which is Christ And so by him are all the Promises and Blessings of the Covenant conveyed unto Abraham and to his seed his faithful seed all the world over and therefore he is called the Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 7.22 meaning the Covenant of Grace Heb. 3.6 These three things do contain the sum of the Covenant of Grace and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and would therefore be plainly discovered unto Christians As 1. What is the meaning of this that God gave himself unto Ahraham 2. How doth he take Abraham and his seed and make them his People 3. How doth he take Jesus Christ and make him the surety of the Covenant between them both For the Covenant is established and so is a firm and sure and everlasting Covenant Now in this gift that God gave himself unto Abraham Observe 3. things 1. The Blessing given 2. The Order in which it was given 3. The manner of giving it 1. In the Blessing given when God doth by Covenant give himself to be a God it doth imply 2. things 1. That God doth give himself the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost the whole Nature of God and all the Persons of the Godhead with all the Attributes of that Nature and all the Offices of those Persons For it is not a confused God that vanisheth away in a general imagination but God distinctly considered in his Persons Attributes Properties c. thus the Lord giveth himself to Abrabam and to his seed I will be a Father unto you 2 Cor. 6.28 and that is not spoken to the Jewes only but unto all the Israel of God He giveth the Son also Isa 9.6 Vnto us a Son is born c. and God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son Joh. 3.16 And for the Holy Spirit This is my Covenant with them Joh. 16.7 13. saith the Lord Isa 59.21 My Spirit that is upon thee and my words that I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever and this is it which the Apostle also saith Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father thus the Lord giveth himself unto his servants from one generation to another If therefore the Lord God the Father give himself he will not be wanting to draw his people unto the Son Joh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him And what is the chief business and work that the Son hath to do about us No man can have fellowship with the Father but he must have fellowship with Jesus Christ so our Saviour himself saith Joh. 14.6 No man can come unto the Father but by me this therefore the Lord Jesus Christ will do for all the elect seed of Abraham He will open their eyes to see that the Father did not draw them to Damnation nor utter desolation but unto Salvation by him this hath he promised to do And if it be the work of the Spirit of God to establish us both in the Father and the Son then will he convince the world of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Joh. 16.8 to 11. and so will stablish our hearts in the Comforts of the Lord our God and this is that which the Apostle prayeth for the Ephesians chap. 3.16 That the Lord would grant unto them according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his spirit in the inner man and hence it cometh to passe that what the Lord would have us to do he is present by his Spirit to teach us and to strengthen us and so to do it for us All these things doth the Lord work for Abraham and for his seed so that look what is meet for a Father to do or for a Brother to do or for the Spirit of God to do that will the Lord do unto his elect ones and so he giveth all his Attributes and they are even God himself and therefore when Moses desired to see his Glory and he desired it from the Grace that God had shewed him Exod. 34.6 the Lord proclaimed his Name before him Jehovah Jehovah strong merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth thus doth the Lord give himself and all the Persons in the Godhead as they are called and Attributes they are no more nor other then God himself 2. And as God himself is implyed so when God is given by Covenant all the Ordinances and Creatures and Works of God are given also For so it was in all Covenants of old time when Jehosaphat maketh a Covenant with Ahab King of Israel 2 King 22.4 then I am as thou art and my people as thy people and my ho ses as thy horses and all that he hath is for Ahabs service as the King goeth so goeth his strength So thus it doth come to passe that if the Lord of Hosts be for us and give himself unto us then also doth he give us his eternal Election and Redemption and whatsoever he hath wrought for the salvation of his Elect He hath not so dealt with any Nation Psal 147.20 but only with the Israel of God unto them hath he given his Lawes and shewed them his Judgments And for his Creatures they are all given to be for his people to whom he hath given himself If God be a God unto Abraham then shall all Gods people be sor him Melchizedeck shall blesse him Aner Eshchol and Mamre shall be confederates with him The Sun Moon and Stars shall fight in their courses for the people of God the Sea shall give way unto them to passe through it on dry ground What ailed you ye streams of Jordan to go backward Why all the creatures of God must stoop unto the people of God when he is in Covenant with them this is that which the Lord promiseth unto his people Hos 2.18 to 22. when the Lord shall marry them to him in faithfulness In that day saith the Lord I will make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of the heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bow and the sword and the battel out of the earth and I will make them to lie down safely And it shall come to passe in that day I will hear the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth and the earth shall hear the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl and they shall hear Jezreel Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours 1 Cor. 3.22 This is the large Gift of Gods Covenant Nay and which is wonderful and beyond all comprehension when I say all the creatures and ordinances of God are ours the very expression of the phrase doth
imply that the Lord giveth himself to be the staffe and strength of them so that you shall see the presence of God in them he will not only give a man Wife and Children and Ordinances and Providences but he himself will be in all these and blesse his people in the enjoyment of them all so as that they shall enjoy God in all Psal 16.5 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance He saw the Lord in what he did enjoy and when he had any thing it was in God and when he wanted any thing it was supplied in him The like did Jacob finde when his brother Esau came against him with 400. men and the Lord turned him from the fierceness of his wrath here was the Covenant of Abraham the Lord gave him the mouth and arms and tears of his brother Esau what saith Jacob to all this Gen. 33.10 I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God He saw the power and mercy of God in changing the countenance of his elder Brother and that is it which sweetneth all that a man doth enjoy the loving kindness of God in all is the Blessing of all and this likewise doth Jacob acknowledge Gen. 33.5 These are the Children which God of his grace hath given me and so he looked at them as Gods wives and children and servants and cattel and this is the very life of the Covenant of Grace when as the Lord is wrapped up in all his Blessings when as he giveth himself and in himself his Christ and in Christ Peter and Paul and all things unto his Church This is the main thing given God himself the God of the Covenant his Persons Nature Ordinances Providences and now Abraham is made the Lord of the world and so the Apostle doth interpret it Rom. 4.13 The Promise that he should be heir of the world was not to Abraham nor to his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith and this is that which Abraham did receive in receiving the Lord to be his God 2. In the order of giving the Covenant there is something to be observed 1. God giveth first and not the Creature it was not Abraham that gave unto God first for which of all the creatures shall offer a Covenant unto the mighty God Rom. 11.35 Who hath given unto him first and it shall be recompensed unto him again the Lord hath the pre-eminence in giving for what should Abraham give unto God if God give not something unto him first he is the first giver 2. He is also the first thing in order that is given For doth he give the world first or ordinances first or any other spiritual or temporal blessings first No doubtless the Lord is the first thing that he giveth by his Covenant and with himself all things else also Rom. 8.32 and there is the precedency of Jesus Christ he is given and in him all spiritual blessings as the Apostle saith Eph. 1.3 Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus And this for the order in giving the Covenant not obedience first nor faith first nor any thing else first but Himself is Donum primum primarium and in him all his goodness 3. For the Manner of giving in that he giveth himself there is implied both the freedom and eternety of the gift Firmness therefore and that unto eternity In that he giveth himself it must of necessity be done freely for what can any creature give to purchase God if a man could give thousands of worlds they were not enough to redeem or purchase one soul and if he had millions of worlds to give what were they all to purchase so great a gift as God himself is therefore it must needs be of free gift for the creature can do nothing to prevent God God indeed may give with a purpose to receive back again but he looketh to receive no more then what he first giveth us and giveth us strength of Will and Deed to give him back again He required this of Abraham that he should walk before him and be upright Gen. 17.1 but the very truth is though Abraham shall perform these things in an Evangelical manner yet God himself doth undertake in this Covenant to be the Author and Finisher both of his Faith and Obedience Heb. 12.2 And this doth argue the marvelous freedome of the Covenant of Grace for the Lord offereth it out of his Grace without the foresight of Faith or Works for he undertaketh to give both Will and Deed of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 But it may be said Object Did not the Lord except it that he should give himself back again or else the Lord would not give himself Truly then it had not been of Free-grace Answ But as you see sometimes great Princes will take in a neighbour-Nation into league with them and not tell them of it so doth the Lord deal with his elect ones he maketh a Covenant with Christ and taketh us into that Covenant otherwise he should not at all intend it effectually nor ever give himself unto us for we are not able to give our selves unto him till he first take us For if Abraham did give himself it was because God did take him first and therefore it is that the Apostle telleth us that the Lord took hold of Paul that he might take hold upon the Lord Phil. 3.12 I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus is not he the Father that hath bought us hath not he made us established us Deut. 32.6 If we give up our selves unto the Lord it is because the Lord hath taken hold upon our hearts first But doth not the Lord require of him to circumcise his seed the eighth day Object So he doth indeed Answ but the Lord giveth him that also God the Father seeth it needfull for their everlasting Salvation therefore he doth give him Circumcision and giveth him the grace to circumcise his children I know that the Lord doth call for many things under a covenant of Grace but then the Lord doth 1. Work those things in them And 2. He will have them know that those things are nothing without the working of his Grace It is true he may circumcise Isaac but who shall circumcise the heart of Isaac it is a small matter to circumcise the flesh so it is a small matter for us to baptize with water but who must wash us from our sins save only the Lord our God so that he doth secretly intimate that what his poor servants do outwardly he would do it inwardly and effectually The children of Israel shall at the Lords commandment march about the city Jericho seven daies together and not speak a word and hereby the wals of the city shall fall down flat of what use were these weapons to such an
besides the waiting of a Christian upon him who hath made the promises doth make him yet more patient and hopefull and this is a fourth use of conditional promises 5. They are of use to work all these qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised By the exceeding precious promises we are made partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and this is no small work or use of these promises that from them should spring all our gracious qualifications for the Lord having promised such blessings in them these promises being received and enjoyed and meditated on by us we beholding them and the glory of the Lord Jesus in them are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 this great power there is in the promises to help an end the work of God in the soul of a Christian so that though they were never given to bring us to Christ yet to this end they were given to work all those qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised 6. They are of use to provoke and stirre up Christians to all such duties to which blessings are promised they stirre them up effectually The Lord maketh a Promise 2 Cor. 6.17 18. that such as touch no unclean thing he will receive them and be a father to them and they shall be his sons And mark what use the Apostle maketh of this conditional promise chap. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God Implying that the having of these promises stirreth up Gods people unto duties and the Lord is wont to breath in them and so to set forward the work of cleansing in the hearts and wayes of his servants 7. They are of use further to strengthen faith for the Lord that hath made such promises will accomplish them for his servants Genes 32.9 10. Jacob there putteth the Lord in minde of his promise and saith O God of my father Abraham God of my father Isaac and the Lord which said unto me Return unto thy Countrey and to thy kindred and I will deal well with thee and he was now returned according to the appointment of God but what now doth he plead the condition minde in the next words I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Yet now though hepleadeth not any worth at all yet seeing the Lord hath promised such a mercy to him he prayeth for it vers 11. Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother thus his faith is strengthened though he doth not plead his worthinesse to receive mercy So also do absolute promises strengthen faith and the prayer of faith 2 Sam. 7.13.14 c. the Lord there promiseth David that he would build him an house and that he would not take his mercy from his Children this stirreth up and strengtheneth the faith of David vers 28 29. Now O Lord thou art that God and thy words be true and thou hast promised this goodnesse unto thy servant therefore now let it please thee to blesse the house of thy servant c. this well ordered and sure Covenant of God was all his stay and all his salvation though his house was not so with God 2 Sam 23.5 So when the Lord promiseth to heal the back-slidings of his people Hosea 14.4 their hearts are strengthened to come unto the Lord and to say O Lord thy words are true let it please thee to heal the back-slidings of thy servants Thus by the promises of God the faith and faithfull prayers of Gods servants are both of them strengthned together Now let me further say thus much Let us rightly discerne what use to make of the principal part of the Scriptures take heed you do not close with promises before you have Jesus Christ specially take heed you make not use of promises to a qualification to give you your part in Jesus Christ neither be taken aside to make account that the Lord did give you himself gratiously in a conditional promise for these are aberrations from the Covenant of Grace Consider therefore well what the Promises be and what use the Lord would have us to make of them It is not for a woman to take her husbands inheritance before she take his person and you know that all the blessings and all the promises are as it were the Inheritance of the Lord Jesus given unto him and to no other but in his name and therefore there is not any Soul under Heaven that can challenge his right in Christ at the first by any promise till Christ first be given if you know that you are in Christ you may then know that the promises are yours otherwise you shall not be able to know your right in Christ by your right in the promises and therefore do not turn them upside down beyond the scope and intendment of the Covenant of Grace we may take occasion by them to admire the goodnesse and grace of God as David did Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee thus ought we to consider of them and whither to look that we might enjoy them and the blessings in them If you shall say We have been converted and we have had gratious changes wrought within us be not deceived such work may reach no farther then conviction and you may come at the last to turn your backs upon Jesus Christ Consider therefore did ever the Lord give himself to be one with you whensoever the Lord doth strike up the bond of Union it is in an absolute and free-promise of his grace Trust not therefore unto every leaning of your Souls upon conditional promises for so you may build upon a Covenant made upon a work and in the end you and your Covevenant will fail together but when you read how the Lord hath made such promises to such and such qualifications then consider that those things are indeed requisite to be found in you but who is there in heaven or earth that is able to work them in you there is none but Jesus Christ and unlesse you have him to be in you you cannot have any of these things wrought in you But will a poor Soul say I am not able to reach the Lord Jesus Christ therefore all the promises of the Gospel do fall heavy upon a man and he seeth that they are too burdensome and weighty for him he doth not say Here is the qualification and here is the blessing promised to it and therefore I will take it to my self but one that is taught of God doth forthwith go and pray unto God that he will set him in the way of those blessings and that so he will make him partaker of them he prayeth that God will give him his
seek for some qualification in our selves and think that the Holy Ghost applieth some promise made to such a qualification and so we lay hold upon Jesus Christ a most unsafe building in my understanding for we cannot reach any gracious qualification until we have first received Christ in the Promise and then we must look up unto him to bring us unto the promises and to apply them to us It is not possible that a corrupt tree should bring forth good fruit but first make the tree good and good trees we cannot be till we be ingrafted into Christ which is indeed the ground of my great fear and solicitude and the reason why I dare not be so unfaithful as to set men in a way of faith or any other qualifications thereby to conclude their safe estate before they have received Christ in a promise Indeed when a mans soul is wounded and convinced of some hainous sins the Promises of God in such a case may support his soul but do not lead a man in such a case to see his faith or any other qualification therein to satisfie himself but if I would help and comfort such a soul I would declare to him what the Lord hath done for us in Christ I would shew him all the treasures of the rich grace of Christ I would set in order before him how he loveth freely without any deserts in us I would tell him how freely the Lord Jesus Christ doth invite men to come to him that have neither money nor moneys worth and if the Lord take delight to do him good and to do him good by my mouth he will convey his Spirit of grace in some such word as I have spoken unto him but if the Lord do not breath by his Spirit in my words then I would advise him to go and talk with some other Christians I would not limit him to any one brother but let others also tell him what Christ hath done for their souls it may be the Lord may thereby convey himself and I have sometimes known this in experience that when some have spoken scornfully of the free grace of God yet when the same hath been held forth their spirits have been subdued to stoop unto it so great is the power of the word of Gods free grace set home by the Spirit of God and the meditation thereof doth serve greatly to the firm rooting of the peace of Gods people The fourth Use Use 4 is to such a soul who is brought home to fellowship with Jesus Christ and actually justified being first adopted he is reconciled to God and is become the son of the most High and hath all his sins pardoned both past present and to come It is a ground of much Consolation to such a soul who hath the Holy Ghost dwelling in him he cannot rest till he find the free grace of Jesus Christ revealed to him by his holy Spirit in some promise thereof for Christ himself hath said That the Spirit of truth will take of mine and shew it unto you Joh. 16.14 There is strong consolation laid up for all those that cannot rest without the manifestation of the free grace of God unto their souls other things will not satisfie them the Lord doubtless will withhold no good thing from such We now proceed unto the ninth Question Quest 9 which is How doth God the Son give himself unto Abraham and to his seed in an everlasting Covenant and union that shall never be dissolved In three acts or works about Abraham and his seed Answ 1. First in giving Christ God doth give himself and therefore here is the Son's work to come and take our nature upon him For the Father gave him for that end and the Son came to fulfil the will of the Father and that is the Son's work even the true distinct work of Christ It properly belongeth unto the Son to be our actual Redeemer from all sin and misery 2. As the Father draws us to the Son and reveals the Son unto the soul so doth the Son reveal the Father also Joh. 1.18 Mat. 11.27 3. As the Father doth accept us in his Son as justified by his righteousness so the Son doth preserve us in this estate even to his heavenly Kingdom These therefore are the three works of the Son in the Covenant of Grace He takes our nature upon him for our redemption He reveals the Father to us He preserveth us in the Father and in himself Let us speak something to each of these in particular 1. For the first of these That he took our nature upon him the Apostle saith Heb. 2.14 15. c. For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage c. Therefore it was truly said Isa 9.6 Unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given c. He took our nature upon him lived a miserable life died a cursed death this is the proper character and work of the Son and thus he is made an horn of salvation to us Luk. 1.69 and all this floweth from the everlasting Covenant as also Zachariah Prophesied Luk. 1.72 73. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant the oath which he sware to our father Abraham By him we have redemption through his blood Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 This then is the first work of the Son to Redeem us And the very phrase of Redemption doth imply a double state of those that are redeemed without which it cannot be understood to wit The state whence and whereunto they are redeemed Even from a state of bondage unto Christian liberty this is found in all redemption properly so called It findeth us in bondage and setteth us in a state of liberty Heb. 2.14 15. He took our nature upon him that he might deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time made subject to bondage And this third thing also is implyed in the word Redemption with both the former namely a certain price by which we are redeemed from bondage unto liberty In a state of Bondage we were under the Law and curse of God but Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law Gal. 3.13 and now sin shall no more have dominion over us for we are not under the law Rom. 6.14 that is not under the Covenant of the Law though we lie under the Commandment of it in Christ we were sometime under the bondage of sin under the guilt and strength of sin but by Christ we have redemption even the forgiveness of our sin and as the Law was the
had done they wrought from themselves and for themselves and so those many that were called Mat. 20 they had denied father and mother and wife and children and therefore they looked for great reward having borne the burden and heat of the day and this is the proper character of an hypocrite he doth challenge his reward out of the worth of his work whereas the chosen ones of God are taught to say When we have done all that is commanded us we are unprofitable servants Luk. 17.10 this is one difference in the rise of the work Again there is a difference in the work it self Gods chosen ones work the will of Christ and not their own though their will also goeth along with it others work the will of Christ as far as it will stand with their own Jebu's zeal did root out Baal and the house of Abab freely he drove on furiously for it was an act of his own ambitious heart to settle his own Kingdom this he aimed at no further would he go from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat he departed not And Lastly Hypocrites will out-shoot Christ in his own bow they will aim at their own ends in Christs works Jehu will root out Ahab and Baal but it is to establish his own Kingdom to walk in all the Lords Commandments he did not regard while Gods will accomplisheth his will he goeth along with it but no farther Thus we see there is a work of sanctification under a Covenant of works such as whereby men have another heart and many gifts of courage and wisdom and zeal and power come upon them for the service of the Church and yet you will find that they will work from themselves and for themselves and for God they will not work beyond their own ends and though they seem to walk with him for a while yet you shall soon see the Lord will take one course and they will take another 3. We now come unto a third work of the Holy Ghost in which he doth give himself as God unto his people for in all these works he doth work as God and so expresseth himself this work is Divine revelation he doth reveal himself like a God in the soul that so you may acknowledge his presence power and truth a very clear place we have for it Eph. 1.17 18. c. I cease not to make mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him c. mark how the Apostle doth consider God in regard of his most eminent glory and power as he is the God of Jesus Christ and the Father of glory That he might give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him that is of the Father Son and Spirit That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints c. minde what Divine revelation here is see how gloriously God is set forth that giveth it and also the gift that is given and these things the Apostle prayeth not only for glorious and transcendent Christians men of renown but for all the Ephesians for all ordinary Christians among them he would have none of them destitute of a Spirit of wisdom and revelation and what should this Spirit do it should enlighten the organ even the eyes of their understanding otherwise it is beyond the power of created gifts to reach the clear discerning of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God as they are dispensed in the Gospel of Christ and as in all sight there is the Organ and the Medium and the Object the eye is the organ the air is the medium the thing seen is the object so doth the Apostle here pray that the eyes of their understanding might be enlightened far above the capacity of Reason yea above the capacity of the spiritual gifts which they had received for he desires that a spirit of wisdom and revelation might be given them though the Lord had blessed them with all spiritual blessings already they had believed and had been sealed yet here is something more to be attained they want a further enlightening by the clearing of the word of God which is the medium by which we discern all things therein and for the Object he doth express what it is that you may know what is the hope of his calling and the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward which believe c. these things the Apostle prayeth that the Spirit would reveal even the hope that God hath laid up for his Saints glorious things are spoken of the church of God great and glorious hopes are prepared for them and they are begotten unto them even to an inheritance incorruptable and undefiled that by vertue of our calling we might have fellowship with God the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1.2 3. some degree of fellowship we have already but the hope of that which is to come is beyond all our comprehension and beyond what any created understanding can search into the depth of and yet we may see much in the hope of preservation and quickening to that which is good in the hope of God's turning all things to the best for us we may see much of the rich and plenteous redemption which God hath wrought for us and what goodness of God is reserved to every poor servant of his and what is the riches of his glorious inheritance in his Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe even that mighty power which he did put forth to bring us to believe that ever he should bring such hearts as ours were to be enlightened to see the blessings of his heavenly calling to be called unto fellowship with the Father and with the Son and with the Spirit and with the Church of God in all the promises of God and gifts of grace and duties of sanctification our calling is to be exercised in them all until at length all their enemies be subdued and death at length swallowed up in victory This the Apostle prayeth for that their eyes might be opened to behold all these mysteries And thus doth the Holy Ghost clear up our understandings and the Scriptures whereby we understand and the objects which are to be understood by us even the riches of grace here bestowed upon us and laid up in heaven for us But how doth the Holy Ghost work these things Quest indeed they are unconceivable mysteries better felt then told The Spirit doth reveal himself partly in witnessing unto our spiritual estate Answ and partly by revealing all other counsels of his truth needful for us to know in this our age and time wherein any Christian man
teacheth and none like him 1 Joh. 2.20 27. You have an unction from the holy One and ye know all things c. and in this respect every Christian is a sealed one of God more or less when as the Angel was sent to set the seal of God upon his servants Revel 7.2 3. he did not leave out weak Christians doubtless but did seal all the servants of God Christ is careful to keep his weak servants from inundations of evil as well as others so in Ezek. 9.4 The mark of God is set upon all that mourn for the sins of the times therefore in some work of this seal the Holy Ghost is not wanting to seal all believers otherwise thou couldest not believe that the Father hath drawn thee to Christ unless the Lord had revealed it nor couldest thou believe that the Father is thy Father unless the Holy Ghost hath sealed thee thou canst not know that thy faith is accepted of God that thy sanctification is in truth unless the Spirit of God do clear up these things unto thy soul though thou hadst many promises before thee yet unless the Lord by his Spirit apply them thou canst not see thy right in them But is not that my sin Object It is your sin Answ but it is such a sin as the power of the creature cannot help you out of for unless the Lord be pleased to discover Jesus Christ unto you and your faith in him and your deriving of your works from him you will neither know your justification nor your sanctification to be true therefore there is ever a sealing work of Gods Spirit upon the souls of his Saints though this may be done before the Holy Ghost come to seal you in his own proper work for you have many gracious workings of God about you before he come to seal his own work in your soul 2. The second work of the Spirit in respect whereof he is called a seal is his ingraving the likeness of Jesus Christ upon the soul for the Lord hath predestinated us to be conformed unto the image of his Son Rom. 8.29 and how come we to be so conformed even by the Spirit of God who writeth as it were Jesus Christ in our hearts as with the finger of the living God and hence Christ is formed in us Gal. 4.19 and this image of Christ the Holy Ghost writeth in us by making us conformable unto the death and resurrection of Christ and unto that end he doth breathe in both the Sacraments Rom. 6.4 5 6. for he is both a Spirit of mortification and vivification so as that through him we do not onely finde sin mortified but do live by the faith of the Son of God and the Spirit it is that doth preserve these gifts and acteth and stirreth up our faith to look unto Christ this is another use of the seal not only to confirm but to conform so that of his fulness we all receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 and we live yet not we but Christ liveth in us and this seal the Holy Ghost doth set on more or less in every Christian but in his own proper work he doth it with more power 3. The third work whereby the Holy Ghost doth express the nature of a seal is in distinguishing the Saints from other men Rev. 7.2 3. the servants of God were sealed and in sealing them he doth conceal them as a seal doth so that the world knows them not Joh. 14.17 and 1 Joh. 3.1 we are called the sons of God therefore the world knows us not c. and the more the Spirit doth distinguish a man from the wicked of the world the less they do discern him to be a gracious man the more lively grace is the more it is hidden from the world as men grow more in godliness so they grow more and more to be suspected by the world this is sealing work to distinguish and yet to conceal these things doth the Spirit of God as a seal upon the hearts and consciences of his people he begetteth and confirmeth all their faith more or less he doth conform them to the image of Christ more or less he doth also conceal and distinguish them from the world The second Question needful for the clearing of this point Quest 2 is How is the Holy Ghost an earnest For Answer Answ He is called an earnest in two respects 1. First As he bindeth the bargain between God and the soul he doth confirm all the promises of God to us and fasteneth them upon our hearts and settleth our hearts with an unmovable faith God having given us his Spirit doth give us all in him for he bindeth our union with Christ and our relation to the Father the Covenant of Gods grace unto us and us unto it the Gospel to us and us unto the Gospel 2. Secondly He is an earnest as he is the first fruits of the payment if a man give a pledge he meaneth to take his pledge again but if he gives money in earnest he meaneth not to take that again for it is part of the payment and the whole is but a greater payment of the same kinde so in like manner what is all our inheritance surely a fulness of the fruition of God the Father and of Jesus Christ and of the blessed Spirit of God this is all our inheritance that we look for in another world Eph. 1.14 He is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory here we have but a little portion of the Spirit a little earnest-peny but this little portion is an assurance unto us that he will make it up until we be able to receive no more Now for Application of this Point Use 1 let it first teach us how to speak of the seal of the Spirit all those that desire to speak the language of Canaan no man hath part in Christ but he hath the seal of the Spirit also for if the Holy Ghost had not given thee Christ in this or that promise thou couldest never have believed it True it is indeed there are many Christians yea and sealed Christians which are not sealed with the proper work of the Spirit I mean with that full consolation and universal conformity to Gods image every Christian hath not received that measure of power but every Christian waiteth for it and is sealed by the blessed Spirit having set home some word of Gods grace wherein Jesus Christ is brought unto the soul In the second place Use 2 let it teach us thus much that it will come short of bringing us unto Christ if we lay claim to a promise of God by any work of grace such as we can have before we have the seal of the Spirit I mean such a work of the Spirit as wherein he doth come in with power upon the soul above the power of the word and works of God for they are both creatures and
the Lord doth in giving himself give us all his Persons Attributes Ordinances Providences for he is the Lord of hosts and therefore all that is Gods is ours also It will follow semblably that we must be as God is and our children as his children and our servants as his servants and our wits and parts and authority and power and times must all be for God and not for our selves moreover all that is in our Churches is for God Cant. 7. ult At our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits both new and old which I have laid up for thee O my beloved Now from hence two things follow 1. First Here is a ground for family-duties for if all that I have must be the Lords for he takes me as he gives himself then it is for us to give up all our relations unto him as much as lies in us we can do nothing but set them before the Lord but it will be requisite that we should constrain them to duty pray with our children and servants teach them the will of God restrain them from wickedness I know Abraham saith the Lord That he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord c. Gen. 18.18 and the Lord commandeth Parents to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Ephes 6.4 we must therefore teach them to know the God of their Fathers as David 1 Chron. 28.9 And thou Solomon my son know thou the God of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde c. and so old Lois and Eunice were careful to train up Timothy in the knowledge of the Scriptures from a child this the Lord requireth of us as ever we look to have right in his Son he will have right in our sons if we have right in his Spirit he hath right in our spirit if you have any right in his servants he hath right in your servants and therefore use the means to draw them home to him and leave the blessing unto the Lord but if Parents be watchless in conveying the blessing to their children and children careless in receiving it God is faithful and his Covenant faithful though they fall short of it 2. Secondly This also follows that as God betrusteth us with any gifts or parts or talents with honour wealth health strength beauty liberty or what else soever if the Lord have given us any blessing it is wohlly his for we must be unto God as we would have him be unto us and therefore the Lord took it unkindly from his people Hos 2.8 That the corne and wine and oyl and silver and gold which he had given them they prepared for Baal Israel is an empty vine when he bringeth forth fruit unto himself Hos 10.1 so likewise he taketh it ill Ezek. 16.20 21. that they took his sons and his daughters and sacrified them unto Moloch so sometimes men count it a gentile thing to train up their children to idleness and other vanities whereas in truth it is as if they trained them up to Moloch and this the Lord doth abhor and will sadly require it in his own time If therefore we must give up our selves and ours unto God then here is a foundation for family-duties and also to improve our selves and all that we have wholly to advance the glory of the grace of God in Jesus Christ else we pluck asunder the Covenant of grace In the fourth place Use 4 If the Lord in this Covenant receive us to be a peculiar people unto himself something we are to learn in the manner of the performance of all holy duties for as we are still to be doing in the use of means to help our knowledge and faith so in all let us still be expecting from the Lord to lay hold upon us and ours and to receive us for our hope standeth more in Gods receiving us then in our giving our selves unto him rest not therefore in all the good means that you use for that will not hold unless the Lord be pleased to receive us and ours Joh. 6.37 All that the Father gives me shall come unto me so that unless the Lord give our children to his Son though we devote them to him it is a question whether he will take them or no look we up therefore unto the Lord that he may take them graciously unto himself the Prophet exhorteth Israel to return unto the Lord Hos 14.1 2. But how shall they return not unless the Lord take away their iniquity and receive them graciously and thus the Propher teacheth them to pray so that they do not stand upon their own reformations nor look to this and that which they can do no no take with you words and say Take thou away our iniquity otherwise we shall never get it out he also must receive us graciously and so shall we render unto him our selves and all that we can do This is the way of the Covenant of grace whatsoever duties the Lord requireth to be done on our parts let us look unto him in all to receive us and ours otherwise we and ours shall soon turn our backs upon God and upon his Covenant which he hath so graciously invited us unto in Jesus Christ We now come to the third and last Branch of the Doctrine Third Branch of the Doctrine which is That the Lord took the chief of Abrahams seed the Lord Jesus Christ to be the mediator and surety of the Covenant between God and Abraham this is expressed Gal. 3.16 To Abraham and his seed were the promises made he saith not And to his seeds as of many but as of one And to thy seed which is Christ so that he is the chiefest of the seed with whom the Covenant is established as also the Prophet Isaiah testifieth chap. 42.6 and 49.8 I will give thee for a covenant of the people and a light of the Gentiles c. and the Apostle speaketh fully when he saith Heb. 8.6 that he is the mediator of a better covenant and a surety of the Covenant Heb. 7.22 Christ is therefore the chiefest of the seed and the Mediatour and Surety of the Covenant Now a Mediatour he is between both parties partly in respect of his person and partly in respect of his Office 1. In respect of his person as he is God and man he is a fit person to be the ground of our union with God and to maintain our communion with him for what is a Mediator but a middle person to bring two persons that are at difference into one now Christ as he is God-man is most fit for this work 1. First To be the ground of our Union for being God-man he hath united both the differing natures into one so he is a middle person and fit to be the foundation of our union and therefore he is called Immanuel Isa 7.14 That is God with us 2.