vos Judaei non audivisse Raâ—io à pari vel à minores Si haec minus digne an altera longe salubrior utilior non publicatur Spanhemius in Sectio 35 Amyrald p. 1426 1427. Junius par 18. I have mercy on whom I will Is a Gospel-truth in the Old and New Test. of perpetuall verity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exo. 33.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the Covenant be made with Heathens they must be the chosen people of God as well as Israel If such a power of beleeving be given to all 1. All must be renewed by grace Job 6.44 45. 2 CHRIST died in vain 3. Grace saving must be ineffectuall in vain 4 The nature of saving grace the ends uses of the dying of CHRIST must be destroyed Christs blood was shed to buy us froÌ„ our vain conversation as well as froÌ„ wrath and this sutes not with Pagans state Remonstr in Decla c. 17. thes 1. Deus statuit hujusmodi potentiam conferre homiâ—i peccatori perquam idoneus aptus redderetur ad id â—â—ne praestandum quod abâ—â—o in Euangelio postulatur Remonstr in Synod Dordrac Art 2. p. 327. Mediate vel immediaâ—e DEVM omnes vocare Corvinus contra Molin cap. 31. sect 15. Deum sempersecundum se paraâ—um esse ad eandem uberiorem gratiam promovendam in iis qui parciore recte utuntur Free-will doth all Corv. cont Moli cap. 3â— sect â— Quicquid de sufficientia gratiae dicimus monemus assistentiae spiritus nobis tribui minime vero habitualem gratiam quae omnibus communis sit à nobis statui Sect. 29. Non est potentia infusa Cap. 32. Secundum Concilia Patres intelligimus tale gratiae adjutorium quod ad singulos actus detur cujus auxilio nititur ad singula adjuvetur liberum arbitrium Martmez de Ripul de Ente supernat Lib. 1. Dis. 20. N. 57. Suarez lib. 1. de necessi gratiae c. 4. per totum Curiel in 12 q 109. Art 2. N. 1. Duvallius Tract de necess gratiae Q 1. Art 2 Molina de Concor Q. 14 Art 13. Disp. 9. per totum Did. Ruiz Tom. de volinider Tom. de Praedâ—fini Vasquez 12. Disp. 138. Bellar. De grat libe arbit Lib. 6. c. 13. per totum Gamachaeus in 12 Q. 85. Cap. 1. seq Estius Lib. 2. Dist. 41. Sect. 1. Sect. 2. seq Tolet. Com. â—n Ioan. 6. in Rom. 14. Pirer in Rom. 8. Rom. 14. Remonst in Scriptis Synod Art 4. p. 158 159. Smalcius con Franâ—z Disp. 8. Graviter halucinatur Franâ—zius dum ait Hominem non renatum nihil posse in spiritualibus nempe in sensu interno in verbum divinum in conversione ad Deum in fide in illum Catech. Raccov c. 6. Nonne aâ— credendum Euangelio Sp. Sancti interiore dono opus est Nullo modo Neque in Scripturis legimus cuiquam id donum conferri nisi credenti Sâ—ci Prael 0 Theol. c. 4 fol. 14. Qui ex Adamo nascuntur â—adem conditi one omnes nascuntur nihilque ei ademptum quod naturaliter haberet vel habiturus esset Corvinus contra Molin cap. 34. Sect. 3. pag. 619. Mr. Hooker Survey of Discipline Part. 1. Cap. 3. Pag. 36 37 38. There is no place of Scripture or warrand in the word that Nations and societies shal not be the Covenanted people of God Visible Churches since God so esteemeth them in multitudes of places of holy Scripture except men judge them first invisible and real saints or converts Surv. Part. 1. Cap. 3. p. 39 40. Tho. Hook argueth from confederacie with God to prove that we are to judge all visible professours to be justified internally called and they are no Church-members except they be so in our esteem The Invisible and mysticall body of Christ â—nd Church is the only first principall and proper subject of the promises and priviledges of special note given in the Mediator Christ. Mr. Hooker Surâ— of the summe of Church Discipline Part. 1 C. 3. p. 35 36 37. Mr. Ruther furâ— Due right of Presbyteries P. 1 C. 9. Sect. 9. pag. 35 36 37 The command of God is not the bâ—st nor any warrand at all as grave Mr. Hooker saith why gracelesse men should challenge the seals There is an active right in the Church to confer the seals when there is no passive right in many visible members either to receive or to challenge the seals What an Hypocrite is It s hard to counterfite graces and things not obvious to the sense of seeing Many hate hypocriâ—es and so doing are hypocrites themselves What is not hypocrisie What is the power of self-deceit Beleevers are properly parties of the new Covenant but not as beleevers as chosen of God to life The Word and the Spirit The first revelation of the Gospel and the first principles cannot be tryed by any former Doctrine or rule The immediate word and the most immediate fountain-word and the trying of both The differences betwixt the Prophesies that now are and Scripturall Prophesies The difference between revelations of what is truth and what is lawfull or not lawful and revelations of facts what shall come to passe and what not Nearnesse to God in fulnesse of manifestatioÌ„ of himself is no surely concludent rule that such a thing is truth or lawfull Peter at the transfiguration and John Reve. 19. cap. 22. when they were most neer to God did reel and stumble erre The deceit in liberty of praying It s good to keep the eye single for rottenness in the mind putrifies the soul. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pain grief aikings in spiritual motions speaketh that the Spirit is there where such are To observe so the ways of God in the soul as ye may be able to give a particular account of al Christs motions his going his coming and the actings of his Spirit speak a most spirituall disposition Convictions for most spirituall sins speak much spiritualnes As Christ-Man hath a new office to redeem so hath the spirit a new office to comfort neither of which should have been usefull if man had not sinned The Spirit as the Spirit acts us to doe all for God as God It s spiritualnesse of disposition to doe our duty for the dutey not for the pleasantnes of the duty It s spiritualnes to do duty for the duty not for the successe of the duty Gospel-love inclosed in the letter of the command renders the obedience spirituall The heart is the man There is a heart with in a heart and a man within a man speaking and acting God only tryeth the heart Aug. Confess 10. cap. 27. intus tu â—râ—s ego foras What the good heart is and how it is made good 1. CreatioÌ„ of a better heart then the first is a peece of the rarest of the Lords works The divers sorts of evil hearts wee are to beware of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mederi curare mitigare dolorem Hos. 11.5 I
by the key-hole For 1. this speaks much soul-love to be where he is Cant. 1.7 2. To be able to write a spirituall Chronicle and History of all Christs stirrings towards your soul saith ye have letters daily and good intelligence of the affairs of the Spirit and of the Kings Court and that he writes to you as Cant. 5.1 I am come into my garden my sister my spouse I have gathered my myrrhe with my spice I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey I have drunk my wine with my milk Then will Christ write a letter to spirituall ones and as it were with reverence to his Holinesse give a sort of account where he is what he does what thoughts he hath to us O! how few know this 5. Godly missing of Christ must be a gracious disposition Cant. 5.6 I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself Cant. 3.1 I sought him but I found him not vers 2. I sought him but I found him not Such as are pleased with a bare literall missing and are not also in a holy manner anxious and are not 6. Restlesse in rising and going through the City in the streets and the broad wayes seeking and asking saw ye him whom my soul loveth Cant. 3.1 2 3. are not so spirituall as is required Cant. 5.6 My beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone my soul failed when he spake remembring his speeches when he knocked v. 2. There may be some too longsome securitie under sad falls when he is not soon missed 2 Sam. 11.1 2 3. Psal. 26.15 Yea a spirituall soul having regard to all the Commandements misseth the spirits acting in all the wayes in eating Pro. 3.6 Act. 27.35 1 Cor. 10.31 Job 1.5 7. Frequent convictions which are the connaturall actings of the Spirit Joh. 16.9 and of the most spirituall sins as of unbeleef and Gospel-ignorance Joh. 16.9 prove a spirituall state as flaming prove fire to be fire Unbeleef is more contrair to the Spirit then carnall sins being most contrary to the flower and bloomings of the Spirit in his sweetest operations and most against the Mediator-love of Christ. For as by the fall Christ hath a new Office to redeem us Matth. 1.21 1 Tim. 1.15 Luke 19.10 Isa. 61.1 2. Isa. 44.6 9. So the Spirit hath a new Office which he should not have had if man had not sinned to apply the blood of sprinkling as a sort of Mediatory intercession to dippe us in the fountain of his blood John 16.14 He shall receive of mine and shew it unto you Joh. 14.16 to be the Comforter Joh. 14.16 the Leader Joh. 16.13 the Witnesse Joh. 15.26 Rom. 8.15 16. The Spirit in his Office cannot step one foot with the unbeleever Hence much tendernesse and smiting of heart where the Spirit 1 Sam. 24.5 is Yea conscience to weep as one over his mothers grave for his enemies Ps. 35.13 14. and strict doubling of faith in greatest deeps In which Christ proves himself to be more then a believing man Mat. 26.39 Luk. 22.42 44. for no man that is only man can both drink hell believe heaven at once 8. In duties there be these 1. The end 2. The delight in them 3. The successe As to the first the lesse of the creature and self and the more of God in the end so much the more denyed and spirituall is the doer when purely for God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we do 1 Cor. 10.13 Col. 3.23 we are sick for God and in health for God and wake to him Psal. 119.62 147 148. and sleep to him Psal. 16.7 Psal. 139.18 live to him 1 Pet. 2.23 live and die to him and to Christ Rom. 14.7.8 and pray to him even when we speak to God Eccles. 5.1 2. and preach to prepare a Bride to him 2 Cor. 1.14 2 Cor. 4.25 we may be not speaking to God or for God and his honour 1 Cor. 11.2 1 Thess. 2.19 20. How miserable and carnall to doe all for the creature the flesh Rom. 13.14 Jer. 22.15 Isa. 5.8 for self Dan. 4.30 Heb. 2.5 6. and this speaks much of the Spirit when the man is sick and hungry for the exalting of God and the will is so capaciously wide in this that he would his eternall glory were a foot-stool for the highting of his glory Exod. 32.31 Rom. 9.3 the will is a most spirituall and capacious facultie and O! what acceptable service when the mans will looks right toward an infinite Majestie as thirsting for and panting after this O! if all beings millions of Worlds Angels and men and all created beings Heaven Earth Sun Moone Stars Clouds Air Seas Floods Beasts Birds Fishes and all the drops of Raine and Hail Snow Dew so many Worlds of Angels would sing his praises What wonder then he accept the will for the deed And what is to be thought of the will averse from God and which hates him and wishes that God were not How contrair to a Spirituall disposition is this 2. For delight it is a spirituall disposition to go about the duty as duty ut bonum honestum and not upon this formall account because it delighteth us Except the delight be in the Law of the Lord night and day as it glorifieth him 2. It 's spiritualnesse when abstractedly from private consolation we go about the duty for God and can rest upon suffering and burning quick as it is duty though the sufferer should be deserted all the while We often feed our selves with the bonum secundum the pleasantnesse in the duty which is our sin except the sweetnesse of the holinesse of the duty be our delight and the beauty of pleasing God allure us but feeling being away we find how hard it is to delight our selves in the Lord. 3. We do duties too often for the successe not for the duty We pray the Lord hears not we wearie we rebuke men they care not and we wearie Sucesse and not duty self-delight and not the honouring of God which should be all our delight take us up I pray and weep for my enemies Ah! if it could be done saith David they are worse Psal. 35.13 but my prayer returned to my bosome that is the sweet peace of God which is the fruit of the duty of praying came to my soul and cheered me We consider not that the promise of peace and consolation is made to the duty it self Psal. 119.165 Psal. 19.11 Prov. 3.21 22 23 24 25. not to successe of the duty and wee consider not that we are to be quieted in the duty and to be armed with patience against the temptation of the duty Often it inrages Pharisees against CHRIST and the Apostles yet the Spirit bids them Preach Therefore whether successe in praying and the suggar of delight in duties hire us or not We are to know that though Abrahams offering of Isaac to God had neither in it the one nor the other nor our Saviours offering himself to God
man sins not before God nor against the law of the land in that he lives nor can he be called an usurper and unjust malae fidei possessour of his life For the sentence was not that he should take away his life with his own hand but that it should be taken away by the judiciall hand and executioner of the Magistrate Nor is this Providentiall right a right of meer permission but of positive donation and free-gift for then we might by the same reason say that Reprobate men have a right of meer permission to keep and injoy the knowledge of these that God is Superiours Parents are to be honoured the whole is more then the part Yea they have the same naturall and providentiall right by nature that other sinners have to the one as to the other 2. These who injoy that of which they deserve to be deprived they sin in the act of using as touching the substance of the act of living being eating drinking That is most false These who injoy that of which they deserve to be deprived they in modo in the way maner and end of living eating c. do sin It is true and such have not spirituall and supernaturall right in Christ which they ought to have if they be in the Visible Church and hearers of the Gospel to life being and the creatures and they sin in not believing Rom. 14. not eating for the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 Naturall men care not if they have and injoy things so they have them They have being so have earth stones c. they live so doe trees and hearbs they have health so have beasts and birds they swallow up many years so do Ravens and Harts and other beasts a long lump many thousand yairds and miles of life are sought diu sunt non diu vivunt But who lives for God who sleeps who wakes who eats for God and his Glory and they who make themselves their last end Idolatrously put self in the roome of God who only is the last end of all Rom. 11.36 Rev. 4.11 Prov. 16.4 and as good make self the first Author of Heaven and Earth and Creator as the last end Ye who eat and drink who pays your reckoning Christ Or are you usurpers Have you any Charter Or do ye robbe the Lord Q. What way is God ours A. By Covenant Ezek. 34.24 Genes 17.7 Jere. 32.38 Zech. 13.9 But he is not ours as if we had some gifted right and dominion over him as we have over the creatures 2. Nor is he ours as we are his the clay hath no soveraignty over the Potter Nor 3. is God simply as God ours but God as it were coming down in Christ to us Covenant-wayes as God incarnate to make out his goodnesse grace mercy to and for us 4. It s true God incarnate Christ is principally Gods 1 Cor. 3.21 not ours He is all for God he is Immanuel our Immanuel in order to save us and so is more ours then the God of Angels 2. God is the fluier of the Saints desire more to them then all heaven in the length and breadth thereof and all the inhabitants thereof Psal. 73.25 Isa. 63.16 more then all the Angels and Saints 1 Thes. 4.16 2. There is no hell to Christ but afar off God Psal. 22.1 Math. 27.45 no heaven but the glory he had with the father John 17.5 3. There is nothing more like a spiritual disposition then when the Spouse Cant. 3. hath soul-love to Christ I sought him whom my soul loved 2. She hath an ardent desire after him I sought him but I found him not 3. There could not be such diligent search after she found him if there had not been strong faith 4. And her conference with the watchmen Saw ye him whom my soul loveth saith She enjoyed Ordinances and means yet there may be which is to be observed a furniture of grace and a want of Christ I went a little further I found him whom my soul loveth Cant. 5. There is 1. a waking heart 2. A discerning of the Beloved and a telling over again of his words Open to me my sister c. 3. A stirring of Christs hand upon the key-hole of the heart 4. A moving of the bowels for him 5. A seeking of him and a praying but no finding nor answer 6. A love-sicknesse for him and yet a missing of himself I sought him but I found him not So compare Cant. 1.1 4. with Cant. 2 3 4. with v. 6 8. and other places it will be clear a God-head can only quiet the spirit and that its a question whether we know the field where the Pearle is and the Rubies Saphirs precious stones that are hid here which do in worth exceed the capapacity of Angels and Saints Therefore should his glory be the last end and stirrer of us in all our actings and grace the only efficient in all and so much of God if he be ours by Covenant as our wayes intentions may smell of him But there is much of the creature of self of gain of empty glory in our spirituall actings God weighs not down the creature nor heaven and union with Christ as Exod. 32.32 Rom. 9.3 2. It s a spirituall soul that misseth God rather then the train of all the graces of faith love hope dâ—siâ—e of and joying in him And know he is away though heaven were in the heart and can discern when the Ordinances are empty 3. It engages all we are hands knees body Exo. 20.5 Psal. 44.20 1 Cor. 6.19 self to be for God and to live wholly in him not in our selves 4. We are not to believe in believing nor to be sick of love with the love of Christ nor to make a god of faith or love It s a spirituall condition to have grace and to misse Christ. CHAP. X. Q. WHat are the false grounds of the Lords making the Covenant of Grace A. There are two bastard grounds devised by Arminians 1. Because the Covenant of Works cannot oblidge both to active and passive obedience but to one of them only say they and the Covenant of Works was so rigid that God could not follow it out and cast infants in hell for a sin which is theirs only by imputation and was pardoned to the first man that committed it Therefore he was necessitated to make a Covenant of Grace with all mankind none excepted But the Covenant of Works is broken and can now be a way of Justification and salvation to none but yet it oblidges all And sin cannot make us lawlesse for the spirituall Law is of an eternall obligation 2. They that never heard of Christ perish by the Law and not by the Covenant of Grace of which they never heard and the Gospel is written in the heart of none 3. The first Covenant was holy and spirituall and God should unjustly threaten death upon infants if they be not guilty of
you are debters to keep the whole Law perfectly as the only way to life and by no other Covenant can you be justified and saved now Abraham was not circumcised that way circumcision did bind Abraham to keep the Law as a Ceremonie and Seal of the Covenant of Grace commanded of God But the Law as a Covenant of Works doth command no Ceremonie no Sacrifice no Type of Christ Mediator at all It s true that first Covenant had Moses for its mediator but as he was a Type of Christ so Christ yesterday and the day was the reall Mediator but vailed The New Covenant hath better promises Heb. 8.6 Heb. 7.22 it s a better Covenant Heb. 7.22 hath a better reall not a Typicall suretie a better Priest who offered himself through the eternall Spirit Heb. 9.14 a better Sacrifice because of the plainenesse Iohn 16.29 2 Cor. 3.18 because the reall promises are made out to us because of a larger measure of Grace 2 Cor. 3.1 2 3 4. And the first Covenant is faultie Heb. 8.7 not because there was no Salvation by it the contrare is Heb. 11. but that is comparatively spoken because the blood of beasts therein could not take away sins Heb. 10.1 2 3 4. because forgivenesse of sins is promised darkly in the first Covenant but plainly in the other because Grace is promised sparingly in the former but here abundantly the Law being written in the heart John 7.39 Esa. 54.13 And it is true Gal. 4.22 23 24 c. they seeme to be made contrare Covenants But Paul speaks Gal. 3. of the Law as relative to that people and so it pressed them to Christ and keeps them as young Heires under nonage 2. He speaks of the Law absolutely as contradistinguished from the Gospel Gal. 4.21 so it is a Covenant of Works begetting children to bondage 2. Who come short of righteousnesse and the inheritance and shall not be saved 3. Who are casten out of the Kingdome of Grace 4. Who persecute the Godly the Sons of promise so is the Law as it was in Adams dayes and is now to all the Reprobate so the Godly are not under the Law and the Covenant of Works The Covenant urged upon Believers is to prove them when they stand afar off and tremble Exod. 20.20 Fear not saith Moses God is come to prove you not to damne you and therefore Calvine solidely observeth that Paul 2 Cor. 3. speaks with lesse respect of the Law then the Prophets do for their cause who out of a vain affectation of the Law-Ceremonies gave too much to the Law and darkned the Gospel and sayeth the one was 1. Literall 2. Written in stone 3. A Sermon of death and wrath 4. To be done away and lesse glorious whereas the Gospel is Spirituall 2. Written on the heart 3. The Ministrie of life 4. And glorious and praises put upon the Law agree not to it of its own nature but as it was used by the Lord to prove them Exod. 29.20 and chase them to Christ. The Arminians also especially Episopius make three Covenants 1. One with Abraham in which he requires sincere worship and putting away strange gods Beside 2. Faith and Universall obedience and promised Canaan to his seed and Spirituall blessings darkly 2. One in Mount Sinai in these three Laws Morall Ceremoniall and Judiciall with a promise of Temporall good things but to no sinners promise of life Eternall 3. A Covenant of Grace with a promise of pardon and life to all that believe and repent to all mankind but he denyes 1. All infused habits contrare to Isa. 44.1 2 3. Isa. 59.20 21. Zach 12.10 Joh. 4.14 Joh. 7.37 John 16.7 8. 1 John 3.9 he sayeth that 2. all commands are easie by Grace 3. That the promise of earthly things in their abundance is abolished in that we are called to patient suffering 4. That there is no threatning in this Covenant but that of Hell fire But the Covenant made with Abraham is that of Grace made with all the Seed Deut. 30.6 Deut. 7.5 6 7 12. Lev. 26.40 41. and made with all Believers who are Abrahams children Gal. 3.13 14 18 19. Rom. 4.1 2 3 4. Luke 19.9 yea with the whole race of man without exception 2. The second Covenant which promiseth only blessings is made rather with beasts that well fed then with men contrare to Psal. 73.25 Isa. 57.1.2 3. Psal. 37.37 and it must build some Chalmer in hell where the fathers were before Christ a dreame unknown to Scripture The third Covenant makes the Covenant of Grace a Covenant of Works and holds out life and pardon upon condition that free-will repent and believe and stand on its own feet for there is neither faith nor a new heart nor repentance promised contrare to Deut. 30.6 Ezek. 11.19 20. Ezek. 36.26 27. Isa. 59.19 20 21. Isa. 44.1 2 3 4 5. Zech. 12.10 CHAP. XII 1. All are to try under what Covenant they are 2. Threatnings under the New Testament are more spirituall 3. Desertions under both are compared 4. Considerable differences of such as are under the Covenant of Works and such as are under the Covenant of Grace 5. Of legall terrors 6. Of convictions compelled free legall c. Quest. 1. WHether should not all try under what Covenant they are Answ. Self-searching is a reflect act upon the state and such acts are more spirituall then direct acts and therefore it should be the work of all to try under what reign they are whether of the first or second Adam And whereâ—s Angels cover their faces and their feet with wings Isa. 6. before God and are full of eyes as without so also within Râ—v 4.8 We may hence learn such come nearest to the nature of these pure and heavenly Spirits who have eyes within to see what they are and their blacknesse of face and feet when they compare themselves either with the Holy God or his Holy Law 2. The Carnall man is a beast Psal 49.20 and beasts have no reflect acts upon their own beastly state 3. The more of a spirituall life is in any the more stirring in communing with their own heart the Law makes the more of life that is in the worme when tramped on the more stirring it makes deadnesse and stupiditie in not being versed and well read and skilled in our selves and our own heart argues little of the Spirit and estrangement to a spirituall Covenant nor can any lay hold on the Covenant of Grace in a night dream Quest. Whether are there rarer threatnings of Temporall evils under the New Covenant then under the Old Answ. It cannot be denyed except the threatnings of the Sword Famine Pestilence on Jerusalem and the desolation upon the Jews Math. 23. Math. 24. but in place of all the diseases of Egypt Levit. 26. and the long Roll of dreadfull judgements and curses temporall Deut. 28. denounced against the transgressours of the former
for the sinnes of the world If reason weigh the one and the other yet because both were performed upon the motive of the love of God commanding both was most spirituall obedience especially because the duty is both work and wage and the more of the Word of God is in the obedience I mean not the letter only but the word including the love 2. The authority of the Commander 3. The beauty apprehended to be and the peace in obedience the more spirituall is the obedience The letter only may show you duty your obligation and the penaltie of disobeying and all these three in a literall way and yet upon that account the obedience is not spirituall but Gospel-love added to the Laws-letter makes spirituall obedience CHAP. XVIII The new heart of Covenanters the Nature Characters Properties thereof hitherto of the new Spirit Quest. 6. WHen are we to judge that we have a new heart And when do we know that it is not the old heart Ans. 1 Propos. As Physically so also Morally the heart is the man the good heart the good man the evill heart the evill man and God weights men by the weight not of the tongue of the hands of the outward man but by the weight of the heart Asa his heart was perfect 2 Chron. 15.17 the heart of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 17.3 was perefect And Psal. 78.37 their heart was not right the froward heart is the froward man Pro. 3.32 For there is a man speaking within a man and a heart within a heart acting as if it were a man made up of soul and body Thou hast said in thy heart I will ascend up to Heaven so the King of Babylon Isa. 14.13 So the heart acts Heaven or Hell within the man Psal. 14.1 Luk. 12.19 they have a heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 busied in the Colledge studying and reading covetousnesse 2 Pet. 2.14 2. Propos. When the Lord tryes the man he tryes the heart and the reins Prov. 15.11 Hell and the heart both are naked before him Prov. 17.3 Theodoret. God acteth the noon-day-Sun meridionaliter in every heart The man himself is without and God within Jer. 17.9 Man searcheth not his own heart and reins for there be plottings and inclinations to evill in the heart which the heart knows not 2 King 8.12 13. Peter hath a better heart then all men in the books of his own heart Matth. 26.33 but it s not so indeed 3. Propos. The washen heart that lodges not vain thoughts Jer. 4.14 purged from dead works by the blood of Christ above all the blood of bullocks and goats Heb. 9.14 purified by faith Act. 15.14 is the good heart It is a better heart according to the heart of God 1 King 15.5 that turneth not aside 1 Sam. 13.14 of Gods seeking out and finding then the first heart created of God Eph. 4.24 Col. 3.10 And ah we seek a good Ruler a good Physician when we are sick a good house to dwell in and which is strange a good horse but not to have a good heart 4. Propos. The excellent acts of God in a manner with glory to his Highnesse to mind his first work to create a better heart then the first which he created saith that there is great need of a good heart Psal. 51.10 of a new heart Ezek. 36.26 It s beyond all admiration to create so raâ—e a peece as the Sun out of no thing and a beautifull Lillie out of mire and dirt out of common clay to bring forth Saphirs Carbuncles and in liew of a stony heart for grace is not educed out of the potencie of any created thing to create a new heart which God loveth to dwell in rather then in heaven the high and holy place Isai. 57.15 which so ravisheth the heart of Christ Cant. 4.7 9. and is of more price with God then gold or any corruptible thing even a meek and quiet spirit 1 Ptt. 3.3 4. is the rarest peece of the works of God It s an excellent act of God to keep the vessell in a spirituall season as David prayes 1 Chron. 29.18 To make roome for Christ dwelling by faith and for love to comprehend love Eph. 3.17 18. and who puts such a thing in the heart Ezra 7.27 when a sparkle of fire from flint falls on water or green timber there is no fireing from thence But when actuall influences fall upon an heavenly habit as the Lord can cast in a coal or a lump and flood of love Cant. 2.5 6. Luk. 24.32 Cant. 6.12 there are most heavenly actings of the soul. 3. He bows and inclines the heart to the Lords testimonies and to cleave to him without declining Jer. 32.39 40. Ps. 119.39 Cant. 1.4 Ps. 141.4 4. We are to beware of 1. the reigning evils of the heart of a rotten and unsound heart 1 Tim. 6.5 Psal. 119.82 2. Of an unsavoury stinking heart that smells of hell and the second death of all sort of unrighteousnesse and malice like a green opened grave Psal. 5.9 3. Of an uncured heart that never came through the hands of the Physician Prov. 14.13 A sound heart is the life of the flesh Of an unsound unsavoury and a rotten heart Eph. 4.29 compared with vers 23. from whence issue rotten words borrowed from rotten and worm-eaten trees which speak an uncured heart 5. We are to look to deadnesse of heart in all the branches of it As 1. sullennesse and dumpish sadnesse in refusing comforts and being full of unbeleeving heavinesse in David Psal. 69.20 Psal. 42.11 whereas we are alwayes to rejoice Psal. 119.52 Phil. 4.4 2. Fainting at the greatnesse of the affliction Isa. 20.3 Joh. 14.1 whence comes withering of heart Psal. 102.4 Psal. 27.13 3. An overwhelmed and unbeleeving sowning heart Psal. 61.2 Psal. 142.3 Psal. 143.3 4. 4. Deadnesse in going about the service of God Psal. 119.37 Quicken me in thy way of this else where 5. Narrownesse to take in God opposed to an inlarged and wide heart Psal. 119.32 Psal. 81.10 and straitening of heart when the soul is so hampered that he cannot speak Psal. 77.4 unbeleef clipps the wings of the Spirit and layes on fetters which may come from the wicked company and may be laid on by our selves Psal. 39.1 2. 6. There is an Atheist heart to hate the existence of God of Christ of a Gospel Jam. 2.19 Matth. 8.29 Compared with Psal. 14.1 Eph. 2.12 Some beleevers are near to say I take my leave of Christ I 'le pray no more for it is in vain Jer. 20.9 Ps. 73.13 14. but it is not a fixed resolution of this else where 7. There is an evill heart of unbeleef to depart from the Living God Heb. 3.12 8. A heart that deviseth ploweth or delveth wicked imaginations Prov. 6.18 As Prov. 3.29 Plow not evill against thy neighbour Hos. 10.13 You have plowed iniquity such plots are forged against the people of God Matth. 27.1 Nah.
spirituall Arguments upon a renewed man as an Argument from a painted feather works upon a child more then an Argument from an inheritance which no doubt will work upon a man come to age and yet neither the one nor the other works upon a renewed mind to remove him off Christ his rock Hence it is 3. that Acts of Omnipotency are used as Morall Arguments also God works in you to will and to do therefore work out your salvation And choosing redeeming calling justifying quickening converting are brought in as causes in Scripture both reall and morall but they work morally on reason where there is an impression of faith and principle of life The Gospel works on an unrenewed man to perswade him almost to be a Christian Ye may perswade a youth to a course and get his word consent and write but because reason is green and young he falls off it again but a man of judgement shall stand to it yet if he be not renewed reason is also green and raw before a spirituall temptation Quest. What are the actings of a mortified man Ans. No actings 2. Slow actings and lent 3. Actings indifferent 4. Closing with contrair providences reproaches work not on mortification to fire the man Psal. 35.12 They speak mischievous things 13. But I as a deaf man heard not David feared to be the reproach of the foolish Such a case though from God would raise a cry in a child of this world Psal. 39.9 I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou did it A mortified man is dead to the voice of men-singers and women-singers and musicall instruments of all sorts Eccles. 2.8 and houses gardens vineyards orchards great possessions cattell treasures gold silver are all as musick to a dead man and repenting Solomon now mortified looks on them as a wise man upon experienced vanitie and vexation of spirit Will he sing and dance at a shadow Except a mad man none will do that 2. If any thing without a child of God work upon him they move him not much Psal. 131.2 Surely I have behaved and quieted my self as a child that is weaned of his mother my soul is even as a weaned child Acts 20.24 None of these things move me I make not much reckoning of bands Peter 1 Pet. 4.12 will have the saints not to think burning quick strange graces motions are quiet slow modest there is not much fire in the spirit of a weaned child A mortified soul is as a sea that hath no winds nor low ebbings nor high spring tides Grace stirres leasurely and lentely toward all things except to God were there ten Paradices offered to it it cryes not a dying mans pulse beats weakly Grace shouts at nothing wonders at and admires nothing weeps slowly laughs slowly sings weakly eats slowly drinks not wantonly feasts and yet trembles and fears whether it be the outward or the inward man David sayes it well Ps. 62.2 He only is my Rock I shall not greatly be moved The beleevers sings and yet he is not wanton and weeps and yet is not sad dies and yet lives is fervent in the cause of God and yet stayed and composed in spirit 3. The actings of mortification are indifferent not fixedly bent upon any thing but God no not upon the Ark and spirituall comforts Weeping David 2 Sam. 16.25 saith to Zadok carry back the Ark of God into the City better I want my comfort then the Ark be taken if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his habitation 26. But if he say I have no delight in thee here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him O how sweet when for God Moses can lay down his personall satisfaction in a share of life eternall What if he tramp upon my eternall Crown I should lay it down at his feet and is not this mortification Should he hide his face for eternity from me and I never see him in his manifestations so his glory shine in my everlasting sad desertion there is required an indifferency to all created things without no peremptory and absolute fixednesse of the affection to any good God excepted is good the contrair of this is an ingadging of the heart more then is right to any thing give me children or then I die there should be a contented living without children if God so will love the creature as if ye loved not the Lord would have us hungring for the creature and yet not eagerly desiring and thirsting and yet have a lent and well ordered appetite to drink love the child but let the heart cleave leasurely to the child Plowing and no heart-labouring buying and selling and no heart-ingadging to the bargain is best here 1 Cor. 7. They that have wives should be as if they had none 30. And they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not and they that buy as though they possessed not In the acting of affections toward the things of this life as father mother husband wife children houses gain beauty honour and new bought farme there would be a godly distance of the heart from the thing ye do Loving and no loving rejoicing and no rejoicing weeping and no weeping speaks most mortification We cannot do here except sinfully we over-doe and the out-goings of the heart to the creature must be fierie which is childish whereas mortification is a gracious well composed grave temper of the aged in Christ. There is a fire-edge and a fervour or feaver of affections even to spirituall objects that are created at the first conversion for mortification does not so soon begin as the new heart As for God love as one that loves desire and desire and when he hides himself weep as if you weeped so the weeping be terminated upon God not upon his dispensations to quarrell at and censure his wayes but let the out-goings of the heart to God and to Christ loved and longed for be with fire and full strength Cant. 3.1 2 3 4. Cant. 2.5 Ps. 42.1 2 3. Ps. 84.1 2. Joh. 20.13 Luk. 7.38 Rev. 1.17 4. It s mortification to have a heart closing with all providences Phil. 1.21 To me to live is Christ and to die is gain To live is good to die is good because the Lord so wills the Lords giving is to Job praising and the Lords taking away is to Job praising Phil. 4.12 I know both how to be abased and how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need If I die it is good if I live it is good if I be full and rich it is good if I be hungry and poor it is good if David be on the Throne it is good and he sings Psalms if he be chased barefooted and ashes on his
hath right and Law to come out of prison by paying the summe and neither Justice nor Creditor can keep him in prison solutus aere est solutus carcere Christ having satisfied our debt and payed the ransome of his blood to the death and being dead and under the dominion of death by justice is freed from either remaining in death or dying any more he is now justified not in his person for Christ in person was habitually righteous and from the womb Luk. 1.35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That holy thing Jesus was sinlesse and so never condemned but justified in his cause and in his condition by Law for us and so appeareth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second time without sin unto salvation the second time without sin hath relation to the first time without sin that is he shall appear the second time no lesse without sin and so justified in regard of his condition in Law then he was when he was conceived by the Holy Ghost and so that eminently holy thing born of the Virgin Mary Luk. 1.35 that is as justified as if he had never been made sin and never had been under the Law-burden of our sins as Isai. 53.6 And 1 Tim. 3.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was justified in the Spirit declared to be just and the innocent Son of God by his resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 so that in the Spirit is in the eternall Spirit Heb. 9.14 the Godhead For he came from under that act and band of Cautionrie and Suretyship without sin that is acquit from sin which he was made and was laid upon him 2 Cor. 5.21 Isai. 53.6 4. We know Heb. 7.22 Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was made the Surety of a better Covenant as the LXX ever translate it of a better Testament Now here is a judiciall and a Law-act of suretyship put upon Christ. 1. He was made Surety then he was not Surety by nature but so made by a free transaction and Covenant For in Christs coming under that act when he was made Surety there be two things 1. His eternall condiscending to take on him our nature and to empty himself and be a servant 2. His agreeing and plighting of his faith and truth to take on our condition in Law that God should lay upon him the iniquity of us all Isa. 53.6 and that God should make him who knew no sin to be sin for us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our Law place and room 2 Cor. 5.21 not against his Fathers will nor yet without his own free consent That is against all reason For that which God made Christ that he was not by nature but that God willingly made him and that he was willingly and by free Covenant made But God gave him a body Heb. 7.5 and God made him sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5.11 So a Surety is one that promises to satisfie for another and comes from a Verbe which signifies to promise by striking of hands Prov. 22.26 Be not thou among them that strike hands or of them that are surety for debts The Seventy give not thy self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Surety Aries Montan. Inter percutientes fide jubendo The Verbe in the Hebrew is from a root that signifies to mix together as the owle light when light and darknesse after the Sun-set are mixed together And by a Metaphor it notes suretyship and mixture of persons as M. Legh when one is tyed for another and mixed with him in his place As Christ put himself in the bond and writ of blood that we were in We were in the Law-writ Deut. 27. â—6 under a curse and Christ shifted the beleevers out and was made a curse by his own consent for us Gal. 3.10 and was written and acted in the Law-book the sinner and answered all the demands of Law and Justice and put in our names in the Gospel writ And that from everlasting God was in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reconciling the world of the elect not imputing their sins unto them 2 Cor. 5.19 And in time we beleeving are written blessed and righteous in him Gal. 3.13 14. 2 Cor. 5.21 And what could more be done by Christ who substitute himself by Covenant in our place and put us in his place Nor is this Suretyship just in debts only but also what ever Socinus Crellius and others say on the contrair in Capitall punishments For M. Thomas Goodwine pag. 50. Eâ—oritus did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 willingly become a surety for Suephenus Yea and in hostages and pledges in war Plutarch saith that the Thessaliâ—ns slew two hundreth and fifty hostages The Romans saith Livie did the like to three hundreth of the Volsti and cast the Taratines over rocks de 〈◊〉 Tarpâ—iâ— and these were humane people The children of Tyrants were killed with the Tyrants by some Cities of Greece as Ciceâ—o and Halicarnaseus say Curtius saith that the Macedâ—nians put to death such as were near of blood to traitors Marcellinus saith so much also of the Persians The just Lord punishing the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation â—eacheth that conjunction of blood such as was between Christ our Kinsman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 19.25 and us may well make it most just that Christ be punished for us the Surety for the sinner though the sinner be under the hand of the Judge for he is unable to satisfie Justice and mercy saith that there is no essentiall reason in Law-justice why the same head which sinned and no other should suffer But grace may interveen so that though God need no surety yet tender mercy or God decreeing to show mercy in some good sense needs such a Surety as Christ. Neither is it much that justice saith that the Surety ought to have satisfaction made to him and restitution by the broken debter because justice gives his due to every man For 1. if the surety be more then a man and have absolute soveraignty over what he expâ—nds as Christ hath over his own life to lay it down and take it up again Joh. 10.18 As of free grace he payed for us so of free grace he pleads not in Law that the broken man pay him back and make restitution of his losses and this saith demonstratively that God doth neither punish nor show mercy by necessity of justice 2. When the surety hath a band of relief and as it were a back-band that his soul shall not be left in grave Psal. 16.10 but that he shall be victorious and more he may give out and look for nothing in again And the necessity of a surety to say remove the scaffold the guilty man shall not die pleads that if the Lord shall be merciful to sinners as he decreed then must Christ transact so with God as the everlasting out-goings of mercy may be with the free consent as it
more right to us because he hath the right of justice then we have to our selves for its free-graces title which we have to our selves for we gave no ransone for our selves and we gave no ransone for eternall life and therefore all the doubtings and acts of unbeleef in order to the Surety of the Covenant do resolve upon some apprehended breach between the Father and the Son that either the one or the other or both have failed to each other and have broken the Articles of the Covenant which is a reproaching of both the Father and the Son So that nothing is more necessary then to beleeve firmly the Covenant-faithfulnesse of God 3. What strong bands of beleeving and holy living have we from this Surety Covenant When 1. good-will and freegrace is become the ingadger of the faithfulnesse of God as he is true God and with a Covenant-tye to keep sure our salvation as he will be true to his Son and so to himself and to his own Holy Nature that we shall be saved yea and not that only but by Office as King and High Priest he hath laid bands upon himself and made it the duty of his Office to save us So that any good man thinks his office of a King and a Prophet or a Priest lays bands upon him to acquit himself faithfully in the charge So that Christs sworn Office of High Priest lays bands upon him to compassionate as a feeling head all his own and to be touched with their infirmities then must unbeleef in these particulars say we judge that Christ will not do his duty in his Office and that he shall break his faith of Suretyship and fail under his band of Suretyship How needfull then must the firm perswasion of compleat qualifications and fulnesse of anointing of Christ for the compleat discharge of his duty be O! beleeve him to be the faithfull High Priest who expiats and heals you in all the measure kinds degrees circumstances of time place of the particular transgressions you are guilty of Psal. 103.3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases And if a man judge himself ingaged to go about such duties as his surety and ransone-payer in his name hath promised far more are we to walk as the redeemed of the Lord since there was an eternall Covenant-undertaking between Jehovah and the Son of God that we should fulfill the undertaking And sure it is Law-faith or beleeving of Law-threatnings cannot have such influence upon our spirits to cause us obey the Law as the motives of a concluded act of suretyship and closed compact between the Father and the Son that we shall obey him And indeed it is a meditation that morally and spiritually should obtain from us that we be holy as he is holy and strongly melt the rocky heart When we remembred that JEHOVAH as a designed Surety gave band for the heart of a sinner from eternity and enters himself Cautioner for our rebellious will it should put us to beleeve so much and morally lay bands on our will Q. How are we to conceive of the act of Suretyship A. Jehovah from eternity decrees that the Son be the designed person who shall take on our nature and lay down his life for sinners The Lord promises he shall have a redeemed seed for a reward In this offer Jehovah ingadges that we shall be Christs seed and so shall be by the immortall seed born again and shall beleeve and be gifted to Christ as saved here Jehovah undertakes that we shall beleeve 2. Christ agrees to the designed person It is written of me and so decreed of God from eternity I delight to do thy will I shall lay down my life for these given to me And here the other party Jesus Christ coming by his own consent to die does also undertake 1. In dying to ransone us from hell and merit life to us and make us his purchase So 2. he being a Saviour by merit he by his death purchaseth the Spirit and meriteth the new heart and so undertakes for us in this regard both parties undertake for us And the Spirit being the same very God with the Father and the Son also is by his own consent designed comforter and actor in his way by the anointing without measure that he puts on the Man Christ and the grace given to his members But the only formall parties in the compact are the Lord Jehovah and the Son party consenting before time and his Manhood in time becoming one who imbraces the Covenant of Suretyship and calls the Lord his God Ps. 22.1 Joh. 20.17 Rev. 3.12 Isa. 55.5 Hence if we imploy faith and hold out to the Lord the undertaking for us in the Covenant there is an answer framed to all our temptations from our own frailty As Adam and the Angels fell and how can we stand But God said never of them as Psal. 89.19 I have laid strength upon one that is mighty and Christ was no designed undertaker for Adam nor was Adam to beleeve such a thing Therefore it is fit to observe that not only the Head Christ and the body changes names as the body is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 and Christ called David Isai. 53.3 Ezek. 34. Ezek. 37.14 David my servant shall be King over them So also many things in one Psalm are spoken of David both in an Historicall and Typicall truth as Psal. 22. But there are some things Psal. 16. so spoken of David that they are true only Typically of Christ and spoken Prophetically as David saith Ps. 16.10 Thou will not leave my soul in grave neither will suffer thine Holy One to see corruption And the Apostle Peter denies that this can be exponed of David for Acts 2.26 27 28 29 30. and Paul Acts 13.34 35. And as concerning that God raised him from the dead now no more to return to corruption he said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David Wherefore he saith also in another place thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption 35. But David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep and was laid unto his fathers and saw corruption And it is not to be doubted that the Prophecie Psal. 22. They divided my garments they pierced my hands and my feet is only a Prophecie of Christs being crucified Nor was ever David crucified To say in another case David was crucified will not help for it might be said in another case David saw no corruption for all beleevers are delivered from the dominion curse and sting of death Hence it may well be said that same Psal. 89. must prove both the Covenant of Suretyship and the Covenant of Grace v. 3. I have made a Covenant with my chosen I have sworn unto David my servant thy seed will I establish for ever and build up thy Throne to all Generations Though it be
sinlesse self is to be denyed The Covenant between God and man is of a far other nature then the Covenant between man and man God cannot quite or part with Creator-right universall dominion over all things that may be given and therefore nothing can be given to him We are not to strive with the gracious Lord. The Covenant but not the proportion betwixt works and wage is the Lords rule in rewarding our labour nor should we be gainers if the Lord shuld so deal with us There is a commutative and a distributive justice between God us the former hath no place in the absolute Lord. August serm 16. de verb. Apostol debitor nobis factus est Deus non aliquid accipiendo sed quod eâ— placuit promittendo Glory is not our own after we have wrought for it A promise as a promise can give us no right of strict justice to any reward A promise being posterior to things promised cannot alter the worth or value of things None gave first to the Lord men or Angels God was no debtor â—o Justice to give being to the world Non entis nulla sunt accidentia We should not take ill to obey serve God who hath so noble servants The beasts and lifeless creatures shal depon in judgement against us who break Covenant with God Our soft nature is too soone brokeÌ„ with poor rewards and too little moved with great things Justification by works is our own element Christ and his righteousnesse strangers to us Seldome deadnesse to works and lively activity in works is one Rom. 10.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The room of death in the two Covenants The change that Christ hath made in death What Judas Cain in their despairing mood are to do What weak doubters are to do When faith acts most strongly VVilfulness in unbeleef 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VVe are to obey and leave supposed contradictions to God in time of darknesse VVhy it is not said that God was the God of Adam Better our hearts be the Lords then our own VVhat a life was promised to Adam Of our â—ight to the creatures A three-fold right naturall providentiall spirituall There is no law to have being and living and so no sin in having it VVhat a providentiall right 〈◊〉 VVhat a spirituall right is how excellent To live to injoy the creatures is not in it self sin Their temptation who think they should not eat nor pray If the non-converted have no right to any thing then we may spoil deprive them of life and all they have How true it is that these who injoy that of which they deserve to be deprived they have no right to that and sin in using iâ— Living in the devils and damned and Reprobate is no usurping of life Simile The Reprobate non-converted in the Visible Church want all spirituall right by faith in Christ to life and the creatures and they sin in the maner of living eating c. How woful to have a lump of life time no right to life How God is ourâ— God to the Saints and to the Man CHRIST a heaven There may be a train of graces yet unquietnesse for the want of Christ. A spiritual soul acts in God And misses God rather then any created saving grace Cotvin cont Molin c. 8. §. 7. Primo foedere per inobedientiam primi hominis rupto cessabat etiam obligatio ad eam obedientiam lege praescriptam Ibid. c. 9. §. 5. Remonstr in Scrip Synod Dored 4. â—a 145. The Law the â—â—rst Covenant is holy and oblidgeth all to actiâ—â— obedience alwayes There is sin in Infants The naturall antecedent love of GOD which is fancied to be the ground of the Covenant of Grace is as what the Jews in tâ—e Talmud the Alcaron say of God Doctrin fidei Judai◠〈◊〉 5. trac 8. ib ord 1. disp 7. Alcar c. 43. 1. The Covenant of nature 2. Of Grace 3. The subservient Covenant the differences between it and the Covenant of nature which hold not The differences between the Covenant subservient as they call it and that of grace are â—ull Righteousnesse and forgiveness under that subservient Covenant The Law as proponed to Israel was the very Covenant of Grace The Covenant made at Horeb was the same which God made with Abraham The new Covenant a life of promises How God commands what The Law as the Law required no CircuÌ„cision no sacrifice nor any Type representing Christ. The first Covenant had the Mediator Christ as this hath but vailed in the one revealed in the other How the first Covenant is faultie How Paul speaks of the Covenant Gal 3. and how Gal. 4. Calvin Instit l. 11. â— XI Sect. 7 8. Epist. par 3. disp 12. The Arminians three Covenants dis 14. Self searching necessary Reflect â—cts are more spirituall then direct acts Threatnings under the New Testament more spirituall then under the Old Desertions under the Old and New Testament compared The Saint are stronger to suffer under the New Testament then under the Old A larger number of Godly of the rude unlearned thâ—n of the wise and learned according to the flesh It s a Law-state to be under the dominion of sin the nature of this dominion The difference between the wrestling and protesting of a naturall conscience against the flesh and betweene the flesh the Spirit Compelled convictions argue a Law-Spirit It is easier to be found then to be Godly Legall terrours convert none Legall terrours may be mistaken and conceived to be the child birth of Regeneration Literall and legall conviction on the mind and Gospel conviction on the affection Naturall and supernaturall convictions the danger of the latter if they be firy and not tempered with grace â—are conviction is no Godly principle A sweetnes in the hardest coÌ„mand because it is the holy wil of God in a child under grace A sweetnes of communion with God an aboundant hire for a duty to a child under Grace How an inward principle of a new nature stands as it were for a commaÌ„d and yet the Word and Spirit must not be sepâ—râ—ted The sâ—ed Infants of Covenanting parents are in Covenant with God under both Old and New Testament The promise of the Covenant must be made to infants Acts 2.39 else the sense of the words cannot stand Infants in Covenant under the New Testament Old and young of Nations under the New Test. are in Covenant externally as Israel was The place Rom. 9.6 vindicated from the unsound gloss of opposers of Infant Baptism Children must have from their being born of beleeving Parents under the N. Test. some Covenant priviledges It is a Covenant mercy to fathers and children that the Word of the Covenant is preached to them It is a mercy to be born in Zion There is no ground to say that the Covenant made with Abraham and with uâ— under the N. Test. are different Covenants To children no
cast out 2. It is to question the perseverance of the Saints to say that God shall not confirm them into the day of the Lord as he promiseth 1 Cor. 1.8 Phil. 1.6 1 Pet. 1.4 5. 3. Our daily doubtings of unbeleef will not prove that we so break the Covenant as our fails and daily slips of unbeleef should render the Covenant void and null so as it should leave off to be an everlasting Covenant for such failings are indeed sins against the love of the Redeemer and Surety of the Covenant for his love should constrain us to beleeve at all times and to hope to the end Nor does the eternity of the Covenant depend upon our beleeving but upon his grace who gives us to beleeve but it s otherwayes in the Covenant of Works D. Crispe pag. 162. in Jer. 31. Ezek. 36. Heb. 8. and other passages where the Tenor of the Covenant is contained there is no word of a tie pag. 163 164. there is not one word that God saith to man thou must do this But God takes all upon himself and saith he will do this Yea if faith were the condition of the Covenant the fault of the broken Covenant should be his who works not faith in us Ans. Here is the mistake of many who imagine that Jer. 31. Ezek. 36. Heb. 8. the Holy Ghost setteth down the whole intire summe and tenor of the new Covenant which he doth not For 1. he speaketh nothing of the whole parties of the Preached Covenant which is all within the Visible Church these he speaks of here are only beleevers in whom he works a new heart 2. He speaks nothing of Covenant Commandements nothing of Covenant duties directly 3. Nothing of the condition required of us 2. He speaks not of the Covenant under the reduplication as Preached or as a treatie offered to elect and reprobate as Math. 2â— 31 32. Luk. 1.72 Act. 2.39 and as every where holden out as a visiâ—le Covenant made with Abraham and his seed in both Old and New Testament according to the approving will of God But he speaks only of the fulfilling of some speciall promises of the Covenant heart teaching and the efficacy of the Covenant 2. Only upon the elect who shall persevere to the end Jer. 31.35 Jer. 32.40 Isa. 59.20 21. 3. Only according to the Lords decree and will of pleasure not what we ought to do but what the Lord by his powerfull grace will do in us As 1. I will ingrave my Law in their heart 2. I will be their God 3. They shall be my people to wit effectually as gifted with a new heart and such as shall never be casten off but shall persevere to the end v. 35 36 37. Jer. 32.40 otherwise by externall calling all the carnall and stiffe-hearted Jews were his people in Covenant Isai. 1.3 Isa. 5.25 Ps. 81.8 Ps. 50.7 Deut. 7.7 as is in every page almost of the Old Testament 4. They shall be taught of God 31 34. 5. I will forgive their iniquitie v. 34. 6. I will give them perseverance and never cast them off v. 35 36 37. so that the Covenant is a metonymie This is my Covenant that I will make with them that is these are effects fruits and blessings of the Covenant which I shall by my effectuall and mighty grace work in them 4. The Apostle to the Hebrews hath no purpose to expone the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham that Covenant saith he they break Yea it is contrair to the scope of the Apostle to set down the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace He purposes in the Epistle to the Hebrews to exalt Christ above the Angels ch 1 above Moses ch 3. above all the Priests the High Priest and above all the Sacrifices Bullocks Lambs Goats c. he through the eternall Spirit once offered himself to God And ch 8. he proves Christ to be a more excellent High Priest a Minister of a more excellent Tabernacle and a more excellent Ministry Because he is Mediator of a better Covenant he is a days-man who layes his hands upon both parties at variance both upon God and man to bring them together See Job 9.32 33. that is a Mediatour of a Covenant So that here he saith Christ is ingadged to the Father in a more spirituall and heavenly Covenant None could ingrave the Law of God in the heart but Christ one might say was not the Law ingraven in the heart of some and their sins pardoned Were not Moses Aaron and many of the people of God sanctified pardoned and justified according to that Covenant Ans. They were justified and sanctified but not by the letter of the Covenant of Grace nor by sacrifices shadows conditionall promises threattens but by Christ I the Lord Redeemer will write my Law in their heart c. It is then contrair to the Apostles scope Heb. 8. to enter the discourse of the Doctrine of the literall Law-Covenant or the conditionall Covenant of Grace it strongly concludes his point to speak but of the half though the choisest half of the Covenant as fulfilled in the elect and that exalts Christ and his Ministry that he hath a Ministry upon the heart Now it is a shame to lay the blame of our not beleeving on Christ be it a condition of the Covenant or be it none Christ works all our works in us and by this reason it must he his fault hallowed be his Name that we sin at all because he works not in us contrair acts of obedience But to whom is the Soveraign Lord debter And therefore this Antinomian way must be refused CHAP. XI Of the promises made to Christ in the Covenant of Mediation not to Christ-God but to Christ God and Man the Mediator and these of twelve sorts TO Christ-God promises of reward cannot be made nor can Christ-God suffer but they are made to the Person God-Man for the incouraging of the Man Christ and he incourages himself therewith Isa. 50.7 8. Christ-Man lived the life of faith by depending upon God for the joy set before him and therefore did run Heb. 1â— our life should be sweeter should we fetch all our comforts and actings from his influences by the faith of daily dependency Faith here promises to it self good Isa. 26.12 Is. 30.31 Ps. 118.10 11. Ps. 16.9 10 11. If the kinds of promises made to Christ be asked for Then 1. no such promise as remission of sin can be made to him but a twofold Justification must be promised to him A Law-Justification this do and live For the promise was made to the first Adam to wit that he should be justified and live if he give consumate and perfect obedience to the Law now this Christ did in al things 2. There is a Justification of Christ from the band of suretyship he having compleatly satisfied for our debts this was due to him and promised 1 Tim. 3.16 Justified in the Spirit Rom. 1.4 Declared to
be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead That was a judiciall declaration Acts 2.24 Having loosed the pains of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a King by authority and judicially looses a prisoner from his fetters having no more to say against him Psa. 105.20 The King sent and loosed him Isa. 50.8 He is near that justifies me who is he that contends with me in judgement Rom. 6.9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death shall no more have Lordship or Lordly dominion over him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the word Luk. 22.25 The Kings of the Gentiles bear dominion over them Rom. 14.9 Death had some Kingly dominion in Justice and by Law over him But Christ by Law of satisfactory payment who was also the mighty Son of God wrought himself out of the grips and fetters of death So in Christ death hath lost Law-dominion over the beleever It is against Justice and the just Covenant between Jehovah and Christ that we should be for ever among the worms and not at length be loosed from the sting and victory of the grace O death thou shalt thou must let the captives go free 1 Cor. 15.55 Hos. 13. the prison must be a free Jayle when iron gates and fetters are broken We have in Christ a good cause the cause and action of Law is win and carried on our favours 2. There is a promise of heavenly influences made to Christ Isa. 50.4 He wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned 5. The Lord hath opened mine ear and I was not rebellious Some great Divines say Christ had no sleepy nor closed ear he must there speak of Isaiah But so there was no sinfull drynesse in Christ Was He not therefore anointed Isa. 42.1 I will put my Spirit upon him Then all influences are promised also Isa. 11.2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him 3. And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord and he shal not judge after the sight of his eyes c. 2. Christ was assured he could not sin and so of influences to duties Joh. 5.30 Joh. 8.26 27 38 50 55. Joh. 10.38 though he wanted influences at a time as touching consolation and the felt fruition of God being forsaken for a time Psal. 22.1 Luk. 22.44 Math 27.45 But Adam as he was not to beleeve perseverance nor yet sinfully to fear falling so neither was he to beleeve influences to all acts of obedience they not being promised to him Yet was not Adam to beleeve his own reprobation for it was neither true nor a revealed truth Then the only nearest way against deadnesse and drynesse is to have recourse to the fountain and fulnesse of life that is in Christ. Literall quickning of our selves miskenning Christ out of whose fulnesse we receive produceth but literall fardinesse 3. The speciall and cardinall promise I will be his God Psal. 89.26 and he shall cry to me Thou art my Father my God and the rock of my salvation is bound up with Christ in the Covenant of Suretyship and is the key and corner stone of the frame and building of the Covenant of Grace Joh. 20.17 Go to my Brethren saith Christ to Magdalen and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God It s comfortable talking that Christ saith to us I and you Beleevers are the Children of the same Father and have one Covenant-relation to one God though as is said Christ bear the relation of a Surety-Covenant to God and we of a Covenant of Mediation and notwithstanding of the differences yet it may be said that Christ and Beleevers are in one writ and one letter of acquittance dischargeth both from condemnation Christ from condemnation of punishment us from condemnation of inherent guiltinesse and punishment Blessed we to be unite to him every way and to joine our Amen and consent to the Covenant yea and in regard of profession we should subâ—cribe and write our names to it Isa. 44.1 2 3. Our maimed and broken and half consent proclaims an overly and cold Covenanting It s true parties are but once married once Covenanting by oath is as good as twenty but frequent and multiplied acts of marriage-love adde a great deal of firmnesse and of strength to the Marriage band they are confirmations of our first subscription Renewed acts of faith to take Christ for Jesus and Redeemer and renewed acts of love do more and more ingadge the heart to Christ as Lord and King Little conversing with Christ deadens marriage-love Rare visits and thin bring on worn out acquaintance We are apt to complain he visits us seldome that is because we have not the childish hire of consolation and feeling we refuse to work and yet we should look at comfort for the duty and not on the duty for the comfort when it s a duty to our Father And who looks upon the comfort both as a comfort and a duty 1 Thes. 4.18 Comfort one another with these words and so must they comfort themselves Comfort is mainly for beleeving Colos. 2.2 Heb. 6.18 and there is a feast and a fill of joy in beleeving Rom. 15.13 We seek but a comfort and a joy of chearing and solacing our selves and that is all 4. There is promised to Christ a seed Isa. 53.10 When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed Heb. 2.13 Behold I and the children that God hath given me Jacob by Covenant served for Rachel Christ also served suffered and died of love for his Spouse Eph. 5.25 26. Isa. 53. he shall be satisfied A Redeemed seed was his end and we endure hard labour for a desired end and we are sick till we get the great end we aim at It s true the honour of God was the speciall end Joh. 12.28 c. 17.1 yet it was heart satisfaction to Christ to have all his off-spring and children with him Joh. 17.24 How should Christ not be our end See if ye do all and suffer all to fetch this shoar Phil. 3.8 9. Examine comparative ends by-ends self ends It s impossible a man can be ignorant of his last and main end so strong an impulsion it hath upon his heart 5. There 's not onely a seed but a rich conquest the heathen promised and the ends of the earth Psal. 2.8 9. Dominion from sea to sea Zech. 9.10 Psal. 72.8 Dan. 7.14 and both this and the former satisfies Christ. There is not a sight so desirable to the eye of Christ as to see all his Redeemed ones conquering and last in the fields and fairly landed on the shoar passed Gun-shot and reach of all temptations We satisfy our unbeleeving hearts too much Ah! who can stand temptations are so strong But as JEHOVAH fully satisfies Christs soul his hope his aim and intended