My Brethren observe that the Salvation 〈◊〉 by Christ was antecedent to our Faith and both were to be performed for us by our Surety that is he was as much obliged to give us Faith or by his Spirit to apply his Blood as to pour it forth upon the Cross for us tho he has ordained the Preaching of the Gospel as an Instrument in and by the Spirit to work it in our Souls Secondly This Proclamation it is an Universal Proclamation 1. Peace and glad Tidings is to be preached or proclaimed to all the World Go ye therefore into all the World and Preach the Gospel to every Creature What is this Gospel why Peace by Jesus Christ or that God is reconciled his Justice satisfied and his Wrath appeased by the Sacrifice and Obedience of his Son that being the meritorious or procuring Cause thereof and Christ requires them commandeth them to believe this Believe what Why that God in Christ through his Death was reconciled to us when we were Ungodly not that God will be reconciled and appeased if we Repent Believe are Regenerated and Baptized c. That which remains to be done which he will also begin and perform for all the Elect is the Sinners believing what Jesus Christ hath done 't is to receive the Atonement or to stretch out the Hand of Faith to receive the Pardon procured by Christ's Blood not that any Sinner can believe until the Spirit as a Vital Agent infuses Grace into him the Seed must be sown before the Fruit can appear Christ gives the Sinner Grace that he may be reconciled unto God as God in him is reconciled See Paul's Word And all things are of God who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation vers 18. to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath committed to us the Word of Reconciliation vers 19. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as tho God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled unto God God by the Blood of his Son was reconciled to us that being the Meritorious Price or Atoning Sacrifice and by the Spirit his Blood is actually applied and made effectual or efficacious unto us to our Reconciliation to God We pray you be ye reconciled c. that is we pray you to receive the Atonement Christ hath made or believe the Record God hath given of his Son i. e. believe there is Life in him that God is satisfied in him and reconciled in him if this my Brethren be not the Nature of the Gospel or of this Blessed Proclamation I profess I know not what it is II. And as Peace is Universally to be proclaimed to all Nations or in all Parts of the World whither God by his Providence is pleased to send the Gospel So also in respect to all sorts of Sins and Sinners i. e. Pardon is proclaimed of all kind of Sins and free Forgiveness and Peace in Christ is offered to all manner of Sinners Rebels and Traitors to God whatsoever they are not one Sin excepted save only the Sin against the Holy Ghost in some Proclamations or Acts of Indemnity many Crimes are excepted as Murther High-Treason Fellony and the like but it is not so here for whosoever they are tho never such horrid Blasphemers haters of God Traytors to him and Rebels against him if they come in and accept of Peace and lay hold of the King's Grace humbly believing in Jesus Christ or throwing themselves at his Feet all their Treasons Murthers Fellonies Blasphemy Adultery Drunkenness Swearing Idolatry Heresie Sodomy Incest Buggery Covetousness Lying Thieving Back-biting Cheating Backsliding or whatever else they have done all shall be forgiven forgotten and passed by for ever as I told you before yea tho they have done all the evil things as they could Will he reserve his Anger for ever will he keep it to the end behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest Tho this People had committed Adultery Idolatry and had rejected the True God and worshipped Idols and dealt most treacherously with the God of Heaven and Earth yet see what the Lord says Go and proclaim these Words towards the North and say Return thou Backsliding Israel saith the Lord That is Believe plead your Pardon in and by the Blood of my Son and I will not cause mine Anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep Anger for ever God out of Christ is a consuming Fire but in him a reconciled God only acknowledge thine Iniquity What Proclamation can be more free or universal than this is Object If Christ is to be offered to all or Peace proclaimed unto all is there then not Vniversal Redemption purchased by him 1 Answ. Redemption is a Word that denotes Persons were in Slavery or Bondage for whom a Price is paid and they therefore are set at Liberty Suppose Ten Men were Slaves in Algier and a Thousand Pound was paid down to Redeem them all and yet but four were actually Redeemed is it true to say all the Ten were Redeemed So here Is it true to say That the Redemption by Christ is Universal when the greatest part of the World were never Redeemed but remain under the Power of Sin and Satan That Redemption which is by Jesus Christ is from Sin from the Guilt Power and Punishment thereof And are all Men in the World thus Redeemed 'T is not a Redemption only from the Curse of the Law and Wrath of God but also fom all Iniquity Who gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of Good Works And are all thus Redeemed 2. If Christ laid down his Life to Redeem every Man and Woman in the World hath he his whole Purchase A Man would think himself cheated or strangely deceived that laid down a Thousand Pounds to Redeem Ten Men when he finds there are not above Three or Four indeed actually Redeemed this renders Christ's Blood spilt in vain for the greatest part for whom it was shed or whom he intended to Redeem thereby and so he is deceived or disappointed 3. There can be no Universal Redemption unless Christ were a Universal Redeemer but Christ is not a Universal Redeemer Millions of Souls are left under the Power of Sin and dominion of Satan 4. Will a Man lay down Ten Thousand Pounds to purchase such or such an Estate and will he refuse to part with Ten Pounds to take up that Estate to make it sure to himself Brethren the Gift of Christ for us i. e. his laying down his Life is far the greater Gift and will he do this and not give the Gospel to many Nations nor Faith to believe and receive him and yet died for them all See how
Blood was shed for shall have the Vertue thereof applied to them whatsoever is not efficient is not sufficient to attain the End thereof See a late Treatise Object If this be so why is the Proclamation so Vniversal 1 Answ. Because no sort of Sins nor Sinners by Name are excepted or exempted Who can say he was not included in this Covenant of Peace to whom the Gospel comes 2. Because Ministers know not but that every one to whom they Preach may be comprehended in this Covenant or in the Election of Grace 3. Because if any sort of Sinners were excepted unless God should discover them by Name who were included Multitudes might utterly despair 4. The Proclamation doth not run to all otherwise than thus viz. He that Believeth he that comes to Christ c. or that believes the Record God hath given of his Son or that receives the Atonement or believes the Testimony of the Gospel See Mark 16.16 Joh. 3.36 This brings me to the next thing Fourthly What are the Terms upon which Peace is offered and proclaimed The Terms on which Peace is proclaimed run thus viz. 1. That whosoever it is that believeth shall be saved True if Faith was not the Gift of God but the Condition agreed on as required of the Creature by his own power to act and exercise it would not only be hard but impossible because Faith must be wrought in our Hearts by the same Power that raised Christ from the Dead but he that calls dead Lazarus to rise from the Dead is able to quicken and by his commanding Voice to raise the Soul dead in Sins and Trespasses The Gospel in the Hand of the Spirit is a mighty Instrument of Christ's Power in the begetting or working of Faith in poor Sinners 2. The Proclamation runs to him that thirsteth Oh every one that thirsteth come to the Waters c. Jesus stood up and cryed If any Man thirst let him come to me and drink This thirsting may refer to thirsting after Happiness desiring to be saved yet others think it is a Thirst begotten in the Soul by the Spirit from the sight and sense of the Excellencies that Siners see in Christ and the Necessity of him they desire and thirst after him Faith draws Vertue from Christ but the Branch cannot draw Sap from the Root until it is grafted into the Stock Faith is the Fruit of the Spirit therefore the Seed must be first sown in our Hearts And this originally proceeds from our foederal Union with Christ in the Covenant of Peace And Secondly by our Mystical Union with him by the Spirit for it is hereby Faith is wrought Can any thing but evil Fruit grow out of a wild and evil Stock and Root all Works before Grace are Dead Works and profit us not 3. The Terms are to look to Christ Look to me and be saved all ye Ends of the Earth This is all one with Believing the Israelites that were stung with Fiery Serpents were to look to the Brazen Serpent so Christ is lifted up that whosoever looketh to him or that believeth on him should not perish but have Everlasting Life 4. 'T is made to all them that come to Christ Come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden c. All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me and he that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out 5. It runs to every one that hears but it is to such that hear Christ's Voice Hear and your Souls shall live The Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God It is also to every one that will and whosoever will let him take the Water of Life freely Whosoever God hath inclined their Will or made willing to accept of Peace by Jesus Christ If any Soul believes in Christ thirsteth for Christ looketh to Christ or cometh to Christ and yet Christ rejecteth him then charge him with Injustice But where lives that Man tho he was never so Vile and Ungodly that did thus but he found Mercy O see how Free and Universal the Proclamation is Object 'T is not so Free but Vnbelief puts in a Bar. Answ. A Sinful State is no Bar to the Power of God for what tho some believe not shall their Vnbelief make the Faith of God of none Effect God forbid Object But Men must be humbled first before they come and they must renounce their Idols c. Answ. Grace only humbles They shall look to me whom they pierced and shall mourn But God first pours upon them the Spirit of Grace before they can thus look or mourn See Zech. 12.10 all previous Qualifications before Grace are abominable to God because the State of the Soul is such and all such things that proceed not from Faith God abhorreth 't is but a working for Life and not from Life Is the Improvement of Common Grace the Foederal-Condition of geting Special No surely APPLICATION 1 Infer From hence we may infer That in the Covenant of Peace the Promises of God are Absolute and that this Absoluteness implies that all the Conditions that are required on the Creature 's part Grace is promised to them to perform them on God's part Who works in us to will and to do of his own good Pleasure 2. This Proclamation is not so Universal but that it wholly dependeth upon God's Sovereign Pleasure who shall reap the Benefit of it 'T is sent to one Nation and not to another God is not obliged to send it to all Kingdoms and Nations nor to all in that Nation whither he is pleased to send it but if Christ died for all I mean in the stead of all to satisfie Divine Justice for every individual Person then he would be Unjust in not sending the Gospel to them all But he must Call all and be sure he would give all the lesser Gifts as well as the greater viz. the Gospel and Faith c. to all as well as his Son to die for them all and not let them perish in their Sins and Unbelief for whom Christ died for without Faith all Adult Persons must perish And how shall they believe on him whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a Preacher 3. This Proclamation offers Free Pardon of all Sins both past present and to come to all that believe in Jesus Christ And therefore a final Deliverance from the Curse of the Law and the Wrath of God Rom. 8.1 4. Free Justification by Christ alone is therein offered also 5. With a Supply of all Grace to the End to all them that are in Jesus Christ Phil. 4.19 6. It proclaims God to be our Father and we his Sons and Daughters upon receiving Jesus Christ. 7. Moreover where any Elect Sinners are or dwell thither the Proclamation shall and must go to bring them all into the Bonds of the Covenant 8. And also whosoever receive this
hear it and do it But what saith the Lord to them O that there was such an Heart in them He knew well their great Inability and Averseness to do whatsoever he required But the Covenant of Grace is an absolute Covenant as to us as I have and shall further shew you by and by IV. The Covenant of Works tho it required perfect Obedience Personally to be performed by the Creature yet it gave no strength to perform what it commanded 1. But in the Covenant of Peace whatsoever God's Law required of us to our Justification in his Sight Christ covenanted and performed it for us and we in him Hence the Apostle saith That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us In us Christ and Believers are here represented but as one Person because what he did we are said to do in him Paul can't refer in this place to our inherent Sanctification for so no Believer can fulfil the Law because his best Works and Sanctification are imperfect 2. Moreover whatsoever Duties God requires of us as to our actual Justification in our own Consciences and as to our Sanctifica-also he hath promised to give us his Spirit to perform and work in us 1. He commands us to Believe and he hath promised to give us Faith so to do For Faith is not of our selves it is the Gift of God to you it is given not only to believe c. 2. He hath commanded us to make us a new Heart and he hath promised to give us a new Heart and to put a new Spirit into us 3. He commands us to love him c. and he hath promised to Circumcise our Hearts so to do c. V. The Covenant of Works laid all that broke it under God's denounced Wrath and Curse and admitted of no Mercy of no Forgiveness Heb. 10.28 In the Covenant of Grace Christ hath born that Wrath and Curse He hath Redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us No doubt but under the Law he that was Hanged on a Tree was not made a Curse only Politically but also Typically as signifying that Curse Christ should be made on the behalf of the Elect. And by being made a Curse for us he bore the Punishment due to us for our Sins and satisfied Divine Justice so that all our Sins who do believe in Jesus are in the Covenant of Grace forgiven for ever VI. The Covenant of Works as to the Tenure of it runs thus i. e. Do this and live but the Covenant of Grace runs thus in the Tenure of it i. e. Believe and be saved Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved The One puts Men upon working or doing for Life the other puts them upon believing and working from Life The first promises Rewards for the Creatures Obedience and threatens Wrath and Death for the Creatures Disobedience The second promises Rewards of Grace to Believers for what Christ hath done or through his Merits and threatens Wrath for not believing or for non-receiving of Free Justification through Christ's Obedience or for refusing the only Remedy or for neglecting that great Salvation purchased and merited by the Lord Jesus VII The Covenant of Works represents God an Angry God an Incensed Judge or as a Consuming Fire But the Covenant of Grace represents God in Christ a Reconciled Father This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Fury is not in me There is no Fury in God no Wrath no Condemnation to any that believe or that are in Jesus Christ. VIII The Covenant of Works consisted all in Precepts in Commands which were partly Moral and partly Ceremonial the latter being numerous some speak of more than three Hundred Precepts that were injoyned on the People for tho the Ceremonial Law shadowed the Gospel yet Paul counts it part of the first Covenant See Heb. 9.1 Yet I deny not but that there was much Grace held forth in it But the Covenant of Grace as to us consisteth only of Free Promises Hence the Elect are called The Children of the Promise Vnto Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made Now we Brethren as Isaac was are Children of the Promise And hence the Covenant of Grace is called The Covenants of Promise Note 'T is called Covenants in respect of the divers Revelations or Declarations of it as to Adam Abraham David c. and as revealed in the Gospel tho it is but one and the same Covenant True it may differ in some Accidents but in Substance it was the same viz. Jesus Christ promised and Free Justification through him Is the Law against the Promises That is Is the Law as given in Mount Sinai against the Covenant of Grace No but given in Subserviency thereunto or as leading to it by discovering the Evil of Sin and the absolute Necessity of Christ's perfect Obedience thereunto in our stead IX The first Covenant required perfect Obedience to the Law in every Man 's own Person in respect to their Justification at God's Bar by which means through Man's Weakness and Inability to perform it 't is called The Killing Letter The Letter kills for Sin taking occasion by the Commandment deceived me and by it slew me Sin revived and I dyed That is as to any hope of Life by the Law But the Covenant of Grace admits of a Substitute or of a Surety to keep the Law for us and God accepteth of his Obedience and Suffering as imputed to us to our free Discharge and Justification in his Sight And hence the Gospel is called The Ministration of the Spirit and Life Thus the Covenant of Peace is the Covenant of Grace 1. As considered in it self 2. Comparatively or in opposition to the first Covenant or Covenant of Works Thirdly The Covenant of Peace is the Covenant of Grace appears in that 't is an absolute Covenant I. It is not made on Conditions to be performed by us i. e. which being performed gives us a Right unto the Reward promised thereupon because our Right and Title to Heaven is only by the Righteousness of Christ through his perfect Obedience to the Law c. The Nature of the Covenant of Grace saith a Worthy Divine is Absolute or a Covenant of Promise notwithstanding all the Conditionalty contained therein 1. In respect of the Original Proposer of this Covenant it came from the Free and Absolute Will Grace and Purpose of the Father 1 Tim. 1.9 The Covenant of Peace was not purchased by Christ I mean the Covenant it self tho the Blessings in it were Christ's Purchase 2. The Covenant is Free and Absolute as to the Elect Personally considered because the whole of the Foederal Conditions lay upon their Head as undertaking for them II If we consider the Covenant saith he in respect to its Application or its being actually applied to the Elect
in time this is done absolutely in God's bestowing Grace and the Gifts of the Promise to dead Creatures or to Sinners as Sinners In whom as saith our Worthy Author there is an absolute Impossibility of performing the least entitling Act to the Promise There can be nothing freer than Life to a dead Creature neither doth Life give a Title to Action but it is the Principle of Action III. All the Promises of the Covenant in the Promulgation of it in its Original Nature and as respecting us expresses the Tenour of it as most Free and Absolute Thus it was to Adam to Abraham to David and to us I will be your God and you shall be my People It is not you shall have Peace upon the Condition that you do this or that ye shall be Pardon'd or then be Justified No but quite otherwise But he that worketh not but believeth on him that Justifieth the Vngodly 'T is not by our Obedience or Duties but by the Promises that we partake of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 c. All is given absolutely of Free Grace True there are in the Covenant Conditions of Connexion if a Man believes he shall be saved But who gives that Faith Is it not God Pray observe that Jesus Christ hath made our Peace and Faith to receive the Atonement is given as an absolute Promise Is not the Spirit so given And pray doth not God give the Spirit before Faith can be exerted by us Is not Faith the Fruit of the Spirit And doth not the Fruit proceed from the Seed and the Act flow from the Habit Brethren beware of them that Preach Peace to you upon a Conditional Covenant the Condition they speak of is your Repentance Faith Regeneration and Obedience And alas who is able to perform these hard Conditions Besides this is to turn the Covenant of Grace into a Covenant of Works you must work for Justification and Peace if you will have it nay and you shall be no further Justified nor have Peace than you are Sanctified if you believe these Mens Gospel But we say that Peace is made and God hath promised that he will give the Spirit even pour it out upon Sinners he first pours out the Spirit of Grace and then the Sinners believe or look to him whom they pierced and receive the Blessing of Peace or have the Minifestation of it to their Consciences There is no Condition saith Reverend Cotton before Faith but a Condition of Misery a lost Condition These Men render God like Pharaoh's Task-masters who would have their Tale of Brick but find the Israelites no straw They will not have Sinners to have Peace without doing that for it which indeed no Man is able to do But O! let poor lost Souls look up to Christ wait on him attend on his Word cry to him who hath received Gifts for the Rebellious also i. e. the Gift of the Spirit the Gift or rather the Grace of Faith the Gift of Righteousness Will you have a Righteousness wrought out of your own Bowels or by doing or have none at all Will you be saved by Works and not by Grace But to proceed 5. The Absoluteness of the Covenant saith this Author appears as to us in that all the Foederal Intitling Conditions contained in it are found in another i. e. in Christ and not in us neither wrought in us nor by us for whatsoever is wrought in us is of Free Grace My Brethren Doth a Child contribute any thing to its own Formation in the Womb Alas What is in us before we are Born again And of his own Will begat he us c. Object But doth not the Gospel require Faith and Repentance as the Condition of Justification and Eternal Life 1 Answ. I told you but even now there are Conditions of Connexion by way of order and dependance of things one upon another As in Logick saith the same Reverend Divine if a Creature be a Man he is a Rational Creature or if God be the first Cause he is the Creator of all things And in this sence saith he Creation is a Condition of Salvation if a Man be Saved he must be Created So if a Man believe he shall be Saved believing is a Condition of Connexion a State of Grace is thus a Condition to a State of Glory by way of Connexion in the Promise but one is not the Foederal Condition of another but both come in as the Gift of Grace in this sence the Covenant contains all the Conditions of Order and Dependance in the Exhibition and Performance the hearing the Word is the Condition of Faith but hearing is not a Foederal Condition so the giving the Spirit is the Condition of Union to Christ and Faith and Faith the Condition of receiving of Pardon and living in Holiness and the giving of Pardon the Condition of receiving it and Holiness the Condition of seeing God and of having Eternal Happiness but these kind of Conditions are not Foederal Intitling Conditions to the Promise but are contained in the Promise and denote the Connexion and Dependance of one promised Benefit upon another 2. God requires Faith and Repentance of them that shall be saved but 1. Not that the Creature can do either of these of himself but to shew he will work Faith and Repentance in all whom he will save or as he hath ordained the End so he hath also ordained the Means 2. But not that either of these are procuring or Foederal Conditions of the Covenant blessings or of Salvation because all the Graces of the Spirit are contained in the Covenant as part of it therefore neither Faith Repentance Regeneration as the Creatures Part or Work can be Conditions of it These Men call Faith c. such a Condition that the Mercies granted are suspended till we perform the Condition It is therefore saith he no more than an Act of ours True we have a good Bargain as a Man that gives but Twenay Guineas of his own Purchases an Hundred Pounds per Annum Brethren as our Author observes We must distinguish of the Ministry of Reconciliation in respect of the Letter of it and the Spirit of it 1 Cor. 3.6 in the Letter of it or meer external Dispensation it kills because the Sinner looks upon all these Conditions of dependance Foederal Conditions but the Spirit in its Ministry is absolute according to the Original Contract and the fullest Discovery in its highest freedom therefore the Apostle says The Spirit giveth Life The believing Corinthians are said to be the Epistle of Christ written and transcribed from the Original-Covenant Contract Not with Ink but with the Spirit of the Living God Therefore From hence we must distinguish between the Covenant in its Absolute Tenure and the Ministry thereof which is Conditionally dispensed according to the Connexion Order and Dependance of good Things contained in the Promise to a mix'd People The Effects of
Children of Wrath before they believe Faith also must be somewhat more than an Evidence the Soul having that in its actual possession which it had not before 2. Because they that believe God says Are passed from Death to Life that is from a State of Death and Condemnation into a State of Life and Justification See Joh. 5.24 1 Joh. 3.14 3. Because the Holy Spirit in Convictions represents the state of an Elect Sinner to himself to be before Grace wretched and miserable who is a true and faithful Witness and cannot lie Brethren as the first Adam and all in him were Condemned by the pronunciation of the Sentence of the Holy God in Paradise so the second Adam or all his or all in him are for ever Justified And as whilst we remain in the first Adam his first Sin is imputed to us so not till we are in Christ is his Righteousness to our actual and personal Justification imputed to us tho I grant Foederally and Representatively in Christ it was imputed before to all the Elect yet 't is through the reception of Grace or the infusion of the Spirit whereby Faith is wrought that the Soul receives the Atonement and comes actually possessed with the Blessing of Peace The God of Hope fill you with all Joy and Peace in believing There is no Peace to the Wicked saith my God And this because they have not an actual Interest in Christ Where the Spirit of Christ is there is liberty and therefore Peace and in none else 7. And thus the Sinner is brought to God and comes to be taken into the Covenant of Grace the which the Spirit doth renew and confirm in his Baptism Rom. 6.1 2 3 4 5. and which is further renewed and confirmed to him in the Holy Ordinance of the Lord's Supper which is a Sign or Pledge of the New Covenant in or by Christ's Blood Hence called The New Covenant in his Blood 8. Moreover let it be noted That a Man may be in a State of Grace and Peace and yet not know it all that have Faith or do believe do not know they have Faith or believe but have Doubts about it 1 Joh. 5.13 all injoy not what they have in possession therefore true Faith as to the Essence thereof cannot be a simple Evidence to the Soul of what it hath nor a full Perswasion that Christ is mine and I am his for if so then he that has not this Evidence or Assurance is no true Believer or if he lose it he loses the very Essence of Faith and so ceases to be a Believer Moreover it would then follow that there are no weak Believers or Babes in Christ for every Babe must be a Strong Man were it thus For is not he a strong Christian that has a clear Evidence of his Justification and a full assurance of Eternal Life 9. There is no steady and full Injoyment of this Spiritual Peace without keeping up and maintaining a War against Sin also this War is maintained by every Faculty the whole Soul being united in carrying it on and also against every Sin Moreover it is a War in which the Soul by the Spirit prevails Sin shall not have Dominion over you c. 'T is a resolute War or carried on with uttermost Revenge against Sin and likewise always even to the end of our Days and if called to it to resist unto Blood striving against Sin All my Brethren that have Peace with God or are Reconciled to him are at War with Sin Satan and the World resolving never to be Reconciled to these Enemies or be at Peace with one Sin whilst they live 10. Our Peace as to the degree of it as in our selves is and will be according to that degree or measure of our Faith we have a weak and doubting Believer hath but little Peace in his own Conscience he being too subject to ground his Peace on his good and lively Frame or to judge of his Justification by the degrees of his Sanctification or inherent Holiness tho the State of the weakest Christian is as safe as the strongest yet he has not that Peace and Comfort others have But no more as to this Secondly I shall open the Nature of this Peace 1. It is Peace with God the Mighty God God is hereby become our Friend all Enmity or Wrath in God against the Soul is gone for ever and all Enmity that was in the Soul against God is removed or taken away also there being a Mutual Peace and Reconciliation I do not say God can no more be offended with the Soul but if he be yet he will not be provoked to Wrath or to let out his against such a Person any more for ever 2. All the actings of God towards his People are in Love tho the poor Believer perhaps cannot see it thus but fears the contrary My Brethren God receives us into his intire Affections and le ts out his Love and Bowels towards us and acts always towards us as a tender Father to his Children 3 We hereby enter actually into a League with God God takes the Soul into an everlasting Covenant of Peace and the Soul also takes God to be his God in the same Everlasting Covenant as you have heard which Covenant all the Powers of Hell and Darkness can never break or violate the Peace and Union with Christ in this Covenant is indissolvable The Covenant of my Peace shall not be removed saith the Lord Tho we may sin yet God will blot them all out Sin nor Satan nor the World nor Life nor Death neither any thing else can separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord their Sins and Iniquities I will remember no more All the Attributes of God are for us and no Accusation of Satan can provoke God against us so as to become our Enemy True Sin or Satan may spoil the sensible Peace and Comfort of our Souls but they cannot spoil our Peace with God or break our Union 4. It is Soul-Peace Spiritual Peace O! how great how sweet and precious is that Peace Earthly Peace National Peace Congregational Peace and Family Peace is good and to be prized But what is any kind of Peace to true Spiritual Soul Peace As no Trouble no Sorrow is like Soul-Trouble so no Peace is to be compared to Soul-Peace Great Peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them 5. Such have Peace also with the Holy Angels the Angels of God are at Peace with them that God is at Peace with they are hereby become our Friends and take our part and fight for us and against the Devil our grand Enemy they War against the Evil Angels who hate and envy us And they Minister unto them that shall be Heirs of Salvation nay the Angels of God encamp round about them that fear him They also War against
V. Also in that this Covenant sets forth the Glory Beauty and Personal Excellencies of Jesus Christ. 1. In respect of his Person as God-Man 2. In respect of his Offices of which I have already spoken VI. It is a Glorious Covenant in respect of those Things which we are hereby delivered from and are also invested with and raised up to possess Is not that a Glorious Covenant by the Blessings of which Sinners are delivered from Sin which is the greatest Evil and that brings them out of a State of Death Wrath the Curse and Condemnation And that which also gives them through the Application thereof an Interest in God the chiefest Good or which restores God to them to be their God forever Consider what Glorious Gifts and Priviledges are given and granted in this Covenant Is not that a Glorious Covenant in which God is given Christ is given to the Soul But this I shall open more largely under the next Head But O! what Glorious Priviledges are contained herein as granted to all true Believers Moreover What Glorious Grace is by this Covenant procured for all the Elect And what a Crown and Kingdom do they hereby obtain a true Title unto Sixthly The Covenant of Peace is a full Covenant there is nothing wanting in it either respecting the Glory of God or our Good and Eternal Happiness I. It is a full Covenant in respect of Satisfaction Merit and Righteousness my Brethren neither Divine Justice nor the Law of God can require any more than what Christ hath by his Active and Passive Obedience paid God saith This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Christ is called the Sun of Righteousness denoting that fullness of Righteousness which is in him as Mediator What is fuller of light than the Sun And who is fuller of Righteousness than Jesus Christ And as the Sun communicates its Light to all the Earth even so Christ communicates his Righteousness to all the Elect i. e. His Righteousness is imputed to all that Believe not the Effects of his Righteousness but his Active and Passive Obedience is the Material cause of our Justification and the Imputation of it is the formal cause thereof and from him by the Spirit an Inherent Righteousness is also infused into the whole Body to whom he is a Head of Influence to their Sanctification II. This Covenant is a full Covenant because in it or in Christ who is the Sum of the Covenant there is a fullness of Sufficiency and in the application of it by the Spirit There is a fullness of Efficacy to all the Elect He is the Head of the Body the Church the Fullness of him that filleth all in all Christ makes the Covenant Effectual or Efficatious to all his Members filling all who believe with all grace by the Spirit leaving not one believing Soul empty of what is truly good Doth the Soul want light Christ will give it He is the Light of the Gentiles The Light of the World Doth he want Liberty Christ releases the Captives Doth he need Rest Christ gives the weary and heavy-laden rest In a word Christ in the Covenant is Food to the Hungry Cloaths to the Naked Strength to the Weak Health to the Sick Courage to the Faint-hearted Succor to the Tempted Beauty to the Deformed Riches to the Poor Peace to the Troubled Life to the Dead Christ is all in this Covenant III. It is a Full Covenant because it answers not only all the wants of the Soul but of the Body also He will give meat to them that fear him he is ever mindfull of his Covenant Meat to the Soul and Meat to the Body Also Trust in the Lord and do good and so shalt thou dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed All things both for the Body and Soul which God sees is good for us we shall have he will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withold from them that walk uprightly But yet we must not be the Judges of what is good but leave it to God We may think that is good for us which he may see to be hurtful IV. It is a Full Covenant because in it there is the Mediators Fulness Communicated to all such that are united to him as the effects thereof 't is not a Creature-Fulness that is in Christ no but the Fulness of God For it pleased the Father that in him all Fulness should dwell in him dwelleth the Fulness of the God-head Bodily The Fulness of the God-head dwells as truly in the Son as in the Father and of his Fulness do all Believers partake Of his Fulness all we receive and Grace for Grace 1. Therefore in this Covenant we do not only receive Light but the Fulness of Light 2. Not only Life but the Fulness of Life because Christ is our Life whom we receive in this Covenant 3. Not only Strength but the Fulness of Strength The Lord is the Strength of my heart and my Portion for ever 4. Not only Pardon of Sin but a Fulness of Pardon or the Fullest Pardon compleat Pardon 5. Not only Righteousness but the Fulness of Righteousness perfect and compleat Righteousness and you are compleat in him 6 Not only Peace but the Fulness of Peace Peace that passeth all understanding 7. Not only Beauty but the Fulness of Beauty For it was perfect thro' my Comliness which I put upon thee saith the Lord God 8. Not only knowledge but the Fulness of knowledge And ye also are Full of all goodness filled with all knowledge c. The parts may be weak yet where Christ dwells or hath taken possession of the heart there the Soul hath a Fulness of Spiritual knowledg Our Vessels may be full tho' but small And 9. Not only Joy but the Fulness of Joy These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full Again he saith Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full 't is called unspeakable joy and full of Glory 10. Lastly And not only Glory but the Fulness of Glory for the Fulness of the Glory of Heaven is contained in this Covenant or the perfect and full enjoyment of God even the Beatificial Vision Seventhly It is a seasonable Covenant I. In respect of God's early contrivance and making of it for us with Christ it was provided my Brethren before Man sinned or ready against the very time of need Poor Adam when he had sinned knew nothing of it But God provided the Plaister before we received the Wound he provided us a Physitian before we were Sick or a Saviour in this Covenant before we had sinned had not this Covenant been made before with Christ for us we had been lost no doubt for ever that very moment Man fell every thing being Beautiful in its time or proper season 'T is
Reverend Author hath Asserted in this case That Scripture Isa 53.10 11 12. Is saith he a place wherein this Covenant is clearly described between the Father and the Son and it holds forth the Covenant of Grace fully clearly yea the promise of all Grace and Benefits that are contained in the said Covenant of Grace And the Apostle tells us expresly that this Covenant agreement was the Will by which Will we are Sanctified thro the Offering the Body of Jesus once for all He further argues 2. That Covenant that contains in it the whole matter and form in Conditions and Promises of the Covenant of Grace doth not Essentially differ from it but the Covenant of Redemption doth contain in it the Conditions and Promises of Grace yea all things that pertain to Life and Godliness And it contains in it all conditions upon which we may be partakers of any Promimises i. e. Christ's Person Offices Sacrifice Righteousness active and passive there 's no Covenant condition of Atonement Propitiation or Satisfaction unto the Justice of God But it is here Christ is the great fulfiller of the Law and satisfier of it and he is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth 3. From the vailed dispensation of the Covenant of Grace saith he before the coming of Christ their Sacrifices and Ceremonial Administration held forth in a Figure that it was made with Christ and confirmed in him as the great Offering and Atonement Christ is there exemplified and set forth as the fulness of the Covenant of Grace both in respect of Promises and Conditions 4. When we plead saith he for any thing of the Covenant of Grace it is the Promises of Life made to us in Christ as Yea and Amen and to us in him in respect of obtaining and performing to us 5. Our Justifying acts of Faith is fixed on Christ as the Sum of the Covenant of Grace as satisfying for our Sins and as to whom the Promises were made and the great things promised as the Fountain and Meritorious cause of all Blessings He is given to us as the Covenant 6 There is saith he all Grace to be had in this Covenant Frustra sit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora There is no Grace but is given forth and received by us by the Covenant between the Father and the Son the gift of the Spirit the Grace of Faith Justification by his Blood by him came all Grace yea all other supposed Grace that came not from the Father and through Christ is no Grace and will not profit us 7. Where the Covenanters Conditions and Promises are all from Free Grace and Love to us there 's a Covenant of Grace but in that Covenant they call a distinct Covenant of Redemption the Covenanters the Conditions and Promises are all of Free grace and Love to us God the Father from his Free grace and Love to us called his Son to this Undertaking and Covenanting with him God the Son in our Persons or in our behalf from his Love and Free grace Covenanted with the Father he came and freely offered himself to perform the Covenant Conditions the condition of this Covenant in all mediatorial perfections and performances is freely promised and bestowed upon us the promise of Eternal life All Grace and Glory are promised and given in this Covenant that is a Covenant of Grace wherein God is to us a God of all Grace 8. If the Covenant of Redemption be not the Covenant of Grace then there is more Covenants than the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace for Life and Salvation but there is no more Covenants for Life and Salvation but that of Works and that of Grace the Minor I think hardly any will deny If Church Covenants be alledged they add nothing to this Grand Covenant but are the accomplishments of the promises thereof to whom it doth belong it being promised that they shall be Gods People in this Covenant Christ stipulates and we in him as we did in the first Adam then And when we stipulate being moved thereunto from the grace of the Promise and enter personally into this Covenant embracing that Covenant which was made for us in Christ 't is called a laying hold of it it is solemnly also own'd professed and restipulated to when we enter into Church Fellowship the repeating and restipulating and renewings of the same Covenant may be without changing the Covenant For we find God often repeating this Covenant and renewing it with his people in Revelation and Establishment as with Adam Noah Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. yet it was was the same Covenant So are Gods Children excited and encouraged thereunto from the Free-grace of the said Covenant Thus this Author 1. Now let me add one or two arguments more to what this worthy Author hath said viz. If the Covenant of Redemption be not the Covenant of Grace or Covenant of Peace and Reconciliation which God calls his Covenant The Covenant of my Peace shall not be removed saith the Lord Then it will follow that our Peace is made with God or God is reconciled to us by a Covenant of Grace which we enter into with him which Covenant Christ Merited for us in his performing the Covenant of Redemption and if it be so how is it Paul saith God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself Indeed as far as I can see this notion of two distinct Covenants of Redemption and of Grace seems to be defended of late on purpose to favour the grand Errors of our new Methodists viz. In the Covenant of Redemption say they Christ made God amends for our breach of the Law of perfect obedience by himself alone and for himself only that so he might be a fit Mediator and Merit a new Law of Faith and sincere Obedience for their Covenant of Grace is a Law of Obedience which Law or Covenant he Confirmed by his Death So that now God say they enters into a Covenant with mankind and if they perform the Conditions of it or so far as they do so far they shall be justifyed and shall have Eternal life provided they continue unto the end and thus as before I have hinted Christ is our legal righteousness in the Covenant of Redemption he fulfiled the Law of Works or the strict Law of perfect Obedience by giving God a satisfying recompence And so he hath abolished the Law of perfect obedience but our Faith Inherent-righteousness Gospel-holiness and Sincere obedience is our Evangelical Righteousness or that which justifies us at Gods Bar or in his sight Now this dangerous Error I say seems to follow the allowing of two distinct Covenants 2. There is no distinction between the Covenant of Redemption and the Covenant of Grace because Redemption presupposeth Peace and Reconciliation and not only Gods Reconciliation to us but our reconciliation to him for Redemption is not from the Curse of the Law
This God is our God for ever and ever and he will be our Guide even unto Death This Grant will never be revoked by the Giver nor can it be forfeited by the Receiver you have heard how sure and firm the Covenant is by which we hold the Inheritance he is our Father our Friend our Portion our Strength our Help our Riches our Honour and our God for ever Secondly Jesus Christ is given to all Believers in this Covenant this is a glorious Gift or Grant O! how great and how comprehensive is this Gift God is not our God till Christ is ours O! consider every Saint may say with Thomas My Lord and my God Christ is not only a Saviour but a Believer may say my Saviour he is not only a Redeemer but my Redeemer not only the Life of the World but my Life When Christ who is our Life shall appear c. Christ is not only Light but our Light and not only a Peace-maker but our Peace He is our Peace that hath made both one He is not only a Bridegroom but our Bridegroom my Beloved is mine not only a Physician but our Physician and not only a Shepherd but our Shepherd The Lord is my Shepherd yea and our King our Priest our Prophet he is our Righteousness our Strength our Food our Cloaths our Foundation who of God is made to us Wisdom and Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption In a word Christ in this Covenant is all in all Where there is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor Vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is all and in all Thirdly The next great Gift that is given in this Covenant is the Holy Ghost Isa. 59.21 the Holy Spirit is given to unite us to Christ to quicken us to illuminate our Minds and to renovate our Soul to be our Guide our Comforter and to dwell in us for ever and to seal all Covenant Blessings to us Fourthly All Grace is given in this Covenant Faith Repentance a pure Heart Love Hope Humility Patience Charity Temperance Meekness c. But to every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ and not only Grace but all Spiritual Gifts also yea Sanctified Gifts thus many great Gifts are given Fifthly Consider what other Grand Blessings and Priviledges are also given and granted by vertue of this Covenant viz. 1. Adoption to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God 2. Righteousness and Justification from all things 3. Sanctification 4. Pardon of all Sins and that for ever and not only forgiven for ever but they also are forgotten for ever 5. Peace 6. Communion with the Father and the Son 7. Godly Zeal 8. Spiritual Strength and Courage 9. All Ordinances are given yea Fat and Green Pastures Bread and Water of Life 10. The Ministers of Christ are given Whether Paul or Apostles or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all is yours and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's They have a Right and Title to all things that are good 11. All the Promises of God are given in the Covenant Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious Promises Promises that suit every State and Condition that we are or may be in great as to their Quantity and precious as to their Quality All the Promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen unto the Glory of God the Father Moreover all Gospel Ordinances are given 12. Yea a Right to Eternal Life also is given and granted to all in this Covenant even a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away a Kingdom a Crown and a Throne is given To him will I grant to sit with me in my Throne 13. Final Perseverance is given by this Covenant Lastly A Free Trade to Heaven is granted or free access to the Father But to this I shall more largely and distinctly speak at another time O stand and Wonder O what Gifts Grants Blessings and Priviledges are procured in the Covenant of Peace Happy are they that are taken into it But I shall go no farther at this time SERMON XII Shewing that as God in the Covenant of Peace is our God so we also are his People opening what this denotes i. e. our being God's People 2. How this appears to be a Covenant Priviledge And 3. Also what a Wonderful Blessing it is ISA. Liv. x. Neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee THE last Day I shewed you what wonderful Gifts Grants Blessings and Priviledges are contained in the Covenant of Peace particularly that God gives himself and his Son Jesus Christ to all that are brought into it he has promised to be our God c. But to proceed There is yet one great Blessing which is included in the former viz. That as God gives himself to be our God so he hath promised we shall be his People this Grant and Priviledge is in the Covenant And I will be their God and they shall be my People compared with Heb. 8.10 And I will be a God to them and they shall be a People unto me First Let me by way of premise Note here four or five Things 1. That this is a most gracious high and sublime Priviledge viz. God to be our God is the first and this is comprehended in it also as the second and next in order to be esteemed by us i. e. we shall be his People 2. That this is granted only as an Act of God's Free Grace and Sovereign Goodness through Jesus Christ Brethren it is not upon Condition of our doing this or that that we procure this Blessing 't is not as the Promise run to the People of Israel under the first Covenant But 't is an absolute Promise if there is any such in all the Word of God I will be your God and you shall be my People Men nor Devils Ungodly Relations our own evil Hearts nor our great Unworthiness shall ever hinder us from being God's People 3. That God's giving himself to us is the Spring the Cause and Reason why we become his People we have not God Christ and the Holy Spirit because we are Believers or Penitent Persons but he first gives himself his Spirit c. God first gives himself in working of Faith saith Reverend Cotton before Faith can be there Therefore Faith is called The Fruit of the Spirit Man is passive in Regeneration or in God's infusing the first Principle Root or Habit of Faith and of all Grace in him 4. This implies that we were once not actually God's People notwithstanding the Design and Purpose of Grace that was in his Heart concerning us I will call them my People which were not my People and her Beloved that was not Beloved
Necessities but also to the making of us very Rich and Great 3. I mean by it God's Gracious Acceptance of our Persons Duties and all our Holy and Spiritual Performances or Services which is no small Favour and Blessing but one of the greatest we can partake of for this must always be premised that God will never accept of any Man's Duties till he first accepteth of his Person for thus he first accepts of Abel that is of his Person The Lord had a Respect unto Abel and to his Offering he offered his Offering in Faith he was a Believer and God accepted of his Person in Christ and so he doth of the Persons of all True Believers Wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved in whom we are united and made Members of his Body and it is in him that God looks upon us Secondly I shall endeavour to prove that this Trade or Blessing of free Access unto God is the Effects of the Peace made by Jesus Christ. 1. The Navigable River by which we Trade to Heaven by virtue of this Peace is opened viz. the Holy Spirit is poured forth This is that River that makes glad the City of God c. and this it doth not only in that it supplies God's People or his Holy City with Water to drink which is indeed Water of Life but also in that it is by it we Trade to Heaven all our Spiritual Trade and Traffick is in and through this River Our Trade my Brethren is a Trade of Merchandise For the Merchandise of it is better than the Merchandise of Silver and the Gain thereof than fine Gold Now this River proceeds from the Throne of God and the Lamb and that this River is opened by the Sacrifice of Christ or by that Peace he hath made See Acts 2.31 This Jesus hath God raised up whereof we are all Witnesses Therefore being by the Right Hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear Vers. 32. Moreover Jesus Christ promised the Spirit to his Disciples upon his Ascention and this Promise he graciously made good Therefore saith the Apostle being Justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace c. Again he saith And came and Preached Peace to you that were a far off c. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father that is through the Mediator and Peace-maker who hath reconciled us to God We are now admitted or introduced into the presence of the Father and this with boldness In whom we have Boldness and Access with Confidence by the Faith of him And this not only in Prayer but also in all Holy Fellowship Commerce and Heavenly Communion Having therefore Brethren Boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus It was the Blood of Christ that opened this Trade or procured this Access to Heaven for us By a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Veil that is to say his Flesh. Hence our Blessed Lord saith I am the Way no Man cometh to the Father but by me Except this River had been opened we could never have Traded to Heaven and that this is done by Jesus Christ or by the Peace which he hath made I have thus fully proved Thirdly I shall shew you that this is the best Trade or there is no Trade like unto it in all the World 1. Because the Word of God declares it so to be The Merchandise hereof is better than the Merchandise of Silver and the Gain thereof than fine Gold Now what Merchandise of this World do Men account to excel that of Silver and fine Gold But Spiritual Merchandise the great God declares is better than these or whatsoever else you can think or speak of Now this I shall further indeavour to make appear in this Method following 1. In respect of the Subject these Merchandises enrich 2. In respect of the Nature of the Things Traded in or for 3. In respect of that Blessed Correspondent who manages all our Affairs in Heaven and that makes us Returns of all we venture 4. In respect of the Terms upon which we Trade 5. I shall apply the whole I shall speak briefly to each of these First The Subject that these Merchandises inrich is the Soul the Precious and Immortal Soul of Man which all other Trades and Merchandise cannot in the least degree relieve the Wants of much less inrich but these Heavenly Merchandises doth this 1. It is hereby the Soul of a Believer or a Spiritual Merchant comes to have God again God to be his God yea a God in Covenant with him and to be his Portion for ever as you have heard 'T is through Jesus Christ or by the Peace he hath made that this Blessing is obtained God is hereby our Father and Christ is our Saviour and the Spirit is our Sanctifier whosoever will venture out by Faith and Trade in these Seas or on this Voyage shall obtain a sure Interest in Christ and in God through Jesus Christ for ever 2. Because this Trade answers all the Necessities of the Soul or all its Wants My God shall supply all your need according to his Riches in Glory by Christ Jesus Graciously nay Gloriously or according to his own Fulness or rich Mercy or Riches in Glory Nay 3. Not only supply the Needs of our Souls but these Merchandises tend to inrich the Soul with Grace yea with all Grace This Trade or this Merchandise puts a Crown better than that of Gold on its Head and Chains about its Neck They shall be an Ornament of Grace unto thy Head and Chains about thy Neck This my Brethren makes the Soul amiable and honourable in the sight of God and all good Men A meek and quiet Spirit is in the sight of God of great price No other Ornaments are of any worth in the esteem of God but are hateful to him when the Creature is lifted up with Pride thereby What are the Curled Locks and Chains of Gold and Glisâ—â—â—ing Robes in the sight of God Poor Lazarus was far more lovely before his Eyes 4. Because these Merchandises inrich the Soul with Choice and Blessed Experiences Hence David saith The Law of thy Mouth is better to me than Thousands of Gold and Silver And again he saith speaking of his Experiences Thou hast put Gladness into my Heart more than in the time when their Corn and Wine encreased One Day in thy Courts is better than a Thousand And from hence it is that he cries out Whom have I in Heaven but thee Neithâ—r is there any on Earth I desire besides thee Again saith he O taste and see how good the Lord is He is
is a full Covenant shewed in 10 Things p. 194 to 198. VI. 'T is a seasonable Covenant shewed in 3 Things p. 198. 1. As to the time when provided before Man sinned 2. As to the first revelation of it 3. As to the time of the application of the Balm of it to a Convicted or Wounded Sinner p. 198 199. VII 'T is a sure Covenant shewed in 6 Respects p. 199 200. VIII 'T is a Cov. of Peace p. 201 to 203. SERM. X. IX 'T is a tried Covenant shewed in 4 Respects p. 206. X. It is one intire Covenant largely proving the Covenant of Redemption and Covenant of Grace essentially one and the same Covenant p. 207 to 222. The Covenant of Peace a Covenant of greatest Consolation p. 222. Also an Everlasting Covenant p. 223. SERM. XI Shewing the Gifts Grants and Priviledges in the Covenant to Believers p. 224. 1. God himself given as a Cov. Blessing p. 225. How God comes to be our God negatively shewed in 3 Respects p. 226. Affirmatively p. 227. What an amazing Gift this is shewed in 9 Particulars p. 228 to 236. First The Good in God's Communicable Atbutes given and let out to us p. 229 c. Secondly The Son is given to Believers p. 237 Thirdly The Holy Spirit is given all Grace is given other Priviledges given p. 238 239. SERM. XII Believers are God's People by virtue of the Covenant p. 240 241. 1. In what respects called God's People negatively in 3 respects p. 242 243. In the Affirmative in 7 respects p. 243 c. 2. What kind of People God's Covenant-People are shewed in 11 Partic. p. 246 to 252. 3. What a Blessing it is to be God's People in 12 Particulars p. 255 256. The Application p. 256 257. SERM. XIII This Peace opens a Free Trade to Heaven p. 259. Sin stop'd up or interrupted all Trade betwixt God and Man what this implies shewed p. 259. What meant by a Free Trade shewed in 3 Things p. 260 261. This Spiritual Trade is opened by the Peace made by Christ p. 261. We Trade by or through a River viz. the Spirit this River Christ opened p. 262. This Trade the best Trade shewed in 4 Respects 1. in the respect of the Subject these Merchandises inrich 2. In respect of the things Traded for 3. In respect of the Correspondent we Trade with p. 263 4. In respect of the Terms upon which we Trade p. 264. 1. In respect of the Subject viz the Soul shewed in 7 Things p. 265 c. 2. In respect of the Nature of the Things shewed in 8 Particulars p. 268 c. 5. In respect of Christ we Trade with shewed in 6 Things p. 271 272. 1. Christ makes great Returns p. 272. 2. Sure Returns 3. Quick Returns 4. 'T is a Free Trade without Money p. 275. The Application p. 276. All False Dealers will break and why shewed in 6 Things p. 277. Who are Rich Traders shewed in 9 Things p. 279 280. SERM. XIV A Summary Account of what is requisite to God's being at Peace with Man and Man with God p. 281 c. The Nature of this Peace opened in fourteen Particulars p. 286 to 291. The general Application p. 293. Christ the Covenant or the Sum of the Covenant of Grace shewed in eight Respects p. 293 to 296. How to know we have actual Peace with God shewed in 8 Particular p. 299. 300. A needful Caution about the Elect being Reconciled to God in Christ whilst Sinners p. 300 301. The Blessed State of Believers that possess Peace or are in a State of Peace p. 303 304. The Conclusion THE DISPLAY OF Glorious Grace OR THE Covenant of Peace Opened In Several SERMONS SERMON I. ISA. Liv. x. Latter Part. Neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath Mercy on thee I Have promised some Brethren to Enter upon the Great Subject of Peace Not to Treat of Peace with Men but Peace with GOD not National Peace but Spiritual Peace And that which partly put me upon the Thoughts hereof was To see and hear what Great Joy there is among us in this Nation and in other Kingdoms and States upon account of the Peace lately concluded betwixt the French King and the Confederate Princes I must confess National Peace is a great Blessing when it is given in Mercy and it is sanctified and well improved by those Kingdoms and People that enjoy it But whether the Present Peace may be in Mercy to the Nations or in Judgment I know not Time must discover that Alas What Peace can such expect who continue in Rebellion against the GOD of Heaven and Earth What Peace can such a People expect who are not humbled for those Sins and Abominations which caused the righteous and holy God to bring the Plague of War and Devastations upon them When the Cause is not removed what reason have we to think the Effect will cease GOD may it is true take off one Rod and yet chasten us with another if War and the Pestilence humble us not Famine may be looked for See what God speaks in Levit. 26.21 And if you walk contrary unto me and will not hearken unto me I will bring seven times more Plagues upon you according to your sins and ye shall eat the flesh of your Sons and the flesh of your Daughters shall you eat v. 29. A People may cry Peace Peace when sudden Destruction is just coming upon them I may say of the Nations of the Earth as Jehu said to Joram's Messenger What hast thou to do with Peace What Peace so long as the Whoredoms of thy Mother Jezzabel and her Witchcrafts are so many What Peace can such a Nation or People look for long to continue whilst their horrid Wickedness Prophaneness cursed Oaths Blasphemy Drunkenness Whoredom Pride Treachery Cruelty Cotousness Heresies Superstitions and all manner of abominations abound amongst them know this assuredly God's Anger is not yet turned away but his hand is lifted up still The Seven last Plagues will over a short time be poured forth and whatsoever you may think of the present Peace I fear worser things are near than what the Earth hath seen or felt yet we are not fallen in such an Age as to expect any long time of Peace No No! God hath a fearful Controversie with the Kingdoms of the Earth Babylon must fall and Sion must rise and Jesus Christ shall Reign and Possess his Visible Kingdom And tho Reverend Mr. Beverly in some respect hath acknowledged himself mistaken yet the Church of God is greatly obliged to him for his elaborate Pains in his careful searching out the Mystical Numbers so as to know the time of the end of the Beasts Reign and Tyranny and the passing away of the Second Wo. Moreover I am perswaded he hath out-done all that went before him and may be the World will see in a short space that he was not much mistaken as to the
Faith and Perseverance compare this with Rom. 8.32 My Brethren 't is the same All or World that Christ promised that he would draw to him and that he takes away the Sin of Moreover if he had reconciled the whole World to God he would have prayed for the whole World but that he saith he did not yet he prayed for all he died for III. Because the Gospel discovers the Meritorious Cause or Foundation of our Reconciliation viz. the Death of Christ this was that Sacrifice that turned away God's Anger and Vindictive Wrath and Vengeance He saw the Travel of his Soul and was satisfied IV. Because the Gospel contains mutual Reconciliation not only an account of God's Reconciliation to us but also our Reconciliation to him which is through the receiving the Atonement God is reconciled in Christ by his Wrath-appeasing Sacrifice but the Gospel shews that Sinners are not actually reconciled to God until they are by the Spirit united to Christ and believe in him having that Natural Enmity removed that is in their Hearts against God V. The Gospel is the instrumental means through the Spirits Operations of the Sinner's Reconciliation to God We pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God It is called the Power of God to Salvation because therein the Righteousness of God is revealed Vers. 17. It is my Brethren an Instrument of his Power or a powerful means ordained of God to this purpose it having an excellent and efficacious Influence attending it through the Spirit where it is proclaimed and received My Brethren Faith Regeneration Convertion or Holiness do not reconcile us to God no no nothing doth that but the Blood of Christ. And this I might make appear 1. Because our Reconciliation on God's part is by the Death of Christ For when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son Hence we are said to be Justified by his Blood that is Meritoriously yet Materially it is by his Active as well as his Passive Obedience 2. Because our Reconciliation on God's part I mean his being Reconciled to us is antecedent to Faith Regeneration c. your Faith doth not make your Peace tho it be an Instrument by which you receive that Atonement that Christ hath made 3. Faith c. is an effect of our Reconciliation that we may be actually acquitted and saved from Sin and Wrath in our own Persons and have it evidenced to our own Consciences it is our receiving that of Christ which he received for us upon his Discharge as our Head and Surety Much more being now Justified by his Blood we shall be saved through him Therefore Christs Blood must be the appeasing Sacrifice that delivers us from the Wrath we lay under 4. Nay my Brethren Justification is the Effects of Reconciliation for had not Christ satisfied Divine Justice for us we had not been pronounced Just or Righteous in him the Prisoner is acquited as the Effects of the Payment of his Debts his believing his Debts are paid and the Law and justice satisfied doth not pay his Debts tho a Sinner is not in his own Person actually discharged until he doth believe or leastwise in his own Conscience True Jesus Christ as Mediator doth both these i. e. he pays our Debts and knocks off our Chains he makes the Atonement and sprinkles the Blood upon our Consciences by his Spirit if Reconciliation was the bending of our Hearts to God to believe in him and love him why should Faith and Sanctification be laid down as the End and Effect of this Reconciliation Yet now hath he reconciled in the Body of his Flesh through Death to present you Holy and Vnreprovable in his Sight VI. A Proclamation discovers or reveals who they are that shall receive the Blessings of that Peace which is made and upon what Terms So my Brethren the Gospel makes known who they are that are comprehended in that Peace our Lord Jesus Christ had made viz. all that God hath Elected or Chosen in Him or all his Seed or all that the Father hath given to him or if you please all that do believe in him and also it shews upon what Terms viz. wholly of meer Grace and Favour By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God not of Works least any Man should boast not by any Act of the Creature not by his Faith and sincere Obedienceâ— nor by Works of Righteousness that we have done either in Obedience to Law or Gospel See Rom. 11.6 the Terms are without Money and without Price VII Some Proclamations proclaim Peace so my Brethren the Gospel Proclaims our Peace with God Peace Peace to them that are afar off and to them that are nigh It proclaims Liberty to the Captives c. Hence our Lord saith to his Disciples That which ye have spoken in the Ear shall be proclaimed on the House Top And came and preached Peace or proclaimed Peace to you which were afar off and to them that are nigh And hence the Gospel also comes so to be called for what is Gospel but glad Tydings good News Peace on Earth good Will to Men It is called the Joyful Sound Blessed is the People that know the Joyful Sound c. Not they that only hear it but that know it it is that which when known and received pacifies a Wounded Conscience VIII A Proclamation of Peace and Pardon is that which a Self-condemned Traytor takes hold of and presently submits himself with Tears and falls down at his Sovereign's Feet being broken to Pieces at the Thoughts of his Prince's Clemency and Free Pardon Also it gives an Assurance to all such of Pardon and Peace So my Brethren the Gospel is that which Sin-convicted and Self-condemned Sinners and Stubborn Rebels against God takes hold of and it is this that breaks and melts their hard Hearts What hear that their Peace is made and God reconciled Nay and that he has Sacrified his own Son to this very end this breaks the Heart of Stone and brings the Rebel to lay down his Arms and to take hold of Pardon And it gives to each poor Sinner also an assurance of Mercy he brings the Proclamation as it were to God and pleads his Pardon Where the Word of a King is there is Power The King's Word and Promise saith the Soul is passed in his Proclamation that I shall have Free Pardon and here it is IX A Proclamation is Written nay Printed that it may be read and known of all Men so God in his Providence hath caused his Gospel to be Printed that it may be read and known to all to whom it is sent it was first Written as Holy Men speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and since it has been Printed also X. A Proclamation is set up in the Market-place
Paul argues Rom. 5.10 Chap. 8.32 5. Or would Jesus Christ die for the whole World and yet refuse to pray for them that they may all be saved See Joh. 17.9 The Reprobate World he prayed not for yet he prayed for all that should be saved Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their Words that World Christ is a Propitiation for their Sins or had made their Peace with God for he died for Even that World which he takes away the Sins of he died for and that All which he draws to himself by his Spirit he died for on the Cross he taketh away the Sin of the World by bearing it himself or by satisfying for the Sins thereof He was made Sin for us that knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him He made a Plenary Satisfaction to the Justice of God for the Sins of this whole World and obtained plenary Remission and Grace by his Blood that we might be Redeemed from a vain Conversation The Elect before Calling are as much the World as any others yea and the best part of it too Moreover by A Metonomy All is put for a part frequently in the Scripture God so loved the World that he gave his only Begotten Son that is God so loved Sinful Mankind both Jews and Gentiles That whosoever believeth on him might not perish but have everlasting Life Object We do not plead for an absolute Vniversal Redemption but for a Conditional one that is so that if all Repent act Faith are Regenerated obey Christ and are Holy and continue so to the End they shall be saved Answ. Is this Gospel Doth the Proclamation of Peace run thus 1. I argue then that Christ is but a Conditional Redeemer and hath only made a Conditional Peace i. e. he made our Peace and paid our Debts upon this Condition viz. That we Repent change our own Hearts or are Regenerated and get Faith and sincere Obedience and continue Holy and Obedient to the end 2. Moreover this Notion of a Conditional Peace and Redemption renders our Salvation not to be of God's Free Grace alone through that Redemption that is in Jesus Christ but that we procure our Peace or make it with God our selves with our own Money i. e. by our Repentance Faith Holiness and final Perseverance and that Christ only merited or purchased this Grant that our Money i. e. our Faith Obedience c. should go for good Coin in Heaven and procure our Justification Peace and Eternal Life for us And thus the Glory that we are saved would not belong to God and Jesus Christ alone true that we might be saved we may thank God and Christ God by the Death of his Son is made reconcilable but that we are saved we may thank our selves Christ doing no more for us that are saved than he did for them that perish but only we had more Wit and Care than they had i. e. for by improving our common Grace God was obliged to give us his Special Grace 3. After this Notion Christ might be or might not be a Redeemer at all our Peace might or might not be made with God because it wholly dependeth upon the Will of Man Man's Will determines the Issue of the whole matter not that Christ undertook to how our Wills or reconcile us to God no but that we our selves must Answer the Condition of Repentance Faith Obedience c. or else all that Christ hath done is lost and comes to nothing and why might not all refuse to do this as well as some who never will believe c. Christ shall be a Redeemer and make our Peace if we please this puts a Bar to the Purchaser as one observes a Man can't in any good sense be called a Redeemer of such Persons out of Slavery till the Persons perform those Conditions upon which he laid down the Price As for Example saith he I lay down an Hundred Pounds for the Redemption of a Person in Slavery upon this Condition that he yield to serve me Seven Years after I must have his Consent before I can Redeem him and therefore upon these Conditions I am certainly suspended from being a Redeemer nay and am no Redeemer of such Persons if they refuse the Terms So that for Christ to be an Universal Redeemer is a Contradiction for it is to be a Redeemer of all if they please but can be a Redeemer of none but of such that consented to the Terms proposed 4. Besides this casteth horrid Reproach upon the Son of God as if he had done some great thing for us in dying and making our Peace when indeed according to this Notion he doth but deceive poor Creatures for he has made their Peace and Redeemed them if they will but get out of Satan's Hands and break his Chains and Bonds in pieces and raise themselves from the Dead and change their own Hearts c. whereas he knew we were no more able to do this than to create a new World Therefore Brethren pray observe we affirm that whatsoever Conditions were agreed upon in the Covenant of Peace our Lord Jesus Christ undertook to do and perform them all both for us and also in us I will give them a new Heart I will take away the Stony Heart and I will give them a Heart of Flesh I will put my Fear into their Hearts and they shall not depart from me I will Circumcise their Hearts to love the Lord their God He that hath begun a good Work in you will perform it to the Day of Christ who were born not of Flesh nor of Blood nor of the Will of Man but of God To believe is our Duty but 't is Christ that gives us Grace and Power so to do and this Grace was also purchased for us by his Blood He is exalted at God's Right Hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance c. And Faith also is the Gift of God Eph. 2.8 5. Moreover Who can believe that Christ would shed his Blood for such whom he knew would never answer those Conditions which these Men speak of besides they being Conditions out of their power to perform 6. Moreover I might argue thus i. e. If Christ died for all he intended to save all but he never intended to save all therefore he died not for all Who shall frustrate his Purpose or Intention 7. That Purchase of Peace and Remission of Sins that leaves many Man under a certainty to be Damned is not to be esteemed a Redemption at all 8. Moreover Christ's Death and Resurrection shall have its full and proper Effects for whom or in whose stead he died See Joh. 12.23 24. 9. If there be the same Eternal and Unchangeable Cause of the Price of the Redemption as of the Application to the same Persons then whosoever his
wellcome News shall be saved from Hell and be Crowned with Glory in Heaven for ever and ever 9. O Bless God for the Gospel for the News of Peace and you Sinners see that you attend upon the Preaching of the Word of Reconciliation for this way he has ordained to work Faith in you O! Cry to him to pour out his Spirit and help you to believe never rest till you have got a Heart a Will to take of the Water of Life 10. Terror But tremble you that reject these Tidings this Grace for such that finally do so shall never have a share of that Peace Christ hath made by his Blood for on such the Wrath of God abides and will for ever Moreover he will also make it appear that Man's Destruction is of themselves tho their help is only in him Dread least God gives you up to blindness of Mind and hardness of Heart nay leave you also to Temporal Plagues and Judgments as he dealt by the Jews of old 11. Comfort Moreover here is Comfort to Believers who have heard and do know the Joyful Sound 1. They have Interest in this Peace and have a Title to Heaven by Christ's Righteousness alone 2. It is also a sign they were beloved from Everlasting because drawn to Christ or were Elected before time because called in time therefore let all such praise the Holy God To whom be Glory now and for ever Amen SERMON VIII Shewing when the Covenant did Commence also the Nature of the Covenant opened ISA. Liv. x. Neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Doct. THAT there is a Covenant of Peace made or agreed on and stands firm in the behalf of all God's Elect. The next thing under the General Head I am upon I shall as it were but mention which is the Sixth thing proposed viz. Quest. When did the Covenant of Peace Commence and who are included in it and what is required in order to their actual Possession of the Peace and Blessings thereof 1. The Covenant was made in Eternity but the time of its first Commencement was after our first Parents had violated the Law of the first Covenant 2. But it did not so fully commence in the actual dispensation thereof until Christ put an end to the Covenant of Works then it was as you have heard established He took away the first that he might establish the second II. As to those who were included in it they were all the Elect or all the Seed of Christ or all that he as a publick Head represented and no more True the whole World receives many external Blessings by virtue of it for the Elect sake for Jesus Christ is their Great Landlord and Glorious Sovereign The World is upheld by a new Title i. e. from Christ as Mediator for had not he interposed between God and it the whole visible Fabrick doubtless had been dissolved and the whole Race of Mankind lost for ever III. That which is required in order to actual Interest in and Possession of the Sacred Blessings of this Covenant and the Peace thereof is Union with Christ I will cause you to pass under the Rod and bring you into the Bonds of the Covenant Under the Rod God brings Sinners under Convictions that wounds like a Rod and makes them pass under the Yoke i.e. he Marries them to his Son and so brings them into the Covenant Sinners by Faith take hold of this Covenant and Christ being given to them they also give themselves to him to be his and no more their own but the Lords they take God to be their God and Christ to be their Saviour and so come to possess the Blessings of the Covenant and the Peace thereof But no more as to this I shall proceed to the third General Head Thirdly My Business and Work is now to open the Nature of the Covenant of Peace 1. I shall God assisting shew you what a kind of Covenant it is or explain the Properties of it 2. Apply it I. The Covenant of Peace is the Covenant of Grace But pray observe that the Covenant of Peace may be considered as twofold or a mixt Covenant 1. As it refers to Christ or to his part and Work therein and as thus it was a Conditional Covenant Christ receives all for us wholly upon the account of his own Desert or Merits 2. But whatsoever we receive by virtue of this Covenant it is wholly in a way of Free Grace and Favour through his Merits or through that Redemption we have by his Blood But take it either ways 't is of Grace First As to the Rise Spring or Efficient Cause thereof it was God's Infinite Love and Free Grace to his Elect This moved the Fato send his Son to be our Mediator and to accept of him as our Surety to do and suffer for us and in our stead I have before shewed God was no more obliged to enter into a Covenant of Peace with Christ for us or any of Adam's Off-spring than he was to reconcile himself to the Fallen Angels for they were his Creatures and more glorious in their first Creation than Mankind were The Surety of the Covenant was alone of God's finding he procured him He hath devised means that his Banished might not for ever be expelled from him For the Lord hath ransomed Jacob and he sent Jesus What could be an Act of higher or greater Grace and Favour than for God to vouchsafe or provide such a Mediator and Surety for his Enemies One so Great Glorious Worthy and Able and one so willing to undertake to make our Peace and bring us again home to God Secondly And then as to us this Covenant God entered into with Christ for us must needs be of God's Free Grace For as I have before hinted I. It was not of Constraint I mean there was no Necessity laid on God or Jesus Christ thus to Love Redeem and Save us in respect of Motive there was nothing in Man I say that could move the Affections of God thus to do and much less was there any thing in us in respect of Merit we deserved no such Love either absolutely or comparatively because we were not only undeserving but an ill-deserving nay Hell deserving Creatures being Rebels to God Vile Contemptible and Base Creatures even as loathsome as filthy Worms What is Man that thou art mindful of him What is his Deformity his Polution his Filthiness And O! What Cursed Enmity was there in our Carnal Mind Yea how much like to the Devil were we by Nature II. In that God hath manifested his Love and Mercy to so many this shews his Infinite Grace to us-ward Object May be you will say Why not to more Nay Why not to all Answ. I answer Why to so many Nay why to any at all Or Why to such that are called Why to us and not rather to those
't is great gain every ways profitable at all times in all States and profitable to the Soul and Body too 7. The Things that Believers Trade in are the best Things of Heaven the best Things of God he has no better Things to bestow as you have heard all good is comprehended in these Riches and hence these Things are only given to his own People to his Beloved ones as a Pledge of his Eternal and Special Favour in Christ. What exceeds himself His Son his Spirit his Love his Grace his Peace Peace with God Peace of Conscience and Joy in the Holy Ghost and Eternal Happiness in Heaven 8. They are Eternal Things The Things that are seen are Temporal but the Things that are not seen they are Eternal These are Everlasting Wares you shall carry them out of the World with you These things have I spoken that my Joy might remain in you and that your Joy might be full O! what a Trade by this Peace is opened to Believers Thirdly This is the best Trade in respect of our Blessed Correspondent whom we Trade with or who manages all our Affairs at the Court of Heaven namely Jesus Christ. I. Consider that the Father hath put the Management of all our Affairs into Christ's Hands as our great Trustee Moreover every true Believer has committed himself and all his Concerns to Jesus Christ The Poor committeth himself unto thee II. Consider his Power he is the King of Heaven and Earth All Power is given to me in Heaven and Earth he is the Mighty God this made Paul say For I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that Day I have committed my self to him my Soul to him my Life and all I have and hope to receive to him and I doubt not of his Power and Ability to keep it III. Consider of his Faithfulness other Correspondents oftentimes deceive and prove unfaithful Stewards but Jesus Christ is Faithful he never failed any one poor Soul that truly trusted in him God is Faithful and Christ is called A Faithful High Priest c. IV. Consider of that great Price he gave for all those Things which we Trade with him for Moreover and that he bought them for us and has opened a Blessed and sure way of Conveyance of them and besides he hath obliged himself by Covenant to give them down to us as we need them V. Consider of that Relation Believers stand in to him and of his Infinite Love and Affections to them he Trades or Intercedes for his Friends for such he ransomed with his own Blood for his Spouse whom he hath betroathed to himself for ever VI. Consider what Returns he makes some venture much and that which is great in worth but hardly sometimes have returns of the full intrinsical value again but thus doth not Jesus Christ deal with us First Christ makes great and vast Returns 1. To appoint them that mourn in Sion to give them Beauty for Ashes Beauty especially Spiritual Beauty is a precious Thing but what are Ashes worth What are our Duties Our Fastings and Prayer and Humiliations Why of no more worth then a little Ashes Yet here is Beauty returned for Ashes yea Beauty on the Soul Glorious Beauty 2. And the Oyl of Joy for Mourning we mourn and weep for our Sins well and pray what are a few Tears good for Are these of any worth in themselves No certainly Yet Christ makes returns of the Oyl of Joy for this Mourning or in lieu of these Tears even the Holy Spirit which fills the Soul with Joy and Comfort 3. And the Garment of praise for the Spirit of Heaviness Christ approves of Sadness of Heart that rises from that Sense we have of that Unworthiness that is in us and of that Dishonour which is done to him But how little Worth is there in this Heaviness as in it self But he returns the Garment of praise i. e. he cloaths the Soul in Beautiful Garments all these Expressions shew that whatsoever we receive is in a way of Free Grace and that there is no Worth in our Duties and also that Christ in a way of Grace will make Blessed Returns My Brethren Rewards of meer Grace are far greater than those of Debt as I have often told you But further 4. He that gives or ventures a Cup of cold Water to a Disciple in the Name of a Disciple shall not lose his Reward This is a small thing indeed yet here is a great Return for this when given to a right Object and to a right End and if he that gives or ventures a Cup of cold Water has such Returns what shall he have that ventures his All yea his very Life 5. And every one that hath forsaken Houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father and Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my Name sake shall receive an hundred fold now at this time and in the World to come Eternal Life An hundred fold is a wonderful Return as when a Man that ventures one Pound to Sea to India or to any other place and receives a Hundred Pounds in lieu of it 't is a mighty Return but this is more in Quantity and better in Quality and that in this Life an Hundred fold here and a Crown of Glory in the Life to come Who would not Trade with such a Correspondent or not enter into such a Calling Will you not this Day become Spiritual Merchants What do you say II. He will fill our Treasures and that with Riches and Honours yea with durable Riches and Righteousness That I may cause them that love me to inherit Substance and I will fill their Treasures III. He hath promised to return Glory in Heaven for Sufferings on Earth For I reckon the Sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us Let us weigh one against the other and see what a vast difference there is For our light Afflictions that are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory But did I say these Returns are for what we venture No no not for but in venturing in keeping Christ's Precepts there is an exceeding great Reward For all Returns are in a way of Free Grace 't is a Free Trade 1. Without Money and without Price without Money or Monies worth We Trade for nothing receive nothing for what we had or give for it as you have heard 'T is true Buying denotes our parting with something that is our own that we may have that we want But what is ours which we must part with Is it of any worth We must 1. Part with all our Sins Evil Courses Evil Habits and old Companions 2. With our old Hopes of Heaven 3. Our own Righteousness in respect of
Trading because his House lay waste They minded not this Trade Also know the more you venture the greater Returns you will have the more you do or suffer for Christ the greater your Reward of Grace will be They that turn many to Righteousness shall shine as the Stars for evermore There are no doubt degrees of Glory in Heaven Quest. Who are Rich Traders Rich Christians Answ. All Believers are rich yet some are richer than others richer in Faith Love and Holiness than others 1. They that can Trust most are rich Dealers the Poor you know can't Trust they live upon their Labour so some too much fetch their Comforts from their liveliness in Duties and lively Frames or from their own Labour but this is not to live by Faith but such are rich that can Trust or Believe tho they with Thomas see and feel not 2. Such that are rich live high they keep a Noble Table I mean eat the fat and drink the sweet of the Ordinances and of the Promises and also they dwell above they dwell on high or enjoy Blessed Communion with the Father and the Son 3. They that are Spiritually poor poor in their own Eyes are rich I know thy Poverty but thou art Rich. 4. Such that are more Heavenly than others are the richest Saints 5. Such that are most rich in good Works 6. Such that can best bear Burdens when Taxes or Burdens are laid on poor Men they can't bear them but the Rich can 7. Commonly the Rich are envied so Satan and wicked Men envy such Christians that are most rich Thieves seldom beset a poor Man's House the more thou art tempted O Soul the greater sign it is that thou art rich 8. Rich Men feed others they feed the Poor so such that are rich in Grace and Experiences feed other Christians The Lips of the Righteous feed many 9. The Rich are better cloathed and adorned than others so rich Believers are more Holy more Humble Meek and Lowly than others are But I cannot enlarge on these Things but must leave what I have said to the Blessing of God SERMON XIV Opening the Nature of the Peace made by vertue of this Covenant ISA. Liv. x. Neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee I AM this Day to conclude with this great Subject The last Thing I told you that I should do was to open the Nature of that Peace which is made by vertue of this Covenant The Method I shall take in speaking unto this shall be First To give you a short Summary Account of what we have said as to what is requisite to this Peace with God c. Secondly Shew you the Nature of this Peace Thirdly Apply the whole we have said on this Subject First I have shewed you that Jesus Christ alone is the great Peace-maker between God and Man I. You have heard that we can have no Peace with God until he is Reconciled and this Christ has done God in Christ is Reconciled his Justice is satisfied and his Wrath by Christ's Obedience and Sacrifice is appeased II. Sinners must also we have shewed you be Reconciled to God We pray you in Christ's stead be ye Reconciled to God Tho Sinners Peace may be made with God by Jesus Christ yet that Peace may not be accepted of by them or they may not be reconciled to him true we have proved that Jesus Christ undertook to do both these for all God's Elect as hath again and again been hinted 1. You have heard that Christ died on the Cross so making Peace by satisfying Divine Justice 2. He also as our Blessed High-Priest sprinkles that Blood upon our Consciences I mean applies the vertue of it to our Souls By the first Act he removes all Obstacles out of God's way and by the second he removes all Obstacles out of the Sinner's way so that the Reconciliation becomes Mutual Now that which is requisite on the Sinner's part in order to Peace and Reconciliation to God 1. Is that his Eyes be opened to see his wretched State and Condition by Nature i. e. that he is a Sinner an Enemy to God a Rebel yea a Cursed and Condemned Creature in the first Adam Yet 2. That God in Christ is well pleased or as I have shewn is reconciled by his Wrath-appeasing Sacrifice as the Way Means or Meritorious Cause thereof and that that Enmity which is naturally in the Sinner's Heart must be removed also 3. He must believe or come to Christ resting alone upon him for Justification Pardon Peace and Eternal Life being convinced there is no other way to obtain these Blessings but by him only 4. And the Grace of God being thus poured forth upon the Soul by the Spirit Faith is wrought in him to look to Jesus Christ and so seeing and admiring the rich Bounty Pardon and Unwordable Clemency of his offended and provoked Soveraign this works Repentance or Godly Sorrow for Sin in every such Person by which means he mourns and is more or less in great bitterness of Spirit in beholding how hateful Sin is to God and also what Sorrows his Sins brought upon his Blessed Saviour Hence it is called A mourning for him Zech. 12.10 For saith the Soul now I see that my Sins Crucified my dear Lord and let out his Hearts Blood and thus was my Peace made 5. Upon this the Believing and Sin-loathing Sinner resolves to lay down his Arms and never any more to fight against God Shall I saith he thus receive a Free Pardon of all my by-past Treasons Sins and Rebellion against my most Gracious Sovereign refuse to lay down my Arms Shall I continue in Sin because Grace has abounded God forbid Brethren if Grace be infused into the Sinner's Heart it will Teach him to deny all Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts And not only to deny it to leave it but also to loath it it changes the Mind yet Repentance is not the Condition of Peace with God but an effect of it or of Christ's Merit a Broken Heart being one Promise in the Covenant 6. A Sinner hath not cannot have actual interest in the Blessings of this Covenant or have Peace in his own Soul without Union with Christ which is accomplished by the Holy Spirit and Faith of the Operation of God first of all whereby it is that the Soul is transplanted out of the first Adam that dead stock into the second Adam that quickning Spirit Moreover know that the Real and Relative Change is at one and the same time and certainly all that deny that there is a Change of State as well as a Change of Heart err exceedingly 1. Because the Word of God positively declares That by Nature the Elect are Children of Wrath as well as others therefore more than under Wrath in their own Conscience for in their own Consciences they may not apprehend they are the
as the Glory of Christ and of the Holy Spirit therefore let him primarily have the Honour of our Peace and Salvation O how did Love and Bowels move towards us in the Heart of God the Father from everlasting III. Exhort Also be exhorted to prize and highly esteem of the Lord Jesus Christ from what you have heard concerning the Covenant because Christ is the Sum of the Covenant I will give thee for a Covenant to the People 1. Christ is originally and fundamentally the Covenant saith a Worthy Writer he is the Original Root out of which this Covenant sprang and he is the Foundation upon which it is grounded Behold I say in Zion for a Foundation a Stone a tried Stone a precious corner Stone a sure Foundation c. God fixt his Eye on Christ and entered into Covenant with him he is the Foundation Stone of this Covenant had there not been a Mediator found there had been no Covenant of Peace ever made nor any Redemption for poor Sinners 2. When it was first revealed it was expressed by his Person viz. The Seed of the Woman nothing else is mentioned there yet this contains the first Revelation of this Covenant to Fallen Man And what was the Covenant of Grace as revealed to Abraham but Jesus Christ In thy Seed shall all the Kindreds of the Earth be Blessed Thus Christ is represented as the Sum of the Covenant 3. Christ is the Covenant primarily as the same Author notes and by Propriety As Fire is hot for it self and all things hot for it and by participation With Christ the Covenant was made as the chief Party with Believers it was made in Subordination to him with him it was made at first Hand with us at second Hand Now Brethren this certainly is true therefore all Promises were made first to Christ and first fulfilled to him and all Acts of God's Love terminate first upon him and come to us through him Who has made us accepted in the Beloved Had not God's Love been fixt first on him as Mediator it had never run out to us all Covenant-Blessings are in him Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus Christ as our Head is the Repository or Seat of all Divine Blessings Christ is the Jewel the Riches or the Sum of all things in the Covenant as Life Righteousness Pardon Peace c. And he that receives this Jewel receives all things with him From hence he is compared to a Cluster of Camphire 4. Jesus Christ saith the same Author is the Covenant eminently because he is the chief Blessing of the Covenant there is not such another Promise in all the Bundle of Promises contained in the Covenant If thou knowest the Gift of God c. Christ is the Gift of God yet certainly our Author forgot that God the Father and the Holy Ghost are given as well as Christ in the Covenant but when Christ is given God the Father and the Holy Spirit is given He that has the Son has the Father also All other things in the Covenant are saith he but as the Garnish of this Jewel 5. Christ is the Covenant virtually he is the just value of all the Bargain he is of as much worth as all that is promised If you would know the worth of the Covenant consider the worth of Jesus Christ. Moreover my Brethren they that have Christ have all that is promised in the Covenant 6. Jesus Christ purchased all that good which is in the Covenant when we say God is our God we must say he is our God in Christ or by Christ or through his Redemption and Procurement 7. Christ is the Covenant comprehensively or summarily he is the very Compound or Abridgment of the Covenant he is the whole Covenant by way of Stipulation on our part c. 8. Jesus Christ is the only way of Conveyance of all Covenant Blessings through whom we receive all we need or that is Communicaed unto us Moreover the Tender of the Covenant and Interest in it is contained in the free Tender of Christ and Interest in him Get Christ be but in Christ and thou art in the Covenant Sirs when God gives Christ to a Sinner the whole Covenant is performed to that Person and he that receives not Jesus Christ shall never have one saving Benefit or Blessing thereof And thus may Christ be called the Covenant But IV. From hence also we may infer the wonderful worth that there is in the Blood of Christ It is not only precious Blood in respect had unto his Person whose Blood it is viz. the Eternal Son of God but also in respect of that Atonement it hath made and that Wrath it has appeased and that Peace it has procured and in regard of those Infinite Blessings and Priviiedges it hath merited for us and that precious Soul it Sanctifies O prize this Blood What will become of them that contemn and slight this Blood and the Vertue and Efficacy that is in it Or account it as the Blood of another Man or as an unholy and unprofitable thing it had been better for such if they had never been Born V. We may moreover from hence see the absolute necessity there is of the Work and Office of the Holy Spirit in order to the Application of the Blood of the Covenant and all Covenant Blessings unto us The Holy Ghost deserves my Brethren equal Glory with the Father and the Son The Holy Spirit must plant Grace in our Hearts or be a Vital Principle in the Soul it is he which infuses sacred Habits from whence all Vital Acts proceed by the Spirit we come to have the root of the matter in us from whence all Spiritual Fruit flows 't is the Spirit that draws us to Christ that unites our Souls to him without it the Death of Christ profits no Man it is he which sprinkles his Blood on our Consciences O let our Mediations swim in the unlimited Ocean of Love and Divine Goodness and magnifie all the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity VI. We may furthermore learn from hence to see what absolute necessity there is of the Revelation of this Mystery through the Word or Holy Gospel what signifies all Natural Religion doth naturally light in Man discover any thing of our Redemption and Reconciliation by Jesus Christ And from hence let us be moved to abhor those New and Cursed Notions which at this Day so much prevail which tend to raze the very Foundation of the true Christian Religion for such that contemn all revealed Religion contemn the Christian Religion From hence also VII We may perceive the Necessity of True and Saving Faith and likewise the Excellency thereof no Man is possessed of this Peace that has not the Faith of God's Elect He that believeth not is Condemned already and shall be Damned unless
1.27 1 Tim. 3.16 The Covenant of Peace a full Covenant Mat. 3.17 Mat. 4.2 Eph. 1.23 Mat. 11.28 Psal. 111.5 Psal. 37.3 Pal. 84.11 Col. 1.19 Chap. 2.9 Joh. 1.16 Psa. 73.26 Col. 2.10 Phil. 4.7 Ezek. 16.14 Rom. 15.14 Joh. 15.11 Joh. 16.24 1. Pet. 1.6 Heb. 6.19 Ezek. 16.6 ver 8. 2 Sam. 23.5 Isa. 55.3 Psal. 89.28 ver 54. Isa. 54.10 Eph. 3.11 Psal. 89.35 36. Isa. 54.9 Rev. 1.18 Heb. 13.20 Psal. 85.8 Joh. 14.27 * Dr. Owen on Justifica p. 13 14. Isa. 56.4 5. Feb. 10.169 The Covenant of Redemption and the Covenant of Grace not Two distinct Covenants but one and the same Covenant 2 Cor. 5.18.19 Dr. C. p. 126 127. Rom. 10.4 Doctor Chauncy 1 Pet. 1.18 Tit. 2.14 Zech. 9.11 See the Everlasting Covenant a sweet Cordial p. 12 13 14 15. Larger Cathechism Ark of the Covenant p. 3. Pag. 5 Pag. 21. P. 26. Charnock on Reconcil p. 273. Art of the Cov. p. 423 Charnock's Reconcil p. 273. Art of the Cov. p. 457 Mr. Sam. Petto on the Covenant p. 18.23 2 Sam. 23.5 Ps. 89.29 30 31. Hos. 14.4 Jer. 31.31 32 33. Jer. 32.40 Ps. 84.11 Hos. 2.19 20. Isa. 45.17 Isa. 51.68 Shewing what great Gifts Grants and Blessings are contained in the Covenant of Peace How we come to have God to be our God Ezek. 36.27 What it doth import to have God to be our God Joh. 15.6 What it is for God to give himself to us Ps. 73.25 Gen. 15.1 Divine Goodness given in this Covenant Matt. 29.17 What a good God is opened Ps. 31.19 Psal. 35.5 Exod. 33.19 God originally good God infinitely good God Immutably good Mal. 3.6 Heb. 13.8 God universally good God an unmixt good God a Soul inriching good Isa. 55.1 2 Ps. 36.8 9. God a delicious good God Superlatively good God a communicable good God an Eternal good Ps. 52.1 Ps. 73.26 Isa. 12.2 Ps. 59.10 Ps. 73.24 Ps. 25.9 Pro. 8.18 Eph. 1.7 18. Col. 1.27 Ps. 119.90 143.1 Lam. 3.23 1 Pet. 5.7 Isa. 61.10 1 Joh. 1.9 Mal. 3.6 1 Kings 22.4 5. 2 Kings 3.7 Ps. 85.10 Ps. 48.14 Christ is given Col. 3.4 Eph. 2.14 Ps. 23.1 1 Cor. 1.30 Col. 3.11 The Holy Spirit is given All Grace is given in the Covenant Eph. 4.8 Ministers given in the Covenant 1 Cor. 3.22 23. All the Prromises given 2 Pet. 1.4 2 Cor. 1.20 Eternal Life is given Rev. 3.21 Free access to God granted in the Covenant Believers are God's People by Virtue of the Covenant of Peace Jer. 31.33 Five things premised Cotton on the Cov. p. 55. Gal. 5.22 Rom. 9.25 Hos. 2.33 How we may be said to be the People of God Joh. 10.16 Act. 28.10 Joh. 17.6 Vers. 9. 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Tit. 2.14 Cant. 6.5 Rev. 17.14 Joh. 8.34 Rom. 6.16 Joh. 8.36 Eph. 2.3 What a kind of People the People of God are Rom. 7 15. Psal. 119.113 Gal. 6.14 1 Joh. 2.15 Phil. 3.8.9 Rom. 7.4 Prov. 23.26 Ezek. 33.31 2 Pet. 1.4 Judg. 8.18 Prov 12.26 Psal. 9.10 Psal. 25.2 Job 13.15 Isa. 40.10 Ps. 73.25 Psal. 34.8 Cant. 5.10 Phil. 3.3 1 Chron. 29.11 13. 16. Psal. 30.5 Hab. 3.17 Isa. 66.2 Jam. 4.6 1 Pet. 1.16 Ps. 110.3 Mich. 4.5 Joh. 15.14 Ps. 119.6 Isa. 63.8 Ps. 111.1 Ps. 112.2 Ps. 119 1. Acts 2 41.47 Joh. 15.19 2 Cor. 6.17 Rev. 18.4 Joh. 12.2 Joh. 4.24 2 Cor. 8.5 1 Cor. 11.2 Joh. 20.31 Joh. 5.39 2 Tim. 3.16 1 Tim. 3.2.8 Eph. 4.3 cap. 5.1 2. 1 Joh. 5.1 Joh. 8.42 Joh. 13.35 Joh. 3.14 What a great Blessing it is to be God's People 1 Job 3.1 Rom. 8.17 Heb. 1.14 Rom. 8.28 Jer. 31.3 Rom. 8.39 Psal. 52.1 Psal. 52.1 Isa. 54.9.10 Jer. 32.40 Heb. 6.18 19. Rom. 8.30 31. Joh. 10.28 Rom. 8.34 Joh. 17.20 21 22. Joh. 14.17.23 Charnock Phil. 3.7 8 9. A Free Trade is opened by the Covenant of Peace What is meant by the interruption of our Trading with God Rev 22.1 What is meant by our Trade and Traffick to Heaven Gen. 4.4 Heb. 11.4 Eph. 1.6 This Trade the effects of our Peace Psal. 46.4 The Saints Trade is in and by the River i. e. the Holy Spirit so called Pro. 3.14 Rev. 22.1 Rom. 5.12 Eph. 2.18 Eph. 3.12 Heb. 10.19 20. Joh. 14 6. What a Rich and Glorious Trade this Spiritual Trade is The Spiritual Trade inriches the Soul Phil. 4.19 Prov. 1.19 This Trade inriches the Soul with choice Experiences Ps. 119.72 Psal. 4.7 Ps. 84.10 Ps. 73.25 Psal. 34.8 Pro. 31.29 Prov. 8.11 Eccles. 1.1 Heb. 11.25 26. Phi. 3.7 8. This Trade inriches the Soul with Gods Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 Phi. 3.21 With Satisfying and Soul-fatening Riches The Nature of Spiritual Things opended Ps. 49.8 9. 1 Pet. 1.23 Eph. 3.8 Pro. 8.18 Isa. 55.2 Psa. 36.8 Ps. 92.14 1 Tim. 6.17 1 Tim. 4.8 2 Cor. 4.18 Joh. 15.11 Who Believers Trade with or is their Correspondent Ps. 10.14 Matth. 28.18 1 Tim 1.12 Heb. 3.1 2 What Returns Christ makes Believers Christ makes great Returns Isa. 61.3 Matth. 10.42 Mark 10 29 30. Matth. 19.29 Prov. 8.18 19. Rom. 8.18 2 Cor. 4.17 What buying denotes Job 35 7. Christ makes sure Returns Ps. 126.5 Gal. 6.6 Ps. 126.6 Christ makes quick Returns Isa. 65.24 Jam. 4.2 There are some false Traders these will be undone or Break and come to nothing but others can't Break Rev. 3.18 Pro. 23.23 Directions to Trade to Heaven Joh. 3.8 Job 22.21 Hag. 1.4.6 Dan. 12.3 Rev. 2.9 April 3. 1698. A Summary Account of what has been said as being requisite to Peace with God c. 2 Cor. 5.20 What is requisite to the Creatures being Reconciled to God Repentance how and when 't is wrought in the Soul Rom. 6.1 Tit. 2.12 Eph. 2.3 Rom. 15.13 2 Cor. 3.17 A Person may Believe and not know it Faith is more than a bare Evidence Joh. 6.14 Rom. 6.14 Heb. 12.4 Peace is according to the degree of Faith The Excellent Nature of Peace with God opened by virtue of the Covenant Rom. 8. ult Heb. 10.17 Psal. 119.165 Heb. 1.14 Ps. 34.7 Numb 24.5 Phil. 4.7 1 Pet. 1.8 Isa. 26.3 Rom. 14.17 Amos. 3.3 Eph. 1.3 Cant. 1.1 Joh. 14.27 Mark 9.50 The Happy and Vniversal Peace of Christ Kingdom Isa. 9.7 Isa. 2.4 2 Cor. 5.18 Christ the Sum of the Covenant Isa. 42.6 Ark of the Cov. p. 454 Isa. 28.16 Gen. 3.15 Gen. 12.3 Eph. 1.6 Eph. 1.3 Cant. 1.14 Joh. 4.14 Joh. 3.18 Mark 16.16 1 Pet. 2.8 How to know whether we are in Covenant with God or not Ps. 50.20 1 Joh. 2.9 1 Joh. 3.14 Rom. 10.15 A Needful Caution * Tho you have heard that I own a Foederal Vnion from Eternity See my Medium betwixt two Extreams Heb. 1.3 Isa. 40.1 2 Prov. 4.18 Psa. 37.37 Isa. 57.2 2 Pet. 3.14 Joh. 14.27 Ch. 16.22