Just. p. 13.14 Quest. Dost thou believe that thou canst not be saved but by the Death of Jesus Christ The sick and distressed person answered yes Then let it be said unto thee go to then and whilst thy Soul abideth in thee put all thy Confidence in this Death alone place all thy Trust in no other thing commit thy self wholly to this Death cover thy self wholly with this alone cast thy self wholly on this Death wrap thy self wholly in this Death and if God would judge thee say Lord I place the Death of our Lord Jesus between me and thy Judgment and other ways I will not contend with thee And if he shall say unto thee that thou art a sinner say I place the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ between me and my sins if he should say unto thee that thou deservest Damnation say Lord I put the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ between thee and all my sins and I offer his Merits for my own which I should have and have not if he say that he is angry with thee say Lord I place the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ between me and thine Anger O Soul here 's thy Relief even in the Blood of this Covenant in Christ's Death under all thy Fears and Temptations of Satan and under the sad Accusations of thy own Conscience O! at the hour of Death how canst thou lift up thy Hands to plead thy own sincere Obedience when thou art just going to stand before the Tribunal of God thy Hands will be weak and thy Heart faint and thy Confidence will deceive thee and fail thee if thy Hope and Desire thy Faith and Dependance be on any thing else then on Christ in this Covenant but here is Succour in his Covenant here is a Salve for every Sore what tho' thou hast sinned what says God in this Covenant I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities I will remember no more Heb. 8. If thy Conscience say thou hast backsliden from God he says I will heal all their backslidings and love them freely Hos. 14.4 If thou wants Righteousness and Strength say Christ is thy Righteousness in the Lord have I Righteousness and Strength thus there is Relief in this Covenant for poor doubting and desponding Souls in all their Troubles and Temptations APPLICATION First by way of Reprehension First THIS reproves those and may serve to convince them of their horrid Blindness and Unbelief that look on Sin as a trivial thing a small matter and so go on in a wicked and ungodly course of life who add Drunkenness to Thrist and yet say they shall have Peace O Souls do you not tremble to think of the evil of sin When you hear nothing but the Blood of the Son of God can atone for it nor satisfie God's offended Justice and injured Law do you think God will spare you pardon you while you live in your sins and make Provision for the flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof did he not spare his own Son when he stood in our place charged with our Iniquities but let out his Wrath upon him and will he spare you that have your own sins and horrid guilt and pollution charged upon your own Souls if you refuse the Lord Jesus Christ and the Merits of his â—lood and do not fly to him cleave to him imbrace him and the tender â—f God's Grace in and by him but do neglect so great Salvation and the means of it down to Hell you will be brought every Soul of you with vengeance Nothing shews the evil of sin more than the bleeding Sides bleeding Heart and bleeding Hands and bleeding Feet of the Son of God and did he suffer thus to satisfie for our sins for your sins and shall any Soul alive think if they slight him believe not in him he shall escape Divine Wrath how can your hands be strong in any way of Wickedness whilst you look up and see Jesus Christ hang languishing on the Cross and crying out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 2. This reproves all those and may tend to convince them of their Folâ—y and Ignorance whose hopes lies in something else and not in this Covenant Those whose hope lies in their sober and civil Lives they conclude all is well with them because they are not guilty of those immoral Impieties and greatest Wickedness which others are defiled with Alas what good will this do you when one evil Thought is a breach of that Holy Law that lays you under Wrath and the fearful Curse thereof will you trust to your honest moral Lives and sober Conversations and so slight and neglect the Grace of God offer'd by Jesus Christ in this Covenant Why Sirs do you think God sent his Son into the World if by leading a moral and sober Life Men might be saved 3. This reproves also those who mixt their own Inherent Holiness and Evangelical Obedience with Christ's Righteousness in point of Justification and Acceptation with God who make Faith in the large Extent i. e. Faith withal the Concomitants of it a Condition of Justification who distinguish between Christ doing for us as a Redeemer in the Flesh by dying and render that more extensive than what he does by the Spirit as if he was the Head of all Mankind in dying and all as so consisidered have Union with him but that many of those he dyed for shall never be saved by his Life because they do not answer the Condition of Faith and sincere Obedience intimating that Faith is not a Fruit of Christ's Death but is wrought out by the Creature through the help of the Spirit tho' we have Faith for Christ's sake for Christ's Merits in a remote sense as we have fair weather Pacifick paper p. 5. For had not Christ atoned an satisfied for sin and the breach of the Law of Works we could not have had any Blessings either temporal or spiritual but if it were only thus then the Covenant of Grace is not so well ordered and sure as we believe it is but how do they understand that Text Rom. 5.10 for if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being now reconciled we shall be saved by his Life VVere not all the Elect or all Christ dyed for vertually as in our Head reconciled to God by the Death of Christ and doth not the Apostle assure us that we shall much more be saved by Christ's Life if he reconciled us to God by his Death was not the Gift of Christ in his death for us a greater gift than the gift of the Spirit to us Did not we all rise from the dead with Christ vertually when he was raised And doth not that give us Assurance that we shall be actually quickned and raised First from a death in sin respecting our souls and also be all raised to Eternal Life and Glory at the last day respecting our
Covenant they call the Covenant of Redemption contains the whole Summ even Matter and Form Condition and Promises of the Covenant of Grace in that Covenant is contained all the Grace God hath promised and which we receive all is obtained upon the Account of Christ's satisfying for our Sins and so all the Promises of Grace and Salvation run to us in him no Love nor Divine Goodness is manifested to us but in and through that Covenant therefore not two but one and the same Covenant so that the Covenant of Grace it appears was made by the Holy God in the Person of the Father with us in the Person of the Son mind that Text Who hath saved us and called us with an holy Calling not according to our Works but according to his own Purpose and Grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the Work began 2 Tim. 1.9 But to proceed 2dly I shall open the Excellent Nature of this Glorious and Everlasting Covenant 1. 'T is you have heard all of Grace as it respecteth us tho' Jesus Christ paid dear for it he procured all the Blessings of it for us by his Merits i. e. by his Perfect Obedience and Suffering By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Ephes. 2.8 not of Works lest any man should boast for we are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good Works r. 10. not by Works of Righteousness that we have done but by his Mercy he saved us Tit. 3.5 2. 'T is as it appears from hence an Absolute and not a Conditional Covenant not if we do this and that viz get a new Heart and perform the Condition of Gospel-Holiness and Obedience we shall have pardon and â—e justified no but otherwise He that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness Rom. 4.5 all is freely of Grace through Christ's Merit I will take away the Heart of Stone and give them a Heart of Flesh a new Heart I will give them and â— new Spirit I will put within them I will be their God and they shall be my People Now 't is question'd saith Reverend Cotton whether the Promise wherein the Lord giveth himself be Absolute or Conditional Faith to receive Christ is ever upon an Absolute Promise If you will say it is a Promise to a Condition what kind of Condition was it There is no Condition before Faith but a Condition of Misery a lost Condition or if a gracious Condition it is a Condition subsequent not pre-existant no Condition before it whereby a Man can close with Christ and if it was a Condition after Faith unto which the Promise was made then Faith was before and thatsoever followeth Conversion is no ground of Faith but a fruit and Effect of it therefore I say our first coming to Christ cannot be upon a Conditional but an Absolute Promise And indeed saith he if ever the Lord minister Comfort unto any Man true Comfort upon good grounds it is built upon a Promise of Free Grace 〈…〉 be unto Justification received it is true indeed a gracious Quâ—â—â—â—â—tion and a Promise to it may give a good Evidence of its Aposteriore Cotton's Treatise of the New Covenant p. 56 57. and again he saith God doth give himself in working Faith before Faith can be there and therefore it is the Fruit of the Spirit that Faith is wrought in the Soul and this Faith doth receive the Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ himself by his Spirit and doth receive also Justification and Adoption Again saith he a man is passive in his Regeneration as in Generation only the Lord giveth us his Spirit and that doth unite us unto Christ which is received by Faith together with Justification and yet by the Act of Believing we are justified also Gal. 2.26 that is manifested to be justified in our own Consciences p. 55. thus far Mr. Cotton What are we able to do when dead in Sin and Trespasses Can we believe before the Habit is infused from whence the Act proceedeth or move before we have Life or are quickened 3. It is a well ordered Covenant for that Covenant that is ordered in all things is well ordered c. but to make this further manifest I shall shew you that 't is well ordered 1. In respect of God I mean for his Glory in all his glorious Attributes 2. 'T is well order'd in respect of the Glory clear Revelation and Manifestation of the Three Persons in the God-Head that bear witness in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit these Three are One in Essence yet three Subsistances 3. 'T is well order'd to confound and destroy the grand Works and Design of the Devil 4. 'T is well order'd in respect of God's Holy Law that the Sanction and Honour of the Law might not be lost or suffer the least Eclipse 5. And lastly 't is well order'd for our good A little briefly to each of these First His Covenant is well order'd in respect had to the Glory of all God's Attributes 1. The Sovereignty of God shines forth gloriously in the Contrivance and bringing in this Covenant for God he having Absolute Dominion for ever over the Works of his Hands to dispose and determine them as seemeth him good and doubtless to manifest his own Sovereignty he created both Angels and Men And part of the first sinning against him he leaves for ever under that Wrath and Misery they brought upon themselves and the other he determined out of his Sovereignty to confirm in their Primitive State And also part of Mankind he left under that Wrath they brought upon themselves by original and actual Iniquity and affords no eternal Redemption to and indeed 't is only Sovereign Grace he afforded a Saviour for any of the Off-spring of fall'n Man for he was not under any Obligation to enter into a Covenant for any of them any more than he was not to redeem the fall'n Angels he would therefore have been just if he had let us all have perished under Sin and his own fearful Wrath as he dealt by them 2dly His infinite Wisdom shines forth in this gracious Covenant and hence the Gospel is called the manifold Wisdom of God Eph. 3.10 which may refer to the whole Oeconomy of our Redemption as also to the several Forms and Manners of God's revealing of it to his Church and People 't is called the Wisdom of God in a Mystery even his hidden Wisdom which was ordained before the World began to our Glory 1 Cor. 2.7 Divine Wisdom hath admirably in this Covenant mixt all the Attributes together with unexpressible Sweetness and exact Harmony that Justice cannot triumph over Mercy nor Mercy glory over Justice but they meet together and sweetly kiss each other and it was infinite Wisdom I say that found out this way therefore 't is hereby wonderfully glorified in the sight of Men and
of the Covenant of Grace was not the Fruit of Christ'd Suffering in pursuit of that Holy Compact and is it not particularly implyed in those Words he shall see his Seed but if they be adult Persons he can never see them if Faith be not given to them unless the Holy Spirit that great Promise of the Father be given to them whereby they are enabled to believe I will put my Spirit within them Ezek. 36.27 I will put my fear into their Hearts a new Heart will I give them and a new Spirit will I put within them I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed Isa. 44.3 Thy Seed Who doth he speak to why to his Servant doth not these Promises referr to that Covenant made with Christ which you call the Covenant of Redemption and was not Christ assured by the Father that these Promises should be made good to his Seed and yet t is evident they belong to the Covenant of Grace therefore I see not how they can be Two Covenants distinct from each other Obj. 4. Christ is the Mediator of the Covenant of Grace but not the Mediator of the Covenant of Redemption but a Party he was the Surety of the Covenant of Grace the Covenant of Redemption had no Surety the Father and the Son trusted one another upon the Agreement the Covenant of Grace is confirmed by the Blood of Christ but we cannot say that the Covenant of Redemption was confirmed properly by that Blood any more than as it was a necessary Article in that Covenant Answ. All that can be said as I conceive is this viz. our Lord Christ when he first entered into the Covenant with the Father for us to bring in and accomplish the Covenant of Grace agreed then to be Mediator and Surety of this Covenant There are some Transactings where Suretyship is requir'd which a Surety must do i. e. he must accept and freely and readily agree to do all that is necessary to be done which the Creditor requires and the Nature of the said Covenant calls for yea and some things that peculiarly belong to him as Surety And so it might be here about those glorious and gracious Transactions between the Father and the Son about the compleating the Covenant of Grace concerning the Elect and indeed the greatest Expressions and Demonstration of God's Grace to us appeared in those Covenant Transactions and all the good we receive I say again by he Covenant of Grace are but the Fruits and Product of the Covenant as it was made with Christ our Head Mediator and Surety but among Men those Things and Covenant Transactions between the Creditor and the Surety which peculiarly appertain to him in which nevertheless the poor Debtor is mainly concerned it being such things that must be performed by the Surety for him or he can have no Benefit by the said Covenant are never called a Covenant distinct in it self from that it refers to and is a Branch of or however there is no need of such a formal distinct Covenant between each covenanting Parties as primarily considered when the Covenant which those Transactions refers to was immediately made For I know not of any other Covenant of Grace made with Christ for us about our Salvation but that which they call the Covenant of Redemption distinct from it and to say that God entereth into a Covenant of Grace with us as simply considered in our selves without Christ being the Chief and Primary Covenanting Party in our behalf is of a dangerous Nature to â—ffirm and must not be admitted of as will appear hereafter Besides the Mediatory Covenant or that in which Christ is Mediator is called the New Covenant or Covenant of Grace as the term Mediator clearly holds forth which Covenant to confirm he shed his own Blood and the Original making of that Covenant was at that time and by that Compact between the Father and the Son for us for Christ for himself had no need to become a Mediator or to enter into any Covenant with the Father therefore I know not what these Mens nice Distinctions signifie unless it be to amuse the World except it be for a worser purpose viz. To confirm their new Notion of a conditional Covenant of Faith and sincere Obedience 3. The Distinction lies not in Two Covenants but in the distinct Parts of the said one entire Covenant one part as it referrs to Christ the other as it respecteth us in the Applicatory part of it by his Grace 2. Also in respect of the time of the making of the Covenant and the Revelation Execution and the Application thereof 1. Christ in the Covenant First Articled with the Father to be a Mediator and in the Execution of the Covenant actually discharges that Office and the like as a Surety Obj. 5. Christ performed his Part in the Covenant of Redemption and by vertue of his Mediatory Covenant performed the Covenant of Works but he did confirm not perform the Covenant of Grace Answ. This is the worst of all and it seems to be calculated rather to unfold Arminianism then to establish sound Divinity 1 st Hath Christ performed his part so in the Covenant of Redemption that he hath no more to do by vertue of his Mediatory Covenant God forbid he hath not yet delivered up his Kingdom to the Father I shall now give you my Reasons under this particular Branch why I accept and argue against the Notion of Two distinct Covenants What says the Arminian viz. Christ hath performed or fulfilled the Covenant of Works and made such a full Satisfaction for the breach of the Law so for all the whole World that no Man is under the Curse of it but that all are Justified from that and he hath put all Men into a capacity to be saved if they perform the Condition of the Gospel i. e. Repent Believe and live a godly Life to the end of their Days which God hath given all Men Power to do if they do but exercise that Power Christ hath put all Men on their Feet again and hath made the Condition possible if not easie for all to be saved Christ is not to perform the Condition of the Covenant of Grace tho' he did perform and so take away the Law of Perfect Obedience or is the end of the Law for Righteousness but let them read the whole verse 't is but to every one that believes and sure they forget that all Men are dead in Sins and Trespasses and must by Christ have a Principle of Spiritual Life insused into them before they can live move or believe in him Can Man change his own Heart or Will that Grace God affords to all Men do it What short of Almighty Power can form the Image of God in the Soul or create us again in Christ Jesus 2 dly And what is it which our new Doctrine in opposition to the antient Doctrine on which Saints formerly built all their Hope and Salvation doth hold forth
Why Is not the purport of it this i. e. Christ as Mediator hath so far satisfy'd for the breach of the Law of perfect Obedience or given to God such a valuable Recompence that he might justly wave and not exact or execute the Law of Works or hath relaxed the Severity thereof and taken it away and hath obtained and given as he is a Law-giver or Govenour a milder Law of Grace and if Men perform the Conditions of Faith and sincere Obedience or Faith and Gospel Holiness they shall be Justified and Saved so that our Right to Life and the Favour of God Peace of Conscience and Hope of Salvation do depend upon our Obedience to the Gospel or New Law and this Christ hath purchased should be accepted as our Righteousness by which we must be Judged They deny not but that the Merits of Christ are the Cause of this Gospel Law his Righteousness imputed is the Cause for which we are Justified or rather 't is for his Sake we are Justified and Saved when we do answer the Rule of the Gospel I have heard them Preach and have read their Books and if this be not in part what they say I do not understand them 't is such a Mystery of c. However Christ hath done and performed his part in the Mediatory Covenant the Law of perfect Obedience cannot hurt us if we conform to the Rule of this milder Law which Christ doth not perform for us c. What do they mean Is it this i. e. Christ doth not believe for us Who says he doth but 2 dly Hath not he obtained Grace for us to enable us to believe Is not he the Author and Finisher of our Faith Doth not he begin the good Work in us and will he not perform it unto the end St. Paul affirms his Confidence in him that he would do it Phil. 1.6 And doth not performing imply a Covenant or Promise he has made to do it If so then it appears Christ hath more to do for us then only his performing the Covenant of Works and confirming the Covenant of Grace Doth he not say Other Sheep I have which are not of this fold and them I must bring Joh. 10.16 Must bring Doth not that Obligation that was upon him referr to the Covenant made with the Father and again he saith All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me Joh. 6.37 And that it is his Father's Will that sent him that of all that the Father hath given him he should lose nothing Is not Christ the Mediator as I have said before of Two i. e. Is he not to bring us to God as well as God to us Who can remove that Enmity that is naturally in our Minds against God Rom. 8.7 but he only Why is Christ called a Quickening Spirit and so full of Grace Is it not that he might Quicken us and Communicate of his Grace to us as he is our Head and Mediator and we his Members Can we subdue the Powers of darkness or break Satan's Chains are we stronger than the strong Man â—rmed Math. 12.29 Must not Christ perform all these things for us or Doth not the Performance of all this belong to the Covenant of Grace 3 dly I suppose the Mistake lies here viz. Our Authors do only insist upon or speak of the Application of the Covenant of Grace true Christ as Mediator performed the Covenant of Works for us without us he alone in his own Person did that and I must say he doth not so perform the Applicatory part of the Covenant of Grace for we act with him but how even as we are acted and moved like as when our Saviour quickened Lazarus he then arose and had Life and Motion and could come out of the Grave so when he hath quickened us who were dead in Sin when the dead hear the voice of the Son of God by his Spirit they then can act and move can believe and obey and do for God from a Right Principle and to a Right End Is it not said 't is God that worketh in us to will and to do of his own good Pleasure Phil. 2.13 And doth not David say he would cry to the Lord that performed all things for him Psal. 57.2 Pray let me here note Four Things as touching the Covenant of Grace 1. The Time when 't was made with Christ for us and that was from eternity 2. When it was first revealed and that was to our First Parents as soon as they fell and broke the Covenant of Works 3. When it was executed confirmed and touching the outward Dispensation of it took its rise or beginning it was executed by Christ as our Head when he came into the World in part i. e. in his Life and ratified and confirmed by his Blood and the rise or beginning of the outward Dispensation of it was at his Death and Resurrection when the Old Covenant ceas'd or was abrogated 4. When and how are we said to have it made with us or performed to us actually and personally so as to have real Interest in all the Blessings and Privileges thereof For as it respecteth us it only contains free and absolute Promises like the Waters of Noah And not a Law of conditional Faith and Obedience to be performed by us Now we have not actual Interest in it and so personally it cannot be said to be made with us until we have actual Union with Christ and do believe in him For want of these Distinctions I fear some Men run astray For it seems as if some Men would have us believe that the Covenant of Grace in the latitude of it is but that merciful conditional Covenant of Faith and Gospel Holiness that God is pleased to enter into with us and we with him in our Baptism and if we perform that Covenant to the end we shall be Justified and Saved nay and so far as we do act in sincere Obedience so far we are already Justified and if this be the Notion of these Men and that we must believe as they do then say I we are not under Grace but under a Law that will keep us in Doubts and Bondage as long as we live and if we have no other Righteousness than this which is either within us or wrought by us we shall certainly drop down into Hell when we come to die 4thly And by making the Covenant of Redemption distinct from the Covenant of Grace in respect of what I am now speaking of I fear it layâ— a Foundation for those Errors which are got among us as if we are to enter into a Covenant with God without Christ's undertaking for us as our Surety for say they Christ did perform the Covenant of Works but doth confirm not perform the Covenant of Grace What is the Purport of this Doctrine as it is improved by our new Methodists Why this viz. In the Mediatory Covenant Christ made God amends for our breach of the
Angels 3ly God's Divine Love Mercy and Goodness to lost Man to admiration is displayed hereby God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son c. Joh. 3.16 rather than Mankind should be utterly lost he will enter into a Covenant with his own Son and substitute him our Mediator Head and Surety to satisfie for our Sins and be made a Curse for us that so by his own Free-Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ we might be reconciled justified and eternally saved i. e. by his Merits and Righteousness imputed to us there was nothing in Man to oblige God to pity him we were his Enemies when Christ died for us and he offered and propounded this glorious Contrivance of his Wisdom to his Beloved Son in the Covenant of our Peace out of his infinite Love and Goodness as seeing us fall'n and lying in our Blood it was as we were in that woeful Condition he first loved us and as the Effects of that Love entered into a Covenant with the Son for us 4thly His Divine Justice and Infinite Holiness shines forth hereby also that God might be Just and the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Rom. 3.26 that is that God might appear to be Just as well as Gracious true God had been just if Mankind had been left for ever under his divine Wrath and Vengeance as it is upon the fall'n Angels but then his Mercy had for ever been veiled and had never appeared to any of his Creatures and yet that Justice might not suffer the least Eclipse or lose any of its Glory Christ shall bear our Sins upon his own Body on the Tree and suffer that Wrath that Justice denounced upon the Sinner for the Breach of the Holy Law God can as soon cease to be God as cease to be Just nor could any Justice or Righteousness justifie us but that which is Pure and Spotless or without Sin Justice is not to be consider'd in God as 't is in Man who can forgive without requiring Satisfaction wherein he hath been wronged The Law was but a Transcript or written Impression of his Holy Nature and discovers what a Righteousness it is we must be found in if we are ever justified in his sight If God had not been gracious he had not accepted of a Substitute and if his Justice had not been satisfyed and his Wrath appeased he had never raised this Substitute from the dead This Crucified Redeemer saith Reverend Charnock only was able to effect this Work he was an infinite Person consisting of a divine and humane Nature the Union of the one gave Value to the Suffering of the other the Word of God was past in his threatning his Justice would demand its right of his Veracity a Sacrifice there must be to repair the Honour of God c. Justice must have Satisfaction the Sinner could not give it without Suffering eternal Punishment Christ then puts himself into our place to free us from the Arrest of Justice So that now God can pardon the Sins of Believers with the Glory of his Righteousness as well as of his Grace and legally justifie a believing Sinner without the least impeachment of his Justice 5thly God's divine Power and Omnipotence also is exalted by this Covenant in his raising up a poor fall'n and lost Creature sunk as low as Hell under the weight of fearful Guilt and Wrath lying under the powers of infernal Spirits to dwell with him in the highest Heavens for ever but God's Power doth not only appear in respect of that glorious Conquest Christ obtain'd over Sin Satan and Death at his Resurrection in the actual Execution and Accomplishment of his holy Compact with the Father without us but also in working in us by his putting forth his Almighty Power in working Faith in our Souls after the same manner that he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the Dead Eph. 1.19 20. he raised us with Christ from the Dead when Christ was rais'd vertually as he was our Head and also doth actually quickens us and raises us up by his Spirit Eph. 2.1 2. destroying those evil and vicious Habits Sin and Satan had infused into us and so bingeth us out of Darkness into Light and from the power of Satan unto God 6thly God's Veracity and Faithfulness shines forth also hereby his threatning is made good upon us in Christ's undergoing Death and the Curse due to us for our Sins as also in making good what he sware to the True David and promised to his Seed in sending of his Son when the fulness of time was come made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law Gal. 4.4 the Woman's Seed hath bruised the Head of the Serpent so much as to this But Secondly In this Covenant there is a clear Revelation or Manifestation of the Three Persons in the Deity and their Glory doth equally and joyntly shine forth every one acting a part in it under the Old Covenant there was but a dark Discovery of God personally considered tho' it was made known as soon as the Covenant of Grace was manifested to Man in the Gospel is a full Declaration of their distinct Personality the Father sending the Son as a Mediator the Son dying for our Sins and the Spirit sanctifying our Souls the Father by eternal Generation begetting the Son the Son begotten of the Father and the Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son yet all Three are but one and the same God But to proceed 1. The Glory of God the Father shines forth in the Covenant of Grace for the Father is holden forth as the Primary and efficient Cause in his Wisdom Grace and Love of our Salvation and of all those Blessings of Peace and Reconciliation we have therein All things are of God who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 5.18 19. God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself Tho' the whole Trinity are concerned in our Salvation yet as our Protestant Writers observe each Person acts a distinct Part in it the Father chose and substituted Christ to do this glorious Work and accepted him in our stead as our Surety and Saviour God the Father prepared him a Body a Body hast thou prepared me Heb. 10.5 he sent him also into the World as our Saviour asserts many times in the Gospel Recorded by St. John the Father anointed him with the Holy Spirit above his fellows to undertake for us in this Covenant the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to Preach the Gospel to the poor c. Luk. 4.18 the Father calls him his Servant whom he upheld and strengthened in doing that great Work and he is said to be raised up from the Dead by the Power or Glory of the Father the Father is indeed represented as the injured Person he had therefore the only Right to offer and fix on such Terms
Bodies He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not freely give us all things Rom. 8 32. may it not from these two Scriptures be confidently asserted that all Christ dyed for shall be saved i. e. shall have Grace here and Glory hereafter doth not the Apostle argue from the greater Gift of God's Grace to the lesser Gift and that he that gave the greater will not stick to give the lesser Were not all that Christ died for chosen in him before the foundation of the World that they should be holy and without blame before him in love Ephes. 1.4 5. and did not the Father promise him that he should see his Seed and doth not Christ say all that the Father gave to him shall come to him that is shall have Faith and can any come that were not given to him If Faith and Repentance be given to the Elect who are saved Can others come to Christ who have not the like Faith and Repentance given to them doth not Faith flow from a Principle of divine Life and can there be such a noble Effect without the cause from whence it proceeds Can a dead Man quicken himself or can he refuse to live that has life infused into him Thy People shall be willing in the day of thy Power Psal 100.3 in the Beauty of Holiness Is Christ a true and proper Redeemer of all and yet a multitude are left under sin and wrath and never redeemed nor many of them never hear of this Saviour or Redeemer at all 4. This also reproves all such who render the Covenant of Grace in its nature like the Covenant of Works i. e. if we perform the Condition we stand if we perform it not we fall it being made with us and so our Covenant God expects we discharge our Obligation therein for 't is evident as we enter into Covenant with God according to these men's Notions at our Baptism or be it before and Baptism be but a Sign or Token of it there is no surety here to engage for us unless it be as it is among some of this sort those they call God-fathers and God-mothers O! what a dangerous state are we in if this be so i. e. if Christ be not to perform his Obligation for us as our Surety to God that we may not be lost nor miscarry but that all depends upon our own performances on our holy Watchfulness and sincere Obedience for if Man at first did not stand when he had no sin no corrupt nature no body of sin and death how should we stand and weather the Storm now we are so corrupted so depraved and have a thousand Snares laid for us in every place that have such a deceitful Heart such a deceitful Devil and a bewitching World to encounter â—t withal if as Doctor Goodwin hints Man suffered shipwrack when he â—â—d so firm so strong and well-built Ship and when he had so good a â—â—lot as his Will was to him before he fell and a calm Sea who will be 〈◊〉 mad to venture to Sea now on such a leaky and rotten Vessel and â—â—ve no better a Pilot than his own base depraved and corrupt Will to â—â—eer this ship on such tempestuous and dangerous Seas The truth is the Covenant of Grace is not ordered in all things and â—â—e if what these men say be true that a Man may be a Child of God 〈◊〉 day and a Child of the Devil to morrow and that justified Persons â—ay so fall away as to perish for ever 5. This reproves all such who when convinced of their sinful and lost condition by nature then presently set upon a Work of Reformation and 〈◊〉 on duties of Humiliation and then begin to see as they think a great change is wrought in them and on that rest and Hope all is well Like 〈◊〉 Herod who heard John and reformed many things Mark 6.20 Alas Sirs â—â—l this building will fall to the ground is this to take hold of the Covenant Is this to get Union with Christ is this Regeneration is this to believe on the Lord Jesus Act. 16.31 that you may be saved â—our own Works be they what they will like Chaff they shall be burâ—ed up True if you reform not your Lives which the Terrors of the â—aw and Laws of the Land may force some of you to do or Shame and reproach and Fear of Hell Torments you shall certainly be damed yet his you may do and yet never be saved 't is so far from a bare Reformaâ—ion of Life that will stand you in stead that a Saint's Salvation Hope and Desire lies not in a changed Heart nor in inherent Grace nor â—â—ncere Obedience but in Christ in his Righteousness it lies in this Covenant not in their Baptismal Covenant not in being Church-Members not in Praying and hearing Sermons and breaking of Bread but in Christ and in the Covenant of Grace this is all my Salvation and all my Desire c. 6. This reproves such likewise that remain under the Spirit of Bondage and slavish Fear after God hath graciously awakened them convinced them of their Sins and lost Condition without Christ and hath let out a Spirit of burning upon them that has burned up all their former Hopes Faith and Confidence which they once had in the Flesh and are broâ—en into pieces in the sight and sense of the evil of Sin Souls what aileth you what 's the cause of your Disquietments and Sorrow Is there no Help No Relief for your Souls in this Covenant Dare you not venture on Christ Is there not all things that you want in Christ and â—n this Covenant May be you will say O! your sins are great what tho' there is great pardoning Mercy in this Covenant a great Saviour â—or you are you sinners wounded sinners sin-sick sinners lost and undone sinners then I declare nay proclaim Peace to you in Christ good News O Soul is brought this day to your Ears here is a Christ for you Pardon for you in this Covenant I will forgive their Iniquities their Sins I will remember no more Will you make God a Liar and not believe the Record he hath given of his Son Joh. 5.10 Secondly By way of Exhortation I must exhort you that lead ungodly Lives to tremble you who are condemned and refuse the Offers of God's Grace by Christ in this Covenant What do you mean will you value your base Lusts above God above Christ above the Salvation of your Souls can you think God will give himself to you or Christ espouse you that live in and love your sins your dishonouring and Soul-damning Pride Covetousness Uncleanness Drunkenness c. or any Deeds of Darkness which God's Soul loaths be exhorted to adhere to the Truth of God's Justice the Veracity of his Word the Denounciations of his Wrath which is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men Rom. 2.18 Shall Christ and