an holy calling 2 Tim. 1.9 and we called unto holinesse 1 Thes 4.7 and when God takes us into Covenant with him he chargeth us henceforth to touch no unclean thing 2 Cor. 6.17 4. In regard of the effect it works holinesse in those that are called It worketh effectually that which it promiseth and commandeth The promises of the Covenant have a sanctifying vertue in them to sanctifie those to whom they are made for God by them conveyes the Spirit of holinesse into our hearts as the Apostle implyes in 2 Pet. 1.4 and we are thereby encouraged and quickned to grow up â—n all holinesse according to the will of God as is evident by that in 2 Cor. 7.1 compared with chap. 6. end where God having made that sweet promise Come out from among them and touch no unclean thing and I will receive you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty from hence the Apostle inferres Having then such promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and grow up unto full holinesse in his feare c. And in regard of this effect of the Covenant thus working holinesse in those that are the people of God they are called the holy people Dan. 12.7 and the people of Gods holinesse Esay 63.18 So in all these respects the Covenant may well be called an holy Covenant And it must needs be an holy Covenant First because the Lord himselfe is the author and ordainer of this Covenant the summe and substance of it was framed and set down in heaven in the counsels of eternity comming forth from the bosome of the Father and concluded by the assent of the Sonne and holy Ghost All the articles of it were first decreed and concluded there and therefore must needs be holy If they had been devised by men they would have been of an other quality savouring of the sinfull and licentious spirit that is in man but being a Covenant of the Lords own drawing he setting down all the articles and conditions of it it must needs be as himselfe is an holy Covenant proceeding from so pure and holy a God hence it is that in Psal 60.6 he hath spoken the words of his Covenant in his holinesse Look as grace and holinesse are united together in God so they are in his Covenant God can no more cease to be holy then he can to be gracious he is both gracious and holy so that his Covenant of Grace is also an holy Covenant as proceeding from him which is both gracious and holy 2. Because the end of this Covenant is to make us partakers of all the holy things of God from which all unholy and uncleane ones are excluded Levit. 12.2 3 6. Psal 50.16 but those that are sanctified enjoy them and use them as their own they are their portion their inheritance Deut. 33. their pearles Matth. 7.6 The Lord would have all his Ordinances to be used holily he cannot abide to have them prophaned and therefore it is that in Ezra 6.21 none but such as were separate from their uncleanesse might eat of the holy things and therefore the Lord will have his people to be an holy people that they may participate in all his holy things Nay more we are called not only to participation of these holy things of God but to fellowship with God himselfe 1 Ioh. 1.3 The Lord saith unto them ye are my people and they say unto him thou art our God Zach. 13. ult But without holinesse no man can have fellowship with God and therefore they must be an holy people that are taken into Covenant with God to enjoy followship and communion with him Quest But wherein stands that holinesse which the Covenant requires of all Gods covenanted people Answ There is a twofold holinesse 1. Relative 2. Positive First Relative in two things 1. In separation from common use 2. In dedication to God 1. There must be a separation from common use in this sence things holy are called separate things Deut. 19 2. Things common in Scripture are opposed to holy to shew that holy things must be separate from common use Hence Solomon speaking of Gods taking Israel to be his own he useth that expression Thou hast separated them unto thy selfe from all the people of the earth c. and thence was that exhortation of Ezra Separate your selves from the people of the lands Ezrah 10.11 and that of the Apostle Come out from among them and separate your selves 2 Cor. 6.17 If then we will be holy we must be separate from the common conversation of the world having no fellowship with the works thereof 2. There must be a dedication and devoting our selves unto God we must be offered up and given unto him Thus the holy dayes were dedicated unto the service of God they were not only separated from common and ordinary use but were dedicated to the Lords service thus were the first fruits called holy and thence the holy things and the dedicated things are taken for one and the same 1 Kings 15.15 as the Altar Numb 7. end the Temple 1 King 8.63 and thus must we be dedicate or given to the Lord as is said of the Macedonians that they gave themselves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8. we must resign up our selves unto him to be his and for him alone Secondly Positive and this is also twofold Habituall Actuall 1. Habituall qualifying and fitting us by graces infused for the service of God which we are devoted unto as all the things that were appointed for the service of God were anoynted with the holy oyl Exod. 30.26 27. so must we be anoynted with the sweet oyntments which are the graces of the spirit 2 Cor. 1.21 1 Ioh. 2.27 The oyntment of the holy Ghost which was poured upon the head of Christ Acts 10.38 must run down upon us that the savour of his oyntment may be found upon us Cant. 1. we must be sanctified throughout in soule in body and in spirit 1 Thes 5.23 2. Actuall it s not enough to have grace in us but there must be an holy use and exercise of those graces that are in us they are not given to us to be idle or that we should be slothfull in the possessing of them but that we should put them forth in our practice so as to be fruitfull in the improvement of them 2 Pet. 1.8 and thence it is that the Apostle speaking of the holinesse which the Lord requires to be in his people he doth not only require a holinesse of disposition by inherent graces but that we should be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 16. and for this cause the way of Saints is called holy Esay 35.8 they are sanctified not only in their vessels as 1 Sam. 21. but their way is holy also and they are said to be undefiled in their way Psal 11 9. where the soule is sanctified by the spirit of Christ the life will be
yet would live in hatred of their brother ver 9. They would say they loved God yet loved not their brethren 1 Ioh. 4.20 Now against these Sayers as I may call them that were all in profession and in word saying Lord Lord but not doing his will against these I say the Apostle opposeth these others which had the true work of sanctification in their heart and tells us that hereby we know c. Namely if we doe not onely say we love the brethren but doe indeed love them c. hereby we know that we are passed from death to life Thus by these expressions taken out of the Apostles own mouth we see clearely who they are whom the Apostle meaneth by this we namely not we onely who have received that immediate witnesse of the Spirit assuring us of our election and justification but we also which have this work of sanctification wrought in our hearts by the holy Ghost Quest But some may say why should we goe about to evidence our justification by our sanctification rather then our sanctification by our justification Ans Because though they goe both together in time yet they are not both alike in respect of manifestation Our sanctification is more manifest to us then is our justification It s easier discerned First because our sanctification is the work of the Spirit whose part it is as was said before to make known unto us the hid things of God for which cause he is called the Spirit of Revelation c. Eph. 1.17 Secondly because our sanctification is a work within us wrought in out own hearts Our justification is an act of God without us God not imputing to us our iniquities but our sanctification is an inward work wrought in a mans own bowels of which he hath and cannot but have a sensible feeling in himselfe Obj. But by this reason may some say a man may as well know his justification as his sanctification because we are justified by faith and faith is an inward Grace planted in the heart as well as any other sanctifying Grace which springs therefrom And therefore we may know our justification by our faith as well as by our sanctification Answ True so farre as we discerne our faith we may thereby discerne our justification also But this makes for us not against us Though this withall is to be considered that faith being as the root of all other Graces is more hidden then they are as the root of the tree is more hidden in the earth then the body or branches but this we stand not upon This therefore we would grant that a man may know his justification by his faith but this toucheth not the point in hand For when we goe about to try our justification by our sanctification and by qualifications inherent in us in this way of tryall faith is excluded as much as any other sanctifying Graces be And the meaning of those that doe oppose this way of evidencing by our sanctification is to remove all evidence by any thing in our selves whether by faith or by any other Grace and to urge only the immediate revelation of the Spirit The summe is that this is a safe way of tryall being laid down unto us by the Lord himselfe in the Word And it is a possible way in as much as our sanctification is more evident then our justification this being an act of God without us as was said before and that a work within us which we feele and finde in our own soules Would we then know whether we be of the number of those that are saved by the blood of the Covenant we need not for this ascend up into heaven to search the book of Gods election nor need we to goe down into the lower parts of the earth for any there to tell us that we are deliveâ—ed thence but goe down into our own hearts and if we finde this work of sanctification there wrought then what Moses said of Israel Blessed art thou O Israel a people saved by the Lord the same may be truly said of us Our salvation is begun we have the seale of it the earnest the first fruits which shall at length bring the full possession of the whole harvest Blessed therefore are they which are undefiled in their way saith David which walk in the Law of the Lord Psal 119.1 Blessed are the pure in heart Matth. 5.8 Those that have innocent hands and a pure heart shall surely ascend into the mountaine of the Lord and stand in his holy place Psal 24.3 4. Such as these shall never be moved or confounded Psal 15. end But if in our hearts we doe still nourish impurity if we be fleshly carnall such as have not the Spirit then have we no part nor portion in that salvation which the Covenant brings unto Gods people without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 No unrighteous person no uncleane thing shall enter into Gods Kingdome 1 Cor. 6. Quest But how shall we discern our sanctification to be right sincere and sound Answ 1. By the extent of it It goes over the whole man soule body and spirit 1 Thes 5.23 and therefore compared to leaven Matth. 13.33 which runnes through the dough till all bee leavened As corruption had defiled all so Grace sanctifies all The minde which was darknesse before is now light in the Lord to know and understand the will of God and to discerne things that differ The judgement made to approve the good which is known the will to desire and endeavour after the doing of it The conscience is made watchfull and tender fearefull to offend The affections ordered aright to love the things which God loveth and to hate the things which he hateth The body is made an instrument to execute and doe that which is holy and good Both body and spirit are Gods set to doe the things that please him by which he may be glorified 1 Cor. 6. all that is within us and without us is imployed to praise God 2. True Sanctification as it doth sanctifie the whole man so it doth forme the heart to a closing with the whole will of God without exception or reservation when God writes his Law in our hearts he writes all his Commandements there as he wrote all of them before in the Tables of stone and they being all written in the heart now we love all the Commandements of it saying as Paul The Law is holy and just and good now his Commandements are not burthenous or grievous all are equall and right we love all embrace all and labour to practice all duties of holinesse towards God duties of love and righteousnesse towards men goe hand in hand in the life of a sanctified Christian He makes account he hath done but half his duty if either of these be omitted He counts himselfe as debtor to God and man to glorifie God and procure the good of men and desires to keep a cleare conscience
hee makes them able to lend unto others makes them the head and others the taile c. sets up his own above and the other beneath 7. God is in Covenant with our whole man he is the God of our body as well as soule and spirit we are wholly his he hath taken us wholly to be his own and therefore even as our Saviour Christ in Matth. 22. doth hereby prove the resurrection of Abrahams body because God was in Covenant with Abraham he was the God of Abraham of whole Abraham body as well as soule and therefore God being the God of the living and not of the dead Abrahams body must live and rise againe so by the same argument we may gather assurance that God will provide for our outward man because he is the God of the whole man he is a God to us not only to pardon our sinnes to sanctifie and save our soules but he is the God of our bodies also to feed and to cloth them to minister to them such things as are convenient for them And hence is that in 1 Cor. 6.13 as our body is for the Lord to serve and glorifie him so is the Lord also for the body to redeem it to nourish it to glorifie it 8. The Lord knowes how many discouragements we meet with here to dishearten us in his service And therefore he casts in these outward blessings as encouragements to provoke us to serve him with more willingnesse and cheerefulnesse of Spirit As Hezekiah caused the Levites to have provision brought in unto them that they might be encouraged in the service of the Lord 2 Chron. 31.4 so will the Lord doe much more hee will have his servants to know that they shall not serve him for nought Iob 1. not so much as to shut a doore in his house in vaine Mal. 1. 9. The Lord hath commanded such duties unto his servants as they cannot performe without a supply in these outward things works of love mercy kindnesse helpfulnesse one to another yea he would have us to abound in these things and as examples to goe before all other people And therefore he will also furnish us with sufficiency that we may be compleat unto every good work He will not send on a message and cut off the feet of him whom he sends Prov. 26.6 10. The Lord looks for service from our outward man give up your body as an holy living Sacrifice unto God Rom. 12.1 Glorifie God in your bodies and spirits for they are God's saith Paul 1 Cor. 6. but he will not reap where he hath not sown nor look to gather where he hath not scattered he will sustaine us if he look for service from us 11. We are Gods houshold and family and therefore hee will provide for his own If he have charged us to provide for our own 1 Tim. 5.8 he will not he cannot be wanting to his If he feed the Ravens Job 39.3 and cloath the Lilies Matth. 6.26 he will not suffer his children to want bread 12. By giving us these outward things the Lord would nourish our faith in the hope of things spirituall and heavenly for when we see his care over us in these lesser things it may assure us that he will not neglect us in those that are of greater moment The outward blessings which God gave unto Israel were not outward blessings alone but pledges and tokens of better things he gave them bread from heaven and it was an outward bodily food but not that only but it was a pledge to them of the true bread from heaven he gave them water out of the Rock which did quench their bodily thirst but not that only but was a sign and pledge of Christ the true Rock out of whom springs the water of life he gave them a good and fat land to dwell in where they had vine-yards orchards gardens and lived in pleasure therein through his great goodnesse Neh. 9. but not as an outward blessing only but as a pledge of a better inheritance And thus doth he unto us though every thing is not now typicall to us as to them yet thus far we may go to say that these outward blessings are made pledges unto us of Gods love towards us in better things so as we may argue from the lesse to the greater that if he be so mindfull of us in these smaller things of this life then doubtlesse he will not neglect us in those greater things which concerne the eternall salvation of our soules 13. He knowes we have need of these things Matth. 6.32 and therefore he having commanded us to give unto him that needeth Ephes 4.28 and open our hand wide unto the poore Deut. 15.11 surely he will not shut up the bowels of his compassion from his own needy servants but will open his good treasure unto them to satisfie them with good things Deut. 28.12 Quest But sometimes wee see Gods faithfull servants to bee kept short in these outward blessings how comes this to passe the Lord having made such ample promises unto them and how farre forth may any bee assured to have a sufficiency in these things Answ To the first I conceive thus First all the promises of things pertaining to this life are subordinate and subservient to the promises which concern our inward man and our eternall salvation God doth not promise us these outward things so as to make against our spirituall good but so as to further and help it forward he promiseth them with Christ not against Christ nor to hinder his Kingdome in our hearts Rom. 8.32 If it so fall out that sufficiency in these may better us in the inward man wee shall not want them but because the Lord sees us sometimes to abuse them to the fulfilling of our wanton desires to pride security confidence and trusting in them here the Lord is free from his promise least by filling us with those things that are outward he should empty us of that little grace that is in us Secondly there are times of tryall in which the Lord will try all his children The Lord will try the righteous saith the Prophet Psal 11.5 thus he tryed them in Heb. 11.36 37. they were tryed with mockings and scourgings being destitute afflicted and tormented Thus also he tryed Israel in the wildernesse Deut. 8.2 16. and thus he tryed holy Job God will know what is in us he will see whether we serve him for wages yea or no or whether wee would continue to serve him out of love though he should give us nothing Hee will see whether we follow him for loaves or whether we can be content to cleave to him in wants and necessities having nothing But though the Lord will thus try us yet these times of tryall last not alwayes these are not the wayes of Gods ordinary dispensation towards his people During these times of tryall the Lord doth sometimes cut short his servants in outward things but it is to do
condemnation but the gift is of many offences unto justification c. Adams one sin brought guilt upon him and all his posteritie because he was under the covenant of workes and therefore justification can be had by that Covenant no more But it is not so in the Covenant of grace neither one sin nor many sinnes doe exclude from life in this covenant But this gift is of many offences c. And this holds true not onely of such sinnes as are committed before our entrance into a covenant of grace with God but of such sins as are committed afterward as is evident Psal 89.31.34 God having made a Covenant with them though he chastise them yet his Covenant will be not breake c. The reason of this difference is from the summe and scope of the Covenant of workes which is to bind us to a totall full perfect and constant obedience of the Law in all things unto the end Gal. 3.10 so that one or once fayling breakes that Covenant But in the Covenant of grace God promiseth not onely to forgive but to multiply forgivenesses Isa 55.7 Isai 55.7 Hence though in many things we sin all as James 3.2 yet 1 Joh. 2.2 1 Joh. 2.2 wee have an Advocate with the Father And 1 Joh. 1.7 The bloud of Christ cleanseth us from all sin No number of sinnes doth exclude from salvation till they be accompanied with finall Apostasie impenitency and unbeliefe till as Heb. 3.12 wee doe by an evill heart depart away from the living God Hence also saith the Apostle Rom. 5.19 Where sin abounds there grace abounds much more God will glorifie his grace by our sinne As sin takes occasion by the Law Rom. 7.10 so grace takes occasion by our sin God will glorifie his grace thereby and make it marvellous in the eyes of the world so that men shall wonder that such grace should be shewed in pardoning such sinnes that they shall say as Micah 7.18 Micah 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee who passest by the transgression of the remnant of thy people Consolation to the weake Saints of God Vse who are often cast downe in themselves through sense of their own infirmities and the many falls they are subject unto by reason of which they are cast into sad feares and doubts concerning themselves yea so farre as to make conclusions against themselves that they cannot belong unto God because as they thinke if they were the Lords people and his grace were effectuall in them they should not be so often overcome But such must know that so long as the sinnes that are in us be repented of and mourned for it is not one nor many infirmities which can make voyd the Covenant of grace which wee are entred into or hinder us of the blessing that comes thereby Wee must remember that we are not under the Law but under Grace wee must not be too severe against our selves like Novatians denying pardon to second falls In so doing we set such limits to the grace of God as he himselfe hath not set God hath not said He will pardon once and no more or that he will pardon sinnes before grace received but not those committed after God never so stinted his grace but his gift of grace is against many offences unto justification of life In denying therefore of pardon to our selves for sins iterated and for our often infirmities so long as there is a spirit of repentance working in us and we are humbled for them before God we doe not onely wrong our selves and deprive our soules of the peace we might enjoy but we do wrong to the grace of God as if that grace were not sufficient for us as if that God could not or would not renew his gracious pardon to us as wee renew our repentance towards him Let such consider what the Lord hath commanded us to doe we must not onely forgive seven times but seventy times seven times if our brother turne againe and say it repenteth me And can wee thinke that God lookes for more mercy from us towards our brethren then he will shew towards his owne children He hath bidden us daily to pray for the forgivenesse of our sinnes as knowing that we are subject to daily infirmities and doe stand in need of daily mercy and forgivenesse And therefore to limit Gods grace as we are apt to doe is in effect to turne the Covenant of grace into a Covenant of workes as if there were no more grace under the one then under the other Know therefore that whiles there is in us an holy watchfulnesse against the sin that dwells within us whiles it is our desire and care to please the Lord whiles we feele in our selves the spirit of grace causing us to mourne over him whom we have pierced by our sinnes though we be overtaken again and again through the infirmity of the flesh that is in us yet know that it is not one nor many offences that can deprive us of the blessing of this covenant of grace in which God hath promised to multiply forgivenesses according to the multitude of his great mercies Yet let no man abuse this doctrine unto carnall liberty this is childrens bread impure dogges and carnall livers that make no conscience of sinning have nothing to doe with this consolation it is onely to support the weak to comfort the feeble minded not to encourage the wicked and impenitent in their sin Let such know that though God abound in mercy and do multiply forgivenesses unto such as are humbled for their sins yet he will multiply plagues also upon impenitent wretches that goe on in their evill way To such neither many nor any one of all their sins shall be forgiven but being under the law they shall make an account to God for every transgression God will repay them all their wickednesses not one shall be forgotten or forgiven He is indeed abundant in goodnesse reserving mercy for his people and so he is also abundant in wrath against rebellious sinners and will abundantly reward the proud doer That the covenant of works if it be accomplished and fulfilled Differ 8 leaves in man matter of glorying and boasting in himselfe but the covenant of grace excludes all glorying in a mans selfe and leaves him nothing of his own to boast of but in the grace of God If Adam who was under the covenant of works had fulfilled that covenant he might have come before the Lord and said Behold Lord I have fulfilled the commandment which thou gavest me and done thy will now therefore justifie me and give me the life which thou hast promised here Adam had had something in himselfe to glory in Thus the Apostle speaks of Abraham that if he had had the righteousnesse of works by his fulfilling of the Law he should have had whereof to glory before God Rom. 4.1 Rom. 4.1 he might have said as the elder son did in Luk. 15.29 Luke 15.29
to every faithfull soule thou mayst say the Lord is my God hee is my own It is somewhat to say we have an house of our own necessaries of our own bread of our own to eat cloathes of our own to put on so as wee need not goe to others to supply our wants but what a blessing is this that the soul may say I have a God of mine own God is my God It is the misery of the men of the world that they are forced to speak of God as of the God of another people as Laban Gen. 31.29 The God of your Fathers and Pharaoh Exod. 10.16 Pray to the Lord your God c. They cannot speak of God as their own God But this is the felicity of the people of God that they can challenge an interest in God and say as David Psalm 63.1 Psalm 63.1 O God thou art my God This is more then if we could say as Psal 50.10 11. Psalm 50.10 11. That all the beasts upon a thousand mountaines are mine Value therefore this blessing The greater God is in himselfe the greater blessing and consolation it is to us he being wholly ours All the nations of the earth are as the drop of a bucket unto him yea as nothing Isai 40.12.15 17. All the great things which the world admires at and gazes upon they are all nothing in comparison of him And therefore God being so infinite what an infinite blessing is it to have him for our God In Gen. 15. Gen. 15. Abraham asketh God Lord what wilt thou give mee The Lord answers him I will give thee my selfe take me as thine use me as thine The same he speaks of every faithfull child of Abraham Vse me and acknowledge me and all my power Grace and mercy and kindnesse as thine own See how David was affected with this 1 Chro. 17.20 21 22.24 Thus we have taken a little view of this great blessing of the covenant I will be a God unto thee But because this is the main and principall Promise of the covenant being Substantia foederis as Junius call it Anima foederis as Paraeus Caput foederis as Musculus calls it therefore we will a little further sift into this promise and see what it may contain within the bowels of it Now if we would know what this implies when the Lord sayes I will be God unto thee wee must first consider what it is to be God and then we shall see what it is that he promiseth to be God unto us Now to be God implies these three things 1. To bee All-sufficient both to his own Being and Blessednesse and to the blessednesse of the creature 2. To have all that blessednesse and sufficiency that is in him from himselfe and not from another 3. To be God over all to have dominion and soveraignty over all as Rom. 9. To apply these things to the point in hand That God will be a God to us implies these three things 1. That he will be an All-sufficient God to us 2. That he will be all this good to us from himself and from no other 3. That he will be God over us to bring us again under the first dominion as Micah 4.8 Micah 4.8 to rule over us and govern us according to his will First for the first that God will be an All-sufficient God to us this is a part of his covenant that he will be to us a full blessing so as that we shall bee wanting in nothing that is good for us Hence it is Gen. 17.7 that when God tells Abraham He will be his God and the God of his seed if Abraham should now ask what that is saith God verse 1. I am God All-sufficient and also my goodnesse and sufficiency is thine I will bee enough to thee thou shalt need no more Hence also is that in Jeremy 31.14 I will satiate your soule with fatnesse and my people shall be satisfied with goodnesse saith the Lord. God is enough to them that are his Reason Because he is sufficient to his own blessednesse and therefore much more unto ours He needs no creature to adde unto him The greater any one is in state and dignity the more he stands in need of Psalm 16.3 to be a sufficient fulnesse unto him That is too little for a Prince which is enough for a private man Now God is the most excellent Being and therefore that which is sufficient for himselfe must needs much more be so for us That water which fills the sâ—a will much more fill a cup and therefore said David when he enjoyed God My cup runneth over Psal 23. Thirdly because what ever good is in the creature is more eminently and abundantly in God himselfe hee is the Fountain and they are the Cisterns What ever good is in Angels or Men or other creatures is more abundantly in God And therefore if all the good of all creatures joyned together were able to satisfie and to be sufficient for a man as we would think it were then is God much more Thirdly there is in God a sutablenesse to the desires of the soul of man It is the happinesse of the creature to have a thing suitable to it Now the soule being made after the Image of God it is best satisfied with God and nothing else can satisfie it As no creature satisfied Adam till Eve was made that was suitable to him Similitude breeds content The soul is a spirit and dâ—sires spirituall things Now God is a Spirit Again the soule is of an intelligâ—nt nature reaching after the knowledge of high and hidden things Now God is light and wisdome to sati fie the soule in this by filling it with light by the knowledge of himselfe Again the soule is an immortall substance which dies not and the desires of it are immortall So is God therein satisfying our soules dâ—sires Fourthly if God be our God then all the creatures are ours and for our good If God bee ours then all that is his is ours now all the creatures are his Hence saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. end All things are yours As when a virgin marrieth a Prince his riches glory and all are for her good So God having taken us into covenant with himselfe all that hee is and hath is for our comfort and blessednesse As God is able thus to be an All-sufficient God to us so he will be to those that are his First because it is the nature of goodnesse to bee communicative of it self and therefore God being good he will let out himself unto his people He cannot satisfie himself unlesse he doe it Secondly the Lords end in taking us into covenant with himselfe is to make us an happy and blessed people which wee cannot be but onely by the enjoyment of God himself blessednesse standing in a confluence of all good which cannot be found but in God alone There is in man himselfe nothing but vanity and misery he
was at first full of grace and goodnesse an Image of the blessed God but now he is become a spectacle of misery So all other things under the Sun are to him turned to vanity and vexation of spirit As a deale of wind in the body doth not refresh it but gripe and pain it so all the windy comforts of the world cannot satisfie but rather trouble us till we recover our fellowship with God As we lost our felicity in losing God so we must recover it again by recovering him Therefore wee find in experience that the soule never finds setled test till it come to rest in God As the Bee goes from flower to flower because there is not full contentment to be found in any one so the soulâ— from creature to creature til it comes to God Hence the Lord is called the rest of the soule Psalm 116.7 And this the Lord knowing that the soule cannot find rest any where else but in him therefore he will communicate himself to them this being his end to make the creature blâ—ssed by enjoying of him Consider how God is an All-sufficient God to us in two respects First in respect of all our occasions and necessities whatever our case be It 's Gods prerogative alone to be an universal good The things of the world can help but against some one thing bread against hunger drink against thirst cloathes against cold and nakednesse houses against wind and weather friends against solitarinesse riches against poverty Physick against sicknesse c. But God is an All-sufficient good he supplies all the necessities of his people he is all in all to them he is habitation to them he is life c. he doth good to the inward and outward man his grace is sufficient to help all the defects of the soule Look upon the guilt of sinne there is abundant grace to pardon Are our infirmities many there is power in Gods grace to heale them Are our corruptions strong the power of Gods Spirit can overcome them and make us able to keep his Statutes and Judgements and to doe them Are our consciences disquieted and our peace broken His joy is able to make us rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious Again his sufficiency extends also to the body all the welfare of the outward man is laid up in God he is the God of our life Psal 42.8 Psalm 42.8 and the strength of our life Psal 27.1 Psalm 27.1 He is a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 1 Cor. 15.45 which though it be true in regard of the inward man which he doth also quicken by his Spirit and grace yet it is there spoken of the outward man of the body which the Lord shall quicken after death and doth now keep alive by his power For in him we live and move and have our being Acts 17.28 Acts 17.28 When God formed the body at first out of the dust whence had it life Not from it selfe nor from any creature God breathed into him the breath of life and so he still keeps the breath in our nostrils and upholds our soule in life or else we should presently return to dust Secondly God is an all-sufficient good in respect of all times and seasons both for this life and the life to come Other things serve but in their seasons as it was said of David that he served his time so doe the things of this life but they continue not our health and strength are with us in youth but they stay not The flowers give their smell in the spring but by and by they are withered and gone The Sunne gives light in the day time but hides it selfe in the night cloathes keep us warme but they wear away But God is a lasting yea and an everlasting good He is God and changeth not and therefore is called God from everlasting to everlasting Psal 90.2 In a word he is sufficient First to save us from all evill and thence hee is said to bee a Wall of fire round about his people Zach. 2.8 So also a Cloud against the heat a Shield and Buckler against the Sword c. an all-sufficient protection to his people against all evill Secondly an all-sufficient good to communicate all blessings to us which we stand in need of therefore hee promises to open his good treasure Deut. 28.11.12 And hee tells Abraham when hee enters into covenant with him that he will be his exceeding great reward I will be all things to thee Hence the Lord is called a Sunne Psalm 84. that as the Sun is the cause of all fruitfulnesse to the earth bringeth forth corn grasse and hearbs and withall cherishes them so the Lord by the influence of his grace and goodnesse bringeth forth something out of every creature for the good and comfort of his people Thirdly he is able to make up all our losses whatever wee have forgone for his Names sake and his Gospels we shall have an hundred fold more either in the same kind or in contentation or inward peace of conscience Thus the Prophet tells Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. when he asked what he should doe for the hundred talents saith the Prophet The Lord is able to give thee more then this Have we with Abraham forsaken our native countrey and our kindred The Lord is able to make up all Fourthly He is sufficient to work for us and by us what ever we desire according to his will What ever enterprise wee have in hand or goe about though wee have mountaines against us as Zach. 4.7 yet the Lord can make them plains and work all our works for us Have we any grace to bee wrought in us Hee can make all grace to abound in us He hath abundance of spirit Heb. 13.21 and can work both will and deed Thus you see that God is every way sufficient to his people Vse 1 This may let us see both the cause and cure of those manifold discontents that we meet withall in our daily course troubled we are on every side nothing satisfies the unsatiable desires of our hearts but when we have the things we sought at Gods hand yet we are discontented The reason of all is because we doe not injoy God we doe not live upon him wee doe not possesse nor improve our interest in him We pore upon the Creature and place our rest there and so misse of our expectation If we did injoy God in our daily conversation wee might finde a sufficiency and contentment in every estate as Paul did Phil. 4.13 Phil. 4.13 2 Cor. 6.10 as having nothing and yet possessing all things He lived to God and enjoyed him and he was an all-sufficient good to him Wee may injoy God in any condition in the meanest as well as the greatest in the poorest as well as the richest Nothing can separate us from God but sin alone God will goe into a wildernesse into a prison into a low condition with his people and he
as in our first creation we were then created holy and righteous after the Image of God so now we are renewed unto the same image again The Lord doth with us as the Potter doth with his vessell when the first fashioning of it is broken he returns and makes it another vessell as seems good in his eyes Jer. 18.3 By this work of renovation and changing our natures there is a new disposition wrought in us clean contrary to that which was before Whereas before the wisdome of the flesh and our corrupt will was quite contrary and even enmity against the Law of God and would by no meanes bee brought into subjection Rom. 8.7 Rom. 8.7 yet now we are made to love the Law and delight in the Commandements of it in our inward man Rom. 7. Rom. 7. The law is not now any more a law without us to urge and enforce us but it is a law within us it is written not in Tables of stone but in the heart according to that promise Jer. 31. Jeremy 31. I will write my lawes in your heartâ— and in your inward parts will I put them By which writing there is stamped upon the heart an inward disposition and inclination of mind and will to doe the things which the law doth command The law being there within us it is unto us as our own bowels loving it and making pretious account of it This blessing the Lord promiseth in his covenant as we may see in Ezek. 36.25 26 27. Ezek. 36.25 26 27. I will powre clean water upon you and yee shall be clean yea from all your filthinesse will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give unto you a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your body and give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit withiâ— you c. And hence I think it is that the Lord calls himselfe Psalm 71.21 The holy One of Israel not onely because he is holy in himselfe and will be so acknowledged by them but because he sanctifies his Israel unto himselfe making them holy according to that Levit. 20.8 Levit. 20.8 I am the Lord which sanctifieth you And in Isai 43.15 Isaiah 43.15 I am the Lord your holy One. And in Habbak 1.12 Habbak 1.12 the Prophet calls the Lord his holy One. Art not thou of old O Lord my God my holy One He is not onely our mercifull God to pardon us but our holy one to sanctifie us And for the same cause we read of the promise of the Spirit Gal. 3.14 Gal. 3.14 Because God hath promised to give his Spirit unto those that hee takes to bee a people to himselfe This blâ—ssing of sanctification the Lord will perform unto all his people making them an holy people unto himselfe First because hee hath for this end chosen them that they might be holy Eph. 1. Ephes 1. and therefore he will bring them to that estate of holinesse to which hee hath chosen them What he hath chosen us to he will bring us to Gods purposes are not in vain hee will perform to us all the good hee hath intended towards us Secondly Christ hath purchased the spirit of grace for us Joh. 17.19 John 17.19 For their sakes saith Christ sanctifie I my selfe offering up himselfe as a consecrate offering unto God that they may bee sanctified by the truth It was for our sanctification that he offered up himself Thirdly hee hath filled himselfe with all grace for that same end that we might bee filled by that abundance of grace which is in him Psal 68.18 Psalm 68.18 he received gifts for men not to keep them to himselfe alone but to communicate unto us that out of his fulnesse wee might all receive grace for grace John 1.16 And therefore Christ is said to bee not onely righteousnesse unto us but sanctification because he hath filled himselfe to the end that he might also fill us with his own sanctity and holinesse Fourthly Christ hath prayed for our sanctification John 17.17 And wee know that hee was heard alwayes no prayer of his ever returned empty but came back with a full blâ—ssing Fifthly Gods covenant is to give us all things that pertain to life and godlinesse 2 Pet. 1.4 2 Pet. 1.4 Sixthly the Lord is an holy God and therefore will have those that are in covenant with him to bee an holy people Lev. 11. It would be a dâ—shonor to God to have his name called upon a sinfull and prophane people Ezek 36.20 Ezek. 36.20 And beside the end of the covenant betwixt him and his people is Communion God takes a people into covenant with him that he might communicate himselfe unto them that hee might possesse them and they enjoy him but God cannot communicate himselfe in the sweetnesse and familiarity of his love unto unsanctified ones And therefore he will have his covenanted people to be holy that he may communicate himself unto them Seventhly when the Lord gives himself unto a people to be a God unto them he gives himselfe wholly unto them keeping back nothing from them which might make them an happy and blessed people And therefore as he doth communicate himselfe to them in his mercy and grace to pardon their sin so he doth also in his purity and holinesse to sanctifie them and to cleanse them from their sin Eighthly God will be glorified in all his people whom he takes neer unto himselfe Levit. 10.3 Levit. 10.3 and in Isai 43.21 Isaiah 43.21 This people have I formed for my selfe they shall shew forth my praise But God could have no glory from us in this world if he should not sanctifie us Herein is he glorified when wee bring forth much good fruit John 15. John 15. and shine forth in good works Matth 5. Matth. 5. and shew forth the vertues of him that hath called us c. 1 Pet. 2. In these things God is glorified by us but this glory wee can never bring to God till he have sent down his Spirit of glory and grace upon us Now lest this blessing of sanctification should seem too little to be reckoned among the great blessings of the covenant let us therfore consider how great a priviledge this is to be renewed sanctified by the grace of Gods holy Spirit This is intended to us as a blessing in Isai 44.1 2 3. Isa 44.1 2 3 The Lord maketh many sweet promises to his Israel and in verse 3. I will saith the Lord powre my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thy buds When God powres on any his Spirit then hee would have us to know that he powres on them a rich blessing My Spirit and my Blessing saith God As it is a mans curse to bee left under the power dominion of sin so contrà it is a blessing to be set free from sin
and to be renewed unto holines Therefore it is that when Christ converts us from our sins he is said to blesse us in converting us from our iniquities Acts 3. ult Acts 3. ult It is a blessing indeed This is a better blessing then was that wherewith Esau was blessed who had the fatnesse of the earth for his dwelling place and the dew of heaven to mâ—ke it fruitfull This is one of those spirituall blessings wherewith Christ hath blessed us in heavenly things Eph. 1 3. Eph. 1.3 It is such a blessing as makes blessed those that receive it For first by being sanctified in our selves wee come to have a sanctified use of all other blessings which we enjoy To the pure all things are pure but to the impure all things are impure and defiled Titus 1. end Titus 1. end Secondly holinesse is the Image of the blessed God it conforms unto him makes us like unto him This is our excellency and our glory in the eyes of Angels and Men in nothing are wee so glorious as in holinesse this is a Crown and Diadem upon our head and therefore David calls the Saints by the name of excellent ones Psal 16.3 Psal 16.3 Sanctity makes a man to excell himselfe and preferres him above the common condition of men The Spirit of Holinesse is a Spirit of Glory 1 Peter 4.14 1 Pet 4 14. and Grace is Glory 2 Cor. 3.18 Thiâ—dly it makes the Lord to take a delight in us even as a father doth delight in seeing his own Image in his children God loved us before with a love of benevolence and good will but now he loves us with a love of complacency taking pleasure in his people as the Prophet speaks Psal 147.11.149.4 Psal 147.11 149.4 Fourthly by being sanctified wee also are made to delight in God How pretious are thy thoughts to mee O God saith Dâ—vid Psalm 139.17 Whom have I in heaven but thee And Psalm 73.25 Psal 73.25 When shall I come and appeare in the presence of God Psalm 42. Psalm 42. Hereby the Lord becomes the God of our joy and gladnesse Psalm 43.4 Psalm 43 4 His presence is sweet unto us his voice is pleasant his word ordinances and whatsoever else he communicates himselfe in they are delightfull unto us and wee take pleasure in them It is a pleasant thing to a sanctified heart to be praising God and to be exerciâ—â—d in any thing in which we may enjoy communion with him Fifthly By being sanctified wee have peace increased in our inward man God becomes a God of peace unto us in sanctifying of us 1 Thes 5.23 Thereby he stills those raging and strong lusts which had wont to disquiet our hearts While sin raignes there is no peace not onely is the Conscience perplexed by it but the affections of the soule are set at variance one against another Pride would have one thing and covetousnesse would have another Hypocrisie and prophanenesse are divided one against another Like so many contrary winds which lie upon the face of the deep and dash the waves one against another Thus a multitude of contrary passions and lusts distract and divide the soule asunder so that while sin rules in us there is no peace But when grace beginnes to have its kingdome set up in us it then brings with it a blessed peace Holinesse and peace goe together All the faculties of the soule being sanctified by grace they do now ayme at one end which is the doing of Gods will and this unitie makes peace Sixtly By being sanctified we are made instruments and meanes of blessing unto others When God called Abraham to follow him out of his native Country this was the promise by which he incouraged him to follow him I will blesse thee saith he and thou shalt be a blessing It was promised as a blessing to Abraham that he should be a blessing to others Thus Israel is a blessing in the midst of Aegypâ— and Ashur Isai 19.24 Isai 19.24 They are set as a blessing round about Goâ—â— holy mountaine Ezek. 34.26 Ezek. 34.26 The remnant of Jacob Gods sanctified ones are among many people as dew from the Lord and showreâ—â—â—on the grasse Micah 5.7 Micah 5.7 They are a blessing So long as a man 〈◊〉 grace and is unsanctified he is an useles unprofitable creature Psal 14. Psal 14. They are altogether unprofitable like that girdle which the Prophet speakes of which was corrupted rotten and good for nothing Jer. 13.7 Jer. 13.7 They are very corrupt yea very corruption Psal 5.9 Psal 5.9 and not onely corrupt but they are corrupters of others Isai 1. And so are rather a plague and curse to others then a blessing But when the Spirit of grace hath entred into the soule and sanctified it then 〈◊〉 that was before unprofitable is now become profitable and being a vessell of mercy filled with blessing himselfe he lets out himselfe unto others and becomes a blessing unto them Seventhly By being sanctified in our natures wee are made â—â—t to live the life of God from which we have been estranged ever since our mothers wombe we have been strangers from God and from the life of God we have of our selves neither knowledge how to doe well nor any ability to doe what we know we onely wander away from God and bid God depart from us Job 21. Job 21. Wee have neither will nor strength to doe any thing that is holy right in the Lords eyes But when God sanctifies us then a new spirit enters into us and sets us upon our feet and stirres and works in us carrying us on to the doing of the will of God Then we begin to live for God and with God In a word how great a blessing this is we may conceive by the lamentable complaint of the Apostle groaning under the bondage of his corruption Rom. 7. Who shall deliver me saith Paul from this body of death He knew himselfe to be already delivered from the law of death and the power of it so that death could not hurt him and yet Paul would have another deliverance still There was yet one thing which troubled him the body of death the sin which hangeth so fast on the remnant of corruption which like fetters hampered him that he could not so perfectly fulfill the will of God This plague of the heart within Paul desired to be healed of who saith he will helpe me who will deliver me from this misery and set me free out of this bondage of corruption Paul was many a time in bonds in persecution and manifold sufferings for Christs sake but never doe we heare him complaine so of these he never said Who will deliver me and set me free out of this prison out of these bonds out of these pinching wants c. But that which most troubled him was his sinful corruption of nature within This is the plague
in effect all one but we are Saints by calling and our calling is by the Gospel of Grace 2 Thes 2.14 and therefore our sanctification is from Grace also 5. We are sanctified by being in Christ whence are those expressions frequent in Scripture Saints in Christ Iesus sanctified in Christ and such like Now our implanting into Christ is onely from Grace and therefore so is our Sanctification also 6. Our sanctification is called a new Creation Create in me a cleane hearâ— O God saith David Psal 51. Psal 51. And in Ephes 2.10 Ephes 2.10 We are created unto good workes And in 2 Cor. 5. We become new Creatures in Christ Iesus And in Ephes 4.24 Ephes 4.24 The new man is created after God in holines c. All which imply that there must be a creating power put forth to the working of this new man in us We must therefore deifie the workes of the Law and make a God of them induing them with a creating power if we will ascribe such efficacy unto them as to worke true sanctification in us 7. We receive the Spirit by faith Gal. 3.14 therefore not by the workes of the law 8. Christ tells us plainly the world of unbelieveâ—s that are under the Law cannot receive the Spirit Ioh. 14.17 Iohn 14.17 whom the world cannot receâ—ve 9. Sanctification is purchased for us by the bloud of Christ He gave himselfe for us to purge us c. Tit. 2.14 T it 2.14 And so in Ephes 5.25 26 27. He gave himselfe for his Church that he night sanctifie it The third Part. THE BENEFITS and BLESSINGS this Covenant brings THE Covenant of Workes presupposeth our sanctification but it promiseth it not It presupposeth it I say because there could have bin no place for a Covenant of Works if God had not first given Adam a spirit of holinesse to enable him thereunto First therefore God creates man holy and then makes a Covenant with him requiring of him to work according to that holiness of his nature which he was endued with but if he violated and brake this Covenant this Covenant doth not promise to renew him to holinesse again this promise belongs to another Covenant But especially consider the proper and immediate worker of our sanctication which is the Holy Ghost Rom. 15.16 for which cause the spirit is called the spirit of Grace Zach. 12.10 and the spirit of holinesse Rom. 1. Election is the immediate work of the Father Redemption the work of the Sonne Sanctification the work of the Holy Ghost All the whole Trinity working together in the work of our salvation yet every one in his owne order First the Father elects then the Sonne redeems and lastly the Spirit sanctifies Concerning these severall works of the three Persons we are to consider 1. That they are all of equall extent 2. That they doe all issue from the same spring and fountaine of Grace First they are of the same extent none larger nor narrower then another Those that the Father hath chosen those doth the Sonne redeem Those that the Sonne hath redeemed those doth the Spirit sanctifie The Father chooseth none but whom hee gives to the Sonne to be redeemed by him the Sonne redeems none but those that were so given him by the Father and so it holds also in the third place that the Holy Ghost sanctifies none but whom the Father had chosen and the Sonne redeemed Secondly as it is thus in the extent so it is also in respect of the ground and cause from which they issue and spring Look then as our Election is of Grace and not of works Rom. 11.6 and our Redemption is of Grace Rom. 3.24 so is our Sanctification also Tit. 3.4 5. Not according to the works which we had done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Ghost so that the same grace favour and good will which moved the Father to set his love upon us in our Election and caused the Sonne to give himselfe for our Redemption the same Grace sends or brings the Spirit into our hearts to renew us unto holinesse And thence it is that sometimes we are said to be chosen that we might be holy as in Eph. 1.4 sometimes said to be redeemed that we might be holy Luke 1.74 75. to the end that we might know that our sanctification and renewing unto holinesse doth come from the same grace as doe our election and redemption and therefore as our election is not of works but of grace and our redemption is not of works but of grace so it is also concerning our sanctification I conclude therefore that by the works of the Law no man being under the Law or Covenant of works can attaine to true sanctification and holinesse And if sanctification be not by the Law or Covenant of works then it necessarily and invincibly followes that for a man to try his estate in Grace by his sanctification is no turning aside to a Covenant of works Thus much we do not unwillingly assent unto namely that there is a kinde of outward sanctification improperly so called or rather an outward reformation which a man under the Covenant of Works may attayn unto The Law hath a power not only to irritate and provoke the lust that is within by its contrariety thereunto Rom. 7.11 but also to curb and restrayn the breaking of it forth into outward acts by the terrour of it Gal. 3.19 Exod. 20. And by this reformation thus wrought by the work of restraynt the unclean Spirit may seem to be cast forth Math. 12. but whatsoever reformation is thus wrought is as farre from true sanctification as earth is from heaven For though this reformation doth and may come from some inward work of the Spirit of God upon the spirit and soule of man as namely to convince and terrifie the conscience to stirre the affections and to awe the will also so that a man dares not commit the things he would yet the minde and will is still unrenewed the frame and disposition of the heart is still the same as it was before and therefore this reformation is not true sanctification That may be by the Law this is only by the Gospel and from Grace Object But in Hebr. 10.29 it is said of some who in respect of their inward estate never went beyond a Covenant of works yet of them it is said that they were sanctified by the blood of the Covenant which is the blood of Christ therefore such as are under a Covenant of works may be sanctified Answ There is a twofold sanctification one reall another in profession only As some men are said to beleeve when the work of faith is really wrought in the heart who are therefore said to be found in the faith Tit. 1.13 and 2.2 so others are said to beleeve only because they make a profession of faith as Iohn 2.23 Acts 8.13
towards both Acts 24.16 It is but false sanctification which neglects either of these duties or any part of them when we put on a forme of Religion and yet deale unrighteously with men this is cursed hypocrisie And when we deale squarely with men but are carelesse Gallio's in the things of God this is but a kinde of civill profanesse there is no true sanctification in one or other of them True sanctification cleaves to the whole law and to all the Commandements of it seeking to doe and fulfill all such an heart the Lord requires Deut. 5.29 and such he works where he works Grace in truth 2 King 23.25 3. True sanctification will never suffer the soule to finde rest and peace but only in the way which is called holy A sanctified soule may step aside into the way which is not good but it can finde no rest there Holinesse stands in a conformity with God It will not agree with any thing which is contrary to God or to his will a godly heart can finde no peace there As on the one side a sinfull heart may do the thing that is good but it takes no pleasure in such things so contrà the sanctified heart may by occasion and by strength of temptation and prevailing power of inward corruption be drawn to act amisse but when hee hath done so he finds no rest in his spirit till he be returned againe into the way of holinesse which he had turned from Thus David stept aside but what peace found he Peter fell into shamefull denyall but how grieved was he afterward Thus Paul he confessed he did the evill that he would not but how was he pained at the very heart till he was rid of that body of sinne It was his continuall vexation As the needle in the compasse may by shaking be turned from the right point and from the pole but it will finde no rest till it be turned to it againe So here When therefore the heart sinnes and finds rest in it and is not labouring to work out the corruption which is within this is an evill sign and dangerous this argues a carnall disposition and an unsanctified Spirit But when we are grieved for the evill which is in us when our sinne is counted our misery making us lament with Paul and say O miserable man that I am c. and that not only as it troubles the conscience but as it cloggs the Spirit hindring us in well doing this is a sign of a sanctified estate and springs from a Spirit of grace 4. True sanctification will make us most wary and watchfull against those sinnes which doe most staine our holy profession and blemish the glory of Christ and make us most studious of those things in which God is most glorified As Paul said of himselfe I can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth so indeed a sanctified soule can doe nothing against Gods glory but all things for his glory Sanctity devotes a man unto God he is for God not for himselfe not for the world he accounts himselfe that he is Gods If we live we live for God whether we eat or drink or labour or rest we doe them for God 1 Cor. 10.31 If we get riches we grow rich for God to honour God with our riches Prov. 3.9 Our whole life is for God Rom. 14.6 This is a sanctified disposition when it is thus with us And when otherwise we eat for our selves as Zachary speaks chap. 7.6 we labour for our selves get riches for our selves not caring how our profession is blemished and God dishonoured by our worldly and coveteous conversation this is from the flesh which loves its own and minds its own things and not the things of Christ 5. True sanctification makes a man affect society with those that are holy It s a good signe when the heart doth inwardly cleave to those that excell in grace especially when it is for Grace sake and because of the Grace that is in them There may be an outward complying with them and some externall society had with them also when yet the heart is not with them there may be some sutablenesse of disposition some morall qualifications in a godly soule which may give content unto a carnall heart but to love them inwardly and that not for any other respect but for the grace which is in them this is from a sutable Spirit of grace working in our selves Thus it was with David Psal 16.3 and Psal 119. Come unto mee all yee that feare God c. and away from me ye wicked c. 6. True sanctification makes us aspire after communion and fellowship with God himselfe it loves fellowship with the Saints but rests not in them but aspires higher nothing will satisfie a sanctified soule but God yea it is God which he loves and seeks in his Saints So it is also in the use of Ordinances they are all empty things without God unlesse the Lord be there The Word Prayer Sacraments are but leane and empty things unlesse hee enjoy God in them He is the fat the marrow and sweetnesse of them all when God meets the soule in any of these it is then satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse but when he withdrawes and absents himselfe it findes no satiety no rellish in any thing The soule is empty still till he fill it who is the fulnesse of all things God only doth fill and satisfie the soule that is sanctified See Ier. 50.4 There you shall see the children of Israel and children of Iudah together comming to Ierusalem the place of Gods worship but is that all they goe for No saith the Prophet they goe seeking the Lord their God they goe to Ierusalem to worship there but there is a further thing they seek for even God himselfe without whom Ierusalem and Temple and all would be but as a solitary cave in a wildernesse if God were not found there This Gods servants finde in frequent experience Sometimes they finde God sweetly present with them in prayer Sacrament or the like and then they goe away as a man refreshed with new wine Sometimes they seek him but find him not as Cant. 5. and then they are like men that faine would eat to the satisfying of their hungry soule but they want their appointed food or like those in the Prophet they doe eat but they are not satisfied they have not enough Whom have I in heaven but thee saith David Psal 73.25 Whom there are Angels there are Saints the Spirits of just and perfect men Hebr. 12. Are all these nothing with David These were in heaven and are also in earth yet saith David Whom have I in heaven or earth but thee These are good with God but not able to satisfie a sanctified soule without God If it were possible for such a soule to be in heaven it selfe there to enjoy all the glory of it and communion with all the company of Saints and Angels there yet
on earth yet we shall see that there is help in heaven though none in our selves yet there is in God and in his faithfull Covenant Vse 5. To stirre up those that doe yet finde themselves destitute of all Grace not able to discern the least spark of goodnesse in themselves let them notwithstanding consider what God hath promised in his Covenant He hath therein promised a new heart a new spirit to create us anew in Christ Jesus He hath promised to poure out waters upon the dry ground Esay 44.3 where there is no sap no moisture no goodnesse but their moisture is turned into the drought of Sommer yet upon such dry grounds on such dry trees the waters of the Spirit shall be poured out and they shall be made to bring forth fruit The wilde forrest of Lebanon shall become as Carmell the Desart a fruitfill Field goe therefore thou poore lost creature thou sinfull soule who never yet to this day hadst one drop of Grace wrought in thy heart goe thou to the Throne of Grace lament thy sinfull and wicked heart before God begge this mercy of him say unto him Lord thou hast promised to give thy Spirit unto such as aske him of thee Now Lord give it unto me a poore sinfull creature make me even me also a partaker of this blessâ—ng Object But here perhaps you will say these promises are made only unto those that are in Covenant with God but alas thou art a stranger and an alien and hast ever so been unto this day thou hast no part in these promises Answ They belong to all that either are in Covenant with God or ever shall be though they be not as yet fulfilled in thee yet they may be intended unto thee these promises may be thine in respect of Gods purpose of grace and intention though not as yet in respect of actuall performance and execution To encourage all to seek after this blessing Consider with your selves three things 1. The extent of these promises I will poure out my Spirit upon all flesh Joel 2.28 Whosoever is thirsty come and drink of the waters of life freely yea turne you saith Christ to scornfull sinners at my correction and then behold I will poure out my Spirit upon you And in Ezek. 36. compare verse 20. with 25 26. There you may see that those upon whom he promiseth to poure his Spirit they were such as had polluted Gods name among the Heathen and made it to be blasphemed and yet even to those the Lord promiseth that when the time of Grace was come for mercy to manifest it selfe in them upon them hee would poure out his Spirit and cleanse them from all their uncleannesse 2. Consider the freenesse of these promises come and buy without money or money-worth Isai 55.2 drink of the waters of life freely Apoc. 22.17 3. Consider Christ forwardnesse and readinesse to give to every one that askes hadst thou but asked saith Christ to the woman in Ioh. 4.20 I would have given thee the water of life Mark the place and occasion of Christs words Christ being then weary and thirsty by reason of his journey he askes of the woman a cup of water to drink no great matter to give bring but a cup of water and being by the well side where was water enough and ready at hand yet she gives it not but stands wondering that he being a Iew should aske water of her that was a Samaritane well saith Christ thou denyest me a cup of cold water to drink being weary and thirsty but hadst thou asked of me I would have given thee the water of life Nay and did give it unto her though shee denyed him a cup of water out of the well yet Christ gave her the water of life What would the Lord Iesus have us to take notice of in this his speech unto her and her dealing towards him but that he is more forward to give that water of life his holy Spirit to a poore sinner then we are to give a cup of common water to a thirsty soule O blessed redeemer who would not come unto thee Goe therefore thou that hast denyed the least mercy and kindnesse to Christ in any of his members though thou hast thought a cup of water too much for them yet seek grace from him Aske his Spirit intreat him to make thy heart new within thee doe but aske and seek and he will doe more then thou canst hope or think plead the promise of his Covenant and wait in hope Thus much for the third benefit 4. The fourth benefit which God promiseth unto his in his Covenant is our preservation in the state of Grace to which we are called This is a part of his Covenant with us that he once taking us to be a people unto him in Christ he will never forsake us any more but keep us in that estate for ever And by this promise the Lord takes away that last great scruple which the soule is apt to make in this manner although may one think the Lord hath shewed mercy unto me thus farre that he hath given me hope of the forgivenesse of my sinnes past and hath changed my heart in some measure so as it is my desire to do his will yet for all this I finde still such strong opposition against mee by enemies within and without so many corruptions within and temptations from without that I shall never be able to hold out unto the end but as David said I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul so thinks the soule here in mids of many pursuits by the enemy I shall one day perish by the hand of Sathan I shall not be able to withstand him Now to this feare of our heart the Lord answers by this promise and benefit which he hath Covenanted to make good unto us he undertakes to keep us in the same estate of Grace to which he hath brought us he tells us no yee shall never perish feare it not he which hath begun the work will perfect it in us and for us And as God said unto Iacob in Gen. 28.15 I am with thee I will keep thee saith the Lord I will not forsake thee till I have performed unto thee all that I have promised thee So he saith unto us I will keep you till I have perfected towards you all the good pleasure of my goodnesse 2 Thes 1.11 I will keep you in my own hand I will guide you by my councell and afterward will bring you to glory Psal 73. This blessing we have promised to us in Ier. 32.39.40 They shall fear me for ever and I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I wil never turn away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from me and in Isai 54.8 With everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer For this is unto me as the waters
indued with such truth of Grace as may assure us of our abiding in it for ever True Grace is of an abiding nature It is a treasure that will never faile It s that part which can never be taken from us Luk. 10. All the things of the world are fading and perishing Riches take their wings as an Eagle and flye away Prov. 23. or else they are made a prey and spoyle by the enemy as the Sabaeans and Caldaeans did of the goods of Job Had we Solomons Treasures who made silver as stones in Ierusalem yet we must goe naked out of the world and take nothing away with us But Grace is a durable and an everlasting possession It never failes if we live it lives with us if we die it will not leave us nor forsake us One graine of true sanctifying Grace though it be but as a graine of mustard seed is more worth then the riches and treasures of a Kingdome you that want it â—eek it as your life you that have it keep it as you would keep your soule Let both take heed of being deceived with shews and shadows of Grace in stead of truth All is not gold that glisters every one which makes a shew and carries out in his profession a forme of godlinesse hath not the truth and power of it in his heart These shadows will vanish and come to nothing it is the substance only which remaines Let us take heed we be not deceived in nothing is a mistake so dangerous as in this matter in hand Seeming shews and shadows of Grace will end in reall misery whereas truth and soundnesse of Grace will bring to a weight of glory We here in these parts where Religion hath a name and profanesse is discountenanced by all we I say had most need to look to our selves It is to be feared that many an one which now makes a good profession before men yet if the state of things and times should change would quickly be turned into other men Those that now seeme to live and to bee for Christ for Religion for Gospel and for Ordinances would then turn to be either enemies or Neuters and shew themselves to be hollow-hearted and double-minded unstable in the way which now they walk in And there be divers sorts of these As 1. Some rest in outward Reformation of grosse sins they make cleane the outside of the cup that they may seeme cleane before men but they harbour many corrupt lusts within which they doe not seek to cast forth Into such the unclean Spirit though he seem to be dispossed will return again 2. Some take up a profession of Religion for carnall ends following Christ for loaves Joh. 6.26 becomming Disciples because they look to rise and come to preferment by Christ Iudas would never have cleaved to Christ but that he hoped for some advantage by him and what came of it in the end when he saw that his hope failed him then he falls off and takes part with the High-Priest against Christ When men doe thus take up a profession of Religion for gaine for credit for outward respects in the world a crosse day will come which will blast their hopes in these things God will on purpose crosse the hopes of such men that they might thereby be discovered made known He will have both approved and not approved to be known 1 Cor. 11. and when this unlooked-for-event falls out then as they see their hopes to faile them so other men shall see their Religion and profession to faile with them This assumed body of Religion not being animated and quickned with life and vigour of Spirit within will at length be laid down when they have made use of it for a season to serve their turn 3. Some professe the feare of God and yet carry in them an heart estranged from such as are most faithfull and upright in their walking before God like Cain that would come and sacrifice as well as Abel and yet nourish grudge in heart against Abel one Altar shall serve them both to sacrifice on but they have not one heart in them nor one way to walk in There will be a day which will declare and make manifest what is in them 4. Some will doe as those in Isai 58.2 and in Ezek. 33. They will come as Gods people use to come as if they would seek after Ordinances of righteousnesse and would know the way of truth but yet when the Word toucheth their sore and comes to the quick to meddle with that which they have hid under their tongue then they begin to mislike and to murmure against Moses and to finde fault with him that rebuketh them So long as the word speaks pleasing things they like it well but when like salt it begins to bite then they put it from them Such as these often have the word in their eares they will heare it and in their tongue they will talke of it and in their fore-heads make a profession of it and it shall be written on the posts of their doors they keeping a course of family duties that all men may think the best of them but it is not in their heart to love it it is not written in the inward parts and not being there there is nothing within to maintaine the life of Grace The oyle that should feed the lamp is wanting and therefore the light of such will at length goe out and end in darknesse 5. Some attaine unto great gifts in knowledge utterance ability in prayer c. but withall they grow high-minded and conceited by meanes of them and are pufft up thinking themselves more excellent then their neighbours that they are not as other men These swelling walls will not stand long these that are so pufft up with a fleshly minde the Apostle saith of them that they hold not the head Christ Colos 2.18 19. And if they hold not the head they are but unsound members of the body if they receive not life and quickning from the head they will die and wither Let us look to our selves that we be none of these These may be written in Jerusalem Isai 4.3 they may subscribe with their hand and name themselves by the name of Israel Isai 44.5 but they are not written in heaven nor shall they enter into the land of Israel Ezeck 13.9 These want that Grace which accompanies salvation Rest we not in these things but seek after truth of heart labour for that Grace which will last and hold out Get an humble meek upright frame of Spirit Let our hearts be knit unto Christ more then the rewards of Christ Instead of that fulnesse with our own gifts get a sence and feeling of our own wants and weaknesses and come to him that hath all fulnesse dwelling in him that out of his fulnesse we may receive Such an humble thirsting and impotent creature sensible of its own unsufficiency yet lying daily at the beautifull gate of mercy to
receive some gift of Grace from him whose glory fills his temple shall stand and continue to the end till they receive the end of their faith and hope the salvation of their soule when thousands fall at their side and ten thousands at their right hand yet shall they stand upright they shall never fall 2 Pet. 1. This abiding Grace let us every one labour for seek it as silver call cry for it digge deep and search for it as for Treasures Prov. 2. Blessed is he that findeth it blessed now and blessed for ever Thus much of the fourth benefit and so also of all the spirituall blessings of the Covenant 2. It followes now to speak of the temporary which concern the good things of this present life Concerning which kind of promises the Lord is not wanting in making his goodnesse known towards his people in full measure The Lord knowing how apt we are to have our minds taken up with carefull thoughts about them and knowing also that we cannot in ordinary course bee without them he hath therfore made known unto us his care which he hath over us that he will provide for us whatsoever is needfull and convenient for us to the end that we knowing his promises concerning these things we might by faith rest upon his faithfulnesse and might be free in our minds from all vexing distracting cares serving him chearefully in our places according to his will looking to him for supply of all such things as we stand in need of And concerning these kind of blessings we may observe how the Lord hath made us some generall promises of all good things so as we shall want nothing that is good Psal 34.10 84.11 The want of some one thing needfull might more disquiet us then the possession of many things could cheare us And therefore he hath promised to give us all things And besides these generall promises he hath also given us promises of many particular blessings as of length of dayes Deut. 5.3 25.15 30.20 Prov. 3.16 of protection Gen. 15. Prov. 6.1 ult Psal 84.11 Zach. 2. of health and freedome from the diseases of Aegypt Exod. 15.26 23.25 Deut. 7.15 and many other of like kinde which I passe by Onely one kinde or sort of them I mean to insist upon a little those I meane which concern our sustenance and comfortable provision of necessaries for life as food convenient and cloathing convenient c. bread to eat and clothes to put on as Jacob speaks Gen. 28. These the Lord hath promised that he will minister unto his Covenanted people These promises we have laid down Levit. 26.3 to 14. Deut. 28.2 to 15. Psal 112.2.3 132.15 Isai 33.15 16. Jerem. 31.12 Ezek. 36.30 Matth. 6.33 2 Cor. 9.8 1 Tim. 4.8 I mention the more of these that we seeing so many and large promises made unto us we might be encouraged the rather to believe rest upon the faithfulnesse of him that hath promised If the Lord should have spoken but once unto us in the whole Scripture concerning these things we should not have needed to doubt of his word But when hee is pleased so often to repeat his promises over and over againe and againe so often telling us that he will not be wanting to us in these things it is too much incredulity in us if after all these we believe him not and cast not our care upon him Especially considering how the Lord himselfe reckoneth these promises a part of his Covenant which he hath made with his people Note that in Deut. 8.8 the Lord thy God gives thee power to get substance to establish his Covenant which he made with thy Fathers c. God doth herein fulfill his Covenant with us when he gives us such sustance as pertaines to the comfort of this life and so in Levit. 26.5 6. c. I will cause the land to yeeld her encrease and your threshing shall reach unto the vintage c. And why will the Lord doe this unto them He tells them in the ninth verse following sc I will establish my Covenant with you that is I will therein performe and make good my Covenant c. Psal 111.5 He hath given meat or a portion to his people what moves him thereto Even his Covenant He is ever mindfull of his Covenant the like we have in Ezek. 34.25 27. In all which we see how the Lord reckons this as apart of his Covenant in which he hath bound himselfe unto his people even to give unto them such things as they stand in need of for this present life And because it is the duty of Gods people to live by faith as well concerning those things that pertaine to this present life as those which concern the life to come to the end therefore that we may with more assured confidence rest upon the faithfulnesse of God in these things Let us help our faith by these considerations following 1. Look at the fulnesse and bounty of our God he hath a full hand a rich treasure full of all good things there is no end of his riches he is able to make us abound unto all sufficiency 2 Cor. 9. and is most liberall and free-hearted aboundant in goodnesse bountifull not sparing and close-handed but ready to communicate to every one that stands in need 2. As he is bountifull so he is also kind and loving to his people he loves the prosperity and welfare of his servants It delighteth him to see it go well with them he is tender-hearted towards them pittying their wants sensible of their sorrows and necessities 3. He hath already given us greater things then these he hath given to us his Son his Spirit himselfe how shall he not then give unto us these lesser things Rom. 8.32 4. Christ hath purchased them for us he hath given a full price for them hee emptyed himselfe and became poore to make us rich 5. Our bodies are the members of Christ and temples for the Spirit to dwell in and therefore not only the love which he beares unto us but that love which he beares unto Christ may assure us that he will for his sake give us that which is convenient because we are members of his body 6. It is not for the honour of Christs Kingdom that those which are his subjects should be exposed to wants in needfull things If he should leave them destitute the sorrow might lie upon them but the dishonour would redound unto Christ as if he sought not or cared not for the welfare of his people And thence it is that in Ezek. 24.29 36.30 when hee promises unto them the encrease of the field and such other outward blessings hee tells them that he will thereby take away from them the reproach of the Heathen they should henceforth beare the reproach of the Heathen no more and in Deut. 28.12 13. It is an honour which God puts upon his people in the sight of other Nations that
the Covenant of Grace which he hath made with us in Christ They are not so unto the wicked who are not in Covenant with the Lord but to the Saints they are in Gen. 33.5 when Iacob speaks of his children these saith he are the children which God of his Grace hath given thy servant Iacob saw Grace in this so should we see Grace in every outward blessing wee enjoy Object But these outward blessings are common to good and bad and no man can know love or hatred by these things which are before him how then may I know that God gives me these things out of Grace and love Answ 1. If we come by them in the way of the Covenant we walking before God in the way of holy obedience and dependance upon him It s certain they doe then come to us as blessings and are given us by vertue of his Covenant And therefore it is that in Deut. 28.1 2 8 12. If thou shalt diligently observe the Commandements of the Lord thy God saith Moses then shall he command the blessing to come upon thee and all these blessings shall overtake thee c. he doth not say thus shall thou be enriched thus shalt thou encrease in goods c. but thus shall the Lord blesse thee and these blessings shall come upon thee to note unto us that when we walk with God in this way of obedience conscionably then what ever good things come unto us they come as a blessing The Lord not only gives the blessing it selfe but hee gives it as a blessing and a blessing of Grace comming through his Covenant 2. If they be as bands and cords of love betwixt God and us as bands to draw us nearer unto him and as cords to tie us faster unto him causing us to love him more and to honour him in the use of those good things which we have received from him doubtlesse they doe then come from his Grace towards us and are blessings of the Covenant I have loved thee saith the Lord in Jer. 31.3 and with mercy have I drawn thee If God draw us unto him by any meanes there is mercy in it and there is a blessing in it Take this as a rule for ever what ever brings us to God is a blessing as contrariwise whatever separates us from God is a curse And that which causeth love comes from love If these things work love in our hearts towards God then doe they come from his love towards us Consider then are our hearts carried away from God by the things we enjoy this is dangerous But are our hearts thereby more drawn and knit unto him then own them as blessings of the Covenant as springing from the fountaine of Grace which God hath opened to us in Christ 2. Seeing these outward good things are given to Gods people by Covenant as blessings and as springing from Grace this must teach us to be content with such a measure of them as our Father seeth meetest for us though we have lesse in outward things yet there is the same grace in that little as if we had an hundred fold Sometimes there is much love seen in a little thing and so it is in these gifts which God gives to his children The gift may be small but the love is great from which it comes This love should satisfie whether the gift we receive from it be lesse or more As a younger childe which his Father loves tenderly though he have not so large allowance and liberall maintenance as his elder brother that is grown to yeares yet he comforts himselfe in this he saith in his heart I know my Father loves me as well as any childe he hath and thus satisfies himselfe in his Fathers love though his yearely allowance bee not equall with some other so should we Though we have not so much wheat and wine and oyle c. yet we may satiate our soule with the Lords goodnesse Ier. 31.12 14. that goodnesse of his being the same towards us in our little as if our portion were much more abundant And this contentation we should the rather labour for because if we be not satisfied with that lesser portion which the Lord bestows upon us untill we abound it is suspicious and we have cause to doubt whether our contentment be not more in the gift then in the grace and love of the Giver For if it be his love that satisfies us why are we not satisfied when we have lesse as if we had more if we have food and rayment having them from the gift of his Grace let us therewith bee content Satisfie us with thy mercy saith Moses Psal 90.14 Moses could be satisfied with mercy though he had but little else there is a satisfying sufficiency in it if wee can but see it and rellish it in the things we enjoy Let us make sure of this that what we have it may come from the hand of Grace and then let us be contented with it be it lesse or more 3. Doth the Lord thus provide for his servants in these outward things let us then serve him with our outward man Hee blesseth us with all kinde of blessings in spirituall things pertaining to our inward man and in outward things pertaining to our outward man to the end that we might serve him and glorifie him in both he feeds and cloaths our bodies he maintaines the health and strength of them therefore give them up as a living sacrifice unto him Râ—m 12.1 Let him be magnified in our body Phil. 1.20 Our body must be for the Lord as the Lord is for the body 1 Cor. 6.13 And it is the Apostles exhortation Let us glorifie him both in body and Spirit for they are God's 4. This same consideration before named may teach us how to use the good things of this life which we doe enjoy For 1. Doe we receive them from Grace doe not then abuse them unto sinne to pride wantonnesse excesse c. This is to turn the Grace of God shewed in giving of them to us into licentiousnesse In Hosea 2.8 the Lord complaines there that when he had given them corne and wine silver and gold they bestowed them upon Baal abusing them to Idolatry and to sinne And it s noted as the sinne of wicked Athaliah that the dedicate things which should have been to the honouring of God these shee bestowed upon Baalim 2 Chron. 24.7 When we thus abuse his blessings unto sinne we turne that against God which we have received from him for good And in so doing we may justly feare least they become testimonies against us in the day of our account Therefore do not so requite the Lord Deut. 32. Remember from what hand wee have received them and take heed we abuse them not 2. Hence learn to return part of our substance unto God Give up that unto him which we have received from him The Lord gives us leave to eat and to drink and to cheere our
Wildernesse was changed in respect of the manner of Administration of it because it was not confirmed by the death of the Testator but this is confirmed by death and therefore herein neither matter nor forme can be changed any more in Joh. 17.24 We have Christ there making his last Will and Testament to be executed by his Father and what his Will is we have it expressed in his own words Father I will those whom thou hast given me may be where I am c. And who those be that hee meaneth by them that are given him is plainly expressed verse 20. Even those that believe in his name Christ doth not bequeath the Legacy of his Testament unto all in generall but to such as doe believe as for the rest he bequeathes nothing unto them Joh. 17.9 Object But there be same absolute promises of the Covenant which are without any condition at all on our part as the promises of the first gracâ— c. in which God promiseth to his Elect as yet uncalled that he will give them a new heart and take away the stony heart from them Ezek. 11. 36. Answ 1. We must consider the Covenant not only as consummate and made up with our selves in our own persons but as it was begun and first made with us and for us in Christ in which regard it is said to bee made with us before the world began Tit. 1.2 a promise of grace being made to Christ for us and to us in him Now if we thus consider the Covenant as made with us in Christ so the first grace it selfe is conditionall as well as the last Christ receives the promises of grace for us but he receives not the least of them but upon condition that he must lay down his life for them that he may performe them unto us as we see in Esay 55.5 Where God the Father makes a promise to Christ that he shall call a Nation or People to the knowledge of himselfe which is a promise of the first grace given us in our first conversion and calling but in respect of Christ this is not absolute but conditionall as appeares in verse 4. for he must be a witnesse unto the people to testifie unto them the will of the Father which he performed in his Propheticall and Priestly Office yea he must make his soule an offering for sinne Esay 53.10 and upon this condition he must have power to call a Nation to bring them home by effectuall calling unto God and thus in respect of Christ the very first Grace is conditionall though without condition on our part 2. Consider the Covenant in respect of the end of it which it leads unto which is life and salvation in which respect it is called a Covenant of life and peace Maâ—th 2.5 and if wee thus consider it it is conditionall in respect of our selves for these promises of life and peace are not made but upon condition of faith and obedience not to the unbelieving and profane Rom. 10.9.10 13. Rom. 8.13 Mat. 5.3 to 10. and thus whether we look to the first Grace as the beginning of the Covenant or to the last Grace as the end of it the one is conditionall in respect of Christ the other in respect of our selves there is a condition of both 3. The giving of the first Grace in our calling goes before our pesonall Covenant betwixt God and us by which we bind our selves unto him to take him for our God to depend upon him and to submit our selves unto his will first the Lord doth dispose us and fit us to a walking in Covenant with him by putting into us his own spirit as it is in Ezek. 36. and then he requires an actuall performance of Covenant on our part to walk according to the Grace received Look how it was in that Covenant made with Adam so it is in this Covenant of Grace in respect of the point in hand though otherwise there be wide differences betwixt them as we have seen before first God indues Adam with an habituall righteousnesse thereby enabling him for that obedience which he was to walk in and then having thus qualified him the Lord enters into a Covenant with him requiring of him to walk according to all that Law which was set before him and in that way of working righteousnesse to look for the life which was promised him so it is here in the Covenant of Grace first the Lord comes and takes away from us the heart of stone that evill heart of unbeliefe and gives us a spirit of faith and renewing Grace and then draweth the soule into a Covenant with him to walk with him in a way of faith depending upon him by faith and obeying him by faith so looking for the promise of eternall life Thus it was with Abraham first God gives unto Abraham a believing heart then he comes to him and tells him Abraham I am come to enter into a Covenant with thee and withall tells him what are the articles and conditions of the Covenant both on Gods part and on Abrahams on Gods part That he will be to Abraham and to his seed a God to blesse him and to be an alsufficient good unto him and on Abrahams part Requiring That he walk before him and be upright and keep his Covenant which was commanded him and so it is with all the Adult Children of Abraham first God gives us a spirit of Grace beginning to renew us then propounds to us the great things of his Covenant which he will bestow upon us and commands us to depend by faith upon him for the performance of them and if we thus consider of the giving of the first Grace this doth no whit crosse the condition of the Covenant but makes way for it enabling us to walk in Covenant with God that so he may bring upon us the good which he hath promised us Object But this putting of a condition to the Covenant of grace may seeme to confound it and to make it the same with the Covenant of works Answ It is not the having of a condition but the identity or samenesse of the condition which makes them the same Covenant all Covenants have a condition but all Covenants are not therefore one and the same but do differ according to the difference of the conditions which are made there being then one condition in the Covenant of works and another in the Covenant of grace they are therefore distinct Covenants though there be a condition in both Thus then we see there is a condition of the Covenant But to come to the second point before propounded why may some say doth the Lord require any condition of us and not bring us to life and glory without requiring any thing at our hand Answ 1. It is meet we should glorifie God and his grace towards us before he exalt us and bring us unto glory in this way it was that Christ himselfe went into glory according
condition must be such as may stand with grace but if works had been the condition this could not have stood with grace Rom. 11.6 Gods maine end in this Covenant is the maniâ—estation of his grace towards his chosen that his grace may be glorified in them Ephes 1.6 2 Thes 1.10 that nothing might be left unto man to glory in but that he which glorieth might glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. ult c. 4. It is faith that the blessing might be sure to those to whom it is promised Rom. 4.16 Adam had a promise of life but being made upon condition of working he never got the blessing by that Covenant when Adam first entred into Covenant with God it was uncertaine whether he should live by it or no in regard that it was uncertaine whether he would fulfill the condition and thereupon it was that he had one Sacrament of death as well as another of life to assure him of death in case he sinned as well as to assure him of life in case he obeyed but now the promise of life being made to us upon condition of faith it is thereby made sure to those that doe believe Christ is a sure foundation for them to rest upon Esay 28.16 the promise also is sure and faithfull 2 Sam. 23.5 and faith is as an anchor sure and stedfast Heb. 6.19 and Christ being so sure a foundation the promise sure and faith taking such sure hold upon both these three together are as a threeâ—old cord not easily broken so that the blessing in the Covenant of grace now is not so uncertaine and doubtfull as in the Covenant of works but is sure to those that believe And hence it is that in this Covenant though we have two seales added unto it as well as in the Covenant of works yet there is no Sacrament or seale of death but they are both seales of life and salvation assuring us that if we believe in the name of the Lord Jesus we shall surely have everlasting life 5. Faith is sufficient to make us partakers of all the blessings of the Covenant Look back unto all those blessings before named and you shall see how faith doth possesse us of them all God promiseth to be a God unto us Jer. 31. but how comes he to be our God It is by faith Rom. 3.29 30. He promiseth forgivenesse of sinnes and to remember our iniquities no more and it is faith which maketh us partakers of this blessing also Acts 10.43 Rom. 3.24 25. By faith wee are made partakers of the Spirit of holinesse Gal. 3.14 faith purifies the heart Acts 15.9 26.18 By faith we are kept in the estate of grace unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Rom. 11.20 we stand by faith 2 Cor. 1.24 By faith we are made heires and owners of all the good things of this life We are sonnes by faith Gal. 3.21 and being sonnes we are also heires Rom. 8.17 even heires of the world as Abraham was Rom. 4.13 and if by faich we be partakers of Christ then are we with him interested in all other things also Rom. 8.32 yea all things are ours whether things present or things to come all are ours we being Christs 1 Cor. 3. Lasty by faith we obtaine that great and last blessing of the Covenant even the blessing of eternall life Joh. 3.16 36. So that faith alone makes us possessors of all the blessings of the Covenant and therefore there needs no other condition but faith alone Object But may some say if faith alone be the condition of the Covenant and doe make us partakers of life and forgivenesse of sinne then what need is there of any obedience or works of holinesse faith alone is sufficient in stead of all Answ This was the old plea of loose Libertines in the Apostles times I have faith saith one and though I have no works yet my faith will save me But understand O thou vaine man saith the Apostle James chap. 3. that if thy faith be without works such faith is vaine but like a dead carkasse without soule or spirit it is dead in it selfe and leaves the soule in death wanting life in it selfe and yeelding no living fruit it cannot bring life unto the soule A good tree saith Christ is known by its fruit and so a right and sound faith Let a man believe in truth he cannot but love and if he love he cannot but seek to please God in well doing faith is as a tree of life which abounds with good fruit as therefore when a man desires to have good fruit in his orchard he doth not set the fruits themselves in it but plants the trees which use to beare the fruit as knowing that if the trees be good and kindly the trees will yeeld the fruit so God delighteth to see the fruits of righteousnesse in the lives of his Saints and for this end plants in their hearts the tree of faith as knowing where this tree is planted and takes root the fruit will and cannot but follow faith and holinesse can no more be separated then light can be separated from the Sunne such as say they have faith and hope to partake in the blessing of the Covenant and yet live loosely carnally unconscionably they doe but deceive themselves they may be in Covenant with hell and death but have no part of the Covenant of life and peace Quest 2. But whereas in speaking of faith wee speak sometimes of the habit sometimes of the act of it It may be demanded which of these is the condition of the Covenant whether is it the habit or the act of faith which is required of us Answ It is the latter that is the act faith acting and working towards the promise and from the promise and causing us to live by faith in the promise according to that in Gal. 2.20 the life which I now live I live by the faith of the Sonne of God the habit is freely given us and wrought in us by the Lord himselfe to inable us to act by it and to live the life of faith and then we having received the gift the habit then I say the Lord requires of us that we should put forth acts of faith both by waiting upon him to receive from him all the good which he hath promised and by walking in all obedience of faith in an humble submission to his will this work of faith the Apostle shews fully to have been in those Saints in Heb. 11. both in expecting the promise with patient suffering under the hope of it and in obedient submission to any Commandement of God and these acts of faith are implyed in that expression of walking by faith 2 Cor. 5. and the work of faith 1 Thes 1.3 and in that faith is said to work by love Gal. 5. all tending to shew that it is the act and work of of faith which is required on our part Reas 1. It is the act of faith which receives the promise
and Christ in the promise Joh. 1.12 Heb. 11.13 A man may have an hand and yet not have the gift which is offered him unlesse hee put forth his hand to receive it faith is the hand of the soule and the putting of it forth is the act by which wee receive Christ offered 2. Look as it was with Adam in that Covenant made with him he had an habituall righteousnesse within him but that was not the condition of the Covenant betwixt God and him but the acting of that inward habit in acts of obedience was the condition of the Covenant so here in the Covenant of grace first God puts into us the habit of faith and then requires of us act of faith to lay hold of the promise and to receive the grace which iâ— offered in the Covenant 3. It is not an habit of faith but a life of faith which is required of the Saints that are in Covenant with God it is the habit which enables and fits us to live by faith but the life of faith consists in the acts of faith put forth according to the severall occasions we meet withall Gal. 2.20 2 Cor. 5.8 Heb. 11. 4. There must needs be a difference betwixt that which God promiseth as a part of the Covenant on his part and that which he requires of us on our part now the habit is that which God promiseth to us when he saith I will give you a new heart c. and this he worketh in us in our effectuall calling and then the acting of that faith received is that which is required on our part Quest But what is that act or acts of faith by which we perform the condition of the Covenant Answ 1. First there is an act of faith by which we doe as it were first close with the Covenant revealed and offered unto us 2. There is also another act of it by which we are carried on to an answerable walking before God according to the Covenant made with him 1. For the former before we give a direct answer we must lay down these two grounds First That in the making up of the Covenant betwixt God and us God is first with us he is the first mover he begins with us before we begin with him we should never seek to be in Covenant with him if he did not allure us and draw us unto him Thus in Ezek. 20.37 I will bring them saith the Lord into the bond of the Covenant It is the Lord which brings them they doe not first offer themselves And first God prepares his own way for entering into Covenant with us and then he finisheth the work and in this preparation he doth these three things 1. He breaks us off from our Covenant with Hell and Death makes us sensible of our undone estate makes us see that we are without God without Christ without hope Ephes 2. that we are not under mercy that wee are not of his people 1 Pet. 2. 2. He opens unto us his minde and will shewing himselfe willing to receive us to grace and to enter into a new Covenant with us yet againe to take us to be his people and hee to be our God he goes into the streets and open places as it is in Prov. 1.20 21. and there makes publike proclamation Ho ho every one that will Come yee unto me and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you Esay 55.3 Esay 65.1 yea more he comes and beseeches us to be reconciled unto him 2 Cor. 5.20 and speaks to us as pittying us Jer. 3.12 and lamenting over us Ezek. 33.11 thereby to perswade us to come into a Covenant with him 3. By the hearing of these promises and offers of grace the Lord usually scattereth some little seeds of faith in the hearts of those that he will bring unto himselfe which seed being sown doth sometimes quickly put forth and acts towards the Covenant propounded and layes hold of it as we see in Lydia the Jaylor Zacheus and such others but sometimes and that most usually before that faith hath done any great thing in seeking after God to make a Covenant with him the Lord doth againe withdraw himselfe and goes away as Hoseah 5. end hiding himselfe as if he would regard us and look after us no more so that now if we will get into Covenant with him we must seek after him as he before sought after us and must sue unto him for grace to take us into Covenant with himselfe and herein faith begins to shew it selfe beginning to work and move towards the Covenant which the Lord offereth to make with us For though the Lord hath withdrawn himselfe yet he hath left such a touch of his Spirit upon the heart as makes the soule affectionate towards him so as now it cannot rest but feeling its own wo being without God and without Covenant and having heard of the Lords willingnesse to enter into a Covenant with us it now begins to seek after the Lord to be in Covenant wirh him This is the first ground that God is first he begins with us Secondly The second is that whatsoever faith doth in seeking to enter into Covenant with God it doth it alwayes in that way and according to that order in which the Lord hath gone before us in the offer of his Covenant unto us faith doth alwaies follow the Word and doth nothing but as it hath a word of Faith to guide its way it goes step by step as it hath the light of the word directing and going before faith doth not prescribe unto God it will not presume to appoint the conditions of the Covenant onely it answers and applyes it selfe to Gods offer taking conditions of peace but giving none It doth not seek to wind about the promise of grace to our own minde and will It doth not say I will have it thus thus it shall be or else I will admit of no conditions of peace but the soul now finding that the everlasting estate of it for weal or woe life or death stands at the meer good pleasure and mercy of God and knowing that either it must submit to that way of the Covenant and to those conditions which the Lord is pleased to set down or it must perish for ever it gladly comes in humbly accepting the offer of grace in the same way as it is tendred and offered unto us of God Here then that we may see how faith closeth with the Covenant propounded we must see first how God offers himselfe in his Covenant unto us Now in that main promise of the Covenant which is indeed the sum of all I will be thy God God offers himself unto us two wayes as hath been before shewed in the opening of that promise First he offers himselfe unto us as a God of mercy to pardon us as a God of blessing to blesse us with all sufficient blessings 2. As a God over us and above us to order us and to rule us
in all our wayes to governe us according to his owne will that he may be glorified in us Thus God offers himselfe unto us in his Covenant c. Now the answer is ready to the question propounded how faith doth act in closing with the Covenant the work of faith herein is to carry the soule towards the Covenant in the same order and way as it is propounded First accepting the grace offered resting upon God for all the mercy which he hath promised 2. Taking God to bee a God over us submitting to his government and authority to command us and to rule us in all things according to his own will these two things faith doth and so takes hold of the Covenant in the same way and order as God offers it 1. God makes himself known to us as a God of mercy gracious long-suffering pardoning iniquity transgression and sin he offers himselfe to be reconciled unto us though we have rebelled against him promising to be a Father unto us and to accept of us as his sons and daughters in his beloved Now the worke of Faith in respect of this offer of grace is only to accept the grace offered to lay hold on it and take it unto our selves being so freely offered Faith brings nothing to God of our owne it offers nothing to stand in exchange for the mercy offered it receives a gift but giveth no price The Lord holds out and offers the free grace of the Covenant faith receives it and makes it our owne Hence is that expression used by the Prophet in Esay 56. where we are said to lay hold of the Covenant God holds it forth and we take hold of it the hand of grace offers it and the hand of faith receives it and makes it our owne and this it doth by such steps and degrees as these that follow wherein though I should not limit the Lords dealing with all his yet I will shew what I conceive is the most usuall and ordinary course of Gods dispensation towards those whom he brings into Covenant with himselfe Here then faith closeth with the Covenant in this manner 1. By hearing the great things proposed in the Covenant it stirs up in the heart a deep and serious consideration of the blessed condition of those people that are in Covenant with God Oh what a blessed estate is it thinkes such a one to be in favour with God to be one of his covenanted people It makes him say with Moses Blessed art thou O Israel a people saved by the Lord Deut. 33. It saith with David No people O Lord is like thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed unto thy selfe 2 Sam. 7.23 Time was when we counted the proud blessed and placed our felicity in other things as in riches preferments favour and credit with men c. but now these are become vile and things of no value faith makes us change our voice and to speake with a new tongue and to say not Blessed are the people that be so but Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord Psal 144. ult This high esteeme of grace being accompanied with a sence of the want of it wee seem unto our selves as undone men lost wretched miserable The poor soul thinkes with it selfe no sin like my sin no misery like my misery I am separated from the Lord an alien from his people Oh blessed are they that are are at peace and in covenant with him this is now the onely pearle of price the rich treasure in the field for which such a one is content to give all the substance of his house In the prodigall when he began to thinke of returning to his father these two things were found in him First a deep sence of his owne misery I die for hunger Secondly a consideration of the wellfare of those that were in his Fathers house they have bread enough So it is with those poor soules in which faith begins to work to draw them back into Covenant with God sensible are they of their own woe highly also doe they prize the excellency of grace if by any means they might attain to have a part in it 2. This high esteem of grace and being in Covenant with God begets a longing desire of it good being beleived cannot but be desired and longed for and therefore faith now beleeving the benefit of being in favour and Covenant with God it cannot but work desires after it desire naturally springeth from the apprehension of any good made knowne Faith is both in the understanding and in the will as it is in the understanding it opens the eye to see and clearly to discerne the blessing of the Covenant and then stirs up the will to pursue and desire the attaining of the grace revealed Never did David more long for the waters of the well of Bethlehem then such a soul touched with the sence of sin doth desire to be at peace with God and in covenant with him and therefore it is that they are said to thirst after the the Lord Psal 42.2 to pant after him Psal 42.1 to gaspe after him Psal 119. longing for communion and peace with him Thus in Esay 26.9 with their soules they desire him in the night and with their spirit in the morning the desire of their soul is set upon him and cannot be satisfied by any thing without him peace with him is their life and to be separated from him is unto them as the shadow of death 3. Faith being yet weak and but as in the bud or in the seed and being yet unacquainted with the Lords dealing with his people not knowing how he useth by terrors of death to bring them to life and peace hence it comes to passe that the soule being pressed with sence of sin therefore though its desires be strong yet hope of obtaining is but feeble and vveak vve seeming to our selves utterly unworthy as indeed we are and uncapable which we are not of so high a priviledge as this is to be in favour and Covenant with the most high God Here therefore faith is taken up with many thoughts thereby to support and keepe up the heart in hope carrying the eye of the soul towards God though as beholding him afarre off faine would the poor soul be joyned to the Lord Isai 56. but being as yet dismayed with the sence of sin he stands like the poor Publican afar off as one afraid to come neere into the presence of the holy God as yet faith can scarce speak a word to God it cannot come neer to call upon him only it can with Ionah look towards his holy Temple as being like the poor weak babe which lies in the cradle being both sick and weak and speechlesse and can onely look towards the mother for helpe the cast of the eye after a sort expressing and signifying what it would say Thus doth faith being yet weak it would speak unto God but cannot onely it hath its eye towards
heaven looking for grace and mercy according to Iehoshaphats speech Our eyes are towards thee 2 Chron. 20. It hungers and thirsts after grace but feares it shall never be satisfied it feeles a need and faine would have but sence of unworthinesse consciousnesse of manifold sinnes the sentence of the Law like the thundering and lightning at Mount Sinai all of them being sharpned by Satans working in them and with them doe strike such a fear into the heart as was in Israel then that though desires be stirring and working yet hope is very feeble causing us to doe as Israel did there who though they heard the Lord say I am the Lord your God yet the terror of the thunder made them to stand afar off and so we we hear the Lord offering to be our God in covenant with us but such are the discouragements that we dare not come near to seek after the grace which is revealed Hitherto therefore the mind of the poor sinner desiring to bee in Covenant with God is unquiet within it selfe hurried too and fro finding no rest it heares of peace with God but feels it not but in stead of peace finds trouble feare doubtings discouragements to keep it off from the way of peace faith being yet yong and faint hath much adoe to sustain the heart in any hope that it sink not down in discouragement But yet though it bee weak it will be doing what it is able setting the minde to consider the promises and encouragements which God hath given us in his word how hee invites all to come unto him even every one that thirsts Esay 55. telling us That whosoever comes unto him he will not cast away Joh. 6.37 And hence while the minde is possessed with these things because so great a businesse as making a Covenant of peace with the high God and about so great an affaire as the life and salvation of our soule cannot be transacted in a tumult Therefore 4. In the fourth place faith takes the soule aside and carries it into some solitary place that there it may be alone with it selfe and with God with whom it hath to doe This businesse and multitude of other occasions cannot be done together and therefore the soule must be alone that it may the more fully commune with it selfe and utter it selfe fully before the Lord Thus the poore Church in the time of her affliction when the Lord seemed to hide himselfe from her shee sate alone as she speaks Lament 3.28 29. and Jer. 15.17 I sate alone because of thy plague The way of the Lord is prepared in the Desert Esay 40.3 when the Lord will come to the soule and draw it into communion with himselfe he will have his way hereto prepared in the Desert not in the throng of a City but in a solitary Desert place he will allure us and draw us into the Wildernesse from the company of men when he will speak to our heart and when he prepares our heart to speak unto him Hoseah 2. Not that such a one doth despise or neglect the fellowship of Gods people but he now sees and knows full well that his help is not in man and therefore waits not upon the sonnes of Adam Mich. 5.7 He is glad to hear of any hope and how others have beene succoured and pulled out of the like distresse c. but though he hath an eare open unto these and the like helps yet the soule cannot rest in them but must retire it selfe and get alone where it may think its full and satisfie it self e in thoughts of its own estate and of the offers and promises of Grace which God hath made to such lost sinners And whiles the soule is thus alone with it selfe and with God sometimes thinking of its own misery and sinne sometimes of the Lords mercy now presented in such and such promises sometimes calling to minde how others have found favour with God notwithstanding their sinnes sometimes thinking what should move the Lord thus to invite us and call us unto him and to give us these desires after him why thinks the soule should the Lord doe thus if there were no hope that he would receive me whiles I say the soule being alone is thus exercised in these thoughts at length the fire kindles so as the soule can now rest no longer but a spirit of faith being within like fire in the bones the heart hitherto having beene as a Wine-vessell which hath had no vent yet now the spirit within compels him to open his lips and to utter before the Lord the meditations of his heart And therefore 5. In the fifth place the soule resolves now to go to the throne of Grace suing for Grace proving whether the Lord will bee gracious and mercifull to accept of a reconciliation faith speaks within as they did in Jonah 3.9 who can tell whether the Lord will return c. and as Amos 5.15 It may be the Lord may yet be mercifull such an one cannot yet say that he will yet knowes not but he may be gracious and therefore doth as those lepers in 2 King 7.3 who knowing that they were sure to perish if they sate still resolved to try what might befall them in going into the Camp of the Aramites and as Esther who would try whether the King would hold out his golden Sceper towards her yea or no so the poore sinner knowing how it is with him and thinking hee must perish if he thus continue and hearing also such gracious invitations c. thereupon resolves to goe and seek the Lord begging Grace and acceptance before him Doth the Lord say seek yee my face the heart answers within Lord I will seek thy face Doth the Lord say Come unto me the heart answereth Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Ier. 3.22 And now the soule betakes it selfe unto God sending up complaints against it selfe with lamentations for its own sinfull rebellions accompanyed with strong cryes to heaven with sighes and groanes of Spirit which cannot be expressed it confesseth with grief and bitter mourning all former iniquities smites upon the thigh with repenting Epharim lies down at Gods foot-stoole putting its mouth in the dust acknowledging Gods righteousnesse if he should condemn and cast off for ever and yet withall pleads for Grace that it may be accepted as one of his It sayes unto God Lord I have nothing to plead why thou maist not condemn me but if thou wilt receive me thy mercy shall appeare in me thou maist shew forth all thy goodnesse take away therefore all mine iniquities and receive mee graciously Hoseah 14.3 It pleads Gods promise Lord thou hast said thou wilt be gracious Lord make good this word to the soule of thy servant be my God my mercifull God and make me thy servant thus the soule lies at the throne of Grace and pleads for Grace 6. As faith is thus earnest in suing to God for Grace and
acceptance with him so it is no lesse vigilant and watchfull in observing and taking notice what answer comes from the Lord how he answers the desires we have presented before him As the prisoner at the barre not only cries for mercy but marks every word which falls from the Judges mouth if any thing may give him hope and as Benhadads servants lay at catch with the King of Israel to see if they could take occasion by any thing which fell from him to plead for the life of Benhadad so doth the poore soule that is now pleading for life and grace it watcheth narrowly to see if any thing may come from God any intimation of favour any word of comfort that may tend to peace thence it is that the Saints have so often called upon God for answer of their prayers they thought it not enough to pray but they would see how the Lord answered them Psal 102.1 2. Thus Psal 51.8 O let me heare joy and gladnesse c. David did not only pray for mercy but desires to heare from heaven a word spoken to his conscience by which he might know he was accepted though David was not in the beginning of that work we now speak of yet the case is alike he was now in his own sence as if he had been to begin anew and thus in Psal 85.8 I will heare what the Lord will say for he will speak peace unto his people c. 7. As faith doth thus wait for an answer from God so likewise according as the Lord doth either answer or not answer so doth faith demeane it selfe First Sometimes he answers not to our sence I mean and discerning as we see in Davids case he felt himselfe as one forsaken and prayed unto God but found no audience Psal 22. What doth faith in this case it followes God still and cryes after him with more strength and earnestness as resolving never to give over till the Lord either save or destroy if the Lord will destroy yet the soule chuseth to die at Gods foot as Joab did at the hornes of the Altar when he was bidden to come forth from thence to take his death in another place Nay saith Ioab but I will die here Here the humbled soule doth as that woman did in Mat. 15. shee sues to Christ but Christ seemes to have no regard of her gives her not one word but shee seeks still still she cryes after him and though still repulsed yet shee comes a third time and cryes Lord help me and though still the Lord gives her another repulse yet still she hangs upon him and follows him for mercy and would never give over till she he had gotten even what shee desired Even as Christ in his agony when he saw deliverance came not he prayed more earnestly Luk. 22.44 so doth the poore sinner in the time of his agony when he is striving as for life and death if help come not at first call he prays againe and that more earnestly faith will be urgent with God with an humble importunity and the more slack the Lord seemes to be in answering the more instant is faith in plying God with prayers It will be wrastling with God as Iacob did with the Angel it will not rest without a blessing it will take no denyall but will crave still as hee did blesse me even me also send me not away without a blessing it resolves to wait and look up untill the Lord shew mercy Psal 123.2 Lament 3.49 50. Secondly Sometimes againe the Lord doth answer but yet he speaks but as out of the dark cloud giving somâ— little ease but not speaking full peace much like as he spake to the woman Ioh. 8.11 Goe thy way and sinne no more saith Christ he doth not say goe in peace thy sinne is forgiven thee that had been a word of full comfort but goe thy way and sinne no more a middle kind of expression neither assuring her that her sinne was pardoned nor yet putting her out of hope but it might be forgiven And hereby faith gets a little strength and looks after the Lord with more hope and begins to plead with God as Moses did Lord thou hast begun to shew grace unto thy servant goe on Lord to manifest in me all thy goodnesse here faith takes a little hold on the Covenant though with a feeble hand as yet shaking and trembling for want of strength and yet now it begins to follow the Lord with more encouragement as finding that its former seeking hath not been wholly in vaine Thirdly Sometimes againe the Lord speaks more fully and satisfactorily to the soules of his people applying some promise of Grace to the conscience by his own spirit letting the soule feele and taste the comfort of such a promise more effectually then ever it could before it hath often heard and thought on such a promise but could never feele any peace in it because it could never apply it to its own particular but now being applyed by the help of the Spirit it finds and feeles peace Here then the Lord doth not any longer hold the soule in suspence and doubting by propounding unto it such promises of hope as I may so call them It may be yee shall bee hid in the day of wrath Zeph. 2.3 but he speaks full peace as Esay 41.10 Feare not for I am thy God I will subdue your iniquities and cast all your sinnes behind my back and I will remember them against you no more I have received a reconciliation Iob 33. Goe in peace Here â—aith waxeth bold and with a glad heart entertaineth the promise thus brought home unto it the Apostle expresseth this with a word very significant calling it an embracing of the promise Heb. 11.13 embracing implyes an affectionate receiving with both armes opened to shew an heart enlarged to those that come unto us and now the soule having thus embraced the promise and the Lord Iesus Christ in the promise and having him like Simeon in our armes it layes him in the bosome and having before gone forth to meet him hee being now come it brings him into the chamber of the heart there to rest and abide for ever now the soule possesseth him as her own rests in him and is satisfied with him layes it selfe down in a holy rest after all its former troubles praysing God for his mercy as Simeon did when he had Christ in his armes and committing it selfe for ever to that mercy and goodnesse which hath been thus revealed unto it And thus the poor soul which hath been at emnity with God comes by little and little to touch the top of the golden Scepter and to enter into a Covenant of peace with the high God now the hand is given to the Lord as Hezekiah spake 2 Chron. 30. As God reacheth out to us the hand of Grace and of saving help so doe wee give unto him the hand of faith yeilding up our selves unto him committing our selves
command us to believe unto life but it must shew us Christ on whom we must pitch our Faith But this the law doth not Christ is only revealed by the Gospel not by the law the Law knows him not Adam in his best estate knew not Christ and yet Adam had then the knowledge of the whole law and of all that the law required The law then not revealing Christ cannot command faith because faith cannot bee without Christ who is the object which it is carried unto Object If it bee said that the law is a Schoole-master to lead us unto Christ and therefore the Law reveales Christ Answ I answer if we take the law for the morall law then its bringing of us to Christ is only occasionall in as much as it drives us from it selfe as making us to see that by it there is no hope of life it curseth all it gives hope of life to none but the Gospel shewing us a salvation to be had in Christ now the Law by the severity of it is an occasion unto us of seeking life where it is to bee found But to bring us to Christ is no proper work of the law It is no otherwise then as if a child knowing the tendernesse of his Fathers love and finding his Schoole-master to be very severe and sharp runnes from the severity of his Master to hide himselfe under his Fathers wing yet not by the teaching or bidding of his Master but his severity is the occasion of it so it is in the point in hand But if we take the Law for the Law Ceremoniall It s true that the Ceremoniall law points out Christ unto us but the Ceremoniall law was Gospel in the substance of it though vailed over with types and shadowes which were to continue till the body was come How the carnall minded Jewes misunderstood those ceremonies it matters not It s certaine that in the primitive institution of them they were ordained for Evangelicall ends and therefore this infringeth not the truth before laid downe namely that the law sc the law of works properly so called doth not reveale Christ and therefore cannot command faith in Christ 4. If faith be commanded not in the Gospel but in the law then unbeliefe is no sinne against the Gospel but only against the law for where there is no commandement or law to bind there is no transgression Rom. 4. so that if the Gospel have no commandement to command us to believe then not to believe is no sinne against the Gospel and if so then those that have had the Gospel preached unto them all their life long shall lie under no more guilt of sinne then those that never had any more then the law only 5. If our calling be by the Gospel not by the law then the commandement which commands faith is a commandement of the Gospel not of the law our faith is wrought by our calling our calling is by the Gospel Gal. 1.15 2 Thes 2.14 and therefore the commandement of faith is a commandement of the Gospel Object Our calling and Faith also is wrought by the Gospel yet not by the commandement but by the promise Answ It is by the commandement though we exclude not the promise the commandement is indeed made more alluring more drawing by the promise annexed but the very name and terme of calling imports that it is not wrought without the commandement and therefore it is that we have these and the like voyces and commandements of Gods calling unto us Come unto me Return unto me Come out from among them Separate your selves and I will receive you Are not these so many commandements of God and by these the Lord inclines and drawes the heart to come unto him In Esay 55.5 there are the words of God the Father unto Christ Thou shalt call a Nation saith the Father unto him and they shall runne unto thee But what voyce is that by which Christ shall call the Nation that comes unto him The Prophet tells us in vers 1.3 Come to the waters yee that thirst saith Christ Come unto mee and I will make a Covenant with you These commandements backed with promises doe draw and make the Nation so called to come to Christ and runne after him so Jer. 3.22 Return O backsliding Iâ—rael Here 's a commandement and what followes Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God See therefore how the Lord makes use of the commandement joyned with the promise to draw men unto him Thus it was with those Bretheren Mat. 4.19 21. and with Matthew the Publican whom Christ called from the receit of Custome Matt. 9. Follow me saith Christ to him he said no more but presently hee riseth up and followes him Matth. 9.9 And thus usually Come unto me saith Christ follow me believe on me c. which commandedements being accompanied with a Spirit of grace going with them the soule follows Christ to apprehend that grace to which it is called The summe of this argument is this that if there be a commandement concurring to our calling then there is a commandement concurring to the working of our faith and if our calling be by the Gospel then the commandement by which we are called to faith is a commandement of the Gospel and not of the Law 6. In 1 Ioh. 3.23 This saith the Apostle is his commandement that we believe in the name of his Son Iesus Christ Here is a direct commandement to believe Is this a legall commandement the whole Epistle breathes nothing but a spirit of grace and of the Gospel many passages in the Epistle might be noted for the confirmation thereof but I am loth to spend time in a thing so cleare 7. The commandements of the law wound and kill as it is in 2 Cor. 3.6 they doe not heale nor give life but the commandement of believing doth heale and give life to those that are wounded How many dying soules have been raised to life how many wounded consciences have bin eased and healed by that sweet invitation and drawing commandement of our blessed Saviour Come unto me all yee c Matth. 11.28 This comming is all one with believing Joh. 6.35 and the commandement to come is a commandement to believe and will any say this is a legall commandement then could it never have healed and given life as it hath done for the law woundeth but healeth not The comfort and sweetnesse which is in this invitation shews of what nature it is not legall but Evangelicall In Mark 10.49 when Jesus had called Bartimeus To come unto him those about him speak encouragingly unto him Be of good comfort say they for he calleth thee there is comfort in the very call invitation or command of Christ To come unto him It encourageth us to come it shews us that it is his will we should come unto him and that he is willing to receive such as come and will not cast them away Ioh. 6. But the Law
with God 44 45 46 wherein both Covenants agree 50 51. wherein they differ 52 56 70 73 75. how faith in both differ 53 54. both Covenants considered two wayes 97 the Covenant of works requires faith 52 53. why the Lord conveys life and blessednesse to us by the Covenant 26 27 28 the Covenant of Grace the same in all ages 102 103 more powerfully dispensed since then before the comming of Christ 112. D Demeanour of Fath after prayer 307 308. Differences between the two Covenants fifteen 52 between faith in both covenants 53 54 between both in requiring works 55 between the Commandement of Law and Gospel 332. Discontentâ— the causes of them 134. Dispositions sanctified tokens of true sanctification 239 240. Draw nothing in us to Draw God into Covenant with us 353. E Effects of the Spirit of Grace in the soul 88 of true sanctification 235 236 237 of light in the soul 380 Effect of the Covenant is to work holinesse 373 seq England an admonition to it to receive the Grace offered 14. Encouragement to faith 261. Enmity in our nature against God 353. When it is that we make grace our Enemy 95 96. Evangelicall condition excludes not free grace 326. Everlasting the Covenant is 367 why so 368 the blessings of the Covenant are so ibid. how the first Covenat is so 369. Exalted God is to be Exalted chiefly 346. how he is to be Exalted 348 when hee is ibid. F Faith the condition of the Covenant of Grace 295 why it is ibid. how closeth with the Covenant 302. encouragements to it 261 two acts of it 289 290 not commanded in the Law 331 proved ibid. its workings 304 its weaknesse 303 its earnestnesse in prayer unto God 307. its demeanour after prayer as God answers or not answers 308 309. Looks on the Lords Government as a mercifull government 312 reconciles the heart unto God 313 enables to walk with God ibid. when the life of faith is most seen 314 faith of Christ why so called 329 It is a strengthening grace 317 gets assisting strength from Christ 313 We are not actually justified before it comes 322 the reasons of it ibid. Fall why the Saints cannot fall away 248. Father God the Father in Covenant with us 124 with Christ 29 30. Forgivenesse of sin the benefit of it 164 why the Lord doth forgive sinnes 165 166 what a man is to doe that he may be forgiven 169 signes when a mans sinnes are forgiven 171 172. Freenesse of Gods grace 81 how the condition and the freenesse of grace agree in the Covenant 292 The condition in the Covenant excludes not the freenesse of grace 291 how it appeares that the Covenant is free 354 why it is so 356 the freenesse of grace in the Covenant 353. G Gentiles beleeving are the seed of Abraham 17. God alone satisfies a sanctified soule â—38 his things great 346. Glorying twofold 87 what glorying is ibid. the Covenant of grace teacheth to glory in God alone 85 88 holinesse the glory of a people 381. Gospel vayled in the Ceremoniall Law 330 the commandement of Faith a commandement of the Gospel Government of the Lord when we are under it 153 154 a mercifull government 312. Grace habituall may be a tryall of our state 231 232 it appeares in cleansing us from filthinesse of sinne 181 why the Lord would have his Covenant to bee of free Grace 356 the free grace of God in pardoning of sinne 159 the infinitenesse of it 160 Faith a strengthning Grace 317 the Covenant at mount Sinai a Covenant of Grace 65 66 the performance of the promise of Grace is Grace 355 the freenesse of Grace in entring into Covenant with us 353. H Habituall holinesse 376 Habit of Faith not the condition of the Covenant 298 reasons of it ibid. Heaven Canaan a type of it 107. Heart sanctified finds no peace but in the way that 's holy 236. Holy Ghost in Covenant with us 124 the Covenant a holy Covenant 373 why it is holy 374. Holinesse what 375 a twofold holinesse ibid. signes of a true 379 it s the glory of a people 381 the perfection of our Christian state 381 it s wrought by the Covenant 373. I Iewes after their conversion shall continue faithfull 7 shall inhabit their own land again 16 their conversion 17 18 reasons of it 19 two hindrances of their conversion 20 why wee should pray for their conversion 20. Iustice without mercy in the Covenant of Works 77. Iustification considered three wayes 322 sanctification an evidence of it 183 it goes not before faith 322 the reasons of it Ibid. K Knowledge of the Covenant what benefit 119 120. Know whether we be in Covenant 378. L Law considered two wayes 58 Ceremoniall a Gospel vailed 330 commandeth not faith 333 the condition of it impossible to be fulfilled 295. Law-Giver who and how 328. Libertines mistake the Covenant 379. Light the effects of it in the soule 380. Life of Faith what it is 314 when it is most seen ibid. Love of God to us should comfort us in the enjoyment of lesser blessings 273 274. M Man in Covenant with God two wayes 361 man seeks not God but God man 353. Mediator who 68 69 the Covenant of Grace given by a Mediatour 66 Chirst in his Type a Mediatour of that Covenant given at Mount Sinai 62 wee are not to goe to God but by a Mediatour 67 68 Christ that Mediatour 68 69 Christ an everlasting Mediatour 370 the comfort the mediation of Christ affords the Saints 69 70. Morall Law how it leads to Christ 330 Motives to holinesse 330 seq Mover in making the Covenant who first 299 353. N Nature of man in enmity against God 353. New why the Covenant of Grace is so called 195 New-England 14. O Obedience of the soule to God at its first conversion 310. Old why the Covenant of Grace is so called 105. Outward blessings pledges of better things 262 what the Outward blessings are that God promiseth his servants 264. why the Lord keeps his servants sometimes short in Outward things 263 in what manner God premiseth Outward blessings 165 they are part of the Covenant 267 they may be prayed for 166 God is the giver of them 271 272 the causes why the Saints are often deprived of them 267 seq when Outward things are blessings and tokens of Gods love 272 273 Outward blessings should make us serve God with the Outward man 274. P Peace cannot be wrought in the soul by the Covenant of works 90 91 a sanctified soul can finde no Peace but in that that 's holy 236. People of God are promised to have God himselfe 122 123 reasons of it 126. Person God first acceps the Person then the sacrifice 70 71. Personally God personally in Covenant with us 1â—4 Perseverance in grace the Certainty of it 245 246 the reasons of it 246 247. Preservation in the state of grace part of the Covenant 243 244. Performance of the promise oâ— grace is free grace 353. Perfection of a Christian state what 281. Positive holinesse what 376. Possession of honour uncertaine 366 true grace is an everlasting Possession 255. Professours severall sorts of them hollow-hearted 256 257. Promises absolute the use of them 289 conditionall are of free grace 326 proved ibid. promises to encourage the people to return from Babylon 2. Q Qualifications may be tokens of Iustification 234 Qualifications in the promises when we are to make use of them 358. R Reasonable it is that God should rule over his people 311. Râ—concilement of the heart unto God is by faith 313. Relative holinesse what 375. Righteousness that justifies what it is 322. Riches of grace opened 126 Riches uncertaine 366. S Salt why the Covenant is so called 368. Saints who is their strength 254. Sanctifiâ—aâ—ion twofold 227 it s a blessing that will make those that receive it blessed 177 why so 178 179 it is an evidence of justification 183 Sanctification more manifest to the soul then Iustification 233 the reason of it ibid. the effects of Sanctification 235 236 237. It makes wary against staining sins 237 it makes us sensible of our weaknesses 23 some reall work in the soul proves not a reall Sanctification 228. Security that is wrought by assurance what it is 241. Seed of Abraham double 35 36. Separation between Iew and Gentile ended at Christs Ascension 97. Sinne a wrong done to God 160 Sinne turns good things into evill 164 Sinne the greatest evill why 163 God chuseth sometime the worst of sinners 354 why he doth so 355 Sins cannot make voyd the Covenant of Grace 84 85. when it is that Sinne makes voyd the Covenant of Grace 95 96. Son the Son of God in Covenant with us 124. Spirit whether the Spirit of Law or Grace dwels within us 88 how to know when our comfort is from the Spirit of grace 89. Storehouse of rich blessings what is 342. Strengâ—h of the Saints who is 254. Substance the absolute and conditionall promises one in substance 29. T Temporary blessings of the Covenant 259. Testament why the Covenant called a Testament 283 284. The old Testament revealed the Covenant of Grace darkly 107 why so 109 it revealed it only to the Iewes 115 116. Thankfulnesse 118. Things of God great things 343. True taken two wayes 228. Truth of sanctification signes of it 235 seq Truth of holinesse signes of it 379. Trust encouragements to Trust in God 261. Tryals of our estate may be made by the conditions of the Covenant 288 289. Tryall of our estate may be made by habituall grace 231 232. V Vnbeliefe the danger of it 340 unbeliefe dishonours God 363 it shames us 362 it weakens our comfort 363. Vncertaine riches are uncertaine 366. Vnworthinesse hinders not the freenesse of Gods grace 357. Vse of absolute promises what 289. W Worst of sinners chosen of God 353. Work of Faith what 314 how Works are considered in the Covenant of grace 3â—4 The Covenant of grace requires Works 35 The Covenant at Mount Sinai not a Covenant of Works proved 58 A man that is under the Covenant of Works cannot attaine sanctification 184 the reasons of it ibid. Our Works are dead works 295 good Works the fruit of the Tree of faith 9 justification cannot be attained by the Works of the Law 226. Z Zeale for God is an honour to God 149. FINIS
the fruition of the blessed God Vse 1 This may let us see the abundant grace of God towards us in this promise of the covenant that hee is pleased to become our God this may be the wonder of the whole world that which Heaven Earth Angels and Men may stand astonied at that the high God should enter into a covenant with us to become our God There are divers things that manifest the riches of grace in this blessing First it we consider what it is that is given it is no lesse then the great mighty and infinite God Secondly unto whom he hath given himselfe even to us a generation of sinfull men the wretched children of apostatizing Adam that he should give himselfe to us though we had forsaken him and cast him off this is wonderfull grace It was no small thing that the Lord would at first enter into covenant with Adam though carrying upon him then the lively image and representation of Gods holinesse yet this was lesse wonderfull a righteous God to be in covenant with righteous man the holy God to be in covenant with man indued with the like holinesse But this is the wonder of grace that the just and holy God should enter into covenant with and communicate himselfe to such sinfull polluted loathsome and unclean creatures as the sonnes of men be We might justly have been left to the God of this world 2 Cor. 4.4 2 Cor. 4.4 because we had preferred him before the true God But God is pleased to give himselfe to us to become our God This Angels may stand and wonder at here is infinite grace Justice can lay no claim to this blessing well therefore mâ—y we say unto it Grace Grace Thirdly it is more grace still because his entring into this covenant with us his bestowing of this grace is of himselfe onely of his own good will and pleasure without our seeking or enquiring for him Indeed before wee get full interest in the covenant we are glad to seek and sue but the Lord begins and offers himself unto us as 2 Cor. 6.17 2 Cor 6.17 Come out from amongst them saith the Lord and I will be a Father unto you Men seek not after God as Psalm 14.2 but the Lord takes them by the hand and saith as Psalm 81.11 12. O Israel I will bee thy God So also he tells his people Ezek. 16.6 8. that when they lay in their bloud them he said unto them Live and sware unto them and entred into a covenant with them And yet here is more grace stil unto those that God enters into covenant with in that he is not the God of the whole world but of a remnant a little handful of people whom God hath chosen Out of the whole masse of sinfull men the Lord picks out a few base poore despised ones things of no account as 1 Cor. 1.27 28. and gives himselfe to such passing by those that count themselves Gods in comparison of other men passes by Saul that sits on the throne and chuses David that followeth the sheep here is the grace of the covenant this may cause us to wonder and say as Judas John 14.22 What is the cause that thou wilt shew thy self to us and not to the world To teach us all that doe heare of the covenant and of the rich Vse 2 and abundant blessing that is enjoyed thereby to give up our selves wholly and onely unto God who hath given himselfe wholly and onely to those that are in covenant with him Mete unto God as hee metes to you As hee maketh a covenant with you to give himself wholly to you so doe you devote and consecrate your selves your wit strength gifts and all to be wholly for him Doe not as the Israelites Psalm 81. God offered himselfe to them but they would have none of him God is a God to us and not to the world let us be a people unto him and not to the world The covenant between God and us must bee as the covenant between man and wife Hosea 3.3 Thou shalt be for me and I will be for thee The Lord takes it ill when as Isai 57.8 his people run after other lovers and commit fornication with Idols and with the world Live therefore unto him who lives and works all things for us and for our salvation To teach us in all our straits and necessities to flie unto this Vse 3 covenant that the Lord hath made with us to claim the right and interest that we have in him and to look unto him for succour in all the distresses that we meet withall Goe unto him and say Thou art our God now we stand in need of thy help all creatures cannot yeeld it doe not thou therefore faile us Look unto this promise I will be a God unto thee This course the Church taketh Isai 63.15.16 Isai 63.15.16 and by vertue of his covenant they plead for mercy in their great misery Doubtlesse thou art our Father look down c. This also the Church pleads with God in time of famine Jer. 14.21 Jerem. 14.21 Break not covenant with us it is thou the Lord our God that must give rain c. This is a sweet plea for every child of God to plead with the Lord by Vse 4 To teach us how we ought to walk in an holy fellowship with God without estrangednesse seeing he hath made a covenant with us and given himselfe to us Take heed of causing estrangednesse between God and us As friends that are in covenant the one with the other are carefull to shun all offences whereby they might grieve one another or cause any alienation of affection between them so should it be with us God doth nothing to grieve us he deales lovingly kindly and mercifully with us and therefore expostulates with his people Micah 6.3 Wherein have I grieved thee Lay against me the matter of accusation Oh that we could say the like unto him But let us labour so to walk in all holy fellowship and care to please him in reverence and feare of him that we may not doe any thing but that which is acceptable in his sight It may also direct us how to walk towards every person in the Trinity seeing they all enter into covenant with us Let us carry our selves to the Father as children in feare of him with faith depending upon him walk before him in child-like obedience Let us labour to honour the Son who hath abased himselfe to redeem us unto himselfe 1 Cor. 6. last 1 Cor. 6. last And seeing the holy Ghost is our Sanctifier and Comforter labour to walk as the Temples of the holy Ghost keeping our vessels in holinesse and honour that he may delight to dwell in us and take heed of grieving the holy Spirit of God whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption and submit your selves to his gracious directions in all things Vse 5 A ground of infinite comfort