Lord giveth unto his Elect Pag. 39 Answ Christ is first given and with him faith to receive him ibid Quest Doth not the Lord give saving preparations before Jesus Christ ib. Resp negatively and the Reason thereof ib. 2. Quest In what order doth the Lord give the covenant and the Blessings of it whether faith before them or those blessings before faith to apply them Pag. 40 Answ He doth give himself to work faith before faith can be there and then faith doth receive the blessings of the Covenant as adoption and justification Pag. 41 3. Quest Whether do we receive Christ in an absolute or conditional Promise ib. Answ 'T is alwaies in an absolute Promise Pag. 42 4. Quest Whether a man may evidence his union with Christ from his sanctification Pag. 43 Answ In four Propositions 1. Prop. That sanctification which may be found in a Covenant of works is no evidence of union with Christ ib. The difference between the Sanctification which floweth from the Law Pag. 44 Gospel Pag. 44 1. In the Root in which it springs which is hard to discern Pag. 47 2. In the Rule whereby they are guided viz. the word of God Pag. 49 Yet the difference here is not easily to be discerned Pag. 50 No not by professing universal obedience to all Gods Commandments Pag. 51 3. In the end and scope which they aim at that also is difficult Pag. 52 Yea though they may suffer Persecution Pag. 53 2. Prop. True sanctification is many times dark to a Christian Pag. 55 3. Prop. True-sanctification is not discerned neither is it discernable until justisying faith be first discerned ib. 4. Prop. Though the resemblance be neer between the Legal and Evangelical holiness yet there is a real difference which is discernable by the Spirit of God Pag. 57 Viz. both in the Root which is faith Pag. 58 Rule by which they walk Pag. 60 Scope and end which they aim at Pag. 61 5. Quest Of what use are Promises if not to bring us unto Christ which it seems they do not if Christ must first be given Pag. 63 Answ There is a threefold use of Promises ibid 1. Before union with Christ Viz. for Doctrine to teach what things are laid up in Christ ib. Instruction shewing whither to look for life and salvation Pag. 64 Exhortation inviting and perswading to come to Jesus Christ Pag. 65 They have also a threefold effect in some of all sorts good and bad Viz. of Illumination Pag. 66 Taste of Christ so as to be affect-with him ib. Conviction so as to leave inexcusable if despised ibid 2. In union with Christ for the Lord giveth himself to the soul in a Promise Pag. 67 3. After union with Christ more efficacious still Pag. 68 Viz. for Doctrine to teach us what gifts of grace are in Christ ib. Instruction to direct us whither to look for qualifications Pag. 69 Prayer ibid To know our spiritual state and means to discern it ibid To work all the qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised Pag. 70 To stir up to such duties to which the blessings are promised Pag. 71 To strengthen faith ibid 6. Quest To what use serveth the Law if God giveth himself to his people without respect to any work Pag. 75 Resp 'T is of use both unto them that are Carnal Pag. 75 Spiritual Pag. 75 1. To carnal both to Elect to aggravate their sins Pag. 77 Not elect in regard of Disobedience Pag. 78 Obedience Pag. 79 2. To them that are spiritual and under a Covenant of grace Pag. 81 Viz. as they are under the Law to Christ which is explained Pag. 82 There are two effects of Gods people being under the Law Pag. 85 Viz. 1. The sense of Gods Fatherly displeasure when they transgress ibid 2. The sense of Gods gracious acceptance of their obedience Pag. 86 Yet a Christian is not under the Law i.e. the Covenant of it Pag. 89 So as neither to Look for justification and salvation from obedience Pag. 90 Fear condemnation by his disobedience Pag. 92 Look for conjugal comfort from his obedience Pag. 94 Nor fear conjugal divorce from his disobedience Pag. 94 Claim his right unto any conditional promise by his performance of the condition Pag. 96 Application by way of use it serveth to shew Viz. 1. The Doctrine of the Covenant is free from Antinomianism Pag. 97 2. How far Gods servants are freed from the Law Pag. 99 3. Men some discontentment of their spirits and state ibid 4. How to build our faith and hope Pag. 100 7. Quest If the Lord giveth himself and his holy Spirit what need is there of any gifts of holiness to work and act by He can do all in us without us Pag. 102 Answ There is a necessity of holiness and of following after it Pag. 103 Quest What need is there to follow after holiness if the holy Spirit dwell in us Pag. 105 Answ To be fitter instruments for every good word and work ib. Quest But if there be need of gifts of holiness what need the Holy Ghost dwell in us ibid Answ 1. To keep these gifts in us Pag. 106 2. To act them in us ibid 3. To witness to them in our souls Pag. 107 4. To comfort us in the changes that may come upon us Pag. 108 Quest How and to what end are we to imploy and improve our sanctification Pag. 109 Answ 1. We are to look to Christ for Our supply of it ib. The perfection of it ib. 2. Not to trust in the gifts of holiness and sanctification Pag. 111 Neither for The performance of any duties without Christ ibid Justification from them Pag. 117 3. In point of witness ibid 4. In point of rejoycing Pag. 118 5. To grow up in grace and holiness Pag. 120 8. Quest A further main Question for the clearing of the Point is How doth God the Father give himself Pag. 124 Answ God the Father doth give himself by a threefold work or act Viz. 1. By giving his Son for the redemption of Abraham and his seed and giving him also unto them in their calling ib. Quest How doth the Father call and draw us to his Son Pag. 128 Resp 1. by his Word and Spirit ibid 2. By giving the Spirit of Adopon Pag. 135 3. By a work of Reconciliation Pag. 130 Hence follow two Acts of God upon the soul 1. Adoption Pag. 140 2. Justification ib. 1. 'T is useful to teach us how we came to fellowship with Christ ib. Four sorts of persons fall short of union with Christ 1. Such as bless themselves in their natural estate Pag. 141 2. Such as rest in their Reformations ib. 3. Such as rest in a Faith in Christ which is of their own making ibid 4. Such as Wait on the Lord in their own strength Pag. 143 Use 2. To shew upon what grounds a soul cometh to close with Christ viz. upon an Absolute Promise Pag. 146 Use 3. Hence see
that 't is not safe to build upon Qualifications in our selves until Christ be first received in some Promise Pag. 150 Use 4. Of Consolation to such as rest upon the free grace of God in Christ Jesus revealed in some Promise Pag. 151 9. Quest How doth God the Son give himself to Abraham and his seed Pag. 152 Answ 1. By his taking our nature upon him and giving himself to redeem us by his obedience whether active or passive Pag. 153 2. By revealing the Father unto us and his free grace Pag. 158 Whence ariseth liberty From the burden of fears Pag. 160 Of hope through the filling of the Spirit Pag. 162 3. By keeping us in this state Pag. 163 Both by Praying for us Pag. 164 His ruling Providence ib. Use 1. Then our state before redemption is a state of Bondage Pag. 166 2. To teach such as are in bondage where their Redemption lieth Pag. 167 3. To teach Christians to hold on in this way Pag. 170 4. To wait on the Lord for this his Redemption ibid 5. To stand fast in our Christian liberties Pag. 171 Quest 10. How God the Holy Ghost doth give himself to Abraham and his seed ibid 1. For Inhabitation Pag. 172 Which is necessary 1. For Union with Jesus Christ Pag. 173 2. To keep possession against all adversary powers Pag. 174 2. For Sanctification opened at large Pag. 177 3. For Revelation and what things he doth reveal Pag. 185 How he doth reveal viz. by Witnessing to our spiritual state Pag. 188 Making known all necessary truth yea even our faith and justification Pag. 192 For Application 't is useful 1. To teach Christians not to be afraid of the word Revelation Pag. 199 2. Not to look for any Revelation without the Word Pag. 201 3. In Justification to look for no word but such as holds forth some absolute Promise of free grace ib. 4. The fourth work of the Holy Ghost is Consolation Pag. 203 Viz. by Bearing witness with an abundant measure of consolation Pag. 204 A more constant and abiding comfort Pag. 205 A powerful and strong consolation ibid Here two Queries 1. What is the Seal of the Spirit and how it doth seal Pag. 206 1. By confirming the Promises to the soul ib. 2. By engraving the likeness of Christ in the soul Pag. 210 3. By distinguishing the Saints from others Pag. 211 2. How is the Holy Ghost an earnest Pag. 212 Answ 1. As he bindeth the bargain between God and the soul ibid 2. As he is the first fruit of the payment ibid Use 1. To teach us how to speak of the Seal of the Spirit Pag. 213 2. To teach the danger of laying claim to a Promise by any work of grace before we have the Seal of the Spirit ib. Yet the Spirit doth not seal immediately but by and in some word of Promise Pag. 214 3. To teach such as have received the first fruits of the Spirit to know that they have received an earnest of an everlasting possession Pag. 215 4. To teach us that if we have received Christ never to rest till the Holy Ghost doth stampe more of the image of Christ in us Pag. 216 The second branch of the Doctrine That God received Abraham and his seed to be a peculiar people unto himself Pag. 217 For which three things are opened 1. That God did take Abraham and his seed to be a peculiar people to himself Pag. 218 2. How he did so take them to be his people ibid 3. Who are meant by Abraham and his seed Pag. 219 Quest Whether the carnal seed had any portion in the Covenant of grace Pag. 219 Answ 1. They were called to outward fellowship of the Covenant Pag. 220 2. They are not far from the kernel and blessing of the Covenant ibid 1. They have not only outward Ordinances and common gifts of the Spirit but a liberal use of the Creatures much patience of God ibid 2. They have the Offer of the sure mercies of David Pag. 222 Now the Causes of their being discovenanted are Either Mocking or persecuting of the Covenant ib. The love of worldly sensual blessings Pag. 223 A self-confident cleaving unto gifts received by the Covenant Pag. 224 The Vse 1. To justifie the righteousness of God in the confusion of the children of Christian Parents Pag. 227 What we may think of the Infants of Parents in Covenant if they die Pag. 229 2. To teach Parents that are in Covenant to bring up their children under the wing of the Covenant Pag. 230 3. To teach them that are in Covenant to be all themselves and theirs for God Pag. 231 Here is a ground 1. For Family-duties ibid 2. To improve all we have for the glory of Gods grace Pag. 232 4. To look to the Lord in all duties to receive us and ours Pag. 233 The third Branch of the Doctrine That the Lord took the chief of Abrahams seed the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Mediator and Surety of the Covenant between God and Abraham Pag. 234 Christ is a fit Mediator in respect Of his Person being God-man whereby he is Fit to be the ground of union with God Pag. 235 Able to maintain it ib. Offices by Removing offences ib. Communicating good things ib. 1. As a Priest offering Sacrifice making intercession c. Pag. 236 2. As a Prophet he teacheth us all things 3. As a King he applies all to us subdues Us to himself ibid The creature to us ibid In particular He is a Mediator of the Covenant in a threefold respect 1. In that he is the Messenger of it to publish it Pag. 237 2. In that he doth ratifie and confirm it by a threefold Seal 1. By his bloud ib. 2. By his Spirit ib. 3. By the Seals of the Covenant Pag. 238 3. In that he is the Prince and Head of it ibid Which implyeth three things 1. That all the Covenant is made first with him ibid 2. That he doth inherit the blessings of the Covenant Pag. 239 Therefore He Fulfilled all the conditions of the Covenant ib. Communicateth the blessings of the Covenant ib. 3. That he doth apply the comforts of the Promises to us ib. Use 1. For refutation of the Popish Doctrine that deviseth other Mediators Pag. 240 Object We pray the Saints to pray for us Resp 1. Christ bath bidden us to pray one for another but not to the Saints in Heaven ibid 2. We do not depend upon the merit of their Prayers 241 2. For Instruction how to make an holy use of all the gifts of Gods grace and duties of Gods worship Pag. 242 3. A ground to strengthen faith and for encouragement to the duties and fruits of it Pag. 246 THere seems to be a gross mistake or Errata through the leaving out of one word not in pag. 240. within 3 or 4. lines of the bottom 'T is said it were Idolatry I think it should be It were not Idolatry THE COVENANT OF GRACE
end what would the Lord shew his people hereby hereby he teacheth them to know by what ability and power to bring mighty things to pass they shall do duties as the Lord commandeth them but he himself will breath in them to make them effectual For though we do never so much yet we cannot reach unto the accomplishment of any good thing not by might nor by strength but by my Spirit the Lord therefore by his Spirit must work all our works for us Here is the freeness of Gods Covenant in that the Lord giveth himself first Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me You may speak of Conditions in this kinde but the Lord doth undertake both for his own part and for our parts also for as the Covenant is free so the Lord will freely maintain and preserve all his Elect and all from the immutable Nature of God it is not possible that God should lye I am Jehovah I change not Mal. 3.6 therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed Hence springeth our Eternity and perseverance unto it Rom. 11.29 for the gifts and callings of God are without repentance And I am perswaded saith the Apostle Paul that he that hath begun this work will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 The Lord took your Father Abram and brought him from the other side of the floud Josh 24.3 and he being called obeyed Heb. 11.8 Thus mind ye the Lord dealeth in the Covenant of Grace he looketh towards those that look not towards him as is held forth Hos 3.3 where the Lord biddeth the Prophet love a woman that was an adulteress and say unto her Thou shalt be for me and I will be for thee this is a branch of the Covenant when the Lord doth undertake to receive Abraham and his seed unto himself his giving himself unto them doth breed a reciprocal returning of them unto him Now it may be demanded How the Lord did take Abraham and his seed to be his people Quest By a double Act As Answ 1. Of Preparation not on Abrahams part nor on his seeds part but on his own part the Lord prepared them 2. The Lord did invest him with the Blessings of this Covenant 1. For Preparation the Lord prepareth them by a double work of his Spirit which are manifest in all the seed of Abraham 1. By a spirit of bondage whereby he cutteth off the seed of Abraham from all worldly intanglements and delights thus God took Abraham and brought him from beyond the floud and so doth he take men off from their countreys and fathers houses he separates them from all such things that he might draw them unto himself thus he dealt with the children of Israel and called them to be a singular People unto himself Deut. 7.6 7 8. Thus doth the Lord deal with all those whom he receiveth to be a people unto himself by this spirit of Bondage he draweth them from all their sinful lusts and passions so as that they can finde no life in them nor any hope of mercy at all in any thing by this Bondage the Lord setteth home unto the consciences of men the weight and danof their sins and bindeth them under the sense of his wrath unto fear of Damnation The Romans first received the spirit of Bondage to fear before ever they came to receive the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.25 But thus the Lord doth even shut a Soul out of doors that he may open to him another and a better way 2. The Lord also prepareth his people by a Spirit of burning which upon a Spirit of Bondage he doth shed abroad into the hearts of men this we read of Mal. 4.1 Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up and it shall leave them neither root nor branch It is spoken of the Ministery of John Baptist which did burn like an oven against all the Scribes and Pharisees and left them neither the root of Abrahams Covenant nor the branch of their own good Works He cutteth them off from the Covenant of Abraham Mat. 3.9 Think not to say within your selves that you have Abraham to your Father for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham and so by cutting them off from the Root he leaveth them no ground to trust on From their good Works also the Lord Jesus Christ cutteth them off Mat. 6.2 When thou dost thine alms sound not a Trumpet before thee as the Hypocrites do that they may have the glory of men and vers 5. When thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites are c. and vers 16. When ye Fast ye shall not be as the Hypocrites are of a sad countenance c. This was a Spirit of Burning which the Lord conveyed by the Ministry of Christ and of John Baptist to burn up all the Hypocrites like stubble and the beauty of their works were blasted by it and this is Gods usual manner of dealing Now there are many under a spirit of bondage that never came under a spirit of burning and they being convinced of sin and of the danger thereof yet hope to wrestle it out and work it out by their own performances till the spirit of Burning come and consume all that false confidence But when the spirit of Burning cometh he then blasteth all the fruits and branches of their righteousness and burns up all that a man hath wrought or can work And this is that which the Prophet Esay chap. 4.4 speaketh of that the Lord will purge away the filth of the Daughter of Zion with a Spirit of Judgment and of Burning the one is a spirit of Sanctification and the other is a consuming Fire which forceth them not to build any comfort upon any works that they have done this may Hypocrites reach unto in their judgments so as that they may be convinced that they have neither root within them nor branch growing upon them and yet in the mean while they may not come unto a Spirit of Adoption but hereby also the Lord useth to prepare his people Some bless themselves in worldly courses and never came unto a spirit of bondage Some do finde comfort in their performances and never saw the vanity of their own Righteousness But there are those whom the Lord doth carry further unto a spirit of burning even unto a sensible feeling of Gods wrath burning against whatsoever is as stubble and such is a mans own gifts and parts and worth so that now the poor soul findeth that he hath no Root not any sure mercy of the Covenant of Grace that he can rest upon no green branch of righteousness remaining but all
sanctification of the best hypocrite under heaven they may go far and yet at length fall away this is no Arminianism but if you search the Scriptures diligently you will finde these things to be true But such instances deceive the Arminians There is a fourth Difference between the Covenant of Works and of Grace in reâ—pect of the Mediator Diff. 4. Gal. 3.19 The Law was given and ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator Moses was a mediator according to their Works and this our Saviour telleth the Jews Joh. 5.45 You have one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust and as for Jesus Christ if he be given to be their Redeemer it is but according to their works if they shall obey his voice but if they shall sin against him he will overthrow them body and soul into the nethermost Hell But now in the Covenant of Grace Jesus Christ hath obtained a more excellent ministery to be the Mediator of a better Covenant stablished upon better promises Heb. 8.6 Thus we see in this first Use the difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace I might in the second place from hence also gather an Argument against the whole Body of Arminianism Use 2 for they look at no gift of God but meerly upon the Faith or Works of the creature foreseen if you speak of Election they tell you it is of Faith foreseen if of Glory it is upon condition of perseverance but we see how contrary it is unto this truth of God for he giveth himself first before he giveth any thing else accompanying salvation he gave us Christ in his eternal Counsel before Election and so doth he also in our Effectual calling not Faith before Christ to enable us to choose whether we will have him or not have him but he is God and first giveth himself and with himself Faith and so worketh our wils unto himself not otherwise leaving it to us to choose whether we will have him to be our God or no. Many things in Popery and Arminianssm come to be confuted from hence for in truth they hold forth no more but a Covenant of Works and if we will not grant Faith and good Works to be the cause of all the blessed gifts of God they will take it marvellously unkindly but they were as good deliver unto us another Gospel This may also serve to teach the people of God to bear a gracious respect unto those that are under a Covenan tof Works Vse 3 and not forthwith to condemn them as if there were no hope of their salvation for God never calleth any unto fellowship with himself in a Covenant of Grace but ordinarily he first bringeth them into a Covenant of Works The ignorant look to be saved by their good prayers and by their good serving of God After God may terrifie and humble their souls with the sense of their palpable wickedness Then they may reform and trust in their performances and then God may burn up all such false confidence Therefore those that are under a Covenant of Works may belong unto the Lord as well as thy self pray for them therefore Paul was under a Covenant of Works Steven prayeth for him and as most conceive that prayer was effectual unto his Conversion and Paul was as dear unto the Lord as Steven himself was Men under a Covenant of Works the Lord may bring them home unto himself by dashing all their works in pieces and shewing them the presidence of their spirit and the Lord will also come and pluck away the caul from their hearts and then they will have none in heaven but Christ nor in the earth in comparison of him and then the Holy Ghost convinceth them of this sin above all their other sins that they have not beleeved on Jesus Christ Do not therefore censure any such as to say there is no likelihood that they should ever come to have fellowship with Christ for if the Lord make them to fall down before him and to yeeld up their spirits unto the Lord in holy reverence and fear these have now received some fecret smoking affections besides a Spirit of burning which the Lord will not quench It may serve in the next place to clear up our judgements in sundry passages that do concern the Covenant of Grace Use 4 by Answers unto these six Questions following 1. Quest What is the first Gift that ever the Lord giveth unto his Elect First of all he giveth himself the Father Answ and the Son and the Holy Spirit this is the Foundation and if you shall lay Faith in the Foundation before these the foundation will lie uneasily and the spirit of a true Christian shall not lie long in peace Christ must therefore be first and with him Faith cometh in to receive him first he will make a Covenant with us and put his holy Spirit within us which worketh in us Faith and Fear that we never shall depart from him He giveth us his Son and all things else in him he giveth us in him pardon of sins in our Justification and in him some degrees of Glory also and in him right unto all the Promises of the Covenant no other Foundation but him take him first therefore for he is the first thing given But whether doth not the Lord give us some saving preparations before Jesus Christ Object Reserving due honour to such gracious and precious Saints as may be otherwise minded Answ I confess I do not discern that the Lord worketh and giveth any saving preparation in the heart till he give union with Christ for if the Lord do give any saving Qualification before Christ then the soul may be in the state of salvation before Christ and that seemeth to be prejudicial unto the Grace and Truth of Jesus Christ for if there be no Name under heaven given whereby we must be saved but only Jesus Christ nor his Name but in a way of fellowship with him then it seemeth to me apparently to follow that whatsoever saving work there be in the soul it is not there before Christ be there It is true John Baptist was sent to subdue all flesh by a Spirit of Burning which burneth up carnal confidence in the Covenant of Abraham and all their fruits of righteousness here were indeed preparations for Christ but these were not saving they were still children of wrath ye serpents ye generation of vipers notwithstanding all this Further John did indeed dispense poverty of Spirit unto which a saving Promise was made but then Jesus Christ was there also whether they knew it or knew it not that is not greatly material in this Argument but if the Kingdome of Heaven was there Jesus Christ was there first otherwise it will prove dishonourable unto the Name of Christ Indeed there is a saving preparation before consolation in Christ and the manifestation of our gracious union with him but for our first union there are no steps
sanctification if they depend upon you you will find your hearts ever unsettled you may find comfort as under the Law you shall for if a man be married to the Law the Law will cast in comforts upon him because of his obedience but if you shall believe that Christ is yours and comfort your selves because you have been by the power of the Law constrained to duties and restrained from sin and thereupon build your conjugal communion with Jesus Christ you will find your souls full of sadness and fear ere long specially if you have true grace in your hearts and therefore it is the faithfulness and tenderness of the grace of God unto his people that when Christians come into this Country though they have been marvelous eminent in our native Country they cannot pray fervently nor hear the word with profit nor receive the seals with comfort they wonder what is become of their old prayers and hearings and Sacraments and of their lively spirits in holy duties truly the Lord hath disenabled them as it were from such things because they did build their union and fellowship with Jesus Christ upon them that so they might know the freedom of the grace of God that justifieth the ungodly then will the poor soul be glad to seek after the Lord Jesus Christ and say as the people of God sometimes did Hos 2.7 I will go and return to my first husband for then was it better with me then now now the soul will plainly see and discern that he closed not with his true husband when as he built so much hope and comfort upon his duties therefore he will find himself weak and dead as it were to all spiritual duties and can find no life in them no comfort from them and it is the marvelous goodness and free grace of God unto such a soul whom the Lord will not suffer to bless himself in his works for if a man should lay the foundation of his comfort in them and be ready as it were to take it ill if he should not find God accepting his works Wherefore have we fasted and thou regardest it not Isa 58.3 If a man rejoyce in the sparks which he hath kindled this shall he receive at the hands of God to lie down in sorrow Isa 50.11 whereas the light of God shall graciously break forth unto the servants of God though they wait upon him though they be for present in darkness and see no light Trust not therefore in any legal comforts but wait upon the free grace of God both to justifie sanctifie comfort and glorifie your souls and this is the way of constant peace and if the Lord do at any time check his servants when they walk in by-waies it is that he may build them upon a surer foundation So that their salvation will not lie upon their obedience nor damnation be procured by their disobedience this is the way of constant peace and safety unto all the Israel of God This Doctrine may serve in the next place Quest 7 to answer a seventh Question touching the necessity of Sanctification For it may be demanded If the Lord will give himself unto the soul in the Covenant of his Grace not only his attributes but his person all that is God is given by vertue of this Covenant If God will give himself not only to choose us to life and glory but his Son to redeem us and his holy Spirit to sanctifie us Ezek. 36.27 what need is there of Sanctification for if the Holy Ghost will dwell in us he can take our wits and understanding and understand all our Meditations for us without any such actual concurrence of ours as might be requisite for that end if the Lord giveth himself to be my righteousness and holiness what need I then these gifts of holiness So that this in sum is the Question If the Lord will give unto us himself what need we these gifts to work any thing which God is much more able to perform then we can be This springeth naturally from the Doctrine Though the Lord giveth us himself Answ and his holy Spirit to dwell in us yet is it needful that we should be indued with all the gifts of the Spirit of Grace that do accompany-salvation You will say What need is there then that the Holy Ghost should dwell in us or will not these carry an end our souls unto immortality Truly we have need that the Lord should give us his holy Spirit to dwell in us notwithstanding all the gifts of his grace though they indeed are necessary conditions to be found in the souls of all Gods servants Heb. 12.14 Follow peace and holyness without which no man shall see the Lord. As if he made it of absolute necessity to salvation not onely in another world but for a comfortable condition in this world follow Peace and Holiness as if so be that they were ready to fly away from a man and indeed the word doth imply no less for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie the pursuit of something that fleeth from a man as peace will many times flee from one and a man will have much ado to attain unto it Psal 120.6 7. My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace I am for peace but when I speak they are for war it is not easily attained unto therefore should not be suffered to depart but held fast when it is enjoyed And so for Holiness the Apostle would have us make an holy kind of pursuit after it as if it were still withdrawing from us which cometh through the corruptions of our heart for we are soon weary of holy Duties as Prayer or Conference or the like if Holiness be in any thing it soon groweth wearisome to flesh and blood but though our weak and feeble nature will be withdrawing us from Holiness yet the Lord would have us to follow it and pursue it and so shall a man be withdrawn from the world and from the temptations and bad examples thereof Do not say What shall we be wiser then our Fathers and Is not Moderation best in all things but consider what the Apostle saith Follow still after it even unto perfection and his words do intimate the reason of it without which no man shall see the Lord for what is Holiness in its own nature it is that which giveth God his due as Righteousness giveth man his due And this is a main ground why we are so slow in works of holiness for were they of another nature and did they serve our turns more as we think we should not then account them tedious If I were to sit and tell money all day long this is for my self saith a man and for my profit and if it were for another we should not think the time long it may be at that work neither but mind you when it cometh to any thing which doth concern the Lord then it 's so far above a mans reach
the comfort of the Holy Ghost is more abundant and constant so it is more powerful Luk. 24.49 Behold I send unto you the promise of the Father tarry ye at Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high so Act. 1.8 You shall receive power from on high after that the holy Ghost is come upon you not by the gift of him nor by his inhabitation nor by sanctification nor by revelation only but in the power of all these that in the middest of strong opppositions you might have strong consolation therefore this is the ground of the Apostle Pauls thanksgiving 2 Cor. 1.5 and chap. 2.14 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so also our consolation aboundeth by Christ and thanks be to God who alwaies causeth us to triumph in Christ Thus you see the truth of the Point that the work of consolation doth in special manner belong unto the Holy Ghost yet for the further clearing of it there is a Question or two to be answered There is mention made Ephes 1.13 14. of the seal of the Spirit and of the earnest of the Spirit Therefore it may be demanded 1. What is the seal of the Spirit 2. What is the earnest of the Spirit What is the seal of the Spirit Quest 1 for so he is called Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption so likewise there is mention made both of the seal and earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1.21 22. For answer hereunto Answ to speak properly what I conceive the Scripture to hold forth I take the seal of the Spirit to be nothing else but the Spirit it self as the name of Christ is often put for Christ himself for you shall not read in Scripture that it is called the seal of the Spirit but they were sealed by the Spirit He hath sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 So that as the Spirit is the anointment and the earnest so he is also the seal when the Angel mentioned Revel 7.2 is said to have the seal of the living God it is meant of the Spirit But Quest how is the Holy Ghost said to be a seal and in respect of what workings of his is he so called I Answer Answ There is a threefold respect in which he is called The seal and he doth expresse the nature of a seal in them all 1. First He doth confirm and ratifie all the gracious promises of God unto the soul bearing witness in truth and power of them unto the soul and thereby begetting and confirming faith in the soul for the use of the seal is to confirm and this is the principal work of the Holy Ghost to confirm all the promises of God as an authentick seal There is a place of Scripture which being a little miss-translated leadeth I cannot say into a little but into a great inconveniency Ephes 1.13 In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed Calvin is much troubled about it and so is Piscator the truth is it implyeth thus much that in believing they were sealed this is the true English of those Greek words so that it is the Holy Ghost that comes in every promise of grace wherein Jesus Christ is conveyed unto the soul he setteth it home and confirmeth it to the soul by begetting faith in that grace and so setteth to his seal that it is true to thee and hence it is that the faith which is wrought by the Holy Ghost is said to be a seal Joh. 3.33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true so then the Holy Ghost setteth his seal to it when he gives us faith and thus he is the seal as he doth confirm all the word of Gods grace unto us and hence it is that faith is called the spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 Calvin disputes this point at large when he speaketh touching the authority of the word of God which though it be none of the most learned nor elegant of his works yet I think there be so many plain arguments that they may convince the most arrogant Atheist yet to make him believe it you cannot except the Holy Ghost set in to convince a gain-sayer for it is the Spirit that gives the seal and confirmation of every word of the Gospel And to speak a little more plainly in this point although the Apostle John 1 Epistle chap. 5. ver 7 8. speaketh of six witnesses that bear witness unto Jesus Christ yet you shall finde this to be true that there are none of all that do set it home unto the soul but the Holy Ghost only when the Father beareth witness he doth it by the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 10. c. God revealeth the hidden things of his love unto us by his Spirit c. when the Son doth shew us the Father and so setteth the soul at liberty and easeth our consciences thereby The Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 And it is the Spirit that setteth on his own work much more plentifully by the powerfull efficacy of himself upon the soul Act. 1.8 and for the water and the bloud who applyeth them as for the water of sanctification it is but a creature and it is not in the power of any creature to beget faith for the word of God it self cannot beget faith can any work of God do it no no it is neither the bloud of justification nor the water of sanctification that can beger faith but the Spirit only otherwise you will ever and anon suspect your faith and your sanctification and every Christian knows what I say That if a man have nothing but his works of sanctification to trust unto they will fail him unless the Spirit of God do breathe in them testifie the Lords acceptance of you All the works of creation though they may convince my judgement that there is a God yet they cannot beget lively faith in me unless the Holy Ghost set in with them for the word of God cannot do it no nor the Sacraments though they be seals but when are they seals only then when the Holy Ghost is conveyed in them and therefore we see why the Holy Ghost is called a seal because he doth confirm our faith in the works and word of God You will say But may not a soul comfort himself in the former experiences of Gods mercy True but the Holy Ghost must then breathe in them and his work it is also to bring them to remembrance Joh. 14.26 if he will reveal his loving kindness in these footsteps of his grace then they do come in to confirm your faith otherwise both word and works are dead unlesse the Spirit of God breathe in them he it is that revealeth free grace justifying the ungodly and afterward will let you know the works of your sanctification he
A TREATISE OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE As it is dispensed to the Elect Seed effectually unto Salvation BEING The substance of divers Sermons preached upon Act. 7.8 by that eminently holy and judicious man of God Mr. John Cotton Teacher of the Church at Boston in N. E. The second Edition by a Copy far larger then the former and Corrected also by the Authors own hand This Copy was fitted for the Press by Mr. Tho. Allen Minister in Norwich LONDON Printed by Ja. Cottrel for John Allen at the Rising-Sun in Pauls Church-yard May 1659. The 13. of the third Moneth THe Works of this Reverend Author now with God have already praised him in the gate The name of Cotton is as an oyntment poured out nor needs there more to commend a Book to any godly Readers acceptation then to say 't is his But as the name of this Author puts a great value upon the Work so the Subject matter doth it much more The Covenant of Grace is a taking Title How free is Grace how sure is the Covenant The freeness of grace and the sureness of the Covenant of Grace as made with Jesus Christ for us or with us in Jesus Christ is the Subject of this excellent Piece That unbelievers may be inticed into the bonds of this Covenant and believers grow up in the joy and comfort of it and that the unsearchable riches of grace may be admired by all are the reasons of this Publication Joseph Caryl THE STATIONER TO THE READER THe former Edition of this excellent Treatise of the Covenant of Grace containing the sum and substance of divers Sermons preached by that precious servant and man of God Mr. John Cotton Teacher of the Church at Boston in New England having found good acceptance amongst godly and judicious Christians and the Book being much desired and sought for still by divers I am encouraged to publish this second Edition and so much the rather too in regard that by the good hand of the Lords Providence I have of late received from a neer Friend and Relation one of the reverend Elders of that Church another Copy of the said Treatise far larger then the former above a third part corrected also in some places by the Authours own hand before his death the reason of which enlargement is not from any addition by any other hand but as may easily be conceived from the diversity of the Amanuenses who did take the Notes of his Sermons some writing the same more largely and exactly then others and several Copies so taken being presented to the reverend Author to correct He as he had leasure willing and ready to gratifie the desire of his Friends did peruse and rectifie the sense with his pen as he went cursorily over the same 'T is not for me to say any thing by way of commendation of the Book and what is contained in it and therefore I shall wholly forbear it being sufficient to speak for it self only I shall crave leave to say thus much viz. That in the judgment of some who have perused it were there only one of them to be had 't were worth its weight in gold J. A. A Table of the Contents Doct. THe Coherence of the Text Pag. 1 In the Covenant which God made with Abraham God gave himself to be a God to him and his seed and received Abraham and his seed to be a people unto himself and the chiefest of this seed the Lord Jesus Christ he took to be the Meditator or Surety of this Covenant between them both Pag. 3 In the Covenant these three things are implyed Pag. 4 Viz. 1. That God gave himself to be a God unto Abraham and his seed 2. That God did receive Abraham and his seed to be his people 3. That God takes the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Mediator and Surety of this Covenant 1. God gave himself unto Abraham containeth three things 1. The Blessing given viz. 1. The whole Nature of God and all the Persons Pag. 6 2. All the Ordinances Creatures and works of God Pag. 8 2. The Order in which it is given 1. God doth first give and not the Creature Pag. 11 2. God is the first thing that is given ib. 3. The Manner of giving wherein the Freedom Of the Gift Pag. 12 Eternity Of the Gift Pag. 12 Object The Lord did require that he should give himself again Answ Pag. 13 Object The Lord did require that himself and seed should be circumcised Answered ib. 2. The Lord did take Abraham and his seed by a double act Pag. 15 1. By preparing them by a spirit of Bondage Pag. 16 Burning ibid 2. By giving of himself to them and taking possession of them by his Spirit Pag. 19 Quest How doth the Lord give himself unto his people and they receive him ib. Answ 1. The Spirit takes up his seat in the soul making it his Temple ib. 2. The Spirit also worketh faith in the soul to Give it self to the Lord. Pag. 20 Receive Jesus Christ Pag. 20 Which Faith is built upon some absolute Promise of grace Pag. 22 From Union with Christ there springeth Communion with him in spiritual blessings Pag. 24 Viz. 1. Relative blessings not created in us adoption and justification ib. 2. Positive blessings created in us sanctification and glorification Pag. 25 3. The Lord did take Jesus Christ the chiefest of Abrahams seed to be the Mediator of his Covenant Pag. 27 Quest How did the Lord constitute him so to be ibid Answ 1. By taking Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary to be one Person with the second in Trinity ib. 2. By giving him to be a Covenant ibid. Wherein He Receiveth from God all the Promises and gracious gifts requisite for him to be King Priest and Prophet Pag. 28 Performeth all things needful for Application of redemption unto the souls of his people ib. Use 1. To teach the difference between the Covenants of works and of grace Pag. 29 1. Difference in the one God offereth himself upon condition of obedience not so in the other ibid 2. In that of works the union that is between God and a soul is by that faith from which people may apostate Pag. 30 3. In that Covenant the fruits which flow from it viz. the semblance of justification adoption and sanctification endure but for a season Pag. 32 Quest Is that sanctification the same that is in Gods children ibid Answ No being the sanctification either of Washed Swine Pag. 34 Goats ibid 4. In respect of the Mediator of the one and the other Pag. 36 Use 2. It holdeth sorth an Argument against the whole body of Arminianism Pag. 37 Use 3. To teach Gods people to bear a gracious respect to them that are under a Covenant of works and not forthwith to condemn them ibid Use 4. To clear up sundry passages that concern the Covenant of grace by answering of divers Questions 1. Quest What is the first gift that the
is blasted and broken in pieces according to what the Prophet Isay saith chap. 40.6 7. All flesh is grass and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field the grass withereth and the flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it and so the Lord cometh to leave a man neither Root nor Branch For by a spirit of Bondage the Lord blasteth all flesh but when it cometh unto the goodliness of flesh that is consumed by a spirit of Burning 2. As God thus prepareth us for himself so he doth give himself unto us and taketh possession of us by his blessed Spirit the Father giveth himself and his Son by his blessed Spirit for the Spirit it is by which he doth visit the hearts of his people and this is the main Blessing of the Covenant of Grace For the better clearing of it it may be demanded How doth the Lord give himself unto his People Quest and his People back again to receive him 1. They being thus prepared Answ the Spirit of God taketh up his seat in the soul by making it a Temple unto himself in the Name of the Father and of the Son and so are they made an habitation of God through the Spirit Ephes 2.22 Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts c. Gal. 4.6 He speaketh not of sons by actual Regeneration but by Gods eternal Counsel The fame Spirit is also called the Comforter whom Jesus Christ hath promised to send Joh. 16.7 8 9. If I depart I will send you the Comforter and when he is come he will reprove the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment of sin because they beleeve not in me this the Holy Ghost convinceth men of to be the greatest misery of the soul that they have not beleeved upon Jesus Christ And look as a talent of gold or some weighty metal falling into a vessel of water dasheth out all that is in the vessel to make room for it self so the Lord Jesus Christ coming into the soul dasheth out all watry confidences and maketh room for himself And in very deed because the heart of man is not only like unto water but is hard as yee and strong therefore the Spirit of God cometh like fire and melteth the iron stone of the heart and softneth it into flesh so that now the soul is utterly at a loss not only in regard of his sins but in regard of his best works also and is most of all convinced of his unbelief Now this holy Spirit of God being thus shed abroad into the heart at the very first entrance of it into the soul as it doth chiefly convince the soul of unbelief so 2. The same Spirit worketh Faith in the soul to yeeld himself unto the Lord to receive the Lord Jesus Christ and this is a true saving work he now submitteth unto the will of God so that the Spirit of God becometh unto the soul not only as a Spirit of burning to consume all that is like stubble but doth also melt the iron stone of the heart and softneth it into flesh that the word may take deep impression in it Now there is room for Jesus Christ now Faith is wrought there and now a soul can plead with God by Faith in Prayer he seeth there is no former safe hold of his Covenant that he can plead nor any righteousness of his own but such as hypocrites will quarrel for and rise up to maintain as they did against John Baptist pleading their covenant and their righteousness with these things a poor soul is not satisfied but unto you that fear my Name shall the Son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings c. Mal. 4.2 Herein is implied such a reverent fear as distrusting our selves giveth all the honour to the Lord Jesus this Fear of the Lord accompanieth Faith and is of like nature to it both of them distrusting our selves and both of them giving all honour to Christ the one out of confidence in him the other out of reverence to him Thus it is in our Effectual calling the Spirit of God taking possession in our hearts and working this Faith in us thereby we submit unto the Lord and this is Faith in Jesus Christ that maketh us one with Christ for our Effectual calling bringeth us to be one with him 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful by whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ This fellowship standeth in two things 1. In the unity of the Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 2. In a lively Faith on our parts So that by Beleeving this is the first thing we do we yeeld unto the work of God when this stronger man cometh to wit Christ by his Spirit we yeeld up all our armour to him and herein standeth our coming on to be in Christ and in God the Father by this Spirit of God that taketh possession of the heart and hath not only burnt up root and branch of our Legal righteousness but hath also melted us unto a soft frame to yeeld up our selves unto the Lord and now we are fit for any duty the Lord having possessed us with his powerful presence herein lyeth our Effectual calling and this is true spiritual union between the Lord and our souls Now this Faith thus wrought in our Effectual calling is not built upon any conditional promise of Grace pre-existent in us nor can it be built upon any but upon some absolute free Promise of God unto the soul according to what we read Isai 43.22 to 25. Thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel thou hast not brought me the small cattel of thy burnt-offerings neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an offering nor wearied thee with incense Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins In all this we see the absolute freeness of the Grace of God But if the Promise be conditional it is a condition subsequent to Faith not antecedent before it You will say Object Though some may be converted by such an absolute Promise yet some other mans Faith may be built upon a conditional Promise and the condition preexistent I pray you consider it Answ If it be a Condition it is to some good Qualification or other some good work or other of the Spirit of God in the heart of a Christian Was this work wrought before Conversion or after Every Christian knoweth that all works before conversion are but dross and dung to apply promises to such works were indeed to build upon a
unto that Altar Exod. 20. ult but Christ doth prepare his Tabernacle for himself to dwell in This is in the first place for instruction concerning what is the first gift which the Lord giveth unto the soul before any work He giveth spiritual union with his Son this standeth firm from the tenor of the Covenant and the nature of it 2. Quest In what order the Lord giveth the Covenant and the blessings of it whether Faith before them or those Blessings before Faith be able to apply them He doth give himself to work Faith Answ before Faith can be there for it is the Fruit of the Spirit that Faith is wrought in the soul Gal. 5.22 the Spirit is in the soul in which Faith as a fruit groweth and this Faith doth receive the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ himself by his Spirit and it doth also receive Adoption and Justification but to be able actually to apply Christ before we be in Christ our first birth will not bear it for a man is as passive in his Regeneration as in his first Generation only the Lord giveth us his Spirit that doth unite us unto Christ which is received by Faith together with Adoption and Justification and this is the true and native order of the Lords working 3. Quest Whether do we receive the Lord Jesus Christ in an absolute or in a conditional Promise We know the Lord can convey himself in an Evangelical commandment Answ as well as in a promise as we finde it Isa 41.12 Fear thou not worm Jacob I will help thee c. He can also convey himself in a â—hreatning unto the Devil as unto our first parents he did convey himself wrapping up a promise in it as Gen. 3.15 I will put eâ—â—nity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel and from hence the Lord gave them to suck a sweet and comfortable promise of his Free Grace and when the like is conveyed in a commandment the Lord undertaketh to work that which he so commandeth But now it is questioned Whether the promise wherein the Lord giveth himself be absolute or conditional Faith uniting us to Christ it is ever upon an absolute promise or a condition subsequent not antecedent If you will say it is a Promise to a Condition What kinde of condition was it There is no condition before Faith for then a man is out of the way of any gracious Blessing from heaven no condition before it whereby a man can close with Jesus Christ and if it was a condition after Faith unto which the promise was made then Faith was there before and whatsoever followeth conversion is no ground of Faith but a fruit and effect of it therefore I say our first coming on to Christ cannot be upon a conditional but upon an absolute Promise If the Lord bear witness unto Justification it is either absolute or to Faith If he come to bear witness unto a mans Sanctification then the Lord doth it from some work or other of his Grace in them as unto Abraham Gen. 22.12 By this I know that thou fearest me seeing thou-hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son It is true indeed after a mans Justification is born witness unto from Grace or from Faith then Sanctification and Justification do mutually bear witness one to another that is when Justification is not wholly doubted of but in part then Sanctification is of use to witness but not when Justification lieth wholly prostrate There is a fourth Question which is as a further branch of the fourth Use of which I would not speak but that I might through the good hand of God the better clear things that we may not stumble in our expressions nor in any office of brotherly love in conference about the covenant of Grace and Works 4. Quest Forasmuch as you hear of a Sanctification under a Covenant of Works it doth imply that there is a Sanctification that is but transitory and not everlasting nor immortal Whether then may a man evidence his union with Christ from his Sanctification I answer in four Propositions Answ that I might not leave any occasion of scruple or difference about what is held forth in our Congregation as being that which doth yeeld as much agitation as any other Doctrine that is taught among us Let me therefore shortly and plainly discover it and let it be so far received as we see the life and presence and truth of the Spirit of God revealed in the Doctrine of Free-grace from the Scriptures of Truth That Sanctification according to the Law Propos 1 that is to say such a Sanctification as may be found in a Covenant of Works is no evidence or witness of our union with Christ And I suppose there is no difference there But though there be no difference in mens judgments in this yet it is an easie thing for Christians to mistake their evidence upon this very ground and as much upon this ground as any For when Christians come to be really wrought upon and finde themselves discouraged from sin and so reform their lives and give up themselves to obey the Word and finde comfort therein and great consolation many times in such a case as this Christians do much differ upon the point and yet I do not know any of all the Teachers in this Countrey that withdraw their consents from this Doctrine that such Sanctification as is wrought in hypocrites though that it may reach to great improvements yet it is no evidence of Justification at all It hath been handled in another Congregation and I think not without weight of truth that to distinguish in men between that Sanctification which floweth from the Law and that which is of the Gospel is a matter so narrow that the Angels in heaven have much adoe to discern who differ a work fitter for Angels to cut the scantling in it then for the Ministers of the Gospel though indeed there be great difference of the one from the other Now though this do not tend to heal any difference in judgment yet it is useful to heal a misprision of sanctification that may be found in all hypocrites Three things are to be attended unto in all Sanctification As 1. From what Root it springeth 2. By what Rule it is guided 3. At what End it aimeth And commonly under some one or other of these three are put all the differences between the one Sanctification and the other I speak it that it may be searched and God is my witness not to unsettle the well-grounded comfort of any soul but if any man hath built upon an unsafe foundation or hath built hay or stubble better it is to know it at first whilest there is hope in Israel then when it is too late In those three things formerly mentioned are all the differences between the sanctification of Hypocrites and of the Children of
should dwell in us for the causes we have spoken unto And I might add this to comfort us in all the changes that may come upon us it is a strong Scripture which we read in Joh. 15.26 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me our Divines have no place of more clear evidence to prove the procession of the Spirit from the Father both of what mighty redemption he hath wrought for us and what grace he hath wrought in us This the Holy Ghost shall testifie even he that proceedeth from the Father this is the comfort of Gods people Thus we see both these points opened to us How may we then imploy and improve this Sanctification which the Lord hath given us Quest 3 and which he keepeth and acteth in us by his Spirit and whereunto he beareth witness How or to what end shall we imploy it seeing the Lord undertaketh to do these things for us If so be it Answ that the Lord Jesus Christ by his Spirit giveth us these gifts it is our part then first to see that we do not rest in any sanctification which doth spring from Christ conveyed unto us by his blessed Spirit The Spirit knitteth us unto Christ and Christ unto us he worketh faith in us to receive whatsoever the Lord giveth unto us and by the same faith worketh all our holiness for us 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made unto us of God wis dom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption therefore we are to see him principal author of all these things in us and for us This is the principal comfort of all and the glory of all our safety and so far as any of these lieth in our Sanctification we ought to see that it be sanctification in Jesus Christ and then it is sanctification in Jesus Christ when the Lord giveth us to look unto the Lord Jesus in it and to it in him and as we look for our holiness to be perfect in Jesus Christ so we look for continual supply of it from him and this it is to make Christ our sanctification when as whatsoever gift the Lord giveth us we go not forth in the strength of it but in the strength of Jesus Christ There may be a change in the soul which may spring from a spirit of Bondage and may captivate our consciences unto the Law that may restrain us from sin and constrain us unto duties but such holiness springeth not from union with Jesus Christ for there may be a conscience of duty without sence of our need of Jesus Christ as it was with the Israelites at Mount Sinai Deut. 5.27 Go thou neer say they to Moses and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it they have well said all that they have spoken saith the Lord O that there were an heart in them that they would fear me and so forth This I say therefore is the first thing to be attended unto as ever you would make a right use of your holiness see that it be such as floweth from Jesus Christ that there be not only an heart awed with the Law but waiting upon Jesus Christ to be all in all in us and to us so shall we neither neglect the gifts of God in us nor Christ and his Spirit but shall give their due honour unto all of them together 2. This may also teach all Christians not to trust upon the gifts of their Holiness though they do spring from the Holy Gbost himself though they be such as are unchangeable though they spring from Jesus Christ and knit your souls in Union with him yet trust not in the gifts themselves the Lord layeth it down as the Apostacy of Israel Ezek. 16.14 15. Thy renown went forth among the Heathen for thy beauty for it was perfect through my comeliness which I had put upon thee saith the Lord God But thou didst trust in thine own beauty and playedst the Harlot c. Trust not therefore in any of these but let all our confidence be in Jesus Christ not in any of the gifts of his Spirit whatsoever For a little further opening of it 1. Trust not in any gifts that you have received for the performance of any duty for it is not the strongest Christian that is able to put forth a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 But our sufficiency is of God He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.5 And the Apostle Paul cannot onely not do any great matter by his own strength and grace but nothing at all without Jesus Christ and therefore he giveth us to understand that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do Phil. 2.12 if therefore we have any new work to do look to the Lord Jesus Christ afresh by Faith that he may carry an end our works in us and for us otherwise it is not any strength or grace in us that can produce any good work word or thought And therefore mind you the Apostle maketh it a Principle of Christian Religion that The just man liveth by his Faith and he often mentioneth it Gal. 2.20 The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God where he putteth it into his own experience why did he not live by Love and Patience and Zeal c. yes truly they were lively in him if ever in any man besides our blessed Saviour and yet notwithstanding he never attributed life to any of these gifts of his but if he speak of his Life he maketh this his Universal Life I live by the Faith of the Son of God and I am I am able to do all things through Christ which strengthneth me Phil. 4.13 This is the true savour of a Christian spirit that when gifts are at the highest the heart is then at the lowest 1 Cor. 15.9 10. The Apostle Paul there acknowledgeth himself to be as one born out of due time for saith he I am less then the least of the Apostles not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God I but by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God in me This is truly spiritual sanctification that when the soul is full of the Holy Ghost and gifts of the Holy Ghost yet he is like a man in great penury as having nothing of himself This is a marvelous spiritual poverty and you shall ever find and I desire the Lord would open the hearts of his people to know what I speak that if Christians have fallen their
liveth Touching our estate He is called a witness 1 Joh. 5.6 It is the Spirit that beareth witness because the Spirit is truth there are six witnesses mentioned in that text three in heaven the Father the word and the Holy Ghost three in earth the Spirit the water and the bloud but it is the Spirit that beareth witness in all these But doth not the water and the bloud bear witness truly they do but it is in the hands of the Spirit and that is plain by the 9. ver wherein the Apostle giveth us to understand that if any thing be confirmed by any of those witnesses it is the witness of God because indeed the Spirit witnesseth in them all You will say Object Doth not a Divine work yield a Divine Testimony and are not the water of sanctification and the bloud of justification Divine works and will they not reach a Divine Testimony It is not a Divine Testimony Answ unless the Spirit of God bear witness in and by it for are not the heavens and the earth Divine works which the power of the creature cannot reach unto all are Divine works even to the least hairs of our head for we cannot make one of them white or black and yet an argument from the creature is no Divine Testimony unless the Spirit of God set it home if it be from the least work when the Spirit of of God beareth witness in it there is a powerful Testimony the Magicians of Egypt do profess when Moses brought the Plague of Lice that it was the finger of God when as in greater works they did not acknowledge it but thought they could do the like and what was the reason that they were confounded in the Lice truly because the Spirit of God would on purpose breath in that work to confound them in so mean a creature all which sheweth us thus much that it is not in the power of Divine works though they be never so immediate that are able to work Divine faith in us unless the Holy Ghost breathe in them and then though it were but some creeping work or word it would breathe a strong testimony to some former work of God so that it is the Spirit of God that doth make Divine Testimony both in heaven and in earth otherwise howsoever the judgement may be by some means convinced yet a lively faith will not be wrought To speak something unto particulars the Father beareth witness and the Son beareth witness of himself and many great works which He wrought bear witness of him all his life long Take you now the Father's work which is to draw the soul unto Christ through a spirit of bondage to make us sensible of our need of him for every man that hath heard and learned of the Father comes unto Christ Joh. 6.44 and no man can come unto Christ except the Father draw him so Mat. 16.17 Flesh and bloud hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven so Gal. 1.15 16. When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me now though these be the work and witness of the Father yet doth he not work them immediately but by his Spirit as he saith expresly 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Eye hath not seen nor ear hath heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him but God hath revealed them unto us by the Spirit c. In like manner when the Father doth discover Christ unto us and draw us unto Christ it is by the Spirit that he doth these things When the Son bringeth on the soul unto Christian liberty for liberty is the property of the Son and reveals the Father's love unto the soul Joh. 16.27 a son-like spirit doth this it is the Spirit of his Son that maketh us cry Abba Father Gal. 4.9 7. Also the Spirit beareth witness by a testimony from it self which it doth set on more clearly then either of the former testimonies according to Joh. 16.25 The time comes when I shall speak no more to you in proverbs but I shall shew you plainly of the Father He comes with power and speaketh peace more plentifully unto the soul Act. 1.8 Psal 85.8 Isai 57.19 All which sheweth us that the Spirit setteth on his testimony with more clearness power and certainty unto the soul therefore he is called the unction by which the Saints know all things 1 Joh. 2.20 by his testimony we have more full assurance of all things concerning our spiritual estate It is he also that doth bear witness in the water and in the bloud for otherwise though the Spirit be never so much broken in the sence of sin as Davids was and he saw it Psal 51.17 it was the Spirit that gave him to see it and yet he still begs the upholding of the free spirit ver 12. for without him neither the water of sanctification nor the bloud of justification will clearly establish the heart in the peace of God Faith it self is not able to beget more assurance of faith nay it is not all the word of God that is able to put life into faith though the whole word of God beareth witness unto faith wherefore is the word excluded from the number of the witnesses all is certainly carried home unto the soul by the word whether the Father reveal the Son or the Son reveal the Father all is by the word likewise also whatsoever the Spirit doth reveal it is by the word Joh. 14.26 He shall bring all things unto your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you he makes the word take deep impression upon the soul but the word of God of it self doth not testifie though it be the counsel of God for the Lord would not have his people to scramble out a testimony from the word nor from his works for they will not afford it unless the Spirit be in them but when the Spirit doth accompany them then will the soul finde matter to build upon otherwise though sanctification may convince a gainsayer yet Divine faith is only wrought by the Spirit breathing in the word of life Thus have we seen that it is the Spirit that beareth witness in all the six Witnesses unto the state of a Christian It is the Spirit also that beareth witness unto all things else that are needful for us to know in our times 1 Joh. 2.20 Joh. 14.26 The anointing teacheth you all things the Comforter shall teach you all things Great is the power of the Spirit to beget and encrease faith by the word of God and by the works of his providence he causeth the soul to trust in God and to say He that hath delivered me out of six troubles will not he deliver me out of the seventh otherwise if the Spirit do not set in though judgement be convinced yet the heart is not enlarged to believe David could not gainsay Nathan when he told him from the Lord that God
teacheth and none like him 1 Joh. 2.20 27. You have an unction from the holy One and ye know all things c. and in this respect every Christian is a sealed one of God more or less when as the Angel was sent to set the seal of God upon his servants Revel 7.2 3. he did not leave out weak Christians doubtless but did seal all the servants of God Christ is careful to keep his weak servants from inundations of evil as well as others so in Ezek. 9.4 The mark of God is set upon all that mourn for the sins of the times therefore in some work of this seal the Holy Ghost is not wanting to seal all believers otherwise thou couldest not believe that the Father hath drawn thee to Christ unless the Lord had revealed it nor couldest thou believe that the Father is thy Father unless the Holy Ghost hath sealed thee thou canst not know that thy faith is accepted of God that thy sanctification is in truth unless the Spirit of God do clear up these things unto thy soul though thou hadst many promises before thee yet unless the Lord by his Spirit apply them thou canst not see thy right in them But is not that my sin Object It is your sin Answ but it is such a sin as the power of the creature cannot help you out of for unless the Lord be pleased to discover Jesus Christ unto you and your faith in him and your deriving of your works from him you will neither know your justification nor your sanctification to be true therefore there is ever a sealing work of Gods Spirit upon the souls of his Saints though this may be done before the Holy Ghost come to seal you in his own proper work for you have many gracious workings of God about you before he come to seal his own work in your soul 2. The second work of the Spirit in respect whereof he is called a seal is his ingraving the likeness of Jesus Christ upon the soul for the Lord hath predestinated us to be conformed unto the image of his Son Rom. 8.29 and how come we to be so conformed even by the Spirit of God who writeth as it were Jesus Christ in our hearts as with the finger of the living God and hence Christ is formed in us Gal. 4.19 and this image of Christ the Holy Ghost writeth in us by making us conformable unto the death and resurrection of Christ and unto that end he doth breathe in both the Sacraments Rom. 6.4 5 6. for he is both a Spirit of mortification and vivification so as that through him we do not onely finde sin mortified but do live by the faith of the Son of God and the Spirit it is that doth preserve these gifts and acteth and stirreth up our faith to look unto Christ this is another use of the seal not only to confirm but to conform so that of his fulness we all receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 and we live yet not we but Christ liveth in us and this seal the Holy Ghost doth set on more or less in every Christian but in his own proper work he doth it with more power 3. The third work whereby the Holy Ghost doth express the nature of a seal is in distinguishing the Saints from other men Rev. 7.2 3. the servants of God were sealed and in sealing them he doth conceal them as a seal doth so that the world knows them not Joh. 14.17 and 1 Joh. 3.1 we are called the sons of God therefore the world knows us not c. and the more the Spirit doth distinguish a man from the wicked of the world the less they do discern him to be a gracious man the more lively grace is the more it is hidden from the world as men grow more in godliness so they grow more and more to be suspected by the world this is sealing work to distinguish and yet to conceal these things doth the Spirit of God as a seal upon the hearts and consciences of his people he begetteth and confirmeth all their faith more or less he doth conform them to the image of Christ more or less he doth also conceal and distinguish them from the world The second Question needful for the clearing of this point Quest 2 is How is the Holy Ghost an earnest For Answer Answ He is called an earnest in two respects 1. First As he bindeth the bargain between God and the soul he doth confirm all the promises of God to us and fasteneth them upon our hearts and settleth our hearts with an unmovable faith God having given us his Spirit doth give us all in him for he bindeth our union with Christ and our relation to the Father the Covenant of Gods grace unto us and us unto it the Gospel to us and us unto the Gospel 2. Secondly He is an earnest as he is the first fruits of the payment if a man give a pledge he meaneth to take his pledge again but if he gives money in earnest he meaneth not to take that again for it is part of the payment and the whole is but a greater payment of the same kinde so in like manner what is all our inheritance surely a fulness of the fruition of God the Father and of Jesus Christ and of the blessed Spirit of God this is all our inheritance that we look for in another world Eph. 1.14 He is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory here we have but a little portion of the Spirit a little earnest-peny but this little portion is an assurance unto us that he will make it up until we be able to receive no more Now for Application of this Point Use 1 let it first teach us how to speak of the seal of the Spirit all those that desire to speak the language of Canaan no man hath part in Christ but he hath the seal of the Spirit also for if the Holy Ghost had not given thee Christ in this or that promise thou couldest never have believed it True it is indeed there are many Christians yea and sealed Christians which are not sealed with the proper work of the Spirit I mean with that full consolation and universal conformity to Gods image every Christian hath not received that measure of power but every Christian waiteth for it and is sealed by the blessed Spirit having set home some word of Gods grace wherein Jesus Christ is brought unto the soul In the second place Use 2 let it teach us thus much that it will come short of bringing us unto Christ if we lay claim to a promise of God by any work of grace such as we can have before we have the seal of the Spirit I mean such a work of the Spirit as wherein he doth come in with power upon the soul above the power of the word and works of God for they are both creatures and
the opening of the point let us further premise these three things before we come to the Use of it 1. First That the Lord did take Abraham and his seed to be a peculiar people unto himself 2. Secondly How did he so take them to be his people 3. Thirdly Who are meant by those whom he did so take to make them a peculiar people unto himself 1. For the first of these That he did so take Abraham and his seed c. we finde it plain in Deut. 7.6 7 8. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself c. and ver 8. Because the Lord loved you and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers The like we read in 2 Sam. 7.23 24. Thou hast confirmed to thy self thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever and thou Lord art become their God and this mercy doth he magnifie toward them when they had no thoughts of him but as he sometimes called his Apostles when they were mending their nets so he called his people Israel when they were making bricks in Aegypt then he said to Pharaoh Let my people go and again If thou slay my son my first born I will stay thy son thy first born and as he sometime took Abraham himself out of Caldea so he took his seed out of Egypt that they might serve him in the Wilderness Now secondly Quest 2 If you shall ask how the Lord called them I answer Answ chiefly two waies 1. First By solemn outward Covenant and that partly in the loyns of Abraham and partly in mount Sinai and yet more solemnly in the plains of Moab Deut. 29. for that was a Covenant of Grace wherein the Lord promised to circumcise their heart and the heart of their seed Deut. 30.6 2. And secondly In one word by this Covenant he doth draw them into union with himself and with his Son from whence it comes to pass that we have communion with him both relative in adoption and justification and positive in sanctification and in fulness of time perfect glorification In the third place Quest 3 What is meant by Abraham and his seed doth God call all the seed of Abraham into a Covenant of grace with himself The answer is shortly this Answ Abraham doth here principally stand as the father of the faithful and so received Circumcision as the Father of the faithful not only of such as were Circumcised but also of such as were uncircumcised The Covenant he received when he was uncircumcised and the seal when he was circumcised that he might be the father of the faithful among Jewes and Gentiles and all the Jewes are not the seed of Abraham but the children of the promise are counted for the seed for they are the seed unto whom the promises are made and he saith it not Unto thy seeds as of many but To thy seed as of one even Christ Gal. 3.16 so that unto Christ and unto all those that have the seed of Christ in them is this Covenant made You will say unto me Object But is it made unto the carnal seed also have they no portion in the Covenant of grace was not Ishmael circumcised as well as Isaac and is it not said Unto them were committed the covenants of God Rom. 9.4 so that both the Covenants were committed to them that fell away from God and hath not God said to those that were circumcised Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my mind could not be towards this people and the Lord rejecteth them Jer. 15.1 and 6. ult and 7.29 and yet these whom God rejecteth were made partakers of the seal of the Covenant would God call them to the seal and not to the Covenant would he call them to prophane the Covenant the point is weighty shortly and plainly to speak something to it 1. First they had their part in the Covenant of Grace this they had that they were all called to the solemn receiving of the covenant Deut. 29.10 to 15. Ye all stand this day before the Lord your God c. that thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God c. this was the Covenant of grace now thus far are all the carnal seed of Christian Parents called into the outward fellowship of the Covenant But why would God call them to the outward fellowship of the covenant Object and seal of it and mean while not give them the blessing and kernel of the Covenant this is weighty and considerable how it standeth with the faithfulness of God For answer Answ The Blessings of the Covenant are not far from them for there are two sorts of blessings Some do consist in the outward letter of the Ordinances the Gospel of grace the Sacraments and seals of it and sundry common gifts of the Spirit that are plentifully dispensed in the fellowship of the Church besides a liberal and bountiful use of the creatures for they are all serviceable to the People of God and all these things do flow from the Covenant of grace which God hath made with their Fathers When as Abraham had understood that God would establish the Govenant with Isaac and thereupon made a sad prayer unto God that Ishmael might live in his sight Gen. 18.18 20. the Lord answereth him As for Ishmael I have heard thee behold I have blessed him and will make him fruitful c. and which is wonderful he had the liberty of all the Ordinances until he cut himself off from them Unto this Covenant belong those gifts which the Lord bestows on men from the bloud of Christ Heb. 10.29 so that it is not a meer blank for by it here are sundry spiritual and outward blessings the patience and bounty of God is abundantly poured out upon the carnal seed of Christian Parents as in the wilderness when the displeasure of God was ready to kindle against that carnal generation and he was ready to cut them off he remembred the covenant of his mercy to Abraham and oft times spared them so that if you see much patience extended to the children of Christian Parents and many gifts bestowed upon them whereby they become very serviceable sometimes in the Commonwealth sometimes in the Church know that all these things spring from the Covenant of God with their Fathers I Object but if the very life and kernel of the blessing be wanting if Ishmael do not live in Jesus Christ what will all these blessings do him good will they not aggravate his damnation For answer Answ minde you this that the Lord may be justified he doth not only call them to Church liberty and fellowship nor only bestow upon them sundry gifts of grace and great bounties and manifold preservation from evil but likewise he doth offer them the sure mercies of David for so God doth distinguish the sure mercies of the Covenant Isai 55.3 Encline your ear and come unto me hearken and
had done they wrought from themselves and for themselves and so those many that were called Mat. 20 they had denied father and mother and wife and children and therefore they looked for great reward having borne the burden and heat of the day and this is the proper character of an hypocrite he doth challenge his reward out of the worth of his work whereas the chosen ones of God are taught to say When we have done all that is commanded us we are unprofitable servants Luk. 17.10 this is one difference in the rise of the work Again there is a difference in the work it self Gods chosen ones work the will of Christ and not their own though their will also goeth along with it others work the will of Christ as far as it will stand with their own Jebu's zeal did root out Baal and the house of Abab freely he drove on furiously for it was an act of his own ambitious heart to settle his own Kingdom this he aimed at no further would he go from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat he departed not And Lastly Hypocrites will out-shoot Christ in his own bow they will aim at their own ends in Christs works Jehu will root out Ahab and Baal but it is to establish his own Kingdom to walk in all the Lords Commandments he did not regard while Gods will accomplisheth his will he goeth along with it but no farther Thus we see there is a work of sanctification under a Covenant of works such as whereby men have another heart and many gifts of courage and wisdom and zeal and power come upon them for the service of the Church and yet you will find that they will work from themselves and for themselves and for God they will not work beyond their own ends and though they seem to walk with him for a while yet you shall soon see the Lord will take one course and they will take another 3. We now come unto a third work of the Holy Ghost in which he doth give himself as God unto his people for in all these works he doth work as God and so expresseth himself this work is Divine revelation he doth reveal himself like a God in the soul that so you may acknowledge his presence power and truth a very clear place we have for it Eph. 1.17 18. c. I cease not to make mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him c. mark how the Apostle doth consider God in regard of his most eminent glory and power as he is the God of Jesus Christ and the Father of glory That he might give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him that is of the Father Son and Spirit That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints c. minde what Divine revelation here is see how gloriously God is set forth that giveth it and also the gift that is given and these things the Apostle prayeth not only for glorious and transcendent Christians men of renown but for all the Ephesians for all ordinary Christians among them he would have none of them destitute of a Spirit of wisdom and revelation and what should this Spirit do it should enlighten the organ even the eyes of their understanding otherwise it is beyond the power of created gifts to reach the clear discerning of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God as they are dispensed in the Gospel of Christ and as in all sight there is the Organ and the Medium and the Object the eye is the organ the air is the medium the thing seen is the object so doth the Apostle here pray that the eyes of their understanding might be enlightened far above the capacity of Reason yea above the capacity of the spiritual gifts which they had received for he desires that a spirit of wisdom and revelation might be given them though the Lord had blessed them with all spiritual blessings already they had believed and had been sealed yet here is something more to be attained they want a further enlightening by the clearing of the word of God which is the medium by which we discern all things therein and for the Object he doth express what it is that you may know what is the hope of his calling and the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward which believe c. these things the Apostle prayeth that the Spirit would reveal even the hope that God hath laid up for his Saints glorious things are spoken of the church of God great and glorious hopes are prepared for them and they are begotten unto them even to an inheritance incorruptable and undefiled that by vertue of our calling we might have fellowship with God the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1.2 3. some degree of fellowship we have already but the hope of that which is to come is beyond all our comprehension and beyond what any created understanding can search into the depth of and yet we may see much in the hope of preservation and quickening to that which is good in the hope of God's turning all things to the best for us we may see much of the rich and plenteous redemption which God hath wrought for us and what goodness of God is reserved to every poor servant of his and what is the riches of his glorious inheritance in his Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe even that mighty power which he did put forth to bring us to believe that ever he should bring such hearts as ours were to be enlightened to see the blessings of his heavenly calling to be called unto fellowship with the Father and with the Son and with the Spirit and with the Church of God in all the promises of God and gifts of grace and duties of sanctification our calling is to be exercised in them all until at length all their enemies be subdued and death at length swallowed up in victory This the Apostle prayeth for that their eyes might be opened to behold all these mysteries And thus doth the Holy Ghost clear up our understandings and the Scriptures whereby we understand and the objects which are to be understood by us even the riches of grace here bestowed upon us and laid up in heaven for us But how doth the Holy Ghost work these things Quest indeed they are unconceivable mysteries better felt then told The Spirit doth reveal himself partly in witnessing unto our spiritual estate Answ and partly by revealing all other counsels of his truth needful for us to know in this our age and time wherein any Christian man