in the way for a staff or bait but not good as a Center or end to terminate your thoughts upon Remember the worst of men may have the best of these blessings yet have them with a curse and may perish with them therefore say as David Psal 119.132 look thou upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name Psal 106.4 and elsewhere he desires to be remembred with the favour of Gods people as if David should say Lord there are common mercies which fill the belly cloath the back supply outward wants but these thou givest to the bad as well as good and though these are more than I deserve yet more than these I desire these will only serve me the day and date of my temporal life and will take their leave of me at death but Lord thou hast better mercies to bestow than these even such as will stick by me in life and death mercies that concern the soul such as thou bestowest on Children and on heirs of promise Oh let me come in for my Childs part of those and put me not off with any else none besides will fit or fill my precious soul or serve my turn Josh 17.14 I must say as once the Children of Joseph said to Joshua why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit seeing I am a great people so must I say if I were a bruit Creature one lot of provender for this Carcass would serve my turn but seeing 〈◊〉 am blessed with a noble never-dying soul that hath large capacious faculties 〈◊〉 must have a double portion a single share â—s not enough something that will live â—hen this body is laid in the grave and â—ing is so fit for this immortal soul as 〈◊〉 sure mercies of David Oh that I had my share thereof more than these I cannot reasonably desire expect enjoy and less than these my soul is not content withal 4. Cast out and Cashier all sin break ofâ— thy sinful league with filthy lusts these sure mercies will not lodge in a foul breast where Christ takes up his habitation sin hath not Dominion God and sin go contrary ways mercies mount the soul upwards corruption pulls the soul downwards you must be separate and touch no unclean thing if you would be received embraced as Children and have God for your Father 2 Cor. 6.17 18. be you sure the Throne of iniquity hath no fellowship with God Psal 94.20 and God will challenge such as hate instruction and wilfully run into sin and say Psal 50.16 17 18. what hast thou to do to take my Covenant in thy mouth do not think to yoke Christ and Belial God will not be merciful to any wicked Transgressour do not think to divide mercies and faithfulness make account to enjoy mercies only in the way of truth that you may be able to say as David Psal 119 41. let thy mercies come also unto me O Lord even thy salvation according to thy word q. d. O Lord thou hast mercies to bestow and thou hast told me how and to whom thou wilt distribute these mercies it is to such as fear and love and obey thee and devote themselves to thee why here I am I have served sin and Satan too long now I abhorr the ways in which my soul hath walked I abandon works of darkness I cut off a right-hand sin and pluck out a right-eye lust and now I am in the road of mercy not as though this merited thy favour but as a condition absolutely necessary in the souls of such as obtain mercy Isa 1.16 18. Isa 55.7 according to the precepts and promises of the Word and now though I cannot challenge mercy yet I humbly plead thy promise for mercy even Covenant-mercies I have forsaken my sinful ways and wicked thoughts Psal 119.58 oh be merciful to me according to thy word oh entertain me and then â— shall not lose but change my pleasures â—he sensual pleasures of the flesh for soâ—id sacred and soul-satisfying delights in Christ and Grace thus renounce sin and you shall have what 's infinitely better but that 's not all 5. Renounce your own Righteousness and look after these sure mercies only for mercy sake the wise merchant sold all Mat. 13.46 not only his worldly enjoyments but self-conceited thoughts of his own Righteousness for this pearl of price deny your selves then enjoy God mercy is flighted when you dream of merit the poor Jews that sought to establish their own righteousness would not submit to the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 they had something of their own to lean to they â—corned Gods way of saving sinners they would not be beholding to Gods mercy and so went without the poor Publican was justified but the proud Pharisee condemned come as craving Beggars not as rich Purchasers say as David save me for thy mercies sake Psal 6.4 q. d. Lord I am a weak worthless wicked Creature if thou mark iniquity who can stand I am not worthy of one crumb of kindness most worthy of thy fiercest displeasure if thou condemn me thou art righteous if thou save me thou art infinitely gracious Lord when thy wrath is ready to wax hot and justice lifts up thy hand to strike the fatal blow then reflect upon thy working bowels of tender mercy and stop thy hand from a righteous executing of thy justly deserved sentence of condemnation Remember thy tender mercies and thy loving-kindnesses for they have been ever of old Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake O Lord thus that good man pleads with God Psal 25.6 7. and thus do thou come empty handed buy wine and milk without money and without price mercy were not mercy if it were bought at valuable rates but as that 's not possible so that soul that comes to purchase shall be dealt without for all the good things of the Gospel are of free and undeserved gift 6. Close with Jesus Christ the root and spring of these Covenant-mercies I told you in the doctrinal part these mercies are made sure in and by Christ to all the heirs of promise would you then enjoy the benefit of these mercies accept of Jesus Christ by a sound and lively faith you can expect no mercy but through a Mediator grace and truth comes by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.16 all mercy is laid up in Christ as the great Store-house and is to be fetcht out by faith those souls are under a dangerous and soul-damning mistake that imagine God to be any other ways merciful than in Christ it 's even horrible saith Luther to think of God out of Christ this is the only Gospel-way of obtaining mercy Eph. 13.6 God blesseth us with these spiritual blessings in Christ and we are accepted in the beloved Well then how have poor souls interest in Christ this
express particular perswasions of some mercy as those blessed Patriarchs Gen. 48 21. chap 50.24 Behold I dye but God shall be with you and bring you again to the Land of your Fathers Yea cannot you that are Children bear your Testimony for God that he hath been and done according to your Parents faith and hope Solomon could say after Davids death thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my Father great mercy or bounty but that 's not all and thou hast kept saith he for him this great kindness that thou hast given him a Son to sit upon his Throne 1 King 3.6 and I question not but many of you can say as much for God that God hath had respect to you in Temporals because you were the seed of such as were dear to him Oh follow their steps and you shall fare as they fared 2. Yet further you that are the Children of Godly Parents Isa 44.3.59.21 Exod. 20.6 See 2 Sam. 23 1-5 Act. 3.25 you lye directly under the influences of these sure mercies the promise is made to believers and to their seed Gen. 17.7 Act. 2.38 39. such promises bear up the hearts of Gods poor expiring servants concerning their surviving Children Well then let Children claim their interest plead this grant none of you will lose your inheritance for want of looking after it if your Landlord promise you a Lease of your Tenement after your Father's decease if you sue to him for it and pay the accustomed fine will you be so mad as to be turned out of your Farm and the Heritage left by your Fathers than own your just and loving Landlord according to the Laws of the Land no man is so fond in Temporals and why should you be so foolish in Spirituals Ah Christians look after your Patrimony despise not your Birth-right is it nothing to you to be born of believing Parents remember your Parents Prayers and Tears their Hopes and fears Oh consider how it comforted their hearts upon their death-bed that they left you under a good Covenant and bequeathed to you a goodly heritage and why should your Parents be deceived in their hopes and meet you strangers at the great day to God and Christ to be set with filthy Goats upon the left hand for ever why will you embezzle or sin away this fair estate why will you not sue out this blessed Charter for your own souls in the Court of Heaven God is as willing to make it over to you as ever he was to bestow it on your Parents he is loath to cut off his kindness from their seed he looks after you in your soul-destroying practices and saith as once to Israel that did so wofully degenerate Jer. 22.5 q. d. I remember the kindness that in former times there was betwixt thy ancestors and me Oh their zeal in running after me the holy services they did perform to me thy Father or Grand-father and some former Generations maintained entercourse with me and I with them there was love of espousals betwixt us and I am sure I was not wanting to them I lookt carefully to them all that sought to devour them were my enemies they did offend me and I brought evil upon them I pleaded their cause while they lived and I took them seasonably to Heaven and if thou that art their off-spring wouldest have put me to 't I would have done as much for thee if thou hadst but laid hold of that Covenant those very Covenant-mercies should have been thine but thou art gone back thou wilt have none of me but walk after new upstart vanities thou wilt not vouchsafe so much as to enquire after the God of thy Fathers that was so faithful to them and did so much for them but let me ask thee A like Expostulation see in Miâ— 6.3 4. since thou wilt needs leave me what iniquity have either thy Fathers or thou found in me produce thy reasons testifie against me did I ever do thee any wrong have I not always done thee good Oh soul whithersoever thou goest from me thou missest of such a God as thy Fathers served God seems in that Scripture to speak after this manner Oh hearken to the eternal God if you will not heed the dying words of your mortal Parents that dyed in the Lord though one would think those should move and melt your hearts into tears of Gospel sorrow why should your dear deceased Parents rise up in judgement against you at the day of judgement when it shall be enquired whether they did their duty they must needs answer according to truth that they did instruct correct counsel admonish their wandring Prodigal Children they brought them to Ordinances prayed for them wept and travelled again for them and yet could not prevail and now must come in to bear witness against them and must rejoyce in Gods just vengeance upon them Oh what a sad case will these rebellious Children be in 't is no pleading priviledges by means of believing Parents at that day the higher you were advanced therein the lower will you be cast down to Hell Matth. 11.23 oh how terrible will it be to see godly Parents in Heaven and themselves cast into utter darkness yea to see strangers or the Converted Children of Heathenish Parents come from East and West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven but the Children of these Kingdoms posterity of Covenanted Parents cast out into utter darkness See Mat. 8.11 12. Let me therefore perswade all graceless Children to look about them do you above all others take heed of miscarrying greater expectations are from you than others the surviving friends of your Religious Ancestors look after you and enquire what you do oh rejoyce their hearts by walking in the steps of your predecessours I shall bespeak you yea charge you in the words of Reverend Mr. Bolton upon his death-bed that none of you will dare to meet us at the great Tribunal in an unregenerate state let every Child of Godly Parents plead for Covenant-mercies as once Solomon did 2 Chron. 1.8 9. thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my Father now O Lord God let thy promise unto David my Father be established thus do you plead with God and say Lord my Parents embraced the Covenant it was thy free-grace to choose them and set thy heart upon them and is that Grace weary canst thou not own me with Covenant-mercy nay dost thou not call that mercy to Abraham by the surer name of truth unto Jacob am not I a Child of the promise Lord cut not off the entail of Covenant-mercies from me or mine for ever But I must hasten let all souls seek after a share in Covenant-mercies you that are afar off and you that are near Children of the good and of the bad draw near hither take hold of this Covenant here 's mercy for you all these mercies are attainable let the wicked forsake his way and the
Covenant is as sure as that the World shall no more be totally drowned with Water yea as sure as the standing of the lasting Mountains and Hills yet further as sure as the Ordinances of Sun by day Moon and Starrs by night nay once more it 's as possible that the Heavens should be measured by the short span of a mortal man or the foundations of the earth searched out as for the great and unchangeable God to violate this Gospel-Covenant with his dear Israel of elect souls Read this fully in Isa 54.9 10. Jer. 31.35 36 37. But yet more particularly this Covenant and these mercies of it may be made sure two wayes to believers viz. 1. Infallibly so as not to miss of 2. Immutably so as never to lose these mercies 1. These mercies of the Covenant are sure infallibly i. e. there is a certain number of elect selected souls set apart by the soveraign Lord of Heaven and Earth to eternal happiness by our Lord Jesus Christ and these shall have interest in and possession of the forementioned mercies of David that God hath chosen some to life as the end and through Christ as the way of attaining that end is clear in Scripture Ephes 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him and ver 5. having predestinated us unto the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself and 1 Thes 5.9 for God hath not appointed us unto wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ electing and redeeming love are of the same latitude and extent whom God the Father had in his Council God the Son bore upon the bitter Cross and those that are ordained to eternal life shall believe Act. 13.48 Which Text saith Calvin teacheth that saving faith depends upon Gods eternal election hence also faith is called the faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1.1 because all the Elect and none but the Elect obtain it for all men have not faith it is peculiar to these selected persons Besides God hath laid the plot and platform of mans salvation upon the sure foundation of his own free-grace on purpose to make these things firm and sure to elect souls so that their unworthiness shall not hinder the certain execution of his eternal Decrees Rom. 4.16 therefore it is of faith that it might be by Grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed i. e. that the Covenant with all the mercies of it might be made good to all the heirs of promise the election or elect souls hath obtained it but the rest are blinded Rom. 11.7 hence saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2.19 Dico novit Domiaus qui sunt ejus ipsae oves aliquando seipsas nesciunt sed pastor novit cas secundum electionem ovium ante constitutionem mundi Aug. in Joh. 10. the foundation of God standeth sure the Lord knoweth them that are his he knows these sheep even before they know themselves according to his sure election before the foundation of the world hence also God would not have the enjoyment of these mercies to depend upon mans sorry mutable and inconstant will nor upon any works wrought by man as the whole strain and tenour of the Gospel holds forth and indeed if the whole stress lay on mans free-will it would bring us back to a Covenant of Works and if it were possible for any to attain these that man were the casting cause of his own salvation and then what need of any Redeemer besides it might so fall out yea and would certainly that these mercies might be applyed to none for conditio nihil ponit in esse that which is not effectual without a contingent condition upon which it depends the particular motion of this mans will and so of anothers towards God and closing with promises being in his own choice is doubtful and uncertain and so must needs be the priviledges which depend upon that condition therefore they that make these mercies possibly every ones make them certainly no ones the truth is God hath not left the enjoyment of these Covenant-mercies to the choice or refusal of the fickle or inconstant will of the creature at his pleasure but though he doth not violence to the will but of unwilling makes it willing God himself and Jesus Christ by the holy Spirit hath ingaged himself to bring souls home by converting grace certainly and infallibly though sweetly and suitably to the nature of a rational creature hence effectual calling and instating the elect in these mercies is not left at rovers may-bees or hap-hazard but it 's put beyond all peradventure so that there 's a Must and Shall annext to it Joh. 10.16 other sheep I have them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice Joh. 6.37 All that the father giveth me i. e. by election shall come to me i. e. by faith and repentance the God of Heaven hath ingaged himself for it and he is a God of truth to make good his word and of infinite power and he works and who can let it Videsis Ames Coron ad Coll. Hag. advâ—rsus Remens Artic. prim de electione Cap. 4. p. 15. c. he worketh all things according to the council of his own will Eph. 1.11 All that God the Father hath given to Christ in the free election the Son hath undertaken to bring to glory by his mediatory administration this is the first these mercies are sure infallibly the heir of glory shall partake of them 2. They are sure immutably not any that do partake of these mercies shall ever lose them they shall alwayes have them and shall â—ever be deprived of them there are inâ—eed some common gifts of the spirit that God may revoke and take away as the gifts â—hat Saul had but these gifts of Grace and â—his effectual calling are without repentance Rom. 11.29 he will never repent of or retract â—hese precious donations Mary's better part â—hall never be taken from her worldly riches â—ay be lost but spiritual mercies are durable â—iches God the Author of these mercies is â—mmutable with him there is no variableness â—or shadow of change he receives no variaâ—ion from the contingent events of second â—auses the Lord will not forsake his people for â—is great names sake because it hath pleased â—he Lord to make them his people 1 Sam. â—2 22 he hateth putting away he will not â—is-inherit his Children for misdemeanours â—e knows their frame sees and pitties their â—eaknesses raiseth them out of falls and â—eals their back-slidings Christ Jesus the â—urchaser of these mercies is the Amen Rev. 3.14 Heb. 13.8 Isa 63.1 Joh. 10.28 29. Joh. 17. the â—aithful and true witness the same yesterday â—o day and for ever mighty to save a merciâ—ul and faithful high-Priest none can pluck â—hem out of his hands he will lose none of â—hese that his father hath given him he will â—ave to the uttermost This our Joshua will â—ring the elect souls to the Canaan of eternal
bowels of tender love gifts proceed from the hand of God as an act of munificence upon his sons glorious ascention and compleat inauguration and 't is one thing to eat meat at the Kings table and another thing to gather the fruits of Royal Grace upon some solemn day as that was of Davids 2 Sam. 6.19 Saints only have the Covenant-graces hypocrites may have a large share in these gifts nay a larger portion then some Saints themselves Saul Balaam Caiaphas may have the gift of Prophecy Judas he may Preach Praestat credere quam miracula edere but Thomas and the elect only can believe and it 's a greater work saith Luther to believe than to work miracles that 's the first 2. They differ in their nature and manner of operation Covenant-grace stamps on the elect-soul the image of our Heavenly Father it is the divine nature God's most curious workmanship the idea and pourtraicture the representation and exemplar of God blessed for ever grace is Gods picture if I may so speak drawn to the life 't is a forming of Christ in the soul now gifts are no such thing the devil himself hath great gifts yet hath razed out the image of God gifts are but the works of Gods power and wisdom such as the Sun and Starrs yea even the flies and atomes they are in a sort dead and we may call them Gods lumber some have noted that gifts are only the effects 1 Cor. 12.3 Gal. 5.22 but graces are called the fruits of the spirit the one is the husk of a common profession at least the shell of some rare endowments but the other is the kernel of sincerity and fruit of a Gospel-conversion 3. They differ in their train and retinue as to gifts none have all either of all sorts or any great eminency in all hence 't is said 1 Cor. 12.8 9 to one is given the word of wisdom to another knowledge c. Moses had a gift of Government not of Eloquence Paul had a gift of Planting Apollos of Watering some of the Apostles were sons of Thunder others of consolation some Ministers are fitter for opening Scriptures clearing Controversies others are more for exhortation and conviction of the Conscience some think that Pastors and Teachers differ with respect to their different gifts But these Covenant-graces and mercies are linked together they dance their round in the believing soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hand in hand as the word signifies 2 Pet. 1.5 one grace strengthens another as stones do in an arch yea all graces are radically in faith for some have said that every grace is but faith exercised however all graces are infused at once into the soul though some got the leading as to exercise the new man is perfect with a perfection of parts though not of degrees as it is with a new-born Child 4. Gifts and Grace differ in their several designs ends and effects gifts offices priviledges are but for others advantage and edification they are given to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.7 When Christ ascended he gave gifts to men for what end the Apostle tells us for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4.8 12 But now the end of Grace is the souls spiritual advantage that by them Christ might take possession of the heart that the soul may have some life and principle of opposition to beloved corruptions and thereby be better helped to perform religious duties walk with God improve priviledges and be made meet for Heaven these and such like are the ends of the Graces of the Covenants a man may have rare gifts yet have a base heart singular endowments and yet not be helped thereby to mortifie one lust perform one duty spiritually get one step nearer God but Covenant-grace is profitable for these great ends and uses gifts and Grace may be said to differ as the Sun and Moon the Moon casts a light indeed but no heat but the Sun casts its quickning rays into this lower World and quickens many things and maketh all things verdant and fruitful so doth Covenant-mercy bring forth many precious things and divine graces have a lively influence whereby a man shall both save himself and those that hear him 1 Tim. 4.16 but a man may have gifts like an Angel and be never the nearer to Heaven he may direct others in the way to Heaven and yet not walk a step therein See fully in Rom. 2.17 to 24. 1 Cor. 9 27. teach others what he hath not learned himself Preach to others and be a cast-away it 's one thing to have the form of knowledge another to have the power of grace it is one thing to have Angelical gifts and another thing to have Evangelical graces all gifted persons are not gracious persons never was any man saved by his gifts and rarely have they been instruments to save others that have only gifts I dare not say that 't is impossible that a graceless yet gifted Minister should be a mean of Conversion for God is not to be limited but 't is not ordinary as common experience testifies The fourth Inference is if Covenant-mercies be thus sure then it lets us see the truth of our Religion if the mercies thereof be thus sure as I have demonstrated then let us be established in our perswasions of the verity certainty and infallibility of Christianity if these be sure mercies who can doubt of the reality thereof every thing in the Gospel is made sure you may venture your souls upon it since God hath confirmed these things as a sacred Oracle from Heaven Divino praecepto intonante obediendum est non disputandum Aug. who dare dispute them the God of truth cannot lye nor deny himself he is so good that he cannot deceive and so wise that he cannot be deceived there is in him neither imprudence in promising nor impotency in performing Heaven and Earth may pass away but not one iota of his word shall fail You are to believe these things without haesitation and give your full assent to them as the mysterie of Godliness is great so 't is without Controversie Grotius observes that our Christian Religion doth transcend all the Religions in the World in three things 1. In the certainty of Maxims 2. In the spirituality of its Precepts 3. In the transcendency of its rewards We have the un-erring testimony of Heaven for what we believe which is surer than any Logical Conclusions Philosophical Speculations yea or Mathematical Demonstrations and I may add than their Old Testament Dreams and Visions so the Apostle seems to extoll Gods speaking to us by his Son above the diverse manners of his speaking to the Fathers Heb. 1.1 2. Nay the Apostle Peter asserts that we have in the Scriptures a more sure word of Prophesie Aut haec admittenda religio non tantum ob factorum testimonia de quibus jam egimus