to the Covenant when ye find ye desire a thing ye cannot produce a Promise for suspect it as an unwarrantable desire and all that hath gotten the victory over the corruption of their heart if ye can go this night and ly down and appeal to him that is the fearcher of the heart ye desire no more than what is promised it s an evidence he hath mortified your desires and brought you under the Bond of the Covenant blessed are they that can say the Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant and desire no more if he would make me a King nay and give me all that is betwixt the rising of the Sun and the going down thereof I desire no more for he hath made with me a Covenant SERMON XXXV 2 Samuel 23.5 Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow DAvid is describing the Covenant that God made with him that it was everlasting and well ordered and sure he builds two great Conclusions on it this is all my salvation and all my desire the latter of these I have spoken to it 's a great mercy when we can have our desires regulat according to the Covenant when there is nothing desired but promised mercies irregular desires are the great foundation of the torment of our life they cannot choose but have sweet contentment and a life full of tranquillity that have gotten the victory over their desires not warranted by the Covenant But I will say no more of this before I leave these two there is one thing yet lying in them all my salvation and all my desire the two joyned together imports that the Covenant is a perfect Charter it 's a very rational Deduction from it That which is all the ground of the hope of salvation and that which is satisfaction to all desires must be a perfect Covenant therefore before I leave the handling of this Character of the Covenant I will take in this and handle it this day Doctrine That the Covenant of Grace made with believers is a perfect Covenant it is a very useful character of it and comfortable and therefore hearken unto it it may be said of the Covenant which David Psal 19.7 says The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul and that which he says Psal 119.96 I have seen an end of all perfection but thy Commandment is exceeding broad it 's as much as I can see no end of thy Commands they are so full and so perfect this is an excellent character and property of the Covenant whereas in other things we can see nothing but vanity and emptiness and froth there is a perfection in the Covenant That I may the more distinctly handle this I will propose these four things to be dwelt on 1. I will prove by some reasons that the Covenant of God is a perfect Covenant 2ly I will enquire in what respects it is perfect 3ly I shall clear some Questions and answer some Objections against its perfection and in the last place I shall dwell on the practical part of it Reasons First For some reasons to prove that the Covenant is perfect and indeed it 's not easie to believe the Covenant to be perfect every one will have their Objection against it yet there are these four things that will very strongly concur to demonstrat that it is a perfect Covenant 1. That to which nothing can be added and from which nothing can be wanting must be a perfect Covenant that is the proper definition of perfection now this agrees well to the Covenant there is nothing wanting in it and nothing can be added to it it is remarkable Rev. 22. He that adds to the words of this Prophesie God shall add to him the plagues written in this book and he that takes from it God shall take his name out of the book of life that is one sure reason to prove it a perfect Covenant Papists tell us they say they add no corrupt additions but perfecting additions to the words of this Book now corrupt additions is a contradiction for a corruption is not an addition but the Covenant is so perfect as whosoever he be that offers to add to the words of this Book God will add to him the plagues of this Book and whosoever he be that takes from it God will take his name out of the Book of life Reas 2. That Covenant that is sufficient to make the man of God perfect must be a perfect Covenant that which is in it self sufficient to make a Believer perfect what can be more requlsite to make up perfection as to us but the thing that will make us perfect And the Covenant is sufficient to make the man of God perfect 1 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness Now since they are sufficient to make the man of God Perfect the Covenant must be a perfect Covenant that is thus useful Reas 3. It will prove a perfect Covenant if ye consider that God in the Covenant is at the outmost of his offers now there can be nothing wanting if God be at the outmost of what he can offer There are three things that in the Covenant evidences God to be at his outmost so to speak with reverence that he cannot go beyond the three 1. The blessings of the Covenant he cannot go beyond them he cannot offer greater things than himself and his Son and both these are promised in the Covenant 2ly He is at the outmost of the freedom of the terms on which these offers are made it 's impossible to make an offer on freer terms that we should accept of him and turn from our iniquity and hearken and incline our ear to the Covenant what easier terms was it possible for God to make such great offers on 3ly He is at his outmost as to the Seals and Security of the Covenant it 's remarkable when he confirm'd the Covenant to Abraham Heb 6. Because he had no greater to swear by he swore by himself that imports that he gave the greatest Oath he could make if he could have sworn by a greater he would have sworn by it so he is at his outmost as to all these three Must not that then be a perfect Covenant where God is at his outmost and where to speak with reverence he can neither make greater offers nor freer offers nor give greater security for his offers Reas 4. That must be a perfect Covenant which upon the grounds given in the Text satisfies all desires and is all the hope of salvation this proves it a perfect Covenant our desires are very vast they are ordinarily like the Sea our desires are like an Ocean yet all desires and even when they shall be racked to
obedience as ye see required in it 4ly It 's perfect in respect it 's a compleat answer to all our necessities there is nothing our necessity can call for but it 's contained in the Covenant the truth of this will appear if ye take notice of two things 1. There is no want a Believer can be lyable to but readily ye will get two Promises in the Covenant relating to it some have taken the pains to cast them up and in their Treatises made appear that there is no want a Christian can come under but in the Covenant there will be at least two Promises for one want if ye go through particularly is it a heart of stone ye complain of Is it an unclean heart Is it weakness of Grace Is it the strength of corruption Be what it will ye shall readily find two Promises for what ever want a Christian can come under 2ly The Covenant holds out Christ in all his three Offices it 's certain Christ being appointed of the Father a Physician a Mediator a Propitiation he must be suited to all our wants now Christ in his fulness is holden out in the Covenant so the Covenant in all the Promises of it is nothing but the execution of his threefold Office as King Priest and Prophet in the Church hence I rationally infer it 's a perfect Covenant for if there be a fulness in Christ in whom a Believer is compleat and that fulness be communicat and dispensed according to the tenor of the Covenant then it must be a perfect Covenant for there is no want there is no strait there is no case that can be perplexing but at least ye shall find two promises if not sometimes six relating to it Lastly to prove it a perfect Covenant that must be a perfect Covenant the blessings whereof are to be eternal indeed if they ended if there were but a Liferent-tack of them suppose he should give us a Tack of peace and of pardon and all that God hath suppose he should have made over all that he hath in the Covenant and only given us seventy years Tack o◠them as he hath given us of our life and the date of our time though it had been perfect in excellency yet it had not beet perfect in duration but this makes it perfed in all things and well ordered that as the excellency of it stands in this that all that is in God and all the righteousness of his Son is made over to us so it is to endure for all eternity Now lay these four together and ye will see that the truth of this is unquestionable that among many excellent characters and propetties of the Covenant this is a special one that it is perfect Before I apply this Doctrine there are three Objections one of them made by Quakers another by Papists and a third by Episcopal men and Patrons of Ceremonies and all the three I will remove Object 1. First it may be Objected this Covenant is not perfect why There are many things revealed by a voice within us say the Quakers not contained in the Scriptures that cannot be a perfect Covenant that contains not all things necessar for Salvation and this Covenant contains not all things necessar for Salvation why The Spirit reveals this and that to me when there is no nearness to him and this is necessar and therefore the Covenant cannot be perfect and indeed Quakers who are multiplying and against whom Ministers should give warning they are twining up their Disputs to this head for if they gain this that the Spirit reveals new Truths not contained in the Bible they gain all their desire what ever is born in on a man they call it the work of the Spirit now what can be Replyed to this Ans For Answer to this and to guard against this Doctrine of theirs ye would take notice of three or four things about it 1. The proper work of the Spirit of Truth is not to reveal new Truths but to open the eyes to the Truths already revealed when the Spirit the Comforter comes he will guide you in all Truth and bring all things to your remembrance the work of the Spirit of Truth is to bring all things already revealed to our remembrance The Spirit when he comes he shall take of mine and shew it you John 14.16 That is He shall take my Covenant and my Righteousness and shall shew it to you so the work of the Spirit of Truth is to bring things to our remembrance that Christ hath already revealed when they are put to it they cannot in all the Bible shew the least Promise that the Spirit will reveal new Truths but will bring things already revealed to our remembrance 2ly Take notice that this Principle contain one of the greatest reflections on the Scripture if there were no more to make it odious to you than this it is enough for it says the word of God is not perfect the Spirit says it is perfect and closes the Bible with it If any shall add to the prophesies of this Book God shall add to him all the plagues contained in this Book if there were no more to make it abominat and odious by all sober Christians this reflection that it contains on the perfect rule of manners the Scriptures and Covenant of God it is enough and who will maintain a necessity of Revelation of new Truths must maintain that the things already revealed were not perfect and consequently reflect on God who hath given man a rule but not a perfect rule 3ly The evil of this will appear in regard it were the way to destroy and to turn not only mankind but the Church of God into confusion by what rule shall one discern the thing born in upon us to be from the Spirit They say they are to judge the Spirit by the thing born in upon us and not to judge the thing born in on us by the Spirit Therefore in Germany it was so born in on a man to that hight as to kill his own Wife and one another to blaspheme God and one another to commit Incest and shall we judge such blasphemies against God and such horrid Acts of Murder and Incest whe◠born in on a person to be from the Spirit That would destroy both the Church of God and all humane Society An◠Lastly it fathers on the Spirit of Christ the Spirit of Truth all the horrid Inventions and Imaginations of mans own hear◠what a dreadful thing is this that the corrupt heart inven◠and imagines and then fathers it on the Spirit of God an◠speaks lyes in his Name So if there were no more to make you tremble at this Principle of Quakers and make you 〈◊〉 believe the Covenant a perfect Covenant it 's more than enough Now for all this Principle of Quakers and the Objections the◠make the Covenant is perfect and all things to be believe◠and to be done are contained in it and they
keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold of my Covenant them will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer and their burnt-offerings and sacrifices shall be accepted on mine Altar And Ps 50.5 Gather my Saints together to me that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice In effect the closing with the Covenant is our effectual calling 3. The Covenant is the Foundation of all the Relations and Consequences of all the familiarity grounded on these Relations betwixt God and his People The ground why we call him my God and my hope my rock my husband my Lord the ground of all these Relations and Familiarity founded on them is the Covenant 4. The Answer of all Challenges nay of all Temptations comes also from the Covenant Ordinarily Challenges proceed from the Law and the Threatnings and Curses of the Law The best answer to them is we are not under the Law but under Grace which is in effect to say we are under a Covenant of Grace Lastly 〈…〉 great help to perform Duty is the Covenant if we be commanded to repent to pray to believe to suffer we must always run to some Promise of the Covenant for strength and it is remarkable there is no Command in all the Law but in the Covenant there is some Promise relating to that Duty and strength for performing of it is holden out in the Promise for in effect if we look after Light or clearing in our effectual calling or if we would lay a sure Foundation of either an interest in or familiarity with God or hold off Temptations or Challenges or have strength to perform Duties it 's necessary in the whole course of our Life that we know our interest in the Covenant but this is especially necessary at death which before I yet confirm I will add one Caution which is this That it may fall out that a person with whom God hath made an everlasting Covenant ye◠they may be unclear about their interest in the Covenant when they come to die they cannot say among their last words the Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant among many things there may be these Three that may have influence in the darkning of ones interest in the Covenant at Death and when they are about their last words 1. When one has been given much to doubting in the whole course of their Life readily God may give them though not a Hell for it yet he may give them a flood of it at their Death he loves to write their sin on the chastisement therefore often as Adonibezek said when they caused to cut off his Thumbs and his great Toes threescore and ten Kings having their Thumbs and great Toes cut off gathered their meat under my Table as I have done says he so hath the Lord required me Judges 1.7 Frequently the sin of folks Life he loves to write it on their end so he does with Pharaoh when he desired to be honoured by him he hath this sin among many he would have all the Males of the Children of Israel drowned and Moses also was laid out to be drowned until Pharaoh's daughter found him and what is his end he is drowned in the red-sea the great predominant sin of his Life is written on his end when the life is full of doubtings readily like Pharaoh he loves to write their sin on their chaslisement 2. One may be darkned about their interest in the Covenant at death because of some un-repented guilt and however that guilt shake their interest in the Covenant it may shake their clearing about it often at death it comes to be as it was with Joseph's Brethren when he is giving order to bind them and they looked for nothing but death all that is come on us us say they because we heard not the cry of our Brother It 's observed that we never read a word since the day that he was let down into the pit that any of them was challenged for it and when they are in Egypt they cannot discern Joseph to be their Brother nor can they have any hope from him the reason is they had not repented for letting him down into the Pit readily un-repented guilt has great influence on the doubting of ones interest in the Covenant at death however David was guilty of Murther and Adultery yet he penned the 51 Psalm and had his bones broken for it therefore at death he can say the Lord hath made with me an everlasting Covenant c. 3. One comes to be darkned in their interest in the Covenant when either by Gods providence or their apprehension there seems to be an inconsistency with the Promises of the Covenant take for instance Josiah there is a special Promise made to him by Huldah the Prophetess when he sends to her after the reading of the Law thou shalt go to thy grave in peace before the captivity come on who would have thought that Josiah would die in Battel and be killed by Pharaoh-Necho in the valley of Megiddo after he had such a Promise Take again for instance the fifth Command Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee And yet many are taken away in the strength and vigour of their youth they can hardly reconcile the Providence and the Promise or then it is so in their apprehension our discouraged Spirits at Death are like these that look through black spectacles we misconstrue Providence every thing appears black through these Spectacles while it 's white Now readily one of these three either some un-repented guilt or some Providence at Death that seems not to agree with the Promise or the absolute Soveraignity of God may produce a great cloud about ones interest in the Covenant when they are at their last words yet notwithstanding of both these Cautions the point holds firm that it 's a great encouragement at death especially to be able to assert an interest in the everlasting Covenant To confirm this in general I will speak a word to these three 1. I desire ye may take notice of the Tenor of the Covenant 2. Take a view of the knowledge of an interest in this Covenant and 3. I shal consider both the Covenant and an interest in it as trysting with death and a Believers last words and these three will discover what a priviledge an interest in that Covenant is when it 's discerned at death First Take a view briefly of the Tenor of the Covenant 1. The Covenant is a Transaction betwixt God and man about mans greatest concernments it concerns his Soul and that is the choicest part of him it concerns his Eternity nay the Covenant as ye will hear it concerns two Worlds this present World and that which is to come for godliness has the promise of this Life and that which is to come the Covenant concerns the Soul and the greatest interests
that has broken Covenant with Him and Indentured and art afraid to hazard again know this that burnt Bairns fire dreads the thing that occasioned the breach of Covenant eshew that I will offer you two or three things that uses ordinarly to bring Persons that uses to Covenant with God under a breach of Covenant 1. Ordinarly overly and careless performance of secret Duties thou goes to God and it's words without Life or Spirit that thou vents to God in prayer thou will soon break all they Vows if there grow a dryness betwixt the Root and the Branches the Branches will soon wither It 's remarkable that which Elihu said to Job he was mistaken in Job but the Word he spake was true had it not been applyed to Job's case he thought Job spoke unreverently of God and he took him for an Hypocrite and he thought all his Arguments reflected on God and when he had heard him out surely sayes he thou restrainest Prayer and castest off Fear his meaning is therefore thou may say any thing thou thinks overly performing of prayer will soon bring one to break all their Vows 2ly It 's given by some Divines as one of the Reasons of breaking Covenant with god unprofitable Converse among Christians every Christian meeting with another should be like a man going to light a Candle in another House where he knows there is fire when we use to Converse together there is nothing of God in it nothing of Christ's Death and Sufferings readily we may grow careless of our Covenants with God It 's a great fault among many I know whether it be Ingnorance or the want of matter within that occasions it if one should begin a spiritual Subject they will give it no kind of Intertainment but silence they will sit graver possibly at that time than at another and hear but they give it no kind of Answer thou art refusing to light thy Candle at thy neighbours fire and readily thou wilt break thy Covenant wiht God to be brief I exhort thee who has broken thy Covenant to take the Promises of Reviving Renewing Restoring and of healing that which is broken strengthning that which is Weak and lay them to sore with the Tear in thy Eye for nothing will make the Plaister stick so well as Tears mingled with a contrite heart The last sort of Persons to whom I will speak and therewith close with this Theam and it is to those that has Covenanted with Him they have made a Covenant with him by sacrifice and would gladly know some Advice how to keep it that they be not guilty of the sins abounding in their time of being breakers of Covenant with Him That I may not let thee go without some word of Advice who art serious how thou shall get it keeped I shall for present give thee these two words of Advice First if thou would keep this Covenant with God look well to thy Conscience 2ly Look well to thy Conversation First If thou would keep this Covenant with God look well to thy Conscience it 's Gods Deputie within thee and the immediat Judge of all thy actions and here I would shew you that a Man looks well to his Conscience when he looks to these three things in it 1. When he looks to have his Conscience well informed the Conscience is a blind Guid it 's the candle of the Word that must regulat it therefore ye will find a conscientions Christian he is always waiting on the Word waiting on Sermons and proposing Doubts and the great Reason of all is to get the Conscience well informed therefore if the Conscience be blind and decline to Errour as often it will do it will sometimes call the thing a Duty that God calls Sin and that Sin which God calls Duty therefore if thou would keep Covenant with God look well to thy Conscience that it be well informed and regulate by the word of truth that thou make not a Duty when there is none In this time I am afraid many are taken away from their Obligations to Him through an ill informed Conscience Conscience may err on the right hand there are many make more Duties than God hath made it may make that Duty which God has never made one It may Err in the lest hand by presuming on Dity and prostituting Duties to Lusts and if thou have not a well informed Conscience all thy running through the Wilderness is to no purpose I believe all Papists Turks and Quakers out-strip us there are no persons takes less pains to come to Heaven than protestants therefore if thou would keep thy Covenant with God in such a time when there are some saying Here is Christ and there is Christ and many falling into Errours both on the right hand and on the left hand labour to have thy Conscience well informed 2ly Look to thy Conscience in this that it be kept tender all the light in thy Conseience will not keep thy Vows and Covenants to God if it be not keeped tender It 's a singular Character of Josiah's sincerity that he weeped when he heard the Book of the Law read Huldah the Prophetess sent him word because thy heart was tender if thou would look well to thy conscience look well that it be well informed and then that it be tender there are some ye may drive Carts and Wains over their Consciences they will not crack and of all Plagues this is the greatest 3ly Hearken to the voice of thy Conscience do not sit it out when Conscience presses on thee Amesius in his cases of Conscience says He that resists his Conscience or what he takes to be the mind of God in the Conscience he resists God because it is the mind of God for he takes it up as the mind of God in such a time No man ought to follow another mans Light but to follow the Dictats of his own Conscience many are like the old Prophet and the young the young Prophet comes to Bethel and denounces woes against it the Lord said See thou turn not aside to the right hand or to the left hand to eat or drink The old Prophet comes to him and says turn in with me and eat Bread he follows the old Prophets Light and goes with him and there comes out a Lyon and tears him So labour first to have the Conscience well informed and then that it be tender that ye may not drive Carts and Wains over it And 3ly Hearken to the voice of the Conscience for it's Gods Deputy a man will never keep a personal Covenant with God that looks not to these three Secondly as ye would look to your Conscience so look to your Conversation there are many things that are necessar to be spoken to here our secret Walk oru family Walk our publick Walk comparing them with the Rules of the Gospel It would take a long time to go through them I will close all with these two words and shall say no