Souls into Glory Mat. 22.32 Hath not he engaged to be their God And shall Death break that bond And are not they whose God he is as to their better part See Doctor Templar Idea p. 312 as are Abraham Isaac and Jacob at this present living to and with God Have they not good ground for their saying who say that by that time their Friends have well closed the Eyes of their Bodies Mr. Norton c. their Spirits shall be admitted to behold God's Face in Righteousness Shall they not immediately on their departure be with Christ 9. Shall not their Bodies on which Death seizeth be raised out of the Dust that in their whole Persons they may be Happy to and in Eternity Hath not our Saviour left it under his hand John 6.39 that he will lose nothing not onely no Soul but nothing no Body that is given him Are not the Bodies of Covenanters the Purchase of his Blood and Temples or Habitations of his Spirit M. Jeanes Scholast Div. p. 28 29. He is not the God of the dead of those any part of whom shall dye for ever Surely what I have written proves the Covenant to be of Grace May my Reader go to the Labours of that Dear Brother on this Subject Mr. H. Newcome on the Covenant whose Tongue and Pen God hath eminently Blessed And now must I go to some brief may it be blessed Application And the first Use shall be by way of Caution Take we heed lest from the Doctrine of God's Covenanting with Man we conclude that this his Covenant doth in all points answer those Covenants that are amongst and between Men Surely this Covenant doth far and far transcend ' em First Hath any Humane Covenant so much of freedom in it as God's hath 1. See the Ark of the Covenant opened Job 22.2 3. Do not Men in their Covenants propound something of Advantage to themselves This can have no place in God whom no Persons or Praises can in the least profit his glorious name being above ' em 2. Do not men ordinarily see something of worth and loveliness in those whom they take into Covenants of Friendship and Familiarity But what of worthiness or loveliness is there to be seen in fallen Man Ezek. 16.1 2 3 c. Is he not in his blood and gore in his filth and guilt And yet that is made a time of Love Secondly In what meer Humane Covenant is there such condescension as is expressed in this Covenant If a Prince should stoop to make a League with a Peasant Psal 82.5 6. Finiti ad infinitum nulla proportio yet he that is so far above as to Office is but an equal as to Nature But between the Creator and Creatures what proportion is there Thirdly What lower Covenant is like this high one in firmness and sureness Have not men like men transgressed and varied And on Mens part Hos 6.7 2 Chron. 13 5. Sal est duraturae amicitiae symbolum Isa 55.4 in this Covenant there are too many failures but as to the Lord it is a Covenant of Salt lasting and incorruptible Do not the sure Mercies of David belong to this Covenant Mal. 3.6 Jehovah changeth not therefore the Sons of Jacob are not consumed Fourthly Is it not eminently to mans Honour yea and to God's that God thus Covenanted 1. Though men may Bless others Psal 144. last are not they the Blessed of the Lord whose God he is in a Covenant-way Is not this a Covenant of Life 2. Are not God's Attributes as evidently so joyntly displayed herein Infinite Wisdom hath ordered a meeting of Mercy and Truth of Righteousness and Peace Justice receives satisfaction and Grace is in its exaltation sin is condemn'd and sinners sav'd the Law fulfilled as to the Surety and the Gospel advanced as to those for whom he is so The Second Use is for Information The first Branch is One step or consideration is before us on which we should stand and afresh wonder at Divine Grace 1. Rom. 9.3 4 5. Are not the People a People of Grace to whom the Covenant belongs as to its external and Ecclesiastical Administration Were not the Jews in this respect known and honoured above all the Nations of the Earth Exod. 19.6 being to God as peculiars and a Treasure 2. When Persons are inwardly in Covenant and have a right to its choice benefits can we take a measure of God's Grace to ' em What but that could move him to Covenant with them On their laying hold on this Covenant and Union to the Mediator thereof Rom. 8.3 4. the Covenant of works cannot demand any thing of 'em which Christ and his Righteousness will not answer And whereas they stand chargeable with injuring God's Justice and Holiness See Herle's Tripes the former will be righted through the satisfying Merit of Christ and respects paid to the latter through his Sanctifying Spirit by his Purchase they shall be freed from the damning power of sin and by his Power from the reigning Dominion of it The second Branch of the second Use is They are inexcusable who stand off from Covenanting with God and will by no means be prevailed with to come within this blessed Bond Isa 55.1 2 3. though the Lord say Ho every one Come come come 1. Many turn the deaf Ear on him Mr. Porter Prov. 1. and will not come within the hearing of Wisdom's calls that cry loud as one Phras'd it till she be hoarse 2. Many are Hearers onely 2 Thes 2.10 they open the outward Door of the Ear but keep the inner one of the Heart shut They are led unto Truth but not into it they receive it not in its light and love or if they rejoyce in some light it is but for a season May not many Preachers say Isa 53.1 Who comparatively believeth our Report Few are as the good Ground that had depth of Earth and moisture enough Few have been steep'd in sorrow or are in that stream carried to receive a whole Christ and resign themselves to him Few from a right understanding of the tenor of the Covenant with Hearts and Hands subscribe to it I will say to Recusants Isa 1.16 Come and let us reason together 1. Have you not been too too long sinfully coy forsaking your own Mercy 2. Can you possibly be happy if you be not in a Marriage-Covenant with the Lord 3. Can you stand under the wrath that is over rejecters of the Covenant Psal 2. last Is not a little a very spark of this fire scorching Can your hands be strong or your hearts endure in the day of God's sharp visitation Might not Chaff sooner endure the Wind Isa 33.14 and Stubble the Fire 4. What will you Plead why wrath should not have its free course on you 1. Was not closing in with the Covenant your Interest as well as Duty
Moralists or Formalists And as to the former sort With what face or colour can they say they have received Jesus into their Hearts and have the Fathers Love shed abroad in them who are overmuch wicked Eccles 7.17 I remember with what seriousness a worthy Brother Mr. H. Newcome Preached thereon as the Preachers Phrase is 1. Wallow in the mire of Uncleanness or run into excess in Drink or over reach those they Trade with or inure their tongues to vain Swearing Cursing or Reviling 2. Add one of those Enormities to another having on them sundry black and broad spots at once And 3. Add Rebellion to sin hating to be Reformed rising up against the Reproofs under which they should fall down Is Christ an Head Tit. 2.11 12. to which such Corrupt Members are joyned Is such ungodliness consistent with Graces Teaching And so I fall on posing those who go no further than the form of Godliness Who 1. In abstaining from Evil are onely sollicitous about abstaining from more open Evils The filthiness that is in the Spirit to wit Contrary to 2 Cor. 7.1 Pride Malice Luke-warmness and Worldliness they indulge 2. Their abstinence from evil is separated from diligence in good they think it enough not to bear bad Fruit though they be Barren as to what is good as if not flying out into Rebellion was enough to make a good Subject Mat. 3.10 3. In doing Duties they are partial picking and choosing and onely taking the cheaper serving the Lord with what costs them least not communing with their own Hearts in self-examination not labouring to work truths upon and into their Hearts by Meditation not keeping up a Watch and Guard over their Senses and Souls 4. They are not for exercising their Spirits in the exercises they are engag'd in James 5.17 they are not for Praying earnestly or in Prayer nor for Praising God with their whole Hearts nor for hearing Psal 9.1 that they may Live 5. They when exercising some of the strength of their Spirits are not for exercising the Graces of Gods Spirit They cannot call forth Faith Love and Zeal who are void of them 6. Phil. 3.3 They are not for exalting Christ above and in the close of Duties nor glorying in him as the Lord their Righteousness covering their sins and presenting their Souls acceptable to God Let these know that as yet the Free grace of God in Christ hath not a special influence on them nor are they peculiarly interested therein The second Advice is Be they persuaded to weigh well that their present state is not a state to be rested in Be it known that the slighting of Christ argues 1. An Understanding dangerously dark that hath not discover'd 1. The indispensible want of him that he is more needed than daily Bread John 4.10 God can preserve mens Bodies without that but will not save their Souls without him Nor yet 2. The incomparable worth of him Did Men kow the gift of God and how this Sun out-shines all lesser Stars so that they disappear at and on his appearance they could not but fall in Love with him and follow hard after him 2. It is also an Argument of an Heart desperately hard hardened through divers Lusts particularly through 1. Pride The Heart thinks too highly of it self to go unto Christ Rom. 10.3 4. John 1.11 to be its Righteousness and too meanly of his Service to submit to him as its Ruler 2. Sensuality It prefers filthy Puddles before the River of God and had rather have its Residence in Styes than in his pure presence And it is a great Truth but no great Wonder that this sin doth immediately shut Persons out of Heaven and under Wrath what Remedy is there for those with whom the great Gospel-remedy is at an undervalue Will not all the Curses of the Law and with them an Anathema 1 Cor. 16.22 Maranatha fall on such as Love not the Lord Jesus Christ nor have recourse to him and to his Fathers Love in him that they may do so Whither will they Appeal that are cast at the Mercy-seat I will next apply my self to the notoriously Vicious and oh that God would say to them Micah 2.10 Get ye from these Tents Haste out of this Sodom Know they their Crimes are exceedingly aggravated from the tenders of the great Propitiation out of the Fathers Rich Grace made to ' em 1. Are they not against clear Light In this Glass may be seen 1. How deep the stain and pollution of sin is which onely his Blood who is God can fetch out so that it shall not be seen with an avenging Eye 2. How greatly the Nature as well as the Will of God is against sin yea how all his Attributes oppose sin Rom. 8.32 He spared not his own Son but gave him up to a Cursed Death when he undertook to answer for it 3. How willing as well as able both the Father and the Son are to receive Penitents into favour Doth not Christ's death set out this to the Life and with their Love is that of the Spirit presented in the Gospel witness the moving Lamentations over sinners Isa 55.1 2 3. John 5.40 the pressing Exhortations on 'em and winning Invitations to 'em And so 2. Are not their ill courses against dear Love yea against expressions of the highest Love as to the spring Evidences and Effects of it Do they not strike at the Heart of every Person in the Godhead And will not these blows redound and fall on their Heads that give ' em Mat. 1.21 Will not this be the Condemnation of thousands they with the resistance of Light and Love expected that God should save 'em in their sins who would have have sav'd 'em from ' em The Application is now to fall on those that rest on this side Christ the true Rest though in those cleaner ways to Hell as some speak Civility and Formality This is not their Rest nor should be made so one hour Till such Persons have Union to and Communion with Jesus Christ and his Father 1. Eph. 2.12 They are in the World without God in the World They have a better Air than Heathens but have not better Hearts at least not a better inward state than they They have more Light but not more Spiritual sight They have more Church-Priviledges but no more saving Grace 2. Their Services how specious soever and taking with Men are unacceptable to God if we speak of full and absolute and not of comparative acceptance their Fruit is not to Perfection 1 Pet. 2.5 and will not be to Salvation not growing on or from the Tree of Life 3. They have no Title to Heaven John 3. last but are Children and Heirs of Wrath. Their Righteousness doth not exceed probably it doth not equallize the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees 1 Thes 1. last It is Christ alone that delivers from
and at last possession of perfect unending Salvation Who that gives the things touched on the thoughts due to 'em sees not cause for that joyful sound Grace Grace And being to treat on that Covenant which is according to its name in an eminent way the Covenant of Grace my Text treating thereon and having made some mention of two other Covenants I shall present some Positions that present something of its Nature and of its difference from them 1. See Reverend Bulkley on the Covenant Isa 58.10 See Reverend Blake This Covenant is made with Man and so differs from the Covenant of Suretyship that was made with Christ for men 2. This Covenant is made in order to man's Restauration and so differs from the first Covenant that was made in order to man's Confirmation 3. The Covenant runs much in a Promising way and strain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 2.39 It 's called the Promise and is a bundle of Promises 4. The Grand Promise in it is Summa foederis Gen. 17.7 That God will be his Peoples God This is said to be the sum and substance of the Covenant 5. John 3.16 Rom. 4.16 Faith is required in and of those that are so in the Covenant as to be entituled to the Pardon and Salvation promised in it I am aware Camero de foedere c. that in the Writings of great Divines we read of an absolute Covenant and the Covenant we are on is compar'd to that of Noah or made with Noah after the Flood which was of that kind Isa 54.9 God will no more destroy the Earth by Water though its Inhabitants be not well qualified and hereupon excellent men express themselves somewhat differently Some are less free to hear of a condition in the Covenant when others are full for its being Conditional I had rather if I were able make up seeming breaches than attempt to make 'em wider and accordingly shall Note 1. That they who say it is Conditional do not mean that any thing found in man was the foundation of God's making it Ephes 2.8 or that Faith call'd the Condition of it is of a mans self so that he either works it or deserves that God should do it or that where it is wrought it merits what is given into its hand And not a few of 'em say Mr. Jessop M. Baines c. that it is a Condition in the Covenant or a consequent Condition flowing out of the Covenant and conveyed through the Ministry of it Others of 'em say it is from what we call the Covenant considered as a Testament Mr. Barret or however from the Covenant made with Christ he having a Promise that it shall be wrought in those that are given him So that all they intend by asserting the Conditionality of the Covenant is John 3. last that without such a Faith as calls Repentance and Obedience Daughters none that are of years have a right to Justification and Glorification They observe that the current of the Scripture is for joyning Faith and Salvation Repentance and Remission And the Covenant is spoken of as a Matrimonial Covenant and so implyes a consent in those that come within it to the terms and tenor of it And hence it becomes a more proper and full Covenant having God and Man for Parties On the other hand The most valuable among those that are less affected to the term condition in this case grant 1. That God observeth an Order and Method in conferring Covenant-benefits Mr. Capel M. Troughton Mr. Gale c. Mark 16.15 16. so that men receive Grace for and on Grace one blessing depending on another and none of Age shall be saved but believing Penitents 2. That the Covenant of Grace doth directly require Faith as a means of accepting and applying it So Mr. Thoughton and it doth also require Repentance and Obedience consequentially as Qualifications necessary to fit the subject to receive what Faith apprehends in the Promise And may it not be thought that according to these concessions Faith yea and in a sort Repentance do put on the Nature of conditions Induere naturam conditionis and that the thing is owned though the word be not And now I that am not so good at definitions as to give you one of mine own of the Covenant shall take that of another The Covenant of Grace is a new Compact or Agreement which God hath made with sinful man So Mr. Sedgwick out of his meer Mercy and Grace wherein he Promiseth that he will be our God and we shall be his People and undertakes to give everlasting Life and all that conduceth thereunto to all that believe in Christ And having given some account that as we do not gainsay such as say that the New Covenant if we respect the Spirit of it and the intention of its Author takes in a purpose to give to many Grace that will issue in Glory so they do not oppose our assertion that in the external form and proposal of it it is of a conditional Nature We will go on with an Eye to what we find in the Context to set down 1. Vide Dicksoni Therapeudica Sac. The Condition or Qualification of such as are willing to come into Covenant 2. That which is most strictly the Condition of the Covenant 3. That which is styled the Condition of Covenanters As to the first None will heartily consent to the terms of the Covenant but such who are athirst Isa 55.1 and have a Spiritual thirst on ' em In and unto which thirst there are three Ingredients 1. A sense of Soul wants Herein the resemblance holds between the thirst of the Body and that of the Soul A thirsty man needs no one to tell him he wants what is moist cooling and quenching his feeling tells him this to purpose After this manner it is with him that thirsteth after Christ Isa 41.17 and the Father's Grace in him He feels a want of Righteousness Peace and Power 2. This sense of wants is accompanied with pain and uneasiness till a supply be had John 19.28 It is well known natural thirst is not well suffer'd or sufferable Even our Blessed Lord cry'd out I thirst Thus it is with the thirsters under consideration they can no more well bear the want of Water of Life than thirsters that of other Water 3. Thence ariseth a very earnest desire of Refreshing Give a man that is athirst Gold or Pearles if you give him not somewhat to drink he is unsatisfied Tell him you 'l give him drink hereafter that will not serve his turn Quantum pro quantillo he would have it at present What would not a man in extream thirst give to be quenched It 's storied one gave a Kingdom and then cryed How much have I parted with for a little Suitably hereunto they that are Spiritually athirst would very fain share in the Riches of