the property of this wisdome which shewes it selfe to the perfect and the reason is because it is a sanctified discouering wisdome a wisdome which that Spirit that giues it enables him to make this vse of that hee vseth it as a Lanthorue to his feet as a light to discouer the crookednesse of his wayes to finde out the defects to which he is subiect both in his heart and in his conuersation therefore this wisdome discouers him and opens him to himselfe wheras all the knowledge of any naturall man or that any hypocrite hath in `the World besides opens him not to himselfe properly but rather lifts him vp he vseth it to reproue others he vseth it for other purposes he holds it as a light to other mens feet he makes not this vse of it to search the inside of his owne heart he searcheth not euery defect and crannie of his soule with it and he findes not out himselfe what he is Therefore you see assoone as they haue been enlightned with this wisdome Paul and others how they were confounded in themselues how vnworthily they thought of themselues that is the property of this wisdome first to humble Another property is He that hath that wisdom reuealed to him that is proper only to the perfect those things that he knowes he knowes them as he ought to know them whereas another man though hee know exceeding much yet hee knowes nothing as hee ought to know as we see 1 Cor. 8. 2. He that thinkes he knowes any thing knowes nothing yet as he ought to know it saith the Apostle he knowes not sinne as he ought to know it he knowes not the promises of grace hee knowes not aeternall life hee knowes not these as he ought to know them for did hee he would bee wrought vpon by them if he did know GOD as hee ought hee would feare GOD with all his heart and with all his soule and with all his strength so if he did know sinne as he ought he would make it his chiefest sorrow he would abhorre it hee would not come neere it hee would cleanse himselfe from it he would flye from it as from a Serpent vpon all occasions So did he know remission of sinnes hee would not esteeme so lightly of it as he doth but hee would seeke it earnestly euen as a condemned man doth his Pardon So that is the difference they know not these things as they ought to know them for beloued this is to bee obserued when any man is conuerted to God by the reuelation of this wisdome he doth not alwaies know nâ—w things hee hath not new things reuealed vnto him more then he knew before but the same things he knowes now as hee ought to know whereas before though hee knew them hee knew them not as he ought to know them he neuer knew sinne what it was he neâ—er knew what grace was all those promises and threatnings all that wisdome of God reuealed in the Booke of GOD in the holy Scriptures he neuer knew it as he ought therefore it is not profitable to him to bring him home and worke a change that is the second difference Thirdly Wisdome to the perfect is such a wisdome as enables him to distinguish of things that differ he is able to discerne between good and evill as you shall see an expression of it Heb. â— but strong meate belongs to those that are perfect for so it ought to bee translated and so it is in the Originall the old Translation by reason of custome and the new by reason of vse but neither is so full as the Originall by reason of habit in respect that they haâ—e their sences exercised to disâ—erne both good and euill that is hee that hath this true wisdome he hath such a distinguishing faculty that as the taste discernes of meate or as a man that is accustomed to taste Wine can easily discerne between good and bad so not by meere custome as other men haue it but by a certaine wisdome that is infused into you you are able to discerne betweene good and euill euen as the sences doe for that is the scope of the place As the sences discerne betweene colour and colour betweene taste and taste so there is an ability in those that are perfest to discerne betweene good and euill so that take such a man to whom this wisdome is reuealed you shall finde such an aptnesse in him to discerne betweene good and euill that is hee knowes the voyce of the shepheard hee knowes and discernes betweene that which is good and betweene that which is counterfeit hee knowes morall goods and euils what is to bee chosen and what to be refused this he knowes such a distinguishing faculty he hath this is proper to those that are perfect the like you shall haue expressed Rom. 12. be renewed in the Spirit of your minde that you may discerne the good will of God that is that you may distinguish between the good will that is truly perfect and that which is not his will This property will follow a minde that is renewed he will be able to discerne what another cannot Lastly that I may conclude He to whom this wisdome is reuealed he that is perfect there is a wondrous change in his iudgement that which before seemed foolishnesse to him now he reckons it to be the true wisdome and that which before was the greatest wisdome now it appeares to be follishnesse as a Child when hee is growne to yeeres and is perfect the things that before he magnified now he disregards them and the things that before he made no account of now they are prized and esteemed such a difference there is such a change in the iudgement when once this wisdome is reuealed So it is in other things take a yong beginner in any thing a young Scholler hee indgeth otherwise of the exercise of what hee learnes then when he is growne to maturity as we see a man that is vnacquainted with Musicke that hath no skill in it the common tunes like him best but when hee growes a skilfull Musician he cares not for them those that haue more perfect Musicke in them those he regards when he hath a more skilfull eare so it is the meaning of the Apostle we speake wisdome to those that are perfect as if hee should say they are able to discerne things their iudgement is another kinde of iudgement then yours is or then their owne was before that which they could finde no relish in no taste when they are perfect once they finde a more excellent vse in it then others So that this change of iudgement iudging otherwise both of the persons and of the things argues they are perfect And this is the last signe that I will now name to you of this property heere spoken of We speake wisdome to those that are perfect that is it is the property of those that are perfect to reckon that
euery mans conscience and therefore when the people then desired a Mediator that might speake and that GOD might speake no more another thing was signified by it that no man is able to come to God by yeelding obedience to the Law but he must needs haue a Mediator to goe between GOD and him The other obiection is from the Ceremonies of the Law they were ready to say We haue a Priest we haue Sacrifices we haue diuers washings and Rites c wee were wont to bee saued by them why may we not so still The answer to it is That these were but the oldnesse of the letter for indeed all these did but cloathe the Couenant of Grace the Couenant of Grace was deliuered to the Iewes the Ceremonies did indeede but set it out they were but types and shaddowes by which it was expressed to the Iewes the Iewes by reason of their ignorance were not able to see the body for the clothes they were not able to see the signification of the Spirit for the letter they were not able to see the sword for the sheath the kernell for the shell that is they could not see Christ himselfe the inward promises but stucke in the outward barke and rinde of Ceremonies in the shell of them and so they became vnprofitable but indeed those Rites did nothing but cloathe the Couenant of Grace and set it forth to them So much shall serue for the dispatching of those fiue things Now hence you see how those difficulties may bee answered that I mentioned before For example it is said the promise is made to the seede yet the promise is made to vs and yet againe the Couenant is made with Abraham How can all these stand together The promises that are made to the seede that is to Christ himselfe those are these promises Thou shalt bee a Priest for euer and I will giue thee the Kingdome of Dauid thou shalt sit in that Throne thou shalt be a Prince of peace and the gouernment shall be vpon thy shoulder likewise thou shalt bee a Prophet to my people thou shalt open the prison to the Captiâ—e thou shalt be anoynted c. and then shalt goe and preach to them These are the promises that are made vnto the seede The promises that are made to vs though they bee of the same Couenant yet they differ in this the actiue part is committed to the Messiah to the seede it selfe but the passiue part those are the promises that belong to vs You shall bee taught you shall bee made Prophets likewise you shall haue your sinnes forgiuen you shall haue the effect of his Priesthood made good vnto you you shall be subiect to his gouernment by an inherent righteousnes that he shall worke in you for you shall bee made Kings So the promise is made to vs. How is the promise made to Abraham for it is said In thee all the Nations of the Earth shall bee blessed The meaning of this is they are deriuatiue promises the primitiue and Originall was made to Iesus Christ but why is it said then that in Abraham all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed the meaning of it is this there was none that was euer partaker of these promises but the children of Abraham and therefore they were deriued from Abraham to all the men in the world besides that euer haue beene since Now what is it to be a childe of Abraham not to be borne of Abraham according to the flesh but to be like Abraham you are the children of the Deuill Why You are like him So that all that haue faith are the children of Abraham but more is meant then that I say all that doe partake of this promised Messiah are deriued from Abraham either deriued from him or grafted into him one of these two all that were saued before the comming of Christ were either such as descended from him or were ingrafted into the same Nation But what doe you say of the Gentiles that are now come in How doe they receiue from Abraham How can it be said in Abraham shall all the Nations of the world bee blessed Beloued you know it is said Rom. 11. that the naturall branches were broken off and the wilde Oliue is ingrafted in that is the reason likewise why the Law comes from Sion the Lord will haue the Gentiles to bee ingrafted into the stocke as it were he will haue the Law to proceede from Ierusalem he will haue them put into that Famely as the proselytes and so were all Nations for they receiued it from Ierusalem for they had the Oracles of God committed to them all the Nations in the world receiued them from them they drew that sap of knowledge from them so that they were grafted in thus all the Nations in the world were blessed in Abraham and Abraham was blessed in the seede it selfe But yet one obiection is behinde that is how comes this to passe that to be renewed in the spirit of our minds and to walke in the wayes of the LORD in the way of regeneration should be a part of the Couenant on our part you shall repent and beleeue and be renewed and then you shall be forgiuen c. you shall haue the Kingdome and yet for all this you see it is a paâ—t of the Couenant on Gods part saith the LORD I will giue you a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 36. 26. I will giue you c. there is an expression of the Couenant and yet it is a condition that is required on our part Beloued to this I answer briefly the condition that is required of vs as part of the Couenant is the doing of this the action the performance of these things it is to repent to serue the LORD in newnesse of life but the ability by which we are able to performe these is a part of the Couenant on the LORDS paâ—t to haue new heaâ—tâ— and new spirits whereby we are able to repeâ—t and to bring forth fruite worthy of amendment of life I say the inward abilâ—ty the change of the heart the renewing of vs in thâ— spirâ—t of our mindes the wrâ—ting of the Law in the inward paâ—ts that is a branch of Gods Couenant but the doing of this the bringing forth the fruite of these inward abilities of these inward habits and graces that are planted in vs by the power of Christ that thing is required in vs. As for example the very habit of faith the very grace and power of beleeuing that God hath promised to giue it belongs to him but to beleeue to take the promises to accept of Iesus Christ and to receiue him and the gift of righteousnesse by him this is required as a condition on our part And so much shall serue for the opening of this and for this point The next question wee had to propound to you was this How a man should know whether he be within
for fits and for times as we see the Isâ—aelites did they would â—ollow GOD for such a time in the Wildernesse after hee had refreshed them and deliuered them but as soone as new trouble came when they wanted bread and water and flesh presently they murmured againe and grew discontented And so Ioram King of Israel when he was pressed with famine saith he I will waite no longer vpon the Lord but he would needes take away Elisha's head the man of GOD that exhoâ—ted him to waiâ—e on GOD. Thus it is with men they haue no constant good opinion of GOD but it is not so with the Saints they haue knowne the LORD himselfe hee hath shewed his owne selfe to them that good opinion they haue of him is fixed and established it is the Lord himselfe that hath taught it â—â—em and that which they haue beene confirmed in by long experience and therefore they will neuer forsake him noâ— part from him it is hee himselfe whom they haue chosen And this is the next difference betweene an vnsound-hearted man and he that hath a perfect heart that hee seekes the Lord himselfe his heart is perfect with him when another returnes not to the most high but returnes to serue him for other ends and for other respects but against the Lord himselfe when he hath serued his turne he is ready to rebell The next property you shall find 1 Cor. 2. 6. Howbeit we speake wisdome to those that are perfect not the wisdome of this world or of the Princes of this world but the wisdome of God in a mysterie euen the hidden wisdome that GOD hath ordained before the World to our glâ—rie Heere is another property the Holy Ghost sets downe of a perfect-hearted man the Apostle when he had said I come not among you with the excellency of wisdome or the words of man but my ayme is my desire is as to know Christ crucified alone so to teach nothing else to you and to preach to you in the plaine euidence of the Spirit and of power whereas it might bee obiected I but Paul euery man thinkes not so many men thinke you would doe better if you would preach as other men doe and bee curious and quaint of Oratory saith hee these things as I deliuer them whatsoeuer they may seeme to other men yet to those that are perfect they seeme wisdome though others may despise it and reckon it foolishnesse yet to the perfect it is wisdome So that I gather hence A perfect man in this is distinguished from another that is not sound-hearted that he hath eyes to see the wisdome of the Holy Ghost he knowes wisdome Now a perfect man is there so called in opposition to him that is meerely animalis that hath onely a reasonable soule and no more for that is the word the same word that is vsed in another place of this Chapter the naturall man it is translated but the word in the Originall signifies a man that hath onely naturall abilities and endowments and naturall perfections such a man is reckoned an imperfect man a man that is not sound But saith the Apostle to a man that is perfect that is to a man that hath besides the strength of naturall gifts the sanctifying Spirit that enlightneth him that the Spirit of God possesseth and informes his soule it ioynes with his soule it is dwelling in him such a one is a perfect man saith hee and you shall know him by this hee discernes the wisdome of GOD he iudgeth aright of it so that my beloued the meaning of it is this there is a certaine wisdome of God there are certaine things that no naturall man in the world reaches or relishes take the hypocrite that goes the furthest in the profession of holinesse euen as farre as the second or third ground euen as far as those Heb. 6. that were much enlightned and had tasted of the power of the world to come yet this wisdome that he speakes of here we speake the wisdome of GOD consists of such things as they neuer knew certaine things that the most knowing man that liues in the Church of God that is not regenerate can neuer know them as he saith Verse 9. such as eye neuer saw â— signifying thus mâ—ch the eye and the eare haue the sences by which knowledge is gathered yet mans eye aâ—d his eare neuer saw c. and his heart that is more actiue then eyther of â—hem neuer vnderstood them You will say what are these things They are expressed by diâ—ers names in this Chapter they are called the wisdome of God they are called the wisdome of GOD hid in a mysterie the deepe things of God the things of the Spirit of God the things that are giuen vs of God for our glory Beloued these are things that no vnsound-hearted man did euer sound and therefore I will bee bold to say to you if euer you knew thâ—se things if euer you reckoned these things wisdome certainely your hearts are perfect you are not meere naturall men but you haue receiued the Spirit of â—od that is the sanctifying and enlighning Spirit of God But you will say How can it be that a naturall man should neuer know these things Bâ—loued I say it may be very well for they are things that no Minister in the world can teach you we may propound them to you and you may heare them seuen yeeres and seuen you may reade the very same things in the Scriptures and in other Bookes a thousand times ouer and yet for all this not vnderstand them It is the wisdome of God in a mystery and they are the deepe things of God As a man may looke on a Trade and neuer see the mystery of it he may looke on artificiall things pictures or any thing else and yet not see the Art by which they are made as a man may looke on a Letter and yet not vnderstand the sense something there is that he sees and something that he sees not not it enters not into his heart and therefore it is said seeing they see not which argueth that there is something that they see Thus there are some things there is a wisdome of GOD that an vnsound-hearted man can neuer know it can neuer enter into his heart which wisdome therefore if thou hast certainely thou art a perfect man You will say How shall a man know whether he know this wisdome or no whether hee thus iudge of the wayes of God I answer You shall know whether the wâ—sdome you haue bee such as belongs to perfect men or no by these foure things which I will deliuer distinctly vnto you First you shall finde this that when this knowledge is discouered â—o a man it exceedingly humbles him all other knowledge doth not so it rather puffes him vp But this brings a man exceedingly out of conceit with himselfe it makes him to stand amazed at himselfe that is
them shall the Apostles in their times be able to perswade them No sayth he They shall all be taught of God As if he should say without his teaching it will be all in vaine but if the Lord teach them once they shall be perswaded effectually they shall not onely know what their dutie is but they shall be readie to performe it The reason of which is First because God onely is the generall and vniversall worker he onely is vniversally wise he onely knowes all things and therefore he onely is able to teach all things men know but in part and therefore they are able to teach but in part now he that is perswaded of a thing but in part though he may acknowledge the thing to be good yet his heart is not wrought to practice it for there is something yet behinde some objections that are not yet answered It is onely God that hath an vniversall light that is a generall worker and therefore he is said to be onely wise for a man is not sayd to be wise except he know all things that belongs to such a busines If there be any part or corner of it hid from him he is not wise that is he is not able to proceede aright he is subject to errour but God who hath abundance of light God that knowes all things is onely wise and therefore his is onely able to perswade Hence it is that men are able to perswade that such graces are good that such wayes are excellent in themselues that it is good to take such courses but yet to answer all the secret objections of the heart to perswade fully to turne all the wheeles of the soule this is that that a man is not able to doe to enlighten all the corners of the heart he is not able to convince fully Secondly God is onely able to doe it because he onely knowes all the windings and turnings of the heart of man It is sayd in Ier. 17. 9. that the heart of man is exceeding deceit full who can know it That is no man in the world can know his owne heart much lesse can any man else know it there are so many windings so many turnings in it there is such a labyrinth in the heart such a depth in it that no man is able to search his owne heart to finde out the bottom of it oh but who is able to doe it Sayth he in the next words it is God that searcheth the heart and tryeth the reynes That is he onely knowes the severall inclinations of the will and therefore he onely is able to perswade You know if a man make a key to vndoe such a locke he must know all the wardes of it or else he may make a key that will not vndoe it he may endevour and not be able to turne the locke So the Lord that onely knowes all the wardes all the secret passages all the windings and turnings of the heart of man he onely is able to sute it and to â—it it with such arguments as shall be effectuall to perswade You see when he would perswade Moses to goe downe into Egypt there was a secret objection that Moses had in his heart if he went thither that he should loose his life God that knew Moses heart knew where that objection lay where it stucke with him he was able to bring arguments to perswade him goe thy way said the Lord for they are dead that sought thy life Last of all God is onely able to doe it because he is able to mend the heart where it is amisse A man perhaps may be able to shew an object and to bring it to light but what if the eye be amisse the man is not able to see and to discerne for all that If a manâ— oye be blind if there be any west in it he is not able to remoue it So a man may propound arguments but to make the heart capable of those arguments he may propound reasons and perswasions but to make the heart apprehensiue of them it is aboue the power of the Creature and therefore it is God onely that reâ—â—â—â— vs in the spirit of our mindes he that hath made the eye and so he that made the will and the vnderstanding he only can heale the breaches of them he onely can elevate them and put a supernaturall light into them and make them fit to apprehend those spirituall reasons of any kinde that he objects and propounds to the hearts of men So that God onely is able to perswade as of all other truths so of this that all things are in his hands that he is All-sufficient We may make this vse of it we see the reason why one man is able to see and to trust to this All-sufficiencie of God and another is not The reason is because Christ hath revealed it to one man and not to another God hath taught it to one man and not to another We see it in common experience A wise learned wittie and able man that can discerne more then many others of the vanity of outward things of the All-sufficiencie and fulnesse that is in God yet when he comes to the practice of it he is able to doe nothing On the other side wee shall finde in experience that many poore Christians that are able to say little yet when they come to practice they are able to part with their libertie with their credit with their goods and with their liues that they may cleauâ—â—o God and keepe a cleare Conscience what is the reason of it because they be taught of God they are perswaded by him therefore they are able to practice it As for the others they are taught by men they are taught by themselues and therefore they are not taught it indeedâ— they are not fully convinced of it and therfore though they know such things though they be floating in their mindes yet they haue not the vse the practice of them Wherein you shall obserue this difference That a man may know a truth and yet not be led into that truth as you see Ioh. 16. 13. when he shall come which is the spirit of truth he shall leade you into all truth Marke it he shall leade you into all truth It is one thing to preach the truth and another thing to be led into the truth The holy Ghost shall lead you into all truth as a man is led by the hand into a place for we are not onely blind but lame too wee are not onely vnable to see spirituall truthes but when we see them we are not able to follow the guidance of the holy Ghost Therefore sayth he the spirit shall not onely shew you such and such things but shall leade you into those truthes he shall leade you into the practice of them Many men they know what temperance what sobrietie and patience are who are not able to practice them that
rebellion against it I say this keepes men off from the life of God But on the other side when a man lookes vpon the promises he begins to see the Couenant that his sinnes shall be put a way he beginnes to see the goodnesse and the mercy and the tender compassion of God towards him hee begins to see a possibility of fulfilling the Law in such a manner as GOD now requires then his heart melteth hee becomes not onely applyable to the Commandement but is ready to delight in it this a man gets by applying his heart to the Couenant of grace or by applying the Couenant of Grace to himselfe that very applying of the promises of forgiuenesse I say it begets a disposition in the heart which the Scriptures call a new life that euen as you see the Sunne when it applies its beames to a fitly disposed matter and stayes vpon it when it pitcheth its beames vpon it with any continuance it begins to beget life and motion in it and makes it a liuing creature so doth the Couenant of Grace when it is applyed to the heart of a man it begins to beget life in him and to make him a new creature it makes him another man there is that power in the Couenant of Grace in the promises of the pardon and forgiuenesse of sins that it begets another life in a man it makes him a new creature it makes him a liuing creature to GOD which before he was not the ground of which you shall see 2 Cor. 3. 6. Hee hath made vs able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit for the letter kills but the Spirit giues life Marke it the meaning of it is this when the Couenant of works is deliuered to you that is when you heare the Law the Commands the duty you cannot performe there is no more deliuered to you but the bare letter that is you know the duty and no more And what doth this duty doe what doe these Commandements and precepts doe when they are applyed to the heart of man Saith hee they kill Now that which kills fights before it kills and that which fights must needs be an enemy so then the Commandement is an Enemy that is euery man esteemes it as an enemie to himselfe and therefore hath an enemy-like affection to it againe that is he hates it he would be rid of it he wisheth there were no such Law or Commandement hee desires it should be dealt with as he would haue an enemy dealt with he would haue it vtterly taken away when they grow in enmity one with another as indeed they doe the naked Commandement and the heart are at enmity for the Commandement would haue one thing and the heart would haue another there are contrary wils and there is a striuing betweene them the one striuing this way the other that way the one resisting the other and in the end the Law and the Commandement gets the victory because the sting of the Law is sinne now the Law is the cause of sinne as a straight Rule is the cause of crookednesse for without the Law there should be no sin now it causeth sinne for if there were no Law you know there could bee no feare no transgression because there could bee nothing against which the transgression should come this sinne is the death of a man so now the letter kils But come now to the Couenant of Grace saith the Text it is the ministration of the Spirit and the Spirit giues life that is when a man lookes on the Couenant of Grace he lookes not on it now as an enemy as hee did before vpon the Commandement but he sees in it much loue and much friendship to wards him he sees God intends not any hurt any euill to him as he apprehended before he sees God exceeding kinde and mercifull and willing to put away all his sinnes and willing to accept the sincerity of his obedience though there be not a perfection of obedience now he begins to change his opinion both of God and of all his Lawes and precepts when he sees Gods kindnesse towards him and his compassion and readinesse to forgiue him then his heart begins to relent towards the Lord againe he begins to magnifie Gods goodnesse and to condemne himselfe he beleeues those promises and thence he growes vp in loue toward GOD I say hee growes vp in faith and loue and in this act of faith is the Spirit infused into his heart this Spirit being thus infused writes the Law in his inward paâ—ts that is it that breeds in him a holy disposition that inables him in some measure to keepe the Law it prints in him all those graces that giue him strength to obserue the Commandements that God hath given him so my beloued if a man will goe about this great worke to change his heart and to change his life let him not goe about it as a morall man that is let him not onely consider what Commandements there are what the rectitude is that the LORD requires and how to bring his heart to it but let him goe about it as a Christian that is let him beleeue the promises of pardon in the blood of Christ and the very beleeuing of those promises will be able to clense and purge the heart from dead works in that place we then named and we could doe no more but name it you shall finde it Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ which by the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God The meaning of it is this when a man hath once applyed the blood of Christ for his iustification this effect will follow vpon it there will accompany it a certaine vigour a certaine vertue a certaine power and strength which will also purge his conscience from dead workes that is there shall goe a power of the Holy Ghost together with this blood that shall not onely forbid him and shew him that hee ought not to doe such and such euill things but it shall clense his conscience from those rootes of dead workes those corrupt lusts and sinfull affections that are in him that dispose him to that euill he shall find this power growing vpon him if hee doe but apply the blood that is if he apply the promise of pardon and forgiuenesse through the blood of Iesus Christ. The like you shall see Gal. 3. 5. He that ministreth to you the Spirit and workes miracles amongst you doth he doe it through the workes of the Law or through the hearing of faith preached That is saith the Apostle if I should onely deliuer to you the Commandements and the Precepts and the Rules by which you ought to walke I might preach long enough to you but you should neuer haue ability to keep any of these saith he you may obserue those that preach the Law to you did
you receiue the Spirit then no but when I preached to you the promises of pardon and forgiuenesse then you receiued the Spirit it was conueyed into your hearts Now I take it there is a double meaning of this infusion of the Spirit here in the time of the Apostles there was a miraculous infusion and giuing of the Holy Ghost that when they preached to them as Peter to Cornelius and Paul to others and laid their hands on them the Holy Ghost fell on them that is they were filled presently with an immediate infusion of knowledge they had some the gift of tongues some extraordinary manifestation of the Spirit saith the Apostle when this was done was it done by the preaching of the Law was it not done by the preaching of Christ and by offering to you the pardon and forgiuenesse of sins through him Therefore you see how hee expresseth it Hee therefore that ministâ—eth the Spirit to you and workes miracles among you how doth hee worke these miracles hee doth them not by the workes of the Law but by the hearing of faith preached that is by our preaching of it and your hearing it So my beloued looke how the Sâ—iâ—it was then conueighed to men after the same manner it must now bee conueyed to vs so that beleeuing the promises is the way to get the heart healed when a man hath any strong lust to conflict wiâ—hall hee must not thinke that setting himselfe with strong vowes and resoluâ—ions to resist it is the way to beginne with no the way is to get assurance of pardon to get assâ—rance of Gods loue to himselfe in Christ to labour to get communion betweene Christ and himselfe to labour to delight in God as he will when there once are â—ermes of reconciliation betweene them and when this is done his heart will grow to an application of the Commandement it will cloze with the Commandement Whereas before it resisted it and rebelled against it it will cleaue to it and loue it and delight in it and will receiue an impression from it this I take likewise to be the meaning of that 2. Pet. 1. 4. Hereby saith he we haue most gracious promises and are thereby made partakers of the Diuine nature that by them we shall be partakers of the godly nature that is by beleeuing the promises of pardon we are thereby made parâ—akers of the godly nature there is a renuing there is a change of the nature a man is made another nature euen while hee is looking vpon the promise of pardon and remission the promises of the New Couenant that offer Iesus Christ and the gift of righteousnesse through him euen by beleeuing those promises it is wrought That it is so you may compare this with that Rom. 6. where this obiection is made If there be a promise of pardon and of grace through Christ then belike we may liue as we list No saith the Apostle doe you but beleeue those promises of grace and the care is easie for the rest in 1 2 3. Verses What shall wee say then shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound God forbid Shall we that are dead to sinne liue yet therein Know you not that as maâ—y as are baptized into Iesus Christ are baptized into his death The meaning is this if once you receiue Iesus Christ and the pardon and remission of sinnes through him you cannot be so baptized into him but you must be baptized into his death that is of necessity sinne must bee crucified in you you must be dead to sinne as hee was dead you cannot be baptized into him for iustification but you must be baptized likewise for mortiâ—ication of the flesh and for resurrection to newnesse of life Know you not that all that are baptized into Iesus Christ that is that are baptized into him for reconciliation with God of necessity they must also be baptized into his death Therefore saith he you are dead to sinne by being thus baptized with Christ it is impossible you should liue in in it So I say beloued hee that hath the strongest faith he that beleeues in the greatest degree the promiâ—es of pardon and remission I dare boldly say he hath the holiest heart and the holiest life for that is the roote of it it ariseth from that roote sanctification ariseth from iustification the blood of Christ hath in it a power not onely to wash vs from the guilâ— of sinne but to cleanse and to purge vs likewise from the power and staine of sinne And therefore I say the best way to get a great degree of sanctification and of mortification of sinfull lusts the best way to get a greater measure of the graces of the Spirit to grow vp to greater holinesse of conuersation is to labour to grow in faith in the beliefe of those promises of the Gospell for there is no other reason in the world why in the New Testament there is an infusion of the Spirit that giues life but because now there are more euident promises of pardon and forgiuenesse and reconciliation with GOD which by the Couenant of workes could not be And so much shall serue for this The fourth and maine Vse that wee are to make of this from this description of the Couenant is to learne to know the ground vpon which we expect saluation and the fulfilling of all the promises the ground of all is this Couenant My beloued it is the greatest point that euer we had yet opportunity to deliuer to you yea it is the maine point that the Ministers of the Gospell can deliuer at any time neither can they deliuer a point of greater moment nor can you heare any then the description of this Couenant of Grace this is that you must lay vp for the foundation of all your comforts it hath beene the corner stone vpon which the Saints haue beene built from the beginning of the world vnto this day there is no ground you haue to beleeue you shall be saued there is no ground to beleeue that any promise of God shall be made good to you to beleeue that you shall haue the price of the high Calling of God in Iesus Christ and those glorious Riches of the inheritance prepared for vs in him I say there is no other ground at all but vpon this Couenant all that wee teach you from day to day are but conclusions drawne from this Couenant they are all built vpon this therefore if euer you had cause to attend any thing you haue reason to attend to this I say this Couenant betweene GOD and vs. And therefore we will labour to open to you now more cleerely and distinctly this Couenant though a difficult thing it is to deliuer to you cleerely what it is and those that belong to it yet you must know it for it is the ground of all you hope for it is that that euery man is built vpon you haue no other ground but this GOD hath