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A39929 Eternal glorification begun in regeneration, or, A discourse of regeneration intended for the profit of all, both regenerate and unregenerate persons / by Stephen Ford. Ford, Stephen, d. 1694. 1675 (1675) Wing F1508; ESTC R27370 134,202 259

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sin against God or wrong their own Souls God hath promised to cause men to fear him not so much for his Judgments as for his Mercy and Co●dness Hos 3.5 and this fear he put into the Body of Regeneration without which it will be imperfect Seventhly Humility Meekness These Graces if they are two are parts of the New Creature they are the Beauty and Ornament of the New Creature without which it would not be so amiable and lovely as now it is We are by Nature exceeding proud rugged haughty sowre and pievish Creatures but God loves a meek and humble spirit and therefore he Regenerates some with Humility and Meekness and the more men have of these the more lovely they are to God and men the more conformable to Christ who was meek and lowly in heart Matth. 11.29 Christ will have all his Members like himself the Body must be like the Head and Christ becoming their Head in Regeneration he bestows on them his Humility and Meekness which is a part of that fulness of Grace he hath received for his Members Meekness is one of the glorious fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 and one of the Graces of Christ Jam. 4.6 By Humility and Meekness Christ prepares and capacitates men for his service and communion with himself to bow and bend them to his holy will and make them obedient unto him in all things for only the Humble and Meek are such persons and walkers Eighthly Zeal Regeneration makes men zealous against sin and for God and godliness Before Regeneration men may have a zeal for God but not the Zeal it is not according to knowledge Rom. 10.2 True Gospel-zeal is a glorious Grace of Christ infused into men in Regeneration and that in pursuance of one of the great ends of Christ his death Tit. 2.14 He gave himself to redeem us from all iniquity and to make us a peculiar people zealous of good works Before men are Regenerated they are zealous for their own gain honour pleasure and superstition but Regeneration makes them zealous for God with the Zeal of God As soon as Paul was converted he shewed himself a true and great Zealot indeed for Christ Grace Holiness and the Souls of men It is holy Gospel-zeal that makes men active for God and puts them forward to follow their Light Light in the Head without Zeal in the Heart may fill men with notions of duty but never make them Practitioners of duty they may know the Will of God but they will not they cannot be perswaded to do it 't is true that Zeal without knowledge is not good and as true that knowledge without zeal is unprofitable Christ hath a fulness of zeal for men and in Regeneration he imparts it to them Ninthly Prayer In Regeneration Christ infuses the Grace and Spirit of Prayer as soon as Paul was Regenerated behold he prayeth Acts 9.11 He had often prayed before for he was a zealous Pharisee and concerning the Law he was blameless Phil. 3.6 but he never prayed aright until he was Regenerated for then Christ gave him the grace of Prayer he could then pray with Grace in his heart and then not till then behold he prayeth There are none can pray spiritually but New Creatures for the voice of Nature is the voice of the flesh and what is of the flesh is flesh Joh. 3.6 and that voice God is not pleased with and heareth not but it is the voice of the New Creature which is formed and made up of the Grace and Spirit of Christ that God heareth and delighteth in Pro. 15.8 Therefore God promiseth to give unto men in Regeneration the Spirit of Grace and Supplication Zach. 12.10 that they may thereby be enabled to pray unto God holily and acceptably 1 Pet. 2.5 Rom. 8.26 27. God is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and truth Joh. 4.23 24. and therefore he spirits them in Regeneration so to do Men may speak great and good words and make plausible and seemingly good prayers from light in their heads and other common spiritual gifts without Regeneration but they are but fleshly cold dead and loathsome prayers because they proceed not from a Divine Root and Spring they are dead their hearts are dead and therefore their prayers must needs be dead prayers which the Living God abhors Isa 1. But now Regeneration opens their hearts and tongues enlivens and quickens them puts a heavenly Principle into them so that now they can speak to God with new tongues and hearts now they can pray in Faith and Hope with spiritual and lively affections and in obedience to the Will of God Tenthly Self-denial Men are by Nature altogether selfish they are wholly devoted to the service of the flesh and set upon fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind Eph. 2.3 Rom. 8.5 Phil. 3.19 But God lays in Self-denying grace on their hearts in Regeneration so that now they can deny themselves of their ease pleasures profits opinions relations peace and all their once beloved Interests whatsoever for God Holiness Truth and the welfare of their own Souls They can and that upon choice displease themselves to please God they can willingly be nothing that Christ may be all in all things Col. 3.11 yea they would be the Footstool of Christ to exalt him and set him on the Throne Regeneration makes them account their all too little for him as before they accounted a little too much for Christ This is the great term on which we receive and believe in the Lord Jesus Mark 8.34 Matth. 16.24 Luk. 9.23 and by Regeneration he gives them power and will to do it Psal 110.3 Phil. 2.13 Joh. 6.44 45. This Regeneration wrought in Paul Gal. 1.16 I consulted not with flesh and blood says he that is as soon as he was Regenerated Christ sent him to preach the Faith which before he had zealously destroyed vers 23. and that amongst the barbarous Heathens where was much danger and in the doing of which he should meet with many difficulties as he did yet he immediately yielded up himself to the Will of Christ and laid his own in the dust So when Christ called Peter and Andrew they straightway left all and followed him Matth. 4.18 19 20. and after ward Matthew did the like he presently left his gainful Trade at the Custom-House and followed Christ Matth. 9.9 So the Disciples tell Christ Luke 18. that they had left all and followed him and the grace of Self-denial is given to all Regenerate persons in the very moment of their Regeneration Eleventhly Sincerity This is the general grace or that which is the Salt that seasons and makes as it were all other grace good and singular Gospel-sincerity is the holy spiritual Leven that runs through the whole Lump or Body of the graces of Christ given in Regeneration it is not properly one single grace but it is rather the grace of all other graces 't is that which makes
to live always in a dependency on their Creator For although God made Man a perfect Creature filled him with his Grace and adorned him with his Image yet he was but a Creature and he was always to live and have his dependency on God for his subsistance and not to stand and continue in that state from and by himself but to depend wholly on him that made him This he was bound to do not only in point of prudence for his own security and peace but in point of duty as that which he was indispensably bound unto by the Law of his Creation His neglect of his duty in this occasioned his Dreadful Fall which ruined him I mean Adam and all his Posterity The same end doth God Regenerate men for namely that they may believe in Jesus Christ and in God the Father by him Joh. 14.1 1 Pet. 1.21 that they may trust commit themselves to him and live in a constant dependence on him Isa 26.4 Psal 37.3.5 Therefore doth he infuse his Faith into them when he Regenerates them Col. 1.12 and writes this Law in their hearts that they may obey it Jer. 31.33 Heb. 10.16 3 They were at first Created to love God with all their hearts and chiefest strongest and warmest love that they might esteem and love him as their highest and chiefest good and singular Object of all their affections This Law of our Creation we have exprest in Matth. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind So likewise this is Gods End in his second Creation or Regeneration and therefore doth he circumcise their hearts to love him Deut. 30.6 writes this Law in their hearts and sheds it abroad into them in Regeneration Rom. 5.5 that they may love him aright and that with his own love without which they cannot do it 4 The Lord Created Man to fear him to reverence and stand in awe of him as their great Soveraign Lord and King This Law was created with them and written in their hearts until sin had defaced and blotted it out This Law is also written in the Bible that men may remember what was written in their hearts in their Creation and know their duty and one of the ends for which they were Created how they have lost it and to provoke them to endeavour the recovery of it How often have we this Law exprest in Scripture Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God thou shalt stand in awe and sin not Deut. 6.13.24 Deut. 10.12.20 Psal 2.11 Psal 4.4 1 Pet. 2.17 It is a holy fear not a perplexing and heart-disquieting fear that is commanded it is a fear that is not an Adversary to Faith and Love as the forbidden fear is but it is useful for us and helpful to all other Graces Now in Regeneration God puts this fear into our hearts Jer. 32.39 40. that we may serve the Lord with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 that we may not sin or depart from God Jer. 32. I will put my fear into their hearts and they shall not depart from me But I must hasten 5 God Created Man to obey him and yield him free loving and chearful subjection and obedience He formed them for his Subjects and Children that they should subject themselves unto his Laws and Authority and yield or give to him the obedience of Subjects to their Soveraign and of Children to their Creator and Begetter and accordingly they were Created with the Principle and Power of obedience and to this Created Principle God presently added a positive Law to try and exercise their obedience unto God Gen. 2.16 17. But of the Tree of Knowledge thou shalt not eat of it nor touch it The Image of God in which Adam and we in him were Created was such as fully enabled him and us had we kept it to have yielded all heart and practical obedience unto his whole will he wanted nothing to help him but he had all Grace in perfection to obey and conform to the whole Will of God at all times But Sin rooted the Principle and Power of Heart-obedience quite out of us so that men have now neither will nor power to obey the Will of God until they are regenerated by Grace But that God might not loose this End altogether for which he created Man he is pleased of his meer Grace to Regenerate and renew some of Mankind and thereby frame and mould them to such obedience as he at first intended them for for men cannot neither will they obey until Grace hath restored this old Power and Principle of obedience which they had lost And therefore he Regenerates and infuses this Power and Principle into men to make them willing Subjects and obedient Children 1 Pet. 1.14 Rom. 6.16 17 22. This was Gods End in sending Paul to convert the Gentiles Rom. 15.18 and this is powerfully effected in men in and by the work of Regeneration 6 That they might serve and worship him according to his revealed will God made men to worship and serve him externally as well as internally by loving fearing him and the like Christ mentions this in Matth. 4.10 when the Devil desired external worship from him It is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God They were created in the Image of God to serve him with fear that is to worship God Psal 2.11 Heb. 12.28 Now God Regenerates men that they may by his Grace be enabled to do and perform that worship to him which he at first created them for and the Law of their Creation enjoyns them to that is to worship God in Spirit and Truth for such Christ tells us the Father seeks to worship him John 4.23 24. God works them for this self-same thing though not only for it says Paul 2 Cor. 5.5 Regeneration makes men together with the help of the Spirit worship God according to his own Will and appointment spiritually holily and acceptably through Jesus Christ Heb. 12.28 1 Pet. 2.5 Rom. 12.1 But assuredly there are not any such Worshippers in the World but Regenerate persons for all other men do what they do in the Worship of God without the Grace and Spirit of God and therefore cannot worship him in Spirit and Truth 7 God created Man in his own Image that they might know him and therefore gave them a sufficient light to see by and eyes to use that light revealed and made known himself unto them that they might clearly see him and always have him and his Will in their eyes The Image of God was Light and Knowledge as well as Righteousness and Holiness and therefore Adam knew and saw God so far as a Man was or in that state could be capable of knowing him which as it aggravated his sin so it heightned his happiness while he kept it The knowledge of God was absolutely necessary to help him and us in him to trust love fear and obey him so likewise to
neither do they desire there should be their minds and thoughts are wholly taken up about making provision for their Pride Covetousness Carnal Security Vain Glory Good Opinion of themselves and other filthy Lusts and they make themselves their Drudges and humble servants Rom. 13. ult And hence they are said to serve sin Rom. 6.6.17.20 But new Creatures know and account their Lusts their greatest Enemies and prosecute them with implacuble enmity and hatred They know either they must destroy their Lusts or they will destroy them They know that they have trucifyed the Son of God and put him to open shame and they know that they have greatly wronged their own Souls Pro. 8. ult And therefore they will give them no Quarter but stab them to the heart whatever it cost them to do it 4. Watching They are called to and imployed in the work of watching and guarding themselves against all their enemies This is another of their Special and peculiar works and businesses It is spetial and peculiar to new or regenerate men though it is the duty of all men yet none but they are conscientiously and dutifully imploying and exercising themselves in it But good men are 1 Joh. 5.18 But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself That is they do watch a●me and guard themselves so David did Psal 102.7 Psal 130.6 and the Scripture makes it one of the Special properties of good servants as well as their workes Habak 2.1 which Christ pronounces Blessed Revel 16.15 2 Cor. 11.27 Luk. 12.37 Regenerate men are beset with enemies which watch their opportunities to assault and betray them and that they know They know that Satan watches them and Lusts watch and the world watches to hurt and mischief their Souls and therefore they watch them and prepare against them It is true that good men are apt to be too negligent in this duty and need stirings up to it and it is as true that they do ordinarily practice this duty and worke They are moved to it 1 by the will and command of God God requires them to watch guard themselves Mark 13.33 34 37. 1 Their own hearts Pro. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence 2 the Devil 1 Pet. 5.8 Be Sober be Vigilant for your adversary the Devil as a Roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour 3 The World Luk. 21.34.36 4 To watch unto prayer and all other duties Col. 4. and Acts 20.31 1 The Calls to and opportunities for them that through heedlesness and inadvertency we let them not slip away from us without imbracing and improving them to the Glory of God and our Souls profit or advantage of others 2 That we may close in and joyn Issues with God and his designes in giving them to us and that in the time and season of them and that freely and readily 2 They are moved to a fervent attendance on this work and duty by and from their dangers They are in continual danger of assaults and surprizalls from them and therefore they must be always upon their watch to prevent their designs discover their plots and foyl them in their Attempts 3 From their own security and comfort they are moved to this worke It is easier keeping an Enemy out of the Garison of the heart then dealing with and driving him out ●hen admitted in Their own as well as Christs honour safety and happiness is much concerned in their so doing God hath 1 committed themselves to their own keeping and given them the care and charge of themselves 1 Joh. 5.21 Pro. 4.23 Jam. 1. ult 'T is true ●●at God doth watch over and keep them in especially manner also Isa 27.3 1 Pet. ●5 and that when they are most careful to ●eep themselves 2 God hath intrusted them with power light will and abilities to keep themselves and in their doing of it in obedience to his will he hath promised to keep and secure them from Sin and danger likewise 1 Pet. 5.7.2 Tim. 4.18 They watch and keep themselves dutifully in order to their safety and God keeps and watches them powerfully and effectually so as that the s●es of Hell shall not prevaile against them Math. 16.18 But they cannot so keep and secure themselves with their utmost diligence This I say is the work and imployment of regenerate persons they and they only live in the practice of it Unregenerate persons do no way concern themselves in this great and special work They know it not they love it not neither have they hearts to do it withal They think it a work of supererogation and that such as are busied about it are more strict and precise than they should be They fear neither God Sin World nor Devil neither are they sensible of the danger they are in of destruction but go on securely in the wayes of their own hearts and speak peace unto themselves presuming that no evil shall come to them 5 They are employing and exercising themselves in worshiping God according to his own will and Appointment namely to worship God in Spirit and Truth and that with his own worship We are they sayes Paul of himself and other Saints who worship God in Spirit Psal 3.3 They are convinced that they must and that God will so be worshiped of them Joh. 4.24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth For this self-same thing though not onely doth God Regenerate men and thereby lays in and sets up a principle of divine worship in them that so they may readily do it according to the will of God For sayes Christ the Father seeketh such to worship him Joh. 4.23 that is that the Father doth by Christs Gospel and the holy Ghost call and regenerate teach and Spirit some to worship him It is their desire choice care and study to draw nigh to God in all parts of his worship with true hearts Heb. 10.22 and to worship God sincerely and Spiritually To please and honour him to sanctify his name and holy worship and to give unto the Lord the hon●●● due unto his name to comply with his holy will and ends to make his praise glorious Psal 29.1 2. Psal 66.2 This is also one of their high and noble works holy and Spiritual imployments and that wherein their Souls delight to this they are called for this they are in part fitted and qualified in their Regeneration and this is their work and business ever ●●er Thus it is with you and so is your ●ractice if you are Regenerated Unregene●●te men are strangers and adversaries to this peculiar work and duty of new Creatures they know it not they do it not neither con●●rn themselves with it They take up in and are satisfied with the Letter without the Spirit with the form without the Truth and ●●er of Godliness and they imagine that they have done God good service when they have spent some time in external duties and ordi●ances without the great
and onely necessary things that God requires in them But good men cry watch and pray and do all they can to worship God in Spirit and Truth from their new Natures Root and spring within and the holy Ghost his assistance and without this they cannot be satisfied This is the mark they have in their Eye in all their addresses to God 6 Trusting in and liveing on Christ This is a special and peculiar work and duty which none can do but new Creatures But it is their work and business 2 Cor. 5.7 Heb. 10 38. R●● 1.17 It is a duty that lies with power in their hearts and 't is of great account in their Souls They are commanded to live by faith and make God their onely Trust and in obedience thereunto they do it Isa 26.4 Psal 37.3.5 1 Pet. 5.7 Psal 62.8 They are called to live the life of faith and pure dependance on God for all things and they are furnished with abilities so to do The faith of Christ is written in their hearts and they have a kind of a natural Genious and disposition to it Thus we find Abraham David Paul and other Saints of God had and did It is a Li●● far above and beyond the reach of nature and natural Reason and God works some to and for it by his Grace in Regeneration and presents unto them suitable grounds and objects for their faith to rest and live upon as his bonds or promises his covenant and oath his truth and faithfulness and his all sufficiency and immutability God presents to them his S●●s blood Death and Resurrection his natures and offices his intercession and potency with God to prevaile for them in Heaven and procure mercies for them and the fulness of Christ as furnished and filled with all Grace for them And upon these grounds and objects they re●● and bear themselves There they fly for Refuge Pro. 18.10 and there and on them they live and wait for all supplies of Grace Phill. 4.19 And that when the Figtree doth 〈◊〉 blossome nor any herds are in the stall Habuck 3.17 18 19. For what ever God hath promised to his people they claim a share in and can trust him to give it to them in his own time and way To instance in some particulars 1 God hath promised to pardon them Isa 55. ● they can and do believe him and rest upon his for it 2 Hath God promised to give Repe●tance they can believe and trust him 3 To heal their Back-slidings and love them freely Hose● 14.4 They can believe and trust him 4 To pour out more of the spirit and abundance 〈◊〉 grace Acts. 2. Joh. 10. they can trust him 〈◊〉 Hath God promised to give grace and ●●y and to supply all their wants Psal 84.11 ●●on 4.8 and never to leave them nor forsake 〈◊〉 Heb. 13.5 they can and do believe and ●●st him 6 Hath God promised to subdue 〈◊〉 Lusts and sanctify their hearts Ezek. 36.25 〈◊〉 Micah 7.18.19 they can and do believe a●d trust him 7 Hath God promised to hear ●eir prayers Psal 50.15 Help their infirmitites 〈◊〉 8.26 Accept their offerings Isa 56.7 ●eward their Services 2 Cron. 15.7 and to ●●ep them by his power through faith unto salvati●● 1 Pet 1.5 they can and do believe and trust him upon his word They do commit ●eir all to and leave their all with him and are ●●isfied in their so doing They believe all is ●afe and sure that is entrusted in his hand and glad they are that they have themselves and their all in his custody It is true they have ●heir fits of unbelief and do too often distrust God and in measure let go their Anchor hold but they recover themselves and what they ●ave lost again when the Tempest is over and they are in a Calm It is one of their great works and employments notwithstanding to trust God and live the life of faith and that upon choice and with their whole desire and in the general course of their Lives they are enabled by Grace to reach and live it whate●er oppositions are in their way Therefore it is that they are called Believers and Trusters of God by the holy Ghost in Scripture namely because it is their proper Life to which they are called in Regeneration and that which they do choose and endeavour to Live But unregenerate persons do not live this Life at all They have no acquaintance with it neither know they what it means experimentally but onely upon hear-say they are not regenerated and therefore are still in a state of unbelief and impenitency They have no living faith at all neither do they heartily desire it They are called unbelievers 2 Cor. 6.14 15. Revel 21.8 because they have no special faith to trust God withal and do not live the Life of faith 7 They are called to regenerated for and exercised about all sorts of holy duties and heavenly things They live in Heaven and Trade in Heaven Revel 13 6. Phil. 3 20. In a word their business is to acquaint themselves with their Fathers and Husbands Laws and their d●ties and to love and obey them with their promises and the good of them that they may believe them and hope upon them and to suck out the hony and sweetness of them for their consolation and peace and to encourage them in their duty and walking with God and they acquaint themselves with their God and Saviour and the great things of another world These are their good things and they allure and draw their minds and affections to them In them and the contemplation of them do they delight They feel taste and see the Goodness of them and are greatly enamored with them They have their hearts and that causes them so much to converse with them and Trade in them and with them They know it is their duty to live and converse with them because God hath so commanded Coll. 3.1.2.3 and they do it in obedience thereunto But that is not all the Reason of their so doing no but they do it because these things and matters are their Spiritual and everlasting Treasures In them lies all their durable riches honour comfort and happiness They are sweet to their tast and pleasant to the eye and they are the onely Good and Portion of their souls Math. 6.21 Coll. 2.3 They have nothing else to trust to nor any thing besides that can satisfy the wants and craving desires of their Souls For these ends and purposes are they born again and set here in this world and for these ends and purposes are they kept and maintained their hearts have chosen all they love all and their desires and endeavours to go out after to reach them all About them their minds judgments understandings consciences wills affections and their all are busied and imployed and that as in and about their own proper and constant work and business But other men do wholly mind work and imploy themselves in other
and constantly go to the Court of Justice and Mercy and crave Pardon of all your sins and take out sealed Pardons through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant For Christ gave himself to Redeem you from all Iniquity Tit. 2.14 so that you are now in and by believing made free from sin and stand as clear in Christs Righteousness and Gods Justification as if you had never sinned This is another of your glorious Priviledges who are New Creatures 4. You are Priviledged with great Interest in Christ and God the Father by him and have free ●ccess to him at all times in your dutiful carriages and obedient walkings towards him You have great interest in and power with God and you are priviledg'd with open ingress to him His doors stands always open to let you into his Presence Chamber for the Lord Jesus hath opened them for you and none can shut them against you You have this great Master of Requests waiting on or rather sitting by the great God and waiting for you that when you come with your Petitions you may find him ready to attend and prosecute your concerns in Heaven for you Heb. 7.25 Heb. 9.24 Rom. 8.34 You have his heart and he hath always his Fathers ear Job 11.42 so that you need never fear any miscarriage of or in your businesses there And be sure that all your greatest concerns lie in his hand and he is engaged to you and to his Father for you to mind and mannage them to your advantage For he tells us That he would go to Heaven and pray the Father for you Job 14 16. and hath told us since he went to Heaven that he was always attending on it Heb. 7.25 Before he left the World in his last Will and Testament he bequeathing this Priviledge unto his People and left it as a part of their Legacy to and for them that we might have what we would of him Joh. 14 13 14. And he gives us all possible assurance of it by his Asseverations Verily verily vers 12. says he I say unto you that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name that will I do And then he further confirms his grant and promise by an Argument taken from his Father his concern and interest in his so doing namely That the Father may be glorified in the Son that is by the grant he had given his people of power and interest in him to make use of him and using his Name at the Throne of Grace with his Father as also his praying and appearing for them to and with his Father and carrying on his peoples concernments there ●is Father would take it as his honour concern and interest This Truth is evidenced and confirmed throughout the Gospel in innumerable places As in Joh. 15.7 Joh. 16. This is another of your great and dear bought Priviledges which are confer'd on you and put into your possession in Regeneration For assuredly other men have it not neither had it you before I pray for them I pray not for the world no but for them which thou hast given me out of the world for they are thine and mine says Christ Joh. 17. Other men have nothing to do with me in this matter nor I with them I pray for my Sheep my Members my Believers my New Creatures For such as have chosen me for their King and High Priest to govern and interceed for them These are the persons for whom I have shed my Blood and for whose Souls I sacrificed my Life to Divine Justice These are the men that I have dearly bought and those are the persons that wear my Livery and bear my Image and therefore I pray for them They lie deep in my Affections and so do I in theirs They are near and dear to me and so am I to them likewise I have promised this priviledge to them and they have thankfully accepted it and kindly embraced it They make use of me and have their eyes and dependence on me to appear for them in Heaven and therefore they may come boldly to my Throne of Grace and find favour and Grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. ult These my New Creatures may ask of me what they will and it shall be done to them Job 15.7 And as they have great Interest in the ear and heart of Christ and may be familiarly bold with him as he doth and will pray for and mannage their concerns in Heaven for them so they have free access unto the Father and a great interest in his ear and heart also upon Christs account Hence the Lord Jesus tells his Disciples when he was comforting and encouraging them and pouring out as it were his heart and Bowels of Love unto them I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you Joh. 16 26 27. That is your heavenly Father hath such Love and Affection for you and your interest is so great in him upon my account that if I should hold my peace and not speak a word to him in your behalfs yet he hath Grace and Love enough to and for you and that he will also mind your concernments And you may go to him in my Name and make use of him in all your matters and businesses 5. All the promises that are made and given appointed and intended for the Saints and People of God in the Gospel are yours All the promises of Grace and to Grace and Gospel obedience with all the good all the marrow and fatness of them are yours Not a Hony-comb in all the Hive of the Gospel-Covenant but what will yield you some drops of hony and sweetness And you being new Creatures and married to Christ in whom are all the Promises yea and amen 2 Cor. 1.20 all the Promises are your Dowry and Portion They are all Intayled on and made over to you they are your great Pattent and Charter for all Grace and Glory and by which you may plead and do hold your Right and Title to Grace and Christ hear and Eternall Life hereafter For if all things be yours as the Gospel saith they are 1 Cor. 3.22 Then all the Promises of the new Covenant are yours likewise And with a holy boldness you may Claim and appropriate them and all the milk and hony of them to your selves as yours by Grant and Purchase Are you indeed and in Truth Regenerate Persons why then rejoyce and be exceeding glad for the great Charter of heaven is yours You are of the little holy and heavenly corporation and City Citizens of the new Jerusalem that came down from heaven and therefore you have a Right unto and Interest in all the promises of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 You have the promises of all Grace and happiness and for whatever you need and much more To instance in a few of many and that briefly 1. You have the Promises of pardon of the