God and promising mercy and salvation unto us If you have not this faith you have no interest in Christ and if you have no interest in Christ you have no interest in God nor in the Covenant of God You cannot own God for yours nor can you own the promises of God as yours as made unto you But here now occurre two serious questions 1. One is How we may know whether our faith be a faith of union which unites Two serious Questions us to Christ 2. The second is How we may attain unto the faith of union which only brings us into the Covenant SECT V. 1. Quest HOw we may know whether our Faith be a Faith of real union with How we may know whether our faith be a faith of union Christ a faith which unites us to Christ indeed Sol. This is a most pertinent question because our real interest in the Covenant of grace depends upon it all depends upon it out of Christ and out of Covenant in Christ and in Covenant And if your faith be an uniting faith then Christ is yours and God is yours and all the good of the Covenant is yours Now there are five things which are to be considered about the faith of union or the faith which indeed unites us to Christ Five things about the faith of union 1. The manner 〈◊〉 it is wrought in the heart 2. The peculiar operations of it upon the soule in relation to this union 3. The very act or acts by which and upon which the soule is indeed brought into union 4. The qualities of this union by faith 5. The choice influences or effects which do alwayes attend that union with Christ by faith 1. If your faith be a faith which unites you to Christ Then it is the work and The manner how it is wrought in the heart It is the work of the Spirit of Christ fruit of the spirit and it is wrought by the Spirit in an uniting way 1. It is the work of the Spirit of Christ None doth or can raise and produce this faith but the very Spirit of God Col. 2. 12. Ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead His mighty power is put forth to produce it Ephes 1. 19. 1 Cor. 2. 5. Your faith stands not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God 2 Cor. 4. 13. We having the same Spirit of Faith In all these places the Apostle speaks of that faith which interests your persons in Christ This faith he calls the Demonstration of the Spirit and of power 1 Cor. 2. 4. and the power of God and the operation of God and the Spirit of Faith and in Isa 53. 1. The revealing of the Arm of God Consider this Faith in all the parts and degrees of it you shall finde that every one of them comes from the Spirit of God Faith is sometimes stiled knowledge and believing knowing why the right knowledge of Christ is a fruit or work of the Spirit of God Matth. 11. 25. Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Faith is sometimes stiled acknowledgment Col. 2. 2. The acknowledgement of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ And no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. Faith or believing is sometimes stiled a coming unto Christ and saith Christ himself No man can come to me except the Father draw him Joh. 6. 44. It is called a receiving of Christ Joh. 1. 12. which ability to receive Christ depends only on the will of God verse 13. Well then uniting faith is the sole work of the Spirit of God if any man be brought into Christ and joyned unto Christ this work is wrought by the Spirit of Christ 2. The spirit works this uniting Faith in an uniting way or manner how is that The Spirit works this in a uniting way will you say Thus it is when the Spirit doth work this faith in us he doth it in a Gospel manner the Gospel way is the uniting way accompanying it all along 1. By Evangelical light 2. By Evangelical offers 3. By Evangelical promises 4. By Evangelical efficacy 1. He lets in such a Gospel-light into the soule of a broken and troubled sinner that The Spirit lets in a Gospel light into the soule be is now able to see and to discern the wonderful grace of God in Christ even the glories of Christ the sealing and anointing oâ— him to be the Mediator and Redeemer and Saviour of sinners and the life of the world the Prince of peace the only help and hope of them that are lost Joh. 3. 16. The Gospel saith so and the Spirit makes him to see it so The people that walked in darkness have seen great lâ—ght Isa 9 2. Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2. When he hath let in such a light that the sinner is convinced of the infinite Enables the soule to apprehend the singular kindness of God in the offers of Christ mercy and grace of God in Christ Then he further enables the sinner to apprehend the singular kindnâ—ss of God in the offers of this Christ unto him unto you is the word of this salvation sent Acts 13. 26. and verse 38. Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins And the â—pirit accompanies the Gospel in this offer As the Gospel outwardly offers Christ to sinners so doth the Spirit
the year of Jubile was come and he might have Accept of the Redemption by Christ gone free yet he chose rather to be a servant So when Christ hath wrought Redemption for us and offers that plenteous redemption unto us now to refuse it and not accept of it But to say I had rather serve my sins still and I like my bondage better why If you will not be perswaded to accept of deliverance and redemption by Christ but your Spiritual slavery and captivity doth better please you then remain as you are But woe unto you if you do so for within a few years or weeks or dayes when God and Conscience and Death and Hell fall upon for your sins you would give ten thousand worlds if you could command them that you had accepted of of your Redemption by Christ but then it is too late 5. Then you who take your selves to be Christ's and to be the Redeemed of Carry your selves like Redeemed ones the Lord Carry your selves like redeemed Persons and walk worthy of the Redemption which you have by Christ 1. Give way unto your Redeemer suffer him to rule youâ— hearts and to order Let your Redeemer rule you your wayes for you are his by a right of Redemption As the men of Israel spake to Gideon Judg. 8. 22. Rule thou over us for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midean So say you to Christ Lord Jesus Rule thou over us for thou hast redeemed us from the hands of all our enemies Thou hast bought us with a price and we are not our own but thine 2. Give not way to any works of bondage retuâ—n not to Egypt again but walk Give no wâ—y to any works of bondage on strait in the way to Heaven and abound in all good works Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works 3. Spend not your dayes in vanity neither fashion your selves unto the present Spend not your dayes in in vanity course of the world why so will you say because Christ hath redeemed you Why is this contrary to our redemption by Christ it is so whatsoever you you may think 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. You were redeemed from your vain conversations with the precious blood of Christ Not only iniquities but vanities fall under our Redemption by Christ Gal. 1 4. Who gave himself for our sinnes that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God 6. Long for the day of your full and perfect Redemption by Christ Be not so Long for the day of your full Redemption afraid of death nor of the coming of Christ to judgement Death will nothing disadvantage you nor will the coming of Christ to judgement any thing prejudice you No no that is the day of perfect Redemption both in point of deliverance and in point of possession Then shall your bodies also be wholly ransomed from the grave and in soule and body shall you be glorified for ever with the Lord your Redeemer Be thankful 7. Be â—xceeding thankful if you be brought into Christ and do partake of Redemption by him O sirs what mercy is this Redemption think a little of it what a mercy it is that your sins shall never damn you that the curse of the Law shall never fall on you that the wrath of God is taken off that your sinful lusts which you formerly served and which ruled you are broken down and you will serve them no more nor shall Satan command you as heretofore c. that you are brought into a state of Spiritual liberty He that lies in bondage and would be Redeemed let him by faith look up to Jesus Christ 8. If any poor soul lying in bondage and groaning for deliverance would be redeemed then let him by faith look up to Jesus Christ for he only is the Redeemer Do so For 1. Whatsoever your bondage may be Jesus Christ is a suitable Redemption Perhaps your bondage is under sin pehaps it is under Satans temptation perhaps it is under slavish fear of wrath and death but Christ is perfect Redemption and full and plenteous Redemption 2. He is made of us unto God Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. God hath set him up and raised him up to be your Deliverer 5. A fifth singular benefit depending upon the sufferings of Christ as our Mediatour is his Meritorious purchase or Acquisition His Meritorious purchase The sufferings of Christ had a double aspect 1. One unto the Evils under which we lay and to which we were obnoxious In which respect his sufferings were a satisfaction 2. Another unto the good which we did need and would enjoy and in this respect his sufferings were a purchase Jesus Christ did suffer not only to deliver us from an evill and miserable condition but also did restore us into a good and happy condition And his sufferings were not only a price of payment to get off our debts but they were also a price of purchase to procure and that Meritoriously all blessedness for us Where sin abounded Grace did abound much more Rom. 5. Ephes 1. 11. In whom we have obtained an inheritance There are six things which Jesus Christ our Mediatour hath purchased Christ hath purchased by his death 1. All the Elect They are his by way of Donation Thine they were and thou All the Elect. gavest them me Joh. 17. 6. And they are his by way of purchase The Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Acts 20. 28. 2. Everlasting life which is called the purchased possession Ephes 1. 14. And Everlasting life the gift of God through Jesus Christ Rom. 6. 23. The blood of whom is worth Heaven it self We have no right unto the heavenly and glorious inheritance nor any hope thereof but by Jesus Christ Grace reigns through Righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. 22. 3. Nearnesse of Relation Adoption of Sons we who were in bondage Nearness of Relation who were strangers who were enemies are now made nigh by the blood of Christ Ephes 2. 13. and do by him receive the adoption of Sons Gal. 4. 5. To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sonnes 4. The Holy Ghost In his graces assistances and comforts Not one grace nor The Holy Ghost comfort nor answer which you have but it is the fruit of Christs purchase Jesus Christ hath purchased and obtained this Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever verse 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he is made unto us sanctification 1 Cor. 30. 5. The forgivenesse of our sins Your sins are forgiven you for his Name-sake 1 Joh.
that God will not one time or another remember thy sins and judge thee for them O no he saith that he will forgive iniquity and remember my sin no more 4. But dost thou not see that he remembers thy sins when his hand lies now so heavy upon thee O no this is no judicial remembrance but a paternal chastisement 5. But certainly God loves thee not nay if he had not loved me freely he would never have justified me freely 6. But thou hast nothing to do with Christ nor ever shalt thou have benefit by Christ Why this is strange that my sins are forgiven me for his Names sake yet that I should have no part in Christ and no benefit by Christ 7. But God is still displeased and angry with thee No for he hath taken away iniquity and therefore his anger is turned away from me 8. But God will not hear any prayer which thou makest nor mayst thou be admitted into any communion with him O but this is false for God himself hath said 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sins and will heal their Land Ver. 15. And mine eyes shall be open and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place 9. But what good will the pardon of thy sins do thee as long as thy sins rule and prevail over thee O but that God who pardoneth iniquity saith also that he will subdue our iniquities Micah 7. 18 19. 10. But I can and will charge thy sins upon thee and condemn thee for them O but what hast thou to do to charge sins when God hath discharged sins and what hast thou to do to condemn me if God hath forgiven me Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Ver. 14. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed SECT VIII Vse 4 DOth the promise of forgiveness belong unto all that are in Covenant with God The last Use then shall be for Instruction unto all the people of God Instruction Duties of such whose sins are forgiven Bless much whose sins God himself hath forgiven There are five duties which do in a special manner take hold of you First Bless much How should the heart be filled with the praises of so good a God and be enlarged in the blessings of him Psal 103. 1. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Ver. 2. Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Ver. 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Beloved 1. Set this mercy in comparison with other mercies and if you finde just cause to bless God for them surely you will finde more cause to bless God for this forgiving mercy You many times bless God for delivering your life from death and have you not more reason to bless God for delivering your souls from hell You many times bless God for delivering your bodies from pains and aches and have you not more reason to bless God for delivering your conscience from wrath and terror You many times bless God for a blessing which is but for a time and but for this life and have you not more reason to bless God for this blessing of forgiveness which reaches to eternity and unto everlasting life You bless God many times for peace with man and have you not more reason to bless God for peace with God Being justified by faith we have peace with God c. Rom. 5. 1. You bless God many times that all is well on earth and no cross befalls you have you not more reason to bless God that all is well at heaven and that no curse shall ever befall you You many times bless God that differences and suits are taken up between you and men so that you shall never be troubled and punished by men and have you not more cause to bless God that all differences are taken off betwixt you and God so that you shall never be questioned nor be damned by him 2. Set the unpardoned sinners condition and your pardoned condition together How cursed a condition that is and how blessed a condition this is and tell me then whether you have not great reason to bless your God When a sinner lives and dies an unpardoned sinner he lives under wrath and dies under wrath he lives an enemy to God he is a Christless person and an hopeless person all his transgressions stand upon Record and in their full power of guilt against his soul and all that curse and punishment which God hath threatned and which all his sins have deserved they shall certainly and perfectly and eternally be inflicted upon him God will question him and convince him and judge him and damn him and none shall ever be able to deliver him or help him he shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord c. Now all this would have been the portion of your cup had not the Lord in much mercy pardoned your iniquities and your sins for your sins were of the same kind and of the same guilt and of the same desert as the sins of others yet they are condemned and you are pardoned They dye and you live wrath is inflicted on them but mercy is bestowed on you they shall never see Heaven and you shall never see Hell they shall be damned for ever and you shall be saved for ever they have no reason to complain because the righteous God doth punish them only for their sins and you have reason to blesse because the gracious God hath mercifully prdoned your sins for his own sake Secondly Love much Love your God much who hath forgiven you much Love much He frankly forgave them both tell me therefore which of them will love him most Luke 7. 42. 47. There are six Reasons why we should love God 1. Because he is good 2. Because he doth us good 3. Because he loves us 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he loved us 4. Because he sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our sinnes 1 Joh. 4. 10. 5. Because he hath provided and promised a Kingdom to them that love him Jam. 1. 12. 6. Because he hath forgiven us our sinnes and that freely when we deserved it not nay when we deserved the contrary O how should this God be loved by you who alone share in his love in his Christ in his forgiving mercy how should your hearts be endeared unto him be knitted unto him be taken and affected with him The Schoolmen do distinguish of a twofold love Amor gratuitus such a love was Gods love to us in the forgiving of our sins Having forgiven you Col. 2. 13. the word signifies freely or graciously forgiven you all trespasses and Amor debitus such a love we do owe to God who doth
given him yet he may lose the comfortable sight and feeling of it either by some great transgression or by his pride or by his covetousness c. O but do not lose the hive which hath so much honey by all means so preserve this favour and this mercy that still you may fetch joy and comfort and support from it and therefore when you have attained unto the forgiveness of your sins learn then 1. To walk humbly with your forgiving and reconciled God the more is forgiven the more cause of humility confessing still your unworthiness of so great a mercy and that God did forgive your sins not for your sake but for his own Name sake be not lifted up at all but remember still your own sins which God hath forgiven as Paul did and upon what gracious terms God forgave you Who am I said David I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies said Jacob. 2. To walk exactly before your forgiving God David saith in Psal 32. 1. Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven Psal 32. 1 2. Blessed is the man in whose Spirit there is no guile and Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the way of the Lord. Ver. 3. They do no iniquity they walk in his wayes O that my wayes were so directed that I might keep thy statutes 3. To walk stedfastly with so good a God O that we could but attain one thing viz. to keep up that frame of spirit and that path or practice of walking which we found in our selves when God was pleased to let into our hearts the news that our sins were forgiven and that we could still continue so to walk with that thankfulness with that humbleness with that tenderness with that delightfulness with that enlargement then would our Sun still shine with strength then would our forgiveness still appear in sight and would afford unto us a long harvest of joyes and living springs of lastâ—ng comfort Fourthly Improve the forgiveness of your sins so as to be able in your distresses Improve it in distresses and tryals to draw comfortable conclusions from it and tryals to draw out and maintain such Conclusions every way as that mercy is a ground and Foundation for Quest You will say What might one conclude from this that God hath forgiven his sins Sol. I will mention some Conclusions which may infallibly be drawn from it viz. First You may conclude the seasonable enjoyment of lesser mercies because God hath forgiven your sins which is the greater mercy if he fulfils his promise in the As The seasonable enjoyment of lesser mercies greatest blessings surely he will not fail you in the least blessings as the Apostle argued He that spared not his own Son but delivered him to death for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32. So say I hath the Lord freely pardoned thy sins questionless he will freely give thee other things will he deny thee food and rayment who hath given thee Christ and forgiveness if his love extend to the greatest of mercies will it fail and fly off for the least of mercies Secondly You may conclude that certainly you are his people and that the Lord That you are Gods people and he is your God is your God that you do stand in a near Relation unto him and that he stands in a near Relation unto you why so because forgivenesse of sins is the portion only of the people of God of such who are in Covenant with him A Prince may forgive a Malefactor and yet there be no Covenant between them But God forgives none unless such as are first in Christ and by Christ are in his Covenant of mercy and peace Thirdly You may conclude that in all your changes and losses certainly you are That you are still under grace and love still under grace and love that the Lord hath set his love upon you that his favour is towards you Because forgiveness of sins is an act of special grace and favour and no man is forgiven but the Lord doth love him with an exceeding great love in and by Christ Object I but I am chastened and afflicted Sol. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth Heb. 12. 6. Fourthly You may conclude certainly that God is reconciled and that his wrath is off and shall never redound unto you and that the accusation and condemnation God is reconciled of the Law are stopt and superseaded c. Fifthly You may conclude that at length your souls shall go to heaven for your And you shall be saved sins are for that end forgiven that you might be brought to glory c. Fifthly Having your sins pardoned in Gods promise rest not untill you have got the notice and assurance of this in your own hearts and consciences Here let me Rest not till you have got the assurance of your pardon God doth sometimes pardon sin and not give the assurance of it speak briefly unto two things First That God doth sometimes pardon sins and yet doth not presently notifie or make the same manifest or evident unto the person pardoned no not though he truely repents As it is clear in David whose sin God did put away and yet it was a long time before David could get the evidence and assurance thereof in his own heart I grant that upon true repentance sin is forgiven and it is as true that sin may be forgiven and yet the forgiven sinner not be assured thereof Whether the Reasons of this may be 1. Because the manifestation of pardon to us is a meer act of grace and divine liberty 2. Or because God would teach us hereby that it is not so easy a matter to get the voice of joy after we have sinned and provoked him and should therefore fear to â—n any more 3. Or thirdly because it is so difficult to believe the forgiveness of sins though promised by God himself when the Conscience hath been previously troubled for sin c. Secondly That the assurance of our own hearts and consciences that God hath pardoned oer sinnes is a mercy much to be desired and would be of great advantage Yet it is a mercy much to be desired and of great advantage for our Setling Satisfying to pardoned sinners For 1. This would exceedingly settle our hearts and put an end to all our hard suspicions and fears and jealousies 2. This would abundantly satisfie the longing desires of our soules to see our great discharge and relief and acquittance under the hand and seale of God Returne O my soule unto thy rest for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee 3. This would admirably enlarge our hearts in the praises of mercy Psal 103. 1 2. Enlarging 4. This would wonderfully inflame our hearts in the love of God the sense of love begets love 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he loved us Loving first 5.
gave himself for me said Paul Gal. 2. 20. 2. Another is evidence of the propriety a knowledge that Christ is mine and that he washed my soul from my sins in his own blood without these what joy and comfort can there be Rom. 15. 13. The God of peace fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost A good prayer for believers for joy for peace for hope yea and God hath promised every one of these unto them and therefore he applies unto them the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and assures them of the same Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the Atonement Thirdly God will be praised and blessed by his people for Christ and for all the God will be praised for Chrâ—st blessings accruing unto them by Christ and his servants do bless him for them Ephes 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Psal 103. 2. Blesse the Lord O my soul ver 3. which forgiveth thy iniquities But unless the Lord did impute the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and did give them some assurance thereof how could they praise and bless him 3. Quest. I now come to the last Question viz. Why the Lord himself doth Why the Lord himself doth undertake it undertake to impute the blood of Christ unto his people for the forgiveness of their sins and to assure them thereof I will sprinkle Sol. There may be these Reasons given for it First The difficulty nay the impossibility of this work unless the Lord himself undertake it There are three things which you can never attain unless the Lord The difficulty of the work himself doth undertake for them 1. To forsake your sinnes Jer. 31. 18. Turn thou me and I shall be turned 2. To believe in Christ Ephes 1. 19. 3. To gain assurance that Christ is yours and that God hath for Christs sake forgiven you your sins As Christ spake to Peter when he confessed his Diety Flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in heaven So say I about the particular application and assurance of your forgiveness of sins it must be God himself by his spirit which must raise us to that and make us to know that Take me a person rightly sensible of his sins although he be converted although he hath faith although he studies the promises although he hath all the grounds made clear unto him upon which he may conclude that God hath forgiven him although others can evidently discern his particular interest and propriety yet unless the Lord himself let in a special light by his Spirit to make him to see the special love of God towards him in this he cannot see it so as to be assured thereof Therefore you find in experience that this assurance is one of the longest and last and most questioned works in the soul The glory that comes to God by it Secondly The glory which God doth reserve unto himself of all the effects of his Covenant he will be known to be the Cause and Author of them all he will be acknowledged to be the God of grace and the Father of mercies and the God of love and the God of comfort and the God of joy and the God of peace I the Lord create peace the fruit of the lips peace Isa 57. 19. As none in the world can give trouble but God so none can give peace but God Job 34. 29. None can cast down the heart but he and none can raise the heart but he none can make sin known to the Conscience but he and none can make mercy known to the conscience but he All the Covenant-gifts come from him and all the knowledge and assurance that we have of those very Covenant-gifts come from him all the promises are of him and all the evidences of our propriety in them are from him in his light we see light our graces our abilities our comforts our assurances are from him Thirdly That the effect might he certain unto his people O what great things doth God promise unto his and for which he alone undertakes And if he That the effect might be certain did not so his people could never enjoy them Neither grace nor comfort c. If the Lord himself did not work the grace in our hearts which he promiseth whose soul should ever partake of it And if the Lord did not bring in that comfortable assurance of his forgiving mercy who should ever taste the sweetness of it Object Why will you say what doth hinder it what doth stand in the way but that we way enjoy it though God appears not to our help for it Sol. I will tell you what doth hinder and what will hinder unless the Lord himself remove them 1. Your own unbelief of heart doth and will hinder with such continual fears and doubts and exceptions and reasonings that unless the Lord himself doth silence that unbelief it will never be assured nor will your hearts be quieted with assurance 2. Satan will and doth hinder it by his many and subtile and strong suggestions and puzlings of your weak faith that none but the Spirit of God can answer them and settle your hearts with perswasion and assurance But now because God himself undertakes to sprinkle clean water upon them they shall be sprinkled if he will make Christ thine and forgive thy sinnes for Christs sake and make this known to them they shall certainly enjoy all for who is too strong for God who can resist his will he is too hard for our unbelieving hearts and Satan If he saith to the heart be of good comfort be at peace and it shall be so 1. Vse Doth God himself promise and undertake to sprinkle clean water upon his people so to apply unto them the blood of Christ as that every one of them shall have forgiveness and assurance of forgiveness by it Then in the first place let this serve to stir up the hearts of all the people of God Not to be sluggish or rest contented without this but to give all diligence Rest not contented without this untill they do attain the knowledge and certain evidence or assurance that their sins are forgiven to them in particular for Christs sake You have attained to much already but strive also for this The Reason why I would press this duty upon you are these 1. Many of the people of God are not yet come unto this sprinkling of assurance Reasons of it 2. Many of them are too remisse and negligent about the attaining of it 3. By reason of the want of it they are in a very uncomfotable condition 4. There is a possibility to compasse this assurance 5. The
cryes out O Lord pity and pardon and comfort my distressed soul with the assurance of thy love and of forgiving mercy for Christs sake And then the voice of comfort and joy speaks Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee and writes this good news upon the conscience Why this is right assurance and right comfort of the Holy Ghost Secondly There always goes a renewing and sanctifying work of the Spirit A renewing and sanâ—â—ifying work before the assuring and witnessing work of the Spirit Here I will briefly clear two Points 1. That the sanctifying work of the Spirit goes before the assuring work of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1. 21. He who hath anointed us is God Ver. 22. Who hath also sealed us Psal 85. 8. He will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints I beseech you tell me whose portion is forgiveness of sins and peace Hath the Lord promised it unto any but unto his people and who are indeed the people of God but Saints but holy people see 1 Pet. 2. 9. Ye are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar people God will forgive none their sins but such as are his people much less will he assure any that their sins are forgiven but his people and all the people of God actually called into Covenant with him are holy therefore men must be sanctified before they are assured 2. It cannot be otherwise whether you consider First The Nature of the Spirit of God The Spirit of God is a holy Spirit and he will not aford his presence to any unless he first make them holy he always makes the Temple holy in which he intends to abide and dwell and if he will not abide in us unless he sanctifies us will he give us the assurance of the great love of God in Christ that our sins are pardoned before he sanctifies us Secondly You find in Experience that when the people of God fall into sin and do oppose the sanctifying work of the Spirit presently they lose comfort and assurance David did so Psal 51. if we must uphold sanctity to preserve the peace and comfort of the Spirit surely then there must be sanctity wrought before peace and assurance be spoken Thirdly A man must be in Christ before he can have propriety in the forgiveness of his sins and assurance that God hath for Christs sake forgiven him this all of you will grant as saith the Apostle If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. Fourthly Once more Mark what God hath threatned to wicked and ungodly persons namely wrath and judgement and destruction and visiting of their sins upon them this is the portion of their cup. Now would you have the Spirit of God to misapply the Word of God whatsoever God hath threatned or promised in his Word that the Spirit of God is to apply his work it is to apply threatnings and his work it is to apply promises and his office it is to apply the one and the other respectively to the persons under the threatnings and under the promises he knows the mind of the Lord and therefore as he will not apply the threatnings of wrath unto the godly so he will not apply the promises of God to the wicked and if so then no assurance shall be by him applied unless men be holy Therefore let no man deceive himself with a deluded perswasion or assurance that his sins are pardoned as long as he remains wicked ungodly or unholy no no the holy Spirit never seals any but holy persons And there is a twofold holiness wrought in us before the Spirit gives assurance 1. One is Internal and Habitual which is the renewing and changing of the heart into a conformity with the Image of Christ 2. Another is External and Actual in the life and conversation Psal 50. 23. To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God Although this be true that every one who is sanctified is not presentâ—y assured yet this is true that the Spirit of God assures no man but first he sanctifies him Thirdly There always goes the believing work before assuring work of the Believing work Spirit the Spirit of God is a Spirit of faith and then the Spirit of comfort or assurance Ephes 1. 13. In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Mark first believing and then a filling with all joy and peace Psal 13. 5. I have trusted in thy mercy my heart shall rejoyce in thy salvation This Assertion I suppose will pass without dispute that the Spirit first works faith and then assurance and really it must be so for 1. You must be in relation of children and heirs before you can assure your selves of the portion of children Therefore the Apostle placeth the Spirit of Adoption before the witness of the Spirit as I hinted out of Rom. 15. 16. But it is by faith that we are children Gal. 3. 26 And receive the dignity of sons Joh. 1. 12. 2. None can assure himself of benefit but he who hath first a propriety in Christ union is the sole foundation of communion see 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdome Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption What faith preceâ—es assurance Quest But now the question may be what faith that is which necessarily is precedent unto assurance Answered Sol. A twofold faith is previously required First A faith of union with Christ Secondly A faith of dependance upon the promises 1. A faith of union from which results propriety that Christ is yours and you are Christs as upon civil Marriage there ensues a mutual propriety this faith doth unquestionably precede the testimony or assurance of the Spirit for no part of Christs purchase can be sealed unto you before you have a part in Christ himself 2. A faith of dependance upon God that according to his promises he will both pardon you and also give you the assurance that he hath pardoned you for Christs sake and this faith is many times put forth to believe in hope against hope Rom. 4. 18. Before the Spirit lets in the assurance that our sins are pardoned I will hearken what c. Psal 80. 8. Fourthly There always goes praying and wrestling before this assuring Praying and wrestling work of the Spirit The Spirit of supplication goes before the Spirit of assurance Zach. 13. 9. They shall call upon my Name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God Jer. 30. 21 22. Who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord ye shall be my
of his ways but when that comes then he judgeth of himself as he is and of his ways as indeed they are and have been Psal 73. 22. So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a Beast before thee 1 Tim. 1. 15. To save sinners of whom I am chief and for his wayes he now looks on them as ways of death and paths of hell in which who so walks shall find no rest nor peace In respect of God and his ways God is now look't upon as an only happiness and could I enjoy him for my God in Christ I were blessed for ever and his ways are righteous and good and holy and most pleasant and only safe the way of Repentance the way of faith the way of holiness the way of a godly Conversation how excellent how beautiful how desirable are all of them to an heart renewed by grace which yet in former times were judged with scorn and contempt and hatred Thirdly Where the Lord gives a new heart there he gives new cares and New cares and requests requests Before the Lord renews the heart by grace a sinner is very careful and very careless He is very careful for two things One is for the world What shall I eat and what shall I drink and wherewith shall I be cloathed Matth. 6. His heart is set on the world and he minds earthly things and his heart goes after his covetousness and who will shew us any good his affections are set on things below The other is for his fleshly lusts They that are after the flesh minde the things of the flesh Rom. 8. 5. And they make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 14. But he is very careless about his soul therefore he is said to despise his soul and not to know the day of his visitation nor the things which concern his peace and to make light of the invitations of Christ But when the Lord begins to renew the heart by grace there are new cares and new desires O how the soul is taken with the soul and for the soul Lord What will become of my poor soul and what shall I do for my poor soul if I get not Christ my soul is lost and if I get not mercy I am undone Take the world who will and take sinful pleasures who will but O Lord be merciful to me a sinner and O Lord be thou reconciled to my soul and lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me Every new heart hath new thoughts and cares and desires What shall we do said they to John the Baptist Matth. 3. And What shall we do said they to Peter Acts 2. 37. And What shall we do to be saved said he to Paul and Silas Acts 16. 30. Fourthly If a new heart be given there will then be found in you the presence New principles of all new principles which are contrary to all the old principles in the old sinful heart there is not any one spiritual and heavenly principle respecting salvation but they may be found in you v. g. 1. Ignorance that is one principle of an old heart the contrary unto it viz. Knowledge is given when you come to partake of a new heart Colos 3. 10. And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge Eph. 5. 8. Ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. 2. Carnal wisdome that is another principle of the old heart the contrary unto that is given to a person when God renews his heart viz. Spiritual and heavenly wisdom a wisdom for salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. A wisdom unto that which is good Rom. 16. 9. A wisdom to approve the things that are excellent Phil. 1. 10. A wisdome to know the times or seasons of grace and to imbrace and improve them Hebr. 3. 3. Vanity of spirit that is another old principle in the old heart an old heart is a vain heart and an old mind is a vain mind but when the Lord gives a new heart he then gives a spiritual seriousness unto the heart To work out its salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 12. And to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Hebr. 12. 28. And to give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 1â— And taking heed of neglecting so great salvation Hebr. 2. 1 3. 4. Hardness this is another principle in an old heart the heart is a stony heart Ezek. 36. 26. and an heart of Adamant Zach. 7. 11 12. But when God gives a new heart there is a principle contrary unto this put into the heart namely a soft and tender and mournful heart Josiah had a tender heart 2 Chron. 34. 27. God maketh my heart soft Job 23. 16. They shall mourn as one mourneth for his only son Zach. 12. 10 5. Pride this is another old principle of the old heart Mark 7. 22. so Psal 73. 6. Pride compasseth them about as with a chain So Jer. 48. 29. We have heard the pride of Moab he is exceeding proud his loftiness his arrogancy and his pride and the haughtiness of his heart So Rom. 1. 30. Deceitful proud boasters But when the Lord gives a new heart there is a principle of humility given which is contrary unto that pride of heart Deut. 33. 3. All his Saints are in thine hand they sit down at thy feet every one shall receive of thy words Psal 131. 1. Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty c. Ver. 2. Surely I have behaved and quieted my self as a childe that is weaned of his mother my soul is even as a weaned childe Acts 20. 19. Serving the Lord with all humility of minde 6. Stubbornness of resistance and unyieldingness this is another principle of an old heart an old heart is a stubborn heart as for the Word which thou hast spoken in the Name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee said they to Jeremiah Jer. 44. 16. Ye always resist the Holy Ghost ye stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart said Stephen unto them in Acts 7. 51. But when God gives a new heart there is given a contrary principle unto this even a yielding and obedient spirit to the Word and Will of God Acts 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 10 33. We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Isa 66. 2. To him that trembleth at my Word Psal 119. 161. My heart standeth in awe of thy Word Rom. 6. 17. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you 7. Hypocrisie this is another principle in the old heart an old heart is an hypocritical heart it is full of guilt and deceit Jer. 17. 9. Deceitful above all things But when the Lord gives a new heart he gives a principle contrary to this viz. sincerity and uprightness of heart and a true heart John 1. 47. Behold
them When did you ever see any ungodly hardened sinner judging himself for his hard heart and begging of the Lord to heal it or willingly applying himself to a 〈◊〉 heart-breaking Ministery c. SECT II. Vse 1. DOth the Lord promise that he will take away the stony heart from his people and doth he really do so in his time Hence it will follow First Then they are none of the people of God whose stony heart doth They are none of the people of God whose hard heart is not removed still abide in them and compleatly raign in them and then in what a wofull condition are many people â— fear amongst our selves e. g. All those who are unsensible of their sinful estate all those who incorrigibly go on in their sinful wayes all those who were never wrought on by the Word of Christ all those who oppose and reject and slight the Word in the threatnings and precepts thereof all those who do continue impenitent and unbelieving notwithstanding all the offers and invitations of grace c. Secondly Then no marvel that the people of God are of another spirit and The people of God are of another spirit than other men of another temper than the common sort of people are that they dare not run into the same excesse of riot with others nor live so as other men do live that they are so much altered as to themselves Heretofore they were frequent in swearing and now they fear an oath heretofore they made nothing of great transgressions and now a small sin even a little neglect carelesness remisness doth exceedingly disquiet and deject their hearts heretofore they could neglect the Word as well as others and scoff at it and refuse to be ordered by it but now they stand in awe of the Word they are presently bound up by it and wholly moulded and fashioned and ruled by it The reason of all this is because God doth take away the hardnesse of our hearts c. Thirdly Then it is no sign of an evil estate to be troubled for our own sins or for the sins of others David did water his couch for his own sins Psal 6. 6. It is no sign of an evil state to be troubled for our sins And rivers of tears did fall from his eyes for the sins of other men Psal 119. 136. When your former sins are your grief and your present sins are your burden and future sins are your fear and other mens sins are your sorrow this is a clear evidence that the stony heart is taken away and therefore you stand in relation to God as his people To sin and not to be troubled for sin is a sign of an hard heart and of an evil condition but to fear sin and to be grieved for sinning this is a signe of a changed and broken heart They are not to be blamed who oppose Heresies and blaspâ—emies Fourthly Then it is very unjust to accuse and discountenance any of the people of God as ill affected for this reason only Because they do oppose the Heresâ—es and blasphemies of these times and because they doe so earnestly contend for the Gospel and Ordinances of Christ by Prayers and tears and speaking and writing c. Why are you angry with them that God hath taken away from them the heart of stone must we be sensible of Gods dishonour or must we not And if if Christ wept at the hardness of heart in Jerusalem because she would not receive the Gospel is there not much more reason to weep and pray because of the hardness nay of the desperateness of any man who endeavours to pull down and extirpate the Gospel I say the Gospel in which all the love and goodness of God is revealed and in which all the glory of Christ is interested and in which all the salvation of poor sinners souls is so necessarily concerned Vse 2. Will the Lord take away the heart of stone from his people what Blesse God for this cause then have those people to bless the Lord who do find this cure wrought in their hearts O it is an unspeakable mercy and favour whether you respect the evil from which you are delivered or else the good which falls in upon the removal of hardness of heart First If that you do consider the evill from which you are delivered by being In respect of the evil from which you are delivered delivered from an hard hâ—art One saith it is the greatest sin in the world another saith it is the greatest judgement in the world Certainly it is one of the strongest holds of sin and it was the hardness of heart which kept up all the power of your sins and all the sinful practâ—ses it was the foundation of your long impenitency you had long ere this repented had not your hearts been hardned If the Lord had not in wonderful mercy by his exceeding power of grace taken away the hardness of your hearts your souls would never have been brought in to Christ but you would have gon on in your sins and dyed in your sins and been damned for your sins And yet again that after the long reâ—stance of Gods grace offers of mercy callings of the Gospel strivings and resistings of his Spirit the Lord shall pass by all this and mercifully cure thy foolish proud stout self-destroying soul O what mercy was this and what grace was this And the good which falls in with it Secondly If you do likewise consider the good which falls in upon the removal of hardness of heart certainly you have great cause to blesse God c. e. g. 1. An immediate receptivity or capacity to have the Law or will of God written and engraven on your hearts Simile as when the wax is softned it is thereby made capable of any impression 2. A spring of repentance is set up in the heart to bewail all our sins and transgressions and fear to transgress any more 3. An obediential principle appears in making of us ready and willing to comply with the precepts of God liberty and ability c. 4. The great work of Faith to receive the Lord Jesus into our hearts 5. Affectionate communions with God and a special delight in his presence and Ordinances and Services 6. A liberty and confidences in our accesses unto the throne of grace 7. In one word a newnesse of heart and a newness of relation unto God as our God and Father All these flow in upon the soul when God takes away the hardness of the heart and in time all the good of the Covenant and therefore unquestionably you have great obligations lying on your hearts to blesse God if he doth take away the hardness of your hearts Object I will some say no question it is a great blessing to be delivered from an hard heart but we feare it is not so with us for we finde sometimes such 1. A strange indisposition to what is good 2.
once his heart is indeed sanctified by the Spirit of God What we shall find when our hearts are sanctified 1. An abhorring of every evil way contrary to Gods statutes I hate all false ways saith David Psal 119. 104. A way of wickedness is no way for an holy heart 2. A Complyance with every good way and path appointed by God for us to walk in I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right Psal 119. 128. And ver 173. I have chosen thy precepts 3. A singular propension of his heart to walk in the wayes of God I have enclined my heart to perform thy statutes alwayes even unto the end Psal 119. 112. 4. A special delight in thâ—se statuâ—es of God and in walking in them My soul hath kept thy Testimâ—â—â—â—s and â— love them exceedingly Psal 119. 1â—7 Thy testimonies are my deligâ—t and my counsellers Ver. 24 I will delight my self in thy statutes Ver. 16. I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches Ver. 14. O sirs the Law of God is against a wicked heart and a wicked heart is against the Law of God! that is holy but his heart is unholy for that there is no agreement between them but a perpetual enmity and contrariety the Law threatens his sinful lusts and wayes and his heart despiseth and opposeth the Law q. d. it is holy and therefore contrary to his unholy heart And therefore of necessity this unholiness must be taken away and no other way can it be removed but by the sanctifying of the heart before a man can or will walk in Gods statutes Fourthly If you would walk in the statutes of God then you must get an Evangelical saith as Christ spake in another case unto that troubled man Mark 19. 23. If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth that say I concerning walking in Gods statutes if we could believe had we faith and could we act it aright our obedience would be possible to us and acceptable unto God That there is a necessity of this faith and likewise an efficacy for our walking The necessity of faith if we will walk in Gods wayes in Gods statutes may thus appear 1. It is that grace which unites us unto Christ in whom there is a fulness of grace and likewise a fulness of strength As we have no grace but what comes from Christ so we have no strength but what comes from him without me saith Christ Joh. 15. 5. ye can do nothing if we can do nothing without Christ then certainly we cannot obey we cannot walk in Gods statutes without him and therefore faith is necessary for this obediential walking because without Christ we can do nothing and because without faith we have nothing to do with Christ 2. It is the grace of life I live saith Paul Gal. 2. 20. yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God We never live Spiritually untill we do believe for Christ is our life by faith upon this account faith is necessary to our obediential walking because such a walking is impossible without a spiritually vital principle 3. It is that grace by which we do receive the Spirit We receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith Gal. 3. 14. But without the Spirit there is no possible walking in God statutes because all the power and might that we have to do any good as you may shortly hear comes from the presence and assistance of the Spirit who is in a soule all in all in all the good which we do perform 4. It is the grace which applies all the promises of help and strength and which brings in all your assistance from Christ You know that God doth promise his help for our work Zech. 10. 12. I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in his Name saith the Lord and so here in the Text I will cause you to walk in my statutes Ezek. 36. What have you to draw without of these wells but faith here is your work there is your help and it is yours upon believing And so for the assisting power of Christ you can do nothing without it as you have heard and therefore Paul speaking of his abundant labour in the Gospel saith Yet not I but the grace of God which is with me 1 Cor. 15. 10. this likewise becomes yours upon believing it is faith which engageth Christ and draws him in to assist and enable you for every work which you are to do 5. It is the grace which doth encourage our hearts to walk in Gods statutes Gen. 4. 7. If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted Isa 56. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar What an encouragement is this to be walking in the statutes of God to be obeying of his will to be much in duties when we know by faith that our prayers and tears and weak duties shall be accepted upon the altar for Christs sake Mal. 3. 16. They that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name By all this you may see how necessary faith is for to enable us to walk in Gods statutes therefore pray much for faith If you would walk in Gods statutes then you must get an unfeigned love of God Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all their heart and with all their soul Ver. 8. And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord and do all his commandements which I command thee this day Exod. 20. 6. Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandements Paul reduceth all obedience unto love when he calls love the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13. 8. And so doth Jesus Christ who reduceth all the Commandements to love Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Joh. 14. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words Men grumble at the keeping of Godâ— Laws and at walking according to his statutes they look at them as grievoâ—s and burthensome to them and undelightful are weary of praying weary of reading and hearing the Word weary of the Sabbath when will it be at an end weary of every good work though never weary of sinning What is the reason of this the reason is because they do not love the Lord and therefore they 〈◊〉 weary of his statutes and obedience whereas did they love the Lord all commâ—nion with him and all services done unto him would be pleasing and delightful our works of duty
a door-keeper in the house of my God c. Seventhly The further you proceed in walking in the paths of Gods Commandements The farther we go in these wayes they are the better We shall have the clearer knowledg of them the better you shall finde it to walke in them There are four things which may demonstrate this 1. Because the farther that you proceed in the wayes of God the clearer knowledge you shall attain to both of God and of his wayes the more we do obey him the better we shall know him and love him and be beloved of him Joh. 14. 21. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self unto him 2. Because the further we proceed in the wayes of God the further testimony shall we have from conscience that our hearts are upright There is you know And fuller testimony from Conscience much of our happiness or unhappiness in the testimony of conscience and upright walking gives a great advantage unto conscience to speak on our behalfe Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the way of the Lord and ver 2. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and seek him with the whole heart Now affectionate walking and stedfast walking do shew that our hearts are upright in walking 3 Because the farther we do proceed in walking in Gods statutes the more And the more sweet experiences sweet and heavealy experiences shall our soules meet with Still you meet with promises but if you make farther progress you shall meet with the fruits and effects of those promises Psal 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenants and his testimonies 4. Because the further that you do proceed to walk in Gods Statutes the And the neerer we are to our journeyes end neerer you are to the journies end and to the crown of life It is but one stile more and then I am at my fathers house but a few steps more and then Well done good and faithfull servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Math. 25. 21. Object Thus you see the point demonstrated that the people of God are to make progress they are to move on they are to persevere all their dayes in the path of obedience or in walking in Gods Statutes Many of Gods children are sometimes out of the way True will some say thus they should do but who of them ever did thus There are none of them but we finde them some time or other out of the way I Answer Sol. First Although it be so yet it should not be so all their steps should be in the Yet it should not be so All that are sincere do walk on wayes of life But Secondly All that are sincere they do so they are still walking on in the Statutes of God I told you lately that particular actions do not denominate any estate it is the course of actions which doth denominate our walking Though a wicked man doth sometimes a particular good yet this man still walks in his iniquities because the course of his life is spent in the path of sin So though a good man doth some times a particular evil yet this man may be said still to walk on in the Statutes of God because that path takes up his course of life When Similâ— a man is travailing a journey though he doth some times stumble and fall into the dirt yet he is said to be a travailer and to go on in his journey because he lies not in the dirt but gets up and away he goes so c. Infirmities are passed by of God How deviations are the fruits of weakness Thirdly The aberrations of weakness do not nullify or evacuate a continued progress in walking Infirmities God passeth by and puts them not into the account Now therefore things which shew that the deviations of Gods people are the fruits only of weakness 1. One is that they do principally depend upon the subtilty and suddain power of Satans temptations 2. A Second is that they would not do any evil The evil that I would not do I do saith Paul 3. A Third is their cries and tears and complaints They are in this particular like the lost Sheep or a lost Child 4. A Fourth is that they must and do returne into the right way again SECT I. Use 1 SHould the people of God walk in Gods Statutes i. e. make progress in them and move forward and hold on and persevere in the obedience of them all the dayes of their life Against this duty foure sorts of men deeply offend e. g. 1. All Inconstant Professors 2. All Declining Professors 3. All Non-Proficients Who offend against this duty All inconstant Professors 4. Especially all Revolters and Apostates First All Inconstant Professors to whom that may be applied spoken of in Hosea 6. 4. O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee for your goodness is as a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away You have many Professors like unto Ephraim and Judah who in their distresses enquired early after God they take up duties and then they will pray and hear and reform and obey the voice of the Lord O how many hollow-hearted Christians are there who in their sickness and troubles of Conscience and outward straits and fears will seek unto the Lord and serve him and walk in his wayes but as soon as fears and straits and sickness and dangers are off they fall presently from God and from his wayes and from walking in his Satutes The Similâ— sun consumes the morning cloud and dries up the early dew So when ease and prosperity and safety appears then an end of praying of mourning of repenting of doing for God and walking in his wayes Secondly All Declining and luke warme Professors Such I mean that have been forward and high and zealous in holy duties but they are fallen low and All lukewarm Professors flat and careless and negligent of them The time was that they were full of cares and desires and of spirituall fervor and vigor O how they have prized the ordinances How did they abound in duties of obedience How much of their time did they lay out in meditation in praying in reading in hearing in reforming themselves in instructing their families in watching over themselves and their wayes O they durst not neglect their duty any opportunity nor come neer any iniquity But now the case is altered with them there is not that fear of God in them nor tenderness of conscience nor forwardness of obedience their wine is turned into water and their fervor into deadness they have no regard nor minde nor heart to walk at all in Gods Statutes and wayes they shut up
comforts from God 23. 11. And the night following the Lord stood by him and said Be of good cheer Paul c. Psal 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Ver. 18. When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up Seventhly You cannot serve a better Master than your God therefore continue stedfast walking in his statutes and doing of his woâ—k Mich. 7. 18. We cannot serve a better Master than God Four Masters Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity c. Hose 2. 7. I will return to my first husband for then it was better with me than now There are four Masters and of necessity we must serve one of them 1. Satan 2ly The world 3ly Our sinâ—ul lusts And 4ly God himself Are you not ashamed to compare these Masters unto God and their service unto his God is the best Master 1. For authority 2ly For dignity 3ly For liberty 4ly For the service God is the best Master and why commanded 5ly For privilâ—dges 6ly For present benefit 7ly For future reward Other Masters are base and cruel and their service is bondage and their pay is destruction but God is a gracious Master and helpful and beneficial and blessed and therefore c. Eighthly Although you do many times halt and are drawn aside and go astray yet your God whom you serve will be merciful unto you he will God will pardon our weaknesses not forsake you nor cast you off but will recover and pardon you There are three unspeakable mercies which the Lord shews unto all his people in Covenant Three mercies which the Lord shews his people in Covenant He pardons all their old sins He looks after them when they wander 1. One is that he pardons all their old sins in which they walked before they came into Covenant with him he blots them all out and will never remember them any more casts them all into the depth of the Sea 2. A second is that he will look after them and seek and find them and bring them home again when they lose themselves by sinning and wander from him Psal 119. 176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant And did not the Lord indeed seek and find David when he exceedingly strayed in the maâ—ter of Vriah he sends Nathan after him with such a message as convinced and humbled and turned him again and so when Peter went astray Christ lookt back upon him he did not leave him but toucht his heart and turned him as he in Luke 15. 4. that had an hundred sheep when he had lost one of them he went after that which was lost untill he found it Thus is it with the Lord if any of his servants should lose themselves yet the Lord will not lose him he will not cast him him off The Lord saith Samuel will not forsake his people for his great Name sake 1 Sam. 12. 22. but will send after him such a message by his Word or by afflictions or by conscience or by his own Spirit that he shall come back again Hose 2. 6. I will hedge up thy way with thorns c. Ver. 7. Then shall she say I will go and return to my first husband c. 3. A third is that he will accept of them again into love and favour Hose 14. 4. I will heal their back-slidings I will love them freely for mâ—ne anger is God will accept of them turned away from him Jet 31. 19. Surely after that I was turned I repeated c. Ver. 20. Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. 9. A ninth Encouragement for you is this the Lord in whose wayes you walk God stands by us to strengthen us in his wayes doth stand by you to strengthen you his eyes are upon you for good he doth behold all your works and labours and pains and is sensible of all your injuries and sufferings and troubles 1 Pet. 3. 12. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers Ver. 13. Who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good 2 Pet. 2. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations Rev. 2. 9. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty but thou art rich and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not Ver. 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer c. 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 10. Lastly Your time of walking and working is almost at an end your day Our time of working is almost at an end is ending and it is but a little time more and then he that shall come will come your life is near expiring and your reward is hastning Rev. 22. 11. He that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still Ver. 12. And behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be SECT IV. 3. Use THe last Use from this That the people of God are to walk in his statutes and to hold on in that course all their dayes shall be of perswasion unto us all in general unto three things 1. To repent of and to forsake our sinful walkings 2. To approve of and to like of this walking in Gods statutes 3. To yield up your hearts to God and to make some essayes of walking in Gods wayes First To repent of and to forsake all our former sinful walkings It is high Three things we are exhorted to Repent of our former miswalking Arguments to perswade us hereto Such shall have mercy time to awake out of sleep Rom. 13. 11. The time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousness lusts excess of wine revellings banquettings and abominable idolatries 1 Pet. 4. 3. I will present four Arguments to perswade you to harken unto this counsel 1. You may have mercy if you do so Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly paâ—don So Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed and keep all my statutes c. Ver. 22. all his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him in his righteousness which he hath done he shall live 2. You will certainly perish if you do not so Prov. 1. 29. For they hated knowledge
betwixt God and his people 2. Neverthelesse though there be such a Covenant betwixt God the Father Yet there is a Covenant betwixt God and his people Proved and his Son Jesus Christ yet there is a Covenant made betwixt God and his people The places above mentioned do expresly prove it when God saith I will be their God and they shall be my people I will marry you unto my self and I will bring you into the bond of my Covenant 〈◊〉 20. 37. and we are said to enter into Covenant with the Lord Deut. 29. 12. These expressions plainly prove a Covenant betwixt God and us And truly unanswerable Arguments evince this Truth 1. Christ is said to be the Mediatour of this Covenant Heb. 9. 15. Now he could not be the Mediatour of this Covenant betwixt God and himself but of the Covenant Because Christ is the Mediatour of it betwixt God and us 2. To whom the seales of the Covenant are given with them is the Covenant made the seales of the Covenant and the Covenant go to the same persons The seals of the Covenant are given unto his people but the seales of the Covenant are for and to believers Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seal of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4. 11. 3. How can we plead the Covenant betwixt God and us if there were no such Gods people plead this Covenant Covenant Remember thy Covenant Oh how can God be said to remember his Covenant and to do us good for and according to his Covenant with us if there were not a Covenant betwixt God and us Lastly How is God said to be faithful in Covenant with us and how are we God is faithful in his Covenant with us and we are faithful with God Gal. 3. 16. opened and cleared said to be faithful in Covenant with God and why are we exhorted to be so and how can there be such a sinne as breach of Covenant for which God will be avenged if there were no Covenant betwixt God and us 3. The place mentioned in Gal. 3. 16. doth not contradict this truth where it is said The promises are made to Abraham and to his seed not seeds as speaking of many but seed as of one and to thy seed which is Christ This place surely will not carry it out that there is no Covenant with us but with Christ For 1. How do you read in this place of Promises made to Abraham the promises were made to Abraham if there were no promises but to Christ or how can the promises be made only to Christ and yet to Abraham 2. The promises were made to Abraham and then to his seed which is Christ if Christ here should be understood personally the order here mentioned could not hold for then Christ should come to claim the promises in Abrahams right and not Abraham in his 3. By Christ in this place is not meant Christ personally but Christ mystically considered the Church of Christ the company of believers and those are the seed of Abraham who is stiled The father of the faithful And truly I know not why men do so wrest this Text which the Apostle only mentions to prove that all that are justified are justified not by works but by faith forasmuch as the promise of Grace to this purpose was made to Abraham and his seed to all Believers as ver 29. If ye be Christs then are you Abrahams seed and Heirs according to the Promise SECT III. 4. BEfore I passe from the general consideration of a Covenant made betwixt Why God makes a Covenant betwixt himself and his people To put an honour upon his people Dut. 26 18 19. God and us it may be demanded why the Lord is pleased to make a Covenant betwixt himself and his people The causes thereof amongst many others may be these 1. To put an honour upon his people Some do derive the word Berith which signifies the Covenant from a root which signifies to purifie and to separate and to select and verily the Lord when he makes a Covenant with any he doth separate them from others looks on them takes them and ownes them for his peculiar people and agrees with them as the chosen and choycest of all others The first staffe in Zach. 11. 10. is called beauty and this was the Covenant And indeed it is a high honour to be in Covenant with God there is a fourfould honour to us in this 1. One in that God in this becomes ours and we are made nigh unto him A fourfold honour in this 2. A second in that God is ours and we his in a very peculiar way of relation 3. In that God in Covenant opens his love and all his treasures to us tells us of his special grace and love and great intentions of good to us 4. In that he obligeth himself to us in his faithfulnesse to performe all his Covenant In all this there is a great favour done unto and a great honour put upon us Hence when the Lord told Abraham that he would make a Covenant with him Abraham fell upon his face Gen. 17. 2 3. he was amazed at so great a love and honour and why It is a special favour for God to make a Covenant with us hence that of David Who am I O Lord c. 2 Sam. 7. 18. 2. That we might know what to expect from God and upon what termes for the That we might know what to expect from God Covenant as it is a Declaration of all the good which God will bestow upon us so it is also a Rule or Direction what we are to be and to do here you may see all that we need and all that God requires 3. That we might be encouraged in our whole course of obedience there being sufficiency promised and security enough given by God in this Covenant for all To encourage us in obedience good unto all such who are faithful in Covenant with him Walk before me and be thou perfect and I will be a God al-sufficient unto thee Gen. 17. 1. All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that keep his Covenant Psal 25. 10. 4. That we might be bound fast unto himself the Covenant binds fast on both parts God binds himself to us and we also are bound by it to him Jer. 13. 11. To bind us fast to God As the girdle cleaveth to the loynes of a man so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah saith the Lord that they might be unto me for a people and for a name and for a praise and for a glory Thus you have heard in the general what a Covenant is and that there is such a Covenant betwixt God and believers and Reasons also in the General why God makes a Covenant with them CHAP. II. Of the Covenant in special I Shall now descend to something
more special to shew unto you what that Covenant is which God makes between himself and his people There are who do distinguish of a twofold Covenant 1. There is Foedus absolutum which is such a promise of God as takes in no stipulation or condition at all that There is an absolute Covenāt runnes altogether upon absolute termes such a Covenant was that which God made with Noah that he would never drown the world any more Gen. 9. 11. and such a kind of Covenant is that when God promiseth to give faith and perseverance unto his elect Heb. 8. 10 c. Both these Covenants are absolute and without any condition there is nothing in them but what is folded up in the promises themselves 2. Foedus Hypotheticum which is a gracious promise on Gods part with an obligation to duty on our part for although it be natural to God to recompence And an Hypothetical Covenant any good as it is to punish any evil And although man doth owe unto God whatsoever God covenanteth with him for yet it so pleaseth his Divine Will thus to deale with us that in binding of us to duty unto himself he binds himself in reward unto us and promiseth such and such a recompence upon the condition of such and such a performance Now this kind of Covenant is twofold The Covenant is either The Covenant of nature 1. Foedus Naturae as some stile it or Foedus operum the Covenant of works as we usually call it the Apostle calls it the Law of works Rom. 3. 27. This is the Covenant which God made with man in the state of innocency before the fall wherein God promised unto man life and happinesse upon condition of perfect and personal obedience and it is summed up by the Apostle Gal. 3. 12. Do this and live God having created man upright after his own Image and so having furnished him with all abilities sufficient for obedience thereupon he made a Covenant with him for life upon the condition of obedience I say he made such a Covenant with Adam as a publick person and as he promised life to him and his posterity in case of obedience so he threatened death and a curse unto him and his posterity in case of disobedience In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Gen. 2. 17. Cursedis every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. 2. Faedus Gratiae the Covenant of Grace the Apostle calls it the law of faith Or the Covenant of grace Rom. 3. 27. and it is especially expressed thus He that believes shall be saved Mark 16. 16. The just shall live by faith Gal. 3. 11. This is that Covenant of which the Text speaks and of which by Gods assistance This is stiled I intend to discourse This Covenant which is sometimes stiled the Covenant of life life is restored The Covenant of life and life is promised and life is setled by the Covenant no life for a sinner out of it And sometimes it is stiled a Covenant of peace Numb 25. 12. Behold I give Covenant of peace unto him my Covenant of Peace Peace is the comprehension of all blessings and prosperity our good is in this good Covenant of grace and all peace flowes out of it peace with God and peace of cosncience And sometimes it is called a Covenant of salt Num. 18. 19. 2 Chron. 13. 5. A A Covenant of salt firm sure uncorruptible Covenant which lasts for ever Sometimes it is stiled the promise Psal 105. 42. He remembred his holy promise The promise and Abraham his servant It is called the promise by way of eminency it is made up altogether of promises all on Gods part which he will do is under promise and all on our part which we are to do is likewise under promise Sometimes it is called the mercy and the truth Mic. 7. 20. Thou wilt perform The mercy and the truth the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham The Covenant is called mercy because mercy only drew this Covenant It was meer mercy which moved God to make new bonds with us yea all mercy is wrapped up in it And it is called Truth because the Lord God who makes this Covenant will certainly and truly performe all that good and mercy which in it he makes over unto his people Hence also it is called the oath Luke 2. 73. The oath which he sware unto The Oath our father Abraham You do not read of Gods Oath in the Covenant of works that Covenant wanted a Mediatour and was not sealed with an oath but in this Covenant of grace there is the oath of God to declare unto us and to confirm us as touching the immutability of his will and purpose for the accomplishment of all that good mentioned in this Covenant And it is called a Testament and a new Testament Matth. 26. 28. My A Testament and New Testament blood of the New Testament Heb. 9. 15. He is the Mediatour of the New Testament A Testament is Testatio mentis that which we commonly call a mans Will about the bestowing of his estate amongst his children c. The new Covenant is called a Testament because it is ratified and confirmed by the death of the Testator and because it is as it were his last Will written down There are precious Legacies bestowed and setled by God the Father in this Covenant upon all his children and all of them are confirmed and ratified to them by the death of Christ This Covenant of grace thus gloriously set out in the Scripture wherein God proclaimes all his goodnesse to us which is the foundation of all our lives and comforts hopes and happinesse which is the foundation of all godlinesse and holy walking which is a sure and our only anchor I am now in a more distinct way to discourse of In the handling whereof I shall confine my self to these six particulars 1. The differences of this Covenant of grace from the Covenant of works 2. The proper nature of this Covenant in the absolute consideration of it 3. The adjuncts and properties of this Covenant 4. The condition of the Covenant of grace 5. The Mediatour of this Covenant 6. The special gifts and legacies that are bequeathed in this Testament CHAP. III. Differences of the Covenant of grace from the Covenant of works THe differences of this Covenant of grace from that Covenant of works Although there are some things wherein both these Covenants agree As 1. In the general end which is the Seven things in which they agree glory of God 2. In the persons contracting and covenanting which are God and man 3. In the intrinsecal forme there is a condition and restipulation in both 4. In some things promised in them both and required as to the matter of them in both 5. In the Authour God is the Authour of
Law given on Mount Sinai though materially it respected works yet formally and intentionally it was not then given and established as a Covenant of works by which we should be justified and live this I shall afterwards make evident and therefore shall say no more unto it at the present 5. The Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace do differ in the condition In the condition of life promised of life promised in both Life is promised in both Covenants but upon different conditions Do this and live saith the Covenant of works Believe on Jesus Christ and live saith the Covenant of grace The condition of the one consists in giving The condition of the other consists in receiving The condition of the one is to give in a perfect righteousness of our own unto God and the condition of the other is by faith to receive a perfect righteousnesse from Christ In the Covenant of nature or of works there is forum justitiae where the sentence of absolution passeth if we be found righteous and the sentence of condemnation if we be found unrighteous the question is not then about faith but love not whether you believ'd but whether you obey'd But in the Covenant of grace there is forum misericordiae and the sentence of absolution passeth not upon our doing but upon our believing and the sentence of condemnation passeth upon all unbelievers Now here fall in two notable questions 1. Question Whither faith were not required in the Covenant of works Whether faith were not required in the Covenant of works How faith was rerequired Sol. To this I answer three things 1. Faith was required in the Covenant of works as Faith may be taken either for a dependance on God the only Authour of being and blessing or for an expectation of that good of life which God promised with a reliance upon God for it or for a perswasion of Gods love to him and acceptance of his obedience whil'st continuing upright with God As to these considerations of faith Adam who lived under the Covenant of works had faith and did exercise it for he was bound to acknowledge God as the only fountaine of his good and to depend upon him as so And he was bound to believe the possession of that life which God promised to him whil'st he should continue perfectly obedient and likewise he was bound to be perswaded of the love of God unto him in that course of obedience and also the acceptance of his obediential services unto God 2. But that faith which respected the Covenant of works was different from that faith which respects the Covenant of grace and is now required For 1. How not required That faith was such as looked on a promise of life made by God to a perfect creature and as so continuing but that faith which respects the Covenant of grace looks upon the promise of God in Christ made in respect to us sinners and lost in our selves 2. That faith looked on God as a creatour and preserver but this faith looks on God as a Redeemer and merciful Father 3. That faith was natural concreated with Adam not raised nor infused in a Gospel-way but this faith is now promised and infused in a supernatural way by the Spirit of Christ through the dispensation of the Gospel 4. That faith could not be at all in any but so long as he was perfectly righteous and therefore it ceased upon the cessation of that righteousnesse it was principally grounded upon inherent Righteousnesse But this faith is in a sinner who hath no righteousnesse of his own but relies upon the righteousness of another even the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ 3. Although there was a kind of faith in Adam under the Covenant of works Faith not required in both for the same end yet that faith was not for this end and purpose to be the condition of that Covenant There it was a part of his righteousnesse but was not stipulated as the condition of life as that upon which his life and justification did depend But the faith required in the Covenant of grace comes in purposely as the condition of life and justification for the sinner 2. Quest. Whither the Covenant of grace doth not require works as well Whether the Covenant of grace requires works Works are required in both as the Covenant of nature or of works If so what difference is there then between them as to doing Sol. Questionlesse the Covenant of grace requires good works This is a faithful saying saith Paul Tit. 3. 8. and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which believe in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works Matth. 5. 16. But yet there is a vast difference betwixt the good works as required in the Covenant of works But with a difference and as required in the Covenant of grace They differ in their spring and fountain and they differ in their manner of Wherein this difference lies working but herein especially they differ as to these Covenants that in the one they are a condition of life but in the other Testimonies and Evidences of life in the one they are the matter of life and justification in the other they are nothing at all they are no part no reason they have no intrest or hand at all in the justification of a sinner Faith therein wholly excludes them and fixeth only on the righteousnesse of Christ Although they are alwayes present in the justified man yet they are never present in his justification before God 6. The Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace do differ thus The In the one the least sin undoes the sinner least sin undoes the sinner under the Covenant of works but it doth not so in the Covenant of grace The Covenant of works passeth sentence against you upon the least obliquity Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing to do it and you have no remedy against this sentence in the Covenant of works But it is not so in the Covenant of grace This is a Remedy and a Sanctuary and a City of Refuge against the sentence passed in the Covenant of works In the other there is a remedy If the condemned and distressed sinner can fly unto and reach to the Covenant of grace Christ will satisfie for him and make his peace and procure mercy for him Nay the Covenant of grace deals more favourably with us It doth not cast us out for every transgression but as a father pities his child that serves him so doth the Lord pity them that feare him Psal 103. 13. Unlesse we utterly violate the Covenant of grace we may yet find grace and mercy If any man sinne we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes
1 John 2. 1 2. 7. The Covenant of works if we could attain unto it would now be matter The one would be matter of glorying in our selves of glorying in our selves If Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory Rom. 4. 2. The elder brother who represented these work-men how did he boast himself These many years did I serve thee neither transgressed I at any time thy Commandment c. Luke 15. 29. I am not as other men said that proud Pharisee you might have challenged life by a debt by the Covenant of works To him that worketh is the Reward not reckoned of grace but of debt Rom. 4. 4. You might have earned happinesse if I may so speak at your fingers ends and might have demanded your wages after you had done your work But the Covenant of grace cuts off all boasting and glorying The other cuts off all boasting in our selves Where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of works nay but by the Law of faith Rom. 3. 27. And Jesus Christ is made unto us of God Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption That according as it is written he that glorieth might glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. 30 31. You cannot glory in your wisdome for that you have from Christ nor in your sanctification for that you have from Christ c. you have all from Christ therefore all your glorying must be in Christ There is a twofold glorying one in the Testimony of conscience this you may have who are under the Covenant of grace 2 Cor. 1. 12. Another is A twofold glorying in the confidence of our own works This the Covenant of grace doth utterly exclude God forbid that I should glory save in the crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ Gal. 6. 14. All is of grace by the Covenant of grace all is given and freely given Christ is given and grace is given and mercy is given and life is given and salvation is given and therefore all boasting and glorying in our selves is excluded by the Covenant of grace 8. They differ thus The Covenant of works breeds terrours and fear and The one breeds fear and terror despair If a man expect life by it his heart must sink within him considering how short he is of that righteousnesse therein required for life as also that abundance of unrighteousnesse in himself exposing him to wrath from a just God But the Covenant of grace is a ministration of life and peace and joy and The other is a ministration of life boldnesse you have here a sure refuge to fly unto a sure Rock to stand upon and a sure Anchor to trust unto 9. There are many other differences between them as the impossibility of Other differences summed up life by the one as the case now stands and the certainty of life by the other and the diversity of life promised in the one from that in the other and a difference in respect of the seals for the one and for the other And a difference in respect of extent The Covenant of works was with all men but this with believers only And a difference in respect of Appeals though you may appeal from the Covenant of works to the Covenant of grace yet there is no appeal from the Covenant of grace c. But I shall not stay any longer upon this first particular only by the way make some few Uses from the consideration of both these Covenants 1. Use In what a miserable condition are all unbelievers and impenitent persons who are strangers and forreiners to the Covenant of grace enemies to Christ and therefore utterly disinterested in the Covenant of grace Surely In what a miserable condition are all unbelievers mercy is not to be found in any other Covenant but in this In the Covenant of works you are condemned and accursed by reason of transgression your lives are forfeited you are under the curse cursed is every one c. Neither doth the Covenant of works mitigate or reverse or alter the sentence It admits of no mercy at all Mercy which is the only remedy against it is found only in the Covenant of grace There is the Throne of grace set up and there is the Mercy-seat to be found But unbelievers because they refuse Christ and impenitent sinners because they choose their sinnes exclude themselves from Christ and from this Covenant of grace and therefore they shall live and die accursed and condemned men 2. Vse See and admire the infinite goodnesse of God in making this Covenant Admire the goodness of God in making this Covenant of grace of grace not insisting on the other Covenant of works not holding us unto it to take us as it were out of the hand of justice and to put us into the hand of mercy not to sue the old bond but to make a new treaty that so he might pardon our former transgressions What infinite goodnesse was this Oh! this was exceeding pity and exceeding kindnesse and exceeding goodnesse to take off the yoke of bondage and to bring us into the bond of a new Covenant to set up a Mediatour to make another Covenant where we might yet find life mercy and peace not to deal with us in justice but in mercy not according to the desert of our doings but according to the riches of his grace in Christ 3. Use Here is singular support unto troubled consciences unto all who are Here is support for troubled consciences wounded with the sense of their sinnes and of their own inability to satisfie Gods justice and of their utter unworthinesse of mercy Indeed if you look into the Covenant of works in this condition there is no comfort for you no help for you no hope for you That Covenant speaks not one word of grace of mercy of peace of hope at all but if it sends you sinners it pronounceth you cursed Yet in this case if you look to the Covenant of grace there is hope and help The Covenant of grace looks not at the righteous but at sinners and it holds out a satisfaction made by Christ which could never be made by the sinner and as it hath mercy for sinners so it communicates that mercy freely unto every mourning broken-hearted penitent and believing sinner yea it doth not only comprehend mercy but every grace which makes us capable of mercy and that to be freely given by God to them that seek him 4. Use Take heed of resting upon your own works of seeking life and justification Rest not upon your works from them and for them this is to set up the Covenant of works and this is to seek life and justification in a way where it is impossible for a sinner to find it and you utterly overthrow the Covenant of grace by it The Covenant of works by which if you will be justified supposeth personal perfect and stedfast righteousnesse neither admits it of any
repentance nor will it make a new composition with you after your sinnings but as it will clear and acquit you upon perfect and stedfast righteousness so it will unalterably condemn you for any unrighteousnesse 5. Vse By no means sleight nor neglect Christ any longer but hearken Sleight not Christ any longer to his voice consider and embrace his offers he is the door at which you must first enter if you would be interested in the Covenant and by him you must be delivered from the Covenant of works Grace and truth mercy and peace love and life are by Jesus Christ CHAP. IV. The proper nature of the Covenant THe proper nature of the Covenant of grace in the absolute consideration thereof this I shall lay down in this description of it The Covenant of grace is a new compact or agreement which The Covenant described God made with sinful man out of his own meer mercy and grace wherein he promiseth that he will be our God and that we shall be his people and undertakes to give everlasting life and all that conduceth thereunto unto all who believe in Christ There are divers things considerable in this description which I desire And opened to open 1. This Covenant is a new compact and agreement betwixt God and man There was another agreement before this a Covenant of another nature and upon other It is a new Covenant with man termes and considerations and for another end But man stood not to that agreement he did voluntarily transgresse it and thereby deprived himself of all the benefits promised in that Covenant and fell under that death and curse which God had threatened for the breach and transgression of it Now the new Covenant is as it were a plank after that ship-wrack It is another Indenture for life it is not the same agreement renewed nor the former Lease or Bond renewed but a new one of another kind and nature made with man in another condition and capacity and upon another condition God presently made a new Covenant or agreement with fallen man different from the former made with created righteous man If he had not done so If it had not been so All man-kind had been lost 1. All man-kind had been eternally lost Sinful man could never have been recovered never have been restored to life but by a Covenant of grace nothing but grace can recover the lost sinner Rom. 3. 19. Every mouth must be stopped and all the world become guilty before God Ver. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sinne 2. The Lord had lost all the glory of his mercy if he had left us to the sentence God had lost all the glory of his mercy of the first Covenant Indeed there his justice and wrath and severity had been exceedingly magnified but his mercy had not risen and appeared at all unto us had not God made this new Covenant with us being become sinners and so fit objects of his mercy Now the intent of God was to exalt his mercy and that man should know the greatnesse and exceeding riches of it and therefore God was pleased to make a new treaty this Covenant of grace 3. There had been no news of a Christ nor thought of him else As Christ There had been no news of a Christ is never effectually given unto any but unto the lost so he was never made known untill the fall of man And remember it That as Christ was not so he could not be revealed in a Covenant of works whil'st life was held by that tenure Christ is not to be found there where life is claimed by a righteousnesse of our own he is only to be found in a Covenant of grace which gives life unto sinners upon the righteousnesse of another Rom. 3. 21. But now the righteousnesse of God without the law is manifested Ver. 22. Even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe These are the principal reasons why God made a new Agreement another Covenant a Covenant of grace with sinful man namely because he would not lose all man-kind nor leave them despairing and Because he would exalt his own mercy and likewise give his Son Jesus Christ and lay upon his shoulders the Redemption and salvation of his people 2. This Covenant is such an agreement with sinful man as springeth and riseth â—is Covenant springeth from the mercy and grace of God from the mercy and the grace of God Hence you have these expressions According to his mercy he saved us Tit. 3. 6. By grace ye are saved Eph. 2. 5. That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ ver 7. This Covenant may be considered Mercy and grace appears in this Covenant several wayes and in all of them you may see the meer mercy and grace of God 1. In respect of the constitution of it Nothing out of God and nothing in God but his meer mercy and his own grace laid out and appointed this In the constitution of it Covenant of grace with sinners Grace was the foundation of it 2. In respect of admission It is the meer mercy and grace of God which In admission to it opens the door and takes in the sinner into this Covenant with himself I will love them freely I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy 3. In respect of dispensation All the communications from it and all the In the dispensation of it impartings of the treasures of it are the flowings of mercy and the overflowings of the grace of God But I am now only to speak of the mercy and grace of God as the foundation Mercy is the foundation of it For the causa impulsiva these alone are the moving cause why God made this new Covenant For 1. There could be no cause or reason in us we were become sinners we were There could be no cause or reason in us become miserable Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Ver. 8. Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee Behold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I sware unto thee and entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine saith the Lord. This was our condition a sinful polluted loathsome condition when God set his love upon us and entred into a Covenant with us 2. There was sufficient and pregnant cause on our part why the Lord should There was cause in us to the contrary never have looked after us or accepted of us any more Jer. 3. 7. They say
If a man put away his wife and she go from him and become another mans shall he return unto her again Surely if a woman commit adultery it is a meer act of favour if her husband accepts of her again We brake the Covenant of our God and therefore the Lord might have given us a bill of divorce for that transgression but instead thereof to offer termes of life and love oh this was this very mercy and this very grace 3. Nay more than this when we had thus sinned and injured God and Yet God gives us a better estate upon better termes forfeited all deserving nothing but rejection and curse then for God to draw a Covenant which continued a better estate for us and upon better termes for us what is mercy and what is grace if this be not SECT I. 3. THis Covenant of grace is such a compact wherein God promiseth That In this Covenant God promiseth to be our God and that we shall be his people It is a Covenant of promise he will be our God and that we shall be his people Here are three things observable 1. That this Covenant is a Covenant of promise altogether of promise God therein promiseth all that doth concern himself or us There are many things in it which do concern himself and many things which do concern us and they are all of them under promise The rewards if I may so call them on his part of life and mercy and grace and salvation they are all promised and the services qualities duties on our part in reference unto him as our God are also promised by him What he will performe and what we are to performe although they be different things yet in this Covenant both of them are promised He promiseth to love us and he promiseth that we shall love him He promiseth that he will forgive our sinnes and he promiseth that we shall repent of our sinnes He promiseth that he will help us and he promiseth that we shall walk in his Satutes He promiseth that he will save us and he promiseth that we shall believe to the saving of our souls In the other Covenant of works there God promiseth life and man promiseth obedience God was to perform his part and man was to perform his part and mans performance depended upon his own strength But in this Covenant God promiseth all and he undertakes all He undertakes to give all that he promiseth and promiseth to give all that he requireth I will give a new heart I will cause you to passe into the band of the Covenant I will cause you to know me to trust in my Name to love me to feate me to walk in my Statutes and to do them He will subdue our iniquities c. 2. In this Covenant he promiseth that he will be our God I will establish He promiseth to be our God my Covenant betwixt me and thee and thy seed after thee to be God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Gen. 17. 7. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel c. I will be their God c. Jer. 31. 33. And I will be their God 〈◊〉 11. 20. They shall say The Lord is my God Zachariah 13. 9. This one thing which God promiseth I will be your God it is as one Paraeus in Gen. 17. rightly speaks Anima foederis the very soul of all the Covenant It is summa Foederis the excellency the very quintessence of it It is farre more than that I will pardon you than that I will help you I will blesse you or that I will save you As Christ spake concerning that command of loving the Lord with all thy heart this is the great Commandment So may we say of this part of the Covenant of this promise I will be your God it is the great part of the Covenant it is the great promise of the Covenant of grace Indeed it is the summe of all All is contained in it and therefore David said Happy is that people whose God is the Lord Psal 144. 15. Quest But some may demand What great matter is comprehended in this What is comprehended under it when God saith in the Covenant I will be your God I will be a God to you Is he not the God of the whole world Is he not a God to all the people of the earth Sol. I answer That he is so he is the God of the whole earth and there is no God besides him He is a God to all the creatures in respect of their production they were all made and formed by him they are the work of his hands And in respect of preservation In him we live and move and have our being Act. 17. 28. There is a Relation betwixt him and all creatures But this is inconsiderable in comparison of this Covenant-relation unto his people wherein he saith I will be a God to you or your God This relation is of all other the highest and nearest as when a man promiseth unto a woman I will be a husband unto you this takes in love and nearnesse and care and maintenance There are four things comprehended in this Four things comprehended in it Reconciliatiō 1. Reconciliation unto you I will be your God i. e. I will be reconciled to you I will never be an enemy to you All enmity betwixt you and me is at an end I accept of you into a state of love my love is towards you you have found grace in my sight I will marry you unto my self in loving kindnesses my love shall rest upon you 2. Donation of himself I will be your God i. e. I will bestow my self upon Donation of himself you you shall have a propriety in me I am God even thy God Psal 50. 7. This God is our God Psal 48. 14. He gives himself as it were into your possession into your hands As when the Indenture is drawn and sealed the land falls into your pocket and therefore whensoever you find him covenanting you find him as it were giving away himself granting a right unto himself and a possession and enjoyment of himself After the Lord had made a Covenant with Abraham he thereupon stiles himself the God of Abraham and so the God of Isaac and of Jacob and of Israel and thus making a Covenant with all the faithful he thereupon is theirs their God and their Father They have as much right unto him and propriety in him as the wife in and to the husband who becomes hers by a Covenant of Marriage My Beloved is mine and I am his This is a wonderful truth that God in the Covenant of grace gives himself Consider God 1. Either Essentially in his eternal self-sufficient holy blessed infinite glorious Being and Attributes as thus considered he is yours makes all over unto you really 2. Or Personally as a Father He is your Father John 20. 17. I am a Father to
God and you There are four acts which God doth expresse when he becomes our God in Covenant 1. There is his choosing act he makes choyce of us before any other to be his people The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all the people that are upon the face of the earth Deut. 7. 6. 2. There is his loving act When I passed by thee and looked on thee Behold His loving act thy time was the time of love And I sware unto thee and entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Ezek. 16. 18. 3. There is his engaging act He bindes himself to be our God by Promise His engaging act and by Oath Ezek. 16. I sware unto thee 4. There is his imparting act He doth in this Covenant bestow himself and His imparting act all that he hath or can do upon us I am thine and I will blesse thee and do thee good And all these acts are free not compelled and they are also fixed acts never will he reverse or alter them Answerable unto these acts of God are the Acts in such who are the people of On our part God by Covenant What God acts towards them they do act by the instinct of his Spirit towards him They do also 1. Choose him before all other to be their God You have chosen you the Lord to serve him Josh 24. 22. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God We choose him Deut. 26. 27. As the wife owns the husband this is the man on whom her heart is set and none but him 2. Love him I love the Lord said David Psal 116. 1. Thou shalt love the Love him Lord thy God Deut. 11. 1. We loved him because he loved us first 1 John 4. 19. Oh how dear is his presence and his favour to them how sweet are their mutual communions 3. Engage themselves unto him Many Nations shall be joyned to the Lord in Engage our selves to him that day and shall be my people Zech. 2. 11. They yield themselves unto the Lord or as it is in the original they give the hand unto the Lord 2 Chron. 30. 8. As the custome is when men make a Covenant or Agreement they strike hands or take one another by the hand arguing hereby their consent and engagement as the people in Ezra 10. 19. gave their hands that they would put away their wives So in covenanting with God we give out the hand unto him i. e. we give up our selves unto him and binde our selves unto him 4. Impart themselves and all that they have or can do unto him their hearts Impart our selves to him and lives and gifts and services that God may have all and draw out your All All your hearts all your graces all your parts and lives and estates Josh 24. 17. The Lord is our God Ver. 24. The Lord our God will we serve Rom. 14. 7. None of us liveth to himself Verse 8. Whether we live we live unto the Lord c. Now is it thus with us have we indeed chosen the Lord to be our God and are we engaged unto him and love him and own him and are become his and none but his and have we made over our selves and all that we have unto him and count nothing no not our lives too dear for him The Lord hath passed by thousands and hath set his heart on you and have you passed by all others and set your hearts only on him But are you sure that you have not chosen some other Object with him or before him only the Lord God is chosen by you and set up by you No sinful object and no earthly object is set up And are you so become his as that you will be his for ever you are bound to him you cleave unto him nothing shall part you and your God no outward preferments afflictions and crosses do you count it your only happiness to enjoy him and your only unhappiness to be deprived of him do you say None but God none but God as the Martyr said None but Christ. But are you so his that he is the greatest desire and the greatest delight and the greatly beloved of your souls Whom have I in heaven but thee There is none on earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73. 25. Nay but may the Lord make use of you as his If he should say I must use your wisdome or your power or your authority or your zeal or your estate or your lives for the service of my glory Can you now answer O Lord I am thine I am thy servant all that I have is thine and all that I can do is thine thou shalt command my heart my parts my estate my life my All c. 2. You may know whether the Lord be your God and you be his people By our mutual interests and properties By your mutual interests and proprieties inclusively and exclusively God hath an interest in you and you have an interest in God he hath a propriety in you and you have a propriety in him in all that he hath you have an interest and in all that you have he hath an interest what he is he is for you and what you are you are for him he is only for you and you are only for him None hath that interest in you as God hath if indeed he be your God Nay you have not such an interest in your selves as God hath in you you are not your own you are wholly his if indeed he be your God and you be his people No Sinne can say You are mine and no Creature can say You are mine only God can say You are mine As in the Covenant of Marriage none but the Husband can say This woman is mine So if God be our God in Covenant none can say You are mine but God only Levit. 20. 26. You shall be holy unto me for I the Lord am holy and have sever'd you from other people that you should be mine Ezek. 16. 8. I entered into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Cant. 2. 16. My beloved is mine and I am his O sirs these two words mine and thine make up the Covenant Nay if I may be rightly understood this one word mine makes up the Covenant when you summe up all it is in this God is mine he is my God he is my Lord he is my Father he is my friend he is my mercy he is my wisdome he is my counsel he is my rock he is my help he is my comfort he is my hope he is my salvation he is my portion he is my life he is my happiness Domine ubi sunt omnia mea tuscis said Paulinus And when God looks on any person in Covenant with him he can say This person is mine he is my child and my friend and my servant I have all his heart and all his love and
God is al-sufficiency and this is engaged Gen. 17. 1. i. e. I am an infinitely perfectâ—fulness to my self and of my self I am absolutely enough and need or want nothing and I will be enough I will be a fulness to you you shall not need any other but my self to supply you with any good which you shall want or to secure you from any evil which you fear This is al-sufficiency To be enough and to be without any want and to be enough to us and to fill up all our wants and this al-sufficiency God doth â—ngage himself to be unto every one with whom he is a God in Covenant Gen. 15. 1. Fear not Abraham I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward What is that It is as much as if he had said I am thy al-sufficiency and will see unto thee that thou shalt have enough thou shalt not want any thing Psal 23. 1. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want Psal 34. 9. There is no want to them that fear him Psal 84. 11. The Lord God is a Sun and shield The Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Now this is the comfort belonging to you That your God is al-sufficiency and he is your al-sufficiency all that you have comes from him and all that you want shall be supplyed by him and he hath enough of his own fully to help you in any condition and at any time and he alone is enough unto you Consider any want whatsoever whether spiritual or temporal whether inward or outward your God will be an al-sufficiency to you Do you want grace do you want peace in conscience do you want the joy of the holy Ghost do you want strength against corruptions or against temptations God is sufficient for them all He can and will give more grace Jam. 4. 6. He can and will speak peace unto his people Psal 85. 8. He can and will give you fulnesse of joy Psal 16. 11. Exceeding joy like that in harvest Isa 9. 3. and in Isa 12. 3. With joy shall ye draw waters out of the wells of salvation and he can and will be sufficiency against your corruptions Sinne shall not have dominion over you for you are under grace Rom. 6. 14. And against your temptations Mâ— grace is sufficient for thee and my strength is made perfect in weaknesse 2 Cor. 12. 9. And for any outward want My God saith Paul in Phil. 4. 19. shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus Bread shall be given him and his water shall be sure Isa 33. 16. The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof If all the earth can help you you shall not want any good nay if the earth or meanes do faile God himself will not fail you but will create good and help and salvation for you 2. God is mercifulnesse The Lord the Lord God merciful c. Exod. 34. 6. The Lord your God is merciful 2 Chron. 30. 9. Turn unto the Lord your God God is mercifulnesse for he is gracious and merciful Joel 2. 13. Mercifulness or mercy doth especially denote two things in God 1. One is tender compassion and therefore the mercies of God are frequently Mercy denotes in God Tender compassion stiled his bowels Psal 25. 6. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies or thy bowels of mercies So Psal 51. 1. According to the multitude of thy bowels of mercies and so in the New Testament Through the bowels of the mercy of our God Luke 1. 78. It is remarkable that the same word in the Hebrew Chalde Syriack and Arabick which signifies bowels is used for mercy which notes two things 1. That the mercies of God to his are most inward tender affectionate compassions like the bowels of a father and of a mother to his dearest children being in misery 2. That not only the effects of mercy are the portion of Gods people but the very heart of God acts towards them and yearns over them when he shews mercy to them mercy comes from his very heart and bowels 2. Another is forgiveness of sinnes that essential propension in God to pardon sinne to pass by transgression to blot out iniquity and never to remember Forgivenesse of sins sinne any more This is the Attribute of God which is his great glory and his great delight and our only hope and life There is a depth in this mercy more than that in the Sea and a height in this mercy above all the thoughts of men and a bredth in this mercy it can pardon many sins great sinnes abundant sinnes and a length in this mercy it is everlasting and endures for ever This is the mercy or mercifulness of God! And to enjoy God in this Attribute as our merciful God as pitying as pardoning us as forgiving and forgetting all our sins and never remembring them any more O what a comfort what a settling what a joy and a rest is this Consider 1. It is the great care and the great desire almost of every man especially in distresses of conscience and times of sickness and death Be merciful unto me O Lord Lord be merciful unto me a sinner O that my sinnes were pardoned and how shall I get my sinnes pardoned He that doth not regard the holy doth yet prize and esteem very much the merciful God Every sinner doth like and long for mercy 2. All Controversie is at an end when mercy pardons sinne Now enmity is slain and wrath and curse go off for these follow sinne as unpardoned but if sin be pardoned all punishment is pardoned and God is reconciled and your souls are graciously accepted and clasped with love and favour 3. When mercy pardons sinne then conscience is at rest The broken bones are at ease and rejoyce Psal 51. True peace follows full remission of sinnes and then joy comes into the heart Be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiveâ— And then confidence of access unto God comes into the soul and then hope of salvation is raised in the soul Now mark what I say If God be your God then he is your merciful God And God is your merciful God Heb. 8. 10. This is his Covenant I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people Ver. 12. I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sinnes will I remember no more Isa 40. 1. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God Ver. 2. Speak ye comfortably to Hierusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Micah 7. 19. Thou wilt cast all their sinnes into the depth of the sea Ver. 20. Thou wilt performe the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham Six comforts to those who have God their merciful God
it to perfection to give life to the dead and to give strength to the weak to convert a sinner and to subdue sinnes for he is an Omnipotent God And so likewise for your joy and peace which are but weak your God is able to fill you with joy in believing to make your joy unspeakable and full of glory he is able to give you peace that passeth understanding and to make it as a River And so for temptations which do so much distress you your God is not only able to restrain Satan but also to bruise him under your feet Rom. 16. 20. It is a certain truth that Omnipotency hath no bounds or limits you cannot say that God who works thus farre can work no farther as he can work all things unto their being so he can work them up to that perfection of being of which they are capable 6. If your God be an Omnipotent God then you who are his people are altogether Then his people are altogether safe and secure For their bodies safe and suâ—â— both in respect of your bodies and in respect of your souls For your bodies Is not he safe who hath Omnipotency to be his guard and shield is not Omnipotency it self safety enough unto you Deut. 33. 26. There is none like unto the God of Jeruson who rideth upon the heaven in thy help and in his excellency on the skye ver 27. The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting armes And likewise for your souls they shall never be lost nay they shall assuredly be kept and preserved to glory John 10. 27. My sheep And for their souls hear my voice and I know them and they follow me ver 28. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my Fathers hands ver 29. My Father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hands Mark here the comfort and assurance which Christ gives and the reason thereof My sheep shall never perish but they shall have eternal life This is the comfort and this comfort he grounds upon the power of God he is greater than all and no man is able c. As if he should say many assay to hinder them and deceive of that life but they are not able they are in my Fathers hand in the keeping of his power and he is greater he is stronger than all put them all together he is too strong for them 1 Pet. 1. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation There is not power enough in our selves to keep out selves but there is power enough in God and we are kept by the power of God even unto salvation untill we come to the heavenly glory 7. If your God be an Omnipotent God he can easily help you and enable you He can easily help you and enable you to all good in and to all good What shall I say more for your comfort from the Omnipotency of your God it is an universal comfort unto you in all conditions of life and death Tu non potes sed Dominus tuus potest said Chrysostome he is able to enable you for all your duties I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4. 13. He is able to comfort you in all your sorrows 2 Cor. 1. 4. He is able to deliver you from all your sins and troubles He is able to keep you from falling Jude ver 24. He is able to raise you up being fallen He is able to feed you all your days Gen. 48. 15. He is able to deliver you from the power of death Heb. 2. 14. He is able to present you faultlesse before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jude ver 24. 7. A seventh Attribute wherein God is engaged unto you is faithfulnesse your Gods faithfulnesse is engaged for you God is often stiled a faithful God that is one that stands to his word and keeps his Covenant Deut. 7. 9. The Lord thy God he is God the faithful God who keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him c. 1 Kings 8. 23. Lord God of Israel c. who keepest Covenant and mercy with thy servants Nehem. 9. 32. Our God who keepest Covenant and mercy There are foure things in the faithfulnesse of God Four things in the faithfulness of God Sincerity of intention 1. Sincerity of intention God is faithful that is he really intends all the good of which he speaks and which he promiseth unto you his heart goes with his word he doth not speak one thing and minde another ptomise much and never intend to do any thing but his word of promise is bottomed upon the real purpose of his will 2. Fixednesse of resolution God is faithful that is he is stedfast he is still Fixednesse of resolution in the same minde he is not variable and changeable he will never alter his word he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2. 13. 3. Certainty of execution or performance God is faithful that is will Certainty of execution certainly performe unto you whatsoever good he hath promised Gen. 28. 15. I will surely do thee good and I will not leave thee untill I have done that which I have spoken unto thee of said God to Jacob Jer. 31. 20. I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord God chap. 32. 41. I will rejoyce over them to do them good and I will plant them in this Land assuredly with my whole heart with my whole soul Hab. 2. 3. The vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come Micah 7. 20. Thou wilt performe the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworne unto our fathers from the days of old 4. Fulnesse and exactnesse of performance not failing his people in any one Fulnesse and exactnesse of performance promise Jer. 32. 42. I will bring upon them all the good that I have promised them Josh 23. 14. Ye know that in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you all are come to passe unto you and not one thing hath This faithfulnesse is your exceeding comfort failed thereof 1 Kings 8. 5 6. There hath not failed one word of all his good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant This is the faithfulness of God and this is your exceeding comfort that your God is a faithful God he remembers his Covenant for ever and his word to a thousand generations Psal 105. 8. Were he as he is an all-sufficiency and full of mercy and Omnifcient and Wise and Omnipotent and never so abundant in goodness yet if he were
election of The election of God grace Rom. 11. 5. 3. Râ—demption by Christ is also a wonderful blessing and this was according to the riches of his grace Eph. 1. 7. Redemption by Christ 4. Calling us inâ—o Christ and the reason of this also is his grace 2 Tim. 1. 9. Calling into Christ Justifying us 5. The justifying of us is an inestimable mercy And He justifies us freely by his grace Rom. 3. 24. 6. And the saving of us is the compleating of us and of all our blessings Saving of us and by gracâ— are we saved Eph. 2. 5 8. This is certain that Gods graciousness is the fountain of all our good and it is the reason of all our enjoyments and hopes If the Lord were not gracious if he should look on us and act towards us upon the account of our worthiness we should never have enjoyed the least of his mercies You might have heard of mercy but should never have been the better for it and you might have heard of all the promises but should never have enjoyed the good of any one of them if God were not a gracious God but because he is your gracious God and will deal with you altogether from the Throne of grace in a gracious way This is it which puts life into you and sweetly draws out the desires and confidences of your hearts Quest You may demand But what comfort is this unto the people of God that there God is a gracious God and that he will deal with them altogether in a What comfort from hence that our God is gracious gracious way and upon gracious terms Sol. The comforts from this are very choice and precious I will mention some of them unto you 1. Because your God is a gracious God therefore there can be nothing to discourage There can be nothing to discourage us in our addresses to him and expectations from him or hinder you in your addresses unto him and expectations from him The graciousnesse of God answers all the doubts of the heart and all the temptations of Satan There are four things which are apt to discourage our hearts when we think of drawing near to God 1. One is the greatnesse of our sins 2. A second is the greatnesse of Gods mercies we need 3. A third is the greatnesse of our unworthinesse 4. A fourth is the greatnesse of our evil deserts My sinnes are so great that I cannot expect that God will ever do me good The mercies and blessings that I need are so great and I can lay down nothing for them And I am unworthy of the least of mercies nay I deserve to be rejected and cursed But now the graciousnesse of God is able effectually to remove all these discouragements 1. Your sinnes are great and therefore you are afraid that the merciful God will not pardon them But then remember that the merciful God is a gracious Not the greatness of our sins God As he hath riches of mercy so he hath riches of grace And as he promiseth to forgive the sinnes of his people so he promiseth to forgive their sinnes freely the forgivenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace Eph. 1. 7. And this remember withal that the gracious God forgives the greatest sinnes as well as the least sinnes of his people upon the same terms of graciousnesse In Luke 7. we read of a lesse debtor who owed fiftie pence and of a greater debtor who owed five hundered pence ver 41. and the Creditor freely forgave them both verse 42. so c. Your God hath not one way to forgive lesse sinnes and another way to forgive greater sinnes but though the sinnes be different yet the terms or reasons of forgiveness is one and the same viz. the free grace of God 2. O but the mercies and blessings which I need are so high and so great Not the greatnesse of the mercies that we need surely those cannot come off but upon hard terms and I have nothing to lay down for them I answer your God is a gracious God Your God in his Covenant hath promised all sorts of good unto you corporal and spiritual small and great And remember it for ever that all the bonds of Gods Covenant are paid in upon the same rate Grace was the reason of making all the promises and Grace is the reason of the performance of every good you shall have the greatest good upon the self-same termes as you have the least 3. O but I am so unworthy of these mercies What am I and what is there in Not the greatness of our unworthiness me for God to look on to affect and to move God to do such great things for my soul Why there is nothing in you but an extreme need of these great good things promised by God and an absolute unworthinesse of them O but your God is a gracious God and as an unworthy sinner may go to a gracious God so a gracious God will give all that he hath promised to his people though they be unworthy Graciousness findes the price of all mercies in it self it is the only reason of our enjoyments 4. But I deserve to be rejected in my suits and to be oursed Not the greatnesse of our evil deserts 'T is true and so you should finde it if God dealt with you according to your deservings but your God is a gracious God and deales with his people not in a rigorous way but in a gracious way of loving kindnesse and mercies 2. Is the gracious God your God then all your mercies are sure you shall assuredly possesse them and inherit them The children of grace are the surest Then all your mercies are sure heires of mercy It is of grace that the promise might be sure Rom. 4. 16. Beloved If God had Covenanted with you to be your God upon a respect to your works and not upon a sole respect to his own graciousnesse and if he had promised you mercies and other blessings upon a bargain for your goodnesse and not upon a foundation in his own graciousnesse neither could God be sure to you nor could the mercies of God be sure to you Adam had as much in a way of works to have perpetuated and ensured and setled God and mercies upon himself and more than ever we shall have and yet all became unsure unto him much more would it be with us if God and we should traffique that way If God should say to any of us I promise to be your God and to give you all blessings upon condition of your perfect constant obedience your never failing obeying of my will shall be the condition and the reason of your certain enjoyment of me I dare averre it that our enjoyment of God and the good things by him promised would not be certain or sure unto us not one day not one houre nay hardly one minute But there comes the certainty of enjoying of
Christ in us Col. 1. 27. 3. And the holy Ghost hath an interest in you he dwells in us and abides in us 2 Tim. 1. 14. and you also have an interest in every one of the persons 1. You are in the Father the Church that is in God the Father 1 Thes 1. 1. 2. You are in the Son Of him are ye in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1. 30. 3. You are in the Spirit He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. I also have the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 7. 40. Now this common relation and interest of every person in the Trinity as to you and the mutual relation and interest again as to them is a matter of such infinite consequence and full happinesse as indeed I am not able to unfold it I will only touch at a few things in relation to one of these persons and that is God the Father If God be your God in Covenant then he is your Father and you are his Consider this in relation to God the Father children the Apostle admires at this in 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath shewed us that we should be called the sons of God the dignity is most high that we should be the sons of the most High But let us view the comforts of it There are six comforts from this that our God is our Father 1. Your Father is the Father of mercies Blessed be God even the Father of our Your Father is the Father of mercies Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1. 3. God is the Father 1. Of Christ 2ly Of every believer 3ly And of mercies All mercies are in the Father and from the Father And shall you want mercies who are in so near a Relation to the Father of Mercies 2. Your Father doth love you exceedingly Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant Your Father doth love you exceedingly childe Jer. 31. 20. love is frequently given to God the Father Joh. 14. 23. 1 Joh. 2. 15. Cap. 3. 1 c. his Jewels Mal. 3. 3. Though you have offended him yet if you mournfully return unto him he will Though you have offended him yet if you returne he will be gracious Your Father hath enough to help you You may easily prevaile with your Father for all necessary good You shall be heirs who are children of this Father There is a common engagement of the whole Trinity unto you be very gracious unto you and receive you kindly When the Prodigal childe came back to his Father his Father faw him yet a great way off and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Luke 15. 20. 4. Your Father hath enough to help you and he will take care of you In my Fathers house there is bread enough and to spare Luke 15. 17. Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things Matth. 6. 32. 5. You may easily prevail with your Father for any necessary good If you being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask him Matth. 7. 11. 6. You shall be heirs who are children of this Father If Sons then Heirs Rom. 8. 17. Heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ Luke 12. 23. It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdom Matth. 25. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world 5 There is a common engagement of the whole Trinity unto you every one of the persons is engaged to you The Father is engaged to you to do all that a God and Father can and will do for his children The Sonne is engaged to you to do all that a Christ and Mediatour and a Redeemer and Saviour can and will do for his Members The Holy Ghost is engaged to you to do all that a Spirit of truth knowledge faith comfort can do for those who do come to the Father and the Son 6. Lastly There is a communion twixt you and every person of the Trinity 1 Joh. 1. 3. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 13. 14. Thereis a communion but wixt you and every person of the Trinity The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Communions with a Father with a Sayiour with a Comforter And verily these communions are most gracious and heavenly in respect of every one of them when the Father manifests himself unto you in the Relation and Testimonies of your loving God and Father And whom Christ discovers himself unto as your Head and as your Lord as your Saviour in your interests in him and his in you and when the Holy Ghost opens himself unto you in the strengthning of your graces in his comforts and evidences and assurances and fealings why These things are as life to the dead and as raine to the thirsty land they are an exceeding refreshing unto you they are a most heavenly tranquillity and joy and satisfaction unto your hearts And thus have you heard of the happinesse of those people who have God to be their God in Covenant in respect of his Attributes and in respect of Christ and in respect of the Spirit and in respect of every person of the Trinity and in their conjunctive relation and operations I will proceed a little further to some of the rest of the comforts depending upon Gods being your God which I mentioned at the first SECT XI 6. IF God be your God in Covenant and you be his people then all the promises If God be ours then all the promises are ours of God are also yours As you are the children of God so you are the children of promise and as you are the heirs of God so you are the heirs of promise and as your title is clear unto you so your possession is sure you shall certainly inherit all the good comprehended in them I have discoursed largely of the promises in general and shall God willing in the prosecution of this discourse of the Covenant speak more of the promises in particular and therefore I shall at this time only touch at two things viz. 1. The real statings of the promises upon all who have God to be their God in Covenant 2. Their singular happinesse thereby that all the promises of God are theirs 1. The promises do belong to all who are in Covenant with God They The promises do belong to all who are in Covenant with God are stated and settled upon them They are the heritage of the servants of the Lord the childrens bread Vnto us are given exceeding great and precious promises 2 Pet. 1. 4. The very nature and constitution of the Covenant do evince this which is a very cluster of promises I will be merciful to
having God to be your God in Covenant There are divers rights and possessions and liberties and priviledges which you do enjoy and none but you who are the people of God and have him to be your God And I will propound these 1. In the general Where be you pleased to take notice of five things In general 1. Whatsoever priviledges believers have those are yours who are the people of God The priviledges of faith are yours all that faith can pretend unto from a Whatsoever priviledges believers have are yours right in Christ and a title by Christ as Mediator in respect of suffering of satisfying of purchasing of victorious conquest of interceding they are all of them yours whatsoever advantage a soul may get by Christ and whatsoever advantage Christ is to a believing soul that is yours 2. Whatsoever priviledges belong to the friends of God they do belong unto you All the people of God are stiled the friends of God James â— 23. and the friends What priviedges belong to the friends of God are yours of Christ John 15. 14 15. Cant. 5. 1. Friends as friends have free accesse courteous welcome and entertainment liberty of speaking familiarity of converse delightful communion confident imparting and openings of their hearts one to another chearful counsel and helps of one another thâ—se in a spiritual way do you enjoy with your God and from your God who because you are the people of God are therefore the friends of God 3. Whatsoever priviledges do belong to the sonnes and children of God these also do belong to you for you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus The priviledges of the children of God are yours Gal. 3. 26. I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters 2 Cor. 6. 18. You are the children of the Lord your God Deut. 14. 1. Children have the priviledges of nearnesse of residence in their fathers house of dependance on their father of presence of confidence c. 4. Whatsoever are the priviledges of the Kingdome of God those are yours who are the people of God It is a Kingdome of righteousnesse of peace of joy of The priviledges of the Kingdome of God are yours The priviledges of the heirs of this Kingdome are yours In special You have twelve priviledges Liberty of appeal safety of blessing of honour of immortality c. 5. Whatsoever are the priviledges of the heires of this Kingdome those also do belong to you Forasmuch as if you be children you are then 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 17. All the Charter and conveyances and assurances and hopes and at length possessions of the heavenly inheritance are yours 2. In special you have twelve excellent priviledges which I will touch upon a little 1. You have liberty of appeal and that appeal is accepted and ratified you have the liberty to appeal 1. From the Judgment-seat to the Mercy-seat 2. From the merits of sinne to the merits of Christ 3. From a condemning conscience to an acquiting God 4. From the Law to the Gospel 5. From your own unworthinesse to Christs righteousnesse 6. From your own feeling unto Gods promises When you see your selves cast at the barre of justice you may decline the sentence by flying unto the Throne of mercy O Lord justice condemns me but let mercy succour and save me when your hearts are overwhelmed in the apprehension and consideration of your many sinnes and the great guilt of them you may then appeal to the infinitely precious and surpassing merits of Christ whâ—re sinne abounded grace did much more abound and as sinne hath reigned unto death even so doth grace reigne through righteousnesse unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. 20 21. When your conscience condemns you for sinnes past then may you appeal unto your God for mercy to pardon you God be merciful unto me a sinner saith the Publican Pardon my sinne O Lord for it is great saith David When the Law indites and pursues you as guilty then may you appeal to the Gospel as the Sanctuary to receive and secure your distressed souls when your hearts faile you because of your own unworthinesse then may you appeal to the righteousnesse of Christ and so be justified in the sight of God When you feel your selves as to your own sense utterly destitute left lost forsaken then may you appeal to the ptomises of God and there finde your selves still owned and loved and plentifully and graciously assured 2. You have this priviledge that all your communions with God are by a Your communions with God are by a Meditour Mediaâ—or and Advocate and Intercessor Or you pray not in your own names but in the Name of your Christ and Mediator and you plead not in your own names but in the Name of your Christ and you speed not in your own name but in the Name of your Christ nay you believe and hope not in your own names but in the Name of Christ There are two sad things for any man 1. To be left alone unto himself so as to have no part in Christ 2. To go alone in his approaches to God without a Christ to plead for him to have no Christ to own him to step in for him to undertake for him But this is your priviledge and this is your comfort who are the people of God that you never deal with your God but by a Mediator when you appear before your God Jesus Christ appears with you and he appears for you when you do invocare then he doth advocare when you put up your petitions then doth he make intercession he is your Advocate with the Father and he ever lives to make intercession for you 3. You have this priviledge that you trade altogether at the mercy-seat and You trade altogether at the mercy-seat at the Throne of grace God deals with you in no other Court but that of mercy and answers you from no other Throne but that of grace and you deal with God at that Seat and that Throne only When you have any sinnes to be pardoned you may go to your merciful God and to your gracious God and your merciful God will pardon them and your gracious God will freely pardon them When you would have any kinde of good and help you may go to your good and kinde God and he will give it and to your gracious God and he will freely give it 4. You have this priviledge that you may go to your God when you will You may go to your God when you will There is no space of time whatsoever but the door is open to you and your God is at leisure to speak with you You have liberty of accesse and that liberty is never restrained let your occasions be never so urgent never so many you may freely speak with your Father yea though there be ten thousand Petitioners before him yet you may put in your
request and shall be owned and heard 5. You have this priviledge that you may not only come into the presence You may with confidence wrestle with God of your God but you may with confidence urge him and importune him and wrestle with him and still renew and reinforce your requests you may take hold of him and challenge and expostulate with him and stay him and not let him alone nor let him go untill he blesseth you And so large allowance of blessednesse is granted unto you that you may in some sort command God it is the Highest Expression that you read of Isaiah 45. 11. 6. You have this priviledge by having God to be your God and by being his You may enter into and survey all the treasures of heaven and lay claime to them people that you may enter in and survey all the rich treasures and jewels of heaven and when you have so done you may lay claime unto them all and say O Lord all these are mine by thy promise and by my right in Christ Thou art mine and thy mercy is mine and thy Christ is mine and thy grace is mine and that glory is mine all this is the purchase of Christ and all this is mine 7. You have this priviledge also that all the seals of the Covenant of grace All the seals of the Covenant are restrained to you alone are restrained unto your selves alone As the Covenant is none but yours and with you so the seals of the Covenant are none but yours and unto you only The seals of the Covenant are to confirme you and to assure you and to revive and comfort you and to establish you there is not any ungodly person on the earth who hath right unto the seals of the Covenant and the reason is because he hath no interest in the Covenant it self you onely are the people of the Covenant and therefore you onely have right to the seals of the Covenant 8. You have this priviledge that you may expect help from your God for all the works which you owe to God You may go to him for grace for strength You may expect help from God in all your works for sufficiency to work in you both to will and to do both to believe and to suffer Phil. 2. 13. and chap. 1. 29. Give thy strength unto thy servant Psal 86. 16. He will give sâ—rength unto his people Psal 29. 11. Gods promises are joyned with his commands this thou wouldest have me to do O Lord give thy Spirit unto me and cause me to do it 9. You have this priviledge that your all is in another Your life stands in the life of another and your righteousnesse in the righteousnesse of another Your all is in another and your satisfying in the satisfaction of another and your defence in the death of another and your title and claime in the obedience and purchase and right of another and your acceptance in another your life lies in the life of Christ and your righteousnesse is the righteousnesse of Christ and your satisfying is the satisfaction of Christ and your defence and answer to all inditements and accusations is the death of Christ and your claime and title is the obedience and purchase of Christ your power is in the power of Christ and your acceptance is in Christ This is a priviledge indeed that you are wholly made up in another and by another that you shall never be found in your own righteousnesse but onely in the righteousnesse of Christ and shall never be tryed by your own righteousnesse but by the righteousnesse of Christ c. 10. You have this priviledge that you live upon free cost all your days The You live upon free cost Covenant of God will finde and provide enough for you you never need to load your selves with anxious thought or care For your God and Father careth for you all your burdens and all your cares are taken off Be careful for nothing cast all your care on him for he careth for you He layeth up for his children and he layes out upon his children his Covenant will finde food for your bellies and rayment for your backs and mercy and salvation for your souls c. 11. You have this priviledge that all the gracious and sweet manifestations of All the gracious manifestations of heaven are to you only heaven are unto you only None know the Father but you none taste of the loving kindnesse of God but you none sup with Christ but you none partake of the joys and comforts of the Holy Ghost but you none have that hope and assurance of glory but you none eat of the Manna but you who have a new name given unto you heavenly banquets for the soul are provided onely for you The Angels of God ministring Spirits for you 12. You have this priviledge that the very Angels of God are ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for you who shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1. 14. They pitch their tenth and encampe round about them that fear God Psal 34. 7. This seems an high priviledge and yet you have an higher than this For as the Mountains are round about Jerusalem so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for â—ver Psal 125. 2. 13. What can I say more Is this any priviledge that whilest you live you God will be your God in life and death may live upon your God and Father and when you dye you shall go to 〈◊〉 God and Father This also is yours who have God to be your God in Covenâ—â—â— God will be your God in life and God will be your God in death and God will be your God after death whiles you live he is yours and with you and when you dye he is yours and you shall be with him reigning in glory for ever and ever and ever Thus have you heard a few things of your happinesse in respect of your Immunities and Priviledges by having God to be your God in Covenant I will 〈◊〉 comfort more unto you and then put an end to this 〈◊〉 SECT XIII THere is yet one comfort more from this that God is your God which is this If God be your God then all is yours As he said Christâ—◠〈◊〉 omnia Christ is mine and all is mine so Deus mens omnia 〈◊〉 If If God be ours all is ours God be your God then heaven and earth are yours whatsoever there is in all the world that may do you good it shall be yours The Apostle expressely delivers as much in 1 Cor. â— â—1 All things are yours Ver. 22. Whether Paul or 〈◊〉 or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things â—â— come 〈…〉 yours He doth not in these expressions intend that Christians have a civil and common interest in all mens earthly possessions but this is it which he intend viz. That God ordains all things
for the good of his people and makes thâ—m serviceable thereunto All those choice gifts which he bestows on Ministers 〈◊〉 Apostles or others they are bestowed on them for the good of his Church And all the things of the world whatsoever good they may afford they are to let out the same for the good and comfort of the people of God and all the conditions and states of things are for their good life shall do them good and dâ—â—th shall be for their good and all the vicissitude of things are for their good the present postute of things and the future state of things whether of prosperity or adversity all occurrences whatsoever are for their good Rom. 8. â—â— We know that all things work together for good to them that love God to thâ—â— that are called according to his purpose As if you consider ungodly and wicked men who are none of the people of God there is nothing in all the world that doth them good The Ordinances of Christ by reason of the unbelief of their hearts do them no good they are the favour of death unto dâ—â—th â—nto them and not the savour of life 〈◊〉 life the blessings of God do thâ—m no good they prove curses unto them 〈◊〉 table is a sâ—â—â—e unto them and their richâ—◠〈◊〉 thorns 〈◊〉 them and their prosperity is a ruine unto them the judgments of God do them no good they learn not righteousnesse by them they harden their hearts under them and grow more obstinately wicked Wherefore should ye be smitten any more ye revolt more and more So on the contrâ—ry all the dispensations of God either of the world or in the world they are for good to the people of God Outward mercies are blessings to them they eat and drink and rejoyce and praise and blesse the Lord their God Outward afflictions are mercies to them they do them good It is good for me that I have been afflicted said David Psal 119. 71. By these things men live saith Hezekiah he chastiseth us for our profit or good saith the Apostle Heb. 12. 10. Wants and enjoyments honours and dishonours sicknesse and health smiles and frowns life and death all doth them good There are four things which I beseech you who are the people of God to remember 1. All the good in the World is in the Fathers hands it is the Fathers for possession All the good in the world is in the Fathers hands he is the possessor of Heaven and Earth Gen. 14. 22. and for Dominion The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Psal 24. 1. Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thy hand is power and might and in thy hand it is to wake great and to give strength unto all 1 Chron. 29. 12. 2. When God makes a Covenant with you he doth also take in all the creatures God makes a Covenant with the creature to be serviceable for your good and layes a bond of special command upon them to be serviceable to your good he doth not leave them out but covenants with them to do you good This is I confesse a strange expression that God should make a Covenant with other creatures for the good of service unto his own people and yet this you may expresly read in Hos 2. 18. In that day will I make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bowe and the sword and the battle out of the earth and will make them to lie down safely ver 19. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever ver 21. And I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the heavens and they shall hear the earth ver 22. And the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oyle and they shall hear Jezreel There are two choice things observable in these words 1. One is that God makes a Covenant with his people to bring them into a near and sweet relation unto himself this you finde in verse 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever 2. A second is That God makes a Covenant for his people and that is two-fold 1. For their security to secure them against all danger and evil and this you finde in verse 18. I will make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field c. No creature shall do them hurt neither the beasts of the field nor fowles of the aire nor the creeping things of the earth nor no wicked enemies who bend the bow and draw the sword and prepare to the bottle As when a Covenant is between Nation and Nation all the people are thereby bound up from all acts of hostility and mischief so the Lord by making a Covenant with the beasts and fowls c. he doth therein binde them up from being prejudicial to his people A second is for their prosperity and this you may finde in verse 21. 22. I will hear the heavent and the heavens shall hear the earth and the earth shall hear the â—â—rn and the wine and the oyle and they shall hear Jezreel As if all the creatures when we are in covenant with God were so many supplicants and Petitioners unto God entreating of him that they might be used for a blessing unto us The heavens do as it were beg of God that they may send down seasonable showers and seasonable influences and the earth doth as it were beg of God that it may be made fruitful by those influences of heaven c. And God doth promise to hear every one of them for Jezreel 3. All the creatures are in the hand of the Father and as all creatures are All creatures are in a subordination to the will of your God brought into the bond of the Covenant for you so all the creatures of the world are in a subordination and a necessary submission unto the will and pleasure of your God If he saith to any of them Go it goeth or to any of them Come and it cometh your God hath an over-ruling Providence over them all their power and operations and motions are at the sole will and command of him they act as God will have them act and when God will have them act and for them for whom God will have them to act and shall not all this be for you for your good who are the people of his Covenant and the children of his love If all this cannot satisfie you then know that as God hath the command of all As God hath the command of all good in the creature so he hath engaged to settle it upon you creature good and comforts so he hath engaged himself unto you to settle that kind of good upon you Though the earth and the things of the earth be not your only portion and be not your best portion yet it is a part of your portion Psal
the life of your comforts it is your Paradise and your Heaven here on earth 5. Maintain and justifie your Covenant-relation when once it is made manifest Maintain and justifie your Covenant-relation Four things we should alwayes maintain The unchangeableness of out Covenant-relation unto you against all the suggestions of Satan and against all the risings and oppositions of your own unbelief I here are four things especially which you should still maintain and make good for at them doth Satan most strike at 1. The unchangeablenesse of the Covenant-relation This God is our God for ever and ever He will be our Guide even unto death Psal 48. 14. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You are many times under Spiritual sâ—â—ences God seems not to regard your prayers and many times under Spiritual delaies God puts you off from day to day and many times under Spiritual desertions God hides his face from you and Satan in such cases puts it upon you to question and disown your Covenant-relation If God were your God it would not be thus But notwithstanding all these or any other trials of your selves yet God still maintains his interest in you and your relation to himself God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew saith the Apostle Rom. 11. 2. I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3. 6. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the housâ— of Jacob and will look for him Isa 8. 17. But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb Yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me So Hosea 2 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever and Heb. 13. 5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee 2. The tendernesse of your Covenant-relation The tendernesse of Gods love The tenderness of your Covenant-relation unto you and the tendernesse of Gods care over you Do not suffer Satan to raise jealousies and do not you nourish any jealousies about these if you do so you dishonour your God by them and make your soules to serve him with bitterness your God loves you with as tender love as ever Father loved his dearest child Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant childe my bowels are troubled for him Jer. 31. 20. His love is set upon you Deut. 7. 7. And he doth rest in his love Zeph. 3. 17. He loves you with an everlasting love and therefore draws you with loving kindnesse Jer. 31. 3. And your God hath a most tender care over you as a man hath over his jewels which are his chiefest treasures I will make up my jewels Mal. 3. 17. and as a man hath over the apple of his eye he led him about he instructed him he kept him as the apple of his eye Deut. 32. 10. And as an Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young spreads abroad her wings taketh them beareth them on her wings verse 11. So the Lord c. 3. The goodnesse of the Covenant relation that God still is and will be The goodnesse of the Covenant relation good unto you that he prepares of his goodnesse for and he prepares mercy and truth for you and layes up exceeding goodnesse for you reserves it for you and is never weary nor will ever turn away from you from doing of you good 4. The graciousnesse of your God in Covenant that as at the first when he took The graciousnesse of your God in Covenant you into the Covenant this was the work of his own grace so all along in the dispensations of the Covenant the Lord still acts in a way of grace towards you alwayes and altogether upon free termes he freely loved you and he freely chose you and he freely called you and still he freely blesseth you and doth good unto you and upon gracious termes he deals with you all the dayes of your life in all things for which you have to deal with him 6. Walk and live like a people who have such a God to be your God in Covenant Walk and live like a people in Covenant with God as your relation is different from all other peoples relation so your conversation should be different from the conversation of all other people as your condition is now higher than the condition of other people for God exalts you by making you to be his people so the word avouching signifies in Deut. 26. 18. so your walking must be better than that of other people and as your enjoyments and hopes transcendently exceed all other mens so your returns must be in some proportion answerable unto your great interest in so good a God and as God by becoming your God makes you high above all Nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honour Deut. 26. 19. so hath he formed you for himself that you should shew forth his praise Esay 43. 21. You are a chosen Generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that ye should shew forth the praise of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvelous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. Which in time past were not a people â—ut are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy verse 10. Quest If any of you demand how that people should live and walk who have How a people in Covenant should walk God to be their God in Covenant Sol. I answer Such a people should walk 1. By faith in a continual dependance upon their living and giving God 2. In a singular love and delight in their good and merciful God 3. With holinesse before their Holy and Omnipresent God 4. With uprightnesse before their Omniscient and All-sufficient God 5. Without inordinate cares before their Faithful and Never-failing God 6. Without inordinate fears before their Almighty God 7. Without offence or grieving of their Loving God 8. With all contentednesse and well-pleasednesse of Spirit before their Wise and gracious God 9. With all humility before their Great and Merciful God 10. With all cheerfulnesse and gladnesse of heart before their Blessing and Blessed God 11. In all constancy of obedience before their Eternal God 12. In all the kinds of zeal for the honour of that God who hath so much honoured them as to be their God 1. You who are the people of God and have God to be your God in Covenant Live and walk by faith in dependance upon the living God you should live and walk by faith in a continual
dependance upon your engaged and promising God 2 Cor. 5. 7. We walk by faith not by sight Hab. 2. 4. The just shall live by his faith Psal 115. 9. O Israel trust thou in the Lord he is their help and their shield ver 10. O house of Aaron trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield ver 11. Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield And mark the reasons annexed why every one of these should trust in the Lord ver 12. The Lord hath been mindful of us you have had experience of his goodnesse for the time past and therefore trust in him and you shall every one of you finde him to be your good God still for the time to come therefore still trust in him he will blesse us he will blesse us He will bless the house of Israel he will blesse the house of Aaron ver 13. He will blesse them that fear the Lord both great and small There are six Arguments to perswade you unto this one duty viz. to depend Arguments for it upon your God by faith 1. Because he is your God and your Father and this comprehends within He is your God and Father it all the foundations and grounds for your faith and dependance He is an infinite all-sufficiency and goodnesse and he undertakes all your helps and supplies and stands engaged unto you for whatsoever is necessary to life and godlinesse and gives unto you so many promises as so many bonds and assurances that he will do you good and besides all this he is able to performe them and likewise faithful in his word yea and besides all this he loves you above all the people in the world and looks on you with tender compassions 〈◊〉 loving kindnesses and assures you that he will do you good for his own Names sake What can there be more and what can he said more to draw and perswade any to depend on a God and to rely upon him 2. Because you are his people Should not a people seek unto their God You are his people saith the Prophet Esay 8. 19. Whether should children go but to their father I am a Father to Israel and Ephraim is my first-borne Jer. 31. 9. And wilt not thou cry unto me My Father Thou art the guide of my youth Jer. 3. 4. Upon whom should the wife depend but upon her husband why The Lord is married unto you Jer. 3. 14. Thy Maker is thy husband Esay 54. 5. And how is he married unto you why In righteousnesse and in judgment and in loving kindnesse and in mercies and in failhfulnessâ— Hosea 2. 19 20. Truly even this alone that you are his people lays bond enough upon you to depend and trust upon your God for what is it to be his people but to choose him alone to be your God and for to acknowledge him by trusting upon him and loving of him and obeying of him if he be a God not worthy of your trust you are a people not worthy of his love and care 3. Because your God hath given unto you that choice grace of faith for this God hath given faith for this end end to act all along upon the Covenant of grace that he hath given faith unto you it is unquestioanble otherwise you were not his people now your faith is given unto you for foure ends One is for entrance that you might become his people and choose him for your God A second is for acquaintance that you as such a people might hold communion with such a God A third is for discovery that you might be able to finde out and behold all the undertakings and promises of your good God A fourth is for reliancâ— that you might be able to trust upon him for all that good which he hath promised unto you Faith is the eye which is given for to see our good and it is the feet which are given us to carry us to the fountaine of our good and it is the hand which is given to lay hold to take to receive all the good which our God hath promised us 4. Because it concerns you above all people to honour your God And how can you It concerns you above all people to honour your God honour him if you will not trust him faith hath if I may so expresse my thought all the glory of God in its hand you cannot possibly put more honour upon God than by believing and depending on him this is indeed to set him up as a God as the original of all c. 5. Because you know his Name How often have you found it good for you You know his Name to draw near to God And when you have laid the whole burden on his promises by faith you have alwayes found him a very faithful and helpful God Now saith David They that know thy Name will trust in thee 6. Have you any other to depend upon Every creature naturally is in a You have no other to depend upon state of dependency it is weak and wanting and an insufficiency to it self and therefore it must lean upon some stronger prop than it self And do not you finde it so with your selves finde you no wants at all can you be a sufficiency unto your selves under those wants will any or can any but God supply the wants of the people of God Most of your wants are above all Creature helps 2. You who are the people of God should walk in an exceeding love of your Walk in an exceeding love of your loving God good and loving God Matth. 22. 37. Jesus said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy minde 1 John 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us Deut. 11. 1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Psal 31. 23. O love the Lord all ye his Sairts There is a love of desire O God thou art my God my soul thirsts for thee Psal 63. 1. Of delight Delight thy self in the Lord Psal 37. 4. In thy presence is fulnesse of joy Psal 16. 11. Of Admiratâ—on who is a God like unto thee Micah 7. 18. Of Satisfaction I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse Psal 17. 15. Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us John 14. 8. Thy favour is better than life Psal 63. 3. Of Adhaesion never to part with God nor forsake him I held him fast I would not let him go Cant. 3. I and you should love as with the choicest kinde of love Foederal love so with the highest degrees of love you should love him more than all the world and more than all your friends and more than all your kindred more than father or mother sister or brother and more than your nearest relation than husband or wife and more than all your possessions and more than your own safeties and more
as accepting of us in Christ as shining in his favour on our souls as our God in Covenant how satisfying how delightful a portion is this The small Ring with the rich Diamond cannot that delight and please you Object O but I have very little of these outwards Sol. A little of them is enough much is but a superfluity and is like the water that runs besides the Mill. Though but a little yet It is enough It is blest 2. Your little is blest it is the cluster of grapes with the blessing of the Lord a little wholsome food is better than a feast that is poysoned so c. 3. Your little will last As the Widows Oyle ran out still and ran out so much It will last as served to sustain her all the time of Famine so God by little and little will preserve you all your dayes 4. Though little in hand yet still sufficient and of the best in promise which will There is sufficient in the promise rain Manna down upon you all the time of your journying and travelling untill you come to Canaan 9. You who are the people of God should walk with all humility before God Walk with all humility before God Micah 6. 8. What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God There are four goodly sights 1. To see a pardoning God and a mournful sinner 2. To see a promising God and a believing sinner 3. To see a good God and a thankful sinner 4. To see a gracious God and an humble sinner No people are raised so high as the people of God and no people with such lowliness and humbleness as these To walk humbly is to walk 1. With a sense of our own unworthhyness I am not worthy of the least of all the With a sense of our own unworthinesse mercies of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant said Jacob Gen. 32. 10. Who am I and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto said David 2 Sam. 7. 18. 2. With a sense of our own insufficiencies we are not sufficient of our selves to With a sense of our own insufficiency think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3. 5. O Lord I know the way of man is not in himself It is not in man to direct his steps Jer. 10. 23. 3. With a full acknowledgement of the grace of God as the reason and cause of With a full acknowledgement of the grace of God our all By the grace of God I am what I am And I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me said Paul 1 Cor. 15. 10. 4. With a low opinion of our selves as 1 Cor. 4. 6. That not one of you be puffed up With a low opinion of our selves for one against another verse 7. For who maketh thee to differ and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it Why they should walk humbly Because They are saved by mercy Their enjoyments are the gifts of grace And there are five Reasons which the people of God have to walk humbly 1. Because they are all saved by mercy and brought into their high relation by the meere love of their God In his mercy he saved them and in your blood he set his love upon you and said unto you live 2. Because all the great enjoyments which they have they are the meere gifts of grace Ye are called by grace and justified by grace and adopted by grace and renewed by grace and saved by grace 3. Because you continually live in a dependance upon God All your actings are in his strength and all your communions with him are by his presence and by his power They live in dependency upon God your graces and your comforts and particular abilities would die in your hands if he should but withdraw and leave you 4. Because your God is a great God and you are but Dust and Ashes before him Their God is a great God And besides that he knows so much of you that you have cause to be vile in your own eyes and to lie low before him 5. Because you do so little for so good a God You make but poor returns in proportion They do so little for so good a God to your exceeding great receits your best performances and acts of obedience are so short to his mercies that you need mercy still to passe you by You should walk with all chearfulness and gladnesse of heart before your blessing Walk with all chearfulness and blessed God Psal 100. 2. Serve the Lord with gladnesse Deut. 28. 47. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulnesse and gladnesse of heart for the abundance of all things O how chearful should your life be who enjoy such a God to be your God This enjoyment should be like a good conscience which is a continual feast yet God is my God and Christ is my Christ and mercy and glory are mine Yea it should make you exceeding forward and chearful in the services of your God not calling them your burdens but delights you should rejoyce in him and rejoyce to obey him and delight to do his will account it your meat and drink and you should a bound in the work of the Lord. 11. You should be constant in walking before him you should never be weary of him nor of his works you should think a short life too short for the serving Be constant in walking before him and the honouring of such a God as the Martyr was troubled because he had but one life to part with for Christ so should we because we have no more lives or no longer time of life to blesse and praise our good and gracious God you should serve him in holiness and righteousness all your dayes Luke 2. Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Psal 23. 6. 12. You who ate the people of God should walk before him in all zeale for the honour of that God who hath so much honoured you as to make you his Walk before him in all zeal people What shall I do for my God! you should deny your selves and extend your selves and improve all your gifts and graces and powers for the services of his glory you should not count your time nor riches nor honours nor lives dear unto you so that you might honor and glorifie such a God as your God is and is to you you should speak and pray and study and act and enact for him who is so good a portion and will be your everlasting and blessed God SECT XV. Use 4 THere is yet one Use more
accounts before God without a Mediatour to answer for you you alone must answer God for all your sins and for all your abominations Fourthly That God will magnifie the power of his wrath and justice upon you for despising of him and of his grace and of his mercy and of all his glory c. of all sinners you will fall under the heaviest condemnation 3. Unto such who fain would be the people of God but are afraid that God will never Such as would fain be in Covenant but fear God will not admit them Should consider It is possible for them to be the people of God admit of them into Covenant that he will never be a God unto them To these I have six things to present which I would desire them carefully to remember 1. Do not despaire though as yet you find not your selves to be the people of Gods Covenant it is possible for you to be his people And there are three grounds to keep you from despaire 1. One because God hath made them to be his people which were not his people which in time past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but have now obtained mercy 1 Pet. 2. 10. 2. A second because God hath looked mercifully upon as grievous sinners as ye have been and hath brought them into the Covenant Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live verse 8. Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness yea I sware unto thee and enâ—red into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine 3. Because you have an expresse promise that God will make you to be his people which were not his people Hosea 2. 23. I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy and I will say to them which were not my people Thou art my people and they shall say Thou art my God 2. Great sinners are not absolutely excluded from coming into this Covenant of Great sinners are not absolutely excluded grace O Sirs this Covenant is only for sinners and this Covenant contains an infinite Mediator and super-abundant riches of grace and mercy so that the Lord gets him a Name and a praise and an honour amongst all the Nations of the earth and God in this Covenant doth promise to pardon abundantly to forgive iniquity transgression and sinne to cleanse from all filthinesse and from all Idols and to pardon all iniquities whereby we have sinned and have transgressed against him Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities and made me to serve with thy sinnes yet I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and I will not remember thy sinnes Thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest she is gone upon every high Mountain and under every green Tree and there hath played the harlot and I said after she had done all these things Turn thou unto me So that it is not the greatnesse of former sinnes which make you utterly uncapable of being received into this Covenant Though a mans sinnes have been high in their guilt and multiplyed in the practice and stretched out by many aggravating circumstances yet if now his soul doth mourn ovet them and lament if now he is willing to give a bill of Divorce unto them if he sees his former abominations and loaths them I dare assure him that God will take him into this Covenant the Covenant of grace and mercy is set open for him Come in saith God I will be merciful unto your Transgressions and I will receive you graciously your sinnes shall be mentioned no more 3. Though a sinner hath no deservingnesse in him no worthinesse at all yet he may be received into this Covenant of grace When a poor sinner hears of A sinner that hath no worthinesse at all may be taken into Covenant all that goodnesse which God is and which God will extend to such as will enter into Covenant with him and of all those mercies and blessings c. O saith he I shall never have this God and I shall never enjoy these blessings what am I but a very sinful creature worthy to be excluded and to be denyed but unworthy to enjoy such a God and to pâ—â—â—ake of such mercies sinnes I have enough for which God may loath me but worthinesse have I none to give me favour and acceptance in the eyes of God Sâ—l Let me give answer to remove this fear and this vexation out of the heart of the troubled and doubting sinner 1. A personal worthiness is not expected nor imposed by God for admission into A personal worthinesse is not expected for admission into this Covenant this Covenant he never said to any sinner If you be worthy of mercy then I will shew you mercy and if you be worthy to enjoy me then I will be your God Never did this come into the thoughts of God to make a new Covenant upon termes of worthinesse on our part nor in any one place of Scripture hath God let fall such a passage or such a heavy condition upon the sinner for then no sinner could ever have had any hope of coming into this Covenant sinfulnesse and unworthinesse being necessarily inseparable 2. A personal worthinesse is inconsistent with a Covenant of grace for a A personal worthinesse is inconsistent with the Covenant of grace Covenant of grace is a giving Covenant and it is a freely giving Covenant God loves you here freely and he here forgives you freely I will love them freely Hosea 14. 4. I am he that blotteth out thy sinnes for mine own sake Esay 43. 25. This were a strange thing indeed that God should make a Covenant of grace to relieve the sinner against the Covenant of works and yet should make our works the foundation and reason of his grace No saith the Apostle There is a remnant according to the election of grace And if by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then it is no more grace otherwise works is no more works God admits not into this Covenant upon the reason and account of works nor doth he let out the good of this Covenant upon any such account this were not to advance his grace but to destory his grace 3. The acknowledging of our unworthinesse is more proper and answerable to The acknowledging of our unworthinesse is more proper to this Covenant than a pleading out worthinesse this Covenant than a pleading or a fancying of our worthiness I will go home to my Father and say Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee I am not
worthy to be called thy sonne Mark he comes home confessing his sinnes and acknowledging his unworthinesse and he was accepted and pitied and embraced and received c. O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us do thou it for thy Names sake for our back-slidings are many we have sinned against thee so they plead This indeed is the right posture for one who would be admitted into this Covenar not to come like a proud Pharisee but like an humble Publican God be merciful to me a sinner not to come as the Jewes did for one to Christ he is worthy but as the Centurion did unto Christ I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under the roof of my house O Lord I have been a wretched sinner and the greatest of sinners I deserve nothing but wrath and hell I beseech thee to look on me in mercy for mercies sake pity me for mercies sake own me for mercies sake be my God and make me one of thy people c. Merita mea misericordia tua saith Bernard my merits are only thy mercies Thou art the Lord meriful and gracious O save me freely accept of me freely c. 4. It is not unworthinesse which hinders any from this Covenant but unwillingnesse It is not unwoâ—thinesse but unwillingnesse which hinders from the Covenant Not the want of deserts but the want of an heart for this covenanting is not a bargain but a match where willingnesse of consent is only insisted upon My son saith God give me thy heart and hearken unto me and your souls shall live and if you be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of â—he Land If a mighty Prince should offer himself to match with a poor maid alas it is not worthinesse that he intends or expects nothing doth he require of her but to be willing to take him so when the Lord treats with sinners to come into Covenant with him it is not their worthinesse which he articles about all that he requires is to be willing to take him for their God and to be willing to become his people 4. Though a sinner finds in himself a wanâ—â—f holy qualities and many vile A sinner may come and be accepted into Covenant though he find in himself a want of holy qualitâ—es and many vile corruptions corruptions not yet mortified yet he may come and be accepted into Covenant with God If a poor sinner be willing to have his heart changed though as yet he findes not that change and if he be willing to have his sinnes mortified and subdued though as yet he doth not finde them so this sinner may come and desire to be admitted into Covenant and God doth not except against him Objection When we are perswading sinners to come into his Covenant O no say they they are afraid and dare not come as yet but could they once finde some change wrought in their hearts and some power over their sinnes and some strength to walk better before God then they would hearken and come Solution But do you indeed understand your selves or this Covenant of grace that you thus argue and dispute your selves out of an interest in the Covenant I pray you whence doth grace come out of what Spring doth it arise would you be Gods unto your selves before you take God to be your God is your healing and salvation in your selves or of your selves In me is thy strength saith God Is it possible for the dead to quicken themselves is not our change only from the Spirit of the Lord and is not the new heart and new spirit undertaken and promised in the Covenant will you presume to give your selves that which God only undertakes to give unto you Neverthelesse a few words for your relief For 1. The first gift which God gives unto sinners is himself in Christ He doth The first gift which God gives to sinners is himself in Christ not first give you grace and strength against sinne and then become your God but first he becomes your God and being so he promiseth to give grace and glory to you as communion with Christ is not precedent unto but a subsequent of union with him yâ—â— have not the righteousnesse of Christ and the redemption of Christ first and after them the enjoyment of Christ himself but first you have Christ and after that you enjoy communion in all his benefits So first God is your God and then comes in all the graces of the Spirit and power against sin and strength for new obedience 2. God doth not expect that you should bring but receive not bring holinesse to him and power to him but receive holinesse from him and power from God doth not expect that you should bring but receive him Doth the Physician expect that his Patient should bring physick to him or receive physick from him Do we bring water to the fountain no but we do fetch it from the fountain The Lord doth not impose this on you that you should first make your selves holy and then come into Covenant but this is it which he saith Take me to be your God and I will make you holy and I will subdue your iniquities the giving changing strengthening working part belongs to God the craving the willing the receiving part belongs to you God is willing to give these and if you be willing to receive these This is enough for admission into Covenant 3. To say all The qualities of grace are not the necessary anâ—ecedents for entrance The qualities of grace and the fruits and consequents of the Covenant into but they are the gracious fruits and consequents of the Covenant When you are brought into Covenant then are all graces brought into your hearts then if you seek unto your God and trust on him he will send forth his Spirit into your hearts 5. The knowledge of God to be our God in Covenant iâ— not prerequired before The knowledg of God to be our God in we take God to be our God in Covenant I confesse some knowledge of God is prerequired as this That God is willing to take a sinner into Covenant till Covenant is not prerequired before we take him to be our God this be laid in the sinner will never close with God but to know that this God is my God this is neither prerequired not is it possiblâ— for any sinner to attain unto this before he doth take God to be his God in Covenant Yâ—t is this an ordinary perplexity and hinderance with many broken-hearted sinners O if we could but be assured that God were our God then we would venture to come into Covenant with him and did we know our selves to be his people then we would close with him Beloved For 1. It is impossible to begin the Covenant with a reflexive act Can any woman It is impossible to begin the Covenant with a reflexive act know such a man to be her husband untill she
of sinne and Satan So to bring a sinner into Covenant with God it is not enough that the sinner lies within the intention of grace but it is moreover requisite that God do put forth the mighty efficacy of his grace to subdue the heart and will of the sinner unto himself For the carrying on of this Direction I would lay down six Positions 1. That there is not in any sinner a self-sufficiency to close with God in a way There is not in any sinner a self-sufficiency to close with God in Covenant of Covenant for as the Covenant of grace is a truth of meer supernatural Revelation no light of nature reveals it or discovers it so the bringing of the sinner into this Covenant is a meerly supernatural work There is nothing in the sinner actively to contribute towards it nay all that is in the sinner is naturally averse and contrary unto it his natural judgement doth reason against it and contradict it and his natural will doth resist and oppose it unbelief being predominant in both and therefore the work being only the work of a God the sinner hath no way to take but to go to God to work his own work in him and for him 2. The heart of a sinner how ever it be naturally averse to God and to fall The resistance of the heart is conquerable by the power of God in with him yet the disobedience and resistance of it is conquerable and subâ—uable by the Almighty power of God with whom nothing is impossible and for whom nothing is too hard He can quicken the dead and give sight to the blinde and eares to the deaf and deliver from the power of darknesse and take away the heart of stone and give an heart of flesh And as it is in his liberty to forme creatures into what kinde of being he pleaseth so it is in his power to make any creature yielding unto any part of his Will as he resolveth he can abase the pride of mans heart and break the hardnesse of mans heart and heale the stoutnesse and the stubbornnesse of mans will and turn it which way soever he pleaseth and fashion it by a Commanding Power into the obedience of his own Will 3. There is no sinner for ought that I know living under the Gospel who No sinner living under the Gospel can infallibly conclude he is excluded from the Covenant can infallibly determine it that God hath peremptorily excepted against him and absolutely excluded him from the Covenant that is That God will never be a God to him nor will he ever make him to be one of his people Although at the present a sinner may certainly know that he is out of the Covenant and he is none of his people yet he doth not know that God will never be his God and that he shall never be one of Gods people because First God reveals no such thing Secondly God doth reveal that some who are not his people shall yet be his people Thirdly God ordinarily calls them to be his people who were not his people Fourthly The times and seasons of that call are unknown to the children of men even these seasons also doth God reserve unto himselfe and keep in his own hand and breast therefore we should pray to God to bring us into Covenant for who doth know what his purpose of grace may be and what his thoughts of mercy are towards him 4. The sinner although he doth not know the secret intention of God yet he Though the sinner know not the secret intention of God yet he knows his gracious invitations doth know the gracious invitation of God to leave his sinnes and to believe in Christ and to come into Covenant with him and that he will shew mercy to him Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and turn to the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Isa 55. 7. I think that there is no sinner living under the Gospel but he lives under an external call the Covenant of grace is in some measure made known unto him and the glorious riches of mercy and grace and he receives many a summons to come into Christ to believe to accept of God to be his God and to be one of his people and also he knows upon what gracious termes God is contented to be his God Now because God is pleased in and by the Gospel not only to reveal the Covenant of grace unto sinners but also to treate indefinitely with sinners and to offer mercy and life and salvation unto them if they will come in and accept of himself in Christ Truely here is a very heartening encouraging ground at the least to pray him to be our God and to make us to be his people 5. God himself doth propound this very way of prayer and seeking of him as a means to find him to be our God and to make us to be his people When he God himself doth propound this way of prayer and seeking him as a means to find him to be our God sets out himself in relation to this Covenant-work in Ezekiel 36. from verse 25. to 36 he addes in verse 37. thus saith the Lord God I will yet be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them c. as if he should say All this I promise to be unto you and to do for you and do you enquire of me or pray unto me and all this you shall receive from me c. So here in Isa 55. having declared the Covenant which he would make with us from verse 3. to verse 6. and in particular that Christ should have Nations runne unto him that did not know him he prescribes this duty of praying and seeking of him verse 6. Sâ—ek â—e the Lord whiles he may be found and call ye upon him whilâ—s he is near as if he should say Thus graciously do I represent my self what I will be therefore seek me and call upon me and I will be thus unto you 6. Nay once more God doth promise expresly that upon our praying he will God doth expresly promise upon our praying â—e will be our God be our God and that we shall be his people And truly this puts the clearest light and fullest life into this Direction See a place for this Zech. 13. 9. Thâ—y shall call upon my Name and I will hear them I will say It is my people and they shall say The Lord is my God But now remember one thing that as prayer is a means for this work so it must be a cordial and affectionate praying not a formal superficial carelesse form but the desires of the heart must be in that praying and the fervency and wrestlings of the heart If your hearts were but set on this to have God to be your God and to become his people and if you did seek this
this Covenant both As to the composition of it composition of it and to the happinesse in and by it 1. This Covenant of grace is so modell'd and framed with as winning and alluring a way for sinners as possibly can be drawn out by the wisdome of a kinde and good God It is made with all advantages to the sinner so that if there be any loosing or damnifying it falls rather to God than to the sinner all the expressions of it are upon the account of Gods grace And it is made with such tender respects to poor sinners that all the active part to make them to be the people of God is undertaken by God himself he undertakes to make us to be his people to give himself to give Christ to give his Spirit to give a new heart to give the Spirit of prayer to give the Spirit of faith to give pardoning mercy to give all O how might all this if seriously and rightly meditated upon melt in our hearts to God and make us willing to take him for our God! 2. And as the Covenant of grace is framed to allure in the sinner so when the sinner is brought in it settles upon him the only true happinesse and all true happiness And as to out happinesse in and by it with certainty and to all eternity As soon as ever you take God to be your God and are become his people immediately is blessednesse settled upon you as your portion and as your portion for ever Psal 34. 12. Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance Psal 144. Happy is the people whose God is the Lord CHAP. V. Isaiah 55. 3. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David I Have discoursed of the Covenant of grace as it stands in opposition to the Covenant of works and likewise of the vital nature of it the very marrow and summe of it in those expressions I will be to you a God and you shall be to me a people I am now in the third place to open unto you this Covenant in the adjuncts or properties of it which do as it were blazon and ennamel this Covenant or set it out in beautiful colours to the eyes of us poor and distressed sinners as God appeared unto Moses in his glory when he made himself known unto him in his gracious Attributes so this Covenant appears in The adjuncts or properties of the Covenant wonderful glory when it is opened in the admirable adjuncts or properties of it There are twelve adjuncts given unto this Covenant 1. It is a new Covenant 2. It is a plentiful or perfect Covenant 3. It is a bountiful and giving Covenant 4. It is a free or gracious Covenant 5. It is a well-ordered Covenant 6. It is a pure or holy Covenant 7. It is a sure or stedfast Covenant 8. It is the last Covenant 9. It is an everlasting Covenant 10. It is the best Covenant 11. It is a clear and open and plain Covenant 12. It is the only Covenant SECT I. 1. THis Covenant is a New Covenant I will make a new Covenant with It is a new Covenant the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Jet 31. 31. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Heb. 8. 8. In Scripture the word New is diversly taken 1. Sometimes that is stiled New which succeeds another in Exod. 1. 8. there The several exceptions of the word New in Scripture It succeeds another Covenant arose a New King in Acts 7. 18. this New King is called another King In this respect this Covenant is a New Covenant it succeeds another Covenant a former Covenanâ— it follows the Covenant of works Quest. It may be argued Why the Covenant of works should be first and the Covenant of grace next Sol. We may be satisfied concerning this order First from the pleasure of The reason of the order of the two Covenants God that he would have it thus Secondly from the wisdome of God who by this order glorifies his justice in the one and his mercy in the other Thirdly From the capacity of man who being at the first created righteous was thereby fitted for a Covenant of works and his created condition was unmeet for a Covenant of grace but being fallen his sinful condition became fit and meet for a Covenant of grace and utterly unfit for a Covenant of works 2. Sometimes that is stiled New which is wonderful unusual the like not It is a wonderful Covenant heard of before The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth a woman shall compass a man Jer. 31. 22. That a Virgin should conceive and bring forth a man-childe this was a new thing it was wonderful indeed so Isa 43. 19. Behold I will do a New thing I will even make a way in the Wildernesse and Rivers in the Desart this was a new work that is wonderful and unusual In this respect also is the Covenant of grace stiled New that is it is a wonderful Covenant how wonderful is it that the Lord who was so exceedingly dishonoured and injured and provoked by sinners should yet so infinitely condescend to sinners as to treat afresh with them and to offer life unto them upon better and surer terms than before and should promise such exceeding mercies and give such a gracious Redeemer and Mediator There are foure things wherein and for which God will be eternally admired 1. In making this Covenant of grace 2. In giving his only Son for a Saviour 3. In bringing any sinner to Christ and into the Covenant 4. In the glorifying of them that believe 3. Sometimes that is stiled New which is excellent and very necessary John It is an excellent Covenant 13. 34. A New Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another this Commandment is a new Commandment that is it is a rare an excellent a necessary Commandment so Revel 2. 17. To him that overcomes I will give a New name that is an excellent name to be one of the sonnes of God which is called a dignity an excellent priviledge John 1. 12. In this respect also is the Covenant of grace stiled New it is an excellent Covenant and very If it be considered necessary It is excellent consider it either comparatively no Covenant like unto this Comparatively that Covenant of works falls exceeding short of it and that Covenant with nature for the preservation of common life is not to be compared with it Or absolutely in it self it is all of excellencies an excellent love an excellent Absolutely Christ the most excellent mercies and the onely excellent happinesse Or respectively unto us our hopes our helps our comforts our life our Respectively eternal life lies in this Covenant all
the good which we do enjoy or can enjoy or shall ever enjoy all our springs are in it 4. Sometimes that is stiled New which is diverse from what it was before It is diverse from the Covenant of works and from it self 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature that is he is not such a creature as he was before he is renewed he is changed into the image of the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. In this respect also is the Covenant stiled New not only because it is diverse from the Covenant of works in the foundation and condition and qualifications of the persons in Covenant but also because it is diverse from it self in respect of the administration of it after that Christ was manifested in the flesh and died and rose again from the different administration it is called Old and New Now it appears with open face without any vaile of legal Shadows and Ceremonies at all God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself and God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne and whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life It is now like a new Lease fairely written over with a new hand and new seals and new witnesses Though this Covenant be the same for substance in Abrahams and Moses time yet upon the coming of Christ it is new for the manner of administration it hath not those seals of Circumcision and the Passeover nor Sacrifices nor Ceremonies nor Types and Legal Figures which formerly it had it hath now the Mediator himself to deliver it and his new seals of Baptisme and the Supper and is established after a new manner even by the blood of Christ and hath many new institutions and adjuncts c. This is the Covenant which God makes with us even a New Covenant a Covenant of life upon new termes a Covenant which hath a new foundation a Covenant which hath new promises a Covenant which hath a new original and spring a Covenant which hath a new way of claime and title a Covenant which gives new hopes and a Covenant which hath new seals and confirmations Vse 1 Surely there is infinite reason for us poor and miserable sinners to bless the Lord even for this that he hath made all things New and especially for making a new Blesse God for this New Covenant Covenant had the Lord utterly left us when we left him had he held us to that first Covenant of works and proceeded against us for the breach of that Covenant we had every one of us for ever been condemned and lost but he was pleased to make a new Covenant with us where mercy is to be found for sinners and a Redeemer for transgressors and a Mediator 'twixt himself and us and our lives may yet be found in his grace and love and Christ and all this springing from his own grace and love What should oblige our hearts and raise our thankfulnesse if this doth not 2. Then there is no reason for distressed sinners to sink and despair although they have been Covenant-breakers and are never able to recompense God nor There is no reason for sinners to despair to raise up themselves for this new Covenant is made for the refuge and support of such sinners And herein God reveals himself to be a God forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne and to receive satisfaction for a sinner though not from the sinner I say for a sinner by a Mediator who hath likewise purchased reconciliation and favour and mercy and salvation for us 3. Not to refuse this Covenant this new Covenant for as it is said of Christ Refuse not this Covenant That there is no other Name given to us by which we must be saved Acts 4. 12. so there is no Covenant but this new Covenant which can relieve and save a sinner as it was with men in the time of the Deluge and the Ark all that got into the Ark were saved and all who entred not into the Ark were lost so all who get into this new Covenant they live and are saved and all who enter not into this New Covenant shall dye in their sinnes and perish SECT II. 2. A Second propriety of the Covenant is this it is a very perfect plentiful It is a perfect and plentiful Covenant and rich Covenant And this will appear weâ—her you will consider 1. The Author of this Covenant 2. Or the Mediator of this Covenant 3. Or the Covenant it self It appears by The Author of this Covenant 1. The Author of this Covenant who therein sets out all his gracious fulness here you shall finde him full of love and therefore the Apostle calls his love a great love Ephes 2. 4. and an exalted love God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 5. 8. And Saint John calls it a wonderful love Behold what manner of love the Father haâ—h bestowed upon us that we should be called the sonnes of God! 1 John 3. 1. Nay Christ himself calls it an unexpressible love God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne c. John 3. 16. And the Apostle repeats the love of God as the character and pattern of all love Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for us In mercy in relation to this Covenant he is said to be rich in mercy Ephes 2. 4. God who is rich in mercy nay to have riches of mercy Ephes 3. 16. According to the riches â—f his glory nay to shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus Ephes 2. 7. nay to be exceeding abundant 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant abundant mercy 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope where sinne abounded grace did much more abound Rom. 5. 20. Sinne doth exceedingly abound by way of extension and by way of intension in practice in degrees and in deserts but the mercy or grace of God it doth over-abound it is more than enough for the pardoning of the greatest sinners yea of all the sinnes of all his people his mercy is like himself infinite and unsearchable And therefore the Church cryes out Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage c. In goodnesse not only full of an essential goodnesse which is his own eternal and infinite perfection but also full of a Covenant goodnesse O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that trust in thee before the sonnes of men Psal 31. 19. He is great in goodnesse Nehem. 9. 35. He is abundant in goodnesse Exod.
34. 6. How great is his goodnesse Zach. 9. 17. The riches of his goodnesse Rom. 2. 4. No good thing will he with-hold Psal 84. 11. 2. The Mediator of this Covenant how full and rich is Jesus Christ Of his By the Mediator of this Covenant fulnesse do all we receive he fills all in all The Godhead dwells bodily in him in him are all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge there are the unsearchable riches of Christ he is a perfect Redeemer and is able to save to the utmost 3. The Covenant it self There is nothing left out and there is nothing which can be added unto it the wisdome and goodnesse of God have made it a By the Covenant it self compleat store-house and treasury of all the good and of all the help which all the children of God have do or ever shall need Here is grace and here is glory here is all things pertaining to life and all things pertaining to godlinesse here is for the life present and for the life which is to come here are all sorts of comforts for the distressed and all sorts of helps for the needy and all sorts of defences for the exposed here is the Sunne and the Shield and exceeding great reward Vse This is an exceeding stay and comfort to all the people of Gods Covenant other people are in want and know not whether to go for help or for any good but This is stay to Gods people you have a good God to go unto and a good Covenant to go unto Other people may know whither to go for this or that particular good but they know not whither to go for all the good which they do need they may go to one friend for counsel and to another for almes and to another for physick but to whom can they go for mercy to pardon their sinnes or for peace to ease their troubled souls but you who are the people of God you have a Covenant to go unto which contains all manner of good for all the conditions of your souls and for all the conditions of your bodies Here is mercy to pardon and loving-kindnesse to comfort and righteousnesse to justifie and grace to sanctifie and peace to quiet and glory to save here is food for the body and rayment and safety and blessing and defence here is all others may give and finde a little help and a little comfort and a little provision but you have a Covenant to go unto which can give you all things richly to enjoy abundant goodnesse abundant compassions abundant mercies abundant love abundant grace abundant joy abundant consolation and abundant salvation all things all good things are treasured up in this Covenant and there they are in their perfection not one good without another but all good together not a little of one and a little of another but every good in perfection and fulnesse a perfect God and a perfect Mediator and perfect love and mercy and righteousnesse c. 2. This is an exceeding encouragemtnt unto you under any wants or in any And an encouragement in wants to go to God in faith great distresses to go by faith unto your God who hath made a full and perfect Covenant with you O thou distressed sinner here is mercy enough laid up for thee and here is peace enough and goodness enough and power enough and grace enough and help enough God doth not promise unto you a little of his mercy nor a little of his kindnesse nor a little of the righteousnesse of Christ nor a little of holinesse nor a little of spiritual joy Psal 81. 10. Open thy mouth wide enlarge the desires of your hearts you do not crave enough and I will fill it I will plentifully answer and satisfie you Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved Phil. 4. 19. My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ Heb. 4. 16. Let us come boldly unto the Throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need you have no cause to be dejected either with the multitude of your wants or with the depth and greatnesse of your distresses nor have you any cause to doubt and fear the supply and redresse of these for God hath made a full rich and perfect Covenant with you whiles there are answerable supplies and super-abounding helps and these in a Covenant and for you there is more reason to set your faith on work to fetch in the supplies than to set your feare on work because of your wants in all your distressed and needy conditions be pleased to look on this Covenant seriously do so bring your wants and distresses thither and there shall you finde proper helps and plentiful engagements and now stirre up your faith to believe and to take hold on God Lord here is the mercy which I need and here is the exceeding riches of mercy which I do need and here is the love the great love and here is the grace the abundant grace and here is the comfort and the abundant comfort and here is the strength the greatnesse of that strength which I do need here it is laid up for thee by me I come unto thee in the Name of Christ whose I am and I beseech thee abundantly to pardon me to supply all my need according to thy riches in glory SECT III. 3. A Third property of this Covenant is that it is a giving Covenant Gen. 17. 2. I will make my Covenant between thee and me in the Original It is a giving Covenant it is I will give thee my Covenant as God spake unto Phineas Num. 25. 12. I give unto him my Covenant of peace so he doth give a Covenant unto his people Isa 42. 6. I give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles Isa 55. 4. Behold I have given him for a witnesse to the people survey In it the Covenant all over you shall finde it to be a giving Covenant in all the particulars of it God gives himself to be ours therefore he is called our Husband Isa 54. 5. The husband gives himself to the wife so doth God to us God gives himself to be ours And he gives Christ he gave his onely begotten Sonne John 3. 16. and Christ did give himself Gal. 2. 20. He gives Christ And he gives his love Cant. 7. 12. There will I give thee my love His love His peace Eternal life His Spirit And he gives his peace John 14. 27. My peace I give unto you And he gives eternal life John 10. 28. I give unto them eternal life And he gives his Spirit He will give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Luke 11. 13. And he gives the new heart and the new spirit Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you A new heart And he
gives faith Vnto you it is given to believe Phil. 1. 29. By grace are Faith you saved through faith It is the gift of God Ephes 28. And he gives repentance Acts 11. 18. Then hath God given or granted unto Repentance the Gentiles repentance unto life And he gives mercy 2 Tim. 1. 16. The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus Mercy And he also freely gives us all things Rom. 8. 32. He gives grace and he gives All things gloâ—y Psal 84. 11. And he gives unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by them we Great and precious promises might be partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. This Covenant is a Covenant of gifts all that God promiseth in it is given and all that God requires of us is given and all that we are to give again to God is first given unto us by God Reasons why it is so from And there are two reasons why this Covenant is an altogether giving Covenant 1. One is our universal brokennesse and impotency and insufficiency our sinful Our universal insufficiency fall hath so ship-wrack't and ruined us that we have nothing at all left us we are naked and poor and miserable Rev. 3. 17. Without strength Rom. 5. 6. Not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 3. 5. What hast thou that thou hast not received I Cor. 4. 7. Such a brokâ—n vessel is the sinner such a self-undoing and destitute creatures like the Prodigal who spent all and had neither bread nor rayment nor shoes nor any thing and therefore his father must provide all and give all he must give him housing and he must give him rayment and he must give him shoes for his feet and he must give him meat to eat and wine to drink Where the creature is universally miserable and utterly impotent there must be nothing but giving Mercy must give all or the sinner is undone 2. Another is Gods intenâ—ion and purpose in this Covenant and that in the Gods intention and purpose in this Covenant praise of the glory of his grace Ephes 1. 6 His intent in making this Covenant is wholly and only to exalt himself to proclaime his own glory and therefore he will give all and the sinner is to receive all that all the glory and praise of mercy of grace of blessings may be returned unto himself alâ—ne Rom. 11. 35. Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompâ—nced unto him again Ver. 36. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whâ—m be glory for ever Amen Vse 1 If this Covenant be a giving Covenant then the poor and needy may traffique at it If it were a buying and selling Covenant in proper sense then Then the poor and needy may traffique at it poor sinners must despaire but it is a giving Covenant and therefore poor sinners have hope May not the poor who keep no house of their own yet go to the rich mans door where all is given When we survey our hearts and conditions we finde a world of wants and when we survey the Covenant we finde a Heaven of supplies Objection But then we fear and dispute and reason But how shall we get this mercy and gaine that blessing and enjoy that help We have nothing and we can bring nothing the Well indeed is deep but we have nothing to draw Sâ—l True but yet God can give all though you can bring nothing and according to the tenor of this Covenant He will give all the greatest and the least But will he give me food and rayment yes he will give you bread and he will give you double cloathing O But will he give me Grace yes he will give grace and glory O But will he give me Christ yes he will give his Christ that greatest gift that ever was given to sinners he is the gift of God O but will he give me mercy to pardon my sinnes and all my sinnes yes he will shew mercy and will forgive all thy sinnes whereby thou hast sinned against him O but will he give me Faith yes he will draw you to Christ and put forth an Almighty power to make you to believe O but will he give me another heart yes I will give thee a new heart c. O but I must pray if I would have these and I cannot pray why and it is his Covenant to give you the Spirit of grace and supplication Let these things quiet your sorrowful and troubled soules There is enough in the Covenant for you and all that is there is to be given 2. Be content to come and receive seeing God is pleased in this Covenant to be Be content to come and receive giving He is all upon the giving hand and we should be all upon the recâ—iving hand The giviâ—g works is Gods work and the receiving work is our work he findes the gift you must open your hand and take it O what a blessed Covenant is this wherein you may have all for asking and receiving Mat. 7. 7. Ask and it shall be given James 1. 5. If any of you lack wisdome let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and it shall be given him John 4. 10. If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Now there are four qualities which if you could get them you Which we shall do if we have these qualities would then be content and willing to come unto God and beg of him and receive of him what he will give and without these you will not do so 1. One is poverty of spirit you must be poor in spirit the poor man speaks Poverty of spirit supplications saith Solomon It was poor Lazarus that came to the rich mans dâ—or and it is the poor sinner one who is truly sensible of his spiritual wants and miseries who will come to the door of mercy and cry out O Father of mercies give me mercy O God of grace give me grace O give me Christ c. If you be rich and encreased and stand in need of nothing as Laodicea was if you have enough of your own if you think that you are righteous and need not Christ and need not mercy c. you will never come to God and beg him to give you these 2. A second is humâ—lity of heart a proud man scornes to beg and scornes Humility of heart to receive he will not be beholding to any body it is the humble man who will acknowledge mercy and blesse for mercy and beg for mercy and be glad he may have mercy upon receiving termes God gives grace to the humble and the humble are thankfully contented to receive grace from God 3. A praying heart will be glad to be receiving A praying
pitied thee to do any of these unto thee to have compassion on thee but thou wast cast out into the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born Ver. 6. And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Ver. 8. Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee be hold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I sware unto thee and entered into Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Yea and the Apostle tells us what persons they were whom yet God took into Covenant Titus 3. 3. We our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another Ver. 4. But after that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared Ver. 5. Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us In these places we see that there can be nothing found in us either as to our natures or as to our works which might move God to take us into Covenant but enough in both for him to reject us and yet notwithstanding both he is pleased to enter into Covenant with us and save us This must needs be grace and mercy 2. Consider the perâ—ons taken now into Covenant in their former respectivenesse of state and actions towards God The Apostle saith That whiles we were In their former respectivenesse of state and actions towards God yet enemies Christ dyed for us And when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 5. 8 10. Surely mercy shewn to enemies must needs be free mercy and to receive enemies into favour this must be gracious favour yet to do this to enemies even in theiâ— hostility for God to take his enemies into his hands of mercy and become a singular friend to them even in the time of their raging and fighting against him this must needs be of grace It was remarkable favour in David to spare the life of Saul his enemies much more in God not only to spare the lives of sinners and enemies but to give them their souls and his Christ and his mercy and his salvation You read of those in Acts 2. 23. they were men who had by wicked hands crucified and slaine the Lord Jesus and verse 13. at the present were â—â—â—â—king at the Apostles as if they had been a company of drunkards These men are full of new wine Yet these men and at this time and in this posture God laid hold on by his grace and convinced them and humbled them and gave them faith and brought them into this Covenant with himself as you may see from verse 37. to 47. The like you read of Saul when he was raging and waxing â—â—d and breathing out persecutions against Christ and against the Church of Christ Being in this woful wretched posture the Lord takes hold of him and left him not untill he had brought him into this blessed Covenant of grace and mercy 3. Consider persons comparatively with other persons you shall finde that the Comparatively with other Persons taking of any person into Covenant is gracious and free in comparing of persons with persons ordinarily God passeth by those on whom we should six admiration and look at some cause and reasons of pre-acceptation and chooseth those and brings in those in whom nothing at all is to be pre-supposed Sometimes he passeth by the greater persons and takes in the meaner persons he passeth by the wise and takes in the foolish he passeth by the mighty and takes in the weak he passeth by the noble and takes in the base 1 Cor. 1. 2â— Not many wise after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called Ver. 27. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world and the weak things of the world Ver. 28. and base things of the world and things which are despised and things which are not Ver. 29. that no flesh should glory in his presence So sometimes of persons whereof some are more notorious and wicked and vile and others are not so abominable he is pleased to leave the lesser sort of sinners and to bring in the vilest of sinners Publicans and Harlots were brought in into the Kingdome of God when the superstitious and righteous Pharisees were excluded Paul the chiefest of sinners was taken in and others were left Mary Magdalon was brought in and others past by and why doth God do this but that men should acknowledge that it is no worthinesse of the sinne that brings him in nor any unworthinesse of the sinner that shuts him out but all springs from the grace of God alone that he brings not in any sinner upon his own account but onely upon the account of free grace 3. Lastly the Covenant is free as to the dispensations and donations of it what Free as to the dispensations and donations of it is that that is all that drops out of this Covenant all that good flowing from it and running down upon us are only gracious flowings only free bounties and gifts The Papists talk of a meritum de congruo whiles we are in the state of nature and of a meritum de condigno after we are in the state of grace But we know no merit but that of sin which deserves damnation and the merit of Christ which deserves salvation All our standing and all our expectation it the grace of God that is the reason of all our enjoyments God doth not give us Christ because we deserve a Christ but because he is pleased freely to bestow Christ upon us God doth not forgive our sins for our own sake but for his own Name sake God doth not love us for any thing in us but he loves us freely because he is pleased to love us God doth not save us for any works of ours but he saves us for his mercies sake God doth not blesse us for our goodnesse sake but he blesseth us only for his Christs sake and his promises sake God doth not justifie us for the sake of our own righteousnesse but he justifies us freely by his own grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Romans 3. 24. Objection But some may say God is not free in doing of his people good because he hath by promise bound himself to do them good Solution I answer 1. It was the freenesse of his grace to make all those promises 2. Though he bindes himself in promises to do us good yet he doth not accomplish those promises upon the reason of our goodnesse or deserts but upon the account of his own mercifulnesse and goodnesse and graciousnesse Obj. But he promiseth many things conditionally and lets
them out upon such and such conditions and herefore not freely Sol. I answer 1. Every kind of condition is not opposite to grace as I shall shortly demonstrate unto you 2. Whatsoever condition he makes with his people for the enjoyment of any good he doth freely give and work that condition in them 3. No condition on our part hath any reason of merit in it which is the thing opposite to grace but it is only a means by which we come certainly to enjoy that which God is pleased graciously to give In this respect we are said to be justified by faith and to be saved by faith and yet we are also justified by grace and saved by grace Faith you see is put in as a condition and yet it excludes not grace Nay because by faith therefore by grace for our faith and Gods grace can well agree though Gods grace and mans deserts can never agree Now le ts make a little Use of all this Vse 1 Is the Covenant which God makes with us a gracious Covenant O what cause have we poor and unworthy sinners to blesse God for all this O Beloved Blesse God for this it is grace which is the life of this Covenant and which is life to our souls it is not all the love that is promised in the Covenant it is not all the mercy that is promised in the Covenant it is not all the holinesse that is promised in the Covenant it is not all the comforts and joyes and peace and blessings which are promised in the Covenant it is not that eternal life and glorious salvation promised in the Covenant it is not Jesus Christ and all the purchases of Christ drawn into this Covenant none of these nor all these would be any hope or any encouragement or any life at all unto us were the graciousnesse of the Covenant left out If the Lord should say unto us Here is the sweetest love that ever sinner tasted of but you must deserve it alas then I cannot expect it Here is the precious Christ the Authour of salvation but you must deserve him alas then I shall never enjoy him here is pardoning mercy to forgive all your sinnes but you must deserve it O then I shall never partake of it As he said Tolle meum tolle Deum so say I Tolle gratiam tolle omnia take away grace and take away all then take away Christ and take away God and take away mercy and take away heaven and take away hope and take away all the sinner is utterly lost upon any account but that of grace only it is this graciousnesse which makes him capable and makes him hopeful here is a loving God and he will love you freely here is a merciful God and he will pardon you freely here is a converting God and he will receive you graciously here is a good God and he will blesse you graciously c. Now the sinner begins to have hope and begins to hearken If there be a Covenant of grace why should I despaire If it be altogether gracious if it be raised by grace and published by grace and admits and receives by grace and le ts out all by grace there is yet hope that I may escape perishing that I may be delivered that I may find mercy and favour grace looks for no worthinesse and grace passeth by all unworthinesse and grace may look on and pity and help the greatest of sinners blessed be God who hath sweetened all his mercies and all his undertakings and all his blessings and all his givings with freenesse and graciousnesse 2. Is the Covenant which God makes with with us a free and gracious Covenant then stand out no longer be aliens to God no longer be strangers to his Thâ—n stand out no longer Covenant no longer grace makes your way clear and open it beats down all the mountains that did stand in your way It is said of Abraham that against hope he believed in hope so against all the unhopefulnesse from your selves you should believe from the hopefulnesse in the Covenant of grace yea and above hope believe in hope when you consider the greatnesse of the blessings in the Covenant they seem to be above hope but when you consider the graciousnesse in the bestowing of them they are now under hope Ho all you that hear me this day hearken unto me The graciousnesse of the Covenant will prove unto you either your sweetest salvation or else your heaviest condemnation if it doth not prove a strong encouragement to bring you into the Covenant it will certainly prove the heaviest and bitterest aggravation upon you for standing out against the Covenant O beloved yet be serious and wise and make in to God! you may be received graciously your sins have been exceeding great but the Covenant holds out more exceeding mercy joyned with more exceeding grace Rom. 5. 20. Where sinne abounded grace did much more abound If you come in to God his Covenant is to forgive all your sins and to forgive them freely Your worthinesse is none at all and yet you may come in and God according to his Covenant will love you freely you may have all freely a God a Christ love mercy forgivenesse the holy Spirit then new heart the salvation of your souls freely Therefore 1. Refuse him not and do not trifle away your precious souls whiles you Refuse not Gods offer have a day of grace and a Covenant of grace tendred unto you to come in Beware you refuse not him that speaketh neither neglect so great salvation God neither will nor possibly can fall lower or easier than he doth with you in his gracious Covenant 2. Fear not whether you shall be look't on or received of God he saith he will Fear not your acceptance receive you graciously If a company of poor men were envited by a rich man Come and I will give you money and receive and feed you freely you shall have all your wants supplied freely would they be afraid to accept the offer Do not make another Covenant than God is willing to make with you neither make any other Articles than God himself hath annexed unto this Covenant he saith it is a gracious Covenant say not you it is not so he hath said he will receive you graciously a say not you but he will not he saith that he will love you freely and justifie you freely and save you freely do not you say But God will do none of these O no! God is truth it self and he will perform the truth to Jacob and his mercy to Abraham Micah 7. 20. Therefore fear not but catch and take hold on this grace of God 3. Come in and make thy supplications to God Come in and confesse thy sins Come in and make thy supplications to God and thy unworthinesse and cry out unto God in the Name of Christ O Lord I have sinned against thee and I am unworthy to be
Covenant before we do apply God himself and interest our selves in him to lay hold on his mercies before we lay hold on himself to appropriate the purchase of Christ before we do embrace and appropriate Christ himself this is to disorder and displace the Covenant which first propounds God himself and Christ himself to be received and then the portion of all good things promised after this 2. We do disjoyne the things in the Covenant which God hath ordered to come By disjoyning those things God hath put together By expecting the gifts of the Covenant without the reasons of the Covenant By limiting God in the dispensations of his Covenant together as when we will have the mercy of the Covenant but not the repentance of the Covenant and the hope in Christ from faith in Christ and the promised salvation without the promised holinesse which leads unto that salvation 3. We do expect the gifts of the Covenant without the reasons of the Covenant upon the account of our goodnesse and not upon the account of Gods graciousnesse 4. We do limit God in the dispensations of his Covenant in his answers helps and blessings to our time and to our measure and to our haste and do not submit and leave these to the times of his wisdome and faithfulnesse Vse 2 Is the Covenant of grace an ordered Covenant and a well-ordered Covenant then let no man ever think to enjoy God or any good from Gods Covenant but in that way which God himself hath declared you must believe and repent There is no enjoying God 〈◊〉 in his own way c. Vse 3 Is the Covenant an ordered Covenant then doubt not of the enjoyment of mercy and blessednesse you who are his people but come with confidence unto your God who hath ordered love and mercy and peace and comfort and His people should not doubt of the enjoyment of mercy blessings and happinesse for you SECT VI. 6. A Sixth property of this Covenant is this it is a holy Covenant Luke It is a holy Covenant 1. 72. To performe the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy Covenant Dan. 11. 28. His heart shall be against the holy Covenant Psal 105. 42. He remembred his holy promise c. The Covenant is stiled holy in sundry respects 1. In respect of the parties interested in the Covenant viz. God and his In respect of the parties interested in it people both of them are holy God is holy he is an holy God Josh 24. 19. Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty Rom. 4. 8. His people are holy that thou mayst be an holy people to the Lord thy God Deut. 26. 19. The people of thy holinesse Esay 63. 18. The holy people Dan. 12. 7. To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus 1. Cor. 1. 2. A holy Nation a peculiar people 1 Pet. 2. 9. The Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are 1 Cor. 3. 17. Although before we are brought into the Covenant we are a wicked and unholy defiled and polluted people yet when we are brought into the Covenant then we are made holy we are changed and washed and sanctified and are made partakers of his holinesse 2. In respect of the condition of the Covenant faith as you shall hear shortly In respect of the condition of the Covenant is the condition of this Covenant and true faith is a holy faith building up your selves in your most holy faith Jude ver 20. Purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15. 9. Which are sanctified by faith Acts 26. 18. Faith unites us to the holy Christ and to the holy God and draws holinesse from Christ and sets up that holy Christ in our hearts 3. In respect of the matter promised in the Covenant holinesse is one principal In respect of the matter promised thing promised in it God doth promise to give his holy Spirit Luke 11. 13. and to cleanse us from all iniquity Jer. 33. 8. and from all unrighteousnesse 1 John 1. 9. and to refine us with refining fire Mal. 3. 2. Hierusalem shall be holy Joel 3. 17. and to sanctifie us and purifie us I am the Lord who sanctifies you Lev. 20. 8. The God of peace sanctifie you wholly 1 Thes 5. 23. I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth John 17. 19. By the which will we are sanctified Heb. 10. 10. The change of a sinful heart the giving of a new heart and a new spirit the taking away the heart of stone and the giving of an heart of flesh the work of regeneration and of renovation these are expresly the matter in the Covenant 4. The Author of this Covenant doth expresly command holiness Be ye holy The Author of this Covenant commands holinesse for I am holy 1 Pet. 1. 16. Speak unto all the Congregation of the children of Israel and say unto them ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy Lev. 19. 2. Whatsoever things are pious whatsoever things are lovely c. think on these things Phil. 4. 8. This is the will of God even your sanctification 1 Thes 4. 3. Having therefore these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. 5. This Covenant doth exceedingly encourage holinesse Blessed are the pure The Covenant doth encourage holinesse in heart for they shall see God Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the undefiled in the way Psal 119. 1. Being now become the servants of God ye have your fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life Rom. 6. 22. God is glorious in holinesse Exod. 15. 11. The Saints are the excellent on the earth Psal 16. 3. Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice Psal 50. 5. This honour have all his Saints Psal 149. 9. He will keep the feet of his Saints 1 Sam. 2. 9. The Lord forsaketh not his Saints Psal 37. 28. He preserveth the souls of his Saints Psal 97. 10. He delivereth them out of the hands of the wicked ibid. The Saints shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6. 8. When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints 2 Thes 1. 10. 6. All about the Covenant respects holinesse and makes for holinesse all that work of renovation promised in the Covenant all that deliverance promised All about the Covenant respects holiness in the Covenant is that now we should serve the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse all the mercies promised lead to holinesse to the love of God to the fear of God to repentance all the glory and happinesse there promised take in holinesse as a way thereunto the Christ there is made unto us sanctification as well as redemption the Spirit of Christ is there to sanctifie and there to comfort and seal us the two broad seals of the Covenant have holinesse written in them baptisme is a Laver
2. That all is sure in the Covenant that there is no difference of any good which God hath promised as to the graciousnesse and as to the certainty of giving why all the good of the Covenant is freely given unto you and shall certainly be given unto you and therefore you who are the people of God be not satisfied with the little which you have but enlarge your hearts and enlarge your desires and enlarge your confidences for there is much more in the Covenant than as yet you have got out of the Covenant and there it is laid up for you and it will be as surely performed as any blessing which hitherto you have enjoyed Beloved the Covenant is not sure in one paâ—â—â— and unsure in another part this mercy promised is sure but that mercy promised is unsure the lesser is sure but the greater is unsure but all of it and all in it are sure pardon of lesser sinnes is sure and pardon of greater sinnes is sure yea pardon of all your sinnes is sure and as a pardoning mercy is sure so healing mercy is sure and helping mercy is sure God will as certainly heal and renew your hearts as he will pardon your sinful doings and God will as certainly subdue your strong corruptions and powerful temptations as he will do you any other good and he will as surely give you peace in conscience and Christ and eternal life and the joyes of the holy Ghost as well and as certainly as he hath given any truth of grace to you You think this may be had and that may be had but you seldome come up with faith to believe that all shall be had O Sirs we frequently forget that the Covenant of God is a sure Covenant and sure in all things but let us strive to raise our faith unto that heighth and to that latitude that all the Covenant is sure there is not one word of it which it shall fail God will surely performe all his good promises of the Covenant what you possesse you think is sure yea and all that God promiseth is sure and therefore stir up your hearts and look up to God with as much confidence for all which yet you want be it never so much and never so great for God will surely make good all his Covenant to you you have found the Covenant sure in many things O but the Covenant is sure in all things all the promises of God are Yea and Amen c. 3. Be not discouraged nor despond nor despair for the Covenant Be not discouraged is sure there are foure times when our hearts are very apt to faile us 1. One is long delayes of earnest prayers See Psal 22. 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so farre from helping me and from the words of my roaring Verse 2. O my God I cry in the day-time but thou hearest not and in the night-season and am not silent 2. Another is seeming dislike and discouragement of seeking Lam. 3. 7. He hath made my chaine heavy Ver. 8. Also when I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayers Matth. 15. 23. He answered her not a word Verse 24. I am not sent but to the lost sheep of Israel Ver. 26. It is not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs 3. A third is a sensible contradicting or denial of our requests as Heztkiah spake for peace I have great bitternesse So when we pray for peace in conscience then we feel more distresse and trouble in conscience and when we pray against temptations then we finde more powerful and violent temptations and when we pray for deliverance from sinne we then feel more strong assaults and turbulent motions of sin 4. A fourth is when Gods dealings of providence seem quite opposite to his undertakings in his promise Judges 6. 12. The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour said the Angel to Gideon Ver. 13. And Gideon said unto him If the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us and where are all his miracles which our fore-fathers told us of Did not the Lord bring us out of Egypt but now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of the Midianices neither hast thou delivered thy people at all Exod. 5. 23. And so David to whom God promised a Kingdome but instead thereof he was banished the Kingdome and his life was sought for and pursued by Saul whereupon he concludes instantly that all men are lyars Psal 116. 11. In all these cases and many more we are very apt to be discouraged and to question at least the surenesse of Gods Covenant and to cry out with David Psal 77. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Ver. 8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore Ver. 9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies Neverthelesse notwithstanding all these contigencies and seeming contrarieties and manifold delays and strange dealings of God with his people his Covenant with them is sure and it shall certainly be performed as no work of man so no work of God doth or shall frustrate the Covenant of God with his people Therefore for the better support of your hearts under all these dealings of God with you carefully remember a few positions 1. They are tryals of our faith but no testimonies of Gods unfaithfulnesse He that sits in darknesse and sees no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay himself upon the God of Jacob Isa 50. 10. We think that we dare to rely on the word of promise as a truth of God as a sure word which will not faile us Now God by these contrary dealings tries the faith of his servants there is still my promise to hear and to do you good and here to your sense and feeling is something directly contrary unto it Can you in this condition glorifie my good and faithful Word Though all these clouds arise yet the Sun will break forth though all this befalls me I shall yet see him to be the help of my countenance and my God his Word is a tryed Word I will not fail God who cannot lye hath promised Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Job 13. 15. why Beloved this is one principal end of Gods dealing with us in ways contrary to his promises namely to try and to demonstrate what our faith is in his promises 2. They are reasons of our patience but no characters of Gods change be ye followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises saith the Apostle in Heb. 6. 12. God is pleased to hide himself from our prayers and seems to neglect them in this he tries our faith and God is pleased many times to delay his answers in this he exercises our patience he will be acknowledged not only as a
God and thou becamest mine 4. That the Lord doth love his people with a most tender love therefore he is With a most tender love said to betroth them unto himself in loving kindnesse and in mercies Hosea 2. 19. Loving kindnesse is a most affectionate love and mercies are tender bowels of love his love is more tender than the tenderest love of the mother to her sucking childe Isa 49. 15. yea his love is such to his people that he delights in them Isa 62. 4. and rejoyceth over them ver 5. and doth rest in his love Zeph. 3. 17. 5. That the Lord doth love his people with a love from everlasting With a love from everlasting to everlasting and to everlasting Jer. 31. 3. Yea I have loved them with an everlasting love Hosea 2. 19. I will marry thee unto my self for ever in loving kindnesse Certainly the Covenant 'twixt God and his people must hold and continue for ever it must last for ever where there is such a love of God to his people viz. such a love to them as to Christ himself such a love from which nothing shall be able to separate such a love as depends only upon his own love and which is so tender and so affectionate and is everlasting If a Covenant made only by love and if a people brought into that Covenant only by love and loved at such a rate and height even to the giving of the Sonne of God to save them I say if yet such a Covenant may be broken and if such a people may be cast off then is the truest and faithfullest love and bond never to be trusted more neither can be sure if this love be not sure 3. The power of God in relation to his people in Covenant which is a securing The power of God which is A securing power and preserving power 1. A securing power it secures their union with and relation unto Christ and that for ever peruse that excellent place in John 10. 27. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me Ver. 28. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Ver. 29. My Father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand Here is a description of such as are believers and are in Covenant they are called the Sheep of Christ and such as he knows and owns to be so and they hear his voice and follow him here is also a description of their sure and safe condition they shall never perish they shall never be parted from Christ ver 28. and here is a description of the cause or reason thereof viz. the greatnesse of the power of God He is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my hands as if he had said If these should misse of heaven and if these should perish it must be for want of power in me that I am not able to keep them some other power there must be which is stronger than the power of God by whose hand they are held and kept but my Father is greater than all and none is able to pluck them out of his hands therefore they shall never perish but they shall have eternal life and if so then the Covenant 'twixt God and his people is an everlasting Covenant 2. A preserving power that God preserves his people the Scripture doth abundantly A preserving power testifie unto us and if I can make it evident that he by his power preserves them unto everlasting glory I think then that the everlastingnesse of the Covenant will appear unto you and for that see 1 Pet. 1. 5. who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Mark he speaks of the people whom ver 2. he calls the elect of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit and ver 3. begotten again and of those he saith that they are kept by what power by the power of God by what means through faith unto what unto salvation untill they come to receive that incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that fades not away which is reserved in heaven for them ver 3. 2 Tim. 4. 18. The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me to his heavenly Kingdome 2 Thess 5. 23. I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Ver. 24. Faithful is he that callâ—th you who also will do it why what can more clearly demonstrate the everlastingnesse of the Covenant with the people of God than this that they are kept by the power of God unto salvation that they are preserved unto his heavenly Kingdome that God will preserve their whole spirit and their whole soul and their whole body blamelesse unto the coming of Christ 4. The presence of God with his people he is so present with his people The presence of God with his people that he is said to be nigh unto them and to be with them and to go along with them and to hold them in his hand and to hold their hand and to bear them up nay so as to dwell in them and walk in them and this presence it is a watchful presence Isa 27. 3. I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day and it is such a powerful presence you need no other and no more but Gods presence if he be with you who can be against you I will tell you Gods presence is enough to comfort you and it is enough to strengthen you and it is enough to uphold you and it is enough to raise you and it is enough to protect you and it is enough to save you If God be present with your hearts this is enough to make your graces to act If God be present with your graces this is enough to strengthen them and enough to preserve them Now God is present with every one of his people as to their bodies as to their souls as to their graces and in a special manner and for ever I will never leave thee nor forsake thee the Lord is round about his people for evermore c. 5. The promises of God these also do cleare the everlastingnesse The promises of God God promiseth to work in his people what mâ—kes them stâ—dfast as A real work of grace of the Covenant which I shall shew unto you in six particulars 1. God doth promise to work in his people whatsoever conduceth on their part to the perpetuity or everlastingnesse of the Covenant There are five things which will make us stedfast and firme in Covenant 1. One is a real work of grace on the heart when the heart is indeed changed or renewed though counterfeit grace will faile yet real grace is permanent And God
hath promised this unto his people Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you 2. Another is a sincere heart though hypocrisie be vanishing yet sincerity A sincere heart will continue there is faithfulnesse and stedfastnesse in sincerity and God hath promised to give this heart unto his people Ezek. 11. 19. I will give them one heart and one way Zach. 8. 3. Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth and ver 8. They shall be my people and I will be their God in truth and righteousnesse Isa 1. 22. Then shalt thou be called the City of righteousnesse the faithful City 3. A third is entire and exceeding love this will hold out unto the death yea Intire love it is stronger than death and this hath God also promised to give his people Deuteronomy 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul 4. A fourth is the fear of himself which is the beginning of wisdome and The fear of God the deliverance from sinne this also God promiseth to give unto his people in that Covenant Jer. 32. 40. I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me 5. A fifth is sound faith 1. Of union 2. Dependance both these he Sound faith promiseth They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth fast for ever John 6. 45. They shall be all taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the father cometh to me Zeph. 3. 12. And they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. Hab. 2. 4. The just shall live by his faith 2. God doth expresly promise to keep his people from falling away from him God promiseth to keep his people from falling and that he will never leave nor forsake them 1 Sam. 12. 22. The Lord will not forsake his people for his great Name-sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people Psal 37. 24. Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand Ver. 28. The Lord forsaketh not his Saints they are preserved for ever Psalme 94. 18. When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up Hosea 14. 4. I will heal their back-slidings 2 Thess 3. 3. The Lord is faithful who shall stablish you 3. God doth expresly promise to strengthen and increase their grace The righteous God promiseth to strengthen and increase their grace shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Job 17. 9. The path of the just shall be as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4. 18. He will make all grace to abound he will work in us to will and to do of his own good pleasure Those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall still bring forth fruit in old age 4. God doth promise to confirm his people unto the end and to finish the work God promiseth to confirm his people to the end which he hath begun in them 1 Cor. 1. 8. He shall confirm you to the end that ye may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Jesus Phil. 1. 6. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begunne a good work in you will perform it will perfect it he will carry it on untill the day of Jesus Christ 5. God doth promise to break down all which might else cause his people to God promiseth to over-power whatsoever may make his people tâ— break Covenant break off the Covenant There are but five causes supposable for the breaking off that Covenant on our part and God removes every one of them from his people 1. One is the power of sin but God hath promised to subdue our iniquities Mic. 7. 19. And sin shall not have dominion over us Rom. 6. 14. 2. A second is the power of Satan but God hath promised that he will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape 1 Cor. 10. 13. He hath promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his people Matth. 16. 18. He hath promised that the seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. and that he will bruise Satan under our feet Rom. 16. 20. and resist the devil and he shall flye from you James 4. 7. 3. A third is the power of the world but said Christ to his Disciples John 16. 33. Be of good chear I have overcome the world and 1 John 5. 4. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even over faith 4. A fourth is the supposed liberty and inconstancy of mans will that a man if he will he may cast off his God and give over to be one of his people but this God promiseth to remove by giving of his own Spirit which shall cause us to walk in his Statutes and to keep his Laws and to do them Ezekiel 36. 27. and Jeremiah 32. 39. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever 5. A supposition that God will substract or with-draw his grace from his people Neither shall this be for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance so Rom. 11. 29. And Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be takâ—n from her Luke 10. 42. 2. A second Argument to demonstrate the everlastingnesse of the Covenant 'twixt God and his people shall be taken from several considerations of Christ From several considerations of Christ and believers and believers who are the people in Covâ—nant 1. Christs suretiship 2. Christs Mediatorship 3. Christs union with them 4. Christs love 5. Christs intercession 6. Christs promises and preparations for them 1. The suretiship of Christ in Heb. 7. 22. Christ is said to be made a surety The suretiship of Christ of a better Covenant so I conceive the word should be rendred viz. Covenant and not Testament for a surety is not of a Testament but of a Covenant A surety is one who is engaged and stands bound for another and is responsable for him as Judah for Benjamine Gen. 43. 9. I will be surety for him of my hands shall they require him And in matters of contract 'twixt person and persons a surety is taken in for this very end That the contract may be made sure and good may not faile but be truly and perfectly performed and the surety is a distinct person undertaking and engaging in the behalf of him who is of himself the more weak and insufficient contractor As to this consideration Christ is stiled the surety of the
of his grace and mercy unto his people Now there are foure things which magnifie God in these First his graciousnesse freely to make us to be his people A second is his goodnesse in the plentiful blessing of his people And thirdly his faithfulnesse that he will surely blesse his people And fourthly his everlastingnesse that he will never forsake his people and never will turn away from doing of them good Why this exalts his mercy indeed that it endures for ever and his love indeed that it continues for ever and his grace indeed that as it is free so it is everlasting In respect of his people The everlastingnesse of the Covenant is a just reason of perfect thankfulnesse 2. There are reasons for this in respect of his people I will mention a few of them 1. The everlastingnesse of the Covenant is a just reason of full and perfect thankfulnesse Psal 100. 4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his Courts with praise Be thankful unto him and bless his Name Verse 5. For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting Psal 136. 1. O give thanks unto the Lord for hâ— is good for his mercy endureth for ever 2. His people have cause now to trust on him for ever Isa 26. 4. Trust ye in His people have now cause to trust in him for ever the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times ye people pour out your heart before him God is a refuge for us Selah Vse 1 Is the Covenant which God makes with his people an everlasting Covenant then that opinion is very false which delivers out unto us such a Covenant of grace as is mutable and alterable and may be broken off and cease between God For confutation of that opinion that the Covenant is mutable and alterable and his people That a man may be made a child of God and yet may become the child of the Divel that he may be graffed into Christ and yet may be broken off from Christ that he may have true faith and grace and yet he may lose true faith and grace that he may finde love and mercy from God and yet may so sinne as actually to forfeit and that for ever all the love and mercy of God Certainly this is a very sad assertion that any person should be translated from death to life that he should be delivered from the power of Satan and translated into the Kingdome of Christ that he should be effectually called and become a believer and thereupon a Sonne of God and heire of glory that he should for a while believe and rejoyce in his God and be sealed with the holy Spirit of promise and yet upon a sudden notwithstanding all the love and promises and engagements of God unto him in Covenant his Sun should set at noon-day he and his God should part and be utter enemies again that he should cast off God from being his God and God should forsake and cast him off from being any of his people and as it is a sad opinion so it is an opinion utterly inconsistent with this truth of the everlastingnesse of the Covenant of grace A relation which ceaseth to be that relation is not everlasting and that agreement or Covenant which is broken and frustrated that Covenant is not everlasting to be temporary and to be everlasting are questionlesse inconsistent neither will that evasion of a temporarinesse on our part and everlastingnesse of the Covenant on Gods part any way patch up the businesse because there is no such Covenant of grace which God hath made with his people Jer. 31. 31. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Ver. 32. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my Covenant they brake although I was an husband unto them saith the Lord Mark the place God makes no such Covenant as shall be broken on our part but such a Covenant as shall hold and be kept on our part as well as on his part verse 33. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people c. And cap. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me The principal if not the onely ground of this breaking and falling opinion is a supposition of a power in the will of man according to the pleasure and use whereof the Covenant of Gods grace must stand or fall must continue or break off And to speak plainly according to the Arminian doctrine all the stability and state of a sinners salvation is made to depend upon the will of a sinner the election of God the conversion of a sinner the beneficial Redemption by Christ the perseverance in Christ and grace all of these do lie at the mercy of the will of a poor sinner and truly I must confesse that if the Covenant of grace had no surer foundation then mans wâ—ll it may quickly cease to be an everlasting Covenant But we read of other and better foundations for the perpetuity of this Covenant thâ—n mans will we read that it is grounded on the immutable counsel of God and on his absolute promises and on his Oath and on the blood of Christ confirming and establishing of it and on his power and intercession and presence and love and Spirit and faithfulnesse But as to the opinion of these men which indeed is none other but that of the To state the stability of the Covenant upon the will of man Pelagians and Papists and Arminians Give me favour to speak a few words 1. It is very improbable that God would make a new Covenant with us and state the stability and everlastingnesse of it upon the will of us sinners for hereby 1. There should be no difference as to the ground of safety and certainty Is very improbable 'twixt this Covenant of grace and that of works for if Adam had improved the power and liberty of his will he had continued and had enjoyed the life which God promised unto him Now wherein doth the grace of this Covenant exceed the other of Works if eternal life be left unto the pleasure of our will as formerly it was to Adams 2. Nay it should be harder and more unsafe for us to be in the Covenant of grace than it was for Adam to be in the Covenant of works because in that condition Adams will was created with a perfect righteousnesse and conformity and sufficiency to have continued in that Covenant but we are fallen with him and
mercy He did not leave me to my sinful heart and life he did pity and call me and brought me in to Christ and made me one of his people who aforetime was none of his people But I still finde such a body of sin such a law in my members warring against the Law of mind so many sinful corruptions within and so many strong and violent temptation without and so much weakness and insufficency in my self that fear I shall never hold out unto the end I shall one day faile and loose all my interest in God and in Christ and grace Consider To this sad complaint I would briefly speak three things There is a twofold fear 1. There is a twofold fear There is a a fear of unbelief and this is a vexing and distressing and disabling fear it loosens our confidence in God and in his A fear of unbelief this is to be resisteâ— promises It is a naughty fear and beware of it and resist it and bewaile it And there is a fear of tenderness and jealousie in regard of the Natural deceitfulnesse of our own hearts and of the supernatural weaknesse of our own strength this is a A fear of tenderness and jealousie is good good fear and blessed is the man that thus feareth alwayes The weak child feareth and thereupon cries out to the Parent to take him to hold him to support him and by his fear of falling he is preserved from falling So the child of God fears and thereupon he cries out unto his God! Lord help thy servant forsake me not make haste to deliver me keep me who cannot keep my self establish my goings Thou hast promised to keep and preserve the feet of thy Saints This fear is that fear which God hath promised to put into the hearts of his people that they shall not depart from him And indeed this fear is their strength the more of this fear the more safe they are Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall Thou standest by faith Be not high-minded but fear work out your salvation with fear and trembling 2. Your standing or continuing in the Covenant doth not depend upon your own Our standing doth not depend upon our own strength strength nor doth God leave you unto that but it doth depend on his strength and on his power Ephes 3. 16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his grace to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man Mic. 4. 5. We will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever Zach. 10. 12. I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in his name saith the Lord Though your strength be insufficient yet the strength of your God and of your Christ is sufficient for you 1 Pet. 1. 5. We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 2 Cor. 12. 9. My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness 3. The Lord is able to keep you from falling and to preserve you faultlesse before The Lord is able to keep you from falling the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jude ver 24. Nay and he will keep you from falling Wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling Psal 56. 13. Thou hast delivered my feet from falling Psal 116. 8. He will keep the feet of his saints 1 Sam. 2. 9. When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up Psalm 94. 18. 2. The everlastingnesse of the Covenant should be a Cordial to the people of God in the time of desertions when they are apt to question whether God be not Against desertion fallen off from them and hath forsaken them But consult these Promises and you may finde these fears removed Isa 49. 14. Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me ver 15. Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb Yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee ver 16. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands Thy walls are continually befâ—re me Isa 54. 7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee ver 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer ver 10. The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Use 4 Is the Covenant which God makes with his people an everlasting Covenant Then blesse God and not your selves for your standing and for your continuing inCovenant with him Blesse God and not your selves for your standing in Covenant with him There are three things for which we should blesse God 1. For his restraining grace 2. For his converting grace 3. For his confirming grace that he will and doth keep you stedfast to himself in Covenant O beloved we could never keep our selves nor establish our selves were it not for the goodness and the power and the love and the faithfulness of our God we should break with God and turn aside from him and leave all truly it is almost a wonder that the people of God do hold out in keeping Covenant with God considering 1. The daily and frequent discouragements which they meet with in the world the continual scorns and threats and persecutions and affronts to their persons and godlinesse 2. The manifold allurements snares and temptations unto sin and sinful wayes by wicked example and promises and hopes and connivencies wickednesse in judgement in practice is a general infection the common aire is infected with this plague it is therefore the more hard to keep our health 3. The malice of Satan and his power and subtilty is exceeding great he desires to sift and winnow us as wheat he threw down the third part of the Stars he helped to break the first Covenant There is not any one of the people of God but may say of him as David of his enemies Psal 118. 13. Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall but the Lord helped me 4. How strongly some of the people of God have been hazarded in the lasting part of the Covenant Solomon Peter Asa insomuch as many from their falls have erected the Doctrine of the Apostacy of the Saints 5. Those many remaining Principles for inconstancy and failing as spiritual pride unbelief hypocrysie and worldliness much of every one of these still in our hearts 6. Adde to all these the exceeding weaknesse in all our graces How little faith how weak love and how apt to be shaken and offended Truely we must acknowledge that what we are we are by the grace of God and that if we be strong we are strong in the
our Father and we are thy people A second is the merciful nature of God ready to shew mercy and to multiply pardon A third is the death of Christ he shed his blood to make our peace and to slay all enmity A fourth is the very Covenant it self wherein God hath promised that he will not cast away and that he will heale and forgive the back-slidings of his people and though he will chastise them yet he will not forsake them 8. The Covenant of grace gives a better estate then the Covenant of works It gives a better estate we have a better estate by this then we had or could have by that 'T is true That Adam in innocency enjoyed a larger measure of knowledge and righteousness and had also free communion with God without fear and had dominion over the creatures But yet he had not knowledge of God in Christ nor any communion with God through Christ nor had he any manifestations of the glories of the Gospel by the Spirit of Christ and besides all this whatsoever enjoyments Adam had which might make up a happy estate unto him yet all that enjoyment was mutable and contingent But now in and by the Covenant of Grace our enjoyments are higher and they are also surer 1. They are higher for now we enjoy God not only as a Creator but as a Father Our enjoyments are higher we enjoy him a merciful and gracious and abundant in goodnesse and truth and we enjoy Jesus Christ in a way of union with his person being bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh as the Apostle speaks Ephes 5. 30. and in a way of communion in his death and life and victories and purchases and we enjoy the very Spirit of Christ as to all his graces and comforts and assurances 2. They are surer he enjoyed God so as yet he lost his God he enjoyed righteousness Surer so as yet he lost his righteousness and dominion so as he lost that dominion and had it not been for Christ who was immediately promised after the fall he had never found his God again nor a righteousnesse again nor any right of dominion again but in the Covenant of grace all is sure and stable and permanent God is our God for ever and we continue his people for ever Christ is our Head and we are his Members for ever we enjoy the Spirit and he abides in us for ever The Covenant of grace is a better Covenant then that of works It is better in the way and cause of Remuneration as to the way and cause of Remuneration In a Covenant of works you must earn your wages before you must be paid your wages your own doing is the price of your receiving and your reward is as your work is nothing is there expected as a bounty and gift but all runs there as debt and wages Adam could never pray under this Covenant Lord receive me graciously do me good freely for thy mercies sake But it is not thus in the Covenant of grace where he that deserves nothing may yet receive all and the unworthy sinner doth yet attain to the most excellent mercies upon the sole account of the riches of Gods grace in Christ In the Covenant of grace God doth not reward us according to our ill deeds nor doth he reward us for our good deeds But he freely pardons the ill works of his people and doth them all good not for their goodness but for his own goodnesse-sake In the Covenant of works you come to God saying Lord This I have done therefore blesse me In the Covenant of grace you come to God saying Lord This I need and this thou hast promised O give it me not for my sake but for thy truths sake and for thy Christs sake freely love me freely accept of me freely own and bless me I can shew no deserts of mine but I can shew unto thee thine own promises I can find enough in my self why thou shouldest abhor and curse me and yet I finde enough in thy self and Covenant why thou mayest embrace and help me 10. The Covenant of grace is a better Covenant than that of works in respect of a double efficacy 1. Of helping recovery 2. Of saving vertue It is better in respect of a double efficacy Of helping recovery 1. The Covenant of works never did afford help to recover any one sinner As that Commander spake of the Watchman whom he found asleep and therefore ran him through with his sword I found him dead and left him dead That we may say of the Covenant of works It findes us dead in sins and in trespasses and it leaves us dead in our sins and trespasses there is no balm for our wounds in that Covenant But the Covenant of Grace this doth help and restore sinners it is the ministry of Life and Grace and Peace But God saith the Apostle in Ephes 2. 4 5. who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ And 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God And Rom. 5. 8. God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ died for us verse 9. Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him 2. The Covenant of works did never save any righteous person What saving Of saving vertue power might be found from it upon a supposition of Adams standing I dispute not but this I say There never was any one person saved actually by the Covenant of works But yet the Covenant of Grace doth save all Believers Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 15. We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they Ephes 2. 8. By grace ye are saved through faith 1 Pet. 1. 9. Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your soules Thus you see that the Covenant of grace is the best Covenant in comparison of the Covenant of works Use 1 Is the Covenant of Grace the best Covenant The best Covenant that ever God made with man and for man How great then is their sin who refuse this Covenant Then how gâ—eat is their sin who refuse this Covenant and to come into this Covenant The greater that any mercy is our sin is therefore the greater to refuse that mercy O beloved whence is it that many of your hearts are still hardned whence is it that you love darkness rather then light why do you not hearken to this Covenant whence is it that for lying vanities you forsake your own mercies 1. Are you not sinners 2. Do
not sinners need mercy 3. Can mercy be found anywhere but in this Covenant of mercy or peace anywhere but in the Covenant of peace or life anywhere but in the Covenant of life 4. And doth not this Covenant hold out mercy unto you yea the best mercy and upon the best terms The other Covenant affords you no mercy it easts you off it condemns you to death and wrath And this Covenant yet offers you mercy and life and salvation and no Covenant but this doth so What and yet to refuse to come into it surely either you know not that you are sinners and what will befall you for your sins or else you are desperately wicked to slight and refuse the mercy and grace of God in this Covenant Ezek. 24. 13. Because I would have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee So may the Lord say unto some of us Because I would have shewed you mercy but you would not accept of mercy therefore you shall never have mercy And because I would have taken you into Covenant and you would not come into my Covenant of grace and life and peace I will never be a merciful God to you nor a gracious God to you but you shall dye in your sins and perish for ever Heb. 2. 3. Vse 2 How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth Then how injurious are many broken-hearted sinners to God and themselves much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Is the Covenant of Grace the best Covenant better then any other Covenant which God made with man Then how injurious are many broken-hearted sinners both unto themselves and unto God! who lay the Covenant of grace so low and impose such opinions upon it as if there were no difference twixt a Covenant of grace and a Covenant of works Surely it is either temptation which lies upon them or ignorance or unbelief that they thus stand off and fear and dispute and except and question and many times conclude against all encouragements to be taken into this Covenant and there to finde mercy and rest for their soules truely they do many times turn the Covenant of Grace into a very Covenant of Works O but there is no mercy to be had O but not for such great sins O but for me O but I can deserve nothing and bring nothing O but the sentence is past against me O but I have nothing to make my peace And thus they make the Covenant of Grace a very Covenant of Works no better then so a Covenant without mercy without grace without a Mediatour without a tender compassionate God and Father no City of refuge at all nor help to the poor sinner at all And when they are convinced of mercy in it and possible reception into it yet they think that God will not come off to this but upon very hard and difficult terms usually annexing the Legal condition to the promises of the Covenant of Grace Why sirs what do you mean thus to wrong God and his Covenant and your distressed souls Either there is a Covenant of Grace or there is not either that Covenant of Grace is a better Covenant than the Covenant of works or it is not If it be a better Covenant then the fallen and undone sinner may finde relief there and help there which he could not finde in the Covenant of Works for if the sinner can be no more relieved by this than by that Covenant it is then no better Covenant And now see what a slurre you cast upon the wisdome of God and upon the goodness of God and upon Jesus Christ and upon all the promises of God O distressed sinner If the merciful God if the gracious God if the giving God if the forgiving God if the freely loving God if the Lord Jesus as Mediatour and Surety if all the promises of God in Christ if all the offers of grace if all the calls of the Gospel may suffice to convince thee that this Covenant is the best Covenant that ever was or can be made for sinners with all suitableness and tenderness to the sinners condition Then dispute no more but pray for faith to give God the glory of his exceeding grace in this Covenant c. Use 3 Is the Covenant of Grace the best Covenant What a comfort is this to all believers who are effectually brought into this Covenant Is it no comfort to be Comfort to all Believers brought into such a good estate as better cannot be found or enjoyed If the Covenant of Grace be the best Covenant better then any other Covenant Then all in that Covenant are in the best condition of all other men It was a special kindness in Joseph to give his Father and his Brethren a pâ—ssession in the land of Ramesis what kindness then is that in God to make you to be his people and to become your God and to settle such a portion such a possession upon your soules as in heaven and earth a better Covenant cannot be how should you hearts rejoyce and blesse God for the Covenant of Grace and for bringing of you into that Covenant of grace where A Redeemer is only to be found and you have an interest in that Redeemer A reconciled God is only to be found and you have a propriety in that reconciled God pardoning mercy is only to be found and you have your shares in that pardoning mercy Renewing grace is only to be found and you have your portion in that renewing grace Salvation is only to be found and you have your possession of that salvation Others perhaps cry out O that we might have mercy and O that we might have Christ and O that God would be pacified towards us and reconciled to us and O that our sins might be forgiven and our soules accepted into life why you have all this and more than this Have you not cause to rejoyce who are brought into such a Covenant where you have a propriety in God and Christ and the Spirit and mercy and grace and glory yea into such a Covenant where you may finde relief and support for every want and against every fear and against every sin and against every temptation where all the sorts of mercies and helps and comforts are yours Yea unto such a Covenant where there is not only mercy but fulnesse and not only fulness but freenesse and with all these a certainty and unchangeablenesse Here is as much mercy and goodnesse and happinesse as you need and you shall surely have it and it shall continue unto you for ever Adam and God parted but you and your God shall never part you and Christ shall never part you and mercy and
Israel were both under the same Covenant Exod. 34. 27. I have made a Covenant with thee and with Israel If any doubt under what Covenant Moses did stand whether of works or grace let him peruse Heb. 11. 26. what a description he shall there finde of Moses He shall there finde him to be a Choice and eminent believer in Christ Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt and having respect to the recompence of reward c. Now certainly such a choice believer in Christ was not under a Covenant of work 4. That Covenant which was confirmed by blood and sprinkling which typified the blood of Christ confirming and ratifying the Covenant was no Covenant of works But the Covenant which God then made with the Israelites was confirmed by blood Exod. 24. 7. Moses took the book of the Covenant and read in the audience of the people and they said All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient verse 8. And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words Now this very place is quoted by the Apostle in Heb. 9. 19. He sprinkled both the book and the people verse 20. saying This is the blood of the Testament which God hath enjoyned unto you and expresly interprets it and applies it to the blood of Christ verse 14. and veâ—se 23. And therefore that Covenant with that people was not a Covenant of works which never was nor shall be confirmed by the blood of Christ 5. That Covenant which did so convince of sin that it did also shew the way of expiation of sin and of forgivenesse could not be a Covenant of works for that Covenant convinces and condemns But this Covenant at Mount Sinai shewed sin and the way of forgiveness for it taught men to look for forgiveness in the blood of Christ specified in the sacrifices 6. If the Law had been given to the Israelites for a Covenant of Woâ—ks Then upon the breaking of that Covenant all the Israelites had been cut off from all hope of salvation My Reason is this Because a Covenant of Works once broken presently condemns and as to it Salvation therefore becomes impossible it not at all admitting of repentance or of mercy or of a righteousness and satisfact on by another But there was no such Covenant made with the Israelites as the sinning against which did make their salvation thus desperate but that upon repentance they might be received to mercy And for this see Deut. 4. 29. But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt finde him if thou seek him with all thine heart and with all thy soule verse 30. When thou aâ—t in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter dayes if thou turn to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient to his voice verse 31. For the Lord thy God is a mercifull God he will not destroy thee nor forsake thee nor forget the Covenant of thy Fathers which he sware unto them Lo here is a way prescribed for repentance in case of transgressions And here is mercy and acceptance in case of repentance and all this in reference to the Covenant made with their Fathers and with them And are any of these to be found in a Covenant of works or upon the transgression of it 7. It had been strange kindnesse in God to help the Children of Israel out of Egypt by an out-stretched arm and after this to make such a Covenant with them that they should never have found mercy nor salvation as in a Covenant of works there is not 3. The Covenant made with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai was at least subserviently the Covenant of Grace and given for gracious ends and purposes The Covenant at Mount Sinai was at lâ—ast subserviently the Covenant of grace I say a Covenant of Grace for the substance of it though propounded in a more dark way and in a manner fitting for the state of that people and that present time and condition of the Church namely so as to convince them of sin and of their own impotency and of the great need of Christ and to flie for mercy to God revealed in Christ and to be a Rule of life for a people in Covenant with God that so they might inherit the promises of mercy Gal. 3. 19. The Law was added because of transgressions verse 24. The Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we might be justified through faith This assertion I shall endeavour to make out unto you from the Word As appears by of God 1. The Praeludium unto the Law makes much for this Read it in Exod. 19. 5. The Praeludium of the Law If you will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant Then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people verse 6. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of Priests and an holy Nation And the Apostle makes use of these expressions and applies them to those who are in the Covenant of grace in 1 Pet. 2. 9. But ye are a chosen Geneeration a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar peoâ—le c. And verse 10. Which in times past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy Now I beseech you mark me Is there any Covenant unlesse that of grace wherein the Lord doth thus own and thus exalt a people Is it not meerly of the grace of God in Christ by whom we are made Kings and Priests to God Is it imaginable that any people should be as it were Gods own proper goods which he loveth which he sets his heart upon which he keeps in store for himself for his own special use which he will not part withall which God accounts as his rare and exquisite and precious treasure as all this the word Segulah doth signifie and yet this people are not in a Covenant of grace The immediate Introduction to the giving of the Law 2. The immediate Introdâ—ction unto the giving of the Law Exod. 20. 2. I am the Lord thy God which have c. why there is the very Covenant of grace here is God as our God and blessed are the people who have the Lord to be their God and here is Jesus Christ the Mediator of the Covenant implied for in Christ doth God become our God and there is our redemption from sin and Satan intimated by their deliverance out of Egypt and presently there is the worship of God instituted and appointed which if acceptable to God must be performed with faith for without faith it is impossible to please God God would not command his people so to worship him as to displease him Lev. 26. 12. I will set my Tabernacle amongst you and my soul shall not abhor
you and I will walk among you and will be your God and you shall be my people and in the very Covenant Exod. 20. 6. shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me The Preface made before the renewing of the Law upon the breaking of the Tables 3. Upon the breaking of the Tables of that Covenant before they were written again there is such a preface made by God as can no way fit any Covenant but that of Grace as you may see in Exod. 34. 7. The Lord the Lord gracious and merciful long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiveing iniquity transgression and sin 4. The Ceremonies were Appendices of the Moral Law especially of the first and second Commandments as given to the Israelites and what did those The Ceremonies were Apendices of the moral Law ceremonies shadow out even Jesus Christ and Redemption and Reconciliation and Remission and Salvation by him c. Moses is said therefore to write of Christ Joh. 5. 46. 5. Many other Arguments might be brought as that if those people were not Many of them under that Covenant were saved in a Covenant of Grace then none of them could be saved for a sinners salvation is in no Covenant but that of Grace and yet many of them under the Covenant which God made with them were saved Acts 15. 11. We believe that through grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they c. I now proceed to the Second Particular 2. Quest Wherein that Covenant of Grace under which the Fathers lived Wherein these Covenants agree doth consent or agree with the Covenant of Grace under which we now do live Sol. They do consent and agree in three Particulars 1. In the Parties God was one party and fallen sinners were the other party in the Old and so they are in the New Covenant Before the coming of Christ In the Parties which respects the Old Covenant none but sinnerâ— were lookt on and brought into Covenant and after the coming of Christ which respects the New Covenant none but sinners which work not but beâ—ieve in him that justifieth the ungodly are taken into Covenant The Grace of God is manifested towards sinners in the one and towards sinners in the other Covenant 2. Both these Covenants had a Mediator who stood between the parties at a In the Mediator distance and reconciled them even Jesus Christ who is said to be the same yesterday and to day and for ever You have him promised to Adam and made known to Abraham who saw the day of Christ and rejoyced Joh. 8. 56. and prophecied by of Moses Act. 3. 22. Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall you hear c. he was promised to the Fathers and expected oâ— them Luk. 1. 69. He hath raised up an born of salvation for us in the house of his Servant David Vers 70. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been siâ—ce the world began And verse 72. To perform the mercie promise to our Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant Vers 73. The oath which he sware unto our Father Abraham c. 3. They do agree in the main Promises the spiritual promises of good things In the main Promises Rom. 15. 8. Jesus Christ was a Minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the Promises made unto the Fathers Some think that the Fathers under the old Covenant were fed only with temporal Promises Indeed they had many temporal Promises and some were of special Blessings and Gifts as the land of Canaan c. Nevertheless they had the same spiritual Promises which we have under the New Testament Forgiveness of sins besides that place formerly mentioned in Deut. 4. 29 30 c. you read of frequent Promises of forgiving of sins upon their Sacrifices in Levit. 9 and 2 Chro. 7. 14. If my people shall humble themselves c. I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin Eternal life both promised and enjoyed Many shall come from the East and West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God Matth. 8. 11. They embraced the promises of a better Country even an heavenly vers 11 13 16. Prepared for them a City We hope to be saved even as they Acts 15. 11 c. 3 Quest Wherein they differ and wherein the betterness of the New Covenant Wherein they differ of Grace doth consist Sol. Although both these Covenants do agree in substance and end yet they differ very much as to the particular from of administration or dispensation I will touch only on Five differences 1 In Obscurity and Perspicuity 2 In Burdens and Liberty 3 In Weakness and Efficacy 4 In Restraints and Extent 5 In Time and Duration 1. The New Covenant is a better Covenant than the Old because there is a In Obscurity and Perspicâ—ity greater Perspicuity in the new Covenant and a greater Obscurity in the old Covenant Hence 't is that the Gospel is called The revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began But now is made manifest Rom. 16. 25 26. He doth not mean that it was kept secret or hid or covered absolutely from the beginning of the world to that time but he speaks comparatively that iâ— Now Jesus Christ and the way of salvation by faith in him appears most clearly the Sun is risen and shines without any cloud Behold the Lamb of God Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself He that believes shall be saved We are saved by grace c. I am the way the truth and the life There was not comparatively such clearness in expression in the Old Testament Hence it is that the Apostle speaking of both these Testaments in 2 Cor. 3. he tells us of a vail on the one Testament vers 14. and of an openness in the other Testament vers 18. We with open face behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord c. Let me give you a few Instances that you may the better understand this 1. Consider Jesus Christ it is true that he was revealed in the Old and in the New Covenant but yet with a marvellous inequality of light he is called the Seed of the woman and the Root of Jess and the Oyntment and the Mighty God and the Childe to be born But the clear expression of him is in the New Covenant Luk. 2 11. This day unto you is bern in the City of David a Saviouâ— which is Christ the Lord. Joh. 1 14. The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father Acts 11. 38. God hath anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and
To open the Gospel 2. Thy ear 3. Thy heart for it is by his Spirit that the Gospel proves to be unto you the word of Faith Our Gospel came in power and in the Holy Ghost 1 Thes 1. 5. If the Spirit of God did but reveale his Arm if he would but breath through the Gospel it would certainly be the power of God for faith in you 2. Again you must pray with all importunity and diligence and watchfulness and observation what God answers and spiritual violence and resolution and never cease wrestling with God I tell you it is one of the greatest requests that you can make to God O Lord unite me to Christ give me that faith by which I may be Christs and Christ may be mine And take this for thine encouragement That if the Lord hath given such a spiritual and steadfast frame of spirit as to pray he Patiently wait upon God in the use of meanes will at length give thee this faith 4. Patiently wait upon God in the use of Evangelical means untill he doth come in with his Spirit upon your Spirits to enable you by faith to close with Christ lye at the Pool do not limit God to this Sermon or to that Prayer and do not wrangle and murmure against God regard what concerns your self to do and trust God with his work and with his time never did any soule seek him or wait on him in vain nor return ashamed there is not one Prayer that you make nor any one Evangelical Sermon that ye hear but it is making way in your hearts for this uniting faith Some more light gets in to discover Christs fulness and our want Some more hope is raised of a possibility at length to enjoy Christ Some more power is given against the powers and workings and reasonings and fears and doubts of unbelief they have not that despairing dominion Some more bewailings of thy Christlesse condition and strong unbelief with a resistance of it Sometimes more renewed resolutions and courage well whatsoever comes of it I will not yet give over my suite I will venture a few prayers more something more is getting in and winning upon the heart towards Christ But Why may I not believe on Christ what if I should venture on him upon his offers upon his entreaties upon his commands upon his promises do I not sin against Christ and offend him thus to fear thus to dispute thus to question thus to stand off well I will come and believe on him O I cannot Lord help me Lord work in me both to will and to do when Lord how long yet will I wait on thee till thou shewest this mercy to me SECT VII 3. Vse IS faith the condition of the Covenant of grace And is that faith an uniting Comfort and encouragement Faith a faith which unities us unto Christ The next Use then shall be for Comfort and Encouragement 1. To sinners in general 2ly To believers in particular to such as yet finde themselves out of Covenant and to such as finde themselves partakers of this uniting faith 1. That faith is the condition of the Covenant of Grace this is a comfort and To sinners in general encouragement to poor sinners who as yet finde themselves out of Covenant If God had put any other condition upon that Covenant every sinner had been utterly hopelesse suppose he had annexed and imposed the condition of actual and perfect and personal righteousnesse bring that and perform that and then I will be your God I will accept of you I will own you I will love you I will pardon you I will save you why no sinner could upon this termes have found an entrance or admission into the Covenant because the performance of If faith be the condition this Covenant is impossible to a sinner as such a condition is inconsistent with the grace of God so such a condition is impossible with the state of sin which is a state of impotency and of death But now faith being the condition of the Covenant as there is a door open for grace to manifest it self so there is hope for a sinner to partake of that grace for if God will capitulate with us upon believing There is hope for in Christ Then 1. Our former sinnings do not absolutely exclude us One sin did break the Covenant Our former sinnings doth not exclude us of works but our many sins hinder not our reception into the Covenant of grace if yet we believe on Christ 2. A want of personal and perfect righteousness doth not exclude us for faith is not to look at our own righteousâ—ess but at the righteousnesse of Christ Nor want of personal and perfect righteousness Nor self unrighteousnesse 3. Our self-unworthinesse is no prejudice Faith looks for love and mercy and glory through Christ for the sinner who is in himself unworthy of love and mercy and glory 4. Our union with God is possible for though an immediate union there cannot Our union with God is possible be between God and a sinner yet a mediate union there may be viz. A union by Christ the Mediatour unto whom faith brings and unites the soule so that there is yet hope for the sinner to be brought into Covenant with God though not upon his own account yet upon the account of Christ unto whom faith joyns the sinner Object But it may be objected 't is true that faith is the condition of the Covenant And that faith is that condition it is therefore hopeful for sinners But yet this faith is as impossible to the sinner as the condition of perfect obedience for But this faith is as impossible to the sinner as perfect righteousnesse the sinner is no more able to make his heart to believe on Christ than he is perfectly to obey the will of God And then where is the comfort and hope that you speak of In the notion it is true that faith is a condition which advantageth a sinner But in practice it is such a condition unto which it is impossible for any sinner by his own strength to attain Answered Sol. 1. I grant that as to the â—eer consideration of the sinners self natural power the condition of Faith 〈…〉 â—mpossible as the condition of perfect obedience is he hath no more power â—or propensity to believe in Christ than he hath to obey and fulfill the Law and his heart is as full of unbelief as it is of disobedience 2. Neverthelesse though there be a self impossibility yet there is not an absolute Faith is possible and probable It is not imposed on us in our own strength impossibility nay faith is such a condition as is not only possible for a sinner but very probable for him to attaine it 1. Though it be the Condition of the Covenant yet it is not such a condition which God doth impose upon the sinner by his own strength or power
who have the Lord to be their God what will not a reconciled God do for you His love and friendship is as fruitful of mercies and blessings as his Justice and wrath is of punishments and miseries 10. Can any thing hinder you from being saved If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Vse 3 Is Reconciliation the fruit and effect of the death of Christ Then let trembling broken humbled even sinking hearts under the weight of their sins and Let trembling hearts make in to Christ and trust on him to make their peace bitternesse of Gods wrath and displeasure I say let them in this condition make in to Christ and look up to Christ and trust on Christ to make their peace Ah poor creature why dost thou take this work upon thy self I confesse we must use means to finde peace but we have not power to make peace we must pray and confesse and repent c. but these are not our peace Object Will not these do it Sol. No but Christ only 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. If any man sin we haue an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our sins And therefore if ever you would have the wrath of God removed if you would see all partition walls broken down if you would have God to be pacified to be friends with you again to be at peace with you then go to Christ and make him your friend Oject Do not lose time by impertinent disputes and reasonings But may we come to Christ and can he and will he make peace for us and take up our differences Sol. Let me tell you 1. Dispute what you will you shall never finde peace with God but by Christ No peace with God but by Christ his Name only is Prince of Peace he only is the Mediatour of Peace he only reconciles God and sinners 2. It is his Office to reconcile God and sinners and make peace that is his work It is his Office to make peace unto which he was called and for which he was set apart He is that Mercifull and faithfull High Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the sins of the people Heb. 2. 17. Mark the place the Office of Christ is to be a Priest c. One chief work of that Office is to make Reconciliation for the sinnes of the people and he is one that is very good in his Office you need not be afraid to go to him for the work of his Office for saith the Text He is a mercifull High Priest very tender very affectionate very compassionate easily wrought on by any distressed sinner that comes to him and calls on him Lord Jesus my soule is affraid and oppressed with the fear of Gods wrath and sense of his displeasure I am grieved for offending and displeasing of him O that thou wouldest undertake for me I beseech thee step into the breach make my peace reconcile my soule get thy Father to be friends with me c. He is a faithful High Priest O he will not faile you he will not put you off he will not thrust you aside he will surely undertake your condition he will make Reconciliation for our sins 3. It was the work of Christ from first to last in life and in death Heb. 9. It was the work of Christ from first to last 26. He appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself yea and it is his work now in heaven He appears in the presence of God for us Heb. 9 24. and he ever lives to make intercession for us Heb. 7. 25. 4. You of all other have special grounds of hope and trust that Christ will be You of all others have grounds of hope your Attonement and Reconciliation Not only because the Reconciling Christ calls you thus burdened to come unto him and he will give you ease Matth. 11. 28. but also because that the day when the peoples soules were to be afflicted for their sins on that day was the Priest to make an Attonement for their soules Levit. 16. 29 30. 4. The fourth great benefit which we have by the sufferings of Christ our mediatour Redemption is Redemption or deliverance Alas sirs In what a miserable condition were we by reason of sin Methinks the more vertues and blessed fruits that I read accâ—â—â—ing by Christ unâ—o us â—â—e more do I still discern of our deep and involved misery by reason of sin Sin was such a debt as none but Christ could satisfie for Sin was such an offence as nothing but the blood of Christ could expiate or get the pardon of it Sin was such a breach and such an enmity as nothing but the death of Christ could take up and reconcile And sin was such a bondage and thrâ—â—dom as nothing but the blood of Christ could redeem us from In him saith the Apostle Ephes 1. 7. we have Redemption but then he adds through his blood So Pet. 1. 18 19. Ye were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ In this Redemption by Christ there are two things considerable 1. The parts of it 2. The degrees of it 1. The parts of it are two one is Privative and respects that from which we are The parts of it redeemed or freed the other is Positive and respects that state unto which we are translated or if I may so expresse it of which we are made free 1. The Privative part of Redemption is that from which we are freed by Christ and that is from all the chaines of Spiritual bondage Now there are six chaines The Privative part from what we are freed From the power of sin of bondage with which every sinner is bound and from them all there is Redemption by Christ 1. With the chaines of bondage under the power of sin 2 Pet. 2. 19. Of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought in bondage Every servant of sin is a Bond-slave to his Lusts and so many sinful lusts as he hath so many Tyrants doth he serve as a slave And there is no slavery or bondage like unto that of sin for sin never gives rest nor wages but is infinite in its commands and damns us at last for a requital of all our services But from this bondage doth Christ redeem or deliver us For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the Divel 1 Joh. 3. 8. Those works of the Divel were our sins as the same verse expounds them Rom. 6. 6. Our Old Man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Two things in sin from which Christ delivers us 1. Jesus Christ hath by his Redemption delivered us from the dominion of sin Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you
2. 12. In him ye have Redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins The forgivenesse of sins Ephes 1. 7. 6. What shall I say more He hath purchased all for us all is ours because Christ is ours God himself becomes our God by Christ and his Love and Mercy All for us and Promises and Peace and Joy and Hope Heaven it self and all that brings to heaven Christ in you the hope of glory Col. 1. 27. Use 1 Why this is wonderfull comfort unto us that the sufferings of Christ were a purchase That there was such a dignity in them as paid all our debts and such a Comfort to us from this purchase value in them that amounted moreover unto a purchase of all blessings and blessedness They were not a meer Legael Debitum but also a Superlegale Meritum There are three choice comforts in this purchace by Christ 1. You are begotten again to a lively hope There is now good hope through You are begotten again to a lively hope Christ that a poor sinner may see the face of God again and that his poor soul may at last be found in Heaven and that in the mean time he may partake of Grace of the Divine nature and of all that will bring to salvation why so Because Jesus Christs blood and sufferings were a purchace and a purchace of all You have a right to the things purchased these 2. You have now a right to all these things and a sufficient plea Indeed you have no right or title of your own you cannot say Lord I expect and challenge Heaven upon mine own obedience upon mine own righteousness this I am and this I have done and this I have suffered therefore thou owest me heaven and therefore mercy is due to me No no if God should give you no more than what you deserve you should have nothing but wrath and damnation But though you have no right or title of your own yet you have a right and title in and by the purchase of Christ As a stranger hath no title of his own yet if he be adopted to be a Son upon this adoption there falls in a right or title Or as if a poor Beggar should have an estate of Inheritance bought for him by another and setled upon him by another he may now expect and plead for that Inheritance It was purchased and bought for me So may we now go to God and press him humbly and believingly Lord shew me mercy forgive me all my sins give me thy Spirit give me eternal life why saith God who are you and what right and title have you and what have you to shew for such heavenly lands and possessions Lord I have nothing of my own to shew but yet I have the blood of Christ to shew he bought me and he bought all these at thy hands for me it cost him dear even his precious blood therefore give me these things for his Names sake 3. You shall assuredly possesse all that good which Christ hath purchased for You shall assuredly possesse them you The Lord is faithful and just he will not deal injuriously with his Christ nor with us It was expresly concluded in the Agreement 'twixt him and Christ That if he would make his soule an offering for sin he should then see his seed and of the travel of his soul that he should be the Head of the Church and that all that come in to him should have mercy and grace and glory Now the Lord by no means will deal deceitfully with Christ he will not put him to sorrows and deliver him to death and after all his bitter agonies and sufferings deny him what he hath so dearly bought No there is no possession more sure and safe than that which depends upon the purchase of Christ And if that reason of Gods inviolable compact with Christ will not convince you of it Then let this also help to strengthen your weak faith viz. That Jesus Christ who hath purchased and merited all for you He himself is God equal with the Father and as God will himself bestow and settle what as mediatour he hath bought and purchased Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me that where I am they may behold my glory Are the sufferings of Christ a Meritorious purchase Then strive for two things Vse 2 1. To believe them to be so This is not an easie work but this is a necessary work Though we do not perhaps at present so fully weigh it yet ere long Strive to believe the sufferings of Christ to be a purchase we shall see great reason to think on it when we come to dye when we come to the parting way when we come to our last and behold an eternal hell before our eyes which we do deserve and an eternal heaven before our eyes which we deserve not and when our title and right comes to be scanned two things at that time will be extreamly necessary One is to believe that Jesus Christ hath made a purchase of glory and happiness Another is to believe that Jesus Christ hath made this purchase for our soules Object But you will say We do believe both the one and the other Sol. I am afraid that many do not so although they say they do so and I Many do not believe it will give you four reasons for what I say 1. If you do indeed believe that heaven depends upon the purchase of Christ and forgivenesse of sinnes depends upon the purchase of Christ Why then Why else do they depend so much upon themselves do you depend so much upon your selves upon your own righteousness why are not your hopes only fixed upon Christ but you hope to be saved for your good meanings and for your devout servings of God and for your alms and good works Do you believe that salvation is to be had only upon the account of Christs purchase when in the mean time you do set up your own righteousness and deny the righteousness of Christ and place confidence in your selves and not only in Christ 2. If you do indeed believe that salvation and all saving good properly depends Why do you slight Christ so much on the sole purchase of Christ Why then do you slight Christ so much and minde him so little If you do indeed believe that there is salvation in no other Name and mercy in no other Name and peace in no other Name whence is it that your soules are all this while destitute of Christ himself and that he cannot perswade you to hearken unto him so as to come in and obey him that your souls may live Tell me plainly Is not this your fancy that you may have the portion without the Person the blessings which Christ hath purchased though you never give up your hearts unto Christ who makes the purchase But you are mistaken and shall one
on him on his death on his blood O blessed Jesus thy Person have I accepted thy blood have I relyed on on that precious and purchasing blood I have relied hitherto on it and it hath brought grace into my heart and peace into my conscience and joy into my soul and forgiveness of sins and the taste of much mercy and goodness I read and I do believe the future inheritance purchased by thy blood and reserved in heaven for me I die in the faith of it I believe also to enjoy the Crown of Righteousness the Kingdom of glory that eternal life which is the gift of God through Jesus Christ my Lord. 6. I will super-add one great benefit more which results from Christs Suffering The suffering of Christ is the confirmation of the Covenant as our Mediatour which shall be the close of all the rest and that is this The sufferings or death or blood of Christ is the confirmation of the Covenant you read of a two-fold confirmation of the Covenant 1. God confirmed the Covenant and he confirmed it by an Oath Heb. 6. 17. and Psal 89 35. Once have I sworn by my holiness c. 2 Jesus Christ confirmed the Covenant Gal. 3. 17. The Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ and Jesus Christ confirmed it by his Oath therefore his blood is called the blood of the Covenant Heb. 13. 20. And the blood of the New Testament Matth. 26. 28. In a two-fold respect His death gives force unto it Now Christ confirms the Covenant in a two-fold respect 1. In that his death gives force unto it To this agrees that of the Apostle in Heb. 9. 16 Where a Testament is there must also of necessary be the death of the Testator verse 17. For a Testament is of force after men are dead In this place the Covenant is called a Testament or a last Will wherein Estates and Legacies are bequeathed and which cannot be challenged untill the Testator dies but upon his death the Testament is of force that is all concerned in the Will and Testament may come and demand and take out the Legacies bequeathed unto them Object And whereas you may object that the Saints before the death of Christ obtained all blessings Sol. It is answered that Jesus Christ was a Lumb slain from the beginning of the world Rev. 13. 8. Jesus Christ was reckoned both with God and with his Church of old as dead and the promise of laying down his life for his people accepted in their time as if it had been performed and his very death appeared unto them in the Sacrifices of the Law and accordingly the Testament was of force unto them 2. In that his death seals the Covenant as firm and stable and unalterable His death seals the Covenant saith the Apostle Gal. 3. 15. Though it be but a mans Covenant yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto There is now no question to be made of the intentions of God or of his promises in the Covenant for they are all of them Yea and Amen in Christ they are sure and stable the blood of Christ hath confirmed and ratified all there cannot possibly be an higher confirmation of the Covenant than this If a man offers you his Oath to assure you this is high but if a man will lay down his life upon it if he will take his death upon it he cannot give an Higher Testimony or Confirmation unto a Truth Now to take â—ff all doubtings on our part and fully to settle our perswasions concerning the Covenant as God gives us his Oath swearing by himself Heb. 6. 13. And God could go no higher than to swear by himself So the Son of God gives us his life he takes his death upon it that all shall be performed and further he cannot go Object But will some say What if Christ did die why must there be thereupon a confirmation of the Covenant must all the Covenant be sure for performance because Christ died what was there in his death for such a purchase Sol. I answer The death of Christ was the death of a Surety and of one who was therefore to die that the Covenant might be established There are three things considerable in the death of Christ One is Satisfaction to Gods Justice The other is Merit of all the good which we do need and God will bestow And there is also Efficacie Jesus Christ will see all made good and in these respects his death comes to be a confirmation of the Covenant but I will not stand any longer on this Point only I will make a little Use of it and so passe on Vse 1 Hath Jesus Christ as Mediator confirmed the Covenant not only established it to to be unalterable but made it firm and sure and unquestionable for the performance Why do you that are in Covenant doubt of all the good which God hath therein promised Then you who are brought in to Christ who are the people of God in Covenant you whose treasures are laid up in the Covenant and whose whole portion is setled there why do you doubt and why are ye afraid and why are your hearts troubled you cannot possibly have a better or fuller portion than God hath already setled upon you in this Covenant and you cannot possibly have a better or stronger assurance to confirm you in the expectation of all that good of the Covenant then the Oath of God and the death or blood of Christ You have the Promise of God and the Oath of God and the blood of Christ to assure you what would you have more and what can you have more It was a sharp aggravation of the infidelity of the Jews in John 12. 37. But though he had done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him And verily it is a just exprobation of our unbelief that though we have the promise of God to perform his Covenant and though we have the Oath of God to perfoâ—m his Covenant and though we have the Blood of Christ to confirm the Covenant unto us yet in every occasion and in every strait we are calling all into question we doubt and fear and suspect and question whether the Covenant of God with us be a faithfull word as if God who cannot lie would deceive and faile us as if the God of Truth would forswear himself as if the Lord Jesus Christ having sealed the Covenant with his own blood might be found a deceiver and a false witness The Lord humble us for this unbelief and cause us to fear and to abhor this sin of unbelief as that which is most dishonourable to God and as most prejudicial and dangerous unto our own soules Vse 2 Hath Christ our Mediatour confirmed the Covenant by his own death Then you who do believe in Christ and therefore are interested in the Covenant make Make out to your God for all your souls do need
out to your God for all the mercy and for all the good and for all the blessings which your soules do need Heb. 4. 16. Come boldly unto the throne of grace that ye may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need God hath put his seal to the Covenant that it is sure and Christ hath put his seal to the Covenant that it is sure Now do you put your seal to the Covenant that it is faithful and sure your believing is your sealing He that hath received his Testimony hath set to his seal that God is true Joh. 3. 33. There are four Arguments which do testifie that we have set our seal to the Covenant that we do indeed believe that it is surely established and surely confirmed by Christ so that it will not faile to be of force and efficacy unto us 1. If we be much in drawing near to God entreating him to remember his word of Covenant It is good for me to draw near to God He hath not said seek ye me in vain 2. If we be much in rejoycing in the word of the Covenant and in the death of Christ confirming it to us If the blood of Christ will hold I shall not fail and yet I have bond and seal sure enough 3. If we still patiently wait on God expecting the performance of his sealed sworn and confirmed Covenant I will wait for the God of my salvation I will look for him my God will hear me 4. If we oppose and strive to silence all unbelieving suggestions against the fidelity of the Covenant Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the help of my countenance and my God Psal 73. â—6 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Tit. 1. 2. God who cannot lie hath promised Vse 3 Hath Jesus Christ our Mediatour confirmed the Covenant by his death Then O Christian keep up thy Faith and draw out thy faith and exceedingly rejoyce Keep up thy faith and draw it out in Christ for thy estate is sure and thy soul is sure and thy salvation is sure all is sure because all is surely confirmed by the death of Christ The death of Christ was a ratification to the whole Testament to the whole Covenant and to every part and title of it and as sure as Christ hath died so sure art thou to enjoy all that God hath Covenanted with thee for there shall not fail one word of all the good he which hath promised Object Not one word not one good thing Sol. N. o not any one why then Mercy shall be thine and Grace shall be thine and Peace shall be thine and Joy shall be thine and Glory and Salvation shall be thine for all these and more than these are promised by God in his Covenant and are sealed by his death Quest It is a poor dispute of Popish and low spirits against the certainty of a Christian How can you possibly attain unto assurance and how can any man be sure of Gods love and of Gods mercy and of his salvation Sol. Indeed upon the grounds that they go upon no man can be sure for 1. They lay a foundation of their own works and of their own righteousness and of their own free will upon which assurance can never be built 2. But as the Apostle spake in another case we have a most sure word of Prophesie so the Christian hath very sure ground for grace mercy and glory He hath the sure Covenant of God he hath the sure Oath of God and he hath the sure blood of Jesus Christ God hath brought him into Covenant and he will surely perform all his Covenant you have the Oath of God for it and you have the blood of Christ for it that all shall be surely and certainly accomplished And therefore O Christian rejoyce in believing for God will surely bless thee will surely keep thee will strengthen thee and will surely save thee SECT VII Quest 7. THere is one Question more which I mentioned in the beginning What Christ still doth for his people as Mediatour viz. What Jesus Christ still doth fâ—r his people in Covenant unto whom he is a Mediatour Sol. For answer unto this be pleased to consider that the works of Christ our Mediatour are distingushed into five sorts 1s Those of his Life on Earth 2. Those of his Death 3. Those of his Resurrection 4. Those of his Ascention 5. Those of his Session at the right hand of God the Father in heaven Of these last I shall only speak at this time The works of Christ as Mediator are considerable under a three-fold notion 1. As to the susception of and engagement for them Heb. 10. 7. 9. Then said he Lo I come to do thy will O God in the volume of the book it is written of me In this respect Christ applied himself to the work of a Mediatour before he came into the world and assumed our Nature by way of condescention and compact 2. As to the performance and execution of them Thus he acted them being on earth in becoming man or God Incarnated and fulfilling all righteousness in respect of his Active and Passive obedience which were both satisfactory and meritorious 3. As to the application of all in time unto us and this is the great work of Christ now in heaven for us as our Mediatour this is a very choice Point and I would speak unto it First in general That Jesus Christ doth act or work for his people as now exalted and sitting at the right hand of God in heaven Secondly in opening the special work that eminent work of Christ in heaven for his people on earth 1. That Jesus Christ doth think on his servants and doth act or work for them Jesus Christ doth act for his people at the right hand of his Father he being now in heaven the Scriptures plainly affirm Heb. 9. 24. Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figure of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us as an Atturney appears for his Client 1 Joh. 2. 1. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous the Advocate pleads c. verse 2. And Arguments to demonstrate â—t he is the Propitiation for our sins Besides these Scriptures there are several Arguments to demonstrate it 1. His Office drth still continue although he be now in heaven Heb. 4. 14. His Office doth still continue We have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God Heb. 7. 16. He is a Priest made not after the Law of a carnal Commandement but after the power of an endlesse life verse 17. For he testifieth Thou art a Priest for ever
apply It is ridiculous themselves to Christ and then they must back again with Christs Merits and why not without any more adoe to Christ at first Quest But before I passe on I would speak a word unto a more material Scruple viz. Whether Christs Intercession in heaven be not a probable Argument of the imperfection of Christs Merits at his death If his death were sufficient to purchase all good for us what need then of his Intercession Sol. I answer the death of Christ was sufficient Ad promerendum but the Intercession of Christ is required only Ad applicandum There was no imperfection at all in his death for it was a plenary satisfaction and merit nor doth the Intercession of Christ argue any imperfection in his merit because his Intercession is not a new meriting but only a continual application of that which he hath already merited by his death Use 1 Doth Jesus Christ now in Heaven make intercession for us How sad then is their condition who have no part in Christ who have not him for their Advocate with the Father not appearing for them not interceding on their behalf How sad is their condition who have no part in Christs Intercession You that will not be perswaded to hearken to receive Christ but resist his Spirit and slight his Gospel and reject him what will you do in the dayes of your distress and death 1. All saving mercy comes unto us upon the Intercession of Christ his Intercession is the application and the donation of Righteousnesse Reconciliation Forgiveness and Salvation unto us 2. And can you have faith on him to be your Advocate and Intercesser whâ— would not receive him to be your Lord and head O stand out no more against the Offers of Christ least you shut out your selves from the Intercession of Christ One day you will finde a need of Christ to help you you will pray for mercy and you will pray for salvation and these Prayers will not prevail without Christs Intercession If you do indeed desire to be heard in what you pray then hear Christ in what he speaks to you and prayes you to hearken to him hear his voice receive himself by faith obey his will hearken unto him that he may hearken unto you Vse 3 You that are Believers perhaps as yet are but weak and are apt to be shaken and afraid of your selves and of your requests how they will speed and whether Weak Believers must remember they have an Advocate with the Father they will speed and many times are ready to be silent in Prayer O do not so but Remember that you have an Advocate with the Father Remember that Jesus Christ ever lives to make Intercession for you Remember that what is purchased by his death that will he apply unto you by his Intercession In all your addresses and prayers look off from your selves and look more on your Intercessor Believingly consider 1. Who he is even Jesus Christ the Righteous your Lord your Christ your Mediatour your Priest and Intercessor 2. What his Intercession is on what it is grounded not on your merits but on his own The end of that Intercession viz. To give out to you what he hath purchased for you 3. The qualifications of his Intercession 1. It is Mighty and Powerful It never fails it is never denyed nor can be 2. It is Pitifull he is full of compassion towards you is very sensible of your infirmities presently hears you and is ready to help you 3. It is Vniversal First As to every one of you Secondly As to every one of your Requests for Mercy for Favour for Grace and strength c. 4. It is sufficient Though all the Members on Earth pray at one time from all the Quarters of the Earth he hears you all will plead for you all will speed you all 5. It is Absolute his Intercession carries it against your unworthiness for his Own sake 6. It is Perpetual every day you pray and every day every hour yea for ever he lives to make Intercession for you Object Why then are we not presently heard Sol. You are so but not supplyed alwayes presently because as it belongs to the Fidelity of his Intercession to speed you so it belongs to the Wisdom of the Intercessor when to deliver out unto you that help Jesus the Mediatour of the Covenant Heb. 12. 24. And to Jesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant and to the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel I Have discoursed of Jesus Christ our Mediatour in Relation unto his Person and to the Natures united in his Person and unto his Obedience both Active and Passive and likewise unto the Vertues or Benefits by him as our Mediatour viz. Satisfaction and Remission and Reconciliation and Redemption and Purchase And then of the great Work which Jesus Christ doth still for us in Heaven as our Mediatour viz. his Intercession I shall now close up this Discourse with the Resolution of three notable Questiâ—â— which shall be in stead of the general Uses for the whole matter 1. Whether Jesus Christ as Mediatour did die for all and every man and those forementioned Benefits of his death were intended and extended unto all 2. Whether any Person can certainly know the particular intention of Christs death in the Benefits of it unto himself 3. How a person may evidently know that Jesus Christ died for him and satisfied Gods justice for him SECT VIII 1. Quest WHether Jesus Christ as Mediatour died for all and every man Redeemed all Reconciled all Purchased Salvation Whether Christ died for â—very man for all Sol. Concerning this Question there are several Opinions of men 1. Some have held that Jesus Christ died for all things that is for all â—â—veral opiniâ—â—â— about it creatures whatsoever because the Apostle saith that Christ by his blood Reconciled all things and therefore they conclude that the Sun and the Moon and the Stars and all the Elements yea and the very Divels were Reconciled by Christ a vild Opinion As if Jesus Christ who appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself and to Reconcile God unto us and is the Mediatour betwixt God and men should be a Mediatour also for damned Divels who are eternally judged for their transgression or should satisfie Gods justice for the Heavens and Earth and such like Creatures which were never capable of offending or sinning against God! But by all things which the Apostle saith Christ hath Reconciled he means the universal Church which is now partly in Heaven and partly in earth 2. Some have held that Jesus Christ hath died for all mankind without any difference of sins or sinners that he took upon him all the sins of all men and did by his death expiate all their sins and Ipso facto reconciled them to God without any respect to believing or not believing Nay let them speak out their own
charity look on them as bought and redeemed persons although afterwards the contrary doth appear as all those who have but a temporary faith and make a temporary profession these seem to us to be bought and perhaps unto themselves yet really they are not And truely such kind of persons were these who are said in this place to deny the Lord that bought them they were so far wrought on that they got the knowledge of the true way of righteousness verse 12. And escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Christ ver 20. and probably were numbred in respect of profession with the people of God so that they seemed to be bought in respect of their temporary faith profession and conversation yet really they were not so for they turned Apostates ver 22. and damnable Hereticks ver 1. denying the Lord either in his Person or in his Office who bought them as others and as themselves did think Thirdly Others do yet suggest one more answer unto this place who say that these Hereticks and so other wicked men were bought by Christ though not as to the effect and state of salvation for so only the Elect and true Believers are bought by Christ as their Redeemer and Saviour yet in respect of some common fruits and benefits for those upon that account their service and fidelity are duely and properly belonging unto Christ and their sin is the greater for denying him who is their Lord also by a right of Redemption as to Common mercies And some do conjecture had it not been for the Promise of Christ as Redeemer and Gods looking on him as so all the world had been presently destroyed upon the fall of Adam but Christ interposing himself he stayed that destruction and at least procured the cause of all those outward blessings which ungodly men do enjoy in this life for which reason he may be said to buy even the ungodly in that he delivers them from present ruine and their sin is therefore the greater to deny him but I adhere to the second answer as most proper to the place But having now many other Scriptures alledged by them to the same purpose aforementioned let us consider what Reasons and Arguments the Arminians produce to prove that Christ died for all and every man and by his death Arguments of the Arminians purchased Reconciliation with God Remission of sins and eternal life for them I shall briefly mention four or five of the chiefest which they bring Argument 1 1. That which every man is bound to believe is true but every man is bound to believe that Christ died for him Ergo it is true that Christ died for every man Sol. To this Sophistical Argument two answers are given by the Learned Answered 1. One unto the Major or first Proposition viz. That which every man is bound to believe is true a thing may be said to be true in a three-fold respect Either quia promittitur because it is promised Or secondly quia narratur because it is related or declared Or thirdly quia praedicitur because it is foretold so that whatsoever a man is bound to believe that same is true either as promised or as declared or done or as foretold Not alwayes true in one and the same respect or in every respect but either as promised or declared or reported or as foretold To apply this to the Argument in hand that Christ died effectually for every man If it be a truth then it must be so because God hath promised it or declared it or foretold it if it be a truth because promised then it is with condition of faith for though the very promise be true in it self yet it is not performed unto us without believing the same promise still requiring faith for the performance of it and then this will not prove that it is true that Christ died for all and every man absolutely but only for Believers or for all men only under the condition of faith If it be a truth because only declared or foretold then whether a man believes or believes not this is true that Christ died for him the reason is all things which are true by way of Narration or Prediction they are true upon their own account they are true before we believe them our faith makes them not to be so and if we believe them not yet are they true our unbelief cannot make the truth of God a lye But I suppose that no Arminian will say that Christ dyed effectually for every man whether he doth believe or doth not believe A second answer shall be unto the Minor Proposition But every man is bound to believe that Christ dyed for him to this I would say three things First It is a material disputable Point Whether those to whom the Gospel is not revealed are bound to believe that Christ died for them because the Precept of believing is a Gospel Precept only and the punishment for unbelief is threatned and inflicted in relation to the Gospel for slighting and refusing that Christ who is revealed and offered by the Gospel unto sinners who also are therein commanded to believe on Christ and if this be so then certainly every man is not bound to believe that Christ died for him Secondly When the Gospel doth come it doth not absolutely command that every one should believe that Christ dyed for him indeed it doth command every one to believe on Christ i. e. to receive him and trust on him alone for life But it doth not command him to believe without any more ado without any condition whatsoever that Christ died for him i. e. hath by his death made his peace procured his pardon and eternal life For the Gospel doth not reveale or command any such thing It doth reveale a Christ who died for sinners and it doth offer this Christ to sinners but with all it saith Whosoever believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned Doth the Gospel command every man absolutely to believe that Christ dyed for him which takes in the Application of all the fruits and benefits of the death of Christ which a soule can enjoy whether a man obey the voice of the Gospel or not receive Christ or not q. d. you are bound to believe that Christ died for you though you never by faith close with the offer of Christ though your heart never prize him or never are brought in unto him and though you still love your sins and persevere in them Tell me in good sadness did Jesus Christ ever sign such a Commission as this Go preach the Gospel and tell people that whether they receive me or will not receive me whether they become believers or continue unbelievers whether they repent or continue impenitent they are bound every man of them to believe that I dyed for them and reconciled them and have procured salvation for them Certainly if every man were bound to believe this he were bound
are the very ingredients of his promises the promises are nothing else but the good will and purpose of God transcribed and copied out for us 3. Who is faithful Hebr. 11. 11. Sarah judged him faithful who had promised and what is it for God to be faithful in his promises but in his own good time to do what he speaks and to give what he promiseth to give Faithful is he who hath called you who will also do it saith the Apostle 1 Thes 5. 24. Mark to do what he promiseth this was to be faithful 4. God hath promised all of them to all his people in Covenant to all that are God hâ—th promised all of them to all his people brought into Christ to all who have chosen him for their God and give up their hearts and lives unto him to all who can call him Father and are become his children as the blessings promised are distributed into greater and lesser some are spiritual some are corporal so the heirs of blessings some of them are stronger some are weaker but this makes no difference as to the claim and title the weakest Believer in Christ the weakest childe of God is an heir of all the spiritual blessings which God hath promised Use 2 Hath God promised all spiritual blessings as well as temporal unto all his people in Covenant then you who are the people of God Mark what concerns you Mark what conceâ—ns you under the sense of your wants under the sense of any spiritual wants Do not complain any longer and do not charge God foolishly and do not give up your conditions as desperate do not say there is no help nor hope and do not hearken to what Satan saith nor to what your perplexed hearts do say but regard and mark what God saith in his promises He saith that he will give grace and glory and he will give all the matters of Justification and of Sanctification and therefore do you take that course for the enjoyment of them which God directs you unto and likewise encourages you unto Quest What course is that What course we should take for this enjoyment of sâ—iâ—itual bâ—essiâ—â— Pray for spiritual blessings Sol. It is this First You must humbly pray unto him to give unto you all those spiritual blessings which you do need and which he hath promised Object Pray unto him will you say if he hath promised to give them what need we to pray for them Sol. Yes promises on Gods part and prayers on our part are not contradistinct but subordinate therefore remember 1. Though God promiseth to give all these spiritual blessings yet he expresly calls for prayer from us unto himself to bestow them on us Ezek. 36. 37. Thus saith the Lord God I will yet be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them Jer. 29. 11. I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end Ver. 12. Then shall you call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you Ver. 13. And ye shall seek me and finde me when ye shall search for me with all your hearts 2. As he calls for prayer so he adds a new engagement of promise to give even spiritnal blessings upon prayer Luke 11. 13. Your heavenly Father will give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Secondly You must act faith you must believe on his Word and trust on Act faith him as a faithful God to performe c. Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times ye people poure out your hearts before him God is a refuge for us Selab Isa 26. 4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Isa 57. 2. I will cry unto God most High unto God which performs all things for me Hebr. 11. 6. He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Jam. 1. 6. But let him ask in faith O Sirs this is one of the greatest reasons why notwithstanding your many tears and prayers you have so small portion in spiritual blessings because you do not trust on God for them you do not believe that he will deal with you according to his Word you do not give him the glory of an all-sufficient and faithful God still you are questioning him and reasoning against him But will he make good his Word of promise and can he do this or that the Lord humble our hearts for this we think not of it as a sin or else but a small sin but indeed it is an exceedingly provoking sin and an eternal dishonour to the God of truth and mercy thus by our unbelief to charge a lye or a doubtfulnesse upon him Object But have we not reason to doubt what he will do when we are so unworthy Sol. No our unworthinesse is no sufficient reason to question the goodnesse and faithfulnesse of Gods promise because 1. He never indents with us upon terms of our worthinesse 2. He professeth that he doth us good not for our sakes but for his own sake Thirdly If need be you must wait upon God for the performance of those spiritual Wait upon God for performance blessings promised unto you Isa 36. 18. Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of judgement he knows what and when is best blessed are all they that wait for him Three things 〈◊〉 to enable you to wait c. 1. Any spiritual blessing is worth a waiting for the least of them being of more worth and more consequence to the soul than a whole world 2. God will oft times try your hearts whether indeed you would be thus blessed or can be satisfied and give over without enjoyment 3. The promise of them is very sure God who cannot lye hath promised Tit. 1. 2. He will not fail you in these spiritual blessings though many times he doth deny you some temporal desires Vse 3 Are spiritual blessings and mercies promised by God to all that are in Covenant with him in what a case then are all obstinate and perverse sinners who will The sad condition of Impenitent â—â—nners hold fast their sins and walk in their own ways and hate to be reformed and will not be brought into the bond of the Covenant with God if there were no other misery for them but this that they shall not partake of spiritual blessings this were misery sufficient You read of those in Luke 14. who excused themselves and refused to come to the Supper prepared Christ saih of them ver 24. None of those men shall taste of my Supper truly this was judgement and punishment enough never to partake of any benefit or good by Christ In like manner this is
I will heal their back-slidings I will love them freely Zac. 12. 10. I will poure upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication c. Here only two Questions for the illustration of this Point 1. Why God himself undertakes to give the Covenant-blessings unto his people 2. After what manner he undertakes to bestow them upon his people Quest 1. Why God himself undertakes the Donative of all the blessings in Reasons of it the Covenant unto his people Sol. Reasons thereof are First No creature whatsoever can give them therefore it belongs to God alone Two things at the least are required for the giving of blessings No Creature can give them 1. One is Authority there must be a right in them as ours for what hath any one to do to give that which is none of his 2. The other is Sufficiency or ability to pass them over unto another and to make the blessings to be his Now no creature hath Authority to give any blessings why so because God only is the Lord of all blessings whatsoever they are his and of right belong unto him only Consider all sorts of blessings they are his he is the Lord of them Spiritual blessings are his mercy is his he is the God of mercy and grace is his he is the God of all grace and comfort is his he is the God of all consolation and peace is his he is the very God of peace and love is his God is love the Spirit is his and Christ is his Anointed and glory is his he is the God of glory And so for temporal blessings though they be ours many times for possession and use yet they are his for Right and Donation The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof saith David Psal 24. 1. Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the Majesty for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine 1 Chro. 29. 11. Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all ver 12. And no Creature hath Sufficiency or Ability to convey or passe over blessings for Spiritual blessings can any man give them unto himself or unto another Can any man give faith unto himself It is the work of God saith Christ it is the gift of God saith Paul Can any man give Repentance unto himself no it was God that gave repentance unto the Gentiles and the Church prayed Turn thou me and I shall be turned Can any man make his own heart holy no it is God himself which sanctifies us can any man forgive his own sinnes no who can forgive sinnes but God only And for temporal blessings can we give rain or plenty or safety or health or life or ease or quietness can we make the Cloudes to drop down or the sword to be at rest or the sick to be at rest No Creature can do any thing of itself and therefore God himself undertakes to give all the blessings in the Covenant unto his people otherwise they could never have them Secondly God will have the glory of whatsoever blessing we do receive from him God will have the glory of all our blessings He allows unto us the benefit of them and the comfort of them but he reserves all the glory of them unto himself alone Thine is the glory saith Christ Matth. 6. 13. Now upon a double account doth the glory of all appertain to God viz. 1. In that he is the End of all his works and gifts and blessings all that God manifests about the salvation of sinners is to the praise and glory of his grace Eph. 1. 6. He himself is the ultimate End of all his works and of himself 2. In that he is the Efficient Cause of all good and blessings the Apostle joynes these two together in Rom. 11. 16. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Mark the place let glory be given to God for ever and unto him alone why so because 1. All things are of him and through him he is the Efficient Cause 2ly All things are to him he is the Final Cause for which they are You have another place to this purpose in 1 Cor. 1. 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption ver 31. That according as it is written he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. If any man could be of himself the cause unto himself of any good then he might glory in himself and bless himself and say This hath mine own hand wroughâ— for me I gave life unto my self and grace to my heart and peace to mine own conscience and I wrought mine own Redemption No saith the Apostle you can do nothing it is of God that ye are in Christ and it is of God that Christ is made unto you wisdom c. therefore you may not glory in your selves but only in the Lord. If I be made high only by the favour of another and if I be made rich only by the bounty of another should I give the glory of these unto my self well then God hath a right unto all glory therefore he himself will give all grace Thirdly God himself undertakes to give unto his people all Covenant-blessings God would have the hearts of his people fâ—x't on him alone because the hearts of his people should be fixed and fastened on him alone There are two things which God cannot endure especially in his own people 1. One is a distrust of himself Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel My way is hid from the Lord and my judgement is passed over from my God! Isa 40. 27. 2. The other is a trusting upon the creature and now What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt to drink the water of Siber Or what hast thou to do with the way of Assyria to drink the water of the River Jer. 2. 18. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord Jer. 17. 5. No but this is it that the Lord doth require of his people viz. to take off their hearts their hopes and expectations and dependances from all other besides himself and to settle and fix them only upon himself Isa 45. 22. Look unto me all ye ends of the earth and be saved for I am God and there is none else Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times ye people poure out the heart before him God is a refuge Selah In the Covenant God engageth his heart to us and one reason thereof is to engage our hearts to him in the Covenant he engageth his power and goodnesse and all-sufficiency
support and encourage you against all the temptations of Satan and fears of your own spirits God himself is your God and God himself for whom nothing is too hard and who is faithful in Covenant he it is who undertakes to find out and give out unto you every mercy for soul and body which you do or shall need Vse 2 Do not only believe this truth but also make use of it i. e. in the sense of all your wants whether spiritual or temporal Go unto God with boldnesse unto Make use of this truth his Throne of grace that ye may finde grace and mercy to help in time of need Remember that of the Apostle in Phil. 4. 6. Be careful in nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God Do not vainly perplex your selves O it is impossible ever to get this sinful heart changed and this hard heart broken and those sins pardoned but â—â—nsider seriously 1. What is that which you finde promised in the Covenant Do you not expresly find the renewing of the heart promised there and the taking away of the hard heart promised there and the forgivenesse of all sins promised there 2. Who is it that undertakes to give these things promised Is it not God himself who can do it because he is Almighty and will do it because he is faithful it is not what strength and power you have for these things but what the sufficiency and fidelity of God is who undertakes to give them Object But he expects great matters from us before he will give them unto us Sol. 1. I will tell you what he expects from you he expects three things from you 1. That you acknowledge your own unworthinesse and his graciousnesse 2. That you come and pray unto him and intreat him to do these things for you 3. That you trust upon him as able and willing to help you according to his Word 2. And this which he expects from you if he hitherto hath not given them unto you yet he promiseth to give them unto you for praying Zach. 12. 10. I will poure upon them the Spirit of supplication for trusting Zephany 3. 12. I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. Object But we must bring something or other and undertake something else God will not do all for us Sol. 1. What would ye bring to a Covenant of Grace or what should you bring but your hearts to receive what is promised in the Covenant of Grace to be given 2. All the finding and giving work belongs to God that is it which himself undertakes forgivenesse righteousnesse holinesse love joy and peace and these himself undertakes to give unto us The fountain is full and runs freely take your care only for a Vessel to receive and take in the waters which flow out of it Vse 3 Doth God himself undertake to give all the blessings of the Covenant to his people What a comfort is this unto all his people this God himself is your God Comfort to the people of God and your Father and he loves you above all the people in the world and binds himself by promise and oath unto you that in blessing he will blesse you If you were to make your choice of one to undertake your good in whose hands you would have your all to lie you would pitch on one 1. Who loves you as a friend as a father and as a near relation 2. Who is sufficient and able 3. Who is mindful and faithful 4. Who is knowing and wise 5. Who is like to live long Now First Doth not God love his people I have loved thee with an everlasting love God loves his people Jer. 31. 3. I am a Father to Israel and Israel is my first born Ver. 9. Is Ephraim my dear son I remember him still my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him Ver. 20. Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Isa 49. 15. Secondly Is he not able to do you good he is the All-sufficient and Almighty God is able to do you good God nothing is too hard for him he is able to do above all that we are able to ask or think and can do whatsoever he pleaseth in heaven and in earth is it not be who stretcheth out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth Abraham was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able to performe Rom. 4. 21. Thirdly He knows all your distresses and wants your groans are not hid from He knows all your distresses him and all your tears are in his bottle he is mindful of his people Psal 115. 12. The Lord hath been mindful of us he will blesse us he is mindful of 〈◊〉 Covenant Psal 111. 5. He hath given meat to them that fear him he will be mindful of his Covenant Psal 105. 8. He hath remembred his Covenant for ever Fourthly He is the faithful God Deut. 7. 9. Know that the Lord thy God He is the faithful God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his Covenant to thousands of generations Heb. 10. 23. He is faithful that promised Fifthly He is the wise God God only wise Rom. 16. 27. Wise in heart Job He is the wise God 9. 4. And therefore will proportion and season out proper and peculiar mercies unto his servants Sixthly He is the unchangeable God there is not so much as the shaddow of Change in him Jam. 1. 17. The living God Jer. 10. 10. The Lord is the true He is the unchangeable God God he is the living God and an everlasting King Dan. 12. 7. liveth for ever 〈◊〉 If I do understand this Assertion aright it may suffice to take off all your fears and to draw on all your hearts to come unto your God with confidence who himself undertakes to give unto you all the good of his Covevant Can more be desired or can any thing else conduce further or better to your salvation Object We confess that here is enough in respect of God but that which makes us to fear is something in respect o ourselves our unworthiness against which God may take exception and for which he may deny to give unto us the good things which he hath promised Sol. This is the greatest doubt which still sticks with us and it is the strongest exception of our unbelieving hearts and unto which I shall endeavour to give a full resolution in the last General Proposition which now comes to be handled viz. SECT IV. Doct. 4. THat all these blessings which God doth promise to give unto his people All the blessings which God promiseth to his
inherently and subjectively in us as it is in Christ then indeed no sin were to be seen in us But that Righteousness is ours only Relatively and not formally it is imputed only to us and notwithstanding that imputation there is sin in us Secondly It is one thing to be considered in our selves and another as cloathed with Christs Righteousnesse In the former respect our sins appear and in the latter respect they are covered How Gods displeasure and anger against his people is consistent with his discharging of their sins Quest 2. How can it be affirmed that by forgivenesse of sins any person is discharged and freed so that God remains no more offended and displeased and will not proceed against him seeing that we read of his displeasure and anger and proceedings against his people for sinning against him Answered Sol. For answer unto this I shall briefly shew you three things 1. That God is displeased with the sins of his own people 2. That his anger for their sinnings hath broken out very sharply upon them 3. Notwithstanding all this they have a singular discharge from special wrath and Gods judicial proceeding against them which is all that is required in forgivenesse of their sins First God is displeased with the sins of his own people See this in David 2 Sam. God is displeased with the sins of his own people 11. 27. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. In Solomon 1 King 11. 9. The Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord God of Israel who had appeared unto him twice Ver. 10. And had commanded him concerning this thing that he should not go after other gods but he kept not that which the Lord commanded In Jehoshapbat 2 Chron. 19. 2. Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from the Lord. Secondly His anger hath broken out very sharply upon them because of their sinnings His anger hath been sharp against them because of their sins Deut. 3. 25. O Lord God said Moses I pray thee let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan c. Ver. 26. But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes and would not hear me c. 2 Sam. 12. 9. Wherefore hast thou despised the Covenant of the Lord to do evil in his sight Thou hast killed Vriah the Hittite with the sword and hast taken his wife to be thy wife c. Ver. 10. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house Ver. 11. I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house c. 1 Sam. 2. 22. For Elies remisness towards his wicked children how heavy was the hand of God upon him in his sons and family 1 Pet 4. 17. Judgement must begin at the house of God 1 Cor. 11. 30. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep Nay his anger hath gone higher than external losses it hath come upon them also in a Spiritual way which is of all other the most heavy and that both Privatively in taking away the sense of his favour and joy of his spirit and Positively in breaking of his bones as you read in David Psal 51. Thirdly But notwithstanding all this Gods judicial wrath or dspleasure is removed Gods judicial wrath is removed All hostile anger ceaseth upon Remission of sins no displeasure of God as hating remaines and no fruit of displeasure which is a part of the curse either doth or shall befall them Christ hath removed that although a Pathetical anger be on them yet no Judicial anger is towards them Though corrections befall them yet destruction shall not though sharp affliction yet no malediction and under all their corrections which still God sanctifies unto them for their good Isa 27. 9. by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin And which is a testimony of his Fatherly love they still remain sons of mercy and heirs of glory Psal 89. 31. If his children break my Statutes and keep not my Commands Ver. 32. then I will visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquities with stripes Ver. 33. Nevertheless my loving-kindnesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile Whether there be any reason to repent of our sins that are forgiven Quest 3. If God doth graciously forgive our sins whether now there be any reason for us to repent of them Answered Nothing that we do can untye the bond of sin Sol. This is I confesse an excellent Quere how our duty to repent doth consist with Gods free grace in forgiving concerning which give me favour to say a few things First Nothing that we do no mourning for sin no repenting for sin doth or can untie the bond of sin release and acquit and discharge or absolve from guilt Although God doth not discharge us from repenting yet our repenting doth not discharge us from our guilt and condemnation that is the work of Gods grace in Christ if any presse repentance upon that ground as if forgiveness of sin were the natural effect of repentance that had a merit to deliver us from condemnation he erres exceedingly because 1. Forgivenesse of sinnes is an act only of God repealing the sentence of condemnation against us it is only the Creditors act to discharge the debt 2. There is not any sufficient causality in our work of repentance for such an effect as forgiveness of sin For 1. Our repentance is imperfect and stands in need of the blood of Christ Bonum meum neque pure bonum est neque meum est 2. Suppose it were perfect yet that could not take away the guilt of sin committed because sin is an infinite offence and dishonour to God and our repentance can never bear that proportion in satisfying which sin hath in offending It must be clearly acknowledged that to set up repentance as a cause meriting forgivenesse of sins cannot consist with Gods free forgivenesse of them Secondly Although forgivenesse of sin be not the effect of mans repentance Yet repentance is required to the obtaining of forgiveness for then we should forgive our selves Yet repentance is required to the obtaining of forgivenesse Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way c. and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and unto our God for he will abundantly pardon Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed c. ver 22. all his transgressions which he hath committed shall not be mentioned unto him Luke 24. 47. That repentance and remission of sins should be purchased in his Name Acts 3. 19. Repent ye and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Thirdly Although repentance be not a cause of forgivenesse yet it is the means Though
repentance be not a cause yet it is a means of pardon which God hath ordained for us to enjoy the forgivenesse of sin of the which his grace only is the efficient cause and the blood of Christ only is the meritorious cause Though God doth freely forgive yet he enjoyns repentance on us for besides the many reasons on our part there is reason for this in repect of Gods own grace which did it expresse itself in a free forgivenesse of wicked and impenitent persons it would be exceedingly undervalued and despised as an unjust act and besides that it would be improved to all licenciousness and profanenesse Whether justified persons may charge themselves with sin Fourthly Whether justified persons may charge themselves with sin seeing God hath graciously discharged them of sin Answered How far justified persons have charged themselves with sin Sol. I will speak something unto this Case also wherein I shall shew unto you two things First How far the children of God have charged sin upon themselves we read in Scripture that they have charged themselves 1. With the matter of sin that they have been guilty of Original sin Psal 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me Rom. 7. 20. Sin that dwelleth in me And with Actual sin as David I have sinned 2 Sam. 12. 13. I have sinned against thee said Job Chap. 7. 20. and so David Ezra Nehemiah c. 2. With the manner of sinning as to the Circumstances of it against mercies warnings judgements on others Dan. 9. Neh. 9. 3. With the merit of sin that if the Lord should deal with them according to their sins there were no abiding If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand Psal 130. 3. Psal 143. 2. Enter not into judgement for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Job 9. 2. How should a man be just with God Ver. 3. If he will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Dan. 9. 8. O Lord to us belongs confusion of face 4. So far forth as to acknowlegde no hope nor help of discharge but in Jesus Christ and in Gods free grace O save me for thy mercies sake 5. So far forth as to quicken all penitental works they have remembred their sins Lam. 3. 20. My soule hath them still in remembrance and is humbled within me They have considered their sins Psal 119. 59. I considered my wayes and turned my feet to thy testimonies Mark 14. 72. Peter thought on the words of Christ and went out and wept bitterly They have mourned for their sins Zach. 12. 10. They shall look upon him c. and shall mourn we read of Davids tears and Peters tears and Mary Magdalens tears c. They have reformed their sins Hose 14. 8. What have I any more to do with Idols They have been earnest with God for the pardon and for the assurance of the forgivenesse of their sins Psal 51. 1 c. and Dan. 9. O Lord hear O Lord forgive and Hose 14. 2. Take away my iniquity Secondly How far forth they may not charge sin upon themselves I answer Wherein they may not charge sin upon themselves briefly they may not charge sin on themselves First As to conclude that God will damn them for their sins For there is no condemnation to them c. Rom. 8. 1. And he that believes shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. Though they must acknowledge that by reason of sin they are worthy of condemnation yet they are to believe that Christ hath dyed for them and they shall not be condemned Secondly As to undertake any self-satisfaction to God for their sins you read of their confessions and tears and prayers but not of their satisfaction All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Isa 64. 6. Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord shall I come before him with burnt-offerings will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle c. Mich. 6. 6 7. If I justifie my self mine own mouth will condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse Job 9. 20. Thirdly As to disanull their relation to God of Sonship c. Isa 64. 8. But now O Lord thou art our Father Ver. 9. Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people Having thus opened and cleared the nature of the forgiveness of sins I proceed to the other part of the description of it SECT II. THE second thing in the Proposition of forgivenesse of sins is this viz. That God himself undertakes this work and he undertakes it by promise First God undertakes to forgive sins Luk. 5. 21. Who can forgive sins but God alone Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake Exo. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth Ver. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgressions and sin Dan. 9. 9. To thee O Lord God belongeth mercy and forgivenesse Forgiveness of sin is indeed one of his Royal Prerogatives therefore you find his people making their addresses unto him for forgiveness of their sins Exod. 32. 32. Oh this people have sinned a great sin yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin c. Psal 25. 18. Forgive all my sins Dan. 9. 19. O Lord hear O Lord forgive Hose 14. 2. Take away all iniquity Act. 8. 22. Pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee There is a forgiveness 1. By way of charity wherein we forgive the offence and trespass against us If thy brother repent forgive him Luke 17. 3. And forgive one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Eph. 4 32. 2. By way of Ministry thus the Apostles as Christ delivers it in Joh. 20. 23. Whose sins ye remit they are remitted 3. By way of immediate and absolute authority thus it belongs to God and to him alone God in Scripture is stiled a Judge Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right Gen. 18. 25. And to the Supreme Judge it belongs to condemn or to acquit A Creditor there was a certain Creditor which had two debtors Luk. 7. 41. who can forgive the debt but the Creditor A Lawgiver There is one Lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy Jam. 4 12. who can forgive the transgressions of the Law but the Lawgiver Now God himself undertakes to forgive sins and none but he must do so Reasons of it God himself undertakes this work First Because all sins are offences against him and deviations from his righteous will and injuries to his glory even those sins which are wrongs unto men are injuries also unto God for his Will is slighted and his Law is violated in them therefore the remission
of them is proper to him Secondly Because unto whom the power of death and condemnation authoritatively belongs unto him also the power of life and absolution doth belong but the power of condemnation belongs only to God Ergo. These are acts seated in the same power Thirdly Because the forgivenesse of sin takes off the infinite desert of sin reaching even unto eternity of punishment eternal punishment is deserved by sin and who can relieve us from that but God alone Fourthly Because our consciences might have a resting place which they could never have if God himself did not forgive sins What if all the men in the world did forgive you if God did not clear you but still held you guilty What though all the lower Courts absolve a Malefactor as long as the Supreme Court condemns him what though the Malefactor forgive himself if the Judge do not forgive him Simile But here lies the comfort that God himself who is the Supreme Judge who hath the Soveraign Power to save or to destroy to remit or binde to acquit or to condemn whose sentence none can reverse if he will pardon our offences and sinnes against him now there is peace with him and peace in our own Consciences Secondly As forgiveness of sins solely appertains to God so God undertakes the same by way of promise which shews that he is willing to forgive sins and God undertakes it by promise that he engageth himself to forgive sins and that he will certainly forgive sins Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and will remember their sin no more Pro. 28. 13. Whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy 2 Chro. 7. 14. If my people shall turn from their wicked wayes then will I forgive their sins Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and turn unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and abundantly pardon 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confesse our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins Quest Now if any should demand why God contents not himself with a Declaration Reasons of it only that he is a God who forgives sin but also he makes a promise that he will forgive sins Sol. I suppose these Reasons may be given of it First Because this is a greater relief to the troubled conscience A promise of forgivenesse is a more hopeful foundation to work upon than a meer Declaration that God hath power to forgive and it serves to answer our fears and doubts more fully You would not imagine how powerful and dreadful the guilt of sin is and how strongly working when a conscience is awakened and wounded with the sence of it How great is the apprehension of Gods wrath how amazing is the curse threatned how hard is it to look toward the Mercy seat through all the threatnings and through all the terrors how difficult is it to settle it with any apprehensions of mercy And therefore the Lord is pleased not only to declare that he is a God forgiving sins but also he makes promise that he will forgive sins for Christs sake this is apt to preserve troubled sinners from despair and to breed some hopes in them that perhaps they may find mercy for who can tell but that a merciful God and a God who promiseth mercy to poor sinners may at length shew mercy to them and forgive their sins Secondly Because this is a stronger Obligation and Argument to prevail with sinners to repent of their sins and to turn unto the Lord. Beloved I beseech you mark what I say 1. The greater inevidence and improbability there is of forgiveness of sins the more indisposition and averseness there is unto repentance If a person apprehends mercy as impossible he then looks upon repentance as unuseful either he grows despairing or desperate For saith he to what end should I repent and come into God who I am sure will shew me no mercy 2. Again the greater hopes that a sensible sinner hath of mercy the more easily and kindly is his heart wrought upon to Repent to come off from his sins to God Hos 14. 2. When taking away of sin is hinted then ver 3. Ashur shall not save us neither will we say to the works of our hands Ye are our gods for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy so Jer. 3. 12. Return thou back-sliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord. Ver. 22. Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Mark how this insinuation of mercy bowed in their hearts Psal 103. 4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared Now when a sinner sees forgiveness of sins in a promise this appears with more evidence of hope for him I may yet have mercy so great is Gods goodness and why should I stand out any longer and why should I for lying vanities forsake my own mercies I will home to my Fathers house for there is bread enough and to spare c. Thirdly Because this is the surest ground for faith you know this is the great scruple But may I find mercy and what ground have I to expect mercy Suppose I do repent what assurance have I that God will forgive my sits Why having Gods promise for the forgiveness of your sins in this case you may be confident that if you come to him and rely upon him he will unquestionably be as good as his word he will shew mercy to you Jer. 31. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Ver. 20. I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed c. he shall surely live and not dye Ver. 22. All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him SECT III. 3. I Now come to the third part of the Proposition of forgiveness of sins viz. God promiseth the same to all his people That God promiseth the same unto all his people all his people in Covenant Psal 85. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people Isa 33. 34. The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Note Of the people of God some are sooner in Covenant and some are later in Covenant for some are called at one houre and some at another houre as Paul spake of Andronicus and Junia Rom. 16. 7. who were in Christ before me that may we say of people some are in Covenant before others but as soon as any of them are brought into Covenant they are pardoned immediatly their sins are forgiven unto them Again of the people of God some have been greater sinners and some have been lesser sinners but as soon as
omit all needless disputes I humbly conceive that there may be three reasons why forgiveness of sins is one of the first mercies mentioned in the promise Three reasons of it It doth most of all set forth the glory of God First Because it is one of the mercies which doth most of all set forth and illustrate the glory of God the greatest appearing of God in his glory in his love and in his grace and in his mercy to forgive sins Exod. 34. 6. The Lord proclaimed the Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious Ver. 7. Forgiving iniquity transgressions and sins In this Proclamation the Lord opens and shews his glory unto Moses and one of the first sights of that is this that he is the Lord God merciful and gracious and that appears by this that he forgives iniquity transgressions and sins and indeed this is the glory of his Throne that it is a Throne of grace where sinners may finde mercy and finde grace to help in time of need Hebr. 4. 16. Hence is it that his grace and mercy is so often called his glory Ephes 3. 6 According to the riches of his glory i. e. of his grace and mercy see Rom 9. 23. That he might make known the riches of his glory on the Vessels of mercy see 2 Cor. 3. 18. Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord i. e. the glory of his mercy and love in Christ Jesus therefore the Prophet saith Micah 7. 18. Who is a strong God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage as if Gods forgiving of sins were one of the greatest demonstrations of his Deity Though his Godhead doth appear in other of his Attributes and in other of his Works Rom. 1. 20. yet it doth most clearly and most comfortably appear in this merciful Attribute and work of forgiveness of sins his wisdom and his justice and his power have put forth themselves as it were in a way of subserviency to the glory of his mercy he found out by his wisdom a way to satisfie his justice by Christ that so he might bring glory to his mercy in the forgiveness of our sins Secondly Because it is a mercy transcendently excellent a mercy which excels It is a mercy transcendently excellent It excels the mercies of men most of the mercies which we do receive there are 1. The mercies of men they do sometimes pardon offences committed against them but Gods forgiving mercies far exceed this e. g. First When man hath forgiven you yet God may call you to an account and question and condemn you Secondly Mans forgiveness may acquit you from some temporal punishment due unto you by some humane Lawes by you transgressed but Gods forgiveness reacheth to the discharge of you not only from temporal but also from eternal punishment Thirdly The mercy of man in forgiveness looks only at outward offences but it meddles not with inward sinnings with those of the heart but Gods forgiving extends to internal invisible obliquities as well as external and invisible transgressions Fourthly When men forgive us this perhaps may be some lesser offences but no great and capital or if these then the benefit of this forgiveness is lost and forfeited by the next offence as in the case of Shimei but when God forgives a sinner he forgives all sorts of sinnings and will never remember those sins again any more 2. The mercies of God whereof some are corporal and some are spiritual now forgiveness of sins doth excell First All the corporal mercies or blessings which possibly can be enjoyed in It excels corporal mercies this world for 1. One may enjoy all corporal blessings in greater abundance and this may be all his portion they have their portion in this life said David Psal 17. 14. but forgiveness of sins is a mercy which never goes alone but hath the concomitancy of all choice blessings it is a better portion and yet not all 2. The outward blessings respect only the condition of the body the preferment delight ease relief support and safety of that and notwithstanding this preheminence the soul may be in a most miserable condition but forgiveness of sins hath a special respect to the soul and the welfare and everlasting good of it and happiness of it it makes us truly blessed 3. Notwithstanding the presence of outward blessings the spiritual misery of man is nothing altered they cannot release you from the wrath of God nor deliver you from that curse which the Law pronounces against you for your transgressions but when God forgives sins then the forgiven person is freed from wrath and curse and condemnation and God is pacified and reconciled 4. One may possibly enjoy them and yet never enjoy God nor Christ nor peace in conscience nor glory in heaven nay his enjoyment of these may accidentally cause a farther distance from God and Christ as in the young man whose riches and possessions kept him off from closing with Christ but forgiveness of sins necessarily involves all these grand enjoyments if sins be forgiven unquestionably God is your God and Christ is your Redeemer and heaven is your inheritance Secondly It excells if not all yet certainly most of Gods spiritual mercies I It excels most of Gods spiritual mercies am unwilling to make comparisons between them yet with reverence I speak it that forgiveness of sins in some respects excells all the graces in man 1. For the perfection of the work the change of the soul by grace is indeed an For the perfection in the work excellent work nevertheless it is imperfect therefore it gets on by degrees but the forgiveness of sin is a perfect work when God sanctifies a man he doth it so that the person needs yet more holiness but when he forgives us he doth it not so that those sins need more of forgiveness when he sanctifies a man there still remains some corruption but when he forgives a sinner you cannot say there remains yet something behind of condemnation God can find enough in our graces to except against but nothing in his forgiveness of sins 2. For the causality in the work Compare your graces and your forgivenesses For the causality in the work together there are several choice effects in the soul which you cannot affirme of your graces as their cause yet you may safely affirm Gods forgiveness of sins to be their cause e. g. peace in conscience you cannot say that any holiness or righteousness in you is the cause of this for conscience cannot be quieted by any thing in us but forgiveness of sin is a just cause of peace in conscience being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. I will say no more at present but that all the springs of joy and peace and comfort are in your justification Rom. 8. 11. Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee Matth. 9. 2.
righteous God and therefore he may condemn Nor may we say that God promiseth forgiveness of sins therefore our sins are forgiven for as God promiseth mercy he contracts that promise of mercy unto his own people and as God saith he will mercifully pardon so he saith likewise that he will not be merciful to any wicked transgressor Psal 59 5. And he will not spare the audacious sinner who promiseth peace unto himself though he adds drunkenness to thirst Deut. 29. 19 20. Now because this Use is of the greatest consequence and necessity for us who stand in need of this vital and soveraign mercy the forgiveness of sins therefore I will discourse of three positionâ— concerning it 1. Some sinners do erroneously make and take some things for a certain capacity of forgivenesse of their sins which absolutely is not so 2. Some sinners do certainly put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness 3. Some sinners are in a right capacity of Gods promise of the forgiveness of their sins Some plead for a capacity of pardon upon false grounds As Gods mercifulness First Some sinners do erroneously take these things for certain grounds that they are in the list and compasse of forgiveness of sins which absolutely considered cannot be so e. g. First God is of a very merciful nature ready to forgive and his mercy is over all his works and he will not destroy his creatures he did not make us to damn us therefore my sins shall be forgiven Answered Sol. This cannot be a sure ground to build on that we are within the compass or capacity of forgiveness of sins because 1. By this Reason the Divels also may conclude the forgiveness of their sins for God is of a merciful nature and ready to forgive and his mercy is over all his works 2. By this ground no sinner should be damned but every sinner should be saved For if every man hath his sins pardoned then no man shall be damned to have sins pardoned is to be discharged from condemnation but if this were a strong and sufficient inference Sins are pardoned because God is of a merciful nature then every sinner should have his sins pardoned 3. Though mercifulnesse be natural to God yet the dispensation or collation of mercy is voluntary and Arbitrary forgiving acts of mercy do not flow from God in that way as effects do flow from natural Agents in a way of necessity as the Sun necessarily gives out light and fire necessarily breaths out heat But as effects flow from voluntary and free Agents Rom. 9. 15 I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion So then it will not follow Your sins are forgiven because Gods Nature is mercifull for forgiving mercy is not a necessary effect of that Nature but a voluntary effect thereof 4. Besides Justice is as natural to God as mercifulnesse is he is Essentially as just as he is merciful and he doth intend the gloryfying of his Justice upon sinners as ceâ—tainly as he doth the glorifying of his mercifulnesse Rom. 9. 22. What if God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long â—uffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Ver. 23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory Here you plainly see a will and purpose in God to set up the glory of his Justice in the destruction of the vessels of wrath as well as the glory of his mercifulness in the salvation of the vessels of mercy Exod. 34. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgressions and sins and that will by no means clear the guiliy Here also you find that mercifulness is so attributed to God as that justice likewise is preserved in him though his merciful nature in forgiving doth extend to thousands yet it doth not extend to all For he likewise professeth that he will by no means clear the guilty Mercy hath a double consideration First as in the nature of God Secondly As in the promise of God which sheweth whom he will forgive and therefore 5. It would be your wisdom not absolutely to sit down with this notion that God is merciful but respectively to search out unto what sorts of persons he doth promise himself to be a merciful God in forgiving their sins For in his promises you may as certainly discern the will and extent of his mercy as in his threatnings you may espy the purpose and intent of his wrath and if you did so you should presently find that forgiving mercy is promised and intended only for believing and repenting sinners Prov. 28. 13. Isa 55. 7. Acts 3. 19. Acts 10. 43. Object And whereas it is objected that Psal 145. 9. the Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works Sol. This place is not for your purpose for 1. When he saith that the Lord is good to all this is spoken only as to his general Providence whereby he doth good to all sorts of creatures man and beast in their sustentation and preservation 2. When he saith that his tender mercies are over all his works if you take all his works for the whole Creation and his tender mercies for forgiveness of sins unto which forgiveness is ascribed Psal 51. 1. then it cannot with any sense he affirmed that forgiveness of sins extends to the whole Creation for this were to make beasts and trees and the elements and heavens to be sinners but when he saith that his tender mercies are over all his works either this is spoken in an absolute sense that all his works do taste of his kindness bounty and pity or in a comparative sense that of all the works of God his mercies are the highest and chiefest they are above or over all of them none like to them Object But God did not make us to damn us Sol. No nor yet to sin against him but to serve him Secondly A second ground upon which some do conclude that they are within the compass and capacity of the promise of forgiveness of sins is this that God is a gracious God forgiving sins freely so indeed doth that word signifie Colos 2 13. Gods graciousness Having forgiven you all trespasses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely forgiven and Luke 7. 42. He freely forgiveth them both Hence they conclude that God stands upon nothing requires nothing but without any more ado will forgive the sins of men as it were of course Answered Sol. And yet by your favour God in his Word doth say Acts 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Gal. 2. 16. We have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ But consider First The graciousness of God in forgiving of sins stands in opposition not to the means which God hath prescribed to enjoy forgiveness
platted a Crown of thorns they put it on his head and a Reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying Hail King of the Jews so Acts 2. 13. Others mocking said these men are full of new wine And they are said in Hebr. 10. 29. to tread under foot the Son of God and to count his blood an unholy thing How amazing is this reproach and thus is it with all who sin the sin against the Holy Ghost the precious blood of Christ his holiness his truth his commands his ways his servants are the objects of their mockings and scorns and reproaches Thirdly This opposition is made against Christ and the Gospel after and against the clear Convictions of the Holy Ghost They who sinne this sin 1. Have had such a light in them as to know Jesus Christ Joh. 9. 41. Jesus said unto them If ye were blinde ye should have no sin but now ye say we see therefore your sin remaineth Joh. 7. 28. Ye both know me and whence I am Hebr. 6. 4. who were once inlightened They that sin this sin do know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Redeemer and that there is salvation in him and in no Name but his and that the way which he prescribes for salvation is the true way of life and after all this they crucifie the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame 2. The Holy Ghost hath not only illuminated their minds but hath also raised them to a kind of approbation of Christ and his truths and his ways so that they have taken upon them the profession of Christianity and side with the Gospel for a time 3. By the operation of the Holy Ghost they have attained unto some spiritual taste and experience as you may see Hebr. 6. 4. Have tasted of the heavenly gift Ver. 5. And have tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come Fourthly And yet after all this they fall away Hebr. 6. 6. Reject Christ and his truths and ways and will go on in the ways of their sinful and worldly lusts This is that sin which shall never be forgiven not only because God is pleased to shut the door of mercy against it but also because persons guilty of this sin do thrust themselves into such a desperate hardness of heart and they reject Christ in whom alone pardon is to be had that as the Apostle speaks Hebr. 6. 6. It is impossible to renew them again unto Repentance 2. Secondly They do put themselves out of a capacity of the forgiveness of their sins who will not repent of their sins i. e. who will not forsake them They who will not repent of their sins but will still persist and continue in them though they be convinced though they be reproved though they be threatned though they be assured of the inconsistence of forgiveness with impenitency This point will manifestly appear upon a threefold consideration 1. Of Gods professed resolution contrary to the presumption of mercy in the impenitent sinner indeed this sinner presumes to promise mercy unto himself though he goes on in his sins but the Lord protests that he shall have none Deut. 29. 18. Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormewood Ver. 19. And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkenness to thirst Ver. 20. The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven Ver. 21. And the Lord shall separate him to evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in this book of the Law So Psal 50. 21. These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Ver. 22. Consider this ye that forget lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver 2. Of Gods restriction of his promise of forgiveness only upon condition of repentance only to such as forsake their sins where do you find it otherwise in the whole Bible Isa 1. 16. Wash ye make you clean put away the evil of your doings cease to do evil learn to do well Ver. 18. Come now let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 3. Of Gods peremptory sentence in case of impenitency Exod 34. 7. that will by no means clear the guilty i. e. the impenitent in absolving he will not absolve i. e. whosoever finds mercy they shall not Ezek. 18. 21. Cast away from you all your transgressions for why will ye dye O house of Israel Psal 63. 21. God will wound the head of such an one as goes on still in his wickednesse Luk. 13. 3. Except ye repent ye shall perish Jer. 13. 10. This evil people which refuse to hear my words which walk in the imagination of their hearts Ver. 14. I will dash them one against another even the father and the son together saith the Lord I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy but destroy them Eccles 8. 13. It shall not be well with the wicked Isa 65. 20. The sinner dying an hundred years old shall be cursed then certainly not forgiven O think of this you who still go on in the hatred of holiness in profaning of the Sabbath in drunkenness in whoredom in pride in lying in any ungodly course who mock at reproof and despise instruction who flatter your selves with hopes of forgiving mercy Be not deceived for God is not to be mocked for whatsoever a man sowes that shall he also reap Gal. 6. 7. and Rom. 2. 6. God will render to every man according to his deeds Ver. 8. Indignation and wrath Ver. 9. tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil Thirdly They do put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness of their sins who do delay and defer their work of repentance When some sinners are convinced They who delay theâ—r repentance of the inconsistence of mercy with impenitency and of the necessary presence of repentance for forgiveness then seeing it must be so and mercy cannot be otherwise had
sinnes Repenting sinners confesse their sins First You shall find Repenting sinners confessing their sins Ezra 9 6. O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens Ver. 10. And now O our God What shall we say after this for we have forsaken thy Commandments c. Psal 51. 3. I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me Ver. 4. Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Dan. 9. 4. I prayed unto the Lord my God and made my confession and said O Lord the great and dreadful God c. Ver. 5. We have sinned and committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements c. Ver. 8. O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day Luk. 15. 18. I will arise and go to my Father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Ver. 19. and am no more worthy to be called thy Son c. Secondly Now these penitently confessing sinners you shall expresly find And are under the promise of forgiveness to be under the promise of the forgiveness of sins I Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins Psal 32. 5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne Selah 3. The third and last part of Repentance is conversion or turning from Conversion from sin to God sin unto God Ezek. 33. 11. Turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes Repenting in Scripture is to this purpose styled a putting away of sins Isa 1. 16. and a casting away of our sins Ezek. 18. 31. and a forsaking of our sins Prov. 28. 13. and a departing from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. and a turning to repent of sin and to continue in sin are a contradiction as if you should say that a man leaves his sins when yet he holds them fast and will not let them go Two things you also read of this part of Repentance 1. One That truly penitent persons do forsake their sins they turn from Penitent persons forsake their sins them they put them away Isa 30. 22. Ye shall defile the covering of thy graven images of silver and the ornaments of thy molten images of gold Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth Thou shall say unto it Get thee hence Hos 14. 8. Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols Judg. 10. 15. And the children of Israel said unto the Lord We have sinned Do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee Ver. 16. And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the Lord. Job 34. 31. Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more Ver. 32. That which I see not Teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Jonah 3. 8. Let them every one turn from his evil way Ver. 10. And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way 2. The other That they who do penitentially turn from their sins are They who turn frâ—m sin are under the promise of pardon under the promise of forgiveness of sin Prov. 28. 13. Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy Many men confess their sins who yet do still love to keep their sins and therefore shall miss of mercy but the way for mercy is to forsake their sin as well as to confess sin Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and let the unrighteous forsake his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Thus have I opened unto you the integral parts of Repentance which doth certainly bring us within the capacity of the promise of forgiveness of sins Secondly I shall now proceed to handle the Qualifications of every one of The right qualifications of those parts of Repentance these parts of Repentance by which you may know that you do in truth act every one of them and consequently are under the promise c. And the rather do I insist on this because many persons do think that they are sorry for their sins and do think that they do rightly confess their sins and do think that they forsake their sins and thereupon do presume upon forgiving mercy whereas really they are still under the love and power and service of their sins and do not repent at all all which you shall find in every part which I have mentioned clearly instanced in Scripture First For mourning and weeping and afflicting the soul persons have acted something in this way and yet have not repented in truth and therefore have missed of forgiveness Mal. 2. 13. This have ye done again covering the Altar of the Lord with tears with weeping and with crying insomuch that ye regarded not the offering any more All this was but hypocrisie for notwithstanding all these tears they dealt treacherously every one against his brother Ver. 10. And profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved and married the daughter of a strange god Ver. 11. Isa 58. 3. Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our souls and thou takest no knowledge Ver. 5. Is it such a Fast as I have chosen a day for a man to afflict his soul c. Secondly For confession of sins some have done this and yet they have not rightly and penitentially done this Exod. 9. 27. Pharaoh said I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked see what a confession is here but then see Ver 34. when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder were ceased he sinned yet more and hardened his heart he and his servants Thirdly For turning from sin some have pretended thus far and yet have not truly acted therein Psal 78. 34. When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God Ver. 35 36. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongues Ver. 37. For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Jer. 2. 20. Of old time I have broken thy yoke and burst thy hands and thou saidst I will not transgress when upon every high hill and under every green Tree thou wanderedst playing the harlot Thus you see that some have pretended to all the parts of Repentance and yet have not acted up to any one part in truth Therefore I will now deliver unto you the right qualifications of all
nature or desert or circumstances of it nor afflictions devolving or throwing our sins upon others as Adam did upon his Wife and she upon the Divel but it is a clear Inditement Accusation or Charge against our selves before God I have sinned against heaven and before thee said the Prodigal Luk. 15. 18. I was a blusphemer and a persecutor and injurious and of sinners the chief said Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13 15. 4. It is a fiduciary acknowledgement of our sins it is joyned with some A fiduciary acknowledgement degree of faith for it is made to God not as to a Judge only who condemns upon the Parties confession but as to a Father who knows how to pity and forgive the mourning and repenting childe who begins to accuse and condemn himself Hosea 14. 2. Take with you words and turn unto the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously Deut. 9. 8. O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face and because we have sinned against thee Ver. 9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness though we have rebelled against him Lord I am a sinful creature but thou art a merciful God! I deserve wrath but thou canst shew mercy I am unworthy of any mercy but thou forgivest sins freely and thou hast promised forgiveness unto them who confess their sins O forgive me all my sins for Christs sake 5. Lastly True penitential confession which shall obtain forgiveness of sins It is attended with desire of humbling and endeavors of reforming is attended with desires of humbliâ—â— and endeavours of reforming When a Patient layes open his diseases to the Physitian it is for this purpose that the Physitian would cure them as the poor man having related unto Christ the grievous distempers of his child requested Mark 9. 22. But if thou canst do any thing have compassion on us and help us So when a penitent person confesseth his sins to God it is alwayes accompanied with earnest desires O Lord heal these diseases of my soul heal my pride and heal my vain-glory and heal my filthiness and heal my impatience and heal my unbelief and heal my worldliness as David with the confession of his sins joyned this petition Psal 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Nay moreover the right confession of sins is attended with the real endeavour of reforming our sins therefore Solomon puts these together He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy Prov. 28. 13. And this was the practice of the children of Israel they joyned Reformation with their Confession and good came of it unto them as you may see Judg. 10. 15. We have sinned Ver. 16. And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the Lord and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel Thirdly The qualifications of the right turning from sin which puts us within The qualification of a right turning from sin A cordial turning in the capacity of the promise of forgiveness of our sins First It is a cordial turning Joel 2. 12. Turn ye even to me with all your heart Deut. 30. 10. If thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul 2 Chron. 6. 38. If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul Ver. 39. then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication and forgive their sins c. Here are singular expressions to set forth the life and truth of penitential turning from sin viz. To turn with the heart and with all the heart with all the heart and with all the soul What may these expressions mean and signifie There are two things principally intended in them 1. One is a reality of turning for he doth indeed repent whose heart repents and he doth indeed turn from his sins whose heart doth turn from sin if the heart turns not the repentance is but feigned and hypocritical Suppose you should for awhile lay ande your sins you may therein seem unto men to repent but if you still love your sins and hold them fast and will not part with them you are so far from repenting in the sight and account of God that he looks upon you as plain hypocrites who pretend only to forsake your sins when indeed you are the servants of sin and intend not at all to foâ—sake them Well then to turn from sin with the heart is to have an heart giving a Bill of Divorce unto our sins breaking the league with sin casting it off for any more love and obedience c. 2. Another is a perfection or fulness of turning that doth the turning with all the heart and with all the soul and with the whole heart signifie as when ones whole hâ—art is set upon an object or is employed in any service the meaning is that every faculty of the soul is unitedly and concurrently engaged to that object and in that service I have sought thee with my whole heart said David Psal 119. 10. i. e. Not any one faculty of my soul but is drawn out and exercised in that work So to turn from our sin with the whole heart with all the heart and with all the soul is to have every faculty drawn off from sin and disinterested of sin and as it were outing and discharging it self thereof all of them agreeing and consenting to course it away viz. First The understanding saith I will never give way to any deceitful motions of sin any more nor to any delightful contemplation of it any more I will not count it as pleasure or profit but shall esteem of it as indeed it is an object every way to be hated and rejected Secondly The Judgement turns away from it by disapproving and disallowing and condemning of it I will never reason and plead for it more I will never contrive or devise to gratifie it more I will never make pretences and shifts to colour it any more O it is the greatest evil the only dishonour of God the only cause of the death of Christ and the only danger and damnation of the soul Thirdly The conscience turns away from it O saith conscience sin hath been the thorn in my eye and the arrow in my side it hath wounded me and made me restless and filled me with bitterness I will give warning against it I will threaten aganst it I will trouble and vex you for it Fourthly The will turns away from it in resolution and purpose I will never obey sin any more in the lusts thereof I will never give over till I find the vertue of Christ to crucifie and mortifie them Fifthly And every affection of the soul turns away from sin in true repentance 1. Love saith I will never embrace thee more 2. Desire saith I will never long after thee more 3. Delight saith I will never take content in thee more 4. Hatred saith I
what is it to be justified but to be pardoned 5. And so for Repentance and Faith certainly they have been true if forgiveness of sins have been granted unto you because to none but unto such who do truly repent and who do truly believe is forgiveness of sins promised 6. And lastly If your sins be forgiven you shall be undoubtedly saved Rom. 8. 30. Whom he justified them also he glorified So Acts 26. 18. That they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified Secondly If your sins be forgiven you then your way is opened and cleared You have access to God with all boldness with all boldness of access and confidence to your God and Father There are three choice Cordials and Encouragements to all who have obtained pardoning mercy 1. They may look upon their God as sitting altogether and always on his Throne of grace and mercy as their loving God as their kind God as their good God as their Father as their Helper as their Saviour O what a sight of God is that sight of him in heaven where there is love and nothing but love peace and nothing but peace joy and nothing but joy favour and nothing but favour blessed communion and nothing but blessed communion Such a kind of sight of God have justified and pardoned persons here on earth they may now look on God as their God as their Father as loving of them delighting in them and rejoycing over them to do them good and what should hinder them to come with a filial confidence to such a God and Father 2. They may look up unto him for any mercy which they do need and which he doth promise unto them Psal 81. 10. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Hos 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and in judgement and in loving-kindness and in mercy Ver. 21. And it shall come to pass in that day I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the heavens and the heavens shall hear the earth Ver. 22. And the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oyle and they shall hear Jezreel Beloved there is no partition wall but sin nothing that separates between God and us but sin nothing that hinders good thingâ— from us but sin now if that partition wall be broken down as certainly it is when sin is forgiven there is nothing on your part to hinder you from asking and nothing on Gods part to with-hold him from giving any thing that is good unto you 3. They may look on all their enjoyments as mercies as the fruits of love with marvailous contentment and delight mercies are sure and sweet unto them As every one of the Vessels had that inscription upon it Holiness to the Lord so every receit which the forgiven sinner partakes of hath this superscription on it A token of love from the reconciled God you have the bond and the seal the wine and the sugar the day and the Sun-shine mercies from mercy mercies in mercy this and that and my sins pardoned Thirdly If your sins be forgiven you this will be a great support strength It will be â— great support in all times and occurrences whatsoever In times of outward wants relief upholdment unto you in all occurrences whaâ—soever and in all times whatsoever 1. In times of outward wants and straits as Lactantius said of Lazarus he was sine domo but not sine Domino sine veste but not sine Fide sine cibo but not sine Christo The like may we say of the pardoned person he may be without money but not without mercy he may be without friends but he is not without a Father he may be without outward mercies but he is not without the God of mercies his body may want riches but his soul is not without forgiveness God is his forgiving God and his reconciling God and his blessed God and portion for ever and ever 2. In time of outward troubles when all the world is in combustion and distraction and there is no rest nor peace to be found amongst men why then can the pardoned sinner find rest and peace peace in his God and peace in his In time of outward troubles Christ and peace in his conscience my sins are pardoned it is God that justifies me he is at peace with me and I am so with him and therefore I can rejoyce in tribulation it self 3. In times of losses and trials God hath taken away this friend and that parent this childe and that comfort but he hath not taken away his loving-kindness In times of losses and â—ryals from me 'T is but a cross 't is not a curse 't is but a refining fire 't is not a consuming fire 't is but the rod of Father 't is not the word of a Judge 't is to heal and pacifie 't is not to harden and destroy 't is but the physick of love 't is not the sting of wrath for if sins be pardoned then enjoyments are from love and then losses are from love If God gives that is in mercy if God takes away that also is in mercy O Sirs a loss a cross sits heavily on the heart when the guilt of sin sits strongly on the conscience but if the guilt be taken off there as certainly it is upon the forgiveness of sins then may a man take up the cross and kiss it then may he stoop down and bear it then may he take in a mercy and rejoyce and then can he give back a mercy and bless that God who hath given and now hath taken c. 4. In times of sickness and death when all the world is leaving of us and when we are leaving all the world and the short minute of time is expiring In times of sickness and death and the larger date of eternity is appearing when Physitians say there is no hope and friends are taking their farewel for ever and no earthy thing can be of comfort or relief O then the fiduciary apprehension of a reconciling Christ and of a reconciled God and of all our sins as pardoned why this revives this stays this chears up our spirits this is better than life this is life in death Now let thy servant depart in peace said Simeon for mine eyes have seen thy salvation now let me dye and go to my God and Father it is certain that that man may look on death with joy who can look on Christ and the forgiveness of his sins with faith 5. In times of temptations How many temptations are answered if once our sins are pardoned In times of temptationâ— 1. God will damn thee for thy sins O no he hath pardoned my sins and therefore he will not damn me for them 2. But do not thy sins deserve hell and damnation they do so but God hath forgiven according to the riches of his grace in the blood of Christ 3. But thinkest thou
forgive us all love all kindes of true love and all degrees of true love First A love of desire our souls should long after him Psal 73. 25. Secondly A love of delight our souls should take their fill of contentmtent and satisfaction in him Thirdly A love of extasy wondering and admiring at this great love and rich mercy of God towards us Who is a God like unto thee who pardoneth iniquity Mich. 7. 18. But I obtained mercy I said Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13. Fourthly A love of similitude Forgiving one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Ephes 4. 32. shall we be so hardened to others when God is so tender to us Fifthly And a love of zeale in promoting what God loves and doth respect his honour and in removing what God hates and makes for his dishonour Sixthly A love of friendship to have our hearts knit unto him and bound unto him in an everlasting Covenant Thirdly Fear much They shall fear the Lord and his goodness Hos 3. 5. There Fear much is forgivenesse with thee that that thou mayest be feared Psal 130. 4. He will speak peace to his people and to his Saints but let them not turn again to folly Psal 85. 8. No man should have a more tender Conscience than he who hath gained a pacified Conscience None more feare to commit sin than he whose sins God hath remitted though God can multiply pardons yet it is not good nor safe for you to put him to it It is the right and proper improving of forgiveness of sins to watch our hearts and to take heed that we sin no more It argues a profaneness of heart to sin because God is merciful so it argues a most wicked heart to sin after God hath shewen mercy in the forgiving of sins Is forgiveness of sins so cheap and ordinary that you will again venture to sin Did it cost Jesus Christ his precious blood to purchase the forgiveness of sins and wilt thou as it were crucifie him again to procure thee another pardon Did it cost thee so many troubles of heart and confession and supplication to gain forgiveness of former sins and wilt thou break thy bones again that mercy may set them again did God shew unto thee such riches of grace after all the evil thou hadst committed to discharge thee to be reconciled unto thee to quiet and pacifie thy Conscience to passe by all and wilt thou now break the Laws of Love and Bonds of Friendship to sin and provoke a pardoning and a kind God Fourthly Improve much this singular mercy that ye are within the promise Improve much of the forgiveness of your sins Improve this four wayes 1. As to what depends upon it 2. As to what accompanies it 3. As to what may still preserve you in the sweet and comfortable fruition of it 4. As to what you may conclude from it both à parte Ante a parte Post First Improve it as to all the fruits which do depend upon it and flow from it Our justification or remission of sins is a Root which bears very precious fruit Improve it as to all the fruits which depend upon it and a Fountain from which do flow many sweet streams Thence ariseth all the peace in Conscience thence ariseth all the transcendent joy of the heart thence ariseth all the hope of the soul thence ariseth your great confidence in your communion with God Peace in Conscience depends on peace with God which certainly you have when God forgives your sins And therefore beseech the Lord to speak this peace unto you O Lord thou sayest in thy promise unto me thy sins are forgiven now I beseech thee say unto my Conscience Go in peace live in peace peace be unto thee in forgiving thou respectest thy glory and my comfort say unto my Conscience Neither trouble nor be troubled more let me know that I have found grace in thine eyes let grace and peace come from thee Joy of heart this also springs from forgiveness of sins received by Faith A condemned Malefactor hath no cause to joy but the pardoned sinner hath Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the attonement Psal 51. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Sin brake his bones his strength his comfort his joyes and the forgiveness of sin the news of that the hearing of that the knowledge of that would be a ground of joy and gladness to him O thou pardoned sinner why dost thou walk so heavily so dejectedly so pensively so unchearfully is not the promise of forgiveness of thy sins clear and open to thee and should not a forgiven sinner rejoyce God rejoyceth when he shews us mercy and should not we rejoyce when we receive mercy Indeed when we seek for pardoning mercy we should seek it with tears but when we have found mercy we should go home with joy Beloved pardoned sinners may rejoyce and should rejoyce In whom after ye believed ye rejoyced with joy unspeakable and full of glory â— Pet. 1. 8. Should not the forgiveness of of sins a passing from death to life from wrath to love from hell to heaven and the enjoying of God as our God and as our Friend and as our Father are not here causes good enough sufficient to â—ejoyce in the Lord Therefore in the times of your sadness chear your hearts and expostulate with your hearts why are you thus cast down and why walk you thus heavily what God your God! what Christ your Christ and all your sins freely forgiven and out of all danger and within all hopes and yet be so heavy c. Secondly Improve the forgivenesse of sins as to what accompanies a forgiven Improve it as to what accompanies a pardoned condition condition Beloved forgiveness of sins never goes alone in promise nor in participation you shall find the great Covenant of gifts linked together in promise and they are joyntly desired by the people of God a false heart is only for pardon do you not find the new heart and the new Spirit and the soft heart and the obedient heart all conjoyned with this promise of forgiveness Ezek. 36. 25 26. O then rest not here saying My sins are pardoned but press the other promises there of sanctification O Lord subdue mine iniquities as well as forgive iniquities thou hast given me mercy O give me grace thou hast broken my fetters O heal my diseases thou hast covered my sins O turn my sinful soul enable me to bring thee glory by holy walking seeing thou hast graciously pardoned the wickedness of my former living Thirdly Improve the forgiveness of your sins as to what may still preserve you in Improve it as to what may still preserves you in the comfortable fruition of it the sweet and comfortable fruition of it Though one cannot lose the forgiveness which God hath
This would most powerfully melt our hearts in filial grief and pure Melting mournings for our sins nothing melts the heart more than the apprehension of mercy Zach. 12. 10. 6. This would effectually constrain us to walk in all well pleasing before God Obedience Paul obtained mercy and returned duty 7. This would mightily strengthen and advance our confidence toward Confidence God 8. This would make all our communions with God more pleasant and delightful Present communion Chearful endurance of afflictions c. 9. This would make us patiently to bear all our afflictions and to rejoyce under them Mich. 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned and why so because I am pardoned 10. This would make us willing to dye Thy loving-kindness is better than life Comfortable dying and in death to be above death O death where is thy sting the sting of death is sin c. but thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. Ezek. 36. 25. From all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you THese words are a fuller and larger discovery of this sweet and gracious promise of Gods mercy in the forgiveness of sins They do contain in them the quantity of that forgiving mercy respecting both the number of sins and the greatnesse of sins From all your filthinesse and from all your idols will I cleanse you There are two Propositions which these words do afford unto you 1. That Gods promise of forgiveness of sins doth extend unto all the sins of all his people 2. That though the sins of persons have been exceeding great yet when they become the people of Gods Covenant even these sins also are forgiven them CHAP. III. 1. Doct. THat Gods promise of forgivenesse of sins doth extend unto all the sins of Gods promise of forgiveness extends to all the sins of all his people all his people from all c. They have been guilty of Original sin and of Actual sin of sins of Omission and of Commission of sins of Ignorance and of sins of Knowledge of sins against the first Table and against the second Table of sins against the Law and sins against the Gospel of sins in Youth and of sins in riper Age of sins considered only in Kind and of sins considered in their aggravating Circumstances Now all these and other sinnes all which though they are in number like unto the hairs on the head and aâ— thâ— sand on the Sea shore so the Scripture alludes of which the people of God have been guilty upon their repentance and upon their faith in Christ I say all of them every one of them is forgiven to them Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Ezek. 18. 22. All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him i. e. not one of them shall Col. 2. 13. Having forgiven you all trespasses ver 14. blotting out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Crosse 1 Joh. 1. 17. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Mich. 7. 19. Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the Sea Alluding as is supposed to the drowning of Pharaoh and all his host Psal 106. 11. The waters covered their enemies there was not one of them left so there is not one sin of the people of God which God doth not pardon in the depths of his mercies and of the blood of Christ SECT I. NOw there are four Arguments which may demonstrate this comfortable Argumeâ—ts to demonstrate it truth First The first shall be taken from Jesus Christ in relation to the people of God where observe From Jesus Christ All the sins of Gods people were imputed tâ— him 1. That all their sins were imputed unto Christ Isa 53. 6. He laid upon him the iniquity of us all 2 Cor. 5. 21. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sinne 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our sinnes in his own body on the tree 2. That Jesus Christ stood in their room as to answer for all their sinnes as He stoâ—d as a Surety for all theâ—r sins a Surety Heb 7. 22. He was made a Surety of a better Testament That Surety is that other Person who stands legally charged with all our debts and is bound to discharge it for us and at his hands it is required 3. That Jesus Christ suffered as much as all the sins of the people of God did He suffered as much as all their sins did deserve deserve and which could be inflicted on them for their sins Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us More than the curse of the Law could not be deserved on our parts nor inflicted on Gods part for our sins and that curse which was the comprehension of all punishment Christ was made for us and for this end to Redeem us from that curse yea he hath done so 4. That Jesus Christ by his suffering for all their sins did purchase for them the He purchased the pardon of all their sins pardon of all their sin I pray you to remember This was the purpose and intention of Christ in his sufferings to procure the remission of sins Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood which is shed for the remission of sins This was the fruit and effect of his sufferings Ephes 17. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins 5. Nay yet more Jesus Christ by his sufferings did make peace between us and He made peace between us and God God and reconciled us which could not possibly be if he had not discharged all our sins for any one sin unsatisfied for and unpardoned hinders that peace and Reconciliation Col. 1. 20. He made peace through the blood of his Crosse ver 21. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies hath he reconciled v. 22. in the body of his flesh through death 6. So did he suffer and satisfie That there is no condemnation to any who are in So that there is no condemnation to them Christ Rom. 8. 1. And who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died ver 34. If there be no condemnation to any in Christ and none to condemn them then all their sins are pardoned for if any sin remained without pardon that sin would be matter and reason of condemnation and for that sin God himself would condemn Secondly The second Argument to demonstrate the total forgiveness of sins From God himself unto the people of God shall be taken from God himself and some Considerations of him in a respectiveness unto his people
sins he was made sin for us and a curse for us How heavy was this burden all the sins of all the Elect at once lying upon him and all the curse and all the wrath due unto those sins at once also lying upon him no marvel that he did sweat drops of blood and cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And yet all this he went through and so endured as that he satisfied the very Justice of God for all these sins and purchased the discharge or forgiveness of all those sins which he could never have done had he not been both God and Man and of infinite dignity and merit and power Fourthly This likewise may inform the people of God what exceeding Obligations What Obligations he upon us unto our God do lie upon their soules unto their God who forgiveth all their iniquities transgrâ—ssions and sinnes Psal 103. 2. When some few of them heretofore fell into your Consciences you would have given if you had possessed it all the world to have gained but a hopefull possibility and probability of pardoning mercy but now you are come to a certainty the Lord himself assures you in his word of promise that he will forgive not a few sins only but all your sins O beloved how should your souls love your God and bless your God who forgives all your sins and casts them all into the depths of the Sea why every one of your sins would have been the loss of heaven and a curse and an hell and a damnation and an eternal wrath unto you had not the Lord been mercifull unto you in the forgiveness of it or them But now God will discharge you of all and blot out all so that damned you cannot be and saved you shall be O the depth of love and mercy and kindness to your souls meditate more of them be taken up more with them and as you are the only objects of riches of mercy so strive to express your selves the choisest people in exactness of love and life answerable to your mercy Fifthly This that God promiseth to pardon all the sins of all his people may A multitude of sins is not inconsistent with pardoning mercy likewise inform us that no not a mltitude of sins though the number be exceedind large and exceedingly increased Is allwayes an absolute prejudice or bar or inconsistent with pardoning mercy this consequence is clear and sound for if God will pardon all the sins of all his people and their sins are multitudes of sins and in some sort innumerable then certainly a large number of sinnings is not absolutely inconsistent with forgiveness not that every one who is guilty of a number or multitude of sins is or shall be certainly forgiven but that the multitude of sins is not an absolute bar or exclusion so as to make the condition hopeless and unpardonable All manter of sin and blasphemy saith Christ shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men Matth. 12. 31. where he plainly expresseth a capability of forgiveness for any sin or sins the sin against the Holy Ghost only excepted which may be a singular preservation against despair c. SECT IV. Vse 2 DOth God promise to forgive all the sins of all his people the next Use shall be for Exhortation unto all the people of God and that unto two duties Exhort 1. To believe this truth 2. To make use of this truth First To believe this gracious promise of their God unto them As the Apostle To believe this truth spake unto them of Antioch Men and Brethren Children of the stock of Abraham and whosoever among you feareth God to you is the Word of this Salvation sent Acts 13. 26. so say I unto all of you who are brought into Christ by faith and by him are brought into Covenant with God unto you I say is this promise of mercy made I will pardon all your iniquities from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you For the better managing of this Point I will lay down four Conclusions 1. The people of God may believe this truth 2. Many times they do not believe it for themselves 3. It is very difficult in many cases to believe the same 4. It is necessary for them at all times to believe and apply it First The people of God may believe this truth that God will forgive all The people of God may believe this truth their sins they have very good ground and warrant so to do for 1. They have not meerly a single promise from God to this purpose which yet were sufficient warrant but manifold promises they have the same promise multiplied often transcribed and that not darkly and doubtfully but clearly and plainly Jer. 33. 8. Micah 7. 19 c. 2. They are the very people unto whom this renewed promise is made they are believers they are converted and renewed they have the very Characters of the Covenant stamped and sealed upon their hearts and lives 3. They have Jesus Christ 1. In his Person 2. Mediatorship 3. Purchase 4. Benefits to be their Mediator both of Redemption and Intercession who was once offered to bear the sins of many Hebr. 9. 28. and is entered into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Ver. 24. It is no more than Christ hath purchased nor than Christ will so apply unto you nor than God intended for you when he sent Christ into the world 4. What other of the people of God have found and applied that may they believe but Psal 85. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sin Selah Psal 103. 3. Who forgiveth all their iniquities this may they believe Secondly Though the people of God may believe that God will forgive all Yet many times they do not believe it their sins yet many times they do not believe it for many times 1. They do not believe lesser matters a few earthly mercies Matth. 6. 2. They cannot believe that God will forgive any one of their sinnes which they have committed but do fear the wrath of God exceedingly 3. They stick a long time upon some particular sins and are in long debates concerning the intention and will of Divine mercy as to the pardon of them yea and conclude very often that the Lord will never pass them by 4. Upon new commissions they are so far from believing their pardon that they do question whether God hath indeed pardoned their old and former transgrestions 5. They doubt and fear whether it be not presumption in them to believe the forgiveness of all their sins Thirdly It is unquestionably a very difficult matter for any one to believe It is a difficult matter to believe it that God will forgive all his sins especially when a person doth distinctly and seriously consider them in their number and
circumstances and the heart is really sensible of the injuries against God in them O how much oft-times hath he been provoked and dishonoured Psal 40. 12. Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold of me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me Mark he is not able to look up and his heart faileth him O thinks he here is such a number of sins indeed will the Lord ever pardon all these I fear he will not I can hardly believe that he will There are three things which make it so difficult to believe that God will forgive all our sins 1. The weakness of faith which cannot presently apprehend and reach the heighth and depth and breadth and lenght of the love and mercy of God Simile a weak faith is like a weak eye which cannot behold the Sun in its glory so weak faith cannot so well behold God in the glorious manifestations of his exceedingly abundant grace but dazzles and doubts Is there such a treasury of mercies for a sinner is there enough in Christ for all these sins 2. The tenderness of conscience which being very sensible of a multitude of sins and feeling Gods displeasure and anger raiseth strong fears and exceptions against universal forgiveness of all our sins Shall I find mercy who do feel wrath Can I be perswaded that God will speak forgiveness to all my sins who do find him speaking such bitter things for some of my sins will he ever discharge me of all my sins who doth charge my sins with that strong displeasure upon my soul 3. The strong and manifold and subtile temptations and suggestions of Satan who knows how to heighten our sins and to diminish the mercies of God when he would bring us to despair as he doth know also how to diminish our sins and enlarge mercy when he would draw us to presumption O saith Satan here are such sins and here are so many of them that here is no hope at all for mercy the wrath of God you know is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and all unrighteousness of men Rom. 1. 18. For some of these sins hath God long since destroyed and damned multitudes of men What then will he do to you for all these sins here is sin upon sin and nothing but sin without any interruption and without any cessation for twenty thirty forty fifty years together are committed against many threatnings warnings examples punishments yea and against many calls of mercy and offers of grace which had they been accepted in time there might have been some hope but you went on and multiplied your transgressions against all these therefore for such a multitude of sins no mercy will be found 'T is true that God hath promised to pardon all the sins of his people but you are none of that number had you been so would you or durst you thus to have multiplied and increased your transgressions against such a God you would have repented long ago and besides all this think you that you should not have had news of forgiveness after so many tears and prayers and hearknings and waitings if God would have forgave those sins Fourthly Though it be very difficult to believe that God will forgive all our Yet it is very necessary to believe this promise sins yet it is very necessary to believe this promise of God and that upon a threefold account 1. The honour of God which is as much concerned in this Branch of the Covenant as in any other he doth lay forth in it as I hinted before the riches of his grace and the glory of his great goodness and his heart of mercies to the very full and besides this he seals this part of his Covenant with the same infallibility of truth and ratifies it with the same blood of Christ which though it respects the stablishing of the whole Covenant yet it is more frequently expressed to confirme the Branch of the forgiveness of sins as you may see in Mat. 26. 28. Ephes 1. 7. 1 John 1 7. Rev. 1. 5. c. that our faith might be the more strengthened and so give unto God the more glory in and for such a gracious truth And let me tell you one thing that what ground you have to believe that God will forgive you any one of your sins the very same you have to believe that he will forgive you all your sins and upon the same reason that you believe not the promise as to the forgiveness of all your sins upon the same reason you must deny belief of the promise as to the forgiveness of any one sin and so God lose all the glory of his rich mercies by your unbelief 2. The peace of your own consciences for suppose you did believe that God would forgive some of your sins but some others of your sins he would not forgive could this partial forgiveness settle and quiet your consciences would they not hold you under as much fear and bondage as if not one of your sins were forgiven surely it would because there is still in any unforgiven sins so much guilt and merit as will serve effectually to the everlasting destruction of your souls and bodies 3. The renewing of you again to repentance and bringing of you back again unto God for suppose you confine your faith to believe that God will pardon the sins which you have committed in time past and beyond this your faith will not stir tell me then I beseech you what will you do for the sins you have committed since conversion will you have them pardoned or will you not have them pardoned will you go on in them or will you forsake them will you still go away or will you return to your first husband surely you would have them pardoned surely you would renew repentance and return to the Lord your God but how can this be if you cannot or will not believe that God will forgive those sins as well as the former If you be perswaded that forgiving mercy is at an end and God hath no more mercy to forgive any more sins I dare assure you that where the hope of mercy ceaseth there the practice of repentance will cease But on the contrary when you can by faith see God willing and ready to pardon you and accept of you this will melt and this will move your hearts to repent and to return unto the Lord c. God hath yet thoughts of mercy towards me I will arise and go to my Father and say Father I have sinned against thee c. Secondly And this leads me unto the next Branch of the Exhortation which Make use of this truth is that we must not only believe that God will forgive us all our sins but we must make use of this truth in all our occasions What one day of our life have we not occasion to make use
thereof After conversion there are two sorts of sins incident unto us 1. Daily sins of ignorance and infirmity and they are so many that we know not the number of them yet all of them do need forgiving mercy 2. Voluntary sins and of a very gross and hainous nature which make a deep wound and raise an hideous cry in the conscience and shake all our foundations and lie as an heavy burden upon us and they do the more wound and afflict us because committed after mercy and against mercy Now in such a self-wounding and self-judging and self-humbling condition what should the ashamed and confounded sinner do why he should return speedily to his God and with tears and shame spread his sins before the Lord and acknowledge that he is unworthy of any more mercy and yet beseech the Lord to shew him mercy again who hath promised to forgive all the sins of his people and he should hearken what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people but let them return no more to folly Psal 85. 8. SECT V. Vse 3 THE third Use of this Point shall be partly of Comfort and partly of Encouragement First Of Comfort to all who are brought into Covenant with God especially Comfort to such as have stood out a long time and have abounded in transgressions who have made the very creature groan with the burden of their many sins why all these are forgiven as soon as God hath brought you into the Covenant Luke 7. 47. Her sins which are many are forgiven 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy O what a day of salvation is the very day when God brings a man into Christ and into the Covenant all his enemies that pursued him are drowned not one of them is left so all his sins are forgiven and not one of them is alive to his condemnation Secondly Of Encouragement to come out of a sinful and unbelieving condition Encouragement and to yield up our selves to Christ and to be willing to become the people of God and to walk in his ways why all the sins that ever you have committeâ— shall be forgiven you they shall not be mentioned unto you your Drunkenness Swearing Whordome Theft Lying Sabbath-breakings all your sins of Omission and of Commission sins against the Law and sins against the Gospel sins that your own hearts can charge you with and that God himself can charge upon you all forgiven any one of them would damn you and now all shall be pardoned if you will hear and believe and repent c. Cast away all your transgressions repent return and live why will ye dye O house of Israel I offer to you life and death choose life Do not for lying vanities forsake your mercies A greater offer there cannot be than Christ nor motive than the pardon of all your sins EZEK 36. 25. From all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you HAving spoken somewhat unto the extensive part of promised forgiveness that it reacheth all the sins of all the people of God I now proceed unto the Intensive part of that promised The intensive part forgiveness which respects the greatness and hainousness of sin as well as the number and multitude of sins from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you whence you may observe CHAP. IV. Doctr. 2 THat although the sins of persons have been exceeding great yet when these persons become the people of God in Covenant even those sins also are forgiven them from all your filthiness and from all your Idols Great sins are forgiven to the people of God in Covenant will I cleanse you forgiveness reacheâ—â— to the greatest sins which the people of God have been guilty of this assertion 1. I shall clear from the Text it self 2. From other Scriptures Proved 3. Demonstrate by some Arguments and Reasons 4. And then apply it unto our selves SECT I. 1. THE Text clearly holds out the Assertion for God doth give here By the text instances of two great kinds of sins One against the second Table all your filthiness and the other against the first Table all your Idols in the one is implied the great injury done unto our Neighbour and in the other the great injure done unto God yet God promiseth to forgive both I will speak something of both these sins and something of the greatness of them both which yet God promiseth c. First From all your filthiness that word filthiness is sometimes taken What is meant by filthiness for any sin every sin is a pollution and uncleanness a filthiness therefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit there are bodily sins which the Apostle here calls the filthiness of our flesh and there are spiritual sins arising from and acted in the soul which the Apostle here calls the filthiness of the spirit Sometimes that word filthiness is taken restrictively for bodily pollution or uncleanness when the bodies of men and women are defiled and polluted and do defile and pollute themselves Several kinds of it Bestiality of which in Scripture you finde several sorts and kinds 1. Bestiality that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abomination not to be named it is confusion you read of this sin in Lev. 18. 23. and of the punishment of it with death Lev. 20. 15 16. 2. Sodomy of this horrid sin and the punishment thereof you read in Sodomy Lev. 20 13. This is not only a sin but also a recompence of other sins and for which God gives men over to a reprobate mind Rom. 1. 27 28. and for which he destroyed those five Cities with fire from heaven Gen. 19. 24 25. 3. Incest ubi servatur sexus sed non gradus it is the sin cum agnata Incest or cognata with a kinswoman of the fathers or the mothers side yea and with ones fathers wife see Lev. 20. 17. and with ones brothers wife 4. Fornication which is between single persons Fornication Adultery 5. Adultery which is uncleanness between persons married to others or when one of them is married to another and yet defileth himself with a stranger some of these sins of uncleanness are so horrid that they are said to be against nature yea against corrupt nature the very natural light in natural conscience condemns and opposes them and the rest of them as fornication and adultery the Scripture sets them out as very odious in the eyes of God and very foul transgressions and extreamly pernicious in them you may read ten things concerning Ten things concerning these â—hese sins First That they are the express fruits of a vile and naughty heart out of the heart proceedeth fornications adulteries saith Christ Matth. 15. 19. The works of the flesh are manifâ—â—â— which are
civil sinner Mary Magdalen as well as Lydia Saul as well as Nicodemus great sinners as well as small offenders But unless God would pardon great sinners the Gospel cannot invite all sorts of sinners For when you preach it to persons guilty of great sins alas say they mercy belongs not to us and what have you to do to press upon us to believe suppose we should believe yet we shall not be saved God will never justifie and pardon us c. 5. God brings great sinners into Covenant Publicans Harlots and when God brings great sinners into Covenant in a perfect league of love and peace God brings any actually into the Covenant there is a perfect league of love and peace made between them a mutual reconciliation and relation therefore he pardons their great sins For unless these were pardoned such a league of love and peace would be impossible Persons are not perfectly reconciled whilest the greatest matters of difference do continue 6. Son said Christ be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee Matth. 9. 2. Every justâ—fied person hath cause of rejâ—ycing Every justified or pardoned person is in a comfortable condition he hath cause of joy and rejoycing But if God did not pardon their great sins as well as the rest of their sins their condition would not be comfortable at all but most miserable and full of just horror and fear c. 7. God hath made use of the great sins of persons to humble them and will he not God makes use of great sins to humble men now make use of his great mercies to pardon them all our humbings are wrought by the Spirit in a reference unto mercy when God intends to make us vessels of mercy he doth first make us broken vessels Acts 2. 37. Pricked in their hearts Ver. 41. then believed Acts 9. 6. Trembled Chap. 16. 29. And when he intends to break and humble the heart of a sinner usually he makes the Conscience of him to apprehend and to lay hold of some of the greatest and worst of his sins Pauls Conscience took hold of his persecuting of Christ and the Jaylor of his injuriousness to the Apostles Zacheus on his exaction and Mary Magdalen on her adultery God layes on us the sense of our great sins to make us see the great need of mercy and to confess the greatness of mercy in the pardoning of such great sins and to quicken earnest prayers for mercy 8. God hath great glory in the pardon of great sins Who is a God like unto thee c Mich. 7. 19. q. d. there is not such a merciful and gracious God in all the God hath great glory in the pardon of great sins world Prov. 25. 2. It is the glory of God to conceale a thing Prov. 19. 11. It is the glory of a man to passe over a transgression So Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Ver. 9. And this shal be to me a Name of joy and praise and honour before all the Nation This was his glory Exod. 34. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin c. 9. God would have his people to pray for the forgiveness of their great sinnes God would have his people to pray for pardon of great sins Hose 14. 2. Take away iniquity and receive us graciously and they have prayed for the forgiveness of their great sins Psal 25. 11. For thy Name sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great And they have prevailed Exod. 32. 32. Therefore certainly he will forgive their great sins For whatsoever we ask according to his will and in Christs Name he will do it for us SECT II. 1. Vse DOth God promise to pardon the great sins yea the greatest sins of his people Hence we may be informed of the unspeakable goodness Information of the unspeakable goodness of God to his people In not taking advantage against us of God to his people First That he takes not advantage against them he seeks not occasions to fall off from them if he did then small offences would serve the turn our daily failings would have broken up all communions betwixt him and us much more would our great transgressions have raised up a partition wall and caused his soul to abhor us Psal 103. 10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Great transgressions are great provocations and great injuries and great dishonours unto God yet you see he promiseth to pass them by to pardon them therefore certainly he takes no advantage against us he doth not mark iniquities and what we have done amiss There are no small matters God doth for us Secondly That they are no small matters which he doth for us There are two things which God doth for his people which are not small favours 1. One is the giving of Christ unto them and the giving of them unto Christ 2. The other is the forgiving of their great sins Moses reputes this work as the fruits of his great power and of his great mercy Numb 14. 17. I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying ver 18. The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression ver 19. Pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy And so doth the Apostle in Ephes 1 17. He puts this upon the account of the riches of Gods grace wherein ver 8. he abounds towards us Was it a small thing for the King in Matth. 18. 23 24. to forgive the servant who owed unto him ten thousand talents What is the desert of any one sin even of the least of our sins death and wrath and curse and hell what then is the punishment and recompence meritoriously belonging to us for our great transgressions yet God forgives them c. Thirdly That his love is very great and very firm and sure unto his people His love is very great and firm and never to be taken off and removed why so because he forgives all the sins of his people and the great and the greatest sins of them If any thing breaks off the love of God it must be sin for that he hates and that is the only provocation of him and if any sin doth it it is likely that a multitude of sins will daily and continual offences and if any of these will it is most probable that great and high sinnings will cut the knot asunder But you see it is not the multitude of sins nor yet the magnitude of sins which separates the people of God from the love of God but he will pardon all their sins yea the greatest of their sins therefore his love is fixed and never to be changed For if these will not alter it nothing else shall or can Fourthly That God takes
God reaches as you have heard to the pardon of great sins 2. The instances or acts of mercy they are recorded grants of grace and mercy to great transgressions You know thus they have passed to David to Solomon to Mary Magdalen to Peter to Paul to the Corinthians As great sins as yours hath God pardoned yea and perhaps greater sins than yours 3. God is still of a merciful nature he is as able and as ready to forgive as ever the Fountain is as full and as open Although the Lord hath shewn mercy to many and great sinners already yet he reserves and keeps mercy for thousands nay for a thousand generations You are not the first great sinners nor yet the last great sinners on whom he hath or on whom he will shew mercy his mercy endures for ever 4. He calls upon such as have been guilty of great sins to leave their sins and to come in unto him and hath assured them that if they do so he will forgive their great sins Isa 1. 10. Hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom and ye people of Gomorrah Ver. 15. Your hands are full of blood Ver. 16. Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings before mine eyes cease to do evil ver 17. learn to do well c. Ver. 18. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool Jer. 3. 1. They say If a man put away his wife and she go away from him and she become another mans shall he return again unto her shall not that Land be greatly polluted but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet return again unto me saith the Lord. Ver. 5. Will he reserve his anger for ever will he keep it to the end behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest Ver. 7. And I said after she had done all these things turn thou unto me but she returned not Ver. 12. Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am mercifull c. Secondly I now proceed to lay down some Directions what one should Directions how to get the pardon of great sins do who hath been guilty of great sins to get the pardon of them I will propose unto you no other Course or Practice than what you may read in the Scriptures that some have taken who have been guilty of great sins and have thereupon found mercy in the pardoning of them Quest What 's that will you say Sol. You shall find First That they have been greatly humbled and have greatly mourned for Be greatly humbled for them their great sinnings and then God did shew them mercy in the pardon of those sins Zach. 12. 11. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo Chap. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a Fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse Jer. 31. 19. I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Ver. 20. I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord Psal 6. 6. I am weary of my groaning all the night I make my bed to swim I water my Couch with my tears and you know the Lord forgave his great sins Luk. 7. 38. Mary Magdalen stood at the feet of Christ behind him weeping and began to wash his feet with tears Ver. 48. And he said unto her Thy sinnes are forgiven thee Peter went out and wept bitterly for his great sin and that sin was forgiven And Paul fell down and trembled for his great sins and they were pardoned In all these instances you see great mourning for great sins and gracious pardon for them Go you and doe likewise and you shall find friendship Secondly That they have cordially and really forsaken their great sinnes they durst not continue in them but have loathed themselves and their abominations Cordially forsake them and have cast them away Ezâ—a 9. 14. Should we again break thy Commandements and joyn with the people of these abominations Isa 30. 22. Ye shall also defile the covering of thy graven Images of silver and the ornaments of thy molten images of gold then shalt thou cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Ver. 23. Then shall he give the rain of thy seed c. Hos 14. 8. Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols I have heard him and considered him I am like a green firre tree from me is thy fruit found Judg. 10. 16. And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the Lord. Acts 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out Thus did David thus did Manasse thus did Mary Magdalen thus did Paul and the Prodigal and thereupon did find mercy Such were some of you but ye are sanctified but ye are justified c. Lookst thou for mercy to pardon great sins and yet still goest on in thy trespasses c. Thirdly That they have earnestly prayed unto the Lord for the forgivenesse of their Earnestly pray for the pardon of them great sinnes Exod. 32. 31. O this people have sinned a great sinne and have made themselves gods of gold Ver. 32. Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sinne and if not blot me I pray thee out of the book which thou hast written so Moses prayed Psal 25. 11. For thy Names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great Dan. 9. 5. We have sinned and committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled by departing from thy precepts Ver. 9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesse though we have rebelled against him Ver. 19. O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and deferre not for thy Name sake Ver. 18. We do not present our supplications unto thee for our righteousnesse but for thy great mercies Luke 18. 13. And the Publican stood a farre off and would not lift up so much as his eyes to Heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be mercifull unto me a sinner In these Prayers for the pardon of great sinnes you may espy four Ingredients 1. That they have come from broken hearts sensible of their greatness 2. That they have come from humble hearts sensible of their own unworthiness 3 s That they have been sent up with believing hearts 4. That they have been plyed and followed with earnest and servent and importunate hearts which would have no denial and all of them found acceptance Fourthly That they have pleaded with God upon such grounds which have alwayes Plead with God upon prevailing grounds been prevalent with God for the obtaining of the forgiveness of their
sins 1. For his mercies sake Psal 51. 1. According to the multitude of thy mercies blot out my transgressions Psal 6. 4. O save me for thy mercies sake 2. For his Christ sake Ephes 4. 32. Even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Therefore when of old they would have their sins pardoned they offered sacrifices and blood was shed and poured out which Typified the blood of Christ that was shed for the remission of sins For without shedding of blood is no Remission Heb. 9. 22. 3. For his Promise sake Numb 14. 17. I beseech thee said Moses let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying Ver. 18. The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression Ver. 19 Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even untill now Fifthly They have patiently waited upon the Lord untill that he hath shewed them Patiently wait till he shew mercy mercy Psal 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints Isa 30. 18. Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of judgement blessed are all they that wait for him Ver. 19 He will be gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he will answer thee These are the ways which great sinners yea which the people of God being guilty of great transgressions have taken to get the forgiveness of them and in which ways God hath met them with his pardoning mercies and if in the like cases we do thus follow the Lord he will be merciful and gracious unto any of us though greatly sinning and guilty Thirdly Having shewed unto you what course is to be taken for to get the pardon Evidences of the pardon of great sins of great transgressions I shall now deliver unto you some signs or evidences by which one may certainly know that God hath forgiven his great sins There are six Evidences of this First There always goes a great change with the forgiveness of great sins A great change accompanying it It is a great question whether Justification be before Sanctification whatsoever may be disputed for the priority of nature yet it is agreed there is no priority of time for as soon as any sinner is justified and pardoned he is changed and sanctified the blood and the water go together as soon as any one is in Christ he is forgiven and there is no condemnation unto him Rom. 8. 1. And so as soon as any is in Christ he is a new creature old things are past away and all things become new 2 Cor. 15. 17. What an unclean person was Mary Magdalen before she was called to Christ and found mercy and after mercy was obtained what an eminent Christian was she what a violent and injurious Persecutor was Paul in times past and when he obtained mercy what an admirable and exemplary Christian was he Of all the changes incident to sinners the greatest change appears in the greatest sinner received to mercy and forgiveness there are two conspicuous changes in them 1. The greatest inward change the sins which he formerly loved more than his soul he now doth hate more than hell he once out faced the Word and now trembles at it 2. The greatest outward change the worst sinner being received to mercy proves the choicest Christian he is now as notable in a gracious walking as he was once notorious in a licentious living exemplary in both respects and in both wayes and courses Note Secondly A second Evidence that God hath forgiven our great sins is our great Great love to a forgiving God love to a forgiving God this note Christ himself giveth Luke 7. 47. Her sins which are many are forgiven her for she loved much but to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little Christ brings there a Parable of a Creditor who forgave two debts one of them a great debt and the other a lesser debt hereupon he demands of Simon the Pharisee which would love him most who answered I suppose he to whom most was forgiven this he applies to the woman there forgiven much was forgiven her and therefore she loved much he speaks not of a love anâ—â—cedent to pardon but of a love following it 1 John 4 19. We love him because he loved us first Ver. 10. Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins And indeed none can love God but such who can by faith see him a merciful pardoning and reconciling God in Christ Thirdly A most tender fear to offend and grieve the Lord any more Psal 130. A tender fear to offend God 4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared Hosea 3. 5. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness It is wonderful to observe the singular frame of spirit in a converted and pardoned sinner from what it was in former times heretofore he feared not the most cursed Oaths but now he fears an idle word heretofore he feared not the most beastly practice of uncleanness but now he fears the very thoughts and mental imaginations of it heretofore he could omit all good duties now he fears to neglect the least he hath found so much good so much mercy at the hands of God and tasted of so much gracious goodness that he would not willingly offend him in any thing in any part of his life a tender heart hath tasted of tender mercies Fourthly Exceeding zeal for God who hath shewed him great mercy and Exceeding zeal for God for Christ for whose sake God hath forgiven all the greatest sinners have ever been most zealous before they have obtained mercy they have been most zealous for what was evil and after they have obtained mercy they have been most zealous for what is good How zealous was Paul even besides himself for Christ actively zealous I laboured more abundantly than they all 1 Cor. 5. 10. And passively zealous I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Hierusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Acts 21. 13. Fifthly Great compassions Oughtest thou not to have had compassion on thy fellow-servant as I had compassion on thee There are no men so merciful as Great compassions those sinners to whom God hath shewed most mercy there is a three-fold compassion in them 1. A pitying compassion of all sinners especially of great sinners grieving bewailing praying 2. An helping compassion especially to those unto whom he hath been the occasion or cause of great sins even pulling them out of the fire weeping intreating instructing them with meekness if peradventure God will give them
repentance David after the pardon of his great sins then saith he Psal 51. 13. will I teach Transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee 3. A forgiving compassion bearing much and forgiving much as God for Christ sake hath forgiven them Sixthly True peace and joy which flow only from forgiving mercy Luke True peace and joy 7. 48. Thy sins are forgiven Ver. 50. Thy faith hath saved thee go in peace Rom. 5. 11. We also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement There is a two-fold peace in a sinner 1. One ariseth from stupidity and depends upon an ignorant and seared conscience as a sick man is quiet while he sleeps 2. Another ariseth from faith which seals to the goodness and truth of the promise and causeth the soul to rest in that good and faithful Word that God for Christs sake will indeed forgive their great sins a peace that follows faith is a right peace and a right testimony that sin is forgiven 1 John 3. 21. If our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God So there is a two-fold joy 1. Of presumption which is ungrounded and rash irrational and irreligious a joy that a mans sins are pardoned and yet no Word of God hath said it only his own heart saith it and with that joy there is at the same time conjoined sinful sensual joy in some lust or other 2. Of the Holy Ghost a joy which comes frâ—â— the Holy Ghost and depends likewise upon faith in Christ By whom we do receive the atonement this joy doth exceedingly enlarge the heart to God and fills it with special complacencies and delights in God and sweet communions with him c. such a peace in conscience and such a joy in God are the very fruits of his grace and love and mercy SECT IV. Vse 3 THE next Use shall be of Caution that we take heed lest we abuse and pervert this gracious promise of God touching the forgiveness of great sins Caution Abuse not this gracious mercy either by continuing under the guilt of former transgressions or by adding new guilt in the commission of more great iniquities O say some wild Atheists God is such a merciful God that he will forgive any sin yea the greatest sins adulteries and idolatries and drunkenness and blasphemers and therefore we will continue in these sins we will not be curbed and restrained but will take our delights and give over our selves unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness Ephes 4. 19. To prevent such presumptions and desperate inferences in all that hear of Gods Six antidotes against presumption great mercifulness to pardon great transgressions give me favour to lay down fix Conclusions or Antidotes First Such presumptuous inferences are expresly contrary to the goodness and Such inferences are contrary to Gods goodness intention of Gods great mercy Psal 130. 4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared He doth not say There is forgiveness with thee that we may therefore boldly go on in sin but that we may fear to sin any more Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Rom. 6. 1. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid q. d. Thou dost utterly mâ—stake and pervert the aime and intention of Gods mercy in sparing of thee and forbearance to punish and destroy thee alas it is not that thou shouldest therefore continue in sin but that thou shouldest repent of sin Beloved there is no Attribute of God which can be an encouragement to sin but every one of them is a strong reason to tuâ—n us from sin he is holy and of purer eyes than to behold sin therefore we should not sin he is just and righteous to recompâ—â—ce the sinner according to his ways therefore we should not sin he is mighty in Power and of great Might able to make good and to execute all the judgement which he hath threatned sinners with therefore we should not sin he in much patience bears with us and forbears to deal with us according to our sins therefore we should not sin and he is merciful and gracious ready to forgive therefore we should not sin not therefore we will continue in our sins not therefore we will multiply and adde sin to sin Secondly As God is merciful in pardoning great sinners so God is just in condemning God is just as well as merciful great sins and as he hath and will glorifie his mercy in forgiving and saving some great sinners so he hath and will glorifie his justice in judging and damning some other great sinners therefore do not presume to go on in great sins because God hath promised to forgive great sins Exod. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious Ver. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Here you see his mercy declared that he will forgive the great sins of some persons but then read on and you shall finde his justice that he will punish the great sins of others And that will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the childrens children unto the third and to the fourth generation You read that some of the Corinthians were justified and pardoned who had been guilty of adultery and Sodomy 1 Cor. 6. 9. And so you read of others that were damned for those sins Jude ver 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over unto fornication and going after strange flesh are see forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Thirdly There was never any great sinner whom God pardoned nor is there Never was any great sinner pardoned but he repented any great sinner whom God doth promise to pardon but he hath repented and he must repent of his great sins 1. Consider the great sinners whom God hath pardoned as they were great sinners so they were great penitents David was guilty of great sins but he repented of them all he repented of his murder and he repented of his adultery and he repented of his pride in numbring the people Manasses was an exceeding great sinner hardly any the like 2 Chron. 33. from ver 1. to ver 11. but he repented of his great sins he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers Ver. 12. And prayed unto him and he was intreated of him Ver. 13. And he reformed all again for he pulled down and put away all his Idolatry Ver. 15. And he did set up the true worship of God again and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel Ver. 16 c. 2. Consider the great sinners whom God doth promise to pardon certainly you shall find that promise to pass upon terms of
of some sinners in the like condition of guilt with himself whom yet God did pardon but did ever any sin as I have sinned and did God ever pardon any who have sinned as I have sinned or had their sin all those aggravations though God hath pardoned them as my sin hath can you give me any one clear record or pattern of the same There are two reasons which draw a troubled sinner thus to search and thus to enquire 1. One is because he thinks that what God never did in a way of mercy he will never do 2. Another is because he thinks that the apprehension of great mercy past in a case parallel with his will be a quicker help to his hope and faith that God may likewise forgive his great sins even as he hath forgiven the same to others Nevertheless under favour be it spoken this is not so regular a way Yet this is not so regular nor so sure a ground of hope nor yet so sure a ground for hopes of mercy for 1. If instances and precedent patterns of former mercy were necessarily to be look't at as grounds for hopes in us of the like mercy then the first transgressors they that had been first in the guilt of great transgressions must have despaired of forgiveness for no pattern example or instance of the like was ever found before but mercy was pleased to make them the pattern of mercy for others as Paul speaks of himself in 1 Tim. 1. 16. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting The Lord himself would have put us upon that way of searching records and instances before we should look up unto thiâ— promise by faith 2. These instances of mercy will not absolutely quiet the troubled conscience but notwithstanding them the fire will still burn and the torments and fear will abide in strength and that upon a double account First Though God shew mercy to a great transgressor in the like kind yet he hath not shewed mercy to every one in that kind so that still the sinner is troubled But will God shew mercy to me Again that a like great transgressor I find hath had a great change wrought in him O but this I cannot find or discern in my self Ergo. So then troubled sinners do usually look after instances and examples of pardon before they do look up to the promises of mercy but this is not so regular nor so sure a way to raise faith as I shall presently shew unto you But secondly Though you cannot finde a powerful instance yet possibly there Though you cannot finde a parallel instance yet instances in the same kind may be found may be found instances of transgressors in the same kind of sinning whom God hath formerly pardoned though you cannot find them yet they may be found in the Scriptures Suppose your great sin hath been 1. Extortion you may read that forgiven in Zacheus 2. Drunkenness you may read that forgiven in Noah 3. Theft you may read that forgiven to the Penitent Thief on the Cross 4. Whoredome you may read it forgiven to Mary Magdalen and adultery it was forgiven to David 5. Incest you read it forgiven to Lot and to the incestuous Corinthian 6. Sodomy you read it forgiven to some of the Corinthians 7. Murder you read it forgiven to David 8. Idolatry you read it forgiven to Solomon and also to some of the Corinthians 9. Blasphemy why all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven c. Matth 12 31. 10. Apostasie Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful Jer. 3. 12. 11. Scoffin and mocking of the Gospel and the Ministers thereof yet some of these heve been forgiven Act. 2. 13 38. and 17. 32 34. 12. Denying and forswearing of Christ yea and that after knowledge and faith yet pardoned unto Peter possibly the great sin which lies so heavy upon the Conscience may be soon one of these and then you see a parallel instance as you do desire But 3ly admit you read not of a particular personal example yet if you do May not instances of pardon of sins that exceed yours serve the turn read of any instance of forgiving mercy to any sinner whatsoever whose great transgressions do not only equal but farre exceed that or those of which you are guilty may not that serve you Surely it is not impossible that thy great sins may be forgiven if mercy hath past an Act of grace in forgiving some sinners their great transgressions Object O no! no mans sins were ever greater than mine c. Sol. Well but what if I produce one whose sins have been such that thy heart will be amazed at and dread to think of being guilty of such transcendent iniquities my instance shall be in Manasseh of whom you may thus read 2 Chro 33. 2. He did evil in the sight of the Lord like unto the abominations of the Heathen whom the Lord hath cast out before the children of Israel Ver. 3. For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his Father had broken down and he reared up Altars for Baalim and made Groves and worshipped all the Host of heaven and served them Ver. 3. Also he built Altars in the house of the Lord whereof the Lord said In Jerusalem shall my Name be for ever Ver. 5. And he built Altars for all the Host of heaven in the Courts of the house of the Lord. Ver. 6. And he caused his children to passe through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom Also he observed times and used Inchantments and used Witchcraft and dealt with a Familiar spirit and with Wizards he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger Ver. 7. And he set a carved image the idol which he had made in the house of God Ver. 9. So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to erre and to do worse than the Heathen whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel Ver. 10. And the Lord spake unto Manasseh and to his people but they would not hearken Are not these sinnes greater than thy sinnes Such high Idolatries sacrificing of Children to the Divels Yet this greatest of sinners that you read of in the old Testament upon his deep repentance found mercy as Paul who called himself the chiefest of sinners in the New Testament did likewise obtain mercy c. Fourthly Under the sense of incomparably great sinnings the business is not Under the sense of great sinnings the businesse is not to debate but to repent to debate but to repent Not what great sins you or others have committed and whose great sins God hath pardoned but to obtain an heart from God to repent of those sins for though
sins be lesser sins a sinner shall be damned for them if he repent not Though sins have been exceeding great yet they shall be forgiven upon repentance You demand what a great sinner should do who can find no instance of mercy to any under the same guilt with himself I answer plainly 1. He should do what God calls upon him to do and what he hath called upon other great sinners to do and that is to repent Let the wicked forsake his way c. Isa 55. 7. Repent and be converted Act. 3. 19. Put away the evil of your doings Isa 1. 16. 2. He should by faith lay hold on the promises of mercy by Christ to a repenting sinner To dispute who hath found mercy is the least of your business but do you repent and you shall quickly see mercy in a promise to your own souls although you cannot find Instances of mercy unto others Fifthly Though you cannot find particular and answerable instances yet in case Though you cannot find instances yet in case of Repentance you shall find promises of Repentance you may and shall finde sufficient promises which are proper grounds for your faith to work on to answer your conditions All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy aganist c. Matth. 12. 31. Certainly this promise will reach your sin be it never so great unless it be the sin against the Holy Ghost and that sin you are not guilty of because you are repenting of your sin whereas it is impossible to renew those who are guilty of that sin unto repentance Heb. 6. 6. Sixthly And let me tell you one thing more That as when God forbids any kind of sin he doth therein forbid the particular individual branches of that sin So if I do not exceedingly mistake when he doth promise to forgive a sin in any kind that promise of forgiveness will extend to any one particular or distinct sin of that kind be that particular sin never so hainous vâ—g When he promiseth to forgive uncleanness indefinitely upon the repentance of a person this promised forgiveness is appliable to the most vile and horrid wayes of uncleanness of which a person hath been guilty But I have said enough to this Scruple Whether the first work of a sinner be to repent or to believe 2. Quest Whether in case of great transgressions the first work which concerns the sinner be to repent of his sin or firsc to believe that God hath forgiven his sin or rather will do so Answered Sol. Truely I think that whatsoever we may Theoretically argue in such a case yet practically he that is wounded in Conscience for any great sin hath little leasure or ability to keep Rank or File I mean thus artificially to consider the Method or Order of Spiritual actings But one while he thinks on sin and another while on mercy when on his sin then with great fears and when on mercy then with great doubts That he should repent he knows that he may presently believe he questions and to speak plainly he can neither well repent nor yet well believe a third work ordinarily presseth him which is of a troubled and troubling Conscience But yet if you would have me speak my thought to this Nicity rather than Case of Conscience I should say First As to experience trouble and tears and fears and sighes and groanes are usually the immediate workings and issues of great sinings Secondly As to the command Repentance is the first work which God layes out for the great sinner This generally you read prescribed both in the Old and New Testament 2 Chron 7. 14. Isa 1. 16. Isa 55. 7. Ezek. 18. 21. and Luke 24. 47. Act. 2. 38. Act. 3. 19. And truely it will be no easie work to clear out that a man can or may believe that God according to promise will forgive him his sins though very great whiles he yet remaines impenitent Thirdly As to the order of practice I would prescribe both of them to be first The sinner should repent first and the sinner should believe first and that he may do both first he should pray for both first A believing Repentance and a Repenting Faith such a Repentance which is accompanied with Faith and such a Faith as accompanied with Repentance And verily in this case if the Faith be right it is not without Repentance and if the Repentance be right it is not without Faith you cannot rightly repent unless you have Faith to see some mercy neither can you confidently believe unless there be some Repentance I beseech you whiles others are a disputing which of these should appear first do you earnestly and seriously beg of God for grace to act them both What that sinner should do who cannot find a heart to repent or believe 3. Quest But there is another Case which is more real and more to purpose viz. What that sinner should do who upon the commission of some great sin cannot find a heart either to repent or to believe the heart is become hardned and no workings can be raised either of mourning for the sin post or of believing for mercy future Answered Sol. This is unto the sinner a very dreadful case because 1. God seems to deal with him in a plain judicial way and in a forsaking manner denying unto him the presence and power of his Spirit to raise him out of the depth of his sin and misery into which he hath plunged himself 2. God seldom leaves a sinner thus but where the sinner hath presumed to commit some great transgression against some special actings of knowledge and Conscience Nevertheless to the case propounded First Let the sinner in this condition consider whether no penitential and no believing operations at all are to be found in his heart whether he doth not at least Consider whether there be no penitential and believing operations at all to be found with a sad and troubled heart consider into what a condition he hath by his great sinning brought himself whether there be not some judgings and abhorrings of himself and some desires after a Spirit of mourning and believing Secondly this sinner should acknowledge it as a great and righteous judgement of God upon him for his sinning And that the Lord may for ever withdraw from Acknowledge it a righteous judgement of God upon him him and utterly leave him because he hath thus presumptuously sinned against him Never let him open his mouth against God but justifie and clear him as most righteous and condemn himself as most unthankfull and unworthy that ever the Lord should look on him any more That he should thus against light and warnings and reluctancies of conscience and against mercy and love and perhaps experience presumptuously venture to offend and provoke God Thirdly If under all the dâ—stinct Considerations of this sinning and his free confessions unto God and his self-judgings no tenderness yet
appear and no Use private helps of Conference and Prayer with godly and experienced Ministers and Christians special workings yet arise and no hope of mercy then let him conferre with some godly and well experienced Ministers and Christians if there be a messenger with him an Interpreter one among a thousand Job 33. 23. to pity his soul and to shew him his way and to open counsel unto him and to poure out his heart in prayer to the Lord for him The fervent prayers of the Righteous are effectual and prevalent Jam. 5. 16. and should be called in for help in such a case And when all of them joyn together and cry mightily unto God O Lord in the midst of judgement remember mercy Lord deal not with this sinner according to his sinning against thee Lord do not forsake him and leave him Lord return in mercy to his soul aâ—d renew him again unto repentance for thy Name sake for thy Christs sake do not abhor him but heal his back-slidings and be merciful unto his back slidings I teâ—l you that such joynt and earnest prayers of the people of God are seldom denyed by God Fourthly If yet no spiritual working can be revived but his heart like the Shunamites Repair to some soul-searching and quickning Ministry child which for all that Gehazi could say or do still remained dead so this mans heart for all that private helps can do still remains hard and unaffected then let him think on and repair to some soul-searching and quickning Ministry which God doth ordinarily bless to break down a presumptuous heart and to lift up a contrite heart to pierce and wound a hard heart and to comfort and revive a troubled heart Who can tell what the Lord will or may do in and by his own Ordinance especially when a poor â—â—nner comes directly for that end to receive impressions from God and renouncing all his own power as well he may for it utterly fails him offers up his heart such as it is unto the Lord to be created as it were again and new mouâ—ded and formed and quickned O Lord I doubt I have lost all since my sinning against thee oh that sinning against thee I can neither find thee nor my self Repentance seems to be dead O I cannot grieve or mourn and Faith seems to be dead and I cannot believe or trust Lord may I come to thee may I look up to thee may I call upon thee may I hope in thee thou canst yet do me good wilt thou so O that thou wouldest make thy power to appear if yet thou wilt not make thy grace to appear I have cast my self down and I cannot raise my self I have hardened my heart and I cannot soften it I have weakened every grace and I cannot quicken any one again yet O Lord thou canst do all this thou canst convince and humble and turn and raise and renew I bring my heart to thee do with me what seemes good in thine eyes only take not thy Spirit from me by thy Spirit breathe some life into this dead heart I have lived a presumptuous sinner yet O Lord let me not dye an hardened and impenitent and unbelieving sinner Fifthly If after all this nothing appears of change in thy hard heart then set Set some time apart for fasting and prayer somesolemn time apart for fasting and prayer to humble thy soule and to seek the face of God And indeed this is convenient and necessary in this case for extraordinary sinnings do require extraordinary humiliations and God gives in and comes unto us upon such extraordinary seeking when he holds off upon ordinary and common addresses The Word of God tells us so much and experience seals and bears witness thereunto And therefore let nothing hinder or divert thee from this work not that this kind of service hath any kind of merit in it but that 1. God expects it if we would have peace after great sinnings And 2ly it shews how much the heart is displeased with itself and truly longs to be raised and reconciled And 3ly God is usually found in this way and returns again and shews compassion and forgives sins and subdues iniquities And withall remember three things about this work 1. Be not discouraged though at the beginning thou findest thy heart very hardened and dull and straitned yet still hold on and before the end of it thou shalt find it altered into some mournings and meltings and hopes of mercy and gracious answers 2. Fasten all thy hopes on the Lord Jesus pray and ask in his Name and trust in his Name for thy pardon and for thy recovery and resolve plainly to wait and hearken what the Lord in his time will speak to thee and do for thee 3. Apply those promises which do especially respect thy â—ad condition What are those will you say They are 1. the promise of softening a hard heart 2ly The promises of healing a back-sliding heart 3ly The promises of pardoning great transgressions you have them all expressed in the Word Ezek. 36. 26. I will take away the heart of stone and will give them an heart of flesh Hose 14. 4. Isa 1. 18. I will heal their back slidings Though your sins be as scarlet I will make them as white as snow EZEK 36. 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean c. YOU have heard already from this Verse two things One was the Quality of the mercy promised by God unto his people and that was the forgiveness of their sins The other was the Quantity of that promised mercy respecting partly the multitude of their sins and partly the magnitude of their sins From all your filthiness and from all you Idols will I cleanse you Now there remaines yet a little more which God doth promise about the forgiveness of the sins of his people and that is expressed in the words which I have read unto you I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean Object For it might be objected How it is possible that our sins which are so many and which are so great should be forgiven us what can be found to appease Gods justice for them and to take them away so that they shall never be imputed unto us and how may we be assured or ascertained concerning this Sol. The Answer is made in the Text I will sprinkle clean water upon you and What is meant by sprinkling clean water upon them The blood of Christ The particular application of his blood you shall be cleaâ—â—â— by which expression two things are meant 1. The blood of Christ which is the effectually meritorious reason of the forgiveness of the most and of the greatest of the sins of the people of God 2. The particular application of the blood of Christ unto them with an assurance that it was shed for their sins Both these doth the sprinkling of clean water import You read in
Pet. 1. 10. and proving and trying your selves whether Christ be in you of a truth 2 Cor. 13. 5. and working out your salvation Phil. 2. 12. Secondly The comfort of sincerity that you are on the way to be assured not resting in the want of assurance nor in idle complaints but as you pretend an opinion and judgement rightly valuing it and that your hearts are set upon it so your souls are indeed drawn forth to the ways of enjoyment Thirdly The comfort of Gods presence for it is from the Spirit of God that your hearts do thus prize and thus long for and thus labour for assurance he begets those thoughts and those desires and those prayers you have the presence of the Spirit though not the assurance of the Spirit Fourthly The comfort of hope that at length you shall see the God of gods in Zion that you shall see his face with joy that he will create peace and assurance in your hearts for he never fills the soul and stirs and draws it unto himself for his gracious favour but at length he doth make his loving kindness known unto that soul and he doth thus prepare the heart because he will incline his ear Fourthly A fourth support unto you is this although you have not this assurance in your own hearts yet you have it in Gods promise who assures you that he will sprinkle it upon you and faithful is he who hath promised who will also do it Secondly But now I come unto the Direction which I would commend to weak Direction believers for the attaining of their assurance and they are these First Diligent attendance upon the Word of God that this is a good means to attain Dâ—ligent attendance upon the Word assurance may appear by three particulars 1. God hath instituted or ordained his Word not only for the conversion but also for the consolation of his people and the assuring of them Rom. 15. 4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 1 Joh. 1. 4. These things write we unto you that your joy may be full 1 Joh. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that you may know that ye have eternal life Mark written for our comfort written that our joy may be full written that believers may know they have eternal life why then unquestionably the Word is a means to attain assurance c. 2. The people of God have attended the Word for this very end to gain assurance Psal 48. 9. We have thought of thy loving kindness O God in the midst of thy Temple Psal 85. 8. I will hearken what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people 3. They have found assurance upon the attending on the Word Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee Ver. 2. To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Ver. 3. Because thy loving kindness is better than life He had seen experimentally the power and the glory of God in the Sanctuary i. e. the mercy and the loving kindness of God in Christ the assurance and feeling of it in the use of the Word c. Eph. 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Secondly Fervent prayer unto the Lord this is also a means to obtain assurance Fervent prayer Ps 119. 58. I intreated thy favour with my whole heart and two things demonstrate this unto us 1. Some special promises to this purpose viz. Isa 56. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain and will make them joyful in my house of prayer c. What is that which makes the heart of the people of God joyful David tells you in Psal 4. 6. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and Ver. 7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart c. and where is this joyfulness promised by what means I will make them joyful in my house of prayer Joh. 16. 24. Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Ver. 22. Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Here is a fulness of joy and that certainly is in assurance and that fulness of joy is promised upon prayer 2. Some particular experiences Psal 30. 10. Hear O Lord and have mercy upon me c. Ver. 11. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness Object But will some say We have heard the Word a long time and we have prayed and sought the Lord a long time and yet we cannot attain to this assurance of forgiveness Sol. Therefore be sure to take in three things when you pray for this assurance 1. Apious valuation of it Thy favour is life Psal 30. 5. Thy loving kindness is better than life Psal 63 3. O visit me with thy salvation Psal 106 4. 2. A believing perswasion that God will hear you in this Luke 11. 13. How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him and that Spirit is the Spirit of Adoption that witnesseth with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. David hath a singular passage in Psal 119. 147. I prevented the dawning of the morning and cryed I hoped in thy Word where observe three things 1. The earliness of his prayer I prevented the dawning of the morning he could not sleep but must arise and pray 2. The earnestness of his prayer I cried he was solemn serious and fervent 3. The faith with his prayer and I hoped in thy Word in one of these our prayers do fail and so we get not our assurance 3. A patient expectation a continuance in prayer still importuning the Lord and waiting on him for this great testimony of his pardoning mercy Isa 30 18. Blessed are all they that wait for him Psal 85. 8. I will hearken what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace c. These Ingredients are still to be remembred and taken in if you would prevail for the assurance c. Thirdly A conscientious care in all our ways to walk before God in all well-pleasing A conscientious care to walk in all well-pleasing A godly walking brings most glory to God and most comfort to our own consciences there are two excellent places for this purpose Isa 32. 17. The work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever Joh. 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them is he that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love
him and will manifest my self unto him I beseech you to remember five passages 1. That men who make no conscience of their ways but walk licentiously and dissolutely they can never come to their assurance Isa 59. 8. The way of peace they know not Isa 57. 21. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Psal 119. 155. Salvation is far from the wicked for they seek not thy statutes 2. That the people of God for particular failings in a conscientious and careful walking have forfeited their assurance David did so Psal 51. 8 11 12. 3. That assurance is frequently promised to an upright conscientious careful walking Psal 11. 7. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright Psal 50 23. To him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God 4. That such persons have found abundance of joy and comfort 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with flesh wisdome but by the grace of God we had our Conversation Psal 119. 165. Great peace have they which love thy Law 5. That all persons that do thus walk and continue so to do although for some space of time they may not finde this assurance yet they shall at length enjoy it Psal 97. 11 Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart Simile The seed which is sown lies for a while under ground but at length it appears therefore you who desire to enjoy the pardon of your sins this do 1. Keep up a mourning heart for your sins 2. Enter into and keep on in the paths of righteousness follow on to know the Lord and ye shall know him Hosea 6. 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. Fourthly An humble dependance upon the Lord graciously to work this comfortable An humble dependance upon God to work it in us assurance in our hearts although we be utterly unworthy thereof Psal 33. 21. Our hearts shall rejoyce in him because we have trusted in his holy Name As you can plead no worthiness of pardoning mercy so neither of the assurance thereof but only in Christ and therefore you must depend upon God who loveth freely and receiveth graciously that he according to his promise and for his Christs sake will make his face to shine upon you Go in peace your sins are forgiven you Vse 4 Doth the Lord promise to sprinkle clean water upon his people then do you whose hearts the Lord hath sprinkled with the assurance of the pardon of your You that have this assurance sins remember and heed a few things which do especially concern you First Be you exceedingly thankful indeed you cannot but be so if God hath Be thankful thus sprinkled your consciences to bring you into Covenant and to assure you that you are so to bring you into Covenant and to assure you that you are Christs to forgive you all your sins and to assure you thereof O how great how sweet is this goodness Mercy and the assurance of mercy love and the assurance of love a good estate and a comfortable estate life and the assurance of life heaven and the assurance of heaven this was the first desire of the Church Cant. 1. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than wine and this was the last desire of the Church â—ant 8. 13. Cause me to hear thy voice Assurance is the top of all our comfortable mercies and the top of all our desires Be chearful Secondly Be more chearful in your spiritual course when God gives you assurance Simile he doth as it were take the ring off his own finger and put it upon yours saith David Psal 105. 3. Let the heart of them rejoyce that seek the Lord. How joyful then should the hearts of them be that find the Lord When Simeon got Christ into his arms he rejoyced The possession of Christ and the evident fruition of pardon are matter of great joy walk like pardoned men and like a people assured of a reconciled God in Christ Thirdly Be very watchful no mercy must make us secure assurance it self must Be very watchful make us the more vigilant Christ was tempted after that voice came from heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And Pauls temptations were very strong after that he had been wrapt up into the third heaven Let me tell you two things and they may serve to make you watchful after your sweetest assurances 1. One is that still much of sinful corruption dwells in you though assurance doth for the present clear the mind of all doubts yet it doth not cleanse the heart of all sins 2. Another is that temptations usually attend assurances Satan is an enemy to our comforts as well as our graces and sometimes they prevail over us if they find us careless Fourthly Be very faithful and stedfast He will speak peace unto his people and to Be faithful his Saints but let them not turn again to folly Psal 85. 8. Sin should be most odious when mercy hath been most gracious O do not for a taste of sinful pleasures lose all the taste of most sweetest assurance sinnings do most provoke God and prove most bitter to us after the greatest experiences of Gods loving kindnesses Fifthly Be very fruitful the assured Christian of all others should be the tallest Be very fruitful Cedar the brightest Sun and most fruitful Vine Who should abound more in duty than he who hath found God most abounding to him in mercy I will say no more but this thy assurance was never right if it hath not made thee a more zealous friend for God and a more diligent servant to Christ and a more deadly enemy to sin Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh CHAP. VII Sanctification promised as well as Justification AS the former words contained the promise of Justification in the forgiveness of all the sins of all the people of God so these words do contain the promise of Sanctification in the renewing of all the hearts of all the people of God In them there are three things very observable First The Connexion of this promise with the former in that particle also also a new heart will I give unto you Secondly The Authour or undertaker of the particular good promised viz. God himself I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit within you Thirdly The very blessing here distinctly promised by God unto his people a new heart and a new spirit From these Parts there are three Propositions which I would briefly discourse upon I. That Sanctification is promised unto the people of God
for mercy to pardon their sins and never mind holiness nor how to get their hearts to be sanctified Nay they oppose holiness and scoff and scorn at holiness These men will lose their souls because both of these which God hath promised are necessary for salvation you must have your sins pardoned or else you cannot be saved and so you must have your hearts sanctified or else you cannot be saved Quest 1. But you may say unto me why do men look only after mercy and Why men look after mercy and not holiness not also after holinesse seeing God hath joyned them together in his promise and both must be in persons which will be saved The Reasons may be these First Holinesse is more contrary to mans sinful nature than mercy Mercy indeed relieves the sinner in a more easie and delightful way but holiness though it doth relieve the sinner yet it doth it in a way more cross to our sinfull love for it fights against our sins and doth purge and work them out from our hearts and will not suffer sin to bear Rule there Secondly Though holiness be the way to heaven yet sinfull men do not look on it as so but they look on it as the way of trouble and reproach as a way that is contradicted and exposing them to crosses losses and contempts and which is too severe against their carnal liberties and pleasures and wills and therefore they like it not No man reproacheth another because he is justified but because he is sanctified for sanctification is a reproach and condemnation to the evil wayes of men Vse 3. Doth God promise to sanctifie his people as well as to justifie Be not content with the one without the other them Then be not content with the one without the other but joyn them in your prayers which God hath joyned in his promises Be not satisfied that you sins are pardoned neither be satisfied that your hearts be sanctified as he cryed out Domine de penitentiam da indulgentiam so do you Lord give me grace and Lord give me mercy God is a holy God as well as a mercifull God and Jesus Christ came by water and blood 1 Joh. 5. 6. Let your hearts be earnestly carried out for both To this end remember six Conclusions First Though your Right and Title to heaven lies in Justification yet your meetnesse and fitnesse for heaven lies in your Sanctification Col. 1. 12. Giving thanks unto God the Father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Acts 20. 32. I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified Is it meet or fit that an ungodly person should be in heavenly glory The Leper had a right to his house yet was not fit to dwell in it untill he was cleansed Secondly When you look at the pardon of your sins you seem to look more at your selves your own safety your own peace your own deliverance from wrath and hell but when you look after sanctification you rather look more at Gods glory how you may be enabled to honour him more 1 Pet. 2. 9. Yea are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people that you should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light Thirdly We should be compleat in Christ Col. 2. 10. And in all the will of God Chap. 4. 12. How can this be if Christ be not your sanctification as well as Righteousness if you be not partakers of his Spirit as well as of his merit if you do not dye and live with him Fourthly It is a sign of a naughty heart when mercy alone is desired and that only will satisfie In an exigence the most wicked man will cry out for mercy but he never cries for sanctity Pharaoh put Moses upon it to pray that God would forgive his sinne but never that God would heale his hardness Fifthly As God promiseth the one as well as the other so he will never give the one without the other If he justifies you he likewise sanctifies you and if you are not sanctified assuredly you are not justified when you are by Faith united to Christ your communion immediately falls in for sanctification as well for Righteousness And it is impossible that Christ should be yours but you must have the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his and that Spirit quickning us with a new life and mortifies our lusts Some hold that sanctification is an inseparable effect of justification but unquestionably it is a companion of it and a lively testimony of it Sixthly Because he promiseth both therefore seeke for both Consider 1. God promiseth nothing that is superfluous or useless but it is good and for our good 2. He promiseth no good which he 1. Is not able to perform And 2ly willing to perform Holiness is an excellent good it is the image of God it is the glory of God it is called glory 2 Cor. 10. it is the glory and excellency an unholy person is but vile and base the Saints are the excellent on the earth Psal 16. 2. It is our perfection it is the highest elevation of our names here on earth and hereafter in heaven it is the prime work of the Spirit it is the scope of election he hath chosen us that we should be holy Ephes 1. 4. It is the scope of vocation God calls us unto holiness 1 Thes 4. 7. And this God hath promised to give c. But I shall speak no more at present of this general Observation I will touch a little also upon the next general Proposition and then I will come to the principal matter in the Text. SECT II. Doct. 2. THat God himself undertakes in promise to sanctifie the hearts of his people I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit within God himself undertakes to sanctifie his people you Levit. 20. 8. I am the Lord that sanctifieth thee Luke 11. 13. How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Joh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy Word is truth 1 Thes 5. 23. The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly Quest Why God undertakes it First Else it were impossible to be effected Consider First That no creature can make it self holy it cannot change it self no man Why God undertakes it Else it were impossible No creature can make itself holy can change his own sinful heart Who can say I have made my heart clean Prov. 20. 9. And this will appear by two particulars 1. No sinful man hath any supernatural power in him to produce any superdatural work in himself he is without all strength without me saith Christ
with renewing Four things have a resemblance with renewing grace which yet is noâ— it grace and yet renewing grace is quite another different thing from them 1. Civil Righteousness especially if joyned with the true Religion 2. Restraining grace in the forbearance of sins especially notorious and flagitious 3. The presence of common gifts which man had not before 4. The powerful effect of an awakend conscience 1. Civil Righteousness especially if conjoyned with Profession Civil Righteousness of true Religion What do men generally repute for renewing grace and for godliness but this if they be no Papists if they hold no Errors if they keep their Church and deal fairly and justly with their neighbours why they conclude their hearts are good and their estate is sure and what can men have more But now give me leave to say two things unto this First Civil Righteousness is good and so is external profession of the true Religion Civil righteousness is good God requires that and this Matth. 7. 12. All things whatsoever you would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Mich. 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God To do justly is one of the things required The like may be said for external profession as we must believe with the heart so we must confess with the mouth Rom. 10. 11. And we must hold forth the word of life Phil. 2. 16. Secondly Nevertheless newnesse of heart or renewing grace is a quite different Yet newness of heart is differing from it quality from their civil Righteousness and one may be civilly righteous and honest who never had his heart renewed by grace nay whose heart doth extreamly loath and oppose it Now civil righteousness and heavenly newness of heart doth differ in six They differ in six things things First Civil Righteousness is of a low and inferiour birth or original there are Civil righteousness is of an inferiour birth three things which may be sufficient to make a man civilly righteous 1. One is the light of nature which hath some notions and principles of common equity and honesty 2. A second is the power of edification Parents and Tutors may so represent the honor of just dealing and the forbid unworthiness of unrighteous dealing that young and tender natures may take in a savour and taste of them all their dayes though they never act upon any knowledge that God enjoyns them 3. A third is the influence of example beholding such a course and way of Righteousness in Parents and Superiours in Friends whose examples we are ready to imitate because their persons we do love and reverence But newness of heart or renewing grace is wrought by a higher hand than the dictates of nature or counsels of friends or examples of men it is the birth of the Spirit of God every regenerate or renewed person is born of the Spirit the immediate power of the holy Ghost is put forth in the creating of a new heart Secondly Civil Righteousness either totally confines us to the duties of the second Civil Righteousness confines to duties of the second Table Table as if we had none to eye and please but our neighbour or if it gives way to the duties of the first Table it is but to a formal and superficial observance The civil righteous man though he is strict in duties to man yet is irreligious in all his religious performances He saith a Prayer but he knows not how to pray in the Spirit and with Faith and he hears a Sermon but it is as if he heard it not sleeping and waking with running and roving distracted thoughts on the world he talks of a Sabbath but he knowes not how to keep a Sabbath and is weary of it and counts the strict observance of it a Jewish burden But renewing grace brings in the heart to all the will of God it enables to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods to be righteous with good men and to be upright with God to serve him with love and fear Thirdly Civil Righteousness may look at some outward easie ordinary actions of It looks only at outward easie duties Religion but it leaves the heart destitute of the great inward actings of Religion When did you ever see a person only civilly righteous lay the Axe to the root of the tree searching of his heart and judging the corruptions of his heart and humbly mourning and lamenting under the sence of his wicked heart and hungring after Jesus Christ and importunately wrestling for grace and mercy striving to crucifie the lusts of his heart He is so farre from these that he thinks them either superfluous or impossible But renewing grace doth chiefly act upon the heart there it sets up the Throne and gives the Law and exerciseth Authority and Rule c. Fourthly Civil Righteousness rests mostly in negatives I am not as other men said he if the civilly righteous man doth not swear this is enough although he It rests mostly in Negatives should likewise fear an Oath if he doth not take away the life of another if he doth not do wrong that 's enough although he ought also to do good But renewing grace comes off to Positives as well as Negatives it teacheth us to cease to do evil and it learns us also to do good Isa 1. 16 17. It teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts And also to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2. 12. Fifthly Civil Righteousness it will allow such things which renewing grace will not It will allow us It must have its indulgence 1. To associate our selves in a way of familiarity with the enemies of God and holiness and rather with these than those that are good 2. To omit many personal and family duties 3. To deferre repentance and making peace with God 4. To mispend his time day after day week after week year after year in vain pleasures and sports dicings cardings c. 5. To conform and fashâ—on our selves to the world and perfidiously to flatter persons in their sins only to keep up a correspondency and interest it must have indulgence in sinful thoughts vile affections petty Oathes But renewing grace makes the heart to tremble at these things and to loathe and abhorre them It alters not one sinful quality Sixthly Civil Righteousness alters not one sinful quality in the heart nor gives it any new spiritual ability notwithstanding it the heart is as ignorant and malicious and unbelieving and impenitent and hardned and earthly and vain and proud as ever and cannot deny itself in any delightful way of wickedness c. II. Restraining grace by which a person forbears many sinfull
heart then remember these five Cautions First Beware of a self-deceiving opinion that you have it already and that you Beware of a self-deceiving opinion that you have it for your part stand not under the want and need of it This is that which undoth many hearers when we press Christ and faith upon them O they have believed on him And when we press repentance why they need no repentance they have repented long ago and when we tell them they must be converted they must be new creatures they must get new hearts O they need them not their hearts are as good as the best and they have very good natures and dispositions With this the Pharisees deceived themselves they were righteous and needed no repentance and so they rejected Christ and with this Laodicea deceived her self She was rich and increased and stood in need of nothing and yet she was blind and wretched and naked and poor Secondly Beware that you hearken not to the exceptions and prejudices of your Of hearkning to the prejudices of your old hearts old and corrupt hearts which are blind and cannot see the excellency of renewing grace and which also are averse and have a natural antipathy unto it You would not imagine untill you come to the trial what exceptions and oppositions there are in our hearts against their Conversion and Renovation Sometimes we look on it as a melancholly and troubling humour sometimes we look on it as a needless and vain preciseness sometimes we look on it as a proud and unsociable quality sometimes we look on it as too low and mean a state and practice for persons of our greatness sometimes we look on it as that which will expose us to the contempts and scoffs and reproaches of men sometimes we look on it as the grave of all our delights and profits sometimes we look on it as a business utterly impossible for any man on earth Now if any of these prejudices or if any other besides these prevail with us we will then sit quiet and contented with our old heart and will never be perswaded to look out for new hearts therefore beseech the Lord to deliver you from the lying vanities and prejudices of the old heart Thirdly Beware of consulting with worldly men or setting up the favours Of consulting with worldly men or frowns of them O if I should become a new man and lead a new life if I should regard holiness and life godly I should lose favour and hopes how would my Parents look on me what would my friends and acquaintance think of me what opposition would befall me how would men scoff and jear at me and what reports and reproaches would they raise of me let me tell thee plainly and faithfully that if the Lord doth not in much mercy mortifie and subdue this weakness that I say not wickedness of spirit in thee that thou art contented rather to enjoy thy old heart and courses with the applauses of the world than to yeild in thy heart to Christ and be willing and resolute to get thy heart renewed by the Spirit of grace although for this thou mayest meet with all sorts of afflictions and reproaches from the world thy poor soul will be for ever lost First Beware that you rest not on your own strength and sufficiency to renew or Of resting in your own strength change your hearts if you do two fruits there will be of it 1. You will either not seek to the Lord at all or if you do you will then seek him in a careless and unbelieving way 2. Another is you will but labour in vain you will never be successfull for you have no strength and sufficiency of your own Without me saith Christ ye can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. And it is God saith the Apostle that worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleasure Fifthly Beware that you neither delay nor dally in using the means Of delaying and dallying in the use of means to get this new heart Do not say to morrow the next year when I am sick when I am old these may be too late and these may provoke the Lord to turn away his mercy and to deny his Spirit because you put him off he may therefore justly put you off Neither dally in the use of means one while attending another while neglecting one while being fervent and another while being remisse one week going forward and then for a year to fall backward but resolve to seek this new heart with all your heart and with all your pains following on and pressing forward and running till you enjoy this new heart which God hath promised to give unto them that seek it 3ly The wayes or meanes to get a new heart First Strive to be willing that God should make your hearts new that he The wayes to get a new heart should change and renew them by grace Pars est sanitatis velle sanari Jer. 13. 27. O Jerusalem wilt thou be made clean Joh. 5. 6. Jesus said unto him Be willing wilt thou be made whole O that we could get thus farre O Lord I am weary of my old sinful heart I am willing that thou shouldest heal it and reform it If the unclean person were willing that God should cleanse him from his filthiness and the proud person were willing that God should make him humble this would be a fair step to newness of heart Secondly Expresse this willingness in earnest Prayers to God who only is Express this willingness in earnest Prayer able to give a new heart Jer. 17. 14. Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me O Lord and I shall be saved Psal 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me And let your Prayers have three Ingredients or Concomitants 1. Sincerity let them come from your very hearts let them be the desires of your souls My soule follows hard after thee Psal 63. 8. With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Isa 26. 9. That the Lord may see that in very deed you would have your hearts changed and nothing will satisfie you till he grant you that request 2. Faith give up your earnest request for this in Faith 1. Of Credence that he can give it 2. Of Reliance that for his Christs sake and for his promise sake he will do it Lord It is thy promise to give a new heart and all thy promises in Christ are Yea and Amen none doth need the new heart more than I do and none can give that heart but thy self and thou hast promised to give it unto them that ask I come unto thee in the Name of Christ and do beseech thee for his sake to answer me according to thy Word thou art able and faithful thou wilt give what thou promisest to give to them
waters from the Rock are forgotten and they slip away they stay not sometimes one minute though other discourses are held fast In his judgement there is such a hardness that raiseth enmity and resistance and affords a world of carnal reasonings to oppose and put by the truth In his will there is such a hardness of obstinacy and perversness that when all is said that can be said by Law or Gospel yet men will not hear Joh. 5. 40. though they may be saved nor will they hear though therefore they shall be damned In his affections there is such an hardness that men sin without fear and without all compunction and sorrow of heart and though the glorious things of Christ are revealed and offered and pressed upon them yet no delight no love no desire at all can be raised in them c. In his conscience which under all the threats of God and terrors of God revealed remains quiet unstirred scared and careless as if these were fables and impertinent notions Secondly The Contracted hardness is that which we bring upon our sinful Contracted hardness hearts and adde unto them by the frequency of our sinning actions or practices or by a voluntary opposing of all the means which do tend to the softning our heart And by the way let me tell you that there are three kinds of sinning which do extreamly super adde to the hardning of mans heart One is the sinning against clear light The second is the sinning with delight The third is the customary way of sinning long going in a path often beating the anvile Thirdly The Judicial hardness which is that unto which God gives the stubborn sinner up for not harkning unto him but still continuing and persisting Judicial hardness in a sinful course and therefore he leaves him unto himself and to his own lusts and his Spirit shall no more strive with him and hereupon the sinful heart being left unto it self breaks forth into all manner of wickedness and so doth exceedingly obdurate it self it becomes more unsensible and more fearless and more enraged against all that is good c. Now the stony heart or hard heart spoken of here in the Text is principally that which is natural and I will not deny that the Contracted hardness may be meant but not the Judicial Quest 3. But how then may it be demonstrated that naturally every mans Demonstrations of it heart is a stony or hard heart Sol. There are six things which may convince us that it is so First The forwardness in men to sin every natural heart is ready to sinful The forwradness in men to sin acts and easie unto them Ephes 4. 19. If temptations present themselves the natural heart presently entertains them and complies with them and if no temptations from Satan and the world present themselves the natural heart will tempt it self why this is a conviction that the heart is hard for if it be a good sign of a tender and soft heart when it is afraid to sin How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God said Joseph Gen. 39. 9. Then surely it is a sign of a hard heart when it is forward to sin and greedy to sin and easily and willingly lets out it self to sin and fears not at all to sin but every mans heart naturally is so forward and bent to sin that it cannot and it will not be restrained from sin Gen. 11. 6. Nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do Zeph. 3. 5. The unjust know no shame Secondly The silence and quietness in conscience under all sinnings Men neglect Quietness under sinning all holy duties and sweaâ— and lie and deceive and are drunken and commit adultery c. and conscience saith nothing to them Assuredly this is a strong conviction that their hearts are hard for where there is any softness of heart there conscience is alive and hath some power to warn and check and oppose before sinning and likewise to accuse and condemn and trouble after sinning But now natural men generally find it thus that conscience is dead and takes no notice or it is weak and can do nothing with them before sinning it appears not and after sinning it troubles not Ergo. their hearts are hard Thirdly The security of heart Taken me any one broken-hearted sinner Security of heart why under the sense of any one transgression he goes heavy all the day long and he weeps bitterly and he waters his couch with his tears and he is afraid of the Lord whom he hath provoked and he makes in earnestly for reconciliation and peace with God and why doth he so because his heart is soft and tender But on the contrary the natural man he sins and is confident exposes himself to wrath and yet is secure and though God saith he is offended and displeased with him and though God threatens him with wrath and though he knows that God hath destroyed some for the same sin of which he is guilty yet the man goes on in his sinful practices and makes no account of this And what is the cause of it it is this his heart is hard and hardened Were not the man under a reprobate sense infinitely stupid and seared he could not rest so secure Fourthly The absence of all penitential works Whensoever the Lord gives The absence of penitential works a soft heart which is opposite to this stony heart then ariseth presently 1. A sight and solemn consideration of sin 2. An humble mourning and lamenting for sin 3. A self-judging confession of sin 4. A cordial aversation from sin 5. Importunate supplication for pardoning mercy and grace 6. A serious application of the heart to Christ And on the contrary where the heart is hard there are none of these no hard heart considers of its ways saying What have I done no man smites on his thigh and is humbled no man repents no man seeks after the Lord no man cries out for mercy or for grace or for Christ Certainly so much as there is of impenitency so much there is of hardness of heart but naturally every mans heart is impenitent and he is not only a stranger to these penitential works but also he is an enemy unto them Ergo. Fifthly The inefficacy of the Word the Word of God is compared The inefficacy of the Word sometimes 1. To the Sun which enlightens and quickens 2. To water which softens and cleanseth 3. To the hammer which bruises and breaks 4. To fire which heats and melts and refines but on the natural heart either it hath no efficacy at all or it is a long time before it can make any impression and yet a longer time before it make any saving impression either the heart will not suffer us to hear the voice of the Word or it will not suffer us to acknowledge the truth of the Word or it is so hard that it will not suffer us
no good on your child If a Master hath a Servant or an Apprentice who after all his care and pains to instruct him in his Trade yet remains unapprehensive and stupid and perhaps vicious he longs to be rid of him If a Parent hath a childe that is naught and stubborn and will not hearken nor be reclaimed the Parent is weary of him and casts him out of doors or sends him into another Countrey Thus none but God will bear with a hard and stubborn heart God I say who is most provoked by it therefore unquestionably his patience is exceeding great it is wonderful towards sinners Vse 3 Is there a stony heart in every man this may then informe us of three things Informs us The conversion of a sinner is a miraculous work First That the conversion of a sinner is even a miraculous work We wonder that so few persons are converted by the Word nay but we should rather wonder that any person is converted by it because there is such a stony and hard heart in every person which is so unsensible of its own miserable condition which is so uncapable to be taught the knowledge of the matters of salvation which is so opposite and averse and unyielding and resisting as to all the means and ways of grace where there is a blind and proud judgement that will not be perswaded whereâ—â— there is such a stubborn will that will not be made willing and whereâ—â— there are so many vile affections which wâ—ll not be tamed and awed and subdued It is matter of greater wonder that any one sinner is brought in by grace than if all sinners should fall into hell Secondly That it is from grace and from that alone if any sinner be converted â—â— is from grâ—â—e that any are converted it is from the freeness of Gods grace and from the power of Gods grace not from any thing at all in the person converted And my reason is this because the heart of every sinner is naturally a stony heart a hard heart and a stony heart is not only an impotent heart but also a resisting heart to grace Verily the best man may and must confess that it is only of the Lords mercy that he was not consumed and that his present life and estate in grace was never of himself who is called but only from the favour and power of the grace of God who did call him What I am I am by the grace of God said Paul 1 Cor. 15. 10. Our hearts were hard hearts and therefore contradicting and opposing untill beaten down and conquered by the love and might of divine grace Thirdly That God is most righteous in all his judgements here on earth God is righteous in all his judgements and in all those future and eternal punishments of sinners in hell for sinners have hard and hardned hearts Why if sinners will not hearken to God if they will not obey his voice if they will stop their ears and withdraw their shoulders if they will not receive his Laws if they will not receive instruction and take warning if they will not know the day of their visitation if they will not know the things which concern their peace but harden their hearts it is righteous with God to reject them who do reject him to cast them off who do cast him off to abhor them who abhor him to punish and plague and destroy them who harden their hearts against him Object We have many amongst us who do wonder at Gods judgements abroad in the world and at all the changes and miseries which they have seen and perhaps felt Sol. And why do ye wonder at them rather wonder at the hardness of your own hearts which under all the judgements of God continue so proud and so scorning at holiness and so hating to be reformed and so manifestly irreligious and profane it is righteous with God to punish hard-hearted sinners Who ever hardened his heart against him and prospered Job 9. 4. If we will never be instructed to repent God will certainly destroy us Prov. 29. 1. SECT III. Vse 4 IS the heart of every man a stony or hard heart then let every man as he loves his soul Strive all that he can to be cured of the stone in the Labour to be cured of this hard heart heart i. e. to use all spiritual means to be delivered from hardness of heart And for this let me propound unto you 1. Some Motives which possibly may work on you Secondly Some means for the cure of it 1. The Motives to look after the cure of a stony or hard Motives heart are these First The Consideration of those sins which are included in this one sin of hardness From the sins included in hardness of heart Stupidity of heart which make it to be exceeding sinful What sins will you say There are three sins in this sin 1. Stupidity and senslesness of spirit O how dangerous there are three very dangerous qualities A Seared Conscience this is the worst of all Consciences A Reprobate Mind this is the worst of all Minds A Sensless Heart this is the worst of all Hearts tanto pejior quanto insensibilior This is to be at the farthest distance and hope of conversion Vicinior saluti dolor poenitentis quam stupor non sentientis saith Austin Simile This is a condition worse than that of Judas who was sensible and cryed out I have sinned nay in some respect worse than that of the Divels who do believe and tremble Isa 6. 9. Go and tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not and see you indeed but perceive not Ver. 10. Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed Contempt of God 2. Contempt of God O what a child is he who will not hearken to his father and what a sinner is he who will not hearken to his God Simile yet every hard heart refuseth to hearken unto God and what is this but to displease the Lord and scornfully to set him at naught q. d. What tell you me of God or of his will I care not for him what care I what he saith I will follow mine own hearts lusts I will not be guided and commanded by him 3. Desperate wickedness I will be sinful still and I will go on in my Desperate wickedness sinful ways though I lose mercy and heaven yea though I shall be damned for ever O Lord What a condition is this yet this is the condition of hardness of heart Secondly The Consideration of the Losses unto which you will certainly The losses you are exposed to expose your selves if you get not the cure of your hard and stony heart There are six losses which do and will befall you by it 1. You lose the benefit
and unworthy of any mercy Lord be merciful to me a sinner Thirdly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then conscience recovers Conscience recovers it seâ—â— in all its offices it self in all its offices and operations it was 1. Asleep before but now it is awakened it was 2. Dead before but now it is alive it was 3. Silent before but now it speaks and now it shews it self with wonderful authority and power First Now it is an Accuser These have been your sins Secondly Now it is a witness in testifying against thee that thou wast guilty at such a time and in such a place and in such company Thirdly Now it is a Judge and condemns the sinner Wrath belongs to thee fâ—om which thou shalt never escape unless thou get into Christ Fourthly And now it wounds and troubles the sinner for what he hath done thou didst withstand such means of grace and thou didst resist such strivings of Gods Spirit and thou didst scorn and mock at the Word of God and thou didst hate instruction and reproof and thou didst therefore harden thy heart and wouldst commit such and such sins because thy sins were discovered and reproved c. Fourthly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then the sinner will not The sinner will make out for counsel rest in the sense of his miserable condition but out he goes for counsel to this Minister and that Minister and there he cries out with tears O Sirs what shall I do to be saved Acts 16. 30. I have slighted God and I have despised you and mock't at your counsel the good Lord forgive it me I now see what I saw not before and my heart is over-whelmed within me I know not what to do what way to take for the Lords sake shew me the way of life and mercy and peace Fifthly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then there is a special teachableness He is become teachable and tractableness fallen into the heart of a sinner the man can now hear reason and he is content to receive the Law from the mouth of God his slighting mocking despising spirit is departed from him and now it is Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. and now it is Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk Psal 143. 8. Whiles hardness prevails upon the heart no word of mercy no work of affliction no command of God no counsel of man can do any thing but the sinner will hold on in his sinful way come of it what will but when hardness is off then the heart becomes like a tender branch you may bend it which way you will or like the soft wax which presently receives the impression Speak but one word Take heed do not such a thing it is evil the heart presently flies off Have a care do such a work the Lord requires it at your hands presently the heart yields it stands in awe of the Word Sixthly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then all the dealings The dealings of God will work kindly of God will work kindly and effectually upon thee When thou hearest the threatnings of God thy heart will tremble and melt as Josias did when thou seest the judgement of God thy heart will lament and mourn as Davids did when the Lord meets thee in a way of affliction thy heart will humble it self and bow before the Lord when the Lord shews thee any mercy and blessings thy heart will receive them with tears O how good is God to me a sinner when the Lord reveals himself in his Covenant and Promise and sets out himself in the exceeding riches of his grace and love and mercy why thy bowels are stirred within thee and tears do trickle down thine eyes and longings rise up in thy heart O Lord that thou wouldst be my portion Seventhly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then the sinner He will never be quiet till he have Christ will never be quiet untill he hath Christ and untill he can see God to be at peace with him and reconciled in Christ There is no hoâ— with a broken and tender heart without a Christ and without a reconciled God Lord give me Christ and Lord take away iniquity and Lord receive me graciously O he is now sensible what a sinner he hath been and what injuries God hath received from him and what God may do against him and what need he hath of a Christ to make peace for him and therefore his soul is impatient and strives and wrestles for Christ and the distressed man indeed is become willing to part with all so that he may have his part in Christ and Gods reconciled favour Eighthly What shall I say more when hardness of heart is cured or curing He hath a singular aptitude to prayer the sinner will find a singular aptitude to prayer and his great delight will be to be with God unto whom he can now open himself with enlarged confessions and with floods of tears and grief even for an heart to be given unto him to mourn and bewail his sins and to obey c. and that he would never suffer his heart to harden it self any more Ninthly When hardness of heart is cured or is curing there will be A singular fear to sin then a singular fear to sin against God any more the man would not live and do as formerly for all the world How shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. How shall we live in sin any longer Rom. 6. 2. Ezek. 36. 26. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you an heart of flesh You have heard something of the first Proposition vâ— That there is a stoninesse or hardnesse of heart in every man naturallyiz I now proceed to the second Proposition which is this CHAP. X. The stony heart taken away 2. Doct. THat God will take away that hardness of heart from his people I God takes away hardness of heart from his people will take away the stony heart out of your flesh you have the same promise in Ezek. 11. 19. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh For the opening of this Point I would speak unto these Particulars 1. The manner how God takes away the hardness of heart from his people 2. Why the Lord will do so 3. How this can be affirmed seeing there doth remain much hardness of heart in the people of God SECT I. Quest 1. THe manner how God takes away the hardnesse of heart from his The meanes how God takes it away peeople Sol. For Answer unto this remember that hardness of heart may be taken away 1. Preparatively 2. Effectually 3. Successively 4. Perfectly and compleatly First The Lord takes away the hardness of heart Preparatively when he lets in such a powerful work of his Spirit by the Law which doth
both convince Preparatively and break the heart of a sinner The Spirit by the Law doth let in the sense of sin and wrath which is irresistible upon the Conscience which is of that authority and force that it rents the heart and fills it with fear and trembling and astonishment This is that which the Schoolmen call Attrition And our Divines usually stile Legal preparation and the Scripture the spirit and bondage whereby all the powers and presumptions and confidences of the soule are shaken and the heart is made so sensible of its transgressions that it quakes and trembles and hath no rest nor peace but is filled with bitterness and terror and cries out with woful complaints I have undone my self I have sinned I have sinned and what will become of me I feel the wrath of God and what shall I do to be delivered I cannot live thus and I dare not dye thus if the Lord shew me not mercy I perish for ever Secondly The Lord takes away the hardness of the heart Effectually and this Effectually he doth when he diâ—solves and melts the stonyness of the heart It is one thing to break a stone into pieces and it is another thing to melt a stone as it were into water Simile The Lord doth by the Law break the stony and stout heart of a sinner but he melts and dissolves the heart by the Gospel and on this wise he doth dissolve and melt it 1. By revealing of mercy and hope of mercy to the broken and distressed sinner thus and thus hast thou â—â—nned against me and now thou seest and findest it to be an evil and bitter thing to slight my Word and resist my Spirit and to harden thy heart thou art now fallen into the hands of the living God and I can make all my wrath to fall on thee and to destroy thee at once for all thy rebellions But I am the Lord merciful and gracious I desire not the death of a sinner but rather that he turn and live Lo I have given mine own Son Jesus Christ to dye for sinners and I have said that whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3 16. Therefore go thou broken-hearted sinner go thou unto him and be saved accept of him and thou shalt find mercy to pardon all that is past he is able to save thee to the uttermost and he is a merciful High Priest O how this works on that sinner but is it possible that there should be such a surpassing goodness in God what and to such a proud and stout-hearted sinner as I have been what mercy to one who hath so often slighted mercy and Christ for one who hath so often refused Christ this begins to melt the hard heart of the sinner 2. By the offer of mercy and particular invitation of the broken-hearted sinner to lay hold on it The Lord Jesus comes as it were to the very house of this sinner and knocks at the door and saith Here dwells a broken-hearted sinner and my Father hath sent me to him that I may save his poor soul Come come unto me be not afraid I my self do call thee to come unto me And I do assure thee in the word of a Saviour that I will not reject thee but I will pity and help and refresh thee I will answer for thy sins and I will make thy peace though thou hast been very wicked I will not stand upon that and though thou art utterly unworthy yet I will not stand on that neither only receive me and I will be thine and mercy and salvation shall be thine freely and aâ—suredly 3. By the collation of Faith which makes the sinner willingly and really to close with Christ The Lord by his Spirit doth enable the broken-hearted sinner to receive Jesus Christ and to take livery and seizin of a reconciled merciful loving blessing God in and by him And now the apprehension and possession of all this rich mercy and great love and exceeding goodness of God in Christ melts and dissolves the stonyness of the heart this works in him a tenderness a mournfulness a pliableness and all that is contrary to hardness of heart Thirdly The Lord takes away the stony heart from his people successively Successively or by degrees indeed the dominion of it is taken away in an instant as soon as ever the sinner is brought into Christ as soon as he is called and converted the raigning power of hardness is taken away the man shall never have such a stubborn opposing resisting base heart any longer But yet the grudging of the stone the remaining gravel the reliques of hardness are taken away by degrees the remaining hardnesse the Lord takes away First one while by Afflictions Psal 119. 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy Word Secondly Another while by mercies and kindnesses Ezek. 16. 60. I will remember my Covenant with thee in the dayes of thy youth I will establish unto thee an everlasting Covenant Ver. 61. Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed So Hose 3. 5. Afterwards shall the Children return and seek the Lord and shall fear the Lord and his goodness Thirdly Sometimes by his Word and Ordinances which are like Refining fire to melt and purge away our dross How frequently do the people of God find the Word of God to be the power of God to melt away their carelesness and their indisposition of heart and deadness of heart and backwardness and unruliness of heart Fourthly The Lord takes away the stony heart from his people perfectly and compleatly Root and Branch so that no part of it and no degree of it shall Perfectly ever be found in their hearts any more This shall be done in the very moment of death when we come to the dissolution of soul and body we shall then come to the perfect dissolution of all hardness and of all remaining sinfulness of heart Quest 2. Now to the second question why the Lord will take away the stony Why God takes away the stony heart and that by promise The Lord will do it that They may be his people heart from his people and why he himself doth undertake it by promise Sol. The Lord will take away the heart of stone from his people That First They may be his people and receive him for their God and Lord Beloved as long as hardness of heart prevails on any people it is impossible that they should become the people of the Lord they will not hearken to his voice nor obey his voice nor receive his Laws nor fall in with his offers and entreaties but will reject his Word and despise his counsel and will follow the lusts of their own hearts and therefore of necessity the Lord must take away the hardness of heart if he will have any people to be his people he must break down the pride and stoutness and resistance
and rebellion of their hearts there must be a mutual will and consent and agreement which cannot be till resistance in our hearts be removed that so our hearts may be made willing to comply with him and with his will and with his wayes and with his works Secondly That he may bring them all into union with Jesus Christ his people Bring them into union with Christ are a people given unto Christ from all eternity Thine they were and thou gavest them me Joh. 17. 6. And as they are given to Christ by an eternal compact so they must be given in to Christ in time by effectual vocation in a way of believing And for this reason also he will take away the hardness of their hearts which is imcompatible with closing with Christ Heb. 3. 7. To day if ye will hear his voice ver 8. harden not your hearts Thirdly That he may enjoy communion with them and they with him This is one Reason why he makes us to be his people that he might make known all Enjoy communion with them his love and goodness unto us and that our hearts might be taken up with him and set on him in love and fear and desire and joy and hope None of which will or can be unless the Lord were pleased to take away the heart of stone from his people c. Fourthly That he may bring upon them all the good which he hath promised unto And bring upon them all the good that he hath promised to his people viz. All the blessings of mercy and peace and comfort and joy of which they are not capable untill the Lord take away the hardness of their hearts Would you have the Lord to settle pardoning mercy on a hard heart and to speak peace to a hard heart and to revive with comfort and joy the soul of an hardened sinner who will hold fast his iniquities and who will not obey his voyce and will none of him This is as it were a foundation-work for the other works of the Covenant Sol. 2. Again the Lord himself doth again by promise undertake to take away God by promise undertakes it Because of the impossibility of it the stony heart from his people upon a twofold account First On the impossibility of the work without his own Omnipotency None but the Almighty can cure the stone of the heart neither Angels nor Men nor Ministry nor Self-power for the hard heart is too hard for all means whatsoever only the Lord is too hard for it he can subdue all the powers of sin and he can pull down all high imaginations which do exalt themselves and he can abase the pride of man and he can circumcise all the stoutness of the heart so that the rebellious shall submit themselves Secondly The other that his people when they are made sensible of their That men may not despair hardnesse may not despair but may apply themselves unto him who is able to work all their work in and for them and to heal all their diseases and to subdue all their iniquities Beloved a Promise of God in any kind is a singular foundation for Faith and Prayer And so it is in this business of hardness of heart if the Lord promise to take it away then the work is possible it may be done and it is likewise de futuro it shall be done As the Lord is able to perform whatsoever he promiseth to his people so he is faithful and will perform the same And both these are grounds for Faith and Prayer to go unto the Lord and beseech him and trust upon him that he will according to his word take away the hardness of our hearts Quest 3. How this can be affirmed for a truth seeing that much hardnesse How this can be since much hardness remains A difference betwixt the hardness remaining in the best and that in the wicked The godly are sensible of it of heart remaines in all the people of God all the dayes of their lives Sol. This hath been answered in part already in the manner how God takes away the hardness of heart from his people only I will adde that there is a vast difference 'twixt the hardness of heart remaining in the people of God and that hardness of heart abiding in ungodly men v. g. First Though hardness of heart in some degrees remains in the people of God yet they are sensible of it as their great evil and burden and do exceedingly bewail it and complain to the Lord of it and cry out Why hast thou hardned our hearts from thy fear Isa 63. 17. But wicked men are unsensible of the hardness of their hearts they are past feeling and their consciences are seared as with a hot iron as the Apostle speaks 1 Tim. 4. 2. When a part of the body is feared with a hot iron it becomes utterly stupid and unsensible c. Secondly The hardnesse of heart remaining in the people of God it It is still mortifying in the best is still mortifying and decreasing the more they feel it the more they pray against it and never give over till they have obtained more grace and strength against it untill they find their hearts more tender and pliable But the hardness of heart in ungodly men as it is raigning so it is raging it still increaseth unto more hardness ungodly men sin more and more and still oppose the means of softning their hearts and the more they do sin the more they do harden their hearts and the more they do oppose the light and means of softning the more they do augment their sins and hardness Thirdly Though hardness of heart doth remain in the people of God yet Though it remains yet They do not willingly take those wayes that tend to hardening 1. They do not willingly and advisedly give up themselves to any wayes and courses which tend to the hardning of their hearts as to the neglect of the Ordinances to the omission of holy duties to the commission of sins against the light of the Word and of Conscience 2. They do cordially use all the means to work off the hardness of their hearts as frequent self-examinations humble confessions and self-judgings earnest Prayer for more Faith and fear and tenderness of spirit and the Lord doth Cordially use the means against it graciously â—ear them in these Requests But thus it is not with ungodly men whose hearts are hardened they practice wickedness and they sell themselves to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord 1 King 21. 25. And give themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greedinesse Ephes 4. 19. And trample under feet the light of the Word and the actings of Conscience and whatsoever stands in their way to restrain them from sinning and are so far from improving any means for the removing of the hardness of their hearts that they deride and scorn at them and reject and abhor
A marvellous unsensibleness and cannot mourn for our sins 3. No delight in communion with God cannot pray Sol. For your help in these cases know First Melancholy is one thing and hardness of heart is another thing Melancholy breeds an indisposition to all works Religious and Civil unfit to Pray and unfit to Trade But hardness of heart is rather an opposition than an indisposition Melancholy indisposeth for a time for a fit but when that is off the soul is free again Secondly Indisposition from temptation is one thing and from affection is another Temptations may deject the heart and distract it but these are grievous and burdensome to the soul Thirdly Indisposition is absolute no heart at all or comparative not so full free quick and lively as at sometimes Fourthly Constant And transient approved resisted and bewailed And to that of unmournfulness First There is direct grief and there is reflexive grief a mourning because we cannot mourn Secondly There is dolor voluntatis which is displeasing and dolor passionis which is vexing this not alwayes nor always alike Thirdly Though you finde not your hearts so mournful yet you have hearts to beseech the Lord to give a Spirit of mourning Zach. 12. 10. We cannot pray First What not at all never no desires Secondly Not at sometimes with that freedom fulness chearfulness uninterruptedness Thirdly Yet you will pray you will look up Fourthly Three things may comfort and quiet you though you cannot pray with that earnestness and enlargedness yet if you can can pray 1. With a believing heart 2ly With an humble heart in the sense of it 3ly With a sincere heart and desire God will accept you SECT III. Vse 3. DOth the Lord himself undertake to take away the heart of stone from They who partake of this mercy should beware of hardning themselves again his people O then let all such who are the people of God whose hearts God hath cured of this Spiritual disease of hardnesse let them in a special manner beware that they suffer not their hearts to harden themselves again Perhaps this may be a word in season to some of us this day who have lost our former tenderness of heart and do now find a strong obduration upon our spirits and we know not therefore what to think of our selves and conditions With your favour I will speak three things unto this Case 1. The real Symptomes of an heart harding in a godly man 2. The sadness of that condition 3. Directions in this case for recovery I. The real Symptomes of an heart hardning in a godly man Symptomes of it Listlestness to the Ordinances First A listlestnesse of heart to the Ordinances the man hath not that flying spirit unto them Simile flies not as Doves to the windows nor that hungring spirit after them as heretofore he longs not for a Sabbath nor doth his soul complain for his appointed food It is with him as with a man on whom a disease is seasing his stomack begins to fail him and he mindes not his meat as he was wont to do So it is with a good man on whom hardness of heart is seasing the Ordinances are not so precious and dear to him as heretofore he falls in the high estimation of them and in the wonted affectionateness of them and the man can miss many a Sermon quietly and neglect any Ordinance Ah friend remember from whence thou art falling consider whither thou art going Hardness is growing when carelesness is rising c. Secondly A flatness of spirit under the Ordinances The time was that the Flatness of spirit under Ordinances mans heart was to the Word as wax to the seal every part of the world would have wrought and imprinted something on his heart a threatning would have startled him a Precept would have guided him a promise would have revived him there was ordinarily a vigour and warmth falling from the Ordinances upon his heart But now his heart is chill and cold and formal and dead under the means of life he is little or nothing stirred or moved He comes and hears the sound of the Word but he seldome meets with the power of the Word there is not that mourning nor joy nor fear nor trusting as formerly Divine Precepts do not quicken his heart Divine Promises do not establsh his heart Divine Exhortations do not encourage and enlarge his heart Divine Tryals and discourses do not make him to search his heart Divine Rewards do not affect and open his heart as heretofore they have done Thirdly A carelesnesse of mind after the Ordinances Heretofore when the man had heard the Word home he would go and retire himself and consider Careiesnesse of mind after Ordinances and confess and pray and bless the Lord Lord in such a Point thou didest discover my sin and failing O pardon and heal me in another thou didst clear my doubts be pleased still to settle and quiet my soul in another Point thou didst shew me more of my work O now grant unto thy servant more of thy strength in another Point thou didst raise my faith and comfort my soul my soul did therefore love and bless thee You would not imagine what pains the man took with a Sermon after a Sermon what wrestlings with God what tears and cries to take out the lessons of God to be cast into the mould of every Divine Truth O but now it is not so with him he hath quickly done with the Word after he hath read or heard the Word the Word doth not dwell with him nor go home with him he is seldom in after Meditations in after Applications in after Supplications The Word of God comes and goes is heard and laid aside perhaps the man speaks a little of it but mindes it not as a Message or Errand from God to him Fourthly A remisnesse concerning private duties when these begin either to Remisness in private duties be omitted or seldomly to be performed rather out of course than Conscience without that intentiveness of minde and without the labour of the heart and affections which God requires and which the Christian formerly found and expressed v. g. The Christians confessions were wont to be with singular sense of sin compunction and brokenness of heart judgings mournings shames and condemnings of himself his Prayers were wont to be strong cries importunate wrestlings vehement strivings and pleadings in the name of Christ humble urgings and pressings of the promises of God unsatisfiable thirsts after mercies graces comforts O but now they are not so or are very seldom so This poor Christian is scarce sensible of the sins which he doth now confess and scarce apprehensive of any Spiritual good which he seems to crave he doth not insist on these with his ancient affections and ancient expectations he seemes to be satisfied with what he doth and not with what he desireth Ah friend when the edge and fervor of the spirit is gone
when fervency daily degenerates into formality surely tenderness is falling into hardness of heart Watchlesness over the spirit Fifthly A watchlesnesse over the spirit or soul it is not minded observed lookt unto in its motions affections transactions as formerly but the guard is drawn off there is less fear and more security less diligent care and more loose presumption The man was wont to keep his heart with all diligence narrowly observing the passages and workings of his Spirit the inclinations of his heart temptations of Satan behaviours of every day alone and in company and accordingly did apply himself with variety of petitions to God and humbled himself for what was amiss and renewed his strength in the Lord for the time to come O but now it is not thus the precious soul is neglected the City is not watched the thoughts and affections and actions are not observed the poor man is asleep and drowsie and his spirituall frame is impaired and he considers it not 2ly The sadnesse of this condition The sadness of this condition It is an evill distemper First It is a very evil and naughty distemper an hard heart softning that is good but the soft hardning again that 's very evil Was it good to tremble at the Word what is it now not to be moved by the Word was it good to think of sin and mourn what is it now to hear of thy sins and not to be troubled at all was it good to act duties with affections and life what is it now to neglect the duties or to act them with a heavy and careless Spirit There are four things which shew this hardning to be very evil 1. The marvellous ingratitude in it that the Lord should shew so much mercy to heal the disease and yet you relapse into it again 2. There is an express self-condemnation why you were exceedingly troubled at the hardness of your hearts and prayed against it and sought the prayers of others and now to harden your hearts again 3. There is presumption in it you do tempt the Lord by it Do you mean to continue in this case then you are undone do you mean to come out of it why do you then tempt the Lord by falling into it and presuming on his grace to recover you 4. If you look not speedily to your selves where think you will this hardning end perhaps in some great desertion perhaps in some great transgression perhaps in some exceeding great and long trouble of conscience Secondly It is a very uncomfortable condition How is thy Sun eclipsed It is a very uncomfortable condition and thy Spring cut off what is become of that spirit of Prayer what is become of that excellent assurance of which thou hast so much spoken where is that sweetly excusing testimony of Conscience what is become of that joy in the Holy Ghost and that peace with which thou wast wont to work Ah! thou hast suffered thy heart to harden again and God looks not on thee as he was wont and Conscience speaks not as it was wont and the Spirit of God manifests not himself as he was wont and Ordinances smile not on thee as they were wont nor doth Providence shine upon thy Tabernacle as it was wont But instead of these thou meetest with many a sharp affliction with many piercing reproofs with many a sad item and reckoning and scourges which no man knows and feels in the sting and bitterness of it but thou thy self Thirdly It is a very formal and empty estate how may it grieve thee to see It is an empty state a fruitless Vintage of thy soul Tell me what returns hast thou had all this while that this hardning distemper hath been upon thee thou hearest carelesly and negligently what hast thou been the better for all the Sermons which thou hast heard thou prayest coldly and formally and what good hath returned upon thy soul after them thou hast had no trading all this while at heaven how dull must grace be which is not used and how decaying must thy Spiritual strength be which all this while recovers no more strength Fourthly It is a very dangerour posture though it be not absolute Apostacy It is a dangerous posture yet it looks toward it Though I will not say that it is the turning of the grace of God into wantonnesse yet it bends towards it Though it be not falling from grace and though it be not a forsaking of God yet unquestionably it is a gâ—ieving of God and a provoking of him and for which he may very far leave a person 3ly Directions in this case for recovery Directions for recovery Finde out the cause First By all means find out the cause or causes of the hardning observe well 1. What conscience tells thee in thy bed at night or in the day of fear and affliction or in a day of Solemn Humiliation or in the meditation of thy short appearances before God 2. What the Word of God hints and points at in thee at what it levels and strikes there is an arrow some time or other shot which falls into thy very heart a message that is secretly delivered in way of conviction and reproof which saith Thou art the man and this is thy way and thy doings 3. What thy faithful and watchful friends say unto thee what their suspicions and fears are and unto what their friendly counsels do tend A thousand to one but some of these things which I shall mention have brought on thee this new hardness upon thy heart 1. Either spiritual pride this hath made thee to neglect thy watch and to neglect the Ordinances 2. Or a worldly surfet thou hast been taking in too much of the world and worldly business and this hath robbed thee of thy precious time to converse at heaven to meditate to examine to read to hear to pray to confer with thy Fellow-Christians 3. Or the deceitfulness of sin Thou hast ventured on lesser sins and they have ensnared thee and drawn thee to greater sins and these have brought upon thee the hardness of thy heart again c. Secondly When you have found out the spiritual causes by which your hearts Judge your selves and repent have been hardned then judge your selves and repent remember from whence thou art fallen and repent said Christ unto Ephesus Rev. 2. 5. Nay do not stay to look when this hardning will fall off from thee but hasten but compel thy self to retiredness and to a penitential consideration of thy hardning with the causes of it and the great evils in it and fall down before the Lord in humble confessions of thy great back-slidings and poure out prayer upon prayer O wrestle with the Father of mercies for his Christs sake to pity and pardon and heal and once more to cure and recover thee Follow on to seek the Lord though he doth secretly upbraid thee though for a while he delays thee though to thy
mend the soft heart 3. In respect of the Works and Dealings of God all of them make impression on the soft heart those of mercy and those of judgement those of blessing those of affliction they all work kindly Fifthly The Author and Cause of all this is God himself Job 23. 16. God is the Author of it God maketh my heart soft Zach. 12. 10. They shall look on him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn c. The Lord doth give this soft and tender heart when he doth effectually call and convert a sinner as you may see in Pauls conversion and thus you see what the heart of flesh is what a soft and tender heart is SECT II. Quest 2. NOW to the second Question How it may appear that the people of How this appears God are people of soft and tender hearts First By Instances all the Scripture over I will mention some David was By Instances a godly man and he was a man of a soft and tender heart when he did cut off the lap of Sauls garment his heart smote him as soon as Abigal spake with him he was with-drawn from his rash and dangerous resolution Nathan spake but one word unto him Thou art the man and presently he is struck I have sinned and that made him to water his couch with tears Josiah was a godly man and he was a man of a soft and tender heart see 2 Chron. 34. 27. Because thine heart was tender and thou didst humble thy self before God when thou heardest his words against this place and against the Inhabitants thereof and humbledst thy self before me and didst rent thy cloaths and weep before me c. Joseph was so both to God Gen. 39. 9. How can I do wickedness c and to Man How tender to his father and brethren Job was so and so was Peter on whom one look of Christ did work so kindly that he went out and wept bitterly What should I speak of Jehoshaphat Hezekiah Nehemiah Ezra Daniel or of Paul or of the Corinthians 2 Cor. 3. 3. Ye are the Epistle of Christ written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart nay see more of this softness and tenderness 2 Cor. 7. 11. Behold this same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire c. Secondly By Practice and there are eight things appearing in their By Practice practice which do shew that they are persons of soft and tender hearts First Quick apprehensions even of a frown and of Gods displeasure afar Quick apprehensions off in the beginnings in the threatnings in a with-drawment in any stop or estrangedness of communion and visits and unusualness in these cases presently the heart of them begins to misgive and fear Is all well is not the Lord angry He looks not on me I hear not from him as formerly Have not I offended him c Secondly Easie convictions A reproof saith Solomon Prov. 17. 10. entereth Easie Convictions more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool and so doth any conviction if the people of God have sinned Christs look to Peter Nathans word to David sometimes a glance an hint a passage in a Sermon or in Discourse is enough for conscience is very tender and takes presently and yields and confesseth c. Great griefs for lesser trespasses Thirdly Great griefs for lesser trespasses Great sins trouble not an hard heart Simile no more than the nettles and thorns do the hardned hand but little sins do exceedingly trouble the hearts of the godly being soft and tender Simile if a mote fall into the eye it causeth vexation because the eye is tender the omission of duty the coldness of performance distraction in services vain and idle thoughts unprofitable words losing of time sit heavily upon the hearts of Gods people c. Fourthly Special care of sure warrant for special actions They must have Care of sure warrant for special actions a light and a voice going before them This is the way Walk in it May I do this and may I do that Doth the Lord command such a work and doth he enjoyn me and am I sure and clear that I do not transgress if I should venture upon it Fifthly Wise Caution in doubtfuls Where if the work or way seems doubtfully Caution in doubtfuls good or doubtfully evil the godly person makes a pause a stand a stop he dares not to act boystrously if it be but a perhaps it is evil but a perhaps God may be dishonoured or his Gospel prejudiced he will abstain untill he gets more light to clear his steps as Job offered sacrifice in the case of perhaps Sixthly Present obedience When God commands no delays no shufflings Present obedience no consultings with flesh and blood their hearts are indeed at Gods command I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Psal 119. 60. You need not use many arguments and perswasions to the people of God a word of Gods command is of easie authority c. Seventhly And Choice obedience they would serve the Lord with their spirits Choice obedience Rom. 1. 9. and seek him with their whole hearts Psal 119. 10. and serve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear Hebr. 12. 28. and love him with all their might Eighthly Earnest supplications that they might not offend or if they have Earnest supplications offended that they might not offend so David Keep thy servant from presumptuous sins Psal 19. 13. Let not any iniquity have dominion over me Psal 119. 133. And in case of offence O take away iniquity I have sinned I have done exceeding foolishly O Lord forgive be merciful unto my transgressions heal my back-slidings return in mercy speak peace whence is all this but from the tenderness of their hearts Simile they cannot live out of doors under frowns having any difference 'twixt their God and their souls no more than the tender wife or child c. Quest 3. Why the Lord gives a heart of flesh a soft and tender heart to his Why God gives a heart of flesh Four reasons of it people Sol. The Reasons may be these which I will but mention First God will teach them they shall be taught of God and write his Law in their inward parts Ergo. Secondly His people must be his servants they must serve the Lord their God be at his command to do his will and his work Ergo. Thirdly They must be like unto their God and Father and have a nature answerable to his nature God is a God of very merciful nature very tender and gentle easie to be entreated and if I may so say to be wrought on sometimes a prayer works on him sometimes a tear sometimes
Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes Isa 2. 3. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes Psal 119 33. But many people they have no desire to hear the Word nor any heart to be taught by the Word Nay they think the Word is much beholding to them if they will vouchsafe him an hours time to come and hear have these men tender hearts to please God who care not at all to know the mind of God Secondly They will not walk according to the rules and prescriptions of it but They will not walk according to it esteem of them as burthens which they would cast off and as cords which they would break asunder Psal 2. 3. or as superfluous niceties and preciseness which they need not to regard Their wills are absolutely incomplying with the will of God and condemning the will of God and perking up above the will of God Can any rational man imagine that such persons have soft and tender hearts to fear the Lord to obey his voice whose heart will not yield to his Word nor submit at all unto it Object But will some say Are there any such men Sol. 1. There have been such amongst those to whom the Word hath come Jer. 44. 16. As for the word which thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee And ver 4. I sent unto you all my Prophets saying O do not this abominable thing that I hate ver 5. But they harkned not nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness to burn incense to other gods ver 17. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouthes c. Zach. 7. 9. Thus speaketh the Lord of Hâ—sts Execute true judgement and shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother ver 10. and oppress not the widow or the fatherless the stranger nor the poor and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart ver 11. But they refused to hearken and pulled away their shoulder and stopped their ears that they should not hear Secondly And there are such amongst our selves who will not conform unto the will of God nor obey his Word The Lord saith swear not at all Matth. 5. 34. but they will swear by their faith and by their troth and by the creatures c. The Lord commands every man everywhere to repent Acts 17. 30. but they will not leave their sins he that was proud is proud still and he that was filthy is filthy still and he that was drunken is drunken still The Lord commands us to keep the Sabbath day holy Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy but men will not hearken to the Lord in this they will have their delights and will sell their wares and will have their pastimes and meetings on that day c. The Lord commands Parents to teach and instruct their children and to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord and Governours of Families to set up his worship and fear in their houses but men will not do this c. The Lord commands us all to walk strictly and circumspectly Ephes 5. 15. and according to the rule Gal. 6. 16. But we will not be bound up to the straight path of life we will allow our selves such a loosnesse of Opinion and such a loosness of speaking and such a loosness of walking which the Lord doth not only not allow but expresly forbids and condems in his Word assuredly this is farre from the frame of tender and soft hearts Thirdly They do slight and mock at the threatnings of the Word and misuse They slight the threatnings of the Word the Messengers of the Lord Isa 21. 11. Watchman what of the night watchman what of the night Jer. 23. 23. What is the burden of the Lord Chap. 5. 12. They have belyed the Lord and said It is not he neither shall evill come upon us neither shall we see sword nor famine Jer. 6. 10. Behold the Word of the Lord is a reproach unto them 2 Chron. 36. 16. But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets Acts 2. 13. Others mocking said These men are full of new wine Unquestionably such men as these are far from softness and tenderness of heart which when any have it they do fear the Word of the Lord and do tremble at his threatnings Nevertheless we do find it among our selves that many persons do slight and mock at the reproofs and threatnings of the Word and do misuse the Messengers of God when reproving their sins and applying those threatnings which God himself hath denounced against them for their sinnings As like Solomons fool they do make a mock of sin so like those hardned Jews they do make but a mock of Gods threatnings for their sins despise and laugh at them whereas they should humble their hearts under them and repent of their sins that so they may avoid that wrath which God threatens them for their sinnings Fourthly They will not be brought under the obedience of it let the Lord do what he will Hose 6. 5. I have hewed them by the Prophets I have slain them by They will not be obedient to the Word the words of my mouth and thy judgements are as the light that goeth forth ver 7. But they like men have transgressed the Covenant there have they dealt treacherously against me Zeph. 3. 5. Every morning doth he bring his judgement to light he faileth not but the unjust knoweth no shame ver 6. I have cut off the Nations their Towers are desolate I made their streets waste that none passe by their Cities are destroyed so that there is no man that there is no inhabitant ver 7. I said Surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive instruction so their dwellings should not be cut off howsoever I punished them but they rose early and corrupted all their doings Thirdly By untowardlinesse and untractablenesse of their hearts under all the mercies By untractablenesse under mercies of God and all the merciful dealings of God Beloved that man is certainly under the dominion of hardness of heart and without all softness and tendernesse on whom no mercies of God will work why nothing will work if mercy will not work Now there are six choice merciful dealings of God which yet work not to any purpose on the hearts of many men viz. 1. Gods merciful Providence 2. Gods merciful Treaties 3. Gods merciful Strivings 4. Gods merciful Waitings 5. Gods merciful Warnings 6 Gods merciful Repentings First Gods merciful Providence in manifold nay in daily fruits of preservation His merciful Providences and deliverance of goodness and blessings the Lord it is who gives us life and all things that pertain to life he feeds our bellies and clothes our backs and maintains our health and multiplies our seed sowen and makes us to prosper and thrive
and with this hedge hath our portion been secured Yet this Providential mercy and goodness of God doth not work kindly and effectually on the hearts of many men no penitential plyableness and obedience at all Hos 11. â— I drew them with cords of a man with bands of love and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws and laid meat unto them Ver. 5. But they refused to return Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of the goodness and forbearance and longsuffering of God not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ver 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart c. Nay instead of yielding unto and complying with God by reason of his good hand of blessing many sinners do therefore grow more disobedient and wicked I spake unto thee in thy prosperity but thou saydst I wilt not hear Jer. 22. 21. Deut. 32. 15. But Jesuron waxed fat and kicked then he forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his Salvation Secondly Gods merciful Treaties The Lord sends the Gospel unto a people His merciful Treaties and by that sets open his Mercy-seat and sets up his Throne of Grace and proclaims himself to be the Lord the Lord gracious and merciful in goodness and truth and by it reports unto sinners that he hath raised up an horn of salvation for them that he hath out of his infinite love sent his own Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners and that whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life And he offers his Christ unto sinners invites them commands them earnestly urgeth them to come unto him to receive him to believe on him and assures them of the pardon of all their sins and of eternal life nay intimates clearly that though they have no worthiness yet they may come and drink of the water of life freely O what merciful dealing is this and yet after all this the hearts of many sinners are no more stirred or drawn than the stones or Rocks Who hath believed our report saith the Prophet Who hath believed our report said Christ Matth. 23. 37. Who hath believed our report said the Apostle Sinners are not gathered and ye will not come unto me that ye might have life Joh. 5. 40. Thirdly Gods merciful Strivings what he offers by his Word he presseth the His merciful Strivings same ofttimes by his Spirit who follows our hearts with one work after another with Humiliation and then with Conviction and then with Pulsation and Excitation the Spirit of God doth ofttimes make sinners to see their sins and their need of Christ and that their life and health and hope is oâ—ly in him and in no other Name and that they shall certainly perish and be damned if they believe not nay he troubles their Consciences and sets them a work to regard Jesus Christ and to comply with his excellent self and gracious offers and yet all this is lost many sinners harden their hearts and will not put their necks into his yoke they will not have him to raign over them Fourthly Gods merciful waitings The Lord doth not presently take the denial His merciful Waitings and forfeiture but waits that he may be gracious comes to the door again renews the offer sends one servant and a second and a third gives yet more time he waits thus on sinners more than three years sometimes more than twenty years sometimes more than fourty years sometimes more than sixty years for so long and perhaps longer doth he continue his Gospel to them yet after all his patient waiting many sinners do continue as they were ignorant proud obstinate impudent and unbelieving and are not drawn either by the goodnesse or by the patience of his grace Fithly Gods merciful warnings when all this works not on sinners then the His merciful Warnings Lord gives notice unto them that if they will not hearken unto his voice of mercy he will forsake them he will give them up unto their own hearts lust and they shall perish and never enter into his rest Joh. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he ye shall dye in your sins Hebr. 2. 2. If the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward ver 3. How shall we escape if we neglect such great salvation which at the first began to be spoken of by the Lord Heb. 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven And yet all the warnings of God that he will not bear any longer that he will close up the day of grace that refusers of his grace in Christ shall not escape but shall receive a just recompence of reward for their disobedience I say all these move not many sinners at all but though they must die in their sins perish and be damned for their unbelief yet will they not yeild to come to Christ Sixthly Gods merciful recoilings or repentings i. e. when the Lord being so His merciful Repentings contemned and provoked by proud and obstinate sinners draws out his wrath and is now ready to execute vengeance on them that obey not his Gospel his hand is even stretched out to destroy yet his bowels work within him and his mercy prevails with his justice for a little forbearance and trial Luk. 13. 7. Behold these three yeers I come seeking fruit on this figtree and find none cut it down O Lord let it alone this year also c. Hose 11. 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together ver 9. I will not execute the fiercenesse of mine anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man Nevertheless though God repents of his wrath yet how few do repent of their sins they do not return to the Lord nor seek him for all this by all which it doth evidently appear that many sinners are destitute of all spiritual softness and tenderness of heart 2ly The convictions in a defective way that many persons do deceive Convictions that many deceive themselves in a false softness themselves with a false softness of heart There are six sorts of softness or tenderness of heart with which many do deceive themselves instead of this true spirituall softness of heart v. g. 1. Exigential softness 2. The Legal softness 3. The Partial softness 4. The Temporary softness 5. Worldly softness 6. The Desperate softness and tenderness First The Exigential softness and tenderness I mean that which ariseth only from fear of punishment as in Ahabs case or from that present sense of
the testimonies of Gods reconciled favour O how doth the tender heart take on and judge and condemn it self if at any time it fall into sin O what a fool what a beast and why have I dealt thus with my God! why did I deal so unkindly with my kind God is this my love unto him is this my fear of him is this my tenderness of his glory O my soul what hast thou done why hast thou broken the bonds of friendship what hath the Lord been to thee that thou hast thus sinned against him And now the man falls a weeping and lamenting as if his heart would break and after some respite he thinks of his father again but he is ashamed to come to him and yet he will go to him and return with weeping and supplications O I cannot live thus I will home again to my fathers house and say I have sinned and am no more worthy to be called thy son Luke 15. Though shame and confusions belong to me yet mercies and forgiveness to him Dan. 9. O Lord heal my backslidings and forgive my backsldings and reoeive me graciously Hose 14. 2. And return again in mercy and make thy face to shine upon thy servant for the Lords sake Thus have I opened unto you the first Character or evidence of a heart spiritually soft and tender it is a heart filled with shame for sin and with grief for sin and with fear to sin and with zeal against sin and with care to be kept from sin and with restlestness till it can find God mercifully pardoning sin O that such tenderness and that such fruits of tenderness might be found in all our hearts Secondly A second Character by which we may know that we have the true The activity and life and power in conscience spiritual softness and tenderness of heart is the activity and life and power in conscience when God gives any one a soft and tender heart he gives him a conscience arrayed and enabled with other qualities and powers than in times past The Conscience heretofore was asleep but now it is awakned heretofore it was blind but now it sees heretofore it was silent but now it speaks heretofore it was loose and large but now it is strict and narrow heretofore it was dull and weak but now it is quick and powerful heretofore it was stupid and senceless but now it is apprehensive and active But I must not speak of all things about this that which I will pitch on is this the speciall Activities of Conscience where the heart is indeed tender 1. Concerning the good estate and welbeing of our souls 2. Concerning particular facts as to our doing or walking First Where the heart is tender there Conscience becomes active to clear out The conscience is active to clear our state the good and safe estate and well-being of our souls It will not suffer the poor soul to delude and deceive itself in matters of life and death to lay no grounds nor to venture all upon false bottoms and grounds of salvation and damnation of favour and wrath O saith Conscience thy soul is immortal and is for eternity and there are wayes to that eternity of Gods making and of mens making there is a reall relation to Christ and there is a seeming relation to Christ there is the power of godliness and there is the form of godliness there were virgins with oyle and there were virgins with lamps only there are some which believe and are saved and there are some that believe but for a time and perish If a man mistake himself he is undone for ever hereupon it is that Conscience in tender hearts dares not take up the estate of the soul upon trust and proud confidence and vain pretences or common grounds or every appearance but puts them on and makes them to study the Word of God and to prove what is the good and acceptable will of God and what indeed are the marks which do accompany salvation what are the infallible tokens of life of union with Christ of the new creature of a child of God born of the Spirit it causeth us to search our hearts and try our wayes to prove and examine our selves whether Christ be in us of a truth to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling it will not suffer us to be careless sluggish dallying delaying c. Conscience takes those saving promises of the â—ord as unquestionable that a man must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that will be saved and that he must repent that will have his sins pardoned and that he must be regenerated and born again who will enter into the kingdom of heaven And hereupon Conscience puts us on if our hearts be tender exceedingly to make clear and evident the assumption I do truely believe I do truely repent I am born again and my sins are pardoned and my soul shall be saved A tender heart would be sure that it is in a state of life and favour Secondly Where the heart is tender there conscience is alive in respect of the particular facts of our lives whether good or evil For good actions which concern us in our places and callings Conscience puts us upon the careful and sincere practice of them will not suffer us to omit and neglect them but enclines and hearkens unto them although danger and trouble be incident unto us for the performance of them Act. 4. 19. But Peter and John answered and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye ver 20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Act. 21. 13. Then Paul answered What mean you to weep and break mine heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Josh 24. 25. If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. For evil actions Conscience puts forth itself against them partly by warning It is evil if thou do it not partly by threatning It will be bitter unto thee it wlll deceive thee and break thy peace and confidences partly in striving with us and presenting argument upon argument consideration upon consideration Gods favour on the one hand and Gods displeasure on the other hand the happiness of walking uprightly the shortness of sins deceitful pleasures c. and all to keep us from sinning which if they prevail not then Conscience begins to be unquiet and it smites for sinning and accuses and condems and The respectiveness of our hearts to the Word of God troubles and vexes and
will never be quiet untill repentance be renewed and God appears to be pacified Thirdly If we have hearts spiritually soft and tender this will appear by the respectiveness of our hearts to the word of God And there are ten Properties of a tender heart in relation to the Word of God 1. It sets up the Word as a Light and Rule So Psal 119. 105. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths ver 133. Order my steps in thy Word 2. It studies the Word and meditates therein to understand the mind of God concerning it Psal 119. 15. I meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways ver 148. Mine eyes prevent the night watches that I might meditate in thy Word 3. It layes up and gives special heed unto what God saith in his Word 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have also a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed Psal 119. 11. Thy Word have I hid within my heart that I might not sin against thee Prov. 7. 1. My son keep my words and lay up my commands with thee ver 3. Bind them upon thy fingers write them upon the table of thine heart 4. It stands in awe of the Word Psal 119. 161. My heart stands in awe of thy Word 5. It is led and guided by the Word Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel Psal 73. 24. Thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellors Psal 119. 24. My sheep hear my voice and follow me Joh. 10. 17. 6. It keeps close to the Word in all matters of faith and practice receives all and admits no more will not go without it and dares not strive against it 7. It conformes itself unto the Word Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it even to the end Psal 119. 33. All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient Exod. 24 7. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Psal 119. 5. He will teach us his wayes and we will walk in his paths Isa 2. 3. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine whereto ye were delivered Rom. 6. 17. Moulded cast 8. It is quickly reduced wrought upon and recovered by the Word As in Davids case when Nathan said Thou art the man 2 Sam. 12. 7. David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord ver 13. So Judges 2. 2. Ye have not obeyed my voice why have you done this ver 4. And it came to passe when the Angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel that the people lift up their voice and wept ver 5. And they called the name of that place weepers Bochim and they sacrificed there unto the Lord. 9. It will often review and try itself by the Word lest it hath sinned or lest it should sin against God Psal 77. 6. I communed with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search Psal 119 59. I considered my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies 10. It desires and endeavours to comply with all the Word of God and to fulfill all the will of God and to walk according to it in all things I have lived in all good Conscience unto this day Act. 23. 1. We trust we have a good conscience Heb. 13. 18. I have respect unto all thy commandements Psal 119. 6. Zachary and Elizabeth walked in all the Commandements and Ordinances before the Lord blameless Luke 1. 6. Fourthly If we have hearts Spiritually soft and tender this will appear by By our sensibleness in cases of Gods honour or dishonour our sensibleness and choice behaviour in the cases of Gods honour and dishonour This I think is one of the fullest discoveries of a soft and tender heart and therefore I will insist the more upon it by shewing unto you 1. The several wayes how God is honoured 2. The several expressions of a tender heart in relation unto Gods honour 3. The several wayes of Gods dishonour 4. The several affections and workings of a tender heart in the case of Gods dishonour First The several wayes of Gods being honoured God may be and is honoured How God is honoured As â—â— his Name and Attribuâ—es 1. As to his glorious Name and Attributes Deut. 28. 58. That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful Name the Lord thy God When we do acknowledge and admire and exalt God in his holiness and goodness and mercifulness and Omnipoâ—ency and wisdom and greatness and authority and justice and faithfulness c. Exod. 15. 11. Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Job 9. 4. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength Exod. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth Ver. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquiâ—y transgressions and sins and that will by no means clear the guilty Deuter. 7. 9. Know that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandements to a thousand generations 2. As to his worship and service Psal 29. 2. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name or as it is in the Hebrew the honour of his Name worship the As to his Worship Lord in the beauty of holiness When we set up the true worship of God and serve him only and worship him only in Spirit and in truth and keep faithful unto it now we do honour and glorifie our God Thou hast not honoured me with thy sacrifices Isa 43. 23. The place where God is worshipped is called the place where his honour dwelleth 3. As to his Word and truths when they are magnified believed and embraced At his Word and upheld and obeyed when they have liberty and prosperity and success of efficacy 4. As to his works of Providence whether merciful respecting the good As to his Works of his people or judicial respecting the punishment of his adversaries in both which very much of God is to be seen and admired and blessed Secondly Now a soft and tender heart is exceedingly affected with Gods honour How the tender heart is affected in case of Gods honor and glory and with all the wayes publick and private for the honouring of God Such a person will take much pains to recover and restore the honour of God as you may see in Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah and Josiah to restore the true worship of God such a person will be at much cost to promote the honour of God 1 Chron. 29. 3. Because I have set my affection to the house of my God I have of mine one proper goods of gold and silver which I have given to the house of my God over and above all that I have prepared for thy holy house even three thousand talents of gold of the
many times we know not what to do and cannot do any good that we would and now the Spirit of God comes and strengthens our feeble hands and supports our fainting spirits and puts out his power upon our hearts and carries us on in our wayes and works You do find it thus in several cases viz. 1. Frequently when we are to pray we are at a loss and cannot go on with Gods spirit helps us in prayer the heavenly work our ignorance our unbelief Satans temptations and distractions all these hold us down and bind us up and we cannot help and free our selves But then the Spirit of God comes in with his strength and with his help and stirs up our hearts and enlargeth our hearts and new desires flow and groans abound and affâ—â—ctions work and faith works with confidence to the throne of grace to find grace and mercy to help in time of need 2. Alwayes in our spiritual warfare with our own corruptions with Satans temptations In our spiritual warfare in these conflicts we feel our own weakness and their power and violence so that we many times cry out O wretched men that we are who shall deliver us Rom. 7. 24. Or as Jehoshaphat in another case We have no might against this great company that commeth against us neither know we what to do 2 Chron. 20. 12. And verily we may say concerning our own corruptions what he spake of his enemies If it had not been the Lord who was on our side if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up quick Psal 124. 1,2,3 so if the Spirit of the Lord had not been with us and if the Spirit of the Lord had not strengthened and helped us sin had been too hard for us But in those conflicts the Spirit of God hath made us strong still to pray still to believe still to wait still to resist and at length to conquer 4ly The spirit of God which is given unto us is a reconciling and a restoring spirit He is a restoring spirit he restoreth my soul saith David Psal 23. 3. Even the people of God sometimes are circumvented by Satans temptations and are overpowered by sin that dwelleth in them what I hate that do I saith Paul Rom. 7. 15. They do many times fall very grievously and sadly and are not able by their own strength to rise again but there they lye with their weakness and losses and complaints and tears Now in this condition the Spirit of God puts forth his hand and recovers and raises them up again he doth not leave them when they are fallen but by the power of his assisting grace 1. He awakens them out of their sleep by a quick conviction upon their consciences He awakens out of spiritual sleep to see the great evil which they have done I have sinned saith David as soon as Nathan said Thou art the man 1 Sam. 12. 2. He melts their hearts into singular grief for that evil which they have done Melts their hearts into grief David watred his couch with tears Psal 6. 6. And Peter goes out and weeps bitterly Luk. 22. 62. he makes them to mourn and to be ashamed and to loath themselves 3. He stirs up their hearts to confess and acknowledge their sinnings and to judge themselves before the Lord for their unfaithful dealings and unworthy walking Stir them up to confess their sins and likewise earnest wrestlings and strivings with the Lord by prayer for pardoning mercy and restoring grace and a more stedfast spirit Psal 51. 9. Blot out all mine iniquities Ver. 10. Renew a right spirit witbin me Ver. 12. Vphold me by thy free spirit 4. He enables them by faith to lay hold on Christ to be their peace and to Enables by Faith to lay hold on Christ make Reconciliation and thus doth the Spirit of God recover and restore their fallen souls and assures them that their sin is pardoned Fifthly the Spirit of God which is given unto you is a comforting Spirit Christ He is a comforting spirit himself calls him the Comforter Joh. 14. 16. and you find him actually comforting the people of God Acts 9. 31. They walked in the comforts of the Holy Ghâ—st He is called the Comforter by way of Eminency and Excellency there is no such Comforter as the Siprit of God Psal 77. 2. For 1. He can comfort your very souls with proper comfors and consolations Thy Comforts the soul comforts delight my soul Psal 94. 19. 2. He can comfort you against all your discomforts 2 Cor. 1. 4. Who comforteth Comforts against all discomforts us in all our tribulations 1. From Conscience 2. From the Divel and the world 3. From Providence when it seems to be cross to us 3. He can comfort you under all absences when there is neither Father nor In all absence and wants Mother nor Husband nor Wife nor Child nor Friend nor Land nor House yet he can comfort you he alone can shew you the salvation of the Lord speak peace and joy and assure you of mercy and cause you to rejoyce in believing Psal 27. 10. When my Father and my Mother for sake me then the Lord will take me up 4. He can comfort you and none can hinder him nor men nor Divels nor fears nor doubts for he can create you peace and create you joy and create He cannot be hindred in comforting us you comfort he himself alone is a sufficient cause of comfort Object How so how doth the Spirit comfort Sol. 1. By opening all the springs of comfort unto you the fountain of mercy How the Spirit comforts By opening the springs of comfort By actuating our Faith Zech. 13. 1. the Fountain of grace the Fountain of the blood of Christ and of justification 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the attonement 2. By actuating your faith to behold all these fountains of joy and to dig water out of the wells of salvation and making you to suck the brests of consolation 3. By applying them to your very souls clearing and witnessing your right unto By opplying them to our souls them your propriety in them that Christ dyed for your sins that God is reconciled to your souls that you are justified and accepted unto life and that you are the children of God Rom. 8. 4. By enabling conscience to testifie 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this By enabling Conscience to testifie the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation Sixthly The Spirit which is given unto you is dwelling and an abiding spirit He is a dwelling spirit in all the people of God Rom. 8. 11. By his Spirit that dwelleth in you Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he
new born babes as the Apostle calls them 1 Pet. 2. 2. The graces of the Spirit are sometimes in so weak and so low a ebb that they are compared to a bruised reed and to smoaking flax and to the dawning of of light in the morning and to a grain of mustardseed and to a little leaven in the lump Now here I would shew you three things 1. How one may know that he hath as yet but a very weak measure of the Spirit of grace 2. How one may know that the weak measure of grace is not false but true grace 3. That no Christian should discourage himself because his grace is weak but rather encourage himself because grace is sound although it be weak How to know our grace to be weak 1. Quest How one may know that he hath as yet but a very weak measure of the Spirit of grace Sol. This may be known In our first conversion First By the time of the implantation of it this is a truth that grace begins in weakness if a man be but newly converted his grace cannot be but weak Simile The Christian at first is but as a plant newly set and but as a sick man newly recovered or as the Sun newly risen although it may seem much unto him and he may find many stirrings in his spirit and in his affections yet this grace is but weak it hath but little strength in it Simile As a prisoner who hath been long in captivity and bondage when he is delivered his rejoycing may be great and yet his body may be very weak so when the Lord converts a man and so delivers him from the bondage of sin his heart may exceedingly rejoyce in his mercy that he is translated from death to life and yet his Spiritual strength of grace is very weak in him Secondly By the strength of corruptions The stronger that any mans corruptions By the strength of our corruptions are this is a sign that his graces are but weak I call those sinful corruptions strong which do often prevail upon us and lead us captive which are able to hinder us from doing what is good and to drive and force us to do that which is evil nor are we able to withstand this why this ariseth from weakness of grace Simile When it is with us as with a little Child who is ready to stumble and fall at every straw as we speak at every stone at every chip is not this the weakness of the Child So when every temptation every occasion every strong motion of sin is apt to shake us and stagger us and to surprize us is not grace very weak within us If this be a truth that sin grows weak as grace grows stronger Simile that the darkness is less when the light is clear then this also holds true that grace is weak when sin is strong Simile when grace is like a little light in the mid'st of much darkness By the proportions of actings Thirdly by the proportion of actings Every true grace of the Spirit is of an active nature it is apt to put forth itself Simile in this respect it is like all true fire and light which in the least degrees are apt and do put forth themselves but they have their different proportions in acting a little fire acts but little and a great fire acts much so weak grace hath but a weak operation and strong grace stronger operations weak grace acts most in desires and most in the will and most in tears and most in sighs and groans O that I could believe Lord help my unbelief answered the father of child with tears O that I could mourn that I could obey To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not Rom. 7. 18. Fourthly By the mixture of contrary workings a little of grace and much of corruption a little of faith and much of doubtings a little of hope and By the mixture of contrary workings much of fear a little of sorrow and much of hardness a little of prayer and much of distraction a little of zeal and much of flatness a little that is done and much that is undone a little of knowledge and much of ignorance a little heavenly-mindedness and much of earthliness a little fire and much smoak a little going and much halting c. Fifthly By the aptness to live not by faith but by sense when God draws up all our helps and hopes into his promises and puts us now to fetch all our supplies By aptness to live by sence and comforts from his good and faithful Word Here is my Word that I will pardon your sins and here is my Word that I will subdue your iniquities and here is my Word that I will answer your prayers and here is my Word that I will supply your wants and I will never leave you nor forsake you O but because we feel not the assurance of pardon and because we find not victory over our sins and because we do not see the answet of our prayers and because we cannot discern the means and wayes how our wants may be supplyed therefore our hearts fail us and we are troubled and perplexed and sad thoughts do arise in our hearts and they are much cast down within us If it be thus with us certainly our graces are weak very weak the lesse able are ye to trust an All sufficient and faithful God in his promises but you must have the portion in your own hands you must see or else you will not believe you cannot so stedfastly believe that Gods Bond is sufficient c. Simile The child is but weak which must still be held by the hand c. Sixthly By the prevailing of discouragements If we be apt to be offended By the prevailing of discouragements and discouraged this shews weakness of grace there are discouragements taken from Gods dealing with us as when he delayes our suits and denies some of the requests and tries and exercises us with smart afflictions and suffers temptations to abide on us From the wayes of Christianity the strictness of them and the danger by them and the greatness of them From men that wicked men do so vex and trouble us that good men are so strange and unkind unto us From ouâ— selves that we go on so slowly and exactly and uncomfortably and others get so far before us and attain so much Discouragements from any of these shew that there is in us but small knowledge little faith much fear and weak grace Seventhly By the presence of censoriousness of strife and contentions and envyings 1 Cor. 3. 3. For ye are yet carnal for whereas there is among By the presence of censoriousness you envying and strife and division are you not carnal and walk as men 2. Quest How may one know that the weak measure of grace is not false but true grace and the very effect of
not neglect these motions do not throw them aside and do not delay or defer to act them remember it you shall be able to do much at that time when the Spirit of God stirs your hearts if you presently act upon his actings of you Simile as the ship moves the faster when the Mariner takes the wind and tide but if you neglect them the work will be more difficult and your hearts will be more untoward and backward and hardened Object But some will say It is an hard thing to know what motions are the motions How to know the motions of the Spirit of the Spirit if we could certainly know them to be his we would not neglect them Sol. You may know the motions which are stirring of you to be the motions of the Spirit of God by the conjunction of these Adjuncts First They are holy and heavenly they do resemble himself he never moves They are holy you to any evil but only to what is good and spiritual to get grace to increase it to exercise it to mortifie your sins to beware of all incentives and provecation unto sin c. Secondly They are conformable to the written Word All hâ—s motions are Agreeable to the Word but the setting on of Gods commands upon your heart and lives he moves you not and stirs you not to do any thing but what the Word of God expresly commands Thirdly They are suitable to your place and condition The spirit moves to Suitable to our place and condition do that good work wâ—ich belongs to us in our place He did not move Vzza to put forth his hand to hold the Ark nor Uzziah to burn incense It pertaineth not to thee Uzziah to burn incense unto the Lord but unto the Priests the sons of Aaron that are consecrated to burn incense 2 Chron. 26. 18. He is the Author of order and not of confusion he moves men to exercise the gifts which he hath given them in the places and callings wherein he hath set them Fourthly They are seasonable He puts in good motions not to hinder a present good work but to further it when we are sometimes praying or hearing you shall They are seasonable have many good things presented unto your minds which come not from the Spirit of God but from Satan for they are put in as diversions and distractions from that good work in hand but when they are from the Spirit they are seasonable and helpful As when you are hearing and 〈◊〉 and confessing your sins all those good motions which drop into you to humble your hearts enlarge your hearts to attend to mark and remember and to yield consent and obedience and to take delight to raise heavenly resolutions to walk according to the will of God revealed these are motions from the Spirit Fifthly They are gentle and spiritually rational men talk of impulsives and violent They are gentle motions upon their spirits for particular works for the doing of which they can give no religious account or ground Those are dangerous motions and are to be suspected and questioned but the motions of the Spirit are not turbulent nor violent though they be strong yet they are gentle they are leadings but not disquieting motions Secondly Neglect not the removings of the Spirit The Spirit of God by reason of our spiritual pride and security and formality and other sins may remove from us i. e. you may not find that comfort from him and you may not find that strength and assistance and vigor from him and you may discern a general Hatness and lowness in your graces and services they come not off with that zeal with that delight with that care with that love with that importunity with that fervency with that faith as formerly and you are more ready to fall under temptations and sinful occasions you cannot make that resistance which you were wont to do The Spirit in these cases is removing and withdrawing And it is a most dangerous folly now to sit still and to be careless and regardless If a Guard which preserves you draw off are you not in danger are you not exposed to enemies why all your strength support sufficiency safety is in the presence of Gods Spirit Therefore take notice of his removings or or withdrawings at any time and do it quickly and seriously for though his removes be not usually all at once yet the oftner he removes he removes the farther from you and the farther he removes the stronger will hardness grow upon you Quest Why what is to be done in this case Sol. I will tell you How to prevent the Spirits removoings First Search your hearts and enquire what is amiss what cause you have given unto the Spirit of God thus to withdraw from you what harndness what offence you may read in Scripture these causes 1. Pride of heart as in Hezekiah 2. Self-confidence as in Peter 3. Careless neglect as in the Church Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself See the cause of this in Ver. 3. I have put off my coat how shall I put it on 4. Foule transgressions as in David Psal 51. He had almost lost all Secondly Then repent it is the counsel given to the Church of Ephesus which lost her first love Rev. 2. 4. 5. Thirdly Cry out with David Psal 51. 11. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me O Lord I am willing to let my sin go but I cannot be willing let thy Spirit go When the spirit is removing move after him and lay hold on him with tears and supplications and faith and say O forsake me not utterly O return in mercy revive thy work again in me and quicken and restore and establish me c. Fourthly Do not injure the Spirit Ezek. 36. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you c. SECT VI. 4. THe fourth Caution which concerns them that have the Spirit given unto Injure not the Spirit How the Spirit may be injured By bearing false witness against the spirit them is this Take heed you do not injure or wrong the Spirit Injure the Spirit will some say how can any man injure the Spirit of God A man may injure the Spirit of God four wayes First By bearing false witness against the Spirit Wicked men do injure the spirit by railing and by reviling his gifts and graces and good men do injure the spirit by denying and disowning of them upon every temptation and every weakness and upon every failing O they have no faith and no love and no sincerity of heart and the Spirit of God never wrought any Renewing work or saving work in their hearts and they cannot attain unto those joyes and comforts which the people of God do meet with But beloved why do we charge the Spirit of God thus foolishly Is it a small thing for you to weary men but
commend to you that have the Envy not the gifts of the Spirit in others Spirit is this Do not envy the gifts and graces of the Spirit in any man nor speak evil of them Numb 11. 29. And Moses said unto Joshua Enviest thou for my sake Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them The Spirit of God gives different gifts unto men to profit withall 1 Cor. 12. 7. To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit Ver. 8. To another Faith by the same Spirit Ver. 9. And there are different measures of his gifts some do excell in one gift and some in another and this holds true in publick persons and in private persons all of us should rejoyce in all these manifestations of the Spirit It should not grieve us that any one is good nor that he can do good in his private way or in his publick way nor should it grieve and trouble us if any man hath more grace or that he can do more good bring more glory to Christ than we do or can The end of every Christian is Gods glory now every one should mind that and contribute towards that one man may contribute more and every man should contribute his utmost towards it is it not enough if Christ be magnified and thy soul saved Sixthly You should not be discouraged for any work which God puts upon Be not discouraged at hard tasks you though never so great and difficult for you have the Spirit of wisdom and power and sufficiency to assist you Zach. 4. 6. Not by might not by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts 2ly Now follows the Positive or affirmative duties for them that have received the Spirit of God The positive duties of such as have the spirit They should shew â—orth the vertues of the spirit As love First You should express the virtue of the Spirit which abideth in you you should walk like men of another spirit especially you should hold out those nine fruits or virtues of the spirit mentioned in Gal. 5. 22 23. The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance these you should strive to act in your convesations 1. Love i. e. a loving behaviour especially towards the Godly nay and towards all men you should walk in love without hatred and emulation and envying and rash suspition and censoriousness 2. Joy i. e. such a behaviour as sets out a contentedness and well-pleasedness Joy with our worldly portion and a chearfulness and comfortableness in our spiritual relation unto and portion in God and Christ 3. Peace i. e. such a behaviour as exempts us from medling and wrangling and quarrelling and contentiousness and turbulency and tumâ—ltuousness and Peace variancies and that frames us to a quiet peaceable and unprovoking inoffensive carriage 4. Long-suffering i. e. we should bear much of the weaknesses and infirmities Long-suffering of those with whom we do converse and pass by slight injuries and forgive many a wrong done unto us as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us 5. Gentleness i. e. we should behave our selves towards others in speaking Gentleness or looking or dealing without pâ—ide austerity insolency scornfulness rigidness in a soft humble affable candid manner 6. Goodness i. e. we should not be hard-hearted and backward to do good Goodness to the souls or bodies of others but should be ready to distribute full of the fruits of mercy and be helpful and profitable and merciful to them that need especially to the distressed members of the body of Christ 7. Faith i. e. fidelity we should be just in our words promises and in all our Faith dealing with men by no means lye or deceive or over-reach or deal with guile deceitfully or falsly but squarely plainly and honestly and righteously 8. Meekness i. e. we should suppress all rash furious immoderate unlawful anger and frowardness and perturbation and passionateness and strive to Meekness manifest that we are in some measure able to deny our selves and to bear crosses and afflictions provocations injuries patiently and contentedly 9. Temperance i. e. we should not excessively lay out our cares and labours Temperance for any wordly thing whether honour or riches or pleasures but be soher in the desire and use of all the earthly blessings which God hath given unto us Secondly you should be wonderful thankful unto the Lord for giving of his We must be thankful for the spirit Spirit unto you Paul takes special notice of this mercy and often speaks of it We have received the Spirit of God and he hath given unto us his holy Spirit and his Spirit dwelleth in us c. There are four things for which God is eternally to be blessed viz. 1. For his free grace and love 2ly For his Christ 3ly For his Gospel And 4ly for his Spirit Quest And why for his Spirit Sol. Because what you are in relation to God you are by the Spirit First Are you in Christ this is by the Spirit are you new creatures born Reasons of it again this is by the Spirit are you delivered from Satan and your sinfull corruptions this is by the Spirit 2. What you can do this comes from the Spirit Can you mourn for sin can you poure out your hearts in Prayer can you at any time trust in the Name of the Lord can you look towards his holy place in times of desertion can you deny your selves can you do the will of God can you suffer the will of God all your spiritual strength is from the Spirit Thirdly Have you any discoveries of the Love of God have you any clearness of the love of Christ and of your propriety in him have you any satisfying evidences of your present relation to God have you any sealings and assurances of future blessedness have you ever tasted of joy unspeakable and glorious of a peace that passeth all understanding of recoveries out of sin of sweet refreshings under troubles of conscience then bless the Lord who hath given his own Spirit unto you Thirdly you should improve the Spirit that is given unto you and make Improve the spirit use of him 1. For works which he can do but hath not yet begun within you 2. For works which he hath begun but hath not as yet perfected and finished within you First For works which he can do but perhaps hath not yet begun within you He hath begun the work of humiliation and of vocation and of union and of regeneration but then perhaps there are other works wanting you have found him an healing Spirit but did you ever find him a sealing Spirit you have felt the power of his grace but did you ever tast the sweetness of his joyes you have found him a regenerating
Spirit assuredly he hath forgiven thy sins Hath God indeed shewed thee mercy in forgiving thy sins he hath then assuredly given unto thee the Spirit of grace to change thy sinful heart Now would you have your sins forgiven do you look on forgiveness as a desirable mercy as a mercy of life and of peace and of hope O then get the Spirit of God God never forgives a man his sins but he gives his Spirit Forgiveness of sins is the great deed of mercy written in the blood of Christ and the giving of the Spirit is the seal of that deed Thirdly The Spirit and excellency alwayes go together Can we finde such a one as this is a man in whom the Spirit of God is said Pharaoh concerning Joseph Gen. 41. 38. Before we receive the Spirit of God there is no excellency in us we are but The spirit and excellency go together low and vile nothing of worth in our hearts they are wicked corrupt and dead in trespasses and sins and short of the glory of God nothing of worth in our thoughts All the imaginations of the thoughts of our hearts are only evil continually Nothing of worth in our affections they are set upon evil and set upon the world no love of God nor fear of God nor desire of God nor delight in God nothing of worth in our conversations they are unprofitable vile vain loose and dishonouring of God But when the Spirit of God come into us then comes an excellency into us and a true excellency into us The Spirit of God is stiled an excellent Spirit Dan. 6. 3. And they that enjoy the spirit are men of an excellent Spirit Prov. 17. 27. and to be more excellent than other men there is no way to attain unto it but by getting the Spirit and this I shall shew in particular all that have the Spirit they immediately enjoy 1. An excellent Nature They are made partakers of the Divine Nature Such enjoy an excellent nature An excellent Relation 2 Pet. 1. 4. They are changed into the glorious image of Christ 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2. An excellent Relation They are born again of the Spirit Joh. 3. 3. And are made the sons of God they receive the adoption of sons Gal. 4 5. And by the Spirit given unto them cry Abba Father ver 6. 3. Excellent Ornaments Ezek. 16. 7. An excellent wisdom which excelleth folly Excellent Ornaments as far as light excelleth darkness Eccless 2. 13. An excellent knowledge even the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord Phil. 3. 8. An excellent faith which is precious and more precious than gold An excellent love even the love of Jesus Christ in sincerity An excellent joy which is unspeakable and glorious An excellent hope which makes not ashamed which is as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast Heb. 6. 19 4. Excellent Priviledges To come with boldness to the throne of grace to have Excellent Priviledges the golden Scepter still held out unto them to lay claim to all the purchases of Christ and to challenge their right in him to make use of and apply any promise of God respecting any condition of their souls or bodies to appeal from themselves to Christ and from the sentence and severity of the Law unto the mercy and salvation of God in the Gospel In a word they that have the Spirit they are thereby made an eternal excellency Isa 60. 15. 5. Excellent conversation Holiness Uprightness Righteousness and unblameableness Excellent conversation The spirit and alsufficiency come together of life a life in Christ according to godliness Fourthly The Spirit and Alsufficiency comes together Whatsoever your condition may be whatsoever your exâ—â—â—ences may be whatsoever your troubles and sorrows may be whatsoever your wants may be whatsoever your works and services may be if you had but the Spirit you had enough for all his presence and efficacy can supply you with all 1. Are you weak he can strengthen you 2. Are you ignorant he can teach you 3. Are you doubtful he can counsel and guide you 4. Are you fallen he can raise you 5. Are you tempted he can succour you and make you to persist and conquer 6. Are you brought low in wants he can make you to live by Faith 7. Are you filled with sorrow he can fill you with comfort 8. Are you in darkness and can see no light he can open your eyes to see the salvation of God 9. Are fears upon you he can satifie and quiet you 10. Is dulness on you he can quicken and enlarge you 11. Are you doubtful of Gods love and mercy he can shed abroad the love of God in your hearts and make mercy turn unto you 12. Are you to 〈◊〉 to suffer to live â—nd dye he can enable you for every good work and in your sufferings be a spirit of glory unto you while you live he can make you to live unto the Lord and when you come to dye he can make you to dye unto the Lord O who would not who should not wrestle with God for this Spirit without whom no Christ no life no peace no joy no faith no help no hope and with whom comes Christ and Mercy and Excellency and Heâ—p and all Spiritual tasts Earnests Sealings Rejoycings and Glory 2ly The Means to get the Spirit Means to get the spirit Lay down prejudices against the spirit First If you would get the Spirit of God you must then lay down all prejudices against the Spirit As men have prejudices against Christ which hinder them from the receiving of Christ so men have prejudices against the Spirit of Christ which do hinder aâ—d withdraw them from desiring of the â—pirit There are four Prejudices especially and Exceptions in this case viz. 1. The humbling work of the Spirit Prejudices against the spirit 2. The mortifâ—ing work of the Spirit 3. The sanctifying work of the Spirit 4. The deâ—isions that befall men for the Spirits sake Object We would be content to have the Spirit but that he will shew us our sins and trouble and humble us for our sins Sol. I answer First Of a truth he will do so for he is a Spirit of Conviction and a spirit of The first prejudice taken away bondage to fear Secondly Nevertheless this should not take off our hearts from desiring the presence of the spirit For 1. The troubles from the Spirit are good troubles Of necessity we must be Troubles from the spirit are good troubles troubled for our sins either in this life or in hell the troubles for sins in hell are unsufferable and remediless but the troubles of this life for our sins especially when they come from the Spirit they are good they are penitential troubles and tend only to stir in us a loathing of our sins and a separation from our sins which have been so dispâ—easing and injurious to God and have
Covenant with me by Sacrifice 2. The other is that they keep Covenant Psal 103. 18. To such as keep They keep Covenant with God his Covenant and this he expounds in the following words to those that remember his Commandements to do them When we enter into Covenant with God what is it that we do I suppose if we do understand our selves that we do then take him to be our God 1. In his Gracious Mercy 2ly In his Righteous Society that he and he alone shall be our Lord our King to Rule and guide and prescribe us laws and we will be his people to hearken unto him to be at his command to obey his voice and will Is any man so wild to make such a Covenant with God or to think that God will make such a Covenant as this with him I will have mercy and blessing from God but I will not obey him he shall be none of my Lord nor King or that God will yield to these termes I will be yours for all blessings but live as you list do what you please walk how you will serve your lusts regard not my Law Did God ever make such a Covenant as this Saith God to Abraham Gen. 15. 1. I am tby shield and thy exceeding great reward And Chap. 17. 1. I am the Almighty God I am able to do thee good and will do so but then he addes walk before mee and be thou perfect q. d. I will be a God to you for blessing and also a God over you for Ruling I expect that you should walk uprightly before me i. e. observe my wayes my Commandements and act them with sincerity of heart not willingly disobey and prevaricate So Exod. 19. 5. If ye will obey my voice in doing and keeping my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people And Verse 6. Ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and an holy Nation But a little more to demonstrate this truth unto you be pleased to consider these five particulars First Those several Relations which fall upon all people who come to be in The relations betwixt God and his people in Covenant require obedience Covenant with God and they are all such as lay obligations upon them to obedience to walking in his Statutes They are the children of God and have God to be their Father Now saith God to them that pretend to stand in this Relation but walk disobediently A son honoureth his Father Mal. 1. 6. And if I be a father where is mine honour They are the servants of God and God is their Lord and Master Now saith he in the same place a servant honoureth his Master And if I be a Master where is my fear should not a Lord and Master be feared and what is it to fear God but to have an awful respect to his Commandements and a tender care to do his will They are his subjects and he is their King he is the Lord that Reigneth over them gives Laws unto them and are not his Subjects a willing people in the day of his power Do not his Saints humble themselves sit down at his feet and receive of his words doth not the fiery Law proceed from his right hand for them whom he calls his Saints Deut. 33. 2 3. Secondly The Covenant mercies and blessings as their scope is to express the Rich bounty of God to his people so likewise the end of them is to quicken constrain And so do the Covenant mercies and indear them unto duty and obedience Psal 86 12. I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart I will glorifie thy Name for evermore Ver. 13. for great is thy mercy towards me Psal 130. 4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Deut. 10. 12. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in his wayes and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Luke 1. 74. That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear Ver. 75. In holiness and righteousness Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrificâ— holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service Nothing more usual in the Scripture than to press the people in Covenant to obedience by and from the mercies of the Covenant The full and clear Revelation of the New Covenant takes in with it an express institution of obedience Tit. 2. 11. The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Ver. 12. Teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world The full and clearest Revelation of the new Covenant was when Jesus Christ himâ—elf appeared in the world and taught and dyed and rose again and ascended into heaven and even thence is obedience chiefly urged the Gospel all along pressing duties upon the people of God to love the Lord their God and to love their neighbour and to walk as children of the light Ephes 5. And to be obedient children 1 Pet. 1. 14. And to be holy in all manner of conversation Ver. 15. And to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called with all lowliness and meekness Ephes 4. 1 2. And to put off concerning the former conversation which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts Ver. 22. And to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Ver. 24. And to walk circumspectly Ephes 5. 15. or exactly unto the highest pitch of holiness and obedience Fourthly The Mediatour of the Covenant concerning whom you And the Mediatour of the Covenant finde 1. That he professeth that he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it 2. That he explicated the Law in the true and spiritual sense of it vindicating it from the false glosses of the Pharisees and pressing it in many branches upon us as you may see in Matth. 5. from ver 21. to the end 3. Himself to be under the Law and making special use of it in several parts aginst the temptations of Satan It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Matth. 4. 7. And it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve ver 10. 4. That he makes obedience the discovery of our real love unto him Joh. 14. 15. If you love me keep my Commandements Ver. 21. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me Ver. 24. If a man love me he will keep my words 5. That it was one end of the giving of himself to deth for us Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good
they should not have done well to have observed it Thirdly If the Moral Precepts were ceased as to the people of God then God would have expressed in the delivery of them a purpose after some time to have revoked them and to have exempted his people from further obedience unto them or else Jesus Christ would himself have abrogated them as now unuseful but neither of these do we find Object Yes Christ saith in Luke 16. 16. The Law and the Prophets were untill John Sol. The Law here spoken of is not to be understood de Lege Morali of the direct and commanding Law of the Moral Law prescribing obedience sed de lege Prophetante per figur as as Rivet well observes Fourthly What shall we say to that of Paul Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inner man And Ver. 25. So then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God And Chap. 8. 4. That the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit What shall we say to that of David Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled who walk in the Law of the Lord Object But the Apostle saith we are not under the Law in Rom. 6 14. c. Sol. First One may be said to be under the Law in several respects How we are said to be under the law 1. For justification by the Law 2. For condemnation by the Law 3. For perfect and personal obedience to the Law 4. For a slavish and servile constraint In these respects the people of God are not under the Law nevertheless for direction and instruction to frame their lives unto the precepts of the Law thus they are under the Law But secondly the place to me expounds it self best of all The Apostle there saith We are not under the Law but under grace and this he gives as a reason why sin should not have dominion over them We are not under the Law i. e. in such a state where there is only a command given against but no power but we are under grace which is such a condition or estate where besides a command against sin we have also a power given with that command which pulls down the dominion of sin And verily all that can be concluded here is the comfortabâ—e estate of believers and regenerate persons not in this that they are utterly freed from the commanding Law of God but in that they are now under such a gracious Covenant vvhere there is not only a Law to command but grace also given to obey 2. Quest The next Question is what manner of obediential observation of God commands that is which concerns the people of God in Covenant Sol. It is an Evangelical manner of obedience or observation which hath four What obedience is required of Gods people It comes from Gospel-Principles ingredients in it First It must come from Gospel Principles even from the life and strength of Christ no man can walk without a Principle of life within him It is a living work which poceeds from a living Principle All the obediential workâ— of the people of God are performed in the vertue of their union and communion with Christ without me you can do nothing Christ doth not only give the Law unto the people of God but also he gives the Spirit unto them Heb. 8. 10. I will write my Law in their minds He doth by his Spirit write them in their hearts and makes them complying and willing to obey Secondly It must come from Gospel motives even from the mercy and love of God the people of God do obey him rather as a Father then as a Judge looking From Gospel-motives more at his goodness than at his severity They shall fear the Lord and his goodness Hosea 3. 5. And Psal 130. 5. There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared 2 Cor. 5. 14. The love of Christ constrains them And Ver. 15. He died for all that they who live should not hence forth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them The great love which God hath shewed unto his people in Christ inflames and swells their heart and moves cares and endeavours to walk before him in all well pleasing Thirdly It must come from Gospel-affections especially from love and delight From Gospel-affections O how love I thy Law Psal 119. If a man love me he will keep my cemmandâ—ments Joh. 14. 23. The love of God which the people of God enjoy carries out their soules in all holy obedience unto the will of God and so likewise they serve him with delight I delight to do thy will O God Psal 40. 8. And thy Law is within my heart Psal 101. 1. Serve the Lord with gladness The Commandements of God are not grievous unto his people they say not What a weariness it is to serve the Lord no but as David I rejoyce in thy testimonies and I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart It was Christs meat and drink to do the will of his Father O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes c. There is a servile serving of God which ariseth from a slavish Spirit unwilling backward constrained by threats and blows and there is an ingenuous free chearful delightful serving of God As the people of God are volunteers Psal 110. 3. of a princely spirit as the word signifies their duties though as to the rule are under a command yet as to their hearts and manner of performance they are a free-will-offering they find so much sweetness and happiness in communion with God and with a holy fervency of spirit they are not indifferent cold slothful but fervent in Spirit boyling hot serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. their hearts are conjoyned and united in the duties of obedience intent and intensive Fourthly It looks at a Gospel-end at the glory of God and Christ Phil. It looks at a Gospel-end 1. 20. Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or death Ver. 21. For to me to live is Christ Rom. 14. 7. None of us liveth unto himself for ver 8. Whether we live we live unto the Lord. Natural men do act from themselves and for themselves but the people of God do act from Christ and for Christ 3. Quest Why the people of Gods Covenant are in a more special manner charged to walk in his statutes keep his judgements and do them Sol. I will not insist on this but briefly thus the people of God should walk in his statutes keep his judgements and do them Why Gods people should walk in his statutes First In respect of God and here are three Reasons 1. His Will Psal 119. 4. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy preceps diligently 1 Thes 4. 3. It is the will of God even your sanctification 2. His Glory They are called to shew forth
thou him or what receiveth he of thine hand v. 8. Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousness may profit the son of man Psal 16. 2. My goodness extendeth not to thee q. d. Thou art not benefited by any good works of ours c. I cannot add any thing thereby unto thee we receive all from thee but can give nothing unto thee by which thou mayest be bettered for thou art an infinite being and therefore we can add nothing to thee Secondly You must not do any good work thinking thereby to satisfie God for your evil works Many people when they have committed sin and injured Nor to satisfie God for our sins and dishonoured God then they fall a praying and a reading and a hearing and put on to works of piety and charity and their intention or end in doing of these duties is to make God amends and to make up the wrong which they have done him supposing that the good which now they do will ballance the evil which they have done and satisfie God Now though this be true that our sinnings do injure God and therefore its reason that after our sinnings we should be much humbled and be more circumspect in our walking and more diligent and upright Yet to act all these as satisfactions to God for the sinful injurious workes which we have done against him This is 1. Foolish 2ly Sinful First It is foolish forasmuch as nothing that we can do can amount unto It s foolish a satisfaction for the evil that we can do Because 1. All the good which we now do we ought still to have done and that which Reasons of it was still a duty can never be a satisfaction 2. There is more evil in the evil that we have done than there is good in the good which we do our sinful evil is perfectly evil and our best good is but imperfect good The evil that we do against God deserves hell and the good which we do deserves nothing the evil which is done needs infinite mercies to pardon it and the good which we do is so mixt with our sinfulness that that also needs mercy to pardon and accept it and that which needs mercy cannot be a satisfaction Secondly It is sinful For this is to take upon us the work of a Mediatour to whom alone that work of satisfaction doth pertain and he must be both God and It s sinful man or else he could not have satisfied for our sins Now to presume that our own imperfect obedience is able to satisfie God for our sins and to clear all our accounts and reckonings between him and us what is this but to lay aside the perfect satisfactions of Christ the only Mediatour and to set up our own weak righteousness as sufficient to compensate the Justice of God Thirdly You must not offer up any performances of yours as causes of mercy and Nor as causes of mercies and blessings blessings you must pray and you must mourn and you must repent and you must obey the voice of the Lord your God and you must walk in his statutes and do them and if you do so with upright hearts God will meet you with mercy and blessings Nevertheless you may not look on any performance of yours as causes meriting and purchasing any blessing unto you remember that excellent passage in Psal 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Commandements and his testimonies Yet Ver. 11. For thy Name sake pardon mine iniquity for it is great Here is mercy and truth for them that keep his Commandements and then here is not our obedience but his Name the cause of our mercy not for my obedience sake but for thy Name sake pardon mine iniquity c. So when Daniel fasted and prayed in an extraordinary way for mercy and for deliverance out of the Babylonian captivity he impleads not those works as causes of them nay as so he rejects them Dan. 9. 17. Now therefore O our God heâ—r the prayer of thy servant and his supplications and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate for the Lords sake Ver. 18. O my God encline thine ear and hear open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the City that is called by thy Name for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousness but for thy great mercies There are four things to be observed about mercies and blessings What is to be observed about mercies and blessings 1. The Efficient Cause and that is only Gods own love and grace and mercy his own glorious love is the only efficient cause of all our blessings whether spiritual or temporal 2. The Final Cause and that is only Gods own glory all is from his mercy and all is for his glory he is the first and he is the last out of the sea of his mercy they come and into the sea of his glory they do return 3. The Meritorious Cause and that is Jesus Christ who by his blood hath purchased all things for us pertaining to life and godliness 4. The means by which not causes for which they are obtained and enjoyed They are means whereby blessings are obtained and such are our holy performances and walkings unto which God hath promised abundance of mercies and blessings and we shall enjoy them not Ratione facti for the worthiness of our doings but Ratione promissionis for the goodness and faithfulness of his promise unto our upright doing and walking Therefore take heed of looking on any doing and walking as meritorious causes of mercies and blessings For 1. All the good we can do is but what we ought to do and no duty of man can Why they cannot merit mercies be meritorious with God 2. All the good we do is done by the strength of Christ therefore it cannot merit seeing it is done not by our own strength but Christs 3. All the good we do finds acceptance only in and for Christ our prayers are accepted in him and our services are accepted in him and therefore they merit nothing of themselves 4. All good services must be done in faith or else they cannot be pleasing to God Heb. 11. 16. Now Faith and the merit of mans works are utterly inconsistent 5. Lastly All the blessings which you shall ever enjoy you must take them out of Gods promises or Covenant of grace and no gift flowing from that Covenant of grace but it is freely given unto us Fourthly You must not look upon any performances services acts of obedience They cannot make peace with God done by you as propitiations as able to make peace with God for the sins which you have committed against God When we have sinned against God we must humble our souls and repent and pray unto the Lord to pardon us and to be reconciled unto us and to take away iniquity and
Fourthly There is not any one statute of God but it is good and for our All the Commandements are good and for our good good Ergo we should walk in all his statutes Deut. 5. 25. Ye shall walk in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you that you may live and that it may be well with you What one path hath the Lord commanded us to walk in but as it concerns his own glory so likewise it concerns our good Is it not good for us to love and fear the Lord and to put our trust in him and to worship and serve him after his own mind and will and to honour his glorious Name and to sanctifie his day how many blessings hath God promised unto such and to honour our Parents and forsake all those sinnes mentioned in the Negative Precepts c. Fifthly Our hearts must be perfect with the Lord our God Deut. 18. 13. Our hearts should be perfect with the Lord. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God And Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me and be thou perfect Now how can our hearts be said to be perfect with God if we do prevaricate with him if in some things we will obey him and in other things we will not obey him if we walk in some of his statutes but will not walk in all his statutes if in some part we will be his servants and in other parts of our lives we will be the servants of sin Sixthly Lastly Either we must endeavour to walk in all the statutes of God or else we must find some dispensation and toleration from God to free God hath exempted us from none us and excuse us and hold us indemnified though we do not walk in all of them now what one Commandement is there from obedience whereunto God excuseth any man or will not punish him for the neglect of obedience unto it The Apostle saith That whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Jam. 2. 10. i. e. If he prevaricates with God as to any one particular Commandement of his his heart is naught he is guilty of all he hath really no regard of any of the rest of Gods Laws Therefore for the Lords sake consider of this all of you that hear me this day and let your souls be humbled within you for your loose and unfaithful walking in Gods statutes One will not pray another will swear another will not set up religious duties in his family another will not keep the Sabbath day holy another will cheat and over-reach his neighbor another will lye and speak evil and back-bite c. Is this to walk in all the statutes of God is this fully to walk in all his wayes c. Object But it is impossible for any man on earth to walk in all Gods statutes It s impossible and fully to do his will Sol. I answer there is a twofold walking in all the statutes of God First One is Legal when all is done which God requireth and all is done as God requireth There is not any one path of duty but we do walk in it A Legal obedience is indeed impossible perfectly and continually thus no man on earth doth or can walk in all Gods statutes or fully do what he commandeth for in many things we offend all it was but a proud vain self-delusion in that young man who said All these things have I kept from my youth Secondly Another is Evangelical which is such a walking in all the statutes of God and keeping of them as is in Christ accepted of and accounted of But Evangelical is possible as if we did keep them all this walking in all Gods statutes and keeping of them all and doing of them all it is not only possible but it is also actual in every freely believing and repenting person and it doth consist in these Particulars 1. In the approbation of all the statutes and Commandements of God A believer approves of all Rom. 7. 12. The Commandement is holy and just and good Ver. 16. I consent unto the Law that it is good Psal 119. 128. I esteem all thy precepts concerning all thinhs to be right 2. In a consciencious submission unto the authority of all the statutes of God Every one of them hath an authority within his heart and over his heart he Conscientiously submits to all stands in awe of every one of them and hath a spiritual regard unto them all Psal 119. 6. I have respect unto all thy Commandements 3. In a real delight in all the statutes or Commandements of God Psal Really delights in all 119. 47. I will delight my self in thy Commandements which I have loved 4. In a cordial desire to walk in them all Psal 119. 8. I will keep thy statutes and O that my wayes were c. the desire of our soul is to thy Name and Cordially desires to obey all to the remembrance of thee 5. In a sincere endeavour to keep them all a man doth put out himself in all the wayes and parts of obedience he doth not willingly and wittingly slight or Sincerely endeavours it neglect any Commandment but is striving to conform himself thereunto Simile As a dutiful son doth to all his Fathers commands so your right Christian makes conscience c. Quest But here it may be demanded Whether we must shew an equal respect unto all Gods statutes and precepts and do sin if we do shew more respect to some Whether an equal respect must be shewed unto all It must not of Gods Commandements than unto others of them Note Sol. This being granted that we must shew respect unto all Gods statutes I answer that it is not necessary nor are we bound to express the same equal respect to all Gods Commandements For although all the Commandements of God be equal in respect of authority and Soveraignty of the commands yet in respect of the things commanded or forbidden and in respect of the strictness of the charge laid upon us for the doing or not doing of them some are greater than others Matth. 22. 36. Master said the Lawyer to Christ which is the great Commandement in the Law Ver. 37. Jesus said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind Ver. 38. This is the first and great Commandement 1 Sam. 15. 22. And Samuel said Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better than to sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of Rams Matth. 9. 13. Go ye and learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice Quest Which of Gods Commandements should we have most special care to walk Which are principally to be respected Such as most respect Gods glory As as are most necessary to our
David I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever then mayst thou confidenly say with him Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes oâ— my life Psal 23. 6. 2ly Their great sin in Revolting and giving over walking in Gods The great sin of Revolters Statutes There is a Question which I have read somewhere of Infidels and Hereticks and Apostates which of them do sin more heinously And it is Resolved that the Apostate is the greatest sinner of them defection is a greater sin then the negation of subjection because in defection or Apostasie 1. More of God is rejected and the Apostate sins more against God Why Apostaâ—es are such great sinners 2. Having received the knowledge of God and his wayes 3. And likewise breaks asunder more bonds which lay upon him to continue his obedience And indeed the Apostle speaking of Apostates delivers three things concerning them which do set out their sins unto amazment Heb. 6. 6. First One is that its impossible to renew them againe unto repentance How great It s impossible to renew them is that sin which doth so harden the hearts of men that he doth never repent of it nay can never repent of it nay that it is impossible to renew him again to repentance A Second is that they crucify to themselves the Son of God they deal with They crucify to themselves Christ a fâ—esh Christ as the Jews did who rejected and crucified him O what a sin is this to crucify the Son God and to crucify him a fresh to pierce his heart and to shed his blood the second time The third is that they put him to open shame they themselves do put a reproach They put him to open shame and contempt upon Christ and cause others so to do as if Christ were not a master fit to be followed and his wayes were not worth our regarding and that the poor woâ—ld and our base sins are rather to be regarded and embâ—aced and followed then the Lord Jesus and his precepts and his wayes And take one thing more that never did any fall off or turn away from walking in Gods statutes but he grew far more wicked then ever he was before and likewise a desperate enemies to the wayes of God 3ly Their great danger and judgement This I shall shew unto you in three Particulars First Revolters or Apostates are judicially given up to the great power of Satan The great danger and judgement of Apostates They are given up to Satan The Lord doth in his just judgement give them over unto Satan that he should rule them and that they should be his sworn servants who will break off with God and refuse to serve him any longer Mat. 12. 44. That unclean spirit returned unto his house from whence he came out ver 45. and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself and enter they in and dwell there and the last estate of that man is worse than the first Secondly They are judicially given up to the power of their sinful lusts they And to the power of their lusts grow worse and worse they having cast away the cords and all fear of God there is no wickedness but they are ready to obey it and they do now go on in their daring wayes of bold profaness with seared consciences Thirdly They are judiciously given up to the powers of damnation therefore And to the power of damnation it is said that they draw back unto perdition Heb. 10. 39. And the soul of God hath no pleasure in them Ver. 38. O what a dreadful condition is this to forsake the path of life and heaven and to turn back to walk in the path of death and Hell Fourthly They are many times in their life given up to exceeding terrors They are oft given up to terrors of conscience and despair of conscience and despair You may read this in Judas who turned back and what horror did that poor creature fall into he forsook his Master and left the path of life for a few pieces of silver but what got he by this he lept out of the ship into the Sea he could never meet with rest or peace afterwards but conscience brake in pieces and did so pursue him with guilt and terror that thereupon he fell into absolute despair and made an end of himself Simile The like you read of Spira who revolted from the truth and the path of Evangelical obedience after clear convictions and secret warnings of Conscience but what befell him O he presently fell into terror of conscience and despair and never could recover the least hopes of mercy to his dying day Fifthly They are many times punished by some extraordinary judgement here They are oft punished with extraordinary judgements on earth Take an instance in Israel and Judah they gave up to walk any longer in Gods statutes and wayes they forsook God and his Laws and what came of this why God forsook them and gave them up to their own hearts lusts and at last overthrew them with an utter destruction and scattered them over the face of the earth So you read of Joash who did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the dayes of Jehoiada the Priest 2 Chron. 24. 2. But afterwards Ver. 18. He left the house of the Lord and served Groves and Idols but what befell him for this you read of two great judgements that did befall him one in verse 24. That the Syrians came in with a small company of men and the Lord delivered a great Host into their hand because they had forsaken the Lord so they executed judgement against Joash The other is in ver 25. His servants conspired against him and slew him SECT II. 2. Use SHould the people of God continue proceed on and persevere in walking in Gods statutes then you who are the people of God give me leave to offer unto you 1. A few Cautions about your walking 2. A few exhortations concerning our walking 3. A few encouragements for your walking continued walking in Gods statutes 1. The Cautions about your walking You see that it is your duty to walk on to proceed to persevere in walking in Gods statutes therefore take heed unto your selves and beware of four Cautions about our walking in Gods statutes Beware of slothfulness things First Beware of slothfulness and carelesness at any time in doing the will of God or in walking in his wayes Rom. 12. 11. Be not slothful in business but fervent in spirit serving the Lord. When a man doth a business slothfully he doth it with a slight spirit he doth not put out himself not his strength he hath no care in doing of it he doth it not with a serious and diligent spirit but remisly and indifferently as one not affected about what he doth nor addicted unto it saith the Apostle Heb. 6. 11. We desire that every
this God doth promise to give unto his people Zech. 12. 10. They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one that mourneth for his only son c. Ezek. 7. 16. They shall be on the mountains as the Doves of the valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity Psal 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil Rom. 12. 9. Abhor that which is evil This also is promised Ezek. 36. 13. Then shall ye remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations Ezek. 18. 30. Turn your selves from your transgressions Hose 14. 1. Return unto the Lord All this is likewise promised to be given unto the people of God Isa 30. 22. Ye shall defile the covering of thy graven images of silver and the ornaments of thy molten images of gold thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Jer. 24. 7. They shall return unto me with their whole heart Seventhly The Lord commands his people not to suffer sinne to reign in them Rom. 6. 12. Let not sin reign in your mortal body And he promiseth that sin shall not reign in them Rom. 6. ver 14. Sinne shall not have dominion over you Eighthly And he commands his people to make to themselves a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 18. 31. Make you a new heart and a new spirit and he promiseth to give these Chap. 36. 26. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you Ninthly What shall I say now The Lord commands his people to walk in his statutes 1. Impartially 2ly Willingly 3ly Affectionately 4ly Uprighlty 5ly Sedfastly And all this he doth promise to cause them to do 1. Impartially Deut. 30. 8. Thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord and do all his Commandements 2. Willingly Psal 110. 3. They people shall be willing in the day of thy power 3. Affectionately Isa 60. 9. Who are these that flee as a cloud and as the Doves to their windows Zech. 8. 21. The inhabitants of one City shall go to another saying Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts I will go also 4. Uprightly Jer. 31. 9. I will cause them to walk by the Rivers of water in a strait way wherein they shall not stumble for I am a Father to Israel c. Isa 61. 8. I will direct their work in truth Zech. 8. 3. Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth Isa 30. 21. Their ear shall hear a word behind them saying This is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left 5. Progressively and stedfastly Job 17. 9. The righteous shall hold on in his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Isa 40. 30. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint 2ly The parallels 'twixt Gods promises and experimental instances Parallels betwixt Gods promises and the Saints experiences wherein you may find that God hath enabled his people there to walk as he hath promised First He hath enabled them to know him Gal. 4. 9. After that you have known God or rather are known of God 1 Joh. 5. 20. He hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true 1 Joh. 2. 21. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth but because ye know it Secondly They are enabled to trust upon him Psal 9. 10. They that know thy Name will trust upon thee Psal 18. 2. The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer my God and my Strength in whom I will trust Psa 22. 4. Our Fathers trusted in thee 25. 2. My God I trust in thee 31. 1. In thee O Lord do I put my trust 52. 8. I trust in the mercy of God Thirdly They are enabled to fear him I fear God said Joseph Gen. 42. 18. One that feareth God said God of Job Job 1. 1. They that feared the Lord spake one to another Mal. 3. 16. I fear the Lord thy God said Jonah Chap. 1. 9. The Churches walked in the fear of the Lord Act. 9. 31. Fourthly They are enabled to love the Lord so David Psal 116. 1. I love the Lord. And Psal 18. 1. I will love thee O Lord my strength Fifthly And they are enabled to pray unto him and to call upon him David Hezekiah Daniel Paul and to mourn for their sins David Peter and Mary Magdalen and to hate sin David Paul Psal 119. 104. I hate every false way and to forsake sin Hose 14. 8. And 1 Thes 1. 9. Ye turned to God from Idols to serve the living aad true God and Rom. 6. 22. Seventhly And so for all the rest of the Particulars you have clear instances that the people of God have been enabled to walk willingly constantly affectionately uprightly and stedfastly in his waies 3ly The several wayes how God doth cause or enable his people to walk in his Statutes and to do them He doth cause them to walk in his Statutes How God enables his people to walk in his statutes First By giving unto them his Spirit who doth 1. Change their hearts and infuseth into them all Holy and Heavenly Graces which are so many inward principles enabling them to acts or works of obedience as our sinfull and corrupt principles make us willing and ready to walk in the wayes of sin so holy and spiritual principles do make us willing and ready to walk in paths of righteousness 2. Excite and quicken their hearts and stir them up to works of obedience by secret motions and workings and by setting the Commands and Promises of God upon their hearts with strong impressions by which they are led out unto a willing and cheerfull and upright performance of obedience 3. Comes in with his Special and Immediate Assistance to all the works which they are to do he helps their infirmities and guides their feet and strengthens their hands The servants of the Lord are strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man Ephe. 3. 16. In the day when I cried unto thee thou heardest me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul Secondly By giving faith unto them and enabling of them to live by faith in all their particular walkings and workings Beloved there is a living by faith for mercy and there is a living by faith for duty A man lives by faith for duty when he goes out of himself as insufficient to afford him strength to perform it and applies himself unto and relies upon Jesus Christ and the promise to give him the ability because this and that duty oâ— work of
and be alwayes compleatly and presently furnished for any acts of obedience Sol. Belike you would needs be in the Prodigals condition to have all your portion of goods in your own hands thinking that you are more wise and more able than your God to manage the stock of grace But First It is not only fitter but better that you should trust God then that God should trust you your grace and strength are safer in his hands than in yours Secondly God will not thus impart his strength unto you as you imagine or wish but he will impart it succssively and gradually according to your continual necessities of it 1. He would still keep you humble 2. He would still keep you in dependance Why God gives grace gradually upon himself 3. He would give unto you manifold experiences of his faithfulness in performing his promise unto you Thirdly To depend on God and to make him their strength for all the works which they are to perform Now because this is the principal Use which can be made from the choise and pretious promise here in the Text I shall therefore insist the more upon it and shew unto you 1. Why you that are the people of God should depend on God for his strength to enable you for all your works and services 2. When especially you should do so 3. Whether indeed you do so 4. How you may be enabled so to do 5. How one may know that it is the very strength of God which is with us 1. Quest Why the people of God should depend on God yea only depend on Why Gods people should depend on God for Grace God for his strength to enable them for all their duties for all their works and services Sol. There are three reasons for it 1. In respect of God 2. In respect of our selves 1. In respect of God First It is his command and will concerning you still to depend on him and It is Gods Command on him alone Psal 62. 5. My soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him ver 6. He is my Rock and my Salvation ver 7. In God is my Salvation and my Glory the Rock of my strength and my refuge is in God ver 8. Trust in him at all times pour out your heart before him c. Prov. 3. 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding Ver. 6. In all thy wayes acknowledg him and he shall direct thy paths Esa 26. 4. Trust you in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength God you see calls on us for our dependance on him and only upon him and at all times in all our occasions Secondly It is his honor that you do depend on him to help and strengthen It is for Gods Honour your souls you do now declare and publish and put unto your seal that power belongs to God that he is the alsufficient and efficient God and that he is the faithfull God who will perform whatsoever promise he hath made unto you Unquestionably God would have his people to honor him he forms them for his praise and all the honor which God hath by us consists in this that he is acknowledged to be the only efficient and the only end of all that we have or do Thirdly It is the end why he makes this promise of causing you to walk in his It is the end for which he makes his promise Statutes As the end of his threatnings is our repentance and as the end of his precepts is our obedience so the end of this promise is our dependance Prov. 22. 19. That thy trust may be in the Lord I have made known unto thee this day Ver. 29. Excellent things in counsels and konowledge Fourthly It is his way of conveying or communicating his strength and help It is Gods way of communicating his strength all your sights of his mercy all your taste of his love all your experiences of his goodness and all the impartings of his help and strength are unto faith you must believe if you will be established and strengthened God will give strength to his promise but then his people must come and depend upon him for it Psal 27. 14. Wait on the Lord and he shall strengthen thine heart Object Indeed if you speak of the absolute power of God he can let out and convey sufficient help for our work without any praying of ours and without any beleiving of ours Sol. But God is pleased to set out this way of depending and believing to let forth his help unto us as the best way to his own wisdome both for the conviction of our own weaknesses and for the demonstration of his own graces and fulness 2. In respect of our selves First Necessity There is not bread enough at home nor strength enough in Our own necessity requires it our selves for any good therefore go abroad and look for it in God Quid es in te quid es de te spake Austin very well on Psal 42. Psal 119. 35. Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments ver 36. Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies 1 Kings 8. 37. The Lord our God be with us Let him not leave us nor forsake us ver 58. That he may incline our heart unto him to walk in his wayes and to keep his Judgements I confess that there were no necessity of our dependance of God for strength to cause c. if one of these two things were true 1. That we had power and sufficiencie of our own 2. Or That any other besides God could be a sufficiencie unto us But neither of these are so 1. No man not the best is or can be a sufficiency unto himself as I have formerly proved 2. None besides God can be a sufficiency unto us or help unto us Object We do find much help and strength many times by publike Ordinances and private Conferences Sol. The Reason is because God makes them to be of help and strength unto you The conduit conveyes water into your houses but water comes not from the Conduit but from the Spring Therefore you finde sometimes Ordinances and Conferences can do nothing at all in any way of help that you may know that not they but God in and by them was the help Secondly Prevalency Dependance on God for strength will get you his strength Psal 84. 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee ver 7. They go from strength to strength Psal 28. 7. The Lord is my strength and my shield my It s the way to prevail heart trusted in him and I am helped Thirdly Experience They that know thy Name will put their trust iâ— thee Psal 9. 10. For thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee Isa 11. 2. Behold God is my salvation I will trust and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and
of Gods help and strength for all his works Simile Just as if a man should voluntarily leap into the sea and think that God must keep him from drowning or as if a man should desire to be strong and yet refuse daily food which is a means of strength Thus it is when persons are foolish and proudly presumptuous When we do indeed rely on God by faith for his gracious assistance to enable us either against the doing of evil or for the doing of good we do then decline all sinful occasions which draw us on to sin and we do then apply our selves to all those means which God hath set apart and doth bless to convey his strength unto us There are three wayes wherein God reveales or gives out strength unto us 1. His word which begets and nourishes us which conveys life unto us and Three wayes wherein God gives out strength to us The Word Prayer strength which brings us in and builds us up O how diligent and conscientious doth faith make us to attend it 2. Prayer when our requests are put up to God and his answers come down to help and strengthen us O how doth faith enable us to wrestle with God to be strengthened with all might by his spirit in the inner man I as the Apostle speaks in Ephes 3. 16. 3. Heavenly conference where we help to edifie and establish and build up one another in our holy profession O how doth faith make us to prize and improve Heavenly Conference such opportunities Now consider your selves you who think you look up to God and do acknowledge him and rely on him for strength to cause you c. where may a man finde you complaining of weakness and in word extolling and desiring strength from God are you in the wayes of strength and are you seriously and conscientiously in them I doubt that some of you are in the wayes of weakness and not of strength not in Gods wayes but in Satans wayes not attending the doctrins of truths but the doctrins of lyes and errors not keeping close to Gods ordinances but roving out after such teachers as distil into you scorns and contempts of Gods Ordinances Is this to rely on God for strength when for lying vanities you forsake the paths of God and of his strength and of your own true peace Sixthly What shall I say more if you do indeed depend on God as your We must depend on God as our strength strength to enable you to walk in his statutes you shall then finde a spiritual rest or quietation in your hearts joyned with a spiritual liberty or freedom You cannot imagine how tumultuous and unsetled a mans heart is and how streightned it is and backward his heart is unto duties whilst he still sees holy and heavenly work to be done and no strength undertaking to enable him for that work or at least if he cannot believe that God will be his strength his thoughts are many times confounded and amazed and his very heart sometimes quakes and trembles But on the contrary when he can by faith see the sufficiencie of Gods strength and is able to fix and rely himself upon it then these two things Two things follow our dependance upon God will presently follow and appear 1. One is Quietation his whole soul comes into a calme and is cleared of all those boysterous storms of unbelieving fears my God is my strength the work is much but he hath help enough and will not faile me 2. The other is a Liberty and enlargedness he hath now a heart ready and free to set upon the work 4. Quest What one must be and do that so he may finde God to be his strength How to finde God to be our strength enabling him c. Sol. There are foure things which I would answer to this First If you would finde God to be your enabling strength then there must be a relation twixt God and you he must be your God if you would finde him to be your strength Psal 91. 2. I will say of the Lord He is my refuge and my fortress my God in him will I trust Micah 7. 7. I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me Psal 68. 28. Thy God hath commanded thy strength strengthen O God that which thou hast wrought in us Beloved the Lord calls upon us to be his people to take off our hearts from all other objects and to give them in unto himself and to exalt him in his soveraignity and authority which if we do he will be our God and will perform all the good of his Covenant unto us Now if any man saith I do not like to serve this God I would rather serve my sins and the world let not that man think to finde any good from God neither love nor mercy nor grace nor strength But if a mans heart doth like and consent chuse the Lord to be his God and him he loves and him he will serve he is now come into the bond of the Covenant and God is bound to finde him mercy to pardon him and grace to change him and strength to enable him for all the duties or works which he requires from him and he may in the sense of his sufficiency go to God and trust on him and wait on him and shall assuredly receive strength and power from his God to walk in his Statutes and to do them Secondly If you would finde the Lords strength to cause you to walk c. then you must get to him in the name of Christ not in your own name or worthiness or merit or goodness for which the Lord should give out his help unto you but only in the name of Christ that the Lord for his sake would make his promise good unto you for all the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1. 20. And Christ hath assured you that whatsoever you shall aske the father in his name he will give it you Joh. 16. 23. I am weak Lord strengthen me for Christs sake I am insufficient without strength able of my self to do nothing O Lord help me O Lord work all thy works in me for Christs sake for Christs sake pull down my sins for Christs sake enable me to walk in all well-pleasing before thee c. Thirdly If you would finde the strength of God c. then you must be sure to keep your hearts upright with God that it is indeed your souls desire and endeavour to walk in Gods wayes and to do his work Object A man many times complaines that he can get no power from God against his sins and no power to do such and such duties Sol. I will tell you the reason of it because his heart secretly loves such a sin and is not willing to be parted from it and his heart secretly dislikes such a way of God and therefore the Lord
himself shall be abased Nebuchadâ—ezer was cast out among the beasts for arrogating to himself Herod was smitten and eat up with worms because he gave not the glory to God the Pharise rejected because he gloried in himself Fourthly Because it is an exceeding mercy if God actually gives us his power to do any good or to walk in his Statutes and to do them which may appear thus First It is a great mercy to enjoy the Spirit of God and an unquestionable Comfort to know that we do enjoy him this I think no Christian will deny But when we finde a power enabling us to walk in Gods Statutes this power comes from the Spirit of God dwelling in us No man can walk in Gods Statutâ—s without the presence and influence of the Spirit and every one who doth walk in them and do them hath the Spirit of God I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk c. Secondly It is a great mercy to be made a new creature to be regenerated to partake of the life of Châ—ist whosoever is enabled to walk in Gods ways and to do them he is unquestionably a new creature he is born again he pertakes of Christ of the life of Christ and hath communion with Christ he abides in him For without me saith Christ John 15. 5. ye can do nothing Thirdly It is a great mercy to be kept from sin and all sinfull walkings by which God is dishonoured therefore David abundantly blessed God who kept him from sinning against him when he rashly intended to destroy Nabal and all his houshold 1 Sam. 25. 32 33. but thus are we kept and presetved when God causeth us to walk in his Statutes Fourthly It is a great mercy that we are able to honour God and to honour our holy profession it is one of the greatest favours which God shews to any man on earth when he makes and when he useth him as a vessel of his glory And this honour God puts upon you by causing you to walk in his Statutes now you are vessels fitted for his honour In these wayes you do live unto his honour and to your own honour and to the honour of your heavenly calling and profession Fifthly It is a great mercy so to walk as to get peace in conscience and assurance of happiness But when the Lord puts forth such a power upon you as enables you to walk in his Statutes and to keep his judgments and to do them hereupon 1. There comes peace of Conscience great peace have they which keep thy law Psal 119. 165. And this is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience that c. 2 Cor. 1. 12. 2. And Assurance and confidence of happiness they go from strength to strength every one of them in Zion appeareth before God Psal 44. 7. Sixthly It is a great judgment yea it is one of the greatest judgments when the Lord leaveth any to themselves Psal 81. 12. So I gave them up unto their own hearts lust and they walked in their own counsels If so then by the rule of contraries it is a very great mercy when the Lord gives unto any man the power of his grace enabling him to walk in his wayes and Statutes Now if there be so many choise mercies bestowed and manifested in causing us to walk in Gods Statutes surely then there is great reason that we should give God all the glory c. 2. Quest Whether we do give God the glory of all the good which he causeth us How to know that we give God all the glory and assume it not to our selves to do and do not assert nor ascribe it unto our selves Sol This may be known thus First When we make a right division of the work done by us and accordingly make our acknowlegment in every good work done by us there is aliquid Dei and aliquid mei something which is of God and something which is of our own The goodness or well-doing that is of God and there must come in an Agnosco O Lord this was thine this was wrought by thee The evil-doing the mixtures the imperfections the distractions these are ours and here must come in our Ignosce O Lord own and accept what is thine and O Lord mercifully pardon what is mine If after any good done by us we take the humbling part unto our selves and give the exalting part unto God now we ascribe shame unto our selves and all the glory unto God Secondly When after the best performances we set an higher value upon the grace of God and do not put a higher rate upon our selves as Paul Gal. 2. 20. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me 1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me When aftet our good-doings we raise the grace God in this work the good hand of God was with me and his power was manifested but we raise not our selves a jot but we are nothing and still are nothing and can do nothing without his grace and presence verily our posture is humble and the glory of our well-doing is returned to God alone Thirdly When we are afraid of all self-glory as Paul Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. And in the secret temptations unto self-glory our souls are distressed and exceedingly humbled within us and we wrestle with God to beat down and cast out all high self-challenging and self-appropriating thoughts and to set the crown of praise only on his own glorious name this also demonstrats that we acknowledge God and not our selves Fourthly when after our well-doing our hearts do look upon the good which we have done as special mercy which we have received and as a new obligation binding and engageing us unto God as for a new mercy received from the hand of God When bona nostra are dona sua our good-doings are reckoned amongst Gods favours and mercies to us and when we look on bona nostra as debità nostra the good which we do as indebting us unto God for what he hath made us to do and the more good we do the more are we indebted for praises and thanksgivings and say as David What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me Psal 116. 12. So what shall I render unto the Lord for all the good which he hath done and for all the good which I have done which I have done by his power This shews that you desire to give all the glory unto him Fifthly When there is an after-work to be done as well as a fore-work to be done and we are as serious and careful and watchful about this as about that before we perform any duty our fore-work is by faith to look up to God for his strength and therein we shew our selves careful by the many prayers which we do put up
Holy Ghost is the eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14. and he abides with us for ever John 14. 16. 4. The mercy of God is everlasting Psal 100. 5. his mercy is everlasting and Psal 103. 17. it is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and Psal 136. from verse 1. to 26. six and twenty times it is there said his mercy endures for ever 5. The goodnesse of God is everlasting it endureth continually Psal 52. 1. 6. The love of God is an everlasting love Jer. 31. 33. I have loved thee with an everlasting love 7. The kindnesse of God is everlasting Isaiah 54. 8. with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer 8. The righteousnesse of the Covenant is an everlasting righteousnesse Dan. 9. 24. 9. The forgivenesse in the Covenant is everlasting Jerem. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sinnes no more Micah 7. 9. Thou wilt cast all their sinnes into the depth of the Sea 10. The grace or holinesse of the Covenant is everlasting it is called abiding seed 1 John 3. 9. and the immortal seed 1 Pet. 1. beiâ—g born agâ—in not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible it is living water John 4. 10. springing up to everlasting life ver 14. 11. The joy of it is everlasting Isa 51. 11. and none shall take it from us John 16. 22. 12. So is the Consolation of the Covenant 2 Thess 2. 16. Who hath given us everlasting Consolation and good hope throuâ—h grace 13. The life of the Covenant is everlasting Jâ—hn 3. 16. he that believes shall not perish but have everlasting life 1 John 2. 25. This is the promise which he hath promised us even eternal life For the opening of this excellent and comfortable adjunct of the Covenant remember 1. That the word everlasting hath two acceptions it doth denote Thâ— word everlasting aâ—eâ— for Aâ—ong duration A perpetual duration This Covenant is everlasting 1. Sometimes a long duration in which respect the old Covenant cloathed with figures and ceremonies is called everlasting because it was to endure and did endure a long time 2. Sometimes a perpetual duration and a duration which shall last for ever in this respect the new Covenant is everlasting it shall never cease never be broken never be altered 2. And it is an everlasting Covenant in a twofold respect 1. Ex parte faederantis in respect of God who will never break Covenant In respect of God with his people but is their God and will be their God for ever and ever 2. Ex parte confaederatorum in respect of the people of God who are brought In respect of his people into Covenant and shall continue in Covenant for ever and ever you have both these expressed in Jer. 32. 40. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Mark the place it shews that the Covenant is everlasting on Gods part and also on our part on Gods part I will never turn away from them to do them good and on our part They shall never depart from me how so I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me even that fear spoken of in ver 39. that they may fear me for ever There are three things which I would deliver concerning the everlastingnesse of the Covenant 1. Some clear demonstrations of it from the Scripture 2. The reasons why the Covenant of grace is and must be everlasting 3. Some useful applications of this unto our selves 1. The demonstrations of the everlastingnesse of the Covenant in respect of the The everlastingnesse of the Covenant demonstrated From the consideration of God himself in relation to his people The election of God people in Covenant I shall present unto you four arguments to demonstrate that it is so 1. The first argument I will take from the consideration of God himself in relation unto his people as 1. his election of them 2. His love to them 3. His power for them 4. His presence with them 5. His promises to them 1. The election of God all the people in the Covenant are the elect of God thine they were and thou gavest them me saith Christ John 17. 6. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed Acts 13. 48. Now there are three things in election 1. It is a gracious decree not depending on any forinsecal causes 2. It is an unalterable decree not raised on any mutable causes 3. It is an effectual decree letting forth and communicating all the things which will infallibly bring unto salvation Rom. 8. 30. Whom he did predestinate which if it be so then certainly the Covenant is everlasting forasmuch as everlasting life and all that conduceth thereunto is unalterably decreed in Gods election and from that effectually communicated unto all in Covenant 2. The love of God that God doth love his people is most clear in the Scriptures The love of God After what manner God loves his people As he loves Jesus Christ but after what manner doth he love them we read five things of Gods love to his 1. That God doth love his people after the same manner that he loves Jesus Christ himself and with the same love John 17. 23. That the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Ver. 26. I have declared unto them thy Name that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them 2. That God doth love his people with an insuperable and with and inseparable With an insuperable and inseparable love love Rom. 8. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakedness or perills or sword Ver. 37. Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us Ver. 38. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nâ—r Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Ver. 39. Nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 3. That God doth love his people with a most gracious love with a love With a most gracious love kindled only from love Deut. 7. 7 8. The Lord did set his love upon you because the Lord loved you Hosea 14. 4. I will love them freely that is upon the sole account and reason of my own love unto them yea his love was the only impulsive cause why he entred into Covenant with them and by oath engaged himself unto them Ezek. 16. 8. Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of love and I sware unto thee and entred into Covenant with thee saith the Lord
performance of these promises on Gods part the Covenant comes to be performed on his peoples part Object I know not well what can be replyed to take off the edge of this Argument unlesse we think to ward the blow by the distinction of absolute and conditional promises But Sol. 1. If I mistake not these men will not acknowledge any promises of God unto us for absolute promises but all of them must be conditional and respective to the will of man 2. Secondly what availe any conditional promises as to this case what room or place have they here as if the Covenant should be everlasting if it were everlasting or the people of God should still continue in Covenant if they did continue in Covenant or as if God would give them an heart to fear him for ever if they did fear him for ever or that they should never depart from him if they never did depart from him This Tautology is worse then his Sub montibus illis Inquit erant erant sub montibus illis And thus by what I have delivered it doth manifestly appear that the Covenant of Grace is not an alterable fading ceasing Covenant but everlasting both in respect of God and also in respect of the people of God Object But yet some are afraid that such a certain everlastingness of the Covenant would make the people of God too secure and presumptuous in ventering to sin against God! seeing that the Covenant shall still hold twixt them and God Sol. I answer Surely these men are more afraid then hurt and plainly discover their ignorance concerning that heavenly frame of spirit in the people of God and also of the nature and vertue of heavenly certainty and assurance The people of God have the laws of God written in their hearts and their hearts are circumcised to love the Lord their God and they know their own self weakness and insufficiency and are taught to fear the Lord and his goodness and to live by faith and to be watchful in Prayer that so they may be preserved from every evil way Yea and the more they are assured of the immutability of Gods love and of their relation unto him the more are their hearts knit in love unto him the love of Christ constrains them 2 Cor. 5. 14. and the more conscienciously tender are they to walk in godly fear and reverence and in all well-pleasing before him and to answer everlasting love with everlasting love Use 2 I now proceed to a second Use from this adjunct or property of the Covenant Is the Covenant which God makes with his people an everlasting Covenant Then Then happy are the people who are in this Covenant happy are the people who are in this Covenant Beloved It is everlastingness which makes hell to be hell and heaven to be heaven As the misery of misery lies in the lastingness and everlastingness of it and it will be thus dreadful and it will be thus for ever and ever so the happiness of happiness lies in the everlastingness of it This God is our God for ever and ever This makes the enjoyment of God to be a most happy enjoyment His mercy endures for ever he loves us with an everlasting love O what happiness is this to be the children of love and to be the people of mercy for ever Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever this is happiness indeed that Jesus Christ is ours and that we are his for everlasting everlastingness doth include in it three Everlastingness includes in it A privation of a contrary estate and relation for ever things 1. One is a privation of a contrary estate and of a contrary Relation for ever For if the estate or relation be changed it cannot be everlasting and this shews the singular comfort and happiness of the people of God that their estate and relation shall never fall into a contrary estate and relation They are in the estate of life and they shall never fall into the estate of death They are in the estate of salvation and they shall never fall into the estate of condemnation They are the children of God and the members of Christ and they shall never pass into a relation contrary to this Because every everlasting estate and relation is a perpetual absence or privation of a contrary estate 2. A second is a continuation of the same being and relation for whatsoever is A continuation of the same being and relation everlasting that must continue it must not be broken off if it be broken off it is not everlasting O what a happiness is this that your Sun never sets that your day still continues your God still continues and still continues to be your God! your God still loves you and his love still continues towards you Jesus Christ still continues and he continues still to be your Redemption your Righteousness your Peace and your salvation 3. A third is an endlesse perpetuity you can never come to the end of everlastingness An endless perpetuity you may see an end of your worldly riches they flie away and you may see an end of your friends they die away and you may see an end of your lives man dies and wasteth away and man gives up the Ghost and where is he Job 14. 10. But you shall never see an end of the everlasting Covenant Time is the measure of all the world but everlastingness is the measure of the Covenant of Grace as long as everlastingness lasts as far as everlastingness goes so long doth the Covenant last and so far doth the Covenant extend Everlastingness hath no end and the everlasting Covenant hath no end why This heightens and this sweetens the Covenant of grace God is our God and we are his people to everlasting without end Though afflictions fall in though losses though persecutions though death it self yet the Covenant goes on and lasts God is your portion for ever he hath married you to himself for ever in loving-kindness and mercy and judgment and faithfulness O Christian what canst thou have more then to have God to be thy God O Christian what wouldest thou have more then to have God to be thy God for ever A sure enjoyment a perfect enjoyment and an everlasting enjoyment These are the utmost of thy desires Use 3 Is the Covenant an everlasting Covenant This may then serve as a Cordial unto the people of God especially in two cases 1. One of fear of falling away from God 2. Another of desertions when they question whether God be not fallen This may serve as a cordial to Gods people Against their fears of falling away from God Object away from them 1. The everlastingnesse of the Covenant is or should be a cordial unto the people of God against their fears of falling away from God How often do we hear these complaints and doubts and misgivings Indeed the Lord hath shewed me great
aright in a contrary grief and sorrow for his mistake 3. Nor be shamed of his own foolishness Secondly It is soul loss unless the Lord break down this false assurance It is soul loss in our hearts it will end in the eternal loss of our souls I told you the last day that that mans condition is more hopeful whose conscience is filled with terror for his sins than his condition is whose heart is filled with a false perswasion and assurance that his sins are pardoned as Christ spake to the self-conceited Pharisees Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdome of God before you Matth. 21. 31. Or as Solomon spake Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool than of him Prov. 26. 12. So say I there is more hope of the salvation of the most doubting and most terribly dejected and distressed sinner than of the confident and falsly assured sinner why so will you say my reason is this because 1. When a person is in a troubled condition he is rightly sensible of his condition he sees that it is ill with him but the falsly assured sinner doth not see in what an evil condition he is and certainly it is a worse matter to be in an evil condition and not apprehend it than to be in that evil condition and yet to discern it 2. When a person sees himself in an evil condition there may be and usually there are fears to remain in it and cares to get out of it Men and Brethren what shall we do spake those wounded in their hearts for their sins Acts 2. 37. And the Jaylor came in trembling and cryed out What shall I do to be saved Acts 16. 30. But when a person hath deluded himself with a false confidence that his estate is good and with a false assurance that his sins are pardoned and God is reconciled unto him this man is whole he minds not the Physitian looks not after Christ and mercy and so loseth his soul Beloved this is certain that false assurance breeds carnal security and carnal security breeds neglect of Christ and neglect of Christ breeds loss of mercy and loss of mercy will be the loss of the soul It is soul disappointment Thirdly It is soul-failure and disappointment what Solomon speaks in Prov. 25. 19. Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint He is of no use or service unto you that say I of a false assurance when you come to a time of need and then expect help from your false assurance and deluded confidence then you will finde that it will be of no more strength and service to you than a foot out of joint it will utterly fail you and deceive you When the winds and the waves arose then the house built on the sand did fall Matth. 7. 26 27. So when death comes and conscience is awakened and ariseth in exceptions and accusations and chargeth guilt as unpardoned upon the soul in that day what will become of all your vain confidences and of all your foolish and false excusations they will be swept away as the Spiders web and like a dream they presently vanish into nothing Now from all that hath been said you do see great reason as to strive for a right assurance so to take heed and beware of a false perswasion and assurance that your sins are pardoned SECT IV. 3. Vse DOth the Lord promise to sprinkle clean water upon his people i. e. to apply unto them in particular the pardon of their sins with the assurance thereof Hence let me inform two sorts of the people of God 1. Those who have found this sprinkling of assurance concerning the pardon of their sins how they may know that this is the very assurance which is given by God himself 2. Those who never yet have attained to this sprinkling of assurance from God what they should judge of their estate and what they should do to enjoy or partake of the same 1. Quest How may one know that the assurance which he hath found How one may know his assurance is true concerning the pardon of his sinnes be the right and true assurance which God himself undertakes to give by his Spirit unto his people Sol. I humbly conceive that this may be discerned partly 1. By some precedently preparing works 2. By some presently accompanying works 3. By some subsequently following works of the Spirit First You may know that the assurance which you have had or which you now have is indeed from the Spirit of God By these works or qualities which By some precedent works the Spirit alwayes laies in the soul before he gives this particular assurance And there are four works of the Spirit if I may so stile them qualifying and preparing the heart to receive this impression of assurance from the Spirit 1. Humbling and mourning 2. Reconciling and sanctifying 3. Believing and relying 4. Praying and wrestling First There alwayes goes an humbling and mourning heart before a revived heart about the pardon of our sins Luke 4. 18. The Spirit of the Lord is Humbling and mourning upon me saith Christ because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor to heal the broken-hearted to preach deliverance unto the captive And Isa 61. 2. To comfort all that mourn Ver. 3. To give unto them beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness c. Mark here are broken-hearted sinners and these doth the Spirit heal and here are captivated sinners and these doth the Spirit deliver and free and here are mourning sinners and these doth the Spirit comfort Why it is not reasonable to imagine that the Spirit of God will do any thing which is impertinent or improper or repugnant to his own Word but all his works within us are pertinent and are consonant with the Word 1. They are pertinent he will comfort those to whom comfort pertains 2. They are proper he will comfort them that need comfort and in the times of their need 3. They are consonant he will apply comfort to them unto whom God promiseth comfort Now comfort pertains to the broken-hearted and unto mourners for sin and it is proper for them they stand in need of the voice of joy and gladness and God hath in a special manner promised to comfort them that mourn Therefore if the assurance which you find of the pardon of your sins be a gracious peace and quietation and perswasion after conviction and after godly sorrow for your sins this is no feigned nor deluding work of fancy nor of Satan but it is the very voice of joy from the Spirit of God O when a poor troubled soul hath been laid low in the sense of sin hath gone heavily all the day with that burden is even confounded and ashamed and is ready to fail and faint and