of grace when it is made onely to a few to a peculiar and chosen number of men 12. The Covenant of Works that entitles men to no further honor then to be a worthy and honourable servant of God not a child of God but under the Covenant of Grace we doe not only become servants but adopted sons we are the children of promise by Faith in Christ the Covenant of Grace puts us into a state of Sonship Adam was the son of God by creation but not by grace and adoption till the Covenant of Grace was made 13. Creation was the foundation of the Covenant of Works but it is Redemption that is the foundation of the Covenant of Grace the foundation of this is because Christ hath died for us and shed his bloud for us 14. In the Covenant of Works God did onely manifest the attributes of his greatnesse and power and wisdome and justice but in the covenant of grace hee does demonstrate the attributes of his grace and mercy goodnesse and patience c. God in the covenant of works was only a just God Do this and live so long as thou keepest my Commandments thou shalt live and no longer but in the covenant of grace he is a mercifull God too the Lord did make the attributes of his mercy and goodnesse to shine forth in this covenant should God say to us so long as you doe well it shall be well with you but if even you break one command or commit one sin you shall be damned if God should say thus to us we were in a most miserable and undone condition and could not escape damnation but we being under the covenant of grace by his Son Jesus Christ he tels us that although we doe break his commands and sin against him yet in his Son he will pardon us and passe by all our transgressions as if they had never beene committed SERMON IX EPHES. 2. 12. And strangers to the Covenants of Promise HAving shewn you in 14. particulars your great happiness in being under the covenant of grace from the misery you would have lain under had you been under the covenant of works I come now to the second Use Use 2 which is a Use of dread and terrour to lay before you the great misery of those that are strangers to this covenant of promise and here I might lay before you much astonishing and perplexing matter to all those that are not in the covenant of grace I shall be the larger upon this particular because the last day I spent half an hour about a use of comfort in shewing you your happinesse in being under the covenant of grace and therefore now I shall spend the like time in declaring the misery of all those that are strangers to the covenant which I shall comprise under these six heads 1. This is one part of your misery you are bound to keep the whole Law of God and that in your persons else you can never be saved and oh how impossible is this for any man to do he that is under the covenant of grace God the Father accepts of Christs keeping and fulfilling of the Law for him as if it were done by him in his own person but to such as are not in this covenant of grace God sayes to them if you doe not keep the whole Law and that personally you shall be damned eternally as in Gal. 5. 3. sayes the Apostle there I testifie again â—o every man that is circumcised that he is bound to keep the whole Law if you will not accept of Christ and accept of Salvation by his bloud alone but run to circumcision I tell you saith the Apostle that you are debters to keep the whole Law of God and he will cast you into hell upon the least breach of the Law Oh thou unhappy man upon how hard termes canst thou hope for salvation even upon impossible termes thou canst as well keep the sea in thy fist as keep the whole Law of God in thy own person God sayes to thee if thou dost break but one command though thou should keep all the rest yet thou shalt die and be damned eternally but if you be under the covenant of grace though you break the Law again and again yet Christ doth redeem you from the curse of the Law he being made a curse for you 2. Thou that art a stranger to the covenant of grace thou hast no strength but thy own to help thee in the discharge of all thy duties but now a man that is under the covenant of grace God doth command him a duty and does with the command give him a power to perform the duty God bids him act grace and powers upon him a spirit of Grace he bids him pray and gives him a spirit of prayer God commands him a duty and gives him a flexible willing and an obedient heart and abilities to perform the duty when in Scripture God does command a duty he does likewise promise to assist and enable us to the performance of the duty as for example the Lord bids us to wash us and make us clean and put away the evill of our doings and a poor soul saith Oh Lord I am not able to wash my heart nor cleanse my wayes nor to do any thing that is good of my self and therefore sayes God again I will wash you and make you whiter then snow so God bids us to get new hearts and then again he promiseth to create in us new hearts and renew rights spirits within us I might instance in sundry other particulars but now this is thy unhappinesse oh man that art a stranger to the covenant of grace God bids thee keep his commands but he gives thee no power to fulfill his commands he bids thee act grace and never gives thee a spirit of grace he bids thee pray and yet never powres out upon thee a spirit of prayer and if Adam in his innocency when he was perfect was not able to keep Gods commands how much more unable art thou to doe any thing that may please God thou by thy own strength art as well able to make a world as to make one prayer or perform any duty in a holy and spirituall manner thou canst as well destroy the whole world with thy own hands as subdue any lust by thy own strength but under the covenant of Grace God tels us that though we cannot keep the Law yet he will accept of his Sons keeping it for us and he hath promised to help and assist us in the performance of every thing that he commands us 3. You that are strangers to the covenant of grace herein lies your misery you have no Advocate to plead for you nor Mediator to stand between God and you you have an angry God frowning upon you and a galled conscience ready to accuse you and every thing else in the World against you but no friend either in heaven or in earth to plead
the 7. verse that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Jesus Christ 4. Here is laid down the finall cause of it in the same verse also that in Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace And Lastly here is the instrumentall cause of bringing man out of the state of Nature into the state of Grace and that is Faith in the 8. verse For by grace are you saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Now the other part of the Map describes man in the second capacity in the state of Nature and herein it gives a twofold description of Mans condition 1. Positively what he is 2. Privatively what he wants 1. It describes Man in the state of Nature positively what he is and that in five particulars 1. Men in their naturall condition are described to bee dead in trespasses and sinnes 2. They walk according to the course of this world as Pagans and Heathens do 3. According to the Prince of the power of the air that is the Devill now the Devill is called the Prince of the air either because he doth reside in the air or else because he hath the power of the winde and of the air 4. They are called Children of disobe dience that is bor n in a state of disobedience quite contrary to the commands of God 5. That they fulfill the lusts of the flesh and of the minde and are by nature children of wrath Thus far you have the positive description of Man in the state of Nature 2. Now in the second place the Apostle describes him privatively what he wants and that in the words of my Text in five particulars wherein hee plainly shews that he is the poorest man in the world that wants Jesus Christ and the most miserable That at that time you were without Christ that is the first You were Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel that is the second You were strangers to the Covenants of promise that is the third You were without hope that is the fourth And you were without God in the world that 's the fift Now these comprehensive expressions contain in them the whole misery of Man and that in these five particulars here named 2. here is described the time how long a man is in this condition that at that time that is the time during your unconverted estate as long as you are unconverted so long you are without Christ and an Alien from the Common wealth of Israel and a stranger to the Covenants of promise without hope and without God in the world And now what a dismall Text have I here to handle and what a doleful tragedy am I now to act but yet out of every one of these there is a great deal of comfort which may flow forth I shall only at present make entrance into the words and speak more fully to them afterwards that at that time you were without Christ That at that time Beloved here wants something to supply the sense of the words and therefore read the foregoing words and you will finde what must be brought in the verse before runs thus Wherefore remember that you being in times past Gentiles in the flesh c. wherefore remember these words must be prefixt Wherefore remember that at that time you were without Christ and aliens to the Common-wealth of Israel c. I shall here by the way only draw out this one doctrine from the coherence of the words Wherefore remember that at that time the Apostle would have these converted Ephesians to remember that they were men without Christ and aliens to the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise without hope and without God in the world now from hence I would commend this observation to you Doct. That it is the will of God that men in a converted estate should often call to minde the sinfulnesse and misery they were guilty of before their conversion Beloved this is a subject I could never have occasion to speak to you of before and yet it is a point of admirable use especially in these times wherein people think that when once they are brought into a state of Grace they must live in divine raptures and revelations and spirituall joyes above duties and ordinances and never look back into their former sinfulnesse and wickednesse they were guilty of before their conversion Why here the Ephesians were converted men and had extraordinary priviledges they were brought to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus and yet the Apostle bids them remember their former sinfulnesse and misery Remember O you Ephesians that ye were once without Christ and you were Aliens to the Common-wealth of Israel c. therefore you must take heed of this to think that when you are converted you must be only rapt up into the third heavens and never look back into your former condition you see here the Apostle bids you remember what you were at that time during your unconverted estate that you were then without Christ and strangers to the Covenants of promise c. So that you see it is the will of God that men in a converted estate should often cal to minde the sins and miserie they were in before conversion Now before I come to give you the Reasons of the point give me leave to premise these three Cautions when I tell you that after your cōversion you should call to minde your sin and misery before conversion you must not do it 1. with complacency of spirit nor 2. with stupidity of heart nor 3. with despondency of minde Caution 1 1. You must not cal to minde your former sinfulnesse with complacency of spirit to please your humors you must not do as some great men use to do that have been guilty of great and crying sins as adultery drunkennesse swearing and the like in their youth go tell and boast of them in their age this is a very great wickednesse you must call to minde your former sinfulnesse not with complacency but with bitternesse of spirit with grief sorrow and perplexity of heart Many men will tel you large stories of the wickednesse that they have committed but they do it with delight and if they had strength and abilities they would be guilty of the same sins and wickednesses stil which is a most ungodly practise and that which the Scripture condemns men for as in the 23. of Ezek. 23. 19 21. Yet she multiplyed her whoredomes in calling to remembrance the dayes of her youth wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdnesse of thy youth the meaning of this is she called her sins to remembrance but it was so as to play the whore stil and to be unclean stil she did it with delight and complacency with content and joy now I say you should call
your sins to remembrance with a great deal of grief and sorrow and bitternesse of spirit and therefore when young gallants wil boast of their sins and tel how often they have been drunk and have made others to be so and how often they have plaid the whoremaster and have drawn others to do so this is a most Diabolical remembrance 2. You must not cal your former sins to remembrance with stupidity of heart neither Beloved there are many men can remember what lewd courses they have taken and what wicked lives they have lived how often they have been drunk and unclean and the like and yet are never troubled at the remembrance of it their hearts do not smite them with remorse and sorrow but are like a rock the sense of sin never troubles them this is no way of calling sin to remembrance with a blockish and stupid heart this is not thanks worthy but it must be done with a broken and a bleeding and a contrite heart And 3. Take in this caution too it must not be done with despondency of minde neither There are many converted ones that do cal their sins to remembrance but it makes them discouraged and unwilling to come to Christ it makes them think that they have no interest in the covenant of grace but this should not be the true effect that the consideration of your former sinfulnesse should produce should be your laying your souls low and making them humble and the more sensible of that indispensable need you have of Christ of going unto him for salvation and comfort These are the Cautions necessary to be premised I come now to give you the Reasons of the point why it is the will of God that people in a converted estate should often cal to minde the sin and misery they were in before conversion and Reas 1 1. God will have it so because by so doing you will be provoked the more highly to magnifie and admire the greatnesse and riches of Gods grace to you there are none in the World greater admirers of Gods grace and mercy then those that are most studious of their own sin and misery thou wilt never solemnly and throughly magnifie Gods mercy till thou art plunged into a deep sensiblenesse of thine own misery till the Lord hath brought thee to see in what a miserable and deplorable condition thou wert in before conversion thou wilt then admire and magnifie the riches of Gods free grace in bringing thee out of that condition into the estate of grace as in 1 Tim. 1. 13. the Apostle Paul when he would magnifie the free grace of God to him saith he I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious and yet through the abundance of Gods free grace and mercy I have obtained mercy the consideration of his former sinfulnesse did elevate and scrue up his heart to make him admire the free grace of God to his soul that man can never prize liberty as he should do that never was in prison But Reas 2 2. Another reason why God wil have it so is because this will be as a spur to quicken and engage men to be more eminent in grace after their conversion when a man doth frequently and seriously consider how bad and sinful he was before conversion it cannot but provoke him now to be more humble and holy after his conversion It is very observable in Paul that all those sins and wickednesses he was guilty of before conversion he did most of all strive against and labour to excell in the contrary graces after conversion as first before conversion he did labour to hale others to prison for worshipping of Christ but after his conversion he did labour to draw others to Christ Act. 26. 10 11. Many of the Saints did I shut up in prison and gave my voice against them and punished them oft in every City and I was exceeding mad against them and banished them into other Cities and now you shall see that after conversion Paul did labour to outvie in grace that evil course he was in before as before conversion he did imprison those that did belong to Christ so after conversion he was shut up himself in prison for the cause of Christ before conversion he gave his voice against the people of God but after conversion he did pray to God for them before conversion he did punish them often but afterward he did preach to them often before conversion he did compell men to blaspheme Christ but after conversion he was very earnest to perswade people to beleive in Christ he was exceeding mad against them before conversion but afterward hee was so exceeding zealous for the people of God that every one thought hee had been mad and lastly before conversion he did persecute Saints to strange Cities but afterwards he did go preaching of the Gospel to strange Cities Oh my Beloved let Pauls pattern be your task cal to minde your sin and wickednesse in your unconverted condition but so that it may provoke you that now you are converted you may labour to abound in grace as formerly you have abounded in sin Reas 3 3. Another reason why God will have us call to minde the sin and misery we were in before conversion is because this will be a means to kindle a great deal of pity and compassion in our souls towards those that remain yet unconverted this the Apostle exhorts us to in Tit. 3. 2 3. Speak evill of no man sayes he be no brawler but gentle Shewing all meeknesse unto all men for we our selves also were sometime foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another as if the Apostle should have said I Paul and thou Titus we were sinful as wel as they and did serve divers lusts as wel as they once let us therefore be pitiful and merciful and compassionate towards them this consideration wil greatly provoke us to commiserate poor sinful souls the great reason why we pity them no more then we do is because we do not cal to mind our own sinfulnesse and what we were before conversion Reas 4 4. Another reason may be this because the consideration of our former misery will greatly abate pride in the hearts of converted men this will be a great means to abate and keep under pride and advance humility in the hearts of Gods people Beloved a good man naturally is apt to be proud we are not proud of our sins but of our graces pride is apt to grow in the best mans heart and therefore God would have us sometime look back upon what we were in our unconverted estate that so that might abate the pride of our spirits you have an excellent place for this in Ezek. 16. 3 4 5. compared with the last verse of that chapter Sayes God there to Jerusalem Thy Birth and thy Nativity is of the land of Canaan thy Father was an Amorite
becoms comely through Christs comlinesse that is cast upon him if you want Christ you want your best ornament a man without Christ is like a body full of sores and botches he is like a dark house without light and like a body without a head and such a man must needs be a deformed man 6. Another property of a Christlesse man is that he is a disconsolate man Christ is the only spring of comfort and the fountain of all joy and consolation take away Christ from the Soul and it is all one as if you did take away the Sun from the firmament if a man hath all the blessings in the world yet if he want Christ he wants that which should sweeten all the rest of his comforts In Exod. 15. 23. 25. you read there of the waters of Marah they were so bitter that none could drink of them but then the Lord shewed Moses a tree which when he had cast into the waters the waters were made sweet why Jesus Christ he is this tree that sweetens the bitternesse of any outward affliction and he can make all thy sorrowes to flee away there is nothing in the world that sweetens the comforts and gives us joy in the possession of the things of this world more then the having an interest in Jesus Christ it is not Beloved the having of much of the creature in your house but the having of Christ in your hearts that makes you live comfortably all the bread you eat will be but bread of sorrow if you do not feed upon the body of Jesus Christ and all your drink will be but wine of astonishment if you do not drink of the bloud of Jesus Christ without an interest in Christ al your comforts are but crosses and al your mercies are but miseries as in Job 20. 22. In the fulnesse of his sufficiency he shall be in straits though you have abundance of the things of this life though you have more then enough yet if you have not an interest in Christ you have nothing 7. Another property of a man out of Christ is that he is a dead man You know that common place in 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son he hath life and he that hath not the Son he hath not life hence we read in Eph. 2. 1. that unregenerate men are dead in trespasses and sins and the reason is because that Christ is a Beleevers life Col. 3. 3. Our life is hid with Christ in God take away Christ from a man and you take away his life and take away life from a man and he is a dead lump of flesh unregenerate men are termed strangers to the life of godlinesse and therefore must needs be dead in their sins though they do injoy the life of a man yet if the life that he lives be not by the Faith of the Son of God he is spiritually dead As for example you know a dead man he feels nothing do what you will to him he does not feel it so a man that is spiritually dead he does not feel the weight of his sins though they are a heavie burden pressing him down into the pit of Hell he is a stranger to the life of godlinesse and past feeling given over to a reprobate sense so that he feels not the weight and burden of all his sins 2. A dead man he hath a title to nothing here in this life though he were never so rich yet he loseth his title to all and his riches goes from him to another why so being spiritually dead you can lay claim to nothing neither to grace nor mercy heaven or happinesse by Jesus Christ 3. A dead man is still rotting and returning to the dust from whence he came and so a man that is spiritually dead he fals from iniquity to iniquity and from one sinne to another till at last he drops down into Hell fire 8. The last property of a Christlesse man is that he is a damned man if he live and dye without Christ hee is a damned man So Joh. 3. 18. He that beleeveth not he is condemned already he is as surely damn'd as if he were in hell already he that is without Jesus Christ must needs goe without Heaven for Heaven and Glory and happinesse are entailed upon him Heaven is given to none but those that are heirs together with Christ and therefore you that are without Christ must needs be without heaven and consequently without happinesse and salvation and therefore must needs be damn'd So that you see in these eight particular properties in what a sad and miserable condition every Christlesse man is in and oh that what has been now declared concerning the wretchednesse of a Christlesse man might provoke every soul of you to a holy eagernesse and earnestnesse of spirit above all your gettings to labour to get Jesus Christ SERMON III. EPHES. 2. 12. That at that time ye were without Christ WE come now to the 2. Question which I promised you to resolve Quest What are the Characters of a Man without Jesus Christ This Query is very necessary because hereby we may know whether we are the men that are without Jesus Christ or no now I shall reduce these characters of a Christlesse man into these seven heads and go over them very briefly 1. That man that is without the Spirit of Christ he is without any reall actuall interest in Christ this the Apostle layes down to us in so many expresse terms in Rom. 8. 9. If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Christ and the Spirit are inseparable companions have the one and you enjoy the other want the ione and you are without the other And here Beloved to apply this more particularly you are without any interest in Christ if you are without the Spirit of Christ in the threefold operation of it 1. If you are without the enlightning work of the Spirit to teach your minds to know Christ 2. If you are without the inclining work of the Spirit to draw your hearts to love Christ And 3. If you are without the constraniing work of the Spirit to impower your wils to obey Christ If you are thus without the Spirit of Christ in these three particulers you can lay no just claim to any interest in Jesus Christ With what face therefore can any of you lay claim to Christs person that are not guided by his Spirit but are led by the corrupt dictates of your own hearts and follow the desires of the flesh and of the minde you that are thus can lay no claim to Jesus Christ for whosoever hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his this is the first character 2. He that is without any saving power derived from Jesus Christ enabling him to mortifie his bosome lusts that man is without Jesus Christ as in Gal. 5. 24. the Apostle tels us there that they that
Scripture to prove this one is in Joh. 8. 47. He that is of God heareth Gods word you therefore hear them not because you are not of God they that are of God hear his Word those that belong to Christ and have an interest in him hear his Word not only with the ear but with the heart and so in 1 Joh. 1. 6. sayes the Apostle We are of God he that is of God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour and therefore thou obstinate and stout hearted wretch that canst lie like a flint under the Word of God and suffer no command to make impression upon thy spirit verily thou canst lay no just claim to Jesus Christ 6. That man that uses greater industry and takes greater complacency in the acting and committing of sin then ever he did in the exercise of any grace or the performance of any duty that man is without Jesus Christ You have an excellent place for this purpose in Joh. 3. 8. 10. He that committeth sin is of the Devill he doth not say he that does sin is of the Devill but he that commits sin with delight that makes a trade of sin he is of the Devill and so on in the 10. ver In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devill whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God he does not belong to God he that does not righteousnesse with delight and complacency with joy and industry as he that doth commit sin that is act it with delight and makes a trade of it is of the Devill so he that does not do righteousnesse that is with delight and joy and chearfulnesse that man is not of Christ you then that can sin with delight but perform holy duties with a flat and dead and dull spirit you that never took so much delight to sanctifie the Sabbath as you have done in prophaning of it you that never took so much delight in the performing of duties to God as you have done in sinning against God lay off hands from Jesus Christ if your hearts be full of sin you can have no interest in him In Joh. 9. 16. some of the Pharisees said this man is not of God because he keepeth not the Sabbath This had been a very good argument had it been well applyed had Christ indeed not kept the Sabbath if it may be truly said of you that thou dost not make conscience of keeping of the Sabbath or of performing any holy duties I can truly say of you that you are not of God now then examine your selves by this argument whether you are of God or no if you do prophane the Sabbath day and make no conscience of performing holy duties nor of sinning against God this shews that you are not of God that man that acts sin with more delight then he performs holy duties hath no interest in Christ as in 1 Joh. 5. 18. Hee that is born of God sinneth not that is he doth not commit it with that delight and complacency as wicked men do but he that belongs to God he keepeth himself pure and that wicked one toucheth him not that is not so as to make him commit sin in the former sense but he keepeth himself he will not give himself to commit sin with that cheerfulnesse as wicked men do and therefore saith the Apostle we know that we are of God and the whole world lyeth in wickednesse 7. The last Character is this that man is without any interest in Christ that backslides from the wayes of Christ both in judgement and in practise Beloved when a man shall backslide from the truth of Christ in judgement and from the exercises of holy duties in practise when he backslides both these wayes he is not in Jesus Christ 2 Joh. v. 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God but he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son that man that sins both in judgement and in practise he is not of God but he that abides in the truth of God both in judgement and in practise he hath both the Father and the Son Oh therefore I beseech you in the fear of God look about you to see whether you are the men that have a reall actuall interest in Christ or no. Are you such men as are without the spirit of Christ or are you without a saving power derived from Christ enabling you to mortifie your bosome lusts Are you without an unfeigned love to the person of Christ or without a true and saving knowledg of Christ Are you contentedly ignorant of Christ and care not to know more or are you obstinately ignorant and wil not learn more Are you without a hearing ear and an obedient heart to the Word of Christ Do you take greater industry and complacency in the committing of sin then ever you did in the performance of any holy duty Or do you backslide from the wayes of Christ both in judgement and in practise If there be a concurrence of these seaven Characters in you then conclude that you have no interest at all in Christ conclude then that at this time you are without Jesus Christ Thus now I have done with the second question which I promised you to answer I shall now spend a little time in winding up what I have said in a practicall Use and then come to the third Question And in the application of this I shall direct my speech to two sorts of people 1. To those that are plunged into a spirituall delusion to say they have an interest in Christ when they have not 2. To those that say they have not an interest in Christ when they have Use 1 1. To you that say you have an interest in Christ when you have not give me leave to propound these 3 or 4 questions to you first let me ask this question Were you ever without Christ yea or no If you answer no then let me tell you thus much that that man that sayes he had Christ ever I may safely say he had Christ never thou that dost say that thou hadst Christ ever since thou wert born I can safely say that thou hadst Christ never since thou wert born for every man is born a Christlesse man 2. Thou that sayest thou hast an interest in Christ let me ask you this question How came you by your interest in Christ Do you think that Christ fel from heaven into your bosome whether you would or no How came you by Christ then Did you ever make a powerfull prayer unto God for him Did you ever sigh and sob and cry mightily unto God for him Did you ever see your misery without him and beg the Father earnestly for him for God is not prodigall of his son to give him to those that never ask him 3. Let
that being in Christ and living a godly life are both joined together as 2 Tim. 3. 12. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus that man whose person is in Christ will labour that his wayes may be in Christ too many a one would gladly have his person in Christ though his life be not in Christ but those whose persons and wayes are both in Christ they may lay a comfortable claim to him the difference between a man that hath an interest in Christ and one that hath none I shall demonstrate to you by this familiar example you know a man that by experience knows what it is to make clean a room he will be carefull that he does not upon every slight occasion dirt it again because he knowes what a deal of pains and labour is taking in cleansing of it but now a dog or a spaniell he comes in and never cares for dirting of it because he does not know what it is to make it clean why so a godly man he will be carefull of walking worthy of his interest in Christ because he knowes how much it cost him how many tears and sighs and groans and prayers before he got an interest in Christ and an assurance of his love but now a wicked man he makes no conscience of sinning against Christ and displeasing of him because he never knew what it was to get an interest in him In Gal. 3. 21. sayes the Apostle there as many as have Christ they have put on Christ and a very learned interpreter hath an exceeding good note upon this text he sayes that this speech of the Apostle here is spoken in an allusion to an ancient custome among the heathens that when they came to the profession of the Faith they were wont alwayes between Easter and Whitsuntide to put off their old garments and put on white rayments the end of it was to typifie and note that when once they were in Christ they must leave off their old courses and conversations and now labour to walk after a more holy and blamelesse and innocent life in their carriages towards God thus beloved if you have an interest in Christ you have put on Christ walking worthy of him in a holy pure spotlesse and unblameable life and conversation 9. A man that hath an interest in Christ doth so prize him that he would not be without him for all the world there is no man that is in Christ but looks upon him as the most amiablest and desireablest good in the world he knowes the worth of Christ and counts him as an invaluable treasure In 1 Pet. 2. 7. the Apostle after he had told them of their being built upon Christ as lively stones upon the foundation he concludes to you therefore which beleeve Christ is precious intimating that whosoever is founded and bottomed upon Christ Christ is very precious to that soul and therefore you beloved that have a sure testimony in your own consciences that you doe set a high price and value and esteem upon Christ above all things in the world and that you count all other things as drosse and dung in comparison of an interest in Christ this is a very good and undoubted evidence that you have an interest in him It was an excellent speech of one concerning his interest in Christ sayes he if all the stones in my house were Diamonds and all the dust in my house shavings of gold and every peble stone an orient pearl yet would I not prize nor value these in comparison of my interest in Christ Character 10 10. He that hath an interest in Christ hath the spirit of Christ dwelling in his soul as in 1 Joh. 4. 13. Hereby wee know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit he conveyes his Spirit through the golden conduit-pipes of his ordinances into thy heart this is a sure evidence to thee of thy interest in Christ if thou hast the Spirit of Christ dwelling in thee in this threefold operation of it 1. If thou hast the inlightning work of the Spirit to inlighten thy mind to know Christ 2. If you have the inclining work of the Spirit to incline thy heart to love Christ and 3. If you have the enforcing operation of the Spirit to empower your wils to obey Christ if you enjoy the spirit of God in these 3 operations of it then you may certainly know that you have an interest in Christ Character 11 11. He that hath an interest in Christ labours by all possible means to bring others to the knowledge of Christ Paul before he was in Christ did labour to drive men from Christ but afterwards when he was converted then he did labour to draw men to Christ more abundantly then all the rest of the Apostles Oh beloved you that can compassionate poor souls in their naturall condition and can heartily wish all men to be in Christ as well as your selves you that can bemoan the Christlesse condition of your friends and neighbours this is a very evident discovery of your interest in Christ Thus I have done with these severall characters of a man that is in Christ if thou art cast out of thy self and out of an opinion of thy own goodnesse and righteousnesse if thou makest conscience of keeping every known command of Christ and hast a power derived from Christ enabling thee to mortifie thy bosome and inward lusts if you have a care to avoid every sin whereby you might dishonour Christ if there be a reall change wrought in you both in heart and life from nature to grace if you grow up in Christ to be fruitfull in every good work and are humble and base and vile In your own eyes if you labour to walk worthy of your interest in Christ prizing him and valuing him above all the desirable things in the world if the spirit of Christ dwels in you inlightning your mindes to know him inclining your hearts to love him and empowering your wils to obey him and lastly if you have in you ardent desires and earnest endeavours to win others to Christ as well as your selves if you can finde any one of these in truth and sincerity in your hearts it will be a very good evidence to you of your interest in Christ I have only a word or two more to those that upon examination doe really finde themselves to be in a condition without Jesus Christ let me leave with you these two or three discoveries of your sad condition to quicken you the more earnestly in your pursuits after him 1. Are you without Christ why then you are without satisfaction and contentation in all the things you enjoy here in this World What Solomon sayes is verified in you that your eye shall not be satisfied with seeing nor your ear with hearing nothing without Jesus Christ can give satisfaction to the demands of an immortall soul the world being round and your hearts
God though there be many people in it yet they are all subject to the same Laws and are all to walk by the same rule and in this regard it may be compared to a Common-wealth for there is but one rule the word of God that swayes the whole Church 3. In a Commonwealth it is accounted high Treason to subvert or overthrow any Law by which that Commonwealth is governed for if it were not so the Laws of a Commonwealth would be of no force if any man might break them add to them or take from them at his pleasure and therefore a Commonwealth does count the breaking and violation of their Laws to be the greatest injury and dishonour that can be done to them and so it is in the Church the word of God is very severe in this regard that if any man shall adde or diminish any jot or tittle to or from the Word God will blot his name out of the Book of life 4. They may be compared one to another in this regard for as one Common-wealth differeth from another they have not both the same Rulers nor the same Lawes nor the same customes nor Charters but differ in every thing almost so the Church of God is distinguished from all other parts and people of the World Commonwealths are different one from another in four things 1. in Laws 2. in habit 3. in language 4. in Government and so is the Church of God 1. It is different from others in its Lawes Law that rules in a Common-wealth but onely the Word of God rules in the Church 2. As Commonwealths differ from one another in their language so the Church of God has a language different from al the World the Church of God speaks the pure language of Canaan but all the World besides speaks a broken and corrupt language 3. As Commonwealths differ one from another in regard of habits so in this regard does the Church of God differ from all the World the Church of God hath put on the new man when all the World have on their old ragges still the Church hath put on the long robes of Christs righteousnesse which cover all her nakednesse which all the World are without 4. The Church of God is different from all other in regard of their Government all Kingdomes and Commonwealths have men to be their Governours but the Church of God that hath Christ to be her Governour Thus I have shewed you wherein the Church and a commonwealth doe agree now I come to shew you wherein they differ as 1. They are different in their Lawes a commonwealth hath Laws Acts and Ordinances to govern them but the Church hath onely the word of God to be their rule 2. There is a difference in the extent of those Laws the Law of a commonwealth doth onely reach and extend to the outward man that cannot rule the inward man therefore we commonly say our thoughts are free God onely can search the heart and try the reins but now the Law of the Church extends its self to the searching of the soul and spirit every thought and imagination of the heart as the Apostle sayes the Law is spirituall but I am carnall 3. There is a difference in regard of the power and efficacy of these Laws the Laws of a commonwealth doe onely restrain the outward man if you do amiss but the Law of God in the Church that cannot onely restrain in practise but change the heart and alter the affections and make thee a new man 4. They differ in this regard a commonwealth may alter their Laws at pleasure if they see occasion if they find any law grievous or burdensome to the Kingdome they may alter it or take it away and adde a new Law in the room of it but this the Church of God cannot doe the law that the Church hath now it must have to the end of the world God himself gave the Law to his Church and he cannot give a prejudicial or burdensome law whereas Rulers of Commonwealths they are but men and cannot look into the events of things and therefore are ignorant whether this or that law may be good or no and therefore doe change them at their pleasure when they see a necessity but the rule of the Word of God is an unerring and unalterable rule which all must follow and practise to the end of the World 5. They differ in their censure the censure of a Commonwealth may extend so far as to confiscation of goods to banishment imprisonment or death but the censure of the Church extends only to excommunication or throwing the offender out of their society or fellowship they can doe no more and must doe no more the Church of Christ can inflict no censure but onely to excommunicate and therefore their practise that doe imprison and censure and inflict punishment upon their people is not warrantable but does contradict the rule of the Word and those likewise that doe cry out against Church Government as tyrannicall do very much mistake for the Church of God their censure is not corporeall but spirituall But though the Church may not censure any man that is an offender yet she may complain to the Commonwealth and they may restrain and quell them and keep them under and inflict punishments upon them Thus then you see both wherein a Church and a Commonwealth doe agree and wherein they difler and if this be so that the Church of God is a spirituall Commonwealth then give me leave to draw these three Inferences from hence Use 1 1. I may infer from hence the necessity of Church Government in a Church Did you ever see a Commonwealth stand and flourish without rule and Laws and order Order is the staffe of a Common-wealth if every man might doe what he list and what is right in his own eyes nothing but ruine and destruction would presently follow as in Psal 11. 3. If the foundations be destroyed what shall the righteous doe If the Laws and foundations of a Commonwealth be subverted and destroyed there will be nothing but ruine If the Church be a spirituall Common-wealth then there is an absolute necessity of a Government in it therefore those that would either rob the Church of their Government and would have none at all or else would introduce a false Government upon the Church and doe as much as in them lies to overthrow the Government of the Church such as these are to be reproved Government to a common-wealth is like a hedge to a garden now suppose you had a very fair garden and a great many curious flowers and fine slips in it and one should come to you and tell you Sir I see many dainty flowers and slips in your garden but I see none to grow upon your hedge therefore pull it down let it grow there no longer you would say to such a man no by no means for though nothing grows upon the hedg yet
or speak for you Christ is a mediator to those only that are under a covenant of grace now what canst thou say for thy self oh man why thou shouldst not be condemned and damned in hell for ever for thy drunkennesse adultery sabbath-breaking prophanenesse swearing lying and thy ungodly practises thou canst have nothing to plead for thy selfe but must needs be cast out into hell fire irrecoverably but now a godly man that is under the covenant of grace he can say Lord here is Christ my mediatour that pleads with thee for the pardon of all my sins and for the obtaining of heaven and happinesse and glory for me through his obedience and merits but thou that art under the covenant of works thou canst not say I have Christ to plead for me and to be an Advocate with the Father to beg for pardon of sin and life and salvation for thee thou canst not say so for without the covenant of grace there is no Mediator Christ is the Mediator onely of the new covenant therefore what sad condition art thou in seeing as verily as thou standest here now so thou must one day stand before Gods tribunall to answer and be judged for every thing thou hast done in thy body whether it be good or evill and then thou wilt have no body to plead for thee but must inevitably be cast into everlasting burnings 4. Being out of the covenant of grace this is your misery God will in exactnesse and rigour of justice proceed against you for your sins without any mixture of mercy at all Beloved God hath no mercy without his covenant but in the covenant of grace he is a God gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse abundant in mercy and truth pardoning iniquity transgressions and sins but he is cloathed with justice and rigour to all that are without this covenant As it is in courts of judicature in point of life and death the Judge will take no notice whether the man be a sorrowfull man or no the Law is not to shew mercy but to punish the offence the Law does not enquire whether the man be penitent and sorry for what he hath done but whether the fact be done or no if it be he must dye for it there is no remedy just so it is here God doth not enquire under a covenant of works whether you are sorrowfull for breaking of his Law but he enquires whether you have broken it or no and if you have he will condemn thee and cast thee into hell fire and then the poor soul cryes out Oh Lord be mercifull to me this once it shall be a warning to me I will never sin against thee nor displease thee more but will from henceforth walk more humbly and holily and circumspectly before thee and yet all this that thou hast promised if thou wert able to perform it will not avail thee for God will hear none out of Christ and out of the covenant of grace 5. A man out of the covenant of grace he hath no true and speciall title to any of the blessings of God here in this world Gods blessings go along with his covenant and therefore it is very observable that in that chapter where God does promise the blessings of the covenant of grace in that very chapter he promiseth the blessings of this life as you may see in the 36. of Ezek. sayes God there I will powre clean water upon you and you shall be clean yea from all your filthinesses and from all your Idols will I cleanse you a new heart will I also give you and a new spirit will I put within you and will take away the stony heart from you and will give you a heart of flesh and will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my judgements and doe them and you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers and you shall be my people and I will be your God all these are the meroies of the covenant of grace now mark the next words saith God I will call for corn and will incerease it and lay no famine upon you but I will multiply the fruit of the trees and the increase of the field and so in the 10 11 ver of that chap. And I will multiply men upon you and the cities shall be inhabited and the wastes shall be builded and I will multiply upon man and beast and they shall increase and bring fruit and I will do better to you then at your beginnings and ye shall know that I am the Lord Here the Lord entails earthly blessings to the covenant of grace intimating that all that are under the covenant of grace they have a title not only to all spirituall but to temporal blessings likewise but no wicked man out of the covenant of grace hath any true title to any outward blessings they that are of the faithfull are blessed with faithfull Abraham and enjoy outward blessings as a blessing but wicked men it is true they have something allowed them but it it as to prisoners in a prison they have something to keep them alive untill their execution and so wicked men they have prison allowances till the execution day 6. Your misery that are strangers to the covenant of grace lies in this God will not give acceptance to any of your services though you may doe as much for the matter of them as any godly man doth nay thou mayst hear more Sermons and say more prayers and perform more duties then a godly man does and yet not be accepted when the others shall as you may see in Gen. 4. 4 5. Cain and Abel they both of them brought sacrifices to God one of his flock and the other of his grounds and the Apostle speaking of this sayes that by faith Abel offered a more excellent offering then Cain it was not more excellent in regard of the matter of it for in all probability and likelihood Cains sacrifice was of more value then Abels for his was but a few young lambs the firstlings of his flock but Cains was of the first fruits of his ground and yet Abels sacrifice was accepted and the others rejected because Abel was a godly man under the Covenant of Grace by which God did accept of what he did though it were lesse then Cains and so Solomon The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight a sacrifice you know is a great deal more costly then a prayer for that costs a man nothing but his breath when the other will cost a great deal of money and yet a costly sacrifice is hated by God coming from a wicked man when a pennilesse prayer coming from a godly man is accepted so that under a covenant of grace though you do less for the matter of the duty then wicked men doe
yet yours shall be accepted when theirs shall be rejected Thus I have done with the use of terrour in laying down to you this sixfold misery of those men that are strangers to the covenant of grace and here because I would not have any poor soul that is under the covenant of grace and partaker of all the great priviledges of it to goe away with a sad heart I shall onely leave with you two or three words of comfort to them You children of the covenant that are under the covenant of grace let not your hearts be troubled at what hath been said this day concerning the misery of those men that are strangers to this covenant and to bear up and support your spirits I shall give you two or three comfortable considerations 1. That all the outward blessings that you enjoy comes to you in a covenant way God hath given you these blessings as an appendix to the covenant and by vertue of an entail to his covenant the Lord never gives you a common blessing but you see the love of a Father and of a husband and of a friend and the love of God in that blessing and therefore as I told you before in that very chapter where God promiseth the blessings of the covenant of grace he promiseth the blessings of this life too as an intail to the covenant wicked men may have blessings but not by vertue of a promise not by vertue of the covenant of grace But now if you ask mee how you may know whether the blessings you enjoy come unto you by vertue of the Covenant of Grace I answer you may know it by these two things 1. In case you doe use and imploy all the blessing you receive from God to the honour of God thus Abraham did as you may see in Gen. 17. 1 2 8 12. his using the blessings of God to promote the service of God did demonstrate that those blessings came to him from God in a covenant way but those that are strangers to this Covenant the mercies they enjoy are given them for their hurt 2. When blessings are as cords to draw you nearer to God and as bands to tye you fast to God then they come to you in a Covenant way as in Jer. 31. 11 12. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of him that is stronger then he therefore they shall come and rejoice in the height of Sion and shall run to the bountifulnesse of the Lord even for the wheat and for the wine and for the oyle and for the increase of sheep and bullocks c. That is all the mercies of God shall make them to come nearer and nearer and cleave closer to God you then that do enjoy your share of the blessings of God and they do not endeer you and draw you nearer to God you cannot look upon them as flowing in upon you in a Covenant way 2. You that are in covenant with God know this for your comfort that the Lord does accept of a little that you do in his service better then a great deal that a wicked man performs to him God will accept of a few turtle doves of you when he will not accept of 1000 Rams or 10000 rivers of oyle of the wicked he will accept of a cup of cold water given to a righteous man in the name of a righteous man when he will not accept of the costliest sacrifice from the wicked Oh what a happy condition art thou in that art under the covenant of grace wicked men may heare more Sermons and performe more duties and say more prayers to God then you and yet in all their duties be rejected when thou art accepted 3. Take this for your comfort that when ever you offend God and provoke him to anger you have a Mediator to stand between God and you though you are guilty yet you have an Advocate to plead your cause for you you that are under the covenant of grace you may say to Christ your Mediator as the Israelites said to Moses when they had offended God goe thou and speak unto God for us so may you say when you have nothing but thundring and lightning and tempests in your souls and the flashings of hell fire in your consciences then you may say to Christ go now to God and speak for me mediate with thy Father for the pardon of all my sins I have offended God oâ— intercede with him in my behalf I have committed a great offence oh plead with thy Father and beg a pardon for me thus thou maist say to Christ being under the covenant of grace But here lest any one should lye under a spirituall delusion and think himself under the covenant of grace when he is a stranger to it lest the Dogs should snatch at the Childrens meat I shall lay down to you some distinguishing Characters whereby you may know whether you are under the covenant of grace or no and before I make entrance upon this I will only premise four sad and dismall conclusions which will make way the better for what I have to handle in the examination 1. Take in this conclusion that a man may be within the outward and common priviledges of the covenant of grace and yet be without the saving and spirituall priviledges of it as pardon of sin having God to be your God and Christ to be your Saviour c. as in Deut. 29. 10 11 12. sayes Moses there You stand this day all of you before the Lord your God your Captains of Tribes your Elders and your Officers with all the men of Israel your little ones your wives and the stranger that is in thy camp from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water that thou shouldst enter into covenant with the Lord thy God Now here you see were all from the rich to the poor to enter into covevenant with God and yet it is not imaginable that all these did partake of the inward priviledges of the Covenant of grace they did all partake of circumcision which was the seal of the covenant of the outward priviledges of it but not all did partake of the inward and speciall mercies of the covenant of grace as pardon of sin peace of conscience joy in beleeving God to be their God and Christ to be their Saviour and so in Rom. 9. 4 5. sayes the Apostle They are the Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises of whom are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came these were very great priviledges and yet saies the text in vers 8. These are not all the children of God though they had the externall blessings of the Covenant yet they were not all the children of God so that you see you may be within the Church of God and partake of the outward blessings
as having thy portion and interest in him and in none else this is an undoubted evidence that you doe belong to the Covenant of Grace 3. For God to be your God it notes Gods soveraignty and power over you for your benefit the Lord will reign over you and subdue corruptions in you and quell your pride and humble your heart and give you a meek and quiet spirit If you finde that God is yours in these three particulars you may comfort your heart in an unquestionable interest in the Covenant of Grace if God be your God and you his people that you have given up and devoted your selves wholly to the service of God in every thing that you doe 2. Another speciall blessing of the covenant of grace is that God hath promised to sanctifie and renew your natures as in Ezek. 36. 26 27. saies God there A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and will take away the stony hearts out of your bosomes and will give you hearts of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my judgments and do them God will not onely give us life for our happinesse but grace for our holinesse he will not only give us imputed righteousnesse for our justification but also inherent righteousnesse for our sanctification now therefore examine your selves have your natures ever been sanctified and regenerated have you been ever washed with clean water and those stains of sin and corruption wiped away from you hath the beasom of sanctification ever swept your inward man and made it not a cave for every unclean bird to lie in but a habitation fit for the holy Ghost to dwell in if it be so you have a reall right to and interest in the covenant of grace for no man can have the blessings of the covenant but he must have a beeing in the covenant of grace It is very observable that God is not only as the covenant represents him a God gracious and mercifull slow to anger and full of compassion c. but he is a holy God as well as a mercifull God and therefore he will work holinesse in us and expect holinesse from us if ever we expect to have mercy and happinesse from him never lay claim to God nor expect life and happinesse from him as he is a mercifull God unlesse you resolve to be conformable to him as he is a holy God Object But here some may say This is not so great a blessing as you speak of to be sanctified by vertue of the covenant of grace for there are many men that may be sanctified by the covenant of grace and yet never be saved by it and this objection they ground upon that place in Heb. 10. 29. And they shall count the bloud of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing Answ I answer that the sanctification here spoken of is not a true sanctification but onely in profession in the sight of men not in the fight of God it is not a sanctification in very deed and in truth but onely in shew and in the judgement of men 3. Another blessing of the covenant of grace is the forgivenesse of our sins as in Jer. 3. 34. They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and will remember their sins no more now beloved can you say that God hath pardoned your sins and done away your offences if so then you are under the Covenant of Grace Object But here some poor soul may say Alas I have been a great sinner and have committed offences against God and therefore I fear I have no reall interest in the covenant of grace Answ Be not discouraged for it is the glory of the covenant of grace to pardon great sins it puts a great deal of glory upon God to pardon great sins and passe by great offences as in Amos 5. 12 15. I know sayes God your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins here you see are manifold and mighty sins and yet saies God hate evill and love good it may be the Lord will be gracious to you nay the Lord he will be gracious to you though thou hast manifold and mighty sinnes yet it is not the greatnesse nor mightinesse of them but thy stubbornnesse of heart in not coming in and closing with Jesus Christ that undoes thee 4. Another blessing of the covenant of grace is Gods writing his Law in our hearts that we shall never depart from him as in Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts I will be their God and they shall be my people that is God will put into our hearts a sutable frame and disposition answerable to every command of God in his Law that we shall be able to obey observe and keep it and say that it is good and then saies God you shall never depart from me now examine your selves hath this effect beene wrought by the spirit of God in your hearts hath God written the Sermons you have heard not in your books but in your hearts if so these are good evidences of your interest in the covenant of grace 2. Another discovery or character of your interest in the covenant of grace is this if you have in you the inseparable concomitances that belong to this covenant of grace there are some things that doe alwayes accompany the covenant of grace as I shall instance in 3 or 4 particulars 1. If you be a man under the covenant of grace in covenant with God then you are disingaged from that league and covenant which you have made and contracted with your lusts whosoever is in covenant with God he hath broken his league with his lusts you cannot be in covenant with Christ till you fall off from your lusts and break off from your sins as in Act. 3. 25 26. sayes the Apostle You are the children of the Prophets and of the covenant which God hath made with our Fathers saying to Abraham even in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed First unto you hath God raised up his Son Jesus Christ and him hee hath sent to blesse you in turning every one of you from your iniquities so that if you are children of the covenant the Lord will turn every one of you from your wicked wayes and therefore you that are not turned from the evill of your courses that have not broken that league you have made with death and hell you can lay no claim to the covenant of grace as in Psal 50. 16. sayes God there to the wicked What hast thou to doe to take my covenant into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and castest my words behinde thee thou wilt not forsake thy lusts nor leave thy sins and therefore what
for it as the Apostle sayes But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alwayes to give an answer to every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and fear Now examine your selves what grounds can you give for your hopes of heaven have you a promise for it or one Scripture ground for it or the witnesse of the Spirit for it if not then doe not nourish any hopes of heaven in your hearts Thus I have laid down these four conclusions I come now to handle the query it self which is this Quest Quest What are the characters whereby it may be knowne whether you are such a one that hath no hopes for heaven or a meer deluding an ungrounded and presumptuous hope as good as no hope Answ The hearts of all the sons of men are desperately wicked and deceitfull above all things man is a proud creature and apt to have proud and high conceits of himself and therefore I shall give you five distinguishing characters whereby you may know whether your hopes for heaven be true and well grounded hopes or no. 1. That man that nourisheth in his heart great hopes for heaven and yet at the same time fosters and favours great lusts and sins in himself that man hath no true hopes for heaven I shall give you a clear place to prove this Deut. 29. 15. And it come to passe when hee heareth the words of this curse if he shall blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk after the imaginations of my heart to add drunkennesse to thirst c. The Lord will not spare such a man but the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and so in Esay 57. 20. sayes the Prophet there Thou art wearied in the greatnesse of thy wicked wayes yet saidst thou not There is no hope it is a very strange place as if the Prophet should say to them you walk in a great course of sin and wickednesse and yet you flatter you selves you will not say there is no hope for you you that doe nourish great sins and wickednesse in your bosomes and allow your selves in the practise of great sins you should say there is no hope for you to goe to heaven for God does here charge it upon you that notwithstanding you walk on in wayes of sin yet you say not there is no hope but are rather very confident you shall go to heaven for all that and so in Psal 36. 1 2. The transgression of the wicked saith in his heart there is no fear of God before his eyes and yet sayes the Psalmist he flatters himselfe with vain hopes of heaven wicked men have heaven and the hopes thereof in their eyes when they have sinne in their hearts and this shews that their hope is onely a deluding and a vain hope 2. That man hath no true hope but onely a presumptuous and vain hope for heaven that is strong in his expectations of heaven as his aim and end but slow in his actions and endeavours after holinesse as his way he that can with Baalam desire to dye the death of the righteous but never care nor desire to live the life of the righteous that mans hope is but a vain hope as the Psalmist hath it in Psalm 119. 155. Salvation is farre from the wicked for they seek not thy statutes and if salvation be far the hope of salvation is as far but why is salvation far from the wicked because they seeke not Gods statutes those men that hope that salvation is neer them when they are far from seeking after Gods statutes and endeavouring after holinesse as the way to happinesse these men are far from salvation and the hope of salvation too 3. That man hath only deluding hopes for heaven that is unwilling to have his hope tryed examined and come to the touchstone those that will not as the Apostle bids us be ready to give to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and fear now let me ask you what ground you can give for your hopes in heaven have you the testimony of Gods Spirit for it or the testimony of a good conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity you have had your conversation here in this world have you a promise or any ground in scripture for your hopes if you have no ground for your hopes and cannot indure to come to the triall or touchstone it is an argument that you are counterfeit metall that you have no reall hopes for salvation and happinesse in another World 4. That man that builds his hopes for heaven more upon his own performances then upon Gods promises his hope is only a deluding hope this is that sandy ground Christ speaks of in Matth. 7. ult To build your hopes of heaven upon any services you doe or any duties you perform it is all one as if you should goe about to build a house upon the sand ask a wicked man whereon he grounds his hopes for heaven he will tell you that he does the works of charity he gives every man his due and he lives honestly and civilly amongst his neighbours hee hears and reads the Word he prayes and receives the Sacrament he does such and such good duties and this is that which they build hopes for heaven upon they think that Christ is espoused for them because they are bidden to the Wedding Supper for the Ordinances of Christ are his marriage supper they are ready to say with those in Luk. 13. 26. We have eaten and drunken in they presence Lord Lord open to us I doe not deny but a man may have evidence from his graces from the work of God upon his heart but the great pillar of Marble that must bear up thy hope must be the promise of God in Christ he that builds his hopes for heaven only upon his own performances and good duties his hope is a vain and deluding hope I doe not deny but the graces of Gods spirit are reall evidences of Gods love to the Soul as the Apostle sayes By this we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the Brethren and again By this we know that we are of God because of his spirit which he hath given us but I say this is not the main pillar and ground of our hope we should be so fervent in prayer and diligent in the performance of holy duties as if we did expect to be saved by our duties but when we have done all that we can we must lay down all at the feet of Christ and conclude that our best righteousnesse is but as filthy rags and when wee have done all that we can do we are unprofitable servants and we must wholly and only depend upon the merits and mercies of Christ for salvation and comfort 5. That
you live in unclean thoughts and actions all your life long and therefore this can be no prop for your hopes 3. Though David did fall into this sin yet he did not continue in it long for it was but nine moneths between Nathan the Prophets coming to David and telling and reproving him for his sin and the time that he fell into it but alas some of you it may be are Adulterers of nine years standing there are many amongst us that are old adulterers and yet never had a melting and sorrowfull heart for their sins that never wept as David did nor mourn as he mourned And so Peter he fell into a sin of denying his Lord and Master but 1. He was resolved and did verily purpose before to have confessed and not to have denyed him and yet when the Damsell came to him and told him that he was one of those that were with Christ Peter conceiving it may be that they would have put him to death and crucified him as well as Christ upon this sodaine surprise which was a very great temptation to him he denyed Christ And 2. Though he denyed him thrice yet afterwards he did confesse him as often as he denyed him for when Christ asked him Simon Peter lovest thou me he answered Christ three times Lord thou knowest that I love thee 3. Peter denyed Christ but yet afterward he went out and wept bitterly for it and therefore his obtaining mercy can be no ground for your hopes that never yet repented of any of the sins you have committed and thus you see that the falling of these three godly men into great sinnes can be no prop to bear up your hopes for heaven I shall now shew you more particularly that though the godly do fall into sinne yea even the same sinnes for the matter of them as you do yet they do not fall into them in the same manner As 1. If a godly man fall into sin it is unwittingly and unawares in Gal. 6. 1. sayes the Apostle if any man be overtaken with a fault A godly man he runs away with all the speed he can from a sin and temptation but sometimes it overtakes him against his will but now a wicked man he runs after sin and overtaketh it he sins with set purpose of heart He plots mischief upon his bed and sets himself in a way that is not good 2. A godly man fals into sin sometimes but it is with reluctancy and opposition the Spirit striveth against the flesh there is an opposing and striving against sin they are not like cowards but will fight as long as they can hold their weapon in their hands but now wicked men they commit sin with greedinesse with delight and complacency without any reluctancy at all 3. Every sinne that a godly man committeth maketh him more carefull and watchfull for the time to come thus it was with David Psal 38. the title of it compared with Psal 39. 1. The title of Psal 38. is called a Psalm of David to bring to remembrance the subject matter of this Psalme was to bring Davids sinne to his remembrance and having spent this in remembring his sins in the first words of the next Psalme sayes he I have sinned but I will take heed to my wayes that I offend not with my tongue after he had called to remembrance his sins past then he resolved with himself to strive against them in time to come A godly man never fals into a sin once but he fears to fall into the same sin ever after A godly man though he fals into sin sometimes yet he will at length get the upper hand of sin though for the present he be not able to grapple with sin yet he will overcome it at last Grace will out grow sinne and get the victory over it and thus I have shewed you the second prop that wicked men build their hopes for heaven upon we come now to a third and that is this If you beat them off from the two former then they flie to the mercies of God Oh say they God is a very mercifull God and I hope he that made me will save me and that I shall goe to heaven as well as other men and the like Now I doe not deny but the mercies of God is the chiefest prop under heaven that a man can build his hopes for heaven upon but here I shall shew you the rottennesse of this prop likewise in four or five regards and that the mercies of God in generall are no sufficient ground at all to build thy hopes for heaven upon unlesse thou canst lay claim to the mercies of God in particular for if you build your hopes upon the mercies of God in generall 1. The Devils and damned spirits may then hope as well as you 2. The common and outward mercies of God can be no good prop to build hopes for heaven upon unlesse you can lay claime to the saving and distinguishing mercies of God the common outward mercies of God wicked men may have for God is good to al and his tender mercy is over all his Workes the Devils share in the common mercies of God as well as others but these generall mercies of God are no prop to build hopes for heaven upon unlesse you can build upon the saving and distinguishing mercies of God as David prayes Shew mercy unto me O God sayes he with the mercy which thou bearest to thy own childeen it must be electing redeeming sanctifying and saving mercies that you must build your hopes for heaven upon 3. The generall mercies of God can be no ground of your hopes unlesse you have an interest in Jesus Christ for God is cloathed with greatnesse and terrour and dread and wrath out of Christ there is nothing to be looked upon but anger and wrath in God without Jesus Christ There were two lawes that God did make concerning the Mercy-seat 1. The High Priest was not upon pain of death to come to the Mercy-seat unlesse he brought incense with him now what does this signifie to us why it represents the intercession of Christ that as Aaron was not to come to the Mercy-seat without incense so neither can we goe to the Throne of Grace to beg mercy from God with any hope of audience or acceptance unlesse we carry incense with us which is the Lord Jesus Christ to plead for us 2. Aaron was to sprinkle the Mercy-seat with bloud which typifies to us that we are not to expect mercy from God but as we have an interest in the bloud of Christ 4. To you that build your hopes for heaven upon the mercies of God in generally let me tell you that God is not prodigall of his speciall mercies as to bestow them upon all the world but only upon a select number of men he will have mercy onely on them that fear him as for the wicked those that run on in their sins the Lord