the testimonies of Gods reconciled favour O how doth the tender heart take on and judge and condemn it self if at any time it fall into sin O what a fool what a beast and why have I dealt thus with my God! why did I deal so unkindly with my kind God is this my love unto him is this my fear of him is this my tenderness of his glory O my soul what hast thou done why hast thou broken the bonds of friendship what hath the Lord been to thee that thou hast thus sinned against him And now the man falls a weeping and lamenting as if his heart would break and after some respite he thinks of his father again but he is ashamed to come to him and yet he will go to him and return with weeping and supplications O I cannot live thus I will home again to my fathers house and say I have sinned and am no more worthy to be called thy son Luke 15. Though shame and confusions belong to me yet mercies and forgiveness to him Dan. 9. O Lord heal my backslidings and forgive my backsldings and reoeive me graciously Hose 14. 2. And return again in mercy and make thy face to shine upon thy servant for the Lords sake Thus have I opened unto you the first Character or evidence of a heart spiritually soft and tender it is a heart filled with shame for sin and with grief for sin and with fear to sin and with zeal against sin and with care to be kept from sin and with restlestness till it can find God mercifully pardoning sin O that such tenderness and that such fruits of tenderness might be found in all our hearts Secondly A second Character by which we may know that we have the true The activity and life and power in conscience spiritual softness and tenderness of heart is the activity and life and power in conscience when God gives any one a soft and tender heart he gives him a conscience arrayed and enabled with other qualities and powers than in times past The Conscience heretofore was asleep but now it is awakned heretofore it was blind but now it sees heretofore it was silent but now it speaks heretofore it was loose and large but now it is strict and narrow heretofore it was dull and weak but now it is quick and powerful heretofore it was stupid and senceless but now it is apprehensive and active But I must not speak of all things about this that which I will pitch on is this the speciall Activities of Conscience where the heart is indeed tender 1. Concerning the good estate and welbeing of our souls 2. Concerning particular facts as to our doing or walking First Where the heart is tender there Conscience becomes active to clear out The conscience is active to clear our state the good and safe estate and well-being of our souls It will not suffer the poor soul to delude and deceive itself in matters of life and death to lay no grounds nor to venture all upon false bottoms and grounds of salvation and damnation of favour and wrath O saith Conscience thy soul is immortal and is for eternity and there are wayes to that eternity of Gods making and of mens making there is a reall relation to Christ and there is a seeming relation to Christ there is the power of godliness and there is the form of godliness there were virgins with oyle and there were virgins with lamps only there are some which believe and are saved and there are some that believe but for a time and perish If a man mistake himself he is undone for ever hereupon it is that Conscience in tender hearts dares not take up the estate of the soul upon trust and proud confidence and vain pretences or common grounds or every appearance but puts them on and makes them to study the Word of God and to prove what is the good and acceptable will of God and what indeed are the marks which do accompany salvation what are the infallible tokens of life of union with Christ of the new creature of a child of God born of the Spirit it causeth us to search our hearts and try our wayes to prove and examine our selves whether Christ be in us of a truth to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling it will not suffer us to be careless sluggish dallying delaying c. Conscience takes those saving promises of the â—ord as unquestionable that a man must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that will be saved and that he must repent that will have his sins pardoned and that he must be regenerated and born again who will enter into the kingdom of heaven And hereupon Conscience puts us on if our hearts be tender exceedingly to make clear and evident the assumption I do truely believe I do truely repent I am born again and my sins are pardoned and my soul shall be saved A tender heart would be sure that it is in a state of life and favour Secondly Where the heart is tender there conscience is alive in respect of the particular facts of our lives whether good or evil For good actions which concern us in our places and callings Conscience puts us upon the careful and sincere practice of them will not suffer us to omit and neglect them but enclines and hearkens unto them although danger and trouble be incident unto us for the performance of them Act. 4. 19. But Peter and John answered and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye ver 20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Act. 21. 13. Then Paul answered What mean you to weep and break mine heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Josh 24. 25. If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. For evil actions Conscience puts forth itself against them partly by warning It is evil if thou do it not partly by threatning It will be bitter unto thee it wlll deceive thee and break thy peace and confidences partly in striving with us and presenting argument upon argument consideration upon consideration Gods favour on the one hand and Gods displeasure on the other hand the happiness of walking uprightly the shortness of sins deceitful pleasures c. and all to keep us from sinning which if they prevail not then Conscience begins to be unquiet and it smites for sinning and accuses and condems and The respectiveness of our hearts to the Word of God troubles and vexes and
sorts of truth of which the Spirit is the Authour and Divers sorts of truth of which the spirit is the authour Truth of Doctrine which he works in all those who do partake of him First The truth of Doctrine in opposition to erroneous and false Doctrines Joh. 17. 17. Thy Word is truth 1 Tim. 2. 4. Who would have all men to come to the knowledge of the truth The truth of Doctrine consists principally in knowing and understanding those points and wayes which do teach and guide us certainly unto salvation and this is called the truth in Jesus Epehs 4. 21. And the truth which is after godliness Tit. 1. 1. This truth doth the Spirit teach all unto whom he is given he makes them to know the Word of truth and which is the way of life he builds them upon Christ and roots them in Christ who is Joh. 14. 6. The way and life and truth and makes them to be sound in Christ Jesus Secondly The truth of judgement and understanding Joh. 17. 17. Sanctifie Truth of judgement them with thy truth by which some think is meant the true understanding of all things necessary to salvation This is called the Spirit of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1. 7. a mind not tainted not corrupted Sound in the Faith Titus 1. 13. and Chap. 2. 2. All who have the Spirit of God have truth of judgement they have the Spirit of a sound mind in the matters of salvation they are sound in the faith although they may mistake in other matters and differ in their Opinions yet they are all of them of a sound judgement in the Essential Points of salvation they are sound in the faith in the fundamentals Thirdly The truth of heart Psal 51. 6. Thou lovest truth in the inward Truth of heart parts This truth is that which we call uprightness and sincerity of heart in opposition to Hypocrisie the Apostle calls it the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth 1 Cor. 5. 8. This kind of truth also is the Spirit authour and worker of in all unto whom he is given he gives them true hearts of truth sincere and upright hearts even in the judgement of God himself Job 1. 8. Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil Isa 58. 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart Fourthly The truth of speech in opposition to lying fraud and falshood The truth of speech as Psal 15. 2. He that speaketh the truth in his heart Ephes 4. 25. Put away lying and speak truth every man to his neighbour They that hâ—ve indeed the Spirit of God dare not lye dare not be guilty of falshoods c. the spirit of truth ever causeth the lip of truth Psal 119. 163. I hate and abhor lying Fifthly The truth of faithful and righteous dealing between man and man in The truth of righteous dealing making and keeping just Covenants Promises and bargains Jer. 5. 3. O Lord are not thine eyes upon the truth i. e. of just and righteous dealing this also is in them who have the spirit Psal 15. 4. He that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not But now what shall I say to whom shall I speak how few have the Spirit of God which is the Spirit of truth 1. How abundantly rife is the spirit of error Few have the spirit of God 2. How unsound are the judgements of men who do erre concerning the faith and contend to subvert it 3. How rotten and hypocritical the hearts of men they profess God in words and godliness in words but they deny him in works and though they have that shew yet they do deny the power of godliness 4. How lying and false and fraudulent 〈◊〉 are men in their speaking and dealings one hardly knows when many do speak truth because we find that they do constantly speak lyes with that boldness and confidence and impudency c. Jer. 9. 5. They will deceive every one his neighbour and will not speak the truth they have taught their tongue to speak lyes c. Sixthly The Spirit of God is the Spirit of love So Rom. 15. 30. I beseech you Gods spirit is the spirit of love brethren for the Lord Jesus sake and for the love of the Spirit c. 2 Tim. 1. 7. God hath given us the Spirit of love Gal. 5. 22. The fruit of the Spirit is love and he puts love in the first place In whomsoever the Spirit of God is in them is a holy and precious love kindled by that spirit A love First To God O love the Lord all ye his Saints Psal 31. 23. And I love the Lord saith David Psal 116. 1. We love him because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4. 19. Love to God The Lord direct your heart to the love of God 2 Thes 3. 5. It cannot be but that every one who hath the Spirit of God must love God For 1. The Spirit renews all the affections and carries them to their proper object God is the peculiar object of a renewed heart Reasons of it 2. The Spirit sets open unto us the precious thoughts of God towards us and the exceeding riches of his grace yea and sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts Rom. 5. 5. And makes us to know the things which are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. Secondly To Christ Jesus Cant. 1. 4. The upright love thee Cant. 3. 3. To Christ Jesus Saw ye c. 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen ye love Joh. 21. 17. Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee why how can it be otherwise but that if one hath the very Spirit of Christ he must love Christ If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be an Anathema Mran-atha 1 Cor. 16. 22. Would you have this affirmed of any one to whom God gives his Spirit but it must if any of them should not love Christ The Spirit makes the match between Christ and us causeth that union and can this be without a mutual love can any man give in his heart to Christ and yet not love him Object But every man will say that he loves God and that he loves Christ c. Sol. 'T is true men generally say so but there are few only that do so To love God and to love Christ is What it is to love God and Christ First To have the heart entirely set upon them Secondly To have the heart most set upon them Thirdly To desire exceedingly their presence and communion Fourthly To take special delight and satisfaction in that communion Fifthly Not to love any thing that is contrary to this against them or offensive unto them Sixthly To take heed to walk before them in all well-pleasing such a
men destitute of the Spirit though we be civil and courteous and friendly and helpful if we be born of the Spirit c. Gal. 4. 29. as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now Here is Ishmael born after the flesh i. e. an ungodly and wicked wretch and here is Isaac born after the Spirit i. e. according to the promise of the Spirit and according to the powerful and gracious renewing of the Spirit and presently he is persecuted by Ishmael That must needs be good which Nero persecutes so he must needs be good he must needs have the Spirit of God against whom all the scoffings and mockings and reproaches and persecutions of the wicked are raised Fourthly They that have the Spirit do walk in the Spirit and after the Spirit you read those expressions Gal. 5. 25. and Rom. 8. 4. We walk not afâ—er Such walk in the Spirit the flesh but after the Spirit Now as to walk after the flesh is to set anâ— order the course of our life after our corrupt reason and wills and affections following them as our guides so to walk after the Spirit is to dispose and order our conversation according to the rules and motions of the Spirit so to lead our lives and move on in our courses as the the Spirit of God doth teach us in the Word and stirs us up inwardly to follow Thus doth every one who hath the Spirit of God he walks after the Spirit his conversation is in heaven Phil. 3. 20. His course of life is the course of new obedience that newness of life which the Word sets forth He walks not as the men of this world walk nor according to his own lusts in the times of his ignorance but before God in Holiness and Righteousness for by the Spirit he is sanctified to obedience 1 Pet. 1. 2. 1. He prayes with David Psal 119. 133. Order my steps in thy Word Ephes 5. 10. Proving what is acceptabe to the Lord. 2. For the paths Psal 119. 101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way Ver. 8. I will walk in thy statutes Isa 26. 7. The way of the just is uprightnesse 3. For the end so as to advaace the Kingdom and advance the Gospel a living unto the Lord. Fifthly They that have the Spirit are spiritual worshippers The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth for the Father seeketh Such are spiritual worshipers such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth John 4. 23. 24. So Paul in Rom. 1. 9. God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son Phil 3. 3. We are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit Beloved take these two things for certain truths viz. 1. Carnal men are but carnal worshippers a form of worship satisfies them bodily service outward performance Isa 29. 13. This people draw near me with Carnal men are carnal worshipers their mouth and with their lips do honour me but have removed their heart farre from me c. Jer. 12. 2. Thou art near in their mouth and farre from their reins 2. But spiritual men or men of the spirit are spiritual worshippers they do worship God in spirit Object But you will say What is it to worship God in spirit Sol. I answer to worship God in spirit is First To have our inward man taken up imployed and acting in all those Religious duties which we do owe and which we do present unto him As when What it is to worship God in Spirit we draw near to him in prayer for power to repent to believe to obey c. not only our mouthes do pray but our very hearts also do pray and our prayers are the lifting up of our hearts Vnto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Psal 25. 1. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens Lam. 3. 41. And the very desires of our souls Isa 26. 8. The desire of our soul is to thy name And when you come to him in confession of sins not only your lips do acknowledge them and condemn you for them but your very hearts are ashamed of them and bewail them and judge them And so when you come to hear the Word a bodily presence doth not satisfie you but your hearts do come with your bodies and your hearts do hear and your hearts are ready to receive the Word with gladness and fear Secondly To have an edge upon our hearts in the services of God a kind of heavenly vigor and strenuousnesse so that our souls do come in to it with all the actual strength which they have for the present Indeed a Christan hath sometimes a stronger and quicker keeness of spirit than he hath at other times but still he puts forth as least in his desires and endeavours what power he hath in his communion with God As he seeks God with his mouth so he seeks him with his whole heart Psal 119. 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee he doth not serve the Lord with a cold formal indifferent spirit but as the Apostle speaks Rom. 12. 11. He is fervent in spirit serving the Lord He prayes and hears fervently and repents fervently and believes fervently 'T is true that he falls very short yet what he doth to the Lord he doth the same in good earnest it is his work and his business and if he finds it otherwise with himseâ—f if he finds a dulness and deadness upon his spirit this troubles him and he strives to shake it off by stirring up himself as the phrase is Isa 64. 7. and that of 2 Tim. 1. 6. and by awaking of his heart and graces I my self will awake saith David Psal 108. 2. and beseeching of the Lord to quicken and to enlarge his heart I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart Psal 119. 32. Sixthly They who have the Spirit of God are most pleased and delighted in Such delight in spiritual ministrations spiritual and vigorous ministrations which deal most with their spirits and do in a spiritual power most reach their hearts and spiritual condition Beloved this you shall find in experience that a profane heart cannot endure but alwayes hates and despiseth a spiritual and searching Ministry A formal heart hath most satisfaction in a formal Ministry A gracious heart is alwayes best pleased with a spiritual and powerful Ministry with that Ministry which doth come in power and in the demonstration of the Spirit and makes it self manifest unto the consciences of men which is quick in operation and piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. and which is mighty
the Spirit of God Sol. One may know that there is a true work of grace although very How a true work of grace may be known though weak By loving Gods image weak First By his apprehension and love of the image of God of this work of the Spirit in whomsoever he finds it His very soul values such a person and doth close with him and is knit unto him 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren Every one that hath truth of grace doth highly prize all that have grace counts them the excellent of the earth and is most delighted Psal 16. 3. and satisfied in the society of such Secondly By the choice of his heart he chuseth God to be his God and the By our choosing God to be our God wayes of God to be his wayes I have chosen the wayes of truth Psal 119. 30. I have chosen thy precepts Ver. 173. Although he doth not serve his God in fulness yet he doth in sincerity although he cannot walk in his wayes exactly yet in these wayes he will walk he is a servant to none but his God and traveller in no wayes but his Thirdly By the desires of his soul They are holy and heavenly and spirituall though his work is little yet his desires are great though his enjoyment ares By the desires of his soul small yet his desires are high and amongst others there are these five desires where there is truth of grace viz. 1. An earnest desire of Gods love and favour Psal 106. 4. Remember me Five desires in the tâ—uth of Grace O Lord with the favour which thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation 2. An earnest desire of Christ a hungring and thirsting after him I will seek him whom my soul loveth Cant. 3. 3. O that God would give me Christ O that I could believe Lord help my unbelief Mark 9. 24. 3. An earnest desire to walk in all well-pleasing before God O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Psal 119. 5. they do not keep them but they desire to keep them Lord increase our faith 4. An earnest desire for more grace as Paul Phil. 3. 12. I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus Ver 14. I presse toward the mark A desire of the Word that we may grow thereby is a sign of the new birth 1 Pet. 2. 2. 5. An earnest desire that he might not sin against his God Psal 119. 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander from thy Commandements Fourthly By the conflicts in himself Though there be not a present victory By the conflicts in himself yet there is a present war in every one who hath truth of grace Truth of grace will make a man 1. To love the Law of the Spirit of Christ and to joyn and take part with his good motions and directions and commands The good that I would do saith Paul and I delight in the law after the inward man Rom. 7. 19 22. 2. To hate and oppose the Law of sin Though he doth evil yet he hates it what I hate that I do and though he cannot subdue his sins yet he will oppose them He oppâ—seth and resisteth the pride the filthiness the passions the frowardness the hardness the unbelief of his heart Fifthly By the griefs and complaints of his soul He is grieved that yet sin By the griefs and complaints oâ— his soul hath so much power in him and cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death and he is grieved that he is so low and weak and short in obedience unto his loving Christ that he can love him no better fear him no more trust on him no stronger and magnifie him no more And he is grieved that he cannot grieve that he cannot believe that he cannot walk up to the Rule of Christ and unto the desires of his soule By the endeavours and actings of his soul Sixthly By the endeavours and actings of his soul He that is weakest in grace is acting according to the proportion which he hath received Simile As old father Latymer said to his fellow-sufferer I am coming as fast as I can brother So the weakest in grace he is stirring and he is doing as well as he can he is doing his Masters will and if he could do more and better service assuredly God should have it from him and glad he is if he can mend one 3. Quest Why no Christian should be discouraged because of the weak measure Why we should not be discouraged because of our weakness in grace All grace is weak at first of grace wrought in him by the Spirit of God Sol. You should not be discouraged for these Reasons First All the graces of the Spirit do begin in weakness we are at the first but babes in Christ and then young men and strong and then Fathers 1 Joh. 2. 12. 13 False grace is too suddain and too ripe it begins where it should end and therefore it ends usually as soon as it begins But true grace is first but weak nevertheless it shall encrease Secondly It will not rest so but gets from weakness to strength and from Yet its growing strength to strength as the Sun in the firmament Prov. 4. 18. The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more to the perfect day Thirdly The weakest grace doth bring God some honour it will make a It brings God some honour man to honor God inwardly and outwardly Rev. 3. 8. Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my Word and hast not denyed my Name 1. Inwardly by setting up his will and authority in the heart by loving of him fearing of him and trusting on him though but weakly 2. Outwardly by abandoning every evil way by exercisâ—ng our selves in godliness by countenancing the rules and wayes of Christ and walking before God in truth Even the Children in the Temple cryed out Hosanna to the Son of David Matth. 12. 15. whereupon Christ applyed that of David Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise ver 16. Fourthly The weakest grace is the workmanship of the Spirit of God Not It s the workmanship of the spirit of God only our rejoycing but our tears not only our assurances but our very groans are from him Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered So Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure To will any good this comes from the Spirit of God as well as to do any good Fifthly The weakest grace is able to unthrone sin and dispossess Satan and to set up a throne in the heart for Christ to hold
Spirit but did you ever find him a witnesting Spirit Now improve your interest in the Spirit for these soul-renewing works which you long for but never yet found why beâ—eech the Lord to give you the Spirit of Joy as well as the Spirit of Faith the Spirit of Peace as well as the Spirit of Holiness the sealing and witnessing Spirit as well as the renewing and changing Spirit The Spirit of gladness as well as of mourning Say unto my soul I am thy salvation Be of good comfort go in peace thy sins are forgiven thee Thy heart is ready to sink and break for want of comfort why Go to the Lord Lord comfort my soul thou hast promised joy and comfort to thy people and biddest thy Ministers to comfort them O comfort me with thine own Spirit it is his work it is his Office to be the Comforter c. Secondly For the works which he hath begun but hath not as yet perfected and finished within you as all the works of grace of knowledge of faith of love c. be not content with a little of these but as the Apostle exhorts in Ephes 5. 18. Be filled with the Spirit labour to encrease and abound in all fruits of the Spirit Psal 92. 13. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the house of our God Ver. 14. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing Here I will briefly answer two Questions 1. Quest One is Why they that have the Spirit of grace should strive to increase Why such as have grace should labour to grow in it and to abound in grace Sol There are five Reasons for it First This will testifie the truth that is in them That they have the graces of the Spirit indeed there are three things amongst many others which do testifie grace in truth 1. One is Power 2. The second is Growth 3. The third is Perseverance Dead things and Artificial things have no growth q. because they have no life Every branch in me that beareth fruit the Father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit saith Christ Joh. 15. 2. Secondly Yea and this testifies that the Spirit is in you of a truth for the Spirit changeth us from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. When the Spirit changeth us at the first from sinfulness to holiness this is a glorious change for as the natural estate is vile and inglorious so the renewed and sanctified estate is an excellent and glorious estate and when the Spirit begins a glorious change he proceeds and makes it still more glorious the spirit changeth us from glory to glory Grace makes us glorious and more grace makes us more glorious the more grace the more glory and where the Spirit of God is there he carries on his work from glory to glory Thirdly The more that ye do grow in the graces of the spirit the greater and fuller is your conformity unto Christ Grace is in Christ as in a Fountain and perfection as in a pattern Now the more you have in answerableness to the pattern the fuller is your conformity a little grace in us resembles that grace which is in Christ Simile But as those who lived under the Old Testament had some glimpses of Christ but they that lived under the New Testament had a more clear knowledge of him face to face So they that have but a little of grace there is some resemblance and manifestation in them of the image of Christ but they who are high in grace they are nearer to Christ in the resemblance of his excellent perfection of holiness and to speak plainly there is much more of Christ in them Fourthly The more you obtain in the proportion of grace the greater Revenue of honour will you be able to bring in to God I told you that the weakest grace can enable you to bring God some honour why then much grace can help you farther in that service it can set up his Name on high A little Faith can honour God but a strong Faith such as Abrahams or Moses's will bring more honour to his goodness and faithfulness a little love will make you to do something for Christ but much love will make you do much more The more grace that you attain the more gloriously will you shine in your conversation and in all the fruits of Righteousness with more fulness evenness and stedfastness and all this glorifies your Father which is in heaven Fifthly You your selves would gain more if your graces were increased more e. g. You would certainly find more peace in conscience and more freedom from slavish fears and doubts and more confidence in your accesses to God and more sweetness in the Ordinances of Christ and more enlargement of heart in all your communions with God and more wisdom and strength against the temptations of Satan 2. How may one know that he hath much of the Spirit of God in him that How to know that we have much of Gods spirit in us If more humble grace is increased and raised that he is more spiritual Sol. You may know it thus First If you be more humble The more pride alwayes either no grace or very little but the more humility still the more grace mark the Records in Scripture and you shall find the most excellent in grace have been the most eminent in humility e. g. Abraham Jacob Moses David Paul c. For much grace 1. Discovers most wants 2ly Most failings 3ly Most self-insufficiency 4ly Most self-unworthiness 5ly That all our receptions are from meer grace and mercy Secondly If you be more exact in your walking giving no just occasion either If more exact in our walking of offence to the weak or of grief to the strong Christians or of reproach to them that are without A man that can order his conversation so as good men are edified by him and wicked men have their mouthes stopped or cannot speak ill of him without lying he hath a great measure of grace Thirdly If a man be able to drink of the cup which Christ did drink and to If able to suffer afflictions be baptized with the baptisme wherewith Christ was baptized Mat. 20. 22 23. this man hath got on far in the work of grace The more able that you are to suffer reproaches and losses yea death itself for Christ the greater is your faith and the stronger is your love when you can rejoyce in tribulations bear the reproaches for Christ taking the Cross as your Crown and triumph that ye are counted worthy to suffer for his Name Fourthly If you be able to govern your tongues with wisdome and meekness If we can wisely govern our tongues and grace and truth this is a sign that you are strong in grace Jam. 3 2. If any offend not in word the same is a perfect man Fifthly The less careful we are for outward things and
iniquity I never knew you saith Christ These things being thus premised I will now shew unto you 1. How a man may so perform his obediential works that he may please God and they may be accepted How we may so perform duties as to please God 2. How he is to walk in Gods Statutes so c. 1. Case How a man must perform obediential works so that he may please God and that they may be accepted of God Sol. For this take these answers First He must be in Christ It is a sure rule That the person must be accepted The person must be in Christ before his works can be accepted Now no persons are accepted but so far only as they are in Christ He hath made us accepted in his beloved saith the Apostle Ephes 1. 6. If the Lord looks on any person as out of Christ what shall he find him what shall he behold in him nothing but a sinful cursed enemy an object of his justice and wrath an offending and offensive displeasing and provoking creature and he cannot but loath him and what comes from him only in and by Christ doth he look upon uw with grace and favour Secondly He must have the Spirit of Christ For they that are in the flesh cannot He must have the Spirit of Christ please God Rom. 8. 8. The Apostle in the precedent verse saith That the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be whence he instances in this verse That they that are in the flesh cannot please God A wicked unregenerate man defiles every good work which he takes in hand Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles saith Christ Matth. 7. 16. Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit ver 17. That of Solomon is pertinent to our purpose Prov. 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight And ver 29. The Lord is far from the wicked but he heareth prayer of the Righteous By all which you plainly see that a person must be sanctified by the Spirit of Christ if he would have services or performances pleasing to God and accepted of him if God sees not something of his own work in our works he accepts them not but that cannot be unless our work comes from his Spirit within us c. Thirdly He must worship God in Spirit and in truth this our Saviour delivers He must worship God in spirit and in truth in Joh. 4. 23. The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him And ver 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth A bare external bodily service the Lord utterly dislikes if the soul and heart come not within our duties they are of no account to God Spiritual service is proper for God who is a Spirit and this pleaseth him Rom. 1. 9. God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit Ephes 6. 18. Pray alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit Fourthly He must perform all his duties of obedience in Faith For without He must perform them in faâ—th Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Now to perform our duties in faith implies 1. That we know and discern the will and command of God concerning the duties which we do perform unto him This is a certain truth That what God requires not that God accepts not He appoints all the paths of obedience unto the sons of men and will not be obeyed according to our mind but according to his own mind and whatsoever we do if we do it not with faith i. e. being not perswaded that this is that which God requires of us it shall not be accepted For Rom. 14. 23. Whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne 2. That we rely upon the grace and strength of Christ to walk and perform the duties commanded For without him we can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. It was a good speech of Bernard upon that passage in Cant. 8. 5. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon his beloved Frustra nititur qui non innititur no good can be done but by leaning on Christ from him is the strength of your sufficiency and not from your selves 3. That we offer them up to God in the Name of Christ resting on his merits and not on our own duties on his doings not on our own doings and expecting acceptance for his sake Joh. 14. 13. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do Ver. 14. If ye shall ask any thing in my Name I will do it Col. 3. 17. Whatsoever ye shall do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus The prayers that were offered up with the incense upon the Altar were pleasing Rev. 8. 3. and came up with acceptance Ver. 4. The brethren were kindly used for Benjamins sake and David shewed respect to lame Mephibosheth for Jonathans sake Simile All our services and duties are pleasing to God and accepted of him not for their own sakes but for Christs sake 4. That whatsoever we do in the way of obedience let it be done to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. Do all to the glory of God For Rom. 11. 36. Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen 2. Case Now I come to shew you the choice Rules which do concern us Rules concerning our walking in Gods statutes in walking in Gods statutes or the manner how we must walk in them if c. Sol. The Rules which I will propound all of them shall be taken from the VVord of God and they are these First VVe are to walk in them willingly As Ephraim is said in a contrary We must walk in â—hem willingly sense to walk willingly after the command he was not compelled oâ— forced but freely of his own accord gave up himself unâ—o idolatrous worship So should we in a true spiritual sense willingly walk after the commands of God The willingness of our hearts is all in all in the duties of obedience and the more of that the more precious and acceptable is our obedience to Gods statutes 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 mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts q. d. Look well to this for God takes special notice of this and looks more at this than any thing else Psal 110. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power This is the choice Character of the people of Christ they shall be a willing people the word signifies they shall be
your transgressions I will cleanse you from all your Idols and from all your uncleannesses I will put my Spirit within you I will blesse you I will do you good I will hear you and deliver you He will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly In hope of eternal life which God hath promised unto them that love him c. Again which way Christ goes that way the promises go Now Christ belongs to every believer therefore the promises also belong c. This truth no man can question but he who will question the Scriptures themselves or a distressed sinner who questions his relations unto God and thereupon questions the relation of the promises unto himself neverthelesse ex parte Rei it is certain if God be yours then his promises are yours c. 2. But now let us see the happinesse and comfort from this that all the promises Comfort from this that the promises are ours of God are ours There are twelve things which we may confidently affirme of the promises of God all which afford sweet comfort unto the people of God 1. They are bonds of love They are every one of them the draughts of The promises are bands of love Gods special love unto you God doth not first make promises and then love us but he first loves us and therefore draws his bonds of promises God doth not enter into these Bonds by force against his will unwillingly but c. The promises do plainly tell you how great the love of God is to you how great his goodnesse is to you they are the transcript of his minde and heart Because I love you I will therefore do all this good for you and in these I bind my self unto you 2. They are susceptions of grace whatsoever promise God makes to you They are susceptions of grace grace is the foundation of it and grace is in the performance of it It is freely made and as freely made good nothing moved God to make the promises but his own grace and there is no reason why we enjoy the good of them but Gods own grace I will do you good and all this good I will do for my own sake you shall have it as freely as ever child had kindnesse from a father 3. They are full treasures All my springs are in thee said David Psal 87. 7. They are full treasures So may we say of the promises All my helps all my goods are in you The promises as they depend for their constitution upon the love and goodnesse of God so likewise upon the prescience and wisdome of God God foresaw all the exigences aâ—d wants and straits of his people and drew up the promises with sufficient provisions and supplies and helps to answer all their conditions There is not any good whatsoever which you do actually want or can possibly want but there is a full stock and a peculiar supply for it in the promises 4. They are the best security All the promises are the word of a God and They are the best security given upon the honour of a God that they shall be made good The al-sufficiency of God the Omniscience of God the loving kindnesse of God the omnipotency of God and the faithfulnesse of God yea and the oath of God are full security sufficient pawnes and earnests for all the good which God promiseth unâ—o you 5. They are sure payments We say when an honest man passeth his word for They are sure payments a little money O it is a sure as if it were in the purse Gods word of promise is much more sure for as his nature or being is eternal so his word of promise is unchangeable The vision will speak it will surely come so Hab. 2. 3. I will plâ—nt them in this land assuredly Jer. 32. 41. My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Psal 89. 34. Therefore the promises are many times said to be performed before they be performed and the things promised are said to be given and done before they be given and done because when God promiseth to do his people any good it is as sure as if it were already done 6. They are present stayes Though you have not friends alwayes present They are present stayes with you to stay you and though you have not as yet the things promised present with you to stay you yet you have the promises of your God still present with you to stay your hearts and to uphold them There are four things still present with the people of God to stay their hearts 1. A good God 2. A good Christ 3. The good Spirit of God 4. The good promises of God Either God doth you good gives it into your hands or saith he will do good which is enough for faith to stay and rest your hearts upon 7. They are living and lasting fountains Wells still full of waters and stars They are living and lasting fountains still full of ligh Could you â—â—ve a thousand years or to thousands of generations there would be no diminution in the promises They are as full of mercy as ever and as sure a word of truth as ever though your wants be more or lesse higher or lower it is all one One promise hath as much mercy in it as will last as long as you shall live and another promise hath as much grace and another hath as much comfort as will serve you all your dayes and the same abundance still remaines for all the people of God as long as the world lasts 8. They are the quickest dispensations God comes not off slowly or hardly They are the quickest dispensations or unwillingly or sparingly in the performance of them Opâ—n thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81. 10. Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee Psal 50. 15. Before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will hear Isa 65. 24. One prayer many times melts these clouds as in Jacobs case one act of faith many times gets your supplies As in Jehosaphats case when you look by faith upon the promises you are then trading with the good and kind God by your mighty Advocate Jesus Christ In whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen 9. They are seasonable helps The promises do contain our best good and They are seasonable helps They do alwayes dispense it in the best time Jer. 5. 29. Let us feare the Lord our God who giveth rain both the former and the latter in his season He reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest Thus doth God with his promises unto his people they shall be made good in their season they are as the appointed weeks of the harvest Every week is not a harvest week when the corn is ripe then is that time come to put in
himself to hate every sinne to love all good to delight in the Lord to walk with God till he finde working in him the power of holinesse Vse 4 Is the Covenant of grace an holy Covenant then strive to be holy persons bewaile your former unholinesse and want of holinesse and oppositions and Strive to be holy persons contempts and reproaches of holinesse and as you desire to enâ—oy Gâ—d for your God and the mercies and comforts and hopes and happinesse of the Covenant so desire to be holy If holinesse be one of the great ingredients if it be the lively testimony of the people in Covenant with God if it be the expresse Will and Command of God for all in Covenant with him if it be the excellency of your natures if it be the necessary and certaine way of happinesse then be not ashamed be not averse to holinesse any more c. Quest And what is to be done that we may be holy What is to be done that we may be holy Beg of God to make you holy Sol. I will tell you what is to be done 1. Beseech the holy God to make you holy holinesse is attributed to God 1. Essentially he is holinesse it self 2. Infinitely there are no bounds of his holinesse And 3. Causally and therefore Christ prayed for his Disciples to his Father John 17. 17. Sanctifie them c. And the Apostle for the Thessalonâ—ans 1 Thes 5. 23. The God of peace sanctifie you And God hath promised to give his holy Spirit to them that ask him Luke 11. 13. And he hath sanctified those that were very unholy 1 Cor. 6. 11 12. Such were some of you but you are washed but you are sanctified And besides all this this prayer is well-pleasing to God Lord make me holy I would not grieve and dishonour thee any more I would not be vile 2. Attend the holy Word and wait upon God therein to work holinesse in Attend to the holy Word you John 15. 3. Ye are clean through the Word which I spake unto you John 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy Word thy Word is truth The Word is compared to cleansing water to Fullers sope which whitens to refining fire which separates the drosse and purifies the mettal the hearts of sinners are changed by it so was Pauls and so those Jewes in Acts 2. 3. 4. 3. Get Faith to unite you to Christ who is made Sanctification to us 1 Cor. 1. 30. He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. Get faith to unite us to Christ Make use of the promises 4. Make use of the promises as 2 Cor. 7. 1. SECT VII A seventh property of this Covenant is this It is a sure and stedfast Covenant It is a sure and stedfast Covenant Deut. 7. 9. The Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant with them that love him 2 Chron. 6. 14. O Lord God which keepest Covenant 2 Sam. 23. 5. He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure Psa 19. 7. The testimony of the Lord is sure Psal 93. 5. Thy testimonies are very sure That is called sure A thing is called sure which is not a lye 1. Which is not a lye but a truth In this respect the Covenant is a sure Covenant It is no lye Psal 89. 35. I will not lye unto David Hab. 2. 7. At the end the vision shall speak and not lye Titus 1. 2. In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began It is a truth Micah 7. 20. Thou wilt perform the truth unto Jacob. Psalme 132. 11. The Lord hath sworne in truth Psalme 91. 4. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler 2. Which will not faile but will certainly come to passe it will be accomplished it will answer hope and expectation every way In this respect also Which will not fail the Covenant is sure Psal 89. 33. I will not suffer my faithfulnesse to faile Hab. 2. 3. It will surely come though it tarry wait for it Jer. 32. 41. I will rejoyce over them to do them good and I will plant them in this Land assuredly Verse 42. I will bring upon them all the good that I have promised them 1 Kings 8. 56. There hath not failed one word of all his good promise 3. Which alters not In this respect also is the Covenant sure Psal 89. 28. My Covenant shall stand fast with him Verse 34. My Covenant will I not Which alters not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Isa 54. 10. The mountains shall remove and the hills shall fall down but my mercy shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee 2 Cor. 1. 20. All the promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us There are two things unto which I would briefly speak concerning this property of the Covenant namely the surenesse or certainty of it 1. Quest How it may be demonstrated That the Covenant of grace is a sure How it is demonstrated to be a sure Covenant It depends upon the counsel purpose and love of God Covenant Sol. There are six things to demonstrate or clear it Viz. 1. This Covenant depends upon the counsel of God and the purpose of God and love of God immutable and sure grounds these are as it were the springs and the foundations of the Covenant of grace viz. Gods love unto us his counsel wisely and deliberately contriving for us and his purpose resolving and intending everlasting good unto us Now every one of these is sure and certain The love of God is unchangeable whâ—m he loves once he loves for ever I have loved thee with an everlasting love Jer. 31. 3. The counsel of God is immutable wherein speaking of this Covenant Heb. 6. 17. God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath The purpose of God is sure So the Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure that foundation of God is his election which is compared to a foundation because it is that upon which all our good and happinesse is built and because as a foundation it abides firme and sure 2. This Covenant hath as firme and sure Ingredients as can be desired It hath firm and sure ingredients There is in it 1. The presence of what is necessary to the certain performance of the Covenant The presence of what is necessary to the performance of it as There are two things necessary thereunto 1. The power of God 2. The Will of God if God be able and if God will performe his Covenant it is then sure Now let us consider both these in reference to the Covenant 1. The power of
is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of sinnes Heb. 9. 15. For this cause he is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by means of death for the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of an eternal inheritance Ver. 17. A Testament is of force after men are dead It is called a Covenant and a Testament 1. A Covenant in respect of God and a Testament in respect of Christ 2. A Covenant in respect of the manner of Agreement and a Testament in respect of the manner of confirming Jesus Christ died as a Testator and by his death confirmed the Testamentary gift before made of life and salvation 5. I might adde more demonstrations of this truth as the sealings of the Spirit The sealing of the Spirit and sealings of the Ordinances and the sealings of the Ordinances Baptisme and the Lords Supper which are the seals of this Will and the sealings of the people of God in their continual experience of the truth and certainty of the Covenant in the performance of the Covenant Psal 105. 8. He hath remembred his Covenant for ever Psal 119. 65. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant O Lord according to thy Word 2. Quest Why God makes a sute Covenant with his people Why God makes a sure Covenant Certainty is a ground of faith Sol. The reasons are these 1. Certainty is a ground of faith We are commanded to believe and to be perswaded and to stand and rest c. and to rejoyce in believing Rom. 15. 13. If the Covenant were uncertain and unsure your faith would never be certain and sure Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw nâ—â—r with a true heart in full assurance of faith But how could we draw near in that fâ—ll assurance of faith Surely by believing and being fully perswaded to enjoy what God hath promised unlesse there were a certainty in the Covenant viz. That God will certainly performe what he hath promised unto us there cannot possibly be a certainty of faith upon uncertain promises 2. Certainty is a ground of peace this Covenant is stiled a Covenant of peace Certainty is a ground of peace because it settles and quiets and establisheth our hearts yea and the Covenant breeds perfect peace it stills all the fears and doubts and thoughts of heart and therefore it must needs be a sure Covenant and being so we have strong consolation Heb. 6. 18. Two things are necessary to the settling of peace in the soul either 1. An actual fruition 2. A certain expectation Were the Covenant uncertain it may be God will be my God it may be he will not be my God it may be he will pardon my sins it may be he will not pardon my sins it may be he will save my soul and it may be he will not save my soul this uncertainty on Gods part would leave an uncertainty on our part and either of these uncertainties would certainly leave us to an uncertain distracted unsettled conscience O I can never be sure that God will be mine that mercy shall be mine c. 3. Certainty is the ground of hope and of patience God would have his people Certainty is the ground of hope and patience to hope in him and to wait for him to hope in his mercy and to wait for his promise Psal 130. 7. Lâ—t Israel hope in the Lord. Lam. 3. 26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 1 Pet. 1. 13. Gird up the loynes of your mind be sober and hope to the end and therefore the Covenant is sure and must be so for hope is upheld by a sure and stedfast Anchor Heb. 6. 19. and patience by a sure word of promise wait for it for it will surely come Hab. 2. 3. God saith it twice in Joel 2. 26 27. My people shall never be ashamed and my people shall never be ashamed and Isa 49. 23. Thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me and Rom. 5. 5. Hope makes not ashamed O but we should be ashamed of our hope and ashamed of our patience if we should look for a God and wait for a God who either could not help us or else would fail us 4. The certainty of the Covenant is the great glory of the Covenant it is more The certainty of the CovenaÌ„t is the glory of it glory to God to make a sure Covenant than an unsure Covenant to be certain in his word than uncertain to be a faithful God than an unfaithful God and we glorifie him more upon the account of the surenesse of his Covenant here is mercy promised and this mercy is sure all the mercies in this Covenant are the sure mercies of David here is Christ promised and this Christ is a sure foundation Isa 38. 16. Here is grace and glory promised and they are sure and here are necessary outward blessings promised and they are sure waters O how this exalts the goodnesse of God! all of it is sure and our poore souls if they come into Covenant shall surely enjoy all the good thereof mercy and grace and righteousnesse and joy and peace and spiritual life 5. God makes a Covenant that is sure because he would draw the hearts of his God would draw the hearts of his people to himself alone people to himself alone There are four things which will draw and fix the heart where it can discover them 1. One is goodnesse this is the good which I need 2. A second is fulnesse here is all the good which I need 3. A third is freenesse all this good is to be had freely 4. A fourth is certainty I shall not faile of any part of this good why these are apt to work on the heart and to draw it and to fix it and all these God puts into the Covenant which he makes with his people it is good it is full it is free and it is certain I will do you good saith God and I will do you all good and I will do it freely and I will do it assuredly why then to whom should we go thou hast all the words of eternal life on whom should we trust but on thy self alone O Lord who art so full a goodnesse and so sweet a graciousnesse and so unquestionable a faithfulnesse and truth 6. This Covenant which God makes with his people is sure because none of None of Gods people shall ever have cause to complain of him the people of God shall ever have cause just cause to complain of him or to blame him David in a distempered fit mutters out Psal 77. 8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore But he corrects himself for this in verse 10. I said This is my infirmity c. But
2. That all is sure in the Covenant that there is no difference of any good which God hath promised as to the graciousnesse and as to the certainty of giving why all the good of the Covenant is freely given unto you and shall certainly be given unto you and therefore you who are the people of God be not satisfied with the little which you have but enlarge your hearts and enlarge your desires and enlarge your confidences for there is much more in the Covenant than as yet you have got out of the Covenant and there it is laid up for you and it will be as surely performed as any blessing which hitherto you have enjoyed Beloved the Covenant is not sure in one paâ—â—â— and unsure in another part this mercy promised is sure but that mercy promised is unsure the lesser is sure but the greater is unsure but all of it and all in it are sure pardon of lesser sinnes is sure and pardon of greater sinnes is sure yea pardon of all your sinnes is sure and as a pardoning mercy is sure so healing mercy is sure and helping mercy is sure God will as certainly heal and renew your hearts as he will pardon your sinful doings and God will as certainly subdue your strong corruptions and powerful temptations as he will do you any other good and he will as surely give you peace in conscience and Christ and eternal life and the joyes of the holy Ghost as well and as certainly as he hath given any truth of grace to you You think this may be had and that may be had but you seldome come up with faith to believe that all shall be had O Sirs we frequently forget that the Covenant of God is a sure Covenant and sure in all things but let us strive to raise our faith unto that heighth and to that latitude that all the Covenant is sure there is not one word of it which it shall fail God will surely performe all his good promises of the Covenant what you possesse you think is sure yea and all that God promiseth is sure and therefore stir up your hearts and look up to God with as much confidence for all which yet you want be it never so much and never so great for God will surely make good all his Covenant to you you have found the Covenant sure in many things O but the Covenant is sure in all things all the promises of God are Yea and Amen c. 3. Be not discouraged nor despond nor despair for the Covenant Be not discouraged is sure there are foure times when our hearts are very apt to faile us 1. One is long delayes of earnest prayers See Psal 22. 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so farre from helping me and from the words of my roaring Verse 2. O my God I cry in the day-time but thou hearest not and in the night-season and am not silent 2. Another is seeming dislike and discouragement of seeking Lam. 3. 7. He hath made my chaine heavy Ver. 8. Also when I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayers Matth. 15. 23. He answered her not a word Verse 24. I am not sent but to the lost sheep of Israel Ver. 26. It is not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs 3. A third is a sensible contradicting or denial of our requests as Heztkiah spake for peace I have great bitternesse So when we pray for peace in conscience then we feel more distresse and trouble in conscience and when we pray against temptations then we finde more powerful and violent temptations and when we pray for deliverance from sinne we then feel more strong assaults and turbulent motions of sin 4. A fourth is when Gods dealings of providence seem quite opposite to his undertakings in his promise Judges 6. 12. The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour said the Angel to Gideon Ver. 13. And Gideon said unto him If the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us and where are all his miracles which our fore-fathers told us of Did not the Lord bring us out of Egypt but now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of the Midianices neither hast thou delivered thy people at all Exod. 5. 23. And so David to whom God promised a Kingdome but instead thereof he was banished the Kingdome and his life was sought for and pursued by Saul whereupon he concludes instantly that all men are lyars Psal 116. 11. In all these cases and many more we are very apt to be discouraged and to question at least the surenesse of Gods Covenant and to cry out with David Psal 77. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Ver. 8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore Ver. 9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies Neverthelesse notwithstanding all these contigencies and seeming contrarieties and manifold delays and strange dealings of God with his people his Covenant with them is sure and it shall certainly be performed as no work of man so no work of God doth or shall frustrate the Covenant of God with his people Therefore for the better support of your hearts under all these dealings of God with you carefully remember a few positions 1. They are tryals of our faith but no testimonies of Gods unfaithfulnesse He that sits in darknesse and sees no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay himself upon the God of Jacob Isa 50. 10. We think that we dare to rely on the word of promise as a truth of God as a sure word which will not faile us Now God by these contrary dealings tries the faith of his servants there is still my promise to hear and to do you good and here to your sense and feeling is something directly contrary unto it Can you in this condition glorifie my good and faithful Word Though all these clouds arise yet the Sun will break forth though all this befalls me I shall yet see him to be the help of my countenance and my God his Word is a tryed Word I will not fail God who cannot lye hath promised Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Job 13. 15. why Beloved this is one principal end of Gods dealing with us in ways contrary to his promises namely to try and to demonstrate what our faith is in his promises 2. They are reasons of our patience but no characters of Gods change be ye followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises saith the Apostle in Heb. 6. 12. God is pleased to hide himself from our prayers and seems to neglect them in this he tries our faith and God is pleased many times to delay his answers in this he exercises our patience he will be acknowledged not only as a
grace and salvation shall never part 2. The second thing which I would shew unto you about the comparison of the This Covenant is a better Covenant than that old Covenant under which the Fathers lived Covenant is this That the new Covenant of grace under which we do live is a better Covenant then that old Covenant of grace under which the Fathers lived and the people of God of old time For the managing of this mighty and intricate Point I shall deliver unto you three particulars 1. That none of the people of God in any age of the world since the fall of Adam had a Covenant of works given unto them by God for life but the Covenant which God made with them for life was a Covenant of Grace 2. Wherein that Covenant of Grace under which the people of God of old lived consents or agrees with the Covenant of Grace under which we do now live 3. The pre-eminency or betternesse of this New Covenant in a comparison with that old Covenant 1. That none of the people of God in any age of the world since the fall had a Covenant None of the people of God since the fall had a Covenant of works given them for life but a Covenant of Grace as of works given unto them by God for life but they had all of them a Covenant of Grace given unto them for life Let us if you please calculate the several Ages or times of the Church of God and then you shall clearly see the truth of what I speak 1. As soon as Adam fell God was pleased to set up the Covenant of Grace in the form of a promise for he made a promise of Christ as a Saviour and deliverer Gen. 3. 15. I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele Here is an express Immediately upon Adams fall promise of Christ who is called the seed of the woman because he was to take our nature upon him And the work or Office of Christ is to bruse the head of the Serpent that is Jesus Christ was to conquer and destroy him and surely the conquest and destruction of of Satan imports our full deliverance from him and restoration of us into the estate of freedom and grace and happinesse The which Christ doth by having his heel bruised that is by dying and suffering for us and hereby procuring life and salvation The Apostle calls it His putting to death concerning the flesh 1 Pet 3. 18. And in this respect Christ is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13. 8. because the death of Christ by which our deliverance and salvation is wrought was published and promised from the beginning of the world Now there is no Covenant wherein Christ comes in on the behalf of sinners but that Covenant is a Covenant of Grace 2. Again pursue this from Adam to Abel and from Abel to Enoch and from From Adam to Noah Enoch to Noah it is evident they were not under a Covenant of works but of grace And I will give you one reason for it or rather the Apostle will do it for me who speaking of Abel and Enoch he doth commend the one for his more excellent sacrifice Heb. 11. 4. and the other for his pleasing of God verse 5. and both of them and Noah also for faith for he adds in verse 6. But without faith it is impossible to please God whence I argue thus That those persons who enjoyed such a faith by which their persons and services were pleasing unto God and graciously accepted of him those were not in a Covenant of works but in a Covenant of Grace Nay look on the words once more verse 4. By faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice then Cain by which he obtained witness that he was righteous And verse 7. Noah became heir of the righteousness which is by faith verily a righteousnesse by faith is no righteousnesse in a Covenant of works but of grace It is that righteousnesse through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3. 9. 3. Let us advance one step further from Noah to Abraham where we shall hear From Noah to Abraham of the Covenant again Gen. 17. 2. I will make my Covenant between me and thee and verse 7. I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generation for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Here is a Covenant expresly made twixt God and Abraham but what Covenant was it Surely not a Covenant of works but a Covenant of grace And that I shall clear unto you by four particulars which I pray you well to consider and observe 1. In this Covenant you have Jesus Christ promised unto Abraham so the Apostle in Gal. 3. 16. To Abraham and his seed was the promise made he saith not to thy seeds as speaking of many but of one who is Christ 2. Abraham In relation to this Covenant is stiled a believer yea the Father of all them that believe Rom. 4. 11. And the Gospel was the means of his faith which was a justifying faith Gal. 3. 8. The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed 3. He received the signe of Circumcision a seale of the righteousness of faith Rom. 4. 11. 4. Moreover it is said of Abraham Isaac and Jacob that they are in the kingdom of Heaven Matth. 8. 11. And of all the Elders with Abraham that they did desire a better Country that is an heavenly Heb. 11. 16. And this also proves that neither he or they were under a Covenant of works which never brought any to Heaven but under a Covenant of Grace for by grace ye are saved Ephes 2. 5. 5. Let us go forward from Abraham to Moses and there let us consider whether the Church were under a Covenant of works or of grace That From Abraham to Moses God set up a Covenant in Moses time the Scripture doth clearly teach us Exod. 19. 5. If ye will obey my voice and keep my Covenant Then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people verse 6. And ye shall be un to me a kingdom of Priests and an holy nation Exod. 34. 27. After the tenour of these words I have made a Covenant with thee and with Israel Deut. 4. 13. He declared unto you his Covenant which he commanded you to perform even ten Commandements and he wrote them upon two tables of stone Quest Whether the Law given upon Mount Sinai were a Covenant of works Some things premised But here it is earnestly objected What was not the Law which was given upon Mont Sinai a Covenant of works what was it else but a plain
the Gospel this is clear in Ephes 1. 13. In whom you also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation So Rom. The Gospel is the means of faith 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God The Gospel is therefore called the door of Faith Acts 14. 27. and the word of faith Rom. 10. 8. and the power of God Rom. 1. 16. and the word of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 19. The Gospel is the meanes of faith in three respects 1. In that it is set apart and ordained by God himself for that end and purpose to call sinners to Christ It is set apart for that end As it is blessed of God with the presence of his Spirit 2. In that it is blessed of God with the presence of his Spirit to work and implant faith There God reveales his arm and puts forth his power Some men do fancy wayes of their own to get faith And why not another way as well as by the Gospel I will tell you why Because God hath not ordained and sanctified any other way but this When the Lord commanded the brasen Serpent to be set up for the healing of the people and that they should look on it and be healed they might as well demand and why a Brasen Serpent and why not another brasen Serpent as well as this to heal us No none but this for this only was ordained of God and sanctified for that purpose So the Gospel that and that only is the means ordained and sanctified by God and which hath his promise of presence and blessing to go along with it to beget faith in our hearts 3. In that it is the most apt of all ministrations whatsoever to raise and perswade It is the most apt of all ministrations for this end the heart to believe For there only is the relation of the grace of God and love of God and kindness of God and of the mercy of God in Christ and therein is Christ made known and the righteousnesse of Christ and a sinners salvation in and by Christ and therein are held forth all the encouragements to winne the heart to Christ and all the answers and resolves to whatsoever may breed fears and doubts and discouragements in the heart from coming to Christ and all promises by which this faith is raised 3. Consider what concerns your selves in reference unto God who only gives faith Câ—nsider what concerns us in reâ—erence to God and the Gospel and in reference to the Gospel which is the only meanes by which this faith is wrought Supposing only three things already formed in you viz. 1. An apprehension that you are lost and separated from God by sin 2. A conviction that you stand in extream need of Christ 3. An earnest desire at least to enjoy Christ I would propound four things for you to do that so at length you may Four things to be done attain unto this uniting faith 1. Diligent application of your selves to the hearing of the Gospel joyning Diligent application of our selves to the hearing of the Gospel for this end thereunto a serious and reverent attention come and hear and come and hear for this very end if peradventure God will give you this faith if peradventure his Spirit will accompany the Gospel with power unto your hearts that so you may be able to believe Come as the impotent man came to the poole to be healed Lydia took this course and her heart was opened to believe Acts 16. 14. So did they in Acts 2. 37. 41. Act. 13. 48. When the Gentiles heard this they glorified the word of the Lord And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed 2. Serious meditation upon first the relation of the Gospel 2ly The offers Serious meditation of the Gospel 3ly The terms of the Gospel 4ly The promises of the Gospel 5ly The instances or examples in the Gospel 1. The Gospel Revelations of Jesus Christ given sent sealed set forth by God Of the revelations of the Gospel to be a Redeemer a Saviour a Mediatour a Peace a Propitiation a Reconciliation a life for sinners Now seriously meditate on all this you whose hearts are broken with the sense of your sins The Gospel in the Word of truth what it reveals and declares unto us that same is certain and infallibâ—e and the Gospel is the Word of Salvation whatsoever concerns our salvation that same is manifested unto us by the Gospel And this Gospel doth reveal and declare unto us the exceeding love of God the Father in that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life It doth also declare unto us hiâ— Son Jesus Christ who was God and in time was made man that so he might reconcile and unite man to God And it doth declare him in the union of his Natures and excellencies of his Person and in the glories of his Offices and in the accomplishment of all the work of Redemption and salvation for sinners and willingnesse to save them So that from the very Gospel-revelation of Jesus Christ a distressed sinner may gain thus much 1. As not to despaire 2. As to have some hope 3. As to have some desires O here is a Christ for sinners A Christ given by God the Father to save sinneâ—s why should I then despaire and here is a Christ such a Christ of such infinite worth and merit given to make satisfaction and peace and why should not I hope Am I excluded At least his Person and Offices and Works may serve thus far to beget hope and to work a desire that I may enjoy him in whom alone salvation is to be found and who came into the world to save sinners 2. The Gospel offers this Christ to distressed and poor sinners Acts 13. 26. Vnto Of the offers of the Gospel you is the Word of this Salvation sent verse 38. Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of your sins This Evangelical offer of Christ it is The Evangelical offer is A good offer 1. A good Offer It is an offer of a Saviour of Mercy Peace Life and of Salvation itself This day is Salvation come to thy house 2. It is a serious Offer Heb 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speak th A seâ—â—ous offer 2 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Hearken unto me and your soules shall live Isa 55. 3. Believe and thou shalt be saved Acts 16. 31. These are serious offers and commands 3. It is a personal Offer the Lord Jesus means you in particular You I say A personal offer who are heavy-laden you who are poor you who hunger and thirst unto you is the word of this salvation offered and sent 4. It is a very tender Offer 2 Cor. 5. 20. As though God did beseech you by us A
on him on his death on his blood O blessed Jesus thy Person have I accepted thy blood have I relyed on on that precious and purchasing blood I have relied hitherto on it and it hath brought grace into my heart and peace into my conscience and joy into my soul and forgiveness of sins and the taste of much mercy and goodness I read and I do believe the future inheritance purchased by thy blood and reserved in heaven for me I die in the faith of it I believe also to enjoy the Crown of Righteousness the Kingdom of glory that eternal life which is the gift of God through Jesus Christ my Lord. 6. I will super-add one great benefit more which results from Christs Suffering The suffering of Christ is the confirmation of the Covenant as our Mediatour which shall be the close of all the rest and that is this The sufferings or death or blood of Christ is the confirmation of the Covenant you read of a two-fold confirmation of the Covenant 1. God confirmed the Covenant and he confirmed it by an Oath Heb. 6. 17. and Psal 89 35. Once have I sworn by my holiness c. 2 Jesus Christ confirmed the Covenant Gal. 3. 17. The Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ and Jesus Christ confirmed it by his Oath therefore his blood is called the blood of the Covenant Heb. 13. 20. And the blood of the New Testament Matth. 26. 28. In a two-fold respect His death gives force unto it Now Christ confirms the Covenant in a two-fold respect 1. In that his death gives force unto it To this agrees that of the Apostle in Heb. 9. 16 Where a Testament is there must also of necessary be the death of the Testator verse 17. For a Testament is of force after men are dead In this place the Covenant is called a Testament or a last Will wherein Estates and Legacies are bequeathed and which cannot be challenged untill the Testator dies but upon his death the Testament is of force that is all concerned in the Will and Testament may come and demand and take out the Legacies bequeathed unto them Object And whereas you may object that the Saints before the death of Christ obtained all blessings Sol. It is answered that Jesus Christ was a Lumb slain from the beginning of the world Rev. 13. 8. Jesus Christ was reckoned both with God and with his Church of old as dead and the promise of laying down his life for his people accepted in their time as if it had been performed and his very death appeared unto them in the Sacrifices of the Law and accordingly the Testament was of force unto them 2. In that his death seals the Covenant as firm and stable and unalterable His death seals the Covenant saith the Apostle Gal. 3. 15. Though it be but a mans Covenant yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto There is now no question to be made of the intentions of God or of his promises in the Covenant for they are all of them Yea and Amen in Christ they are sure and stable the blood of Christ hath confirmed and ratified all there cannot possibly be an higher confirmation of the Covenant than this If a man offers you his Oath to assure you this is high but if a man will lay down his life upon it if he will take his death upon it he cannot give an Higher Testimony or Confirmation unto a Truth Now to take â—ff all doubtings on our part and fully to settle our perswasions concerning the Covenant as God gives us his Oath swearing by himself Heb. 6. 13. And God could go no higher than to swear by himself So the Son of God gives us his life he takes his death upon it that all shall be performed and further he cannot go Object But will some say What if Christ did die why must there be thereupon a confirmation of the Covenant must all the Covenant be sure for performance because Christ died what was there in his death for such a purchase Sol. I answer The death of Christ was the death of a Surety and of one who was therefore to die that the Covenant might be established There are three things considerable in the death of Christ One is Satisfaction to Gods Justice The other is Merit of all the good which we do need and God will bestow And there is also Efficacie Jesus Christ will see all made good and in these respects his death comes to be a confirmation of the Covenant but I will not stand any longer on this Point only I will make a little Use of it and so passe on Vse 1 Hath Jesus Christ as Mediator confirmed the Covenant not only established it to to be unalterable but made it firm and sure and unquestionable for the performance Why do you that are in Covenant doubt of all the good which God hath therein promised Then you who are brought in to Christ who are the people of God in Covenant you whose treasures are laid up in the Covenant and whose whole portion is setled there why do you doubt and why are ye afraid and why are your hearts troubled you cannot possibly have a better or fuller portion than God hath already setled upon you in this Covenant and you cannot possibly have a better or stronger assurance to confirm you in the expectation of all that good of the Covenant then the Oath of God and the death or blood of Christ You have the Promise of God and the Oath of God and the blood of Christ to assure you what would you have more and what can you have more It was a sharp aggravation of the infidelity of the Jews in John 12. 37. But though he had done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him And verily it is a just exprobation of our unbelief that though we have the promise of God to perform his Covenant and though we have the Oath of God to perfoâ—m his Covenant and though we have the Blood of Christ to confirm the Covenant unto us yet in every occasion and in every strait we are calling all into question we doubt and fear and suspect and question whether the Covenant of God with us be a faithfull word as if God who cannot lie would deceive and faile us as if the God of Truth would forswear himself as if the Lord Jesus Christ having sealed the Covenant with his own blood might be found a deceiver and a false witness The Lord humble us for this unbelief and cause us to fear and to abhor this sin of unbelief as that which is most dishonourable to God and as most prejudicial and dangerous unto our own soules Vse 2 Hath Christ our Mediatour confirmed the Covenant by his own death Then you who do believe in Christ and therefore are interested in the Covenant make Make out to your God for all your souls do need
possible then he earnestly presseth them to a fruitlesse duty and successless labour If it be possible that they might upon the trial come to know that Christ is in them then the thing is granted 2. I thus argue They who may come upon trial to know that Christ is in them may certainly know that Chrâ—st died for them to save them My reason is this That Jesus Christ is in none but in them for whom he died and whom he will save Col. 1. 27. Christ is in you the hope of glory 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life If therefore one may know that Christ is in him of a truth then he may know that Christ died for him in particular for his salvation Thirdly If Believers may attain to joy and rejoycing in the death of Christ yea unto a triumphing in it then they may certainly know that Christ died for them and hath purchased Reconciliation Remission and salvation for them The consequence I prove thus There are three things necessarily concurring to cause Spiritual joy and rejoycing viz. 1 A delightful rejoycing Object 2. An application of that Object to the desire of the soul 1. A knowledge of that application Gerson Park 2. Comp. de Dilectatione p. 161. and indeed without that knowledge that such an Object is ours or is for us there never will be actual rejoycing but if it be impossible then dispair and if it be doubtful then fear c. But believers may attain to joy and rejoycing in Christ Phil. 3. 3. and that upon the account of his beneficial dying for them Rom. 5. 11. And not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the Atonement Fourthly I will add but one other Argument and that is is this We are bound to love Jesus Christ who died for us and abundantly to thank and blesse God for our Redemption and Reconciliation and Remission and Salvation by Christ this I suppose no man will deny but we can neither do the one nor the other if we cannot attain unto a certainty that Christ died for us 1. Love of Christ depends upon the knowledge of his love to us It is not with this spiritual love as it is with natural love where you may love a person although you know not his love unto you but our spiritual love necessarily ariseth from the application and knowledge of a precedent love unto us we love him q. because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4. 19 you must be able to see and know the love of Christ to you before you can be able to raise or return love to him and therefore do we love Christ because his love is manifested unto us Now if this love of Christ to us which he shewed in dying for us Greater love hath no man than this that he lay down his life for his friend Joh. 15. 13. be perpetually hid from us that we can never attain the certain knowledge thereof but must only guess at it perhaps Christ loved us to dye for us perhaps he did not how can our hearts possibly be raised to a solid fixed intensive reciprocal love of him 2. In like manner how can our thankfulness be indeed rightly returned unto God for giving of Christ for us to reconcile and save us for according to your knowledge in this case will be your thankfulness can you ever thank and bless and praise God for Christ and his death and the benefits thereof to you whiles you know not that they belong to you O Lord I bless thee for that exceeding love of thine in giving Christ to redeem my soul to make my peace to discharge my sins to save my soul c. But truly I know not whether this be so or no I am utterly uncertain whether Christ dyed for me or whether himself or any benefit by him and his death doth indeed concern me or belong unto me c. SECT X. 3. Quest NOw follows the third and last Question to be spoken unto how a How a person may certainly know that Christ did dye effectually for him person may certainly know that Jesus Christ did die effectually for him Satisfied Gods Justice for him purchased remission of sins for him and eternal life for him Answered Sol. This is a pertinent Question indeed said a dying person whom some of us knew in this place But did Christ dye for my sins but did Christ dye for my soul but did he dye for me How shall I know that Christ died for me for my sins to save my soul This is a question which many of us first or last will make question of when trouble of conscience ariseth or when death appoacheth O then how may I know that Christ is my Christ and that he died for me This is the highest of all questions Did Christ dye for me and a most necessary question what though Christ did dye for others and they partake of the benefits of his death if he did not die for me and if I be not saved by his death and if the conscience can once upon sure grounds be satisfied in this question so that a person knows that Christ died for him now there is peace and joy and thanksgiving and a lively hope of salvation all is sure if once we can get to be sure that Christ is ours and did die for us For answer therefore unto the question propounded be pleased to remember in the general that there are three sorts of persons in the world namely First Some who in the present estate under which they lye cannot know that Christ dyed for them and will save them I say in the present estate wherein they are For though there may be a possibility of the change of that estate and so a capacity may come in for that particular knowledge and certainty yet as to their present estate absolulely considered there is an incapacity of immediate knowledge that Christ died for them These persons are all unbelieving and impenitent persons who as so and remaining so cannot know that Christ died to save them because 1. The way to know that Christ died for us must arise either from some In the general Some cannot know word of promise that a person in such a condition having interest in Christ shall be saved by him but there is no such promise to any unbelieving and impenitent person as such a person or from some words of Narration which declare and affirm that Christ and the benefits of his death do belong unto unbelieving and impenitent persons as so But there is no such Narrative word which affirms it that Christ belongs unto the unbeliever and that he hath indeed obtained pardon of sins and life for him or from faith wrought in the heart But this is not in the unbelieving and impenitent person if it were then he were not unbelieving or from
time he gives faith and Christ and Justification and Sanctification all at once as soon as the person believes he is united to Christ and hereupon justified and sanctified And others of them are of a comfortable consequence as assurance joy peace c. God doth not give these blessings first of all but after he hath given the former Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise mark the sealing follows the believing 1 Pet. 1. 8. In whom believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory here rejoycing follows believing Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God peace with God follows justification and therefore is it a preposterous course for any troubled souls to presse God or to expect from God the comforts and joys and assurances promised before they have faith and are in Christ for though God doth promise these things yet he promises to give them in an orderly way the graces first and then the comforts of grace faith and union with Christ first and then the joys and peace depending upon that union 5. When God undertakes to give all blessings unto his people in Covenant this He gives according to the proportions and measures he knows best for us in our places and conditions must be understood according to the proportion and measure which he knows best for us in our places and conditions There is a measure of apprehension of Christ and of our justification by Christ and of our salvation by Christ God gives a greater and clearer and more fixed measure of the apprehension or reflexive knowledge of these to some of his people then he doth to others of them And there is a measure of holinesse some have higher and some have weaker degrees of grace now in Gods undertaking to give all spiritual blessings you must not think that God intends to give every measure or degree of grace at once nor yet the like degree of grace unto every one nor yet the like measure of comfortable evidences or apprehensions of interest in Christ and remission and salvation by him no but God will give all Covenant-blessings unto all his people in such a proportion and measure in this life as may conduce most to his glory and may most fit them in their private and publick conditions for his better service Vse 1 Strive to believe and acknowledge this truth that God himself doth undertake to give all the blessings of the Covenant which do concern his Believe and acknowledge this truth people Object Why will you say no man doubts it or scruples it but it belongs to God and to him alone to give all c. Sol. I wish that â—â—me were true but if indeed this were so then 1. Why do not we in all our wants and necessities make our prime applications unto God Why do we think least of him and last of him we run to this creature and to that creature set up one friend and look upon another try all the powers and abilities here below as if God were least of all concerned in the donation of our mercies and blessings if we did indeed believe that God himself undertakes all blessings for us then our first addresses would be unto him our first work and our great work would be with himself alone to do us good 2. Why do our hearts go and come rise and fall according to the presence and absence of visible means and helps in the prevalence of them our hearts are raised up with hopes and in the absence of them they are distracted and cast down with fears Would it be thus with us if we did indeed believe that God himself undertook to give us all our blessings certainly we place our hopes and expectations below and besides God himself when inferiour causes have such a command and such an influence upon our hearts If we did believe that God himself that he alone were sufficient and faithful it would be all one to us whether the creatures smile or frown incline toward us or fall from us 3. Why do we not only for temporal supplies but also for spiritual mercies undertake for our selves and as it were discharge God from undertaking for us How often do we undertake the spiritual charge of our hearts and to make our own hearts to repent and to believe and to subdue our own sins and to do such and such commands of God by our own free-will and by our own strength if we did believe that God himself undertakes for all these and that it belongs unto him alone to give them would we presume upon our selves thus would we take his work out of his hands 4. Why dare we not in our exigency commit all unto him and quietly rest on him but when our helps and hopes are reduced only unto him so that unlesse he himself appears we can cast Anchor nowhere else and although in such cases he doth plainly appear in his Covenant graciously undertaking and faithfully promising to help and blesse us yet this is nothing to us it doth no way affect or support us assuredly either we do not know this God aright or else we do not believe that he himself doth undertake for us or else that he will performe and Not to believe and acknowledge this truth is a great sin Wherein the sinfulnesse of it lies make good what himself hath undertaken Beloved Consider what I say this is a very great sin thus to fall short in the belief and acknowledgement of this truth for 1. You deny God to be God in the Covenant you do as it were shut him out from being a party there and concerned there though indeed he be the confederating party and we are the confederated party yet you include him and deny him to be so when that you believe not that it belongs to him to be the suscipient party and your selves to be the recipient party only for I beseech you what will you make of Gods covenanting with you more than a cypher if you do not grant and acknowledge him therein as engaging himself to give us all the good which we do need What other work is there which can or doth concern him 2. And you do hereby deny all homage unto him for how can you 〈◊〉 unto him for any one good that you want or trust on him for any one â—â—â—cy if you do not acknowledge this truth that he himself undertakes to give all blessings and mercies unto you and where will you put your mite of thankfulnesse for all your receits of blessings if God himself did not undertake to give you the blessings what ground have you to undertake to give him the praise of them Therefore earnestly strive by faith to assent unto this truth which I have delivered it is of more consequence than you are aware of it is that which gives life unto you in all your dealings with God and which may
forgivenesse upon a twofold account One in respect of God whose justice must be satisfieds that so his mercy if I may so phrase it may be set at liberty to flow out unto sinners Another in respect of us that we may come with the more boldness and confidence to obtain forgiving mercy in the name of Christ it being the very mercy which he by his blood purchased for us at the hands of God Thirdly Forgiveness of sins is limited to repenting and believing persons It is limited to repenting and believing persons these and these only are the subjects of that precious mercy unto whom it doth belong There are three sorts of creatures and persons in the world 1. Some of whom you read that they shall never be forgiven the Divels shall never have their sins forgiven but are held and reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse unto the judgement of the great day Jude ver 6. And they who sin the sin against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven Matth. 12. 31. All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men Ver. 32. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come 2. Some to whom forgiveness is conditionally offered but they do refuse it upon that condition such are all impenitent and unbelieving persons who living under the Gospel are called upon to leave their sins and are assured if they do so that they shall find mercy to pardon their sins but for lying vanities they forsake their mercies and because they love their sins therefore they do lose the forgiveness of their sins 3. Some who penitentially come off from their sins and believingly come unto Christ they put off their sins by repentance and put on Christ by faith these are they who find mercy to whom it may be said Be of good comfort your sins are forgiven Prov. 28. 13. Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy Acts 13. 39. By him all that believe are justified but as for the impenitent they treasure up wrath unto themselves Rom. 2. 5. The unbelievers they are condemned already John 3. 18. and the wrath of God abideth on them Ver. 36. Fourthly Forgiveness of sins consisteth in the discharging or absolving of a It consisteth in discharging of a sinner from guilt and punishment person from his sins in respect of guilt and punishment It is the discharging absolving remitting freeing dismitting sparing of a sinner the phrases in Scripture for the forgiving of sins are very significant both in the Old Testament and in the New In the Old Testament there are words used for the forgiveness of sins which import what I affirm 1. Salach as Exod. 34. 9. Pardon our iniquities and our sins the word Vide Downh de Justifi lib. 2. cap. 7. p. 84. there is Salach which signifies parcere remittere ignoscere condonare propitium esse 2. Kasah which signifies to hide to spare to forgive as Psal 32. 1. Blessed is he whose transgressions is forgiven whose sin is covered 3. Habar to pass by an offence as Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquities and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage 4. Hekebir which signifies to cause to pass 2 Sam. 12. 13. The Lord hath put away thy sin hath caused it to pass The same word is used in Zach. 3. 4. I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee 5. Machah which signifies to wipe or blot out of remembrance the sins of men Psal 51. 9. Blot out all mine iniquities 6. Hesir which signifies to remove Isa 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away sin to remove sin 7. Lochashab not to impute as Psal 32. 2. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity In the New Testament there are also several words used for the forgiving of sins which import discharge or absolution First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies as much as to dismiss or send away to let alone because when God forgives a sinner he lets his sin alone and meddles no more with it but commonly this word is used for the absolving of those who are accused as guilty and in Scripture it is used for loosing out of bonds for debts 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Colos 2. 13. Having forgiven you all trespasses which word denotes both the fountain of forgiveness namely the grace of God and the acceptableness of it to the party forgiven it being graciously welcome as glad tydings unto him 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4. 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin 2 Cor. 5. 19. Not imputing their trespasses unto them which imports that the Lord when he forgives sins will not put them upon the score or account by all which it appears that forgiveness of sins is an absolving or discharging of the sinner from his sins Now there are three things considerable in our sins there is 1. Macula the stain or pollution of it for sin doth pollute and defile the soul therefore it is frequently stiled a pollution a defilement uncleanness filthiness a plague a leprosie c. 2. Reatus the guilt by it for as soon as any man doth sin there is a guilt upon him by which he is bound over to the wrath and curse of God and this guilt or obligation is inseparable from sin the sin doth deserve no less than everlasting condemnation 3. Pana the punishment of it which consists in the inflicting of all the curses that sin doth deserve and which God hath threatned for transgressing his holy and righteous will What it is in sin the forgivenesse of sin doth respect Quest The question is unto which of these forgivenesse of sins doth extend of from which of these the sinner is discharged upon forgiveness Sol. I answer 1. Forgiveness of sins doth not respect the stain or pollution of sin it doth Not the stain or pollution of it not remove that it is an idle opinion of the Papists and others that remission of sins consists in the extinction of sins or utter abolition of them Reasons of it for First This is to confound Justification with Sanctification it being proper to Sanctification to remove and take a way the stain and pollution of sin in the soul that is the Fullers sope and refining fire Secondly The utter deletion of sin is not granted in this life for during this life sin remaineh in the best of men Rom. 7. 17 20. and 1 John 1. 8. If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us but in this life we have the remission of our sins Ergo. Thirdly Remission
platted a Crown of thorns they put it on his head and a Reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying Hail King of the Jews so Acts 2. 13. Others mocking said these men are full of new wine And they are said in Hebr. 10. 29. to tread under foot the Son of God and to count his blood an unholy thing How amazing is this reproach and thus is it with all who sin the sin against the Holy Ghost the precious blood of Christ his holiness his truth his commands his ways his servants are the objects of their mockings and scorns and reproaches Thirdly This opposition is made against Christ and the Gospel after and against the clear Convictions of the Holy Ghost They who sinne this sin 1. Have had such a light in them as to know Jesus Christ Joh. 9. 41. Jesus said unto them If ye were blinde ye should have no sin but now ye say we see therefore your sin remaineth Joh. 7. 28. Ye both know me and whence I am Hebr. 6. 4. who were once inlightened They that sin this sin do know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Redeemer and that there is salvation in him and in no Name but his and that the way which he prescribes for salvation is the true way of life and after all this they crucifie the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame 2. The Holy Ghost hath not only illuminated their minds but hath also raised them to a kind of approbation of Christ and his truths and his ways so that they have taken upon them the profession of Christianity and side with the Gospel for a time 3. By the operation of the Holy Ghost they have attained unto some spiritual taste and experience as you may see Hebr. 6. 4. Have tasted of the heavenly gift Ver. 5. And have tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come Fourthly And yet after all this they fall away Hebr. 6. 6. Reject Christ and his truths and ways and will go on in the ways of their sinful and worldly lusts This is that sin which shall never be forgiven not only because God is pleased to shut the door of mercy against it but also because persons guilty of this sin do thrust themselves into such a desperate hardness of heart and they reject Christ in whom alone pardon is to be had that as the Apostle speaks Hebr. 6. 6. It is impossible to renew them again unto Repentance 2. Secondly They do put themselves out of a capacity of the forgiveness of their sins who will not repent of their sins i. e. who will not forsake them They who will not repent of their sins but will still persist and continue in them though they be convinced though they be reproved though they be threatned though they be assured of the inconsistence of forgiveness with impenitency This point will manifestly appear upon a threefold consideration 1. Of Gods professed resolution contrary to the presumption of mercy in the impenitent sinner indeed this sinner presumes to promise mercy unto himself though he goes on in his sins but the Lord protests that he shall have none Deut. 29. 18. Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormewood Ver. 19. And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkenness to thirst Ver. 20. The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven Ver. 21. And the Lord shall separate him to evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in this book of the Law So Psal 50. 21. These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Ver. 22. Consider this ye that forget lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver 2. Of Gods restriction of his promise of forgiveness only upon condition of repentance only to such as forsake their sins where do you find it otherwise in the whole Bible Isa 1. 16. Wash ye make you clean put away the evil of your doings cease to do evil learn to do well Ver. 18. Come now let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 3. Of Gods peremptory sentence in case of impenitency Exod 34. 7. that will by no means clear the guilty i. e. the impenitent in absolving he will not absolve i. e. whosoever finds mercy they shall not Ezek. 18. 21. Cast away from you all your transgressions for why will ye dye O house of Israel Psal 63. 21. God will wound the head of such an one as goes on still in his wickednesse Luk. 13. 3. Except ye repent ye shall perish Jer. 13. 10. This evil people which refuse to hear my words which walk in the imagination of their hearts Ver. 14. I will dash them one against another even the father and the son together saith the Lord I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy but destroy them Eccles 8. 13. It shall not be well with the wicked Isa 65. 20. The sinner dying an hundred years old shall be cursed then certainly not forgiven O think of this you who still go on in the hatred of holiness in profaning of the Sabbath in drunkenness in whoredom in pride in lying in any ungodly course who mock at reproof and despise instruction who flatter your selves with hopes of forgiving mercy Be not deceived for God is not to be mocked for whatsoever a man sowes that shall he also reap Gal. 6. 7. and Rom. 2. 6. God will render to every man according to his deeds Ver. 8. Indignation and wrath Ver. 9. tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil Thirdly They do put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness of their sins who do delay and defer their work of repentance When some sinners are convinced They who delay theâ—r repentance of the inconsistence of mercy with impenitency and of the necessary presence of repentance for forgiveness then seeing it must be so and mercy cannot be otherwise had
nature or desert or circumstances of it nor afflictions devolving or throwing our sins upon others as Adam did upon his Wife and she upon the Divel but it is a clear Inditement Accusation or Charge against our selves before God I have sinned against heaven and before thee said the Prodigal Luk. 15. 18. I was a blusphemer and a persecutor and injurious and of sinners the chief said Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13 15. 4. It is a fiduciary acknowledgement of our sins it is joyned with some A fiduciary acknowledgement degree of faith for it is made to God not as to a Judge only who condemns upon the Parties confession but as to a Father who knows how to pity and forgive the mourning and repenting childe who begins to accuse and condemn himself Hosea 14. 2. Take with you words and turn unto the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously Deut. 9. 8. O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face and because we have sinned against thee Ver. 9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness though we have rebelled against him Lord I am a sinful creature but thou art a merciful God! I deserve wrath but thou canst shew mercy I am unworthy of any mercy but thou forgivest sins freely and thou hast promised forgiveness unto them who confess their sins O forgive me all my sins for Christs sake 5. Lastly True penitential confession which shall obtain forgiveness of sins It is attended with desire of humbling and endeavors of reforming is attended with desires of humbliâ—â— and endeavours of reforming When a Patient layes open his diseases to the Physitian it is for this purpose that the Physitian would cure them as the poor man having related unto Christ the grievous distempers of his child requested Mark 9. 22. But if thou canst do any thing have compassion on us and help us So when a penitent person confesseth his sins to God it is alwayes accompanied with earnest desires O Lord heal these diseases of my soul heal my pride and heal my vain-glory and heal my filthiness and heal my impatience and heal my unbelief and heal my worldliness as David with the confession of his sins joyned this petition Psal 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Nay moreover the right confession of sins is attended with the real endeavour of reforming our sins therefore Solomon puts these together He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy Prov. 28. 13. And this was the practice of the children of Israel they joyned Reformation with their Confession and good came of it unto them as you may see Judg. 10. 15. We have sinned Ver. 16. And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the Lord and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel Thirdly The qualifications of the right turning from sin which puts us within The qualification of a right turning from sin A cordial turning in the capacity of the promise of forgiveness of our sins First It is a cordial turning Joel 2. 12. Turn ye even to me with all your heart Deut. 30. 10. If thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul 2 Chron. 6. 38. If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul Ver. 39. then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication and forgive their sins c. Here are singular expressions to set forth the life and truth of penitential turning from sin viz. To turn with the heart and with all the heart with all the heart and with all the soul What may these expressions mean and signifie There are two things principally intended in them 1. One is a reality of turning for he doth indeed repent whose heart repents and he doth indeed turn from his sins whose heart doth turn from sin if the heart turns not the repentance is but feigned and hypocritical Suppose you should for awhile lay ande your sins you may therein seem unto men to repent but if you still love your sins and hold them fast and will not part with them you are so far from repenting in the sight and account of God that he looks upon you as plain hypocrites who pretend only to forsake your sins when indeed you are the servants of sin and intend not at all to foâ—sake them Well then to turn from sin with the heart is to have an heart giving a Bill of Divorce unto our sins breaking the league with sin casting it off for any more love and obedience c. 2. Another is a perfection or fulness of turning that doth the turning with all the heart and with all the soul and with the whole heart signifie as when ones whole hâ—art is set upon an object or is employed in any service the meaning is that every faculty of the soul is unitedly and concurrently engaged to that object and in that service I have sought thee with my whole heart said David Psal 119. 10. i. e. Not any one faculty of my soul but is drawn out and exercised in that work So to turn from our sin with the whole heart with all the heart and with all the soul is to have every faculty drawn off from sin and disinterested of sin and as it were outing and discharging it self thereof all of them agreeing and consenting to course it away viz. First The understanding saith I will never give way to any deceitful motions of sin any more nor to any delightful contemplation of it any more I will not count it as pleasure or profit but shall esteem of it as indeed it is an object every way to be hated and rejected Secondly The Judgement turns away from it by disapproving and disallowing and condemning of it I will never reason and plead for it more I will never contrive or devise to gratifie it more I will never make pretences and shifts to colour it any more O it is the greatest evil the only dishonour of God the only cause of the death of Christ and the only danger and damnation of the soul Thirdly The conscience turns away from it O saith conscience sin hath been the thorn in my eye and the arrow in my side it hath wounded me and made me restless and filled me with bitterness I will give warning against it I will threaten aganst it I will trouble and vex you for it Fourthly The will turns away from it in resolution and purpose I will never obey sin any more in the lusts thereof I will never give over till I find the vertue of Christ to crucifie and mortifie them Fifthly And every affection of the soul turns away from sin in true repentance 1. Love saith I will never embrace thee more 2. Desire saith I will never long after thee more 3. Delight saith I will never take content in thee more 4. Hatred saith I
will never be quiet untill repentance be renewed and God appears to be pacified Thirdly If we have hearts spiritually soft and tender this will appear by the respectiveness of our hearts to the word of God And there are ten Properties of a tender heart in relation to the Word of God 1. It sets up the Word as a Light and Rule So Psal 119. 105. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths ver 133. Order my steps in thy Word 2. It studies the Word and meditates therein to understand the mind of God concerning it Psal 119. 15. I meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways ver 148. Mine eyes prevent the night watches that I might meditate in thy Word 3. It layes up and gives special heed unto what God saith in his Word 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have also a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed Psal 119. 11. Thy Word have I hid within my heart that I might not sin against thee Prov. 7. 1. My son keep my words and lay up my commands with thee ver 3. Bind them upon thy fingers write them upon the table of thine heart 4. It stands in awe of the Word Psal 119. 161. My heart stands in awe of thy Word 5. It is led and guided by the Word Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel Psal 73. 24. Thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellors Psal 119. 24. My sheep hear my voice and follow me Joh. 10. 17. 6. It keeps close to the Word in all matters of faith and practice receives all and admits no more will not go without it and dares not strive against it 7. It conformes itself unto the Word Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it even to the end Psal 119. 33. All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient Exod. 24 7. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Psal 119. 5. He will teach us his wayes and we will walk in his paths Isa 2. 3. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine whereto ye were delivered Rom. 6. 17. Moulded cast 8. It is quickly reduced wrought upon and recovered by the Word As in Davids case when Nathan said Thou art the man 2 Sam. 12. 7. David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord ver 13. So Judges 2. 2. Ye have not obeyed my voice why have you done this ver 4. And it came to passe when the Angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel that the people lift up their voice and wept ver 5. And they called the name of that place weepers Bochim and they sacrificed there unto the Lord. 9. It will often review and try itself by the Word lest it hath sinned or lest it should sin against God Psal 77. 6. I communed with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search Psal 119 59. I considered my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies 10. It desires and endeavours to comply with all the Word of God and to fulfill all the will of God and to walk according to it in all things I have lived in all good Conscience unto this day Act. 23. 1. We trust we have a good conscience Heb. 13. 18. I have respect unto all thy commandements Psal 119. 6. Zachary and Elizabeth walked in all the Commandements and Ordinances before the Lord blameless Luke 1. 6. Fourthly If we have hearts Spiritually soft and tender this will appear by By our sensibleness in cases of Gods honour or dishonour our sensibleness and choice behaviour in the cases of Gods honour and dishonour This I think is one of the fullest discoveries of a soft and tender heart and therefore I will insist the more upon it by shewing unto you 1. The several wayes how God is honoured 2. The several expressions of a tender heart in relation unto Gods honour 3. The several wayes of Gods dishonour 4. The several affections and workings of a tender heart in the case of Gods dishonour First The several wayes of Gods being honoured God may be and is honoured How God is honoured As â—â— his Name and Attribuâ—es 1. As to his glorious Name and Attributes Deut. 28. 58. That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful Name the Lord thy God When we do acknowledge and admire and exalt God in his holiness and goodness and mercifulness and Omnipoâ—ency and wisdom and greatness and authority and justice and faithfulness c. Exod. 15. 11. Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Job 9. 4. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength Exod. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth Ver. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquiâ—y transgressions and sins and that will by no means clear the guilty Deuter. 7. 9. Know that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandements to a thousand generations 2. As to his worship and service Psal 29. 2. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name or as it is in the Hebrew the honour of his Name worship the As to his Worship Lord in the beauty of holiness When we set up the true worship of God and serve him only and worship him only in Spirit and in truth and keep faithful unto it now we do honour and glorifie our God Thou hast not honoured me with thy sacrifices Isa 43. 23. The place where God is worshipped is called the place where his honour dwelleth 3. As to his Word and truths when they are magnified believed and embraced At his Word and upheld and obeyed when they have liberty and prosperity and success of efficacy 4. As to his works of Providence whether merciful respecting the good As to his Works of his people or judicial respecting the punishment of his adversaries in both which very much of God is to be seen and admired and blessed Secondly Now a soft and tender heart is exceedingly affected with Gods honour How the tender heart is affected in case of Gods honor and glory and with all the wayes publick and private for the honouring of God Such a person will take much pains to recover and restore the honour of God as you may see in Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah and Josiah to restore the true worship of God such a person will be at much cost to promote the honour of God 1 Chron. 29. 3. Because I have set my affection to the house of my God I have of mine one proper goods of gold and silver which I have given to the house of my God over and above all that I have prepared for thy holy house even three thousand talents of gold of the
his praises 1 Pet. 2. 9 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father c. Matth. 5. 16. You are bought with a price to glorifie God in c. 1 Cor. 6. 20. 3. His gracious disposition towards his servants and people which appears in four particulars First In his concurrence he passeth by many a failing in the performance of our duties Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Mal. 3. 17. I will spate them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Secondly In his acceptance he will accept of a willing mind 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to what a man hath and not cording to that a man hath not The servant that gained two talents and the poor widow that cast in two farthings were accepted Thirdly In his assistance as he commands us to walk in his statutes so he puts his Spirit within us to cause us to walk in them underneath are the everlasting arms said Moses Deut. 33. 27. And I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me said Paul Phil. 4. 13. Fourthly In the recompence Psal 19. 11. In keeping of thy Commandements there is great reward Isa 1. 19. If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the Land Rom. 2. 10. Glory honour and peace unto every man that worketh good Secondly In respect of the Statutes themselves they are holy and righteous and good The best way and the safest way to walk in are those which are pleasant to us well-pleasing to God The walking in the statutes of God is the best way that any man can walk in which appears thus First It is the way which the only wise and good God hath consecrated It is not a way of mans invention it is not a way of Satans delusion it is the way of God which he himself commands commends approves and likes Secondly It is the best way to walk in for our selves The benefit which comes by walking in Gods wayes 1. For a mans comfort and peace Great peace have they which keep thy Law Psal 119. 165. To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psal 50. 23. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and sincerity we have â—ad our conversation 2 Cor. 1. 12. The people of God do find his paths paths of pleasure and never meet with sorrow but when they are wandring from them Prov. 19. 16. He that keepeth the Commandements keepeth his own soul but he that despiseth his wayes shall dye 2. For a mans safety you are sure of Gods protection whiles you are in his service and in his wayes Gen. 17. 1. I am God Almighty walk before me and â—e thou perfect q d. keep thou my wayes and I will keep thy safety 3. For a mans honour The service of God is our greatest liberty and our Itâ— our honor greatest dignity Deut. 4. 6. Keep therefore and do these statutes for this is your wisdom and understanding in the fight of the Nations which shall hear of these statutes and say Surely this Nation is a wise and understanding people 3ly In respect of the people of God themselves which have so many obligations In respect of Gods people upon them from their God 1. His Truth 2ly His Mercy 3ly Giving Christ for to them 4ly Giving his Spirit to them 5ly Shedding his love in their hearts 6ly Daily and hourly blessings 7ly The many sweet experiences found by them in the wayes of obedience 8ly The bitterness met with when starting aside and wandring c. Fourthly Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the way of the Lord Holy obedience blessed are they that keep his testimonies Psal 119. 1 2. Holy obedience or walking in Gods statutes is a testimony of our effectual calling to Christ of our salvation with him Rom. 6. 4. We are buried with him by baptism into death that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father so we should walk in newness of Life Ephes 4. 21. If so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus Ver. 22. Put off the old man c. Ver. 24. And put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Chap. 5. 8. Ye were sometimes dark but now are ye light in the Lord walk as children of that light SECT I. 1. Use ARe the people of God charged and bound to walk in the statues of God and to keep his judgements and to do them O how few people then Few are Gods people hath God where is the man that doth obey his voice who doth indeed take any heed to walk with God in his statutes who orders his steps according to his Word Some there are that instead of giving an ear unto all the Scriptures and to all the Ordinances and to all the Statutes and Commandments of God they are beyond the Scriptures and beyond Ordinances and beyond the Law or Statutes of God and they cry out against men as Legalists who press obedience and as Antichristian and favouring of works I do indeed believe that there are many Antichrists amongst us and fear the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that great Antichrist is too much amongst us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle describing the great Antichrist 2 Thes 2 3. saith that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Exlex sine lege one who doth trample down the Law of God c. Many others there are who though they be not Antinomians in opinion yet are so in their practice like those in Psal 2. 3. Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us Particular Libertines who will have no Lord over them and will walk after the lusts of their own hearts and despise the statutes of God Hose 8. 12. I have written unto them concerning Ephraim the great things of my Law but they were counted a strange thing Beloved take but a short view of Gods statutes and of mens walking and we shall confess that few there are that walk in his statutes The statutes of God respect 1. Himself 2ly Our Neighbour Who they be that walk not after Gods Commanments 1. Himself in the glory of his Nature of his Worship of his Name and of his Day O but how few walk in these statutes 1. The ignorant that know not God 2. The Atheists that acknowledge not God 3. Unbelievers that trust not God 4. The profane that love not God nor fear him 5. The superstitious and idolatrous worshippers 6. The cursed swearers and forswearers 7. The rabble of Sabbath-breakers who make the day of God the day of their idlest recreation or profaness
The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Jer. 4. 22. Tbey are sottish children and they have no understanding they are wise to do evil but to do good they have no knowledge Hose 8. 12. I have written to him the great things of my Law but they were counted a strange thing Psal 14. 1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God they are corrupt thy have done abominable works there is none that doth good Prov. 13. 19. It is abomination to fooles to depart from evil Levit. 26. 43. Because they despised my judgments and because their soul abhorred my Statutes Jer. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil Tit. 1. 16. Being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate By all these places it doth appear that there is no power and sufficiency in any natural man to any spiritual good but a total want thereof and a total opposition unto it Secondly That then God is no hard cruel or rigorous master unto his servants but very kinde and gracious we have no reason to complain at all but rather to bless him and cheerfully to serve him There are seven things which do respect the people of God c. 1. Enterance which takes in 1. Union Of him are ye in Christ Jesus 1. Cor. 1. 3. 2. Regeneration 3. Repentance This God works in them of his own grace Jam. 1. 18. Of his own good will begat he us with the word of truth Phil. 1. 29. Unto you it is given to believe Acts 11. 18. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life 2. Performances this likewise doth God work in his people Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure God is no hard master 3. Sufferance Phil. 1. 29. Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake 4. Resistance 1. Of sinful works 2 Tim. 4. 18. The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work 2. From sinful temptations 1 Cor. 10. 13. God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able 5. Perseverance Phil. 1. 6. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 5. We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 6. Acceptance 7. Recompence Thirdly Then you see the same reason why when the same truths of God Why some receive the truth and others do not Why not all God leaves some to themselves and not others They which walk not in Gods wayes are none of his are preached and the same wayes of life are revealed some do receive those truths but others do not and some do walk in those wayes and some do not Quest Why do they not all do so The Reason is Sol. Because God leaves some unto themselves and others he doth not leave unto themselves they do both of them hear the way to heaven but they have not both the same grace and strength given to walk in the way to heaven Fourthly Then they are none of Gods people who never found any sufficiency any ability any actual strength to walk in the wayes which God hath Commanded why so because God promiseth to cause his people to walk in his Statutes and to do them I grant that all the people of God do not walk alike in his Statutes some are more lively some are more forward some are more high and full and vigorous and exact then others are nevertheless every one of them hath obtained grace and strength in his proportion to walk in Gods Statutes every one of them doth pray and every one of them doth repent and every one of them doth believe doth walk in newness of obedience and every one of them doth fear the Lord and makes conscience of his wayes and strives after perfection Simile You see that the least finger in the body receives an influence from the head by which it moves and stirs and performs the office of its place And so doth the meanest and weakest servant of Christ receive a virtue and power from Christ to act and walk in his proportion Therefore those men who still continue in their wayes and have no power to leave them and who are still charged to walk in Gods wayes and have no heart nor power to obey him no power or ability at all to bewaile their sins to forsake their sins to poure out their hearts in prayer to long after Christ to love the Lord Jesus Christ to prize and hold communion with God these persons are not as yet the people of Gods Covenant There is nothing in the world to evidence it to their souls that they are so nothing in practice for they â—eglect all holy walking with God and nothing in their natures and hearts for if they were renewed and changed by grace presently there would be an ability an inclination a desire an endeavour to walk with God according to his word Take it for a certain truth that all persons actually in Covenant with God have a power given them more or less to walk as God would have them walk and to do what God would have them to do therefore consider your selves and your conditions all of you who are still without strength to walk assuredly you are without life to quicken all the children of God are alive and are thus far enabled by his grace to chuse his way and to walk in his way with upright hearts Fifthly Then the wayes of God are possible and passable wayes why so Gods wayes are possible and passable because the promise of God is annexed unto them There are two errors opposite unto this truth 1. One is of the Papists who make the wayes of God concerning us so passable Papists confuted that a man may perfectly fulfil the Law of God nay as if this were a poor business they teach that a man may do yet more then God requires he may do works of supererogation by which he may merit for himself and for his friends this is a proud and false doctrine for no man except Christ ever did or could with a legal exactness fulfil the will of God In many things we offend all saith the Apostle Jam. 3. 2. And what man is he that liveth and sineth not there is no man that sinneth not 1 Kin. 8. 46. And who can say My heart is clean or I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin Prov. 20. 9. 2. The other is of carnal and lazy Protestants who when they are pressed to Carnal Protestants confuted leave their sinful wayes and to walk
Reconciliation in respect of all men yet it is the pleasure of God not effectually to bestow salvation on them all Nor is God as to the event and issue of this at all unjust seeing that he leaves them only to wrath and condemnation who do continue unbelieving and impenitent 2. But secondly Neither will that follow that the condition of some men i. e. unbelievers must be the same with that of the Divels without any hope of salvation if Christ not dye for all For First The Divels had no Mediatour at all given unto them in respect of their kind for one or other but so mankind had forasmuch as Christ took part of the nature of mankind Heb. 2. 14. Secondly The Divels all of them are in an estate of actual damnation they are every one of them actually damned but so is not every man no nor yet every one that believes not in Christ 3. The Divels have their damnation so sealed upon them that every one of them doth know there is no hope of salvation at all for them but thus it is not with any particular unbeliever living for though the unbelieving person doth deserve eternal damnation yet he hath the means offered to escape that damnation yea he doth know that if he continues unbelieving he shall not escape the wrath of God yet he doth not know whether God may not give him grace to change his unbelieving heart after a long time of unbelief Neither can we say of any unbeliever nor can any unbeliever say of himself God will never give him grace that he may be converted and believe and therefore it is not true that the unbeliever is in the same hopeless condition with the Divels Thirdly This Assertion that Christ did not effectually dye for all men is no more apt in the nature of it to cause any to despair than these expressions of Christ Matth. 20. 16. There are but few which are chosen And Matth. 7. 14. Narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it Would or may you argue from these expressions of Christ that these who do not belong to the number of those few must now despair and they are in the same condition with the Divels why then will you reason thus from Christ not dying for all and every man And yet fourthly we may add this to all the rest That those sinners who continue who live and dye impenitent and unbelieving these do in the event cut off themselves from all hope of salvation As Paul spake of the Gentiles lying in their natural condition That at the same time they were without Christ and aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of Promise having no hope and without God in the world Ephes 2. 12. that we may safely say of all obstinate impenitent and unbelieving persons living and dying so they are without Christ and without hope and shall go into that hell which is prepared for the Divel and his angels in the event their condition will not be different Argument 5 Once more they argue thus If Christ did not die for all and every man Then no man can certainly conclude that Christ died for him and that he shall be saved by Christ For such a conclusion must be raised either upon some particular word Christ died for thee or upon some general word Christ died for all but you have no particular word that Christ died for you personally And if you deny a general word that he died for all then you have no word certainly to conclude that Christ died for you and so you are left without any certainty and comfort of salvation by Christ Answered Sol. It is well that the Arminians are so tender for the certain knowledge of any mans salvation by Christ they leave God to an uncertainty of any mans particular salvation notwithstanding the death of Christ for all men yet they will say This death of Christ for all men as a ground of certainty unto us wherein yet they deal 1. Very fraudulently with us for though they say that Christ dyed for all yet they expresly teach that the application of Christs death for actual salvation is only for them that believe 2. Very falsly for according to this Doctrine no man can ever be certain of his salvation untill the very last gasp of his persevrance in grace and that many perish eternally for whom Christ died Secondly but let us see whether according to their Doctrine of Christs dying for all men one may certainly conclude to the satisfaction and peace and comfort of his conscience that Christ died for him Let the ground for certainty be drawn up thus Christ died for all men but I am a man therefore certainly Christ died to save me Or Christ died to save all sinners but I am a sinner Ergo Christ died to save me I think any understanding Christian would find miserable ground of satisfaction and certainty from this in the time of a perplexed conscience But we have another way and far surer from the Scripture to conclude our certainty of Christs dying for us and to save us Jesus Christ dyed for all Believers effectually to save them this the Scripture expresly affirms but I do truely believe in Christ and therefore I certainly conclude that Christ did die for me to save me And thus I have gone through this great Controversie about the latitude of Christs death where I find thus much that it is necessary for every man to get faith who will indeed be the better for the death of Christ it shall therefore be our wisdom to leave disputing and humbly to beg of God to give us Faith that so we may believe on Christ to the salvation of our soules SECT IX 2. Quest I Shall now proceed to a second Question viz. Whether any man can Whether any man can know that his particular salvation was intended in the death of Christ attain to the knowledge or certainty of the particular intentions of Christs death in the benefits of it unto himself i. e. whether any man can certainly know that God intended his particular salvation in the giving of Christ and that Christ died for him and made peace for him and purchased remission of his sins and eternal salvation for his soul Answered Sol. For the resolving of this Scruple be pleased to consider a few places 1. There is a difference 'twixt a general assent and 'twixt a particular knowledge and Application It is one thing to know and acknowledge this general Truth that Christ came into the world to save sinners and that whosoever believes shall besaved and that whosoever repents shall have his sins pardoned and it is another thing by faith to know that Christ died for me that his blood was shed for the remission of my sins that I am reconciled by his death and that I shall be saved by his life to say of Christ as Paul once did
he loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. 20. The question is not propounded about that general knowledge and assent of faith whether a person may certainly know that truth that Christ died for sinners and will save all that believe but about a particular knowledge of that truth as in relation and application unto this or that person c. 2. There is a certainty as the Papists do distinguish and with whom we principally contend in this Controversie of hope which depends upon probable grounds and there is a certainty of faith which depends upon sure and undeceiving grounds The question is not whether a person may attain only unto some good hope and probable conjecture that Christ died for him that his sins are pardoned that he shall be saved in which conjecture he may yet be deceived but whether he may attain unto a certainty of faith upon grounds proper to believers and to them who shall be saved 3. We must distinguish 'twixt seeming believers who rest in common Notions of Christ and in a visible profession only and 'twixt real and sound Believers whose hearts and souls God hath touched and perswaded and drawn to Christ and they are effectually brought into union and communion with Christ I speak not of the former who yet are very apt to deceive themselves with an extream but ungrounded confidence that Christ died for them but only of real and sound believers who are indeed married unto Christ and are branches of A believer may know by a certainty of faith that Christ died for him the Vine and members of the Body So that now the summe of the Answer is this That a truely believing person may know with a certainty of Faith not only that Christ died for sinners but also for him and for his sinnes and for his salvation though he doth not as yet certainly know this yet he may know this though he doth not alwayes at all times under temptations and falls and conflicts and desertions know this yet he may attain unto this certain knowledge which I suppose will be made out by Scripture and good Arguments 1 Joh. 5. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witnesse in himself ver Proved by Scripture 11. And this is the Record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son ver 12. He that hath the Son hath life ver 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that ye may knâ—w that ye have eternal life Rom. 4. 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him ver 24. But for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead ver 25. who was delivered for our offences and was raised for our justification Gal. 2. 20. Who loved me and gave himself for me 1 Joh. 2. 1. We have an Advâ—cate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous ver 2. And he is the Propitiation for our sins ver 12. Your sins are forgiven you for his Name sake Rev. 1. 5. Vnto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption Cant. 6. 3. I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine Besides these Scriptures let us consider of some Arguments depending upon Scripture which do prove that a person may certainly know that God intended Arguments from Scripture Christ for him and that Christ dyed for him c. 1. If a particular person may certainly know that he doth truely believe in Christ then he may certainly know that Christ died to save him for the Scripture saith Joh. 3. 16. Whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life And Joh. 10. 27. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and ver 28. â— give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand But a particular person may certainly know that he doth truely believe in Christ Ergo. Heb. 10. 39. We are not of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soule 2 Cor. 4. 13. We having the same Spirit of Faith according as it is written I believed and â—herefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed Job 19. 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth It is to me a strange thing that any should think it impossible for a man that hath faith to know that he hath it why should we think it impossible for Lazarus being raised to life now to know that he hath life or for the blind to whom Christ gave sight confidently to say as he in Joh. 9. 25. One thing I know that whereas I was blind I now see So for a man who was formerly dead in sins but now is raised by the Faith of the operation of God Col. 2 12. to say with Paul I live by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. and who was formerly ignorant of the beauties of Christ so that no comelinâ—ss appeared in him but now his eyes are opened and he looks on Christ as the chiefest of ten thousand and as altogether lovely and desirable May not this man say I know I do believe when the Apostle hath said unto you that believe he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. Again the Apostle saith in Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God Can faith let in this peace into our hearts and yet we be uncertain whether we have that faith And the same Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given us of God Surely faith is one of the chiefest things that are freely given unto us of God It is the gift of God Ephes 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. c. 2. The proper and real end of self Examination is at least a possibilâ—ty of knowledge Nay the proper scope of it is certain knowledge For because as we are doubtful therefore we examine and try so we therefore examine try and prove that thereupon we may come to acknowledge a certainty Nay saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know you not your own selves that Christ is you except you be reprobates Object The Apostle doth only put them upon a tryal whether Christ be in them yea or no. Sol. 'T is true that is the work which he puts them upon But 1. I demand Is that work feasable or not is it possible for them to come unto that knowledge of Christs being in them upon that rryal or is it not if it be not