man was yet righteous persisting in that innocency and righteousnesse in which he was created there was yet no breach made the heart and mind of man answering to the mind of God and therefore there was no need of a Mediator to bring them together But when the Covenant of grace is made with man there is a former breach between God and him and so there is need of a third partie of a Mediator to make them one Hence is that in Gal. 3.20 A Mediator is not a Mediator of one whiles wee are one with God there is no need of a Mediator no more then there is need for one to mediate between a man and himselfe this is the ordinary interpretation of that place though it may probably beare another sense and so it was betwixt God and man in the beginning there was no variance then between them by sinne then God made a Covenant with man as with his friend as Abraham is called the friend of God but when sin had made a breach between God and man then strangenesse and enmitie followed God is estranged from us and wee are enemies unto God so that without a Mediator wee can never come to be united into Covenant againe Now man feares and trembles to come before God and God being offended cannot be at peace unlesse his Justice be satisfied Therefore when Adam had once sinned he feared to come into the presence of God and hid himselfe till God revealed and made knowne to him the Mediator of the Covenant that the Seed of the woman should breake the Serpents head The Covenant of workes was delivered to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai by the hand of a Mediator Gal. 3.19 Object and so the difference is taken away I grant the Covenant of workes was then revealed and made Answ 1 knowne to the children of Israel as being before almost obliterated and blotted out of mans heart and therefore God renewed the knowledge of the Covenant of workes to them I grant also that the Law was given to them by the mediation Answ 2 of Moses who was a mediator betwixt God and them But I adde withall that the Law though it containe the summe Answ 3 of the Covenant of workes yet was not delivered unto that people for this end to stand between God and them as a Covenant of workes by which they should be justified and live but onely as it was subservient and helpfull unto them to attaine the end of the former Covenant of grace which God had made with them in their fathers God had promised Abraham to be a God to him and to his seed but now the Israelites having been long trained up among an ignorant and Idolatrous people they little knew what need they had to flie to the promise of grace and therefore the Lord now reveales his Law to them in that manner to make them see by the terrors of the Law that they cannot come neare unto God thereby this was the Lords end in giving the Law unto them and not to stand between God and them as a Covenant of life by which they should live This is evident by that of the Apostle Gal. 3.19 Wherefore then serveth the Law The Apostle had before proved that wee are justified by faith in the free promise and not by workes some then might object Why was the Law then given to the children of Israel The Apostle answers it was given to restraine transgression to convince men of sin and to be as a Schoolmaster to bring them to Christ Gal. 3.24 These then were the ends of giving the Law 1. That the knowledge of sinne might abound Rom. 5 19 20. The Law entred that sinne might abound that is the knowledge of it that man might know his sinne Secondly To lead them to Christ Thirdly To restraine the transgression and sinne of man and to keepe them in obedience But not as I said to stand in the forme of a Covenant for them to be justified and saved thereby The Law is to be considered two wayes First Absolutely and by it selfe as containing a Covenant of workes Secondly Dependantly and with respect to the Covenant of grace 1. Absolutely alone by it selfe and so it was given as a Covenant to Adam in the beginning and so considered it shews the way and meanes of life by which wee might live 2. Respectively as having reference to the Covenant of grace and so it was given to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai both as antecedent and consequent thereto As antecedent to it to prepare them for Christ and the Covenant of grace and also as subsequent to it to teach them how to walke and please God when they were entred into a new Covenant with him And thus was it given unto them And here because some may doubt of this truth I will therefore lay downe some grounds to confirme it and to make it cleare that the Covenant made with Israel at Mount Sinai was not a Covenant of workes Argu. 1 That Covenant which God made with Israel at Mount Sinai had Circumcision for the signe and seale of it which was the signe and seale of the same Covenant which God made with Abraham Gen. 17. And therefore this Covenant made with Israel having the same signe and seale with the other made with Abraham it was the same Covenant also For if the Covenant had been altered the seale should have been altered also the seales of the one Covenant not being sutable to the other It were now absurd to bring in the seales of the Covenant of workes made with Adam and to annex them to the Covenant of grace now made with us in Christ and no lesse inconvenient were it to put the seales of the Covenant of grace to the Covenant of workes Now if this Covenant made with Israel was the same with that which was made with Abraham having the same seale and confirmation then surely it was not a covenant of workes but of grace because the covenant made with Abraham was a covenant of grace and not of workes Rom. 4. Object But it may be said that Circumcision was a seale of the covenant of workes else how doth the Apostles Argument hold which he urgeth Gal. 5.3 where he saith If yee be circumcised yee are bound to keepe the whole Law As implying that Circumcision was a seale of the covenant of workes binding them to the observation of the whole Law that they might be justified thereby even as Baptisme binding us to believe on Christ for forgivenesse of sinnes is therefore called a Sacrament of the Covenant of grace Wee must consider Circumcision two wayes First Answ According to its primitive institution as it was appointed by God unto Abraham and then as it was abusively urged and intended by those Judaizing Apostles which sought to corrupt the truth In the Primitive institution of it it was appointed to be a seale of the covenant of grace as is evident Rom. 4.11 But the
to him by the Father Esa 50.5 6. Joh. 10.17 18. And according to all this which Christ thus covenanted with the Father he was carefull to discharge the same Joh. 17.4.6 Joh. 12.49 50. 4. According to all this Covenant passed betwixt the Father and Christ Christ expects the glory which was promised to himselfe and to his members To himselfe Joh. 17.5 and to his members Joh. 17.24 He expects the accomplishment of both from the Father Thus farre then I grant a Covenant betwixt God the Father and Christ and hence it is that God is called the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Ephes 1.3 which is by reason of the Covenant betwixt them But if any shall hereupon conclude that there is no Covenant passing betwixt God and us then I say they deny that which is as cleare in Scripture as the Sunne shining at noone day I may say of them as the Apostle doth of some 1 Tim. 1.7 that when they would be teachers they understand not what they say nor whereof they affirme There is therefore a Covenant passing between God and man which I will prove by these evidences 1. Consider those expresse testimonies wherein mention is made of Gods Covenanting with the people of Israel which must needs hold forth a Covenant between God and man Deut. 4.23 Take heed unto your selves lest you forget the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you c. Esa 55.1 2 3. where the Lord calls every one that thirsts after life to come unto him These are called to enter into Covenant with God but these speeches cannot be applyed to Christ but to us that wee should come to Christ and through him make up an everlasting Covenant betwixt God and us see also Jer. 31.31 I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and Judah and in Ezek. 20.37 saith God I will bring them into the bond of the Covenant which places hold forth a Covenant between God and man 2. Consider more particularly such testimonies as doe expresse Gods Covenant with sundry particular Saints as with Abraham Gen. 15.18 and 17.2.4.7 and the same renewed to Isaac Gen. 26. 3. and confirmed to Jacob Gen. 35.12 all mentioned together Levit. 26.42 Psal 83.3 2 Chron. 13.5 I thinke that there is none so sottish as to say these persons were Christ 3. Lest any should say It 's true God makes a Covenant with us but it is made with us not in our persons but in Christ Therefore in the third place consider such Scriptures as doe not onely expresse a Covenant of God made with us but a Covenant on our part made with God as Psal 50.5 Call my Saints together that make a Covenant with mee with sacrifice the Saints make a Covenant with God Hence we are said to passe into Covenant with the Lord Deut. 29.12 as God for his part enters into Covenant with us so doe we also with him 4. Consider those places frequently used in Scripture in which wee are said sometimes to keep Covenant as Psal 25.10 Psal 44.17 103.17 18. Sometimes to transgresse and breake Covenant Gen. 17.14 and not to be faithfull in Covenant Levit. 26.15 From which places I argue thus Those that either keepe or breake Covenant those are in Covenant and doe make a Covenant with God but wee are said to breake or keepe Covenant Ergo. 5. Consider that the Covenant made with Christ concerning us was made from everlasting 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 1.2 The promise was made to Christ before the foundation of the world but there is a Covenant also made in time Deut. 29.12 noted in these words this day if there were no other Covenant between God and us but what is made with Christ then it couâ—d not be said to be to day because the Covenant made with Christ was before the world was and therefore the Covenant and promise that is made to day must needs be made with us 6. That Covenant of which Christ is the testator must needs be a Covenant with us else if the Covenant were made onely with Christ then he must be both testator and the partie to whom the Testament and Legacies are bequeathed which is absurd Men doe not use to bequeath a testament to themselves but Christ is appointed the testator Heb. 9. In the covenant between the Father and Christ there he is a partie not the testator but in this he is the testator therefore besides the covenant between God and Christ there is also a Covenant between God and us and therefore the covenant is not made with Christ alone but with us also 7. A seventh argument may be taken from the paritie and likenesse between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace though there be great difference between them as shall be shewed afterward yet they agree in this in that they are both made betwixt the same parties and persons between God and man God made a covenant of workes with Adam and that being broken he comes and makes with him a new covenant of grace through Christ Gen. 3.15 The seed of the woman shall breake the serpents head one of these covenants comes in the roome and stead of the other and therefore the parties covenanting are the same God and Adam in the first covenant the same God and the same Adam in the second covenant 8. From the end and use of the Sacraments which is to confirme the covenant of grace as being the seales of it Rom. 4.11 Now in reason these two must goe together the Covenant and the seale of it It were a fond thing in a man to make a covenant with one and to give the seales to another they must have the seales that have the covenant made with them but the seales of the covenant the Sacraments are given to us and therefore the covenant is made with us also 9. If there be no promise or covenant made to us as some would have it then infidelitie and unbeliefe is in us no sinne for as the Apostle saith Where there is no law or commandement there is no transgression so where there is no promise there is no unbeliefe When God promiseth and yet then wee believe not this makes unbeliefe a great sinne but if wee have no promise made unto us then are wee not bound to believe and so our not believing is no sinne 10. The contrary doctrine is a doctrine tending to licentiousnesse for as the covenant tends as wee have heard to bind us faster to God to walke before him in obedience so on the contrary to say that there is no covenant between God and us it opens a gap to loosnesse of spirit For if there be no covenant then cannot a man be charged with unfaithfulnesse to God though he walk never so loosly and therefore let such men as broach such tenents take heed whilest they teach such libertie they be not found to be the servants of corruption 2 Pet. 2.19 These are the arguments to
false Apostles urged it as a worke of the Law as a dutie and worke to be done necessary to justification and salvation Now the Apostle in saying that if they were circumcised they were bound to keepe the whole Law doth not look at the Primitive institution of it but hath respect to that which the false Apostles intended urging Circumcision as a work of the Law necessary to their justification and salvation and thus taking it the Apostle doth truly tell them that if they were circumcised in this manner and to this end they were bound to keepe the whole Law because by what reason Circumcision was necessary by the same reason all the rest of the Law was necessary also and if they were bound to observe Circumcision to be justified by it then were they also bound to observe the whole Law because if wee be justified by workes wee must doe all the Law to obtaine justification by it This is the Apostles intent but this doth no more prove Circumcision to be a seale of the covenant of workes then our Baptisme is Concerning which I may say as much as Paul doth of Circumcision if any shall esteeme Baptisme as a worke by which to be justified I will then say to such a one that if he be baptized in this manner and for this end to be justified by it as by a worke that then he is bound to keepe the whole Law But did not Circumcision in the Primitive institution of it Quest bind them to the observation of the whole Law Yes but not in that sense as now wee speake of Answ it bound Abraham and all his seed and all such people as should joyne themselves unto them to observe all the ordinances and commandements of God But how not as workes to be justified by but as meanes by which they should testifie themselves to be a separated people severed from other people of the world having peculiar Lawes given to them to walke by They had ceremonies to lead them to Christ such as no other people had they had Judgements and Lawes of State given by God himselfe so as no other people of the world had the like they had the Morall Law revealed unto them more fully then any other people and in the observation of all these they were to testifie themselves to be the people of God not communicating with the Lawes of other Nations but walking in their owne but yet not so as to justifie themselves thereby Circumcision bound them to the observation of the Law in the former way but not in the latter Argu. 2 The covenant of workes binds not to the observation of the ceremoniall law but of the Morall onely but that covenant at Mount Sinai bound them to the keeping of the Ceremoniall law and therefore was not properly a covenant of workes Hence saith the Apostle Heb. 9.1 to 6. That the first Testament or Covenant had ordinances of divines service c. By the first Testament meaning the Covenant delivered at Mount Sinai Now these ordinances mentioned by the Apostle were types and figures of spirituall things belonging to the Church of the new Testament and did appertaine to the covenant of grace signifying the blessings wee receive by Christ and if these ordinances respecting Christ were given in the first Testament or Covenant then surely that Testament or Covenant was not a Covenant of workes Argu. 3 That Covenant which did so convince of sinne as that it did also shew the way of expiation of sin and of forgivenesse could not be a covenant of workes for the covenant of workes onely convinceth of sinne and condemnes for sinne but shews not the way of expiation of sinne But this covenant at Mount Sinai did so convince of sinne that withall it shewed the way of forgivenesse for it taught men to looke for righteousnesse by the bloud of the sacrifice which was in type the bloud of Christ and therefore it so revealing and shewing Christ it could not be the covenant of workes Argu. 4 The covenant of workes was in Adam made with all none excepted not with one people more then another But this covenant made with Israel was made with them as with a select chosen and peculiar people whom God had taken to himselfe out of all the people of the earth and thence is that Preface before the Law I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the land of Aegypt God had separated them to himselfe from Aegyptians from Canaanites from Edomites c. and then revealed his Covenant unto them therefore this covenant made with Israel alone cannot be a covenant of workes which is made with all flesh That covenant which God made with Moses his person was Argu. 5 not a covenant of workes but of grace but the covenant which God made with them was the same which he made with Moses as appeares Exod. 34.27 therefore c. If any shall say that God then made a covenant of workes with Moses then it must follow that Moses was not now nor before under a covenant of grace which is contrary to the Apostle Heb. 11.23 24. when he saith By faith Moses when he came to yeares c. or else if he were before and now under the covenant of grace and yet now God makes another covenant with him putting him under the covenant of workes then a man may be at the same time under both covenants of workes and grace and so both under blessing and curse and in a state both of life and death If it had been a covenant of workes which God made with Israel Argu. 6 at Mount Sinai then should he have called them from a covenant of grace to a covenant of workes from a covenant of life to a covenant which now in this estate of corruption ministers nothing but death which is contrary to the Apostle Gal. 3.17 where he shews the Law cannot disanull the former Testament this were to make the Lord goe from a covenant of grace to a covenant of workes and it were the same in effect as to make them perfect by the flesh when the Lord had begun with them in the spirit Gal. 3.3 God carries on his people from faith to faith from grace to grace and not from grace to workes Therefore the covenant then establisht with them was not a covenant of workes for them to expect life by but onely the covenant of workes was then revealed with reference to the covenant of grace That covenant which was made by a sacrifice coming between Argu. 7 and confirmed by the bloud of the sacrifice that covenant is not a covenant of workes but this covenant was so made and confirmed Exod. 24.2 3 4 5 6 7 8. that sacrifice typed the sacrifice of Christ that bloud typed out Christs bloud but Christs bloud doth not confirme the covenant of workes but of grace But against this some doe object divers things Object 1 They say the covenant made with Israel at Mount
37.24.25 It 's I that have done all this c. But the spirit of grace is another spirit as it is said of Caleb and Joshua that there was another spirit in them Numb 14.24 Numb 14.24 whatsoever such an one doth as hath the spirit of grace working in him hee is still in himselfe as nothing as Paul saith of himselfe 2 Cor. 12.11 2 Cor. 12.11 that though hee was not behind the chiefe Apostles in the labour of the Gospel yet hee was still as nothing in his own eyes Had Paul been of a Pharisaicall legall spirit we should have had other language from him then to say I am nothing He would have had his trumpet blown before him to sound out his excellency and worth he would have gloried of his goodnesse not onely before men but before God But Paul had the spirit of grace in him and that made him to see that hee had nothing in himselfe to glory in but onely in the grace of Christ The spirit of the law will magnifie the works of the law and will cause us to magnifie our selves because of them but the spirit of grace will make us vile in our own eyes and our works to bee but as a spotted garment Isai 64. leaving us nothing in our selves that is of worth to glory in before God But may not a child of God rejoyce and take comfort in his obedience and fruit of holinesse which he bringeth forth Quest He may as is evident 2 Cor. 1.12 2 Cor. 1.12 Gal. 6.4 but how Answer Not as in that which justifies him or is his righteousnesse before God but as in the fruits which follow and flow from his justified estate so testifying unto him that he is under grace as also oppâ—sing his integrity against the calumnies and suspicions of men But how may I know that the comfort which I take from them is froâ— the spirit of grace and not from the spirit of the law Quest The spirit of the law makes a man goe no further then himself Answer 1 looking at himselfe as the whole author and worker of all the good which he hath done and therefore it is that such despise others in comparison of themselves if they see that they come short of themselves as he did Luke 18.11 Luke 18.11 But the spirit of grace teacheth a man to loâ—k at all he doth as wrought in him by the power of Christ as the Apostle saith 1 Cor 15.10 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am what I am And so ascribes no more to himselfe though he hath done more then he doth to others that have done lesse The spirit of the Law hardens the heart against grace keeps Answer 2 the heart aloft so that it cannot submit and come down so low as to see that infinite need of mercy and grace that it stands in as Rom. 10.3 Rom 10.3 they being led by â—he spirit ot the law and glorying in their own righteousnesse they could not submit to the righteousnesse of faith it was too great a submission for them But the spirit of grace teacheth a man so to see his own uprightnesse and to take comfort in it that withall it makes him in lowlinesse and humility of spirit to flie to grace for acceptance of his best performances and to get pardon for the defect of them as we may see in Nehemiah chap. 13.22 Nehem. 13.22 Remember mee O Lord saith he and pardon me according to thy great mercy And so Paul 1. Cor. 4.4 1 Cor. 4.4 he knew his own faithfulâ—esse yet he durst not adventure himselfe to come before God to be justified thereby Let such therefore as glory in themselves and in their own works see by what spirit they are led even by the spirit of the law these are under the covenant of works Those that glory in grace and in Christ alone these are under the covenant of grace The covenant of works rested in and trusted unto can never Differ 9 in this state of corruption that we are now in work setled comfort peace and quietnesse of heart Let a man walke as exactly as flesh and bloud can attaine unto and let him withall build as confidently on this foundation as he possibly may yet the heart will be still in suspicion in doubt in feare uncertain what to trust unto doubtfull what his estate is But the Covenant of grace rested in and trusted unto doth settle the soule in peace Let a man renounce his own righteousnesse and fly to the free covenant and promise of grace and stay wholly upon it here is a sure anchor for the soule to rest upon Let waves swell and windes blow yet he hath built himselfe on a sure rock which cannot faile and the more confidently that a man adheres to the Covenant of grace the more assured peace he will finde This difference the Apostle lays down Rom. 10. from the 5th ver to 10. Rom. 10. from veâ— 5. to 10. where having before in the third verse laid downe a distinction of a two-fold righteousnesse one of workes the other of faith then next he commends the righteousnesse of faith which is by the covenant of grace above that which is by the covenant of workes and perswades to cleave to the one before the other by this Argument namely because the righteousnesse which is by workes leaves a man full of scruples and doubts making a man to be doubtfully enquiring who shall ascend up into heaven to tell him whether there be a place for him there or who shall goe downe into the deepe to tell him that he is saved from that infernall misery This dubious anxiety doth the Doctrine and Covenant of workes leave a man in but the Covenant of grace takes away all these scruples It saith not Who shall goe up into heaven c. It tells us that Christ is ascended to prepare a place for us nor saith it Who shall descend c. It teacheth us to believe that Christ is descended for to deliver us So that this doctrine of grace frees the minde of those scruples and perplexities which the doctrine of workes leaves a man intangled in He that rests on workes is like a wave of the Sea tossed and tumbled up and down and finds no rest he that rests on grace is like one built upon a rock and therefore cannot be shaken The reason of this difference is Because the Law which containes the summe of the Covenant of workes doth discover the perfect holinesse of God the puritie of his nature his hatred against sinne his strict justice and judgement so as the soule that is but in the least measure privie to his own impurity and sinfulnesse can never grow up to any confidence before God by any thing which he hath done When we have done the best we can reach unto yet the heart will still be doubtfull whether that which we have done be fully answerable to the
stony heart from us and give us an heart of flesh soft and pliable to his will Fourthly As we could not renew sanctifie our selves so neither could any other help us and restore us againe to the holines we had lost In Ezek. 16.5 Ezek. 16.5 the Lord tells his people there how little helpe they had from any other when they lay in their misery there was no eye that pitied them to doe any thing to them or to have compassion on them The Priest and the Levite they come and look on but they passe by on the other side there is nothing done to heale the wound which Satan by sin had given to our soules but they are let alone to putrifie and corrupt the whole man more and more so as from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot there is nothing but sores and swelling and wounds full of corruption Isai 1. But when the Lord saw that there was none to helpe then he himselfe like the good Samaritan comes washeth our wounds powring in wine and oyle to cleanse and to heale us Such was our pollution so deeply set that all the water of the Sea all the bloud of bulls and goats could not cleanse us yea though we should wash in Nitre and take us much sope yet our iniquity would still stand undone away before the face of God Jer. 2.22 Onely that spirit of life that spirit of holines that spirit of power which is in Christ Jesus that spirit being shed down upon us that cleanseth us washeth us sanctifies us without this all helps under heaven had been in vaine without this spirit neither Word Sacrament Commandements promises or being trained up in the Communion of the Church and Christian families neither any nor all these could availe to renew us to the grace from which we are fallen 1 Cor. 6.11 1 Cor. 6.11 Fiftly Let me adde this one thing more If we should look at God himselfe onely as just and not as gracious we could never have hoped to have obtained this blessing from him Justice could have said no other unto us then as Ezek. 20.39 Seeing you would not obey me goe therefore serve every man his Idoll serve your sin When we had turned the glory of God into a lye and had worshipped the creature above the Creator who is blessed for ever Justice would then have given us up unto vile affections and to our owne hearts lusts and to a reprobate mind to doe the things that are not convenient so receiving in our selves such a recompence of our errour as was meet Rom. 1. Rom. 1. This would have been the reward of Justice upon us for our sin But here Grace comes in and powres downe upon us a spirit of grace and of sanctification Zach. 12.10 Zach. 12.10 to wash us from our uncleannes that we might be an holy people unto God And hence it is that in 1 Pet. 5.10 when the Apostle prayes for the perfecting of our sanctification in us he looks at God as a God of all Grace The God of all Grace saith he which hath called us unto his eternall glory by Jesus Christ confirme strengthen and stablish you c. As thereby shewing from what fountain the benefit of sanctification comes namely from Grace from the God of all grace He is a God of all grace towards us in sanctifying of us This may helpe to settle us and confirme us in the truth namely Vse 1 that seeing Sanctification is a blessing of the Covenant of grace even as forgivenes is therefore it is a warrantable and safe way for a man by and from his sanctification to take an evidence of his justification and of his estate in Grace before God Forgivenes of sinnes and sanctification are both of them blessings of the same Covenant As is the one so is the other the one is of grace so is the other of grace also Here therefore to take an evidence of our justification standing in the forgivenes of our sinnes from our sanctification is not a turning aside from the Covenant of grace to a Covenant of workes but it is to prove one benefit of the Covenant of Grace by another benefit of the same Covenant This argument is unanswerable I reason thus If justification and sanctification be both of them bâ—nefits of the Covenâ—â—t of Grace then to evidence the one by the other is no turning aside to a Covenant of works But they are both of them benefits of the Covenant of Grace Ergo. If so be the forgivenes of our sinnes were promised in the Covenant of Grace and Sanctification were a blessing of the Covenant of workes then might it well be said that to evidence one by the other were a turning aside from the Covenant of grace to that other of workes But when they are both promised both communicated to us by the same Covenant there is no colour to charge this way of evidencing our estate with turning aside to another Covenant Object But may not a man that is under the Covenant of workes by giving himselfe to holy duties and actions and exercising himselfe in them come to attaine an habite of holines and be truly sanctified Answ Some have not doubted to affirme as much but falsely and the falsity of this opinion may be made evident by these Considerations following 1. This opinion imports thus much That one under the covenant of workes may performe acts that are holy which is false he may indeed doe such things as are materially holy as being commanded of God whose word and Covenant doth sanctifie them make the things holy in themselves but they are not formally holy but coming from their impure hearts thereby they are polluted and defiled Tit. 1. And therefore can have no such power to worke sanctitie in the subject whence they come 2. If true sanctification may be in one that is under the Covenant of workes then must we of necessity change the articles or promises of the Covenant of Grace make the promise of sanctification no part of it we must blot out those promises of writing the law in our hearts and putting a new spirit within us and all other promises of the like nature must be rased out of the covenant of grace if one under the Covenant of workes may attaine to this sanctification by his owne workes 3. This opinion is directly crosse and contrary to the Apostle in Gal. 3.2 where he tells us that we receive the spirit of Sanctification not by the workes of the law but by hearing of faith preached It is the doctrine of grace not of workes which makes us partakers of this spirit And hence it is that in 2 Cor. 3.6 he tells us that it is the new Testament which is the ministration of the Spirit by which the Spirit is ministred and conveyed uto us The law or the workes of the law doe not 4. Our being sanctified and our being Saints is
till he call and justifie but first he calls to faith and justifies and then glorifieth him that believeth And here though the giving of life to him that believeth be conditionall and followes the giving of faith yet is the giving of life as free grace as the giving of faith both one and other springing from the same fountaine even from the purpose of his grace by which he purposed first to call unto faith and then by faith to bring unto life and salvation so that the adding of a condition doth not abrograte the freenesse of grace promised but only shews in what order and way we must expect the blessing one blessing of the Covenant of life going before another following the former being conditions to the latter faith a condition of salvation but both faith and salvation springing from the same purpose of Grace Secondly These conditionall promises are promises of the Gopel and therefore also promises of free grace either these promises are promises of free grace or else the Gospel is not a Doctrine of free grace It is the Gospel only and not the Law which saith Believe and be saved The Law never made promise of salvation upon such a condition If then these conditionall promises bee promises of the Gospel then they are promises of free Grace or else the Gospel is not a Doctrine of free Grace Object But some stick not to affirme that in such sayings or promises as these Believe and thou shalt bee saved the commandâ—ment requiring Faith is legall Faith being as they say commanded in the Law Though they will acknowledge that the promise of giving faith is a promise of the Gospel not of the Law yet the Commandements which commands us to believe is a Commandement of the Law not of the Gospel as they teach Answ It is confessed that there is a Faith commanded in the Law as hath been shewed before but now when we speak of faith in Christ unto justification and salvation the Commandement enjoyning this faith is no Commandement of the Law but of the Gospel which I prove by these ensuing Arguments 1. The Apostle in Gal. â— 12 is expresse for this which I say when he saith the Law is not of faith that is the Law is not a Doctrine or Commandement teaching or commanding faith which to be the meaning is evident by the opposition which the Apostle makes presently shewing what it is which the Law commandeth Namely this the man that doth these things shall live in them vers 12. and so before in vers 10. Cursed is every man which continueth not to doe c. That which the Law requires is expressed under the word doing not believing And let us marke the manner of the Apostles arguing In the 11th vers besides other Arguments before laid downe the Apostle proves by testimony of Scripture the point hee had in hand sc That a man is justified by faith and therefore not by works of the Law 2. Now whereas some Galathian that mixed faith and the works of the Law together in point of justification might object and say that a man might be justified by faith and yet bee justified by the Law also because the Law commands faith and therefore justification by faith and justification by the Law commanding faith may stand together Hereto the Apostle answers by denying that which is supposed Namely that the Law commands faith affirming the plaine contrary the Law is not of faith It s not a Doctrine teaching or commanding faith Hereto also agrees these words of the Apostle in Rom. 3.27 Where the Apostle distinguisheth between the Law of works and the Law of faith by the Law of works understanding the morall Law by the Law of faith understanding the Gospel the morall Law is called the Law of works because it commands works the Gospel is called the Law of faith because it commands faith Here are two distinct Lawes having two distinct commandements as two distinct conditions of the two Covenants each of these severall commandements must be referred to their own Law commanding them not works to the Law of faith nor faith to the Law of works but works to the Law of works and faith to Law of faith that is the Gospel Object But by this meanes if we make the Gospel a law to command we shall perhaps seeme to joyn hands with the Papists making Christ another Moses another Law-giver to give us a new Law as they use to speak Answ That Popish dung of making Christ a Law-giver in that sence as they meane sc to give us a Law of greater perfection then Moses Law was thereby to justifie our selves by a more perfect righteousnesse c. we detest and abhorre and yet neither must we deny Christ to be a Law-giver unlesse we will both deny plaine Scripture which gives him that title Isai 33.22 Iames 4.12 and deprive him of his Kingly Office making him no King though therefore Christ be not a Law-giver to give a Law of works to justifie our selves by it yet he is a Law-giver to give us a law of Faith commanding us to believe and giving us also a law of obedience and subjection in doing whereof we must testifie our love and thankfulnesse unto God Thus then the Gospel being a law of faith distinguished against the law of works the commandement to believe cannot belong to the law of works but to the Gospel which is the law of Grace And hereto agrees that also Rom. 1.1 with verse 5. where Paul speaking of his Apostleship and being put apart to preach not the law but the Gospel of God he shews the end of his preaching was that obedience might be given unto the faith that is that the Doctrine of Faith being made known and the commandement of Faith published men might be brought to submit to that Doctrine of Faith revealed It is the Gospel then which calls for this obedience of Faith as the Apostles own words import 2. Out of the same place in Rom. 3.27 compared with Rom. 4.1 2. I argue thus That which doth exclude glorying or boasting cannot be commanded in that Law which doth not exclude boasting But faith doth exclude boasting Rom. 3.27 The Law of works doth not exclude boasting Rom. 4.1 2. and therefore faith cannot be commanded in that Law 3. Faith stands in reference and relation unto Christ looking to him and resting upon him for salvation therefore called the faith of Christ and faith in his name c. Christ is the proper object of Faith as it justifies and saves whence it followes that if the law doe command faith it must of necessity set forth Christ also as the object or foundation on which it is to rest The act cannot bee without the object nor Faith without Christ might be though there were no Faith in men to believe on him But Faith cannot be but it must have Christ to rest on There is no believing to salvation without Christ nor can the law therefore
hereof it is that all the blessings of the Covenant are said to be everlasting forgivenesse of sinnes is everlasting being once forgiven they are never remembred any more Ier. 31.33 The peace and joy which comes thereby is everlasting also your peace shall no man take from you Ioh. 16. and our joy is everlasting Esay 35.10 our salvation is an everlasting salvation Esay 45.17 our life is an everlasting life Ioh. 3.16 All the blessings of the Covenant are to continue not only like Iosephs blessing to the end of the everlasting hills Gen. 49.26 but for ever and for ever This new Covenant of grace is like the new heavens and new earth which shall never wax old nor vanish away Esay 66.22 Hence it is that baptisme is but once administred because the Covenant is but once made the promise of it being given once and for ever The supper is often administred because of the many breaches on our part and the manifold weaknesses of our faith which we are subject unto the Lord being pleased in that Sacrament to renue the seale of his Covenant towards us for the setling of our faith and the stablishing of us in the assurance of his grace which hath been so often witnessed to us in the renuing of the Seale of the Covenant but baptisme being the Seale of our enterance into Covenant with God is but once administred because the Covenant is but once made and being once made stands fast for ever The Reasons why this Covenant is everlasting are these Reas 1. From Gods vnchangablenesse he is a God that changeth not and therefore whom he loves once he loves for ever and to the end Joh. 13. his gifts and calling by grace are without repentance Rom. 11.29 his love is everlasting Jer. 31.3 his kindnesse is everlasting Esay 54.8 and his goodnesse shall be everlasting towards them that he takes in Covenant with him Object If this reason hold that the Covenant of grace is therefore everlasting because God is unchangeable then by the same argument the Covenant of works may be proved to be everlasting also so that that Covenant should not have been broken Answ It followeth not because the Covenant of works speaking of the accomplishment of it by man with whom it was made was not built upon Gods purpose within himselfe but was left to the liberty and will of man either to fulfill it or break it as himselfe would but the Covenant of grace is built upon Gods immutable purpose which cannot change The Apostle joynes these two together purpose and Grace 2 Tim. 1.9 to give us to understand that all the wayes of his grace which he leads his people into and therefore also this way of his Covenant is according to his eternall purpose within himselfe Herein that first Covenant was not as this latter is and therefore though the one was broken yet the other cannot Secondly This may be added also that that first Covenant in respect of the substance of it is unchangeable and everlasting and it is the unchangeablenesse of it which doth condemne all the Sonnes of Adam and did bring Christ from heaven to fulfill it for those which should believe Gods unchangeable justice will not suffer any unjust person to live in so much that either we must have Christ to fulfill the justice of that Covenant for us or else for the breach of it we must perish for ever None but righteous ones saith justice shall have life the reward of righteousnesse This justice in God is unalterable and changeth not and thus farre there is little or no difference between the one Covenant and the other but both are alike but here is the difference that in the Covenant of works God promised life to Adam in case he obeyed but did not promise to uphold him in a way of obedience to the end that he might not misse of the life promised Whereas in the Covenant of grace God doth not only promise life to those that doe believe but promiseth that their faith shall not faile and that he will keep them by faith unto salvation and preserve them to his heavenly Kingdome The promises therefore of this Covenant are larger and better then of that other this being made with none but with those that the purpose of his grace doth reach unto He makes this Covenant with his chosen Psal 89.3 and with them only It is revealed to many but made up with few even with those that are vessels of mercy prepared unto glory thirdly In the Covenant of works distinguish these two First the terme substance or heads of the Covenant propounded and agreed upon betwixt God and man secondly The fulfilling or violation of it by man with whom it was made The substance of the Covenant is one the fulfilling of it is another The substance of it doe this and live is not changed though the fulfilling of it by Adam did faile as well it might because God never promised him to cause him to fulfill it but only to give him life in case he did work therein But in the Covenant of Grace both these are promised one as well as the other the Lord not only promising life to those that doe believe but that he will uphold us in the faith unto the end And hereupon it follows that though in the Covenant of works man failed in his duty yet the Covenant on Gods part remaines inviolate for if God give life upon obedience performed or inflict death upon disobedience God doth in so doing performe this Covenant towards man this being all that God promised in that Covenant but in the Covenant of Grace there can be no totall breach on our part so as to dissolve the Covenant betwixt God and us but it will import a failing of the Covenant on Gods part also because he hath promised us to keep us with him for ever and gives this as the reason why his Covenant with us shall be everlasting namely because he will put his feare unto our hearts so that we shall never depart away from him so that if the Lord should now suffer his Covenant-people wholly to depart and to break Covenant with him there must follow some change of minde in God as having thoughts of love towards us when he took us into Covenant with him and of dislike when he suffers us to depart from him but there is no such change in God therefore this his Covenant with us is everlasting Reas 2. From the everlasting mediation and intercession of Christâ— who for ever stands betwixt God and us to make up all breaches which might be made by our default As he hath obtained an eternall redemption for us Heb. 9.12 and hath brought in an everlasting righteousnesse for us Dan. 9.24 So doth he sit at the right hand of the Father and lives for ever to make eternall intercession for us Rom. 8.34 And by this intercession of his we continue for ever in favour with God and the Covenant
The Gospel-Covenant OR THE COVENANT OF GRACE OPENED Wherein are explained 1. The differences betwixt the Covenant of grace and Covenant of workes 2. The different administration of the Covenant before and since Christ 3. The benefits and blessings of it 4. The Condition 5. The properties of it Preached in CONCORD in NEVV-ENGLAND by PETER BULKELEY sometimes fellow of Johns Colledge in Cambridge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 GEN. 17.1.7 The Lord said unto Abraham I am God all-sufficient walke before me and be thou upright And I will make my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seede after thee ISAI 55.3 Encline your eares and come unto me heare and your soule shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Published according to Order LONDON Printed by M. S. for Benjamin Allen and are to be sold at the Crowne in Popes-head Alley 1646. they doe concerne This Covenant hath been a port of refuge to which the Saints have alwayes fled in their distresses they claiming the blessing therein contained and grounding their hope upon the faithfulnes of him that hath promised This Covenant hath been the rock for the anchor of their hope to fasten upon when the winds waves of temptation have beaten upon them The troubles of the Church people of God are not yet finished by reason whereof we no lesse then our fathers before us do stand in need of help and consolation from this Covenant in these dayes of affliction in which we live Neither is it only a consolation to know the great things which God hath by Covenant promised unto us but it is a foundation to all godlinesse and holy walking before God perswading us to walk worthy of the Lord as beseems those whom he hath taken into Covenant with him to be a peculiar people to himself God hath so linked together the blessing of the Covenant which is his to give with the dutie and way of it which is ours to walk in that we cannot with comfort expect the one but it will worke in us a carefull endeavour of the other To speake more hereof I shall forbeare When I had finished this Treatise and bethought my self to whom I should dedicate it I could not thinke of any to whom it was so suitable as your self You are to omit other relations one of the children of the Covenant which was first made with Abraham your Father and with Sarah your Mother both which as they lived by faith so they dyed in faith having now received the end of their faith which they waited for Your honoured Father the thoughts of whom are ever precious unto me was a right Abraham indeed If I should speake lesse of him I should speak too little of that singular piety and exemplary grace and godlines which shined in him I abhorre giving titles unto man but give me leave to beare witnes unto the truth I knew his faith his feare his uprightnesse and holy walking before his God whereby he became as a Prince of God among the people of the world Gen. 23. with whom he lived Wherein he went before you also as a patterne to be for ever in your eye to be imitated by you Sir let it I beseech you be your chiefest care and count it your highest honour to walke in the steps of your pious blessed Father His faith follow considering what was the end of his conversation That sweet peace those heavenly consolations which he tasted of those inward feelings which carried him out of himself even whiles he was yet in the flesh are strong engagements and encouragements unto you to walke after his foote as the Prophets expression is treading in the same steps of faith and holines in which he went before you I am sure you cannot forget those dying words of his a little before his end You that are in the flesh thinke c. I spare the rest in mention whereof I speak a mystery to others being but a broken sound but not to you you can interpret my meaning and 't is enough to me that you know the meaning of them for whose sake I mention them that you may often remember them for your own good They will never out of my heart and I trust they will never be forgotten by you Goe on deare Sir in the wayes of grace which you are entred into the Lord having made good his Covenant towards you be you also mindfull to walke in Covenant with your God Set Gods kindnesse before your eyes to stir up your self the more to walke before him in his truth The more you honour him the more you honour your self Study therefore to do great things for God seeke the peace of Jerusalem the prosperitie of Sion Your goodnes extendeth not unto him but to his Church and Saints that are here on earth yet what you doe unto them he will say Yee have done it unto mee Remember Davids troubles Josephs affliction Pauls bonds the distressed estate of Gods Church and people and thinke of Mordecai his Item to Esther This way was Davids spirit working when he was sitting in peace in his own house He was considering what the LORD had done for him and what he should render to the Lord for all his benefits Wonderfull was his zeale for the House of God The cost he prepared for it was almost incredible an hundred thousand talents of gold besides silver other things without number but he lost nothing by all no man loseth by lending to the Lord no more then the rivers doe by powring their water into the Sea which they receive back againe by secret passages in the earth and so are still ever full The more he honoured God the more God honoured him He spared not his riches in things pertaining to God and God cast in more upon him still so that he dyed in riches and honour 1 Chro. 29.28 Let your life be like his and then in death you shall not be divided The God of all grace who hath done so great things for you go on in blessing to blesse you that you may with Nephthali be satisfied with favour and filled with the blessing of the Lord even with all blessings of heaven and earth of this life and of that to come Decemb. 3. 1644. Yours to command in any service of Christ PETER BULKELEY ⧠TO THE READER CHRISTIAN READER I Doe here offer to thy view a subject not unsutable to the state of these present times Times wherein there is no peace to him that goes out or to him that comes in but great trouble to all the inhabitants of the earth Nation destroyed of Nation and Citie of Citie God troubling them with all adversities setting all men every one against his neighbour Times they are wherein death comes in not â—t our windows as in the Prophet but rageth
with open violence in our streets he that rideth upon the Red horse having power given him to take peace from the earth and that men should kill one another Apoc. 6. In these times so full of perplexitie and trouble it cannot but be welcome newes to heare of Conditions of peace and when death comes to our dores and we are at deaths-dore then to be offered a Covenant of life This Covenant here spoken of is a Covenant of life and peace and therefore seasonable It is also the more sutable in regard of that holy and gracious practise begun by our renowned Parliament going before the body of the Kingdome in entring into an holy Covenant with the God of heaven to become the Lords people the onely way to a blessed peace Till we be at one with God it will be in vaine by humane policies to devise wayes of peace with men but peace being once made in heaven will bring peace on earth and good will amongst men If otherwise man still rage yet shall his rage be restrained and turne to Gods praise the Lord on high hath a bridle for his lips and an hooke for his nostrills he will subdue the oppressour and will still the enemy and the avenger Blessed be they whose care it hath been to draw the Land into this holy covenanting with God let mercy and peace be upon them as upon all the Israel of God And blessed be that God who hath put this care into their hearts as being the onely way to obtaine an assured blessing This Covenant so happily begun is the principall subject of this booke in which thou mayst see both the necessitie for every soule to enter into a Covenant with God and how it is to be done as also how those that have made a Covenant with God are to walke in it and what blessings doe belong unto those that so walke When these things were first preached in New-England there was little thought of publishing them in such a time But he which inhabiteth eternitie with whom all things are present fits things past to those that are present and to come that his wisdome might be knowne to order all beyond what we conceive or thinke It is now some five or six yeares since I first began to handle this doctrine now published a time then full of trouble in these American Churches through the inordinate activeness and impetuous violence of some busie spirits of whom the Country is now well rid through the Lords great goodnes deeming all others except themselves to be wholly ignorant of the Covenant of grace and to be shut up under a Covenant of workes All the Preachers in the Land were legall Preachers the Christians legall Christians as having onely the letter of the Gospel but not understanding the mystery or spirituall meaning of it as it was revealed unto themselves by the spirit The disputes about the two Covenants did then exceedingly trouble the minds of many amongst whom there was little speech but about the covenant of grace and of workes and of being under a Covenant of workes I having then in the course of my Ministery propounded to my self this order to follow namely on one part of the Lords day to handle one part of the body of Divinitie concerning God Creation Man his first pure estate and so on concluding that part with his lapsed and falne estate and on the other part of the day to speak of the means of Gods restoring man againe to the state of salvation I could not then passe by the handling of the Covenant of grace without a purposed declining from that which both the agitations of the Countrey and mine own proposed method did lead me unto Hereupon I entred upon the handling of this subject in the ordinary course of my Ministry endeavouring my self so far as the Lord enabled me to settle the minds of those amongst whom I lived in the knowledge of the truth concerning which some were wavering by reason of those spirits of error which were gone abroad deceiving the minds of some This was the occasion of handling this doctrine When I had finished it it pleased God to give it such acceptance in the hearts of the hearers that many of the chiefe amongst them came to me with a solemn request desiring me to publish what I had delivered that so they might have it continue with them which request of theirs as it was unexpected by me so was I both unwilling and unable to satisfie their desire unwilling as being conscious to my self of mine own infirmities unfit to publish any thing in this learned age and unable as not having so penned any part of it as to make it fit for publick use But the earnestnesse of their desire on the one side and the rawnesse of the draught which I had written for the help of my self on the other side so far crossing one another gave occasion of a second revising of what was before done which also caused some further additions thereunto and hath at last brought forth that such as it is which is now presented to thy view And thus thou understandest gentle Reader the occasion both of the preaching and publishing of the doctrine of the Covenant which now comes forth Which notwithstanding the former inducements I should hardly have adventured to have published had I not been encouraged thereto by some others of better note It is not any confidence I have in my self which hath drawne me forth into publick view I thank God I do in some measure know mine own weaknes But if the Lord will use his weakest instruments to perfect his own praise who am I that I should let God I wish this had been undertaken by some other of greater strength but none hitherto appearing in this kinde being desired to what I have done I have been content to yeeld to the desires of those that have perswaded me hereunto There is a Treatise of the New Covenant published some yeares ago by a precious light in the Church of God whose worke is come almost into all mens hands If that worthy servant of Christ had lived to see these dayes we now live in or then were when these things were delivered I doubt not but he would with much more accuratenesse have handled these things then my weaknesse is able to attaine unto But God having carried him to his resting place before these questions brake forth which have since troubled and doe still trouble the world it is not to be marvelled that some one coming after him inferior unto him may adde something to that which hath been before delivered The opinions formerly stirring in New-England and now in old if fame be not a lyer have given occasion to touch some things not of ordinary occurrence As namely 1. Whether the Covenant of grace be made betwixt God and man or onely betwixt God the Father and Christ 2. Where also by occasion of the former question is handled that place in
Gal. 3.16 concerning the one seede of Abraham to which the promises are made which seede is Christ shewing who is that one seed there called Christ 3. What the Covenant at Sinai was whether a Covenant of workes or of grace 4. Whether justification may be evidenced by sanctification whether that way of evidencing be a going aside to a Covenant of workes and whether one under the Covenant of works may be truly sanctified 5. Whether the commandement commanding faith be a commandement of the Law or no. 6. Whether faith be a condition onely consequent to our justification not antecedent 7. Whether the conditionall promises be promises of free grace or no and of their agreement with those promises which are called absolute These and some other such passages are herein touched as occasion was ministred by the matter handled And in regard that some of the same opinions are now stirring in old England which lately troubled New my hope in the Lord is that this my weak endeavour the Lord accompanying it with his blessing may be of some use now in these times if not to recall those that are led aside by errour yet to settle some that are doubtfull and wavering in the truth But though these things are touched here and there yet my chiefe ayme hath been to lead on the weake Christian to a practicall use of the truths which are here delivered in which the greatest part of this work is spent If in any of these thou findest thy self helped by this my labour either in thy knowledge or practise returne glory to God and help me by thy prayers that I may so finish that little remnant of my course which is yet before me that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vaine neither have laboured in vaine If any that are more judicious shall vouchsafe to see what is herein performed and shall thinke themselves burdened with interruption by reason of application by use of each point delivered I desire them to consider that as in the preaching so in the publishing of this Treatise it was then is now intended rather for their sakes which stand in need of both then for such as need not I write not to teach the judicious but to help the weak who stand in need not only to know the truth but to be led on to see how the knowledge of it doth serve to any use for practise of life One thing more I may not omit Whereas it may be marvailed that in the beginning of the Treatise I propound two points to be handled viz. first to shew the nature of the Covenant of grace and secondly that we are saved by that Covenant and not by the Covenant of workes whereas I say both these are propounded and yet I handle but one of them the reason of my so doing is partly because I saw the Treatise to exceed in bulk what I expected in the beginning partly because the handling of the former alone doth answer the end which in the beginning was aymed at which was to open the nature and substance of the Covenant of grace and partly also because this is my first adventure in this kinde If this which I have done shall finde acceptance with the Saints I may adde the rest in due time if the Lord give life and strength otherwise I shall thinke this enough and too much which is done already In the meane time I commend this my endeavour with thee courteous Reader to the blessing of God beseeching him that is the God of all grace to enable us so to live a life of grace here that in the end we may enjoy the grace of life according to the covenant and promise of grace which he hath made with us in Christ his beloved To whom be glory for ever Amen In whom I rest Thine in any service of love for Christs sake PETER BULKELEY ⧠TO THE READER THe blessed God hath evermore delighted to reveale and communicate himselfe by way of Covenant he might have done good to man before his fall as also since his fall without binding himselfe in the bond of Covenant Noah Abraham and David Jewes Gentiles might have had the blessings intended without any promise or Covenant but the Lords heart is so full of love especially to his owne that it cannot be contained so long within the bounds of secrecie viz. from Gods eternall purpose to the actuall accomplishment of good things intended but it must aforehand overflow and breake out into the many streames of a blessed Covenant the Lord can never get neer enough to his people and thinkes he can never get them neer enough unto himselfe and therefore unites and binds and fastens them close to himselfe and himselfe unto them by the bonds of a Covenant And therefore when wee breake our Covenant and that will not hold us he takes a faster bond and makes a sure and everlasting Covenant according to grace not according to workes and that shall hold his people firme unto himselfe and hold himselfe close and fast unto them that he may never depart from us Oh the depth of Gods grace herein that when sinfull man deserves never to have the least good word from him that he should open his whole heart and purpose to him in a Covenant that when he deserves nothing else but separation from God and to be driven up and downe the world as a vagabond or as dryed leaves fallen from our God that yet the Almighty God cannot be content with it but must make himselfe to us and us to himselfe more sure and neare then ever before And is not this Covenant then Christian Reader worth thy looking into and searching after Surely never was there a time wherein the Lord calls his people to more serious searching into the nature of the Covenant then in these dayes For are there not some who cut off the entaile to children of those in Covenant and so lessen shorten the riches of grace in the Lords free Covenant and that in the time of more grace under the Gospel then he was wont to dispense under the Law Are there not others who preach a new or rather another Gospel or Covenant viz That actuall remission of sins and reconciliation with God purchased indeed in Redemption by Christs death is without nay before faith the Condition though wrought of God of the Covenant of grace expresly opposed to the Law or Covenant of workes Rom. 3.27 and ever required as the meanes and therefore antecedent to the attainment of those ends in the constant ministry of the Apostles of Christ Act. 2.38 10.43 Is it not time for the people of God now to pry into the secret of Gods Covenant which he reveales to them that feare him Psal 25.14 when by clipping of it and distinguishing about it the beautifull countenance of it begins to be changed and transformed by those Angels of new light which once it had
these evill times Thomas Shepard ⧠To the Church and Congregation at CONCORD in NEVV-ENGLAND BRethren Beloved in our Lord Jesus you have here some part of my labour wherein I have travelled among you which your frequent desires have now brought forth unto light but had not your forwardnesse helped it forth had been as the untimely fruit of a woman which never saw the Sunne If it finde lesse acceptance in the eyes of others then you have supposed I hope that having perswaded to the publishing of it you will be content to beare some part of the censure which shall passe upon it This censorious age wherein the most compleat worke can scarce passe without the marke of a blacke coale will hardly suffer such a worke as my weaknes can produce to escape without a sharper censure I looke not to escape in this kinde But this advantage I have against any that shall oppose that what hath been herein delivered hath been by you received with an unanimous approbation and consent as the truth of God And knowing some among you to be of a long time trained up in the knowledge of the truth having your mindes exercised to discerne betwixt good and evill able to judge of things that differ if any shall oppose the things herein contained they shall in so doing not oppose mee alone but you all who by your desire of publishing it have set to your seale and given your approbation thereunto Such as it is I commend it unto you beseeching God that as you gave testimony unto it when it was delivered to you by lively voyce so you may now and for ever shew forth the fruit of it in your continuall practise to the furtherance of your eternall peace and consolation in Christ Yours in Christ Jesus PETER BULKELEY THE GOSPEL-COVENANT OR The Covenant of Grace opened Wherein are explained 1. The differences betwixt the Covenant of Grace and Covenant of Works c. ZECH. 9.11 As for thee also by the bloud of thy Covenant have I sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein there is no water or as Junius and our Geneva reade Thou also shalt be saved by the bloud of thy Covenant c. THis Prophet Zechariah was one of those three Prophets whom God raised up to Prophecy to the people of the Jewes after their returne from the Captivitie of Babylon And yet so after as that it was in part also during the time of captivitie of many of them many of the Jewes remaining still in Chaldea the land of their captivitie notwithstanding the libertie proclaimed by Cyrus Ezra 1.1 Whether length of time the captivitie having continued seventie yeares had made the land naturall to those that were young and had been borne there or whether under Cyrus they might hope to finde more ease from their burthens then formerly under the Babylonians or whether the length of the journey dangers by the way the hazzards they might meet withall in their own land they being now setled in Babylon and having houses and orchards and such like conveniences about them whether I say it were any of these or all together that hindered them this is certain many of them neglected to returne to their own land in so much as the Prophet is faine to call upon them as he doth in Chapter 2.6 7. Hoe come forth and flee from the land of the North deliver thy selfe O Zion which dwellest with the daughter of Babel Adding to this call of his many promises to allure and incourage them thereunto As first By a promise of plenteous increase and multiplying in their owne land Zech. 2.4 Whereas they might feare that being but few and a small number they might be scattered and come to nothing therefore the Lord tells them by the Prophet that Jerusalem should be inhabited without walls meaning that it should not be able to containe the people in it for their multitude A second promise is that he would be a protection unto them I will be a wall of fire about you saith the Lord ver 5. A wall of safe defence to you and fire to burne up your enemies if any invade you A third promise that he will be the glory in the midst of them giving them a glorious State or Church Fourthly He promises his presence among them which is the felicitie of any people I will dwell in the middest of thee saith the Lord ver 11. By these manifold promises the Lord doth by his Prophet perswade the people to returne A strange thing that being captives they must have so many motives to returne to the Land of their freedome and libertie Now this Captivitie of the people of the Jewes as it was res gesta a thing reall and done an affliction brought upon them for their sinning against the Lord So I finde it in Scripture applyed to three things as a resemblance and type thereof First It is applyed to the naturall estate of all men who were at first created free being subject to none but onely to him who is Lord over all but are now by sin like the Jewes in an estate of bondage This application I finde made by the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.17 2 Cor. 6.17 Come out from among them touch no uncleane thing Which words were first spoken to and of the Jewes in Esay 52. ver 4.11 calling them out of their Captivitie But the Apostle applyes them to all whether Jewes or Gentiles in their naturall uncleannesse calling upon them to come out of the sinfull pollution of the world Secondly It is applyed to the state of the Church under the tyranny of Antichrist for as that Easterne Babel did afflict and oppresse the Jewes which were then the Church of God so Rome the Westerne Babel doth keepe under the Church of God now and long time hath done and therefore the people of God are called to come out of her Apoc. 18.2.4 as the Jewes were called to come forth from the Easterne Babel Jer. 51.6.8 Jer. 51.6.8 Jeremie speaks it of Easterne Babel John applyes it to the Westerne yet not mis-applying because the one was a type of the other Thirdly It is applyed to the present miserable forsaken condition of the Jewes in which they now lie they being now a refuse people cast off by God for their casting off of Christ Joh. 1.11 He came to his own but his own received him not he would have gathered them but they would not be gathered they rejected him therefore he also rejected them so that they are now scattered abroad again and become a vassall a captive people having no free State of their owne but living under the dominion of other people This estate of theirs Esay sets forth in words not much differing from my text This people saith he is robbed and spoyled and shall be snared in dungeons they shall be hid in prison-houses they shall be for a prey and none shall deliver for a spoyle and none shall
consider is this sc That all the deliverances and salvation Doctr. 4 which the Lord communicates to his people he doth it by vertue of and according to his Covenant So in the Text by the blood of thy Covenant I have c. He doth not say by blood simply but by the bood of the Covenant because the blood goes with the Covenant betwixt God and us Hence it is that we reade in 2 Sam. 23.5 when David looked at the Covenant which God had made with him he makes that the ground and foundation of all the mercy and deliverance which he obtained Herein saith he is all my salvation that God hath made with me a sure Covenant Consider the truth of this point both in temporary deliverance and spirituall salvations as the Text points at both as we shewed before First concerning temporall deliverances see what God saith unto Noah concerning his deliverance from the flood Gen. 6.18 with Chap. 8.1 With thee will I establish my Covenant c. and then God remembers Noah and all that was with him in the Ark and brought them to dry land again his deliverance was given him by covenant See also Exod. 6.4 5 6. God promises to bring his people from under the Egyptian bondage and why so because he remembred his Covenant with their fathers in Lev. 26.25.44 45. The Lord tells them vers 25. that if they sinned against him he would avenge upon them the quarrell of his Covenant but yet in vers 44 45. if they returned to him he would remember the Covenant which he had made with them and deliver them out of their captivity Secondly all spirituall salvation is communicated by Gods Covenant Psal 111.9 he sent redemption to his people because he was ever mindfull of his Covenant he commanded his Covenant for ever as the word is there i. e. he commanded it to stand fast for ever So in Mic. 7.17 18. he will return and have compassion upon us and forgive our iniquities what is the foundation of this he will remember his Covenant which he hath made with us Luke 1.74 that he might shew himself mindfull of his holy Covenant therefore he sent the Lord Jesus to perform the work of redemption for his people as in the beginning when God first promised life to Adam it was not without a covenant made with him though not the same that we must look for life by as we shall see more afterwards yet God made a covenant with him Do this and live so it is now with us it is by vertue of the Covenant that we must expect life and salvation from Gods hand the beginning of our salvation which is begun in the first grace given to us in our conversion and turning unto God is given unto us according to the covenant begun with us in Christ and the end of our salvation is according to the covenant which he makes with our selves in our own persons The grounds and reasons why the Lord taketh this course to convey life and blessednesse to us by covenant are these Reason 1 God doth herein wonderfully glorifie himself in the manifestation of his faithfulnesse and truth in keeping covenant with his people God saith in Scripture sometimes he will do this or that and you shall know that I am the Lord Gods glory is in being known Rom. 2.5 and 9.22 God will have his wrath and power known and so also his faithfulnesse for that is a part of his name whereby he is made known unto us and he is not fully known neither can be glorified till his faithfulnesse be made known In Apoc. 19.11 God is called faithfull and true and that is his name now we could never have known Gods faithfulnesse and truth if he had not entred into covenant with us God might have shewed forth his power mercy and goodnesse without any promise or covenant but his faithfulnesse could not be known and therefore saith Moses Deut. 7.9 The Lord hath set his love upon you and chosen you above any other people that you might know he is the Lord the faithfull God c. therein God shewes his faithfulnesse in performing his covenant with their fathers by choosing their seed to be a people unto him And the Apostle also when he speaks of Christs coming in the flesh attributes it to Gods truth and faithfulnesse in keeping covenant with their fathers Rom. 15.8 9. It was mercy to the Gentiles as he saith that the Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercy but it was truth and faithfulnesse to the Jews if he had never entred into covenant with us he might have manifested mercy unto us but he could never have made known his faitfulnesse The Lord doth it to this end to bind his people the faster to himself Reason 2 that he might keep them in more faithfull dependance upon him and constant walking with him A covenant binds on both parts the Lord doth not binde himself to us and leave us free the confederacy is mutuall In Gen. 31.44 saith Laban to Jacob Let us make a covenant I and thou c. not I alone with thee nor thou alone with me but I and thou both one with another so it is betwixt the Lord and us there is a mutuall tie the Lord is pleased to tie himself to us and we are bound also and tied to him hence saith the Lord in Jerem. 13.11 I have tied the whole house of Israel to me In what bond were they tied in the bond of the covenant as it is Ezek. 20.37 The Lord sees how slippery and unstable our hearts are how apt we are to start aside from our duty towards him as Jer. 14.10 we love to wander like sheep that straggle from the fold and therefore to prevent this unconstancy and unsettlednesse and to keep our hearts more stable in our obedient walking before him therefore he bindes us in the bond of the Covenant Hence saith the Lord to Abraham Gen. 17.7 I will stablish my Covenant with thee and then in versâ— 9. he addes thou shalt therefore keep my Covenant Abraham must keep covenant with God as he looks for blessing from him The Lord doth it for the stronger consolation of his people that Reason 3 in all their distresses and difficulties they might ever have recourse to the faithfulnesse of the covenant which the Lord hath made with them he is a God that cannot lie nor alter the things which have gone out of his lips and therefore we have the stronger consolation Heb. 6.17 18. his promises beings yea and Amen which cannot fail 2 Cor. 1.20 This was Davids stay 1 Chron. 17. ult though friends be unfaithfull and many deceive yet the Lord is faithfull and cannot fail his people this is the foundation of their comfort a rock for them to stand upon when the storms blow and the waters beat and they finde themselves destitute of all other comfort and help Reason 4 The Lord doth hereby put an honour upon his people
prove that there is a covenant between God and man Object There is a seeming strong objection agâ—â—â—â—â— this truth taken from that speech of the Apostle Gal. 3.16 where it is said The promises are made to Abraham and to his seed not seeds as speaking of many but seed as speaking of one and that one seed is Christ and therefore there is no covenant or promise at all made to us but onely with Christ or to Christ Answ The objection is weightie in outward appearance and yet there is more in the Text against them that bring it then for them for the promises are expresly said to be made to Abraham as well as to his seed which is against the tenent they bring it for Indeed it seemes thus farre to make for them that they are made only to one seed of Abraham which is Christ but in the other it makes flat against them because they are made to Abraham and therefore not to his seed onely which is Christ but to those that are faithfull and believing as Abraham was If therefore any will maintaine that God makes no promise or Covenant with us but onely with Christ then let them answer the Apostle in the same place urged by themselves let them tell us how the promises were made unto Abraham if they are made onely to Christ Let them shew how the promise is made onely to Christ and yet withall made to Abraham and then wee will shew how they are made to Christ onely and yet made to us also Untill they have untyed this knot wee might leave them without further answer But for the further satisfaction of those that desire to know the truth I will endeavour to cleare the Text so as to take away the stumbling stone lest any other should fall thereby For the clearing then of this place consider these five particulars 1. How Abraham stands before God and is to be considered of when he receives the promise 2. Consider what seed or seeds Abraham is said to be father of 3. How the name of Christ is taken in Scripture 4. In what order the promise is said to come to the seed of Abraham 5. Consider the scope of the Apostle in this place and these will give light to the thing in hand 1. Let us consider how Abraham is to be considered of us when the Apostle saith the promise is made to Abraham And to this I answer That he stands as a publick person as the common parent of all the faithfull to the worlds end he stands as one receiving the promise by faith not onely for himselfe but for all that should imitate him in his faith he stands as a pattern and example of all the children of God who are to be justified as he was Hence it is that in Rom. 4.1 and ver 12.16 he is called Abraham our father the father of many Nations the father of us all namely of all that doe believe As Adam in the Covenant of workes entered into that covenant not onely for himselfe but for all his posteritie so Abraham entered into the covenant of grace with God as the father of all the faithfull that should believe in Christ as he did In Rom. 11. he is said to be the root into which all the people of God are graffed Now this consideration gives us a little light though it do not wholly cleare the doubt helping to establish us in the truth for as Adam entring into Covenant with God for himselfe and his seed they that is the seed have thereby right to the promise of life by that Covenant in case they fulfill the condition so here Abraham taking the Covenant of God for himselfe and his children the promise and blessing doth thereby belong to them also As his faith descends downe to us as his children so his blessing conveyed by the promise descends downe upon us also Therefore saith the Apostle Gal. 3.9 They that are of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham 2. Consider what seed or seeds Abraham is said to be father to and there is a double seed of his mentioned in Scripture First A carnall naturall seed according to the flesh proceeding from him by naturall generation but still remaining in unbeliefe And in this sense Christ speakes to these wicked unbelieving Jewes which went about to kill him acknowledging them to be Abrahams seed Joh. 8.37 meaning in respect of the fleshly generation and yet vers 39. he denies them to be Abrahams children for then saith he if yee were Abrahams children yee would doe the workes of Abraham implying that they were not the children of the promise therefore seeing Abraham must have a seed to inherite the promise and they were not the seed therefore Abraham must have another seed besides the fleshly or naturall seed Therefore secondly There is a spirituall seed that walke in the faith and steps of the faith and obedience of Abraham Gal. 37.29 And these are counted for the seed according to that in Rom. 9.6 7 8. they are not all Israel that are of Israel proceeding from him by naturall generation these are not counted for the true seed there is therefore a spirituall seed beside the carnall this the Apostle shewes clearly Gal. 4.22.28 29. the Apostle saith Abraham had two sonnes the one by a bond woman the other by a free woman Ishmael the sonne of the bond woman borne after the flesh with all those that are like unto him looking for righteousnesse by the Law are the carnall seed Againe Isaac borne by promise with all those that looke as he did for righteousnesse and salvation by faith in the promise they are the spirituall seed Now mark the promise is made to Abraham and to his seed not seeds that is not to both seeds both carnall and spirituall but onely to the one which is the spirituall that is the promise of life is not made to that carnall seed which looks for life by the works of the Law but to that seed onely which looks for it by the promise See how it was between Isaac and Ishmael when God made a Covenant with Abraham he made it not with both his sonnes but onely with one of them Gen. 17.19 viz. with Isaac Ishmael had some blessings cast in upon him for Abrahams sake ver 20. but the Covenant was established upon Isaac the seed of promise Gen. 17.21 As it is thus in the type so in the antitype Gods covenant is not made with those that are as Ishmael which are borne after the flesh and seek for life by the works of the Law but with those that are as Isaac the children of the promise and seeke for salvation by faith in Christ those onely are counted for the true seed And thus it is but one seed of Abraham which the promise is made unto Object But some will say this is not the seed here meant because this seed here meant is called Christ Answ 3 Here then comes in the third thing to
be considered consider how the name Christ is taken in Scripture and that is two wayes First Personally Secondly Mystically 1. Personally and that most usually as in those places A Saviour Christ the Lord In Christ are all the promises yea and amen There is one Mediatour between God and man the man Jesus Christ 2. Mystically not for Christs person alone but for the whole body of the faithfull united to Christ and so it is taken 1 Cor. 12.12 where the Apostle having spoken of the severall gifts powred upon the members of the Church saith As many members make one both so is Christ that is according to all Expositors the body of Christ the faithfull that are knit to him by faith and it cannot be taken otherwise and so it is taken here in this place Gal. 3.16 Marke then there is Christ mysticall as well as Christ personall And Christ mysticall being the whole company of the faithfull are this one seed of Abraham to which the promise is made as opposed to the carnall seed which seeke for righteousnesse by the law which have no part in the promise But how may it appeare will some say that this is the Apostles meaning that the name of Christ is so to be taken in this place for Christ mysticall 4. To cleare this therefore marke the next point namely the order how the promise is made to Abrahams seed and in what order the seed spoken of cometh to partake of the promise And that is thus The promise is made first to Abraham and then to his seed to Abraham at first hand and to his seed as second in order from Abraham Abraham is the root his seed are as the branches and therefore this seed being such a seed as cometh to have right to the promise as second in order from Abraham therefore this cannot be Christ personall but mysticall for Christ personall doth not come to have right to the promise from Abraham but rather Abraham from Christ Some more reasons to confirme this interpretation you shall see afterwards 5. Adde hereto the consideration of the Apostles scope and matter which he hath in hand and see whether this interpretation doe not agrâ—e with that also The scope then which the Apostle aymes at is to prove that wee are justified not by the works of the Law but onely by faith in Christ Jesus and that whosoever believeth in him whether Jewes or Gentiles are iustified by him there being but one way of life for both people Rom. 3.29 30. Now this one proposition that all both Jewes and Gentiles are justified onely by faith in Christ though it be but one compleat truth yet it stands of three branches or parts contained in it for first there is in it faith the instrument secondly Christ the object thirdly Jewes and Gentiles the subject to be justified and though no one of these is in any part of the Apostles discourse excluded yet in some passages he drives more especially at some one of them and in other passages at another as for example Chap. 3.5 6 7. here he speakes more especially of faith the instrument and meanes of our justification sometimes againe he poynts more particularly at the subject or persons to be justified as in ver 8.14 mentioning the Gentiles sometimes he aymes especially at Christ the object of our faith as vâ—r 17. The promise was made with respect to Christ Nâ—w because one of these branches namely that which concernes the Gentiles might seeme to be brought in by the Apostle beâ—â—des or â—â—ainst the intent of the promise made to Abraham and to his sâ—ed for it might seeme that the promise being so limited to Abrâ—ham and tâ— his sâ—ed therefore the Gentiles which were not the seed of Aâ—â—â—hâ—m were to have no part in the promise therefore to remove this douâ—t the Apostle shewes that the believing Gentiles are a paâ—t of that seed of Abraham to which the promises were made as he saith ver 7. Thâ—se that are of the faith they are the seed of Abraham And if it be asked how that can be he tells you ver 29. That if we be by faith beâ—â—mâ— Christs then wee are Abrahams seed and heires by promise so that be we Jewes or Gentiles if wee â—e of the faith of Christ we are Abrahams seed and partakers of Abrahams blessinâ— The reason whereof is given ver 17. Bâ—â—â—use the promise of blessednesse was made to Abraham and to his seed with respect to Christ as being one with Christ and no otherwise so that when the Apostle saith The promise is made to one seed which is Christ his meaning is as if he should have said Whether they be Jewes or Gentiles thâ—t believe in Christ and are one with him by faith they are alike partakers of the blessing because the promise is made to men as they are Christs and as they become one with him by faith And because the Apostle saw that some others might still object that though it was thus before the Law that men should be justified by faith yet after the Law given there was a new way of justification shewed namely by the workes of the Law To this the Apostle answers No and gives a double reason of his deniall First That the Covenant or Testament of God is unalterable no man may adde or alter any thing therein therefore much more is Gods Covenant unalterable ver 15. Secondly Because the Covenant was confirmed before in respect of Christ or with respect to Christ and onely to that seed which is by faith made one with Christ and therefore being made to that seed only which is Christs and with respect unto Christ it cannot be disanulled without disrespect and wrong doing unto Christ v. 16. And hereto agrees that which follows vers 17. that the covenant was confirmed before with respect to Christ Christ is the bond of the covenant betwixt God and us so as if that covenant which God hath made with respect unto Christ should be broken and disanulled it could not but be a neglect cast upon Christ himself but this cannot be therefore the covenant made with respect unto Christ and made with that seed which is Christs and one with him must needs stand fast and never be disanulled Thus then we see how the taking of Christ for Christ mysticall agreeth both with oâ—her Scriptures and with the scope of the Apostle in this place and therefore when they say the promise is made to Christ only and therefore not to us I say it follows not it is to Christ only and yet to us also because it is to Christ mysticall and not to Christ personall And when they say it is to one seed therefore not to us being many I answer it followes not if by many they understand many persons the persons of all the faithfull making up but one spirituall seed as the whole number of those that seek righteousnesse by the Law do make but one carnall seed 1. Thus much I
grant first that all the promises are made to Christ only even to Christ personall in this sense if men mean to Christ that is with respect to Christ as Gal. 3.17 and that in him they are yea and Amen as 2 Cor. 1.20 But this doth not hinder but they are made to us also they being in and through him confirmed to us 2. I adde more that those promises which do concern us are not only made to us through Christ but they are made first to Christ in our behalf before they are made to us because all the whole work of our redemption and salvation was transacted between the Father and the Son before the foundation of the world and is afterwards revealed to us in due time as is evident Tit. 1.2 and 2 Tim. 1.9 But this doth not hinder but that the same promise is afterwards in time made to us also Look as it is in covenants among men while the childe is yet unborn the father takes conveyance of an Inheritance for him which he keeps in his own hand till the childe be born and comes to yeers and then he puts it into his own possession so it is here we are for a time hid in the womb of Gods election till we be brought forth by the grace of regeneration during which time we are not in our selves capable of receiving any promise of life made to us but it is made to Christ in our behalf and he receives the promise from the Father in our stead but yet so that when we come to be born anew the promises are made unto our selves and we are put into possession of them 3. I grant there are some promises made to Christ not only in our beâ—alf and for us but to Christs own person as we have shewed before in speaking of the Câ—venant between the Father and Christ but yet so as that thâ— people of God hâ—ve also a right and interest in some of them Such a promise is that in Isai 50.7 8. which words imply a promise made to Christ that though Christ did take upon him the sins of Gods people yet God would justifie him from them all and this promise Christ relied on and yet this promise is by the Apostle applied to us also Rom. 8.33 that we should be justified by faith in him so also there is a promise made unto Christs person Isai 42.1 that he should be filled with the Spirit yet not made unto Christ only but unto us also Isai 44.3 from Christs person they are derived unto us they belong unto him as the head yet unto us as the members and even those promises which are made thus to Christ and to us both may be truly said to be made to the one seed of Abraham which is Christ namely Christ mysticall Christ with all his body consisting of all the faithfull both Jews and Gentiles Before I proceed to Use I will adde two or three Reasons more to cleer this interpretation that this seed is meant of Christ mysticall not personall Frst one was named before because it is such a seed as comes to have right to the promise as second in order from Abraham Secondly consider next that when God saith to Abraham Gen. 17.7 I will be thy God and the God of thy seed look what seed is there meant the same is meant in this place of the Galatians chap. 3.16 Now what seed is meant Gen. 17.7 the Apostle expounds Gal. 3.7 They that are of the faith are the children of Abraham and vers 29. they that are Christs they are Abrahams seed not only Christ but those that are Christs are Abrahams seed and heirs by promise these therefore are the seed to whom the promise is made Thirdly the Apostle in this place of the Galatians speaks of such a promise as whereby a sinner should receive justification and forgivâ—nesse of sin before God for he is handling the matter of ju â—ification and shews how a sinner comes to partake of the blessing of life and righteousnesse therefore he must needs speak of such a seed as stands in need of justification and righteousnesse which do most properly agree to the faithfull Fâ—uâ—thly the Apostle here speaks of two Testaments one coming after the other one disanulling the other from which I reason thus look to whom the latter Testament of the Law was given unto them was the first covenant or testament of grace given now the latter testament or covenant of the Law was given to all the faithfull seed of Abraham for saith the Apostle it is a Scoolmaster to bring them to Christ Gal. 3.24 therefore to them also was the former testament or promise given That ye may the better discern the force of this reason consider how the Apostle in treating of justification delivers this heavenly doctrine that a sinner is justified by faith alone in Christ without works Now hee makes an objection True might some say before the giving of the Law justification was by free promise but when the Law was given then there was another way of justification appointed at least to joyn works with the promise and the former way of justification by free grace was disanulled by the latter that is the bringing in of the Law here is the force of the objection Now if we shall conceive the promise was made to one seed and the covenant of the Law given to another and not both of them to the same seed then there is no colour of reason in the Apostles objection for if the promise of Grace was given to one seed of Abraham that is to Christ personall and the covenant of the Law given to another seed then one need not disanull the other but they may both stand together for if a man make two different covenants with two severall persons they may both stand the one not impeaching the other but here is the strength of the objection that it is supposed that the two covenants are made with the same persons and then there is some seeming appearance of one disanulling the other therefore the strength of the objection infers cleerly that both the promise of Grace and covenant of the Law was made to the same persons to Abrahams seed to all the faithfull which are the children of Abraham Thus this objection is answered and the doctrine confirmed that whatsoever salvation c. Vse 1 To let us sâ—e the abundant grace and kindnesse of God to us poor capâ—ives vassals wretched undone creatures that he should vouchsafe to enter into covenant with us it was much in Davids eyes that Jonathan the heir of the crown should enter into covenant with him how admirable then is this in our sight that the great God of heaven and earth should enter into covenant with the sons of men he hath herein stooped below himself and hath lift us above our selves this grace we may stand and wonder at that the high God who is free from all and bound to none no
with this spirit of submission and seek peace from him go and put thy rope about thy neck like Benhadads servants and confesse thy own guiltinesse without this God will never enter into covenant with thee God will have thee know thou must take thy life as a free gift of grace and that thou standest at his mercy either to save thee or destroy thee 3. Come with an humble submission to yeeld up thy self to the obedience of the will of God wee must receive him from the law of our life by which we must live When you come to make a covenant with God you must not come to give lawes unto God but to take lawes from God not to impose lawes upon him that he shall save you so and so but you must leave God free to make the conditions of the covenant after his own minde and will think it honour enough that you may be a people in covenant with God and have your life granted by covenant from him but for the conditions leave them to God let him command and require what he will he must be free or else he will not make a covenant with you This is that which Hezekiah exhorted to to come and give the hand to the Lord and serve him we must come and make a covenant with God as a servant with his master as Subjects with their Prince a covenant of service not to be our own Lords the sons of David and princes of Israel when Solomon sate upon the Throne came and gave the hand unto Solomon 1 Chron. 29.24 they made a covenant with him but it was with submission to his power such is the covenant which we must make with God we must give the hand under God submitting to him to be ruled by him Thence it is that we are called upon to deny our selves If any one will be my disciple let him deny himself c. we must not cleave to our selves to our wills and make our own Lawes we must deny our own inclinations wills and affections refuse to be governed by them and resign up our selves to the will of God this is the resolution we must come unto if we will enter into covenant with God as it was in the sacrifice of the Law he that offered it laid his hand upon the head of it as dedicating it to God and quitting it from himself as if he should say I have no more to do with this bullock it is now the Lords that was in part the signification of that action so if we will be the Lords people in covenant with him we must resigne our selves only and wholly to be for him Rom. 12.1 2. we muâ—t present our bodies as a living and acceptable sacrifice consecrate and devote them to God to live unto him and to be our own no more as it is in a marriage covenant when a man and woman make a covenant they do resigne up themselves one to another not to be to themselves any more it is a marriage covenant that we make with God I will marry thee to my self saith the Lord therefore we must do as the Spouse doth resigne up our selves to be ruled and governed according to his will 4. If we would enter into covenant with God we must come before him in the name of a Mediator that is the Lord Jesus in the mediation of his sacrifice we must offer up to the Lord a satisfaction for all our treacherous rebellion against him in that sacrifice we must come and seek reconciliation and the renewing of our covenant with God without such a sacrifice whereby Gods justice may be satisfied there is no hope of a covenant to be made between God and you As in the Law Exod. 34.1 to 8. they come and sacrifice and so the covenant is made between God and them Now these were types of Christs sacrifice come therefore sprinkled with the blood of Christ and say Lord here is the blood of the sacrifice which maketh satisfaction for my rebellion and in this blood enter into covenant with me They that make a covenant with God do it by sacrifice Psal 50.5 And therefore in the mediation of Christs blood and by faith in it look for a re-union and knitting of God and us together 5. After all this that you have broken your covenant with your sins judged your selves for them submitted your selves to the will of God and come in the name of a Mediator then by faith look at the gracious invitation of God and consider his readinesse and willingnesse to enter into covenant with you though there be an infinite disparity between the God of glory and us yet he is pleased to invite us to make a covenant with him if you seek to him he will not turn away his face from you as Hezekiah saith to the people 2 Chron. 30.8 9. though he might turn away from you in wrath and displeasure yet he will not but will enter into a gracious Covenant with you He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast off saith Christ Joh. 6.37 In that manner therefore goe thou and humble thy selfe before God confesse thy treachery and rebellion and looke at God as having a golden scepter in his hand and intreat him to enter into a Covenant with thee and submit thy selfe wholly to be at his command plead the promise of his grace touch the top of the scepter and take hold of the Covenant and then certainly in time the Lord will speake to thy soule and conscience by the testimony of his Spirit that he will be a God unto thee and take thee to be one of his people Thus you see the way to enter into Covenant with God It may serve for all such as are already entred into Covenant Vse 3 with God to admonish such to looke unto themselves and to take heed they be not unfaithfull in the Covenant that they have made with him Take heed of breaking Covenant but let us walk according to the covenant that we have made with him This the Lord expects Exod. 19.5 that if wee enter into covenant with him we should be carefull to keepe it In the things of this life a strict eye is had to the covenant In all conveyances of Lands we look narrowly to the covenants and if they be broken all is gone Now ouâ— life lyes upon our keeping covenant with God labour therefore so to walke that it may appeare that you have a care to keepe the covenant which you have made with God Wee have made a covenant with him in our Baptisme in our conversion and turning unto God and coming to the Lords Supper Now it is not enough to enter into Covenant but wee must keepe it wee have broken the first covenant of workes take heed wee breake not a second there being no more place for any more covenants Now therefore cleave to the Lords Covenant and live unto him Let there not be in any of us an unfaithfull heart to
depart from the living God If wee shall againe breake this second covenant with him wee shall not onely misse of that salvation and life which wee hope for but we shall perish with a double destruction wee shall pay for all our treachery and unfaithfulnesse in this Covenant This concernes us to looke unto more then any people in the world let us not breake Covenant with God twice This aggravated Solomons sinne that he sinned against God which appeared to him twice God made a Covenant with us first in Adam and now againe in Christ and therefore let us take heed of breaking Covenant with him the second time Vse 4 It is a use of marvellous comfort to those that doe indeavour to walke uprightly and faithfully in covenant with God in whose hearts God hath written his covenant whom he hath made mindfull of it and faithfull to keepe it with him here is comfort for such that the blessing of life and salvation is as sure to such soules as the covenant of a faithfull God can make it the blessings promised in the covenant cannot faile them God cannot breake with them if they breake not with him he cannot lye nor alter the thing which is gone out of his lips When the Saints sometimes thinke of the greatnesse of the promises on the one side and consider their owne povertie and vilenesse the low and undone condition they have brought themselves into by their sins on the other side the promises seeme to them to be above hope and faith As the Sunne dazles the eye to looke upon so glorious a light so the great things which God hath promised in his Covenant doe even dazle the eye of faith and they thinke them almost impossible that they should have such neare communion with God and be made partakers of that everlasting happinesse c. These doe even set faith it selfe at a stand therefore looke at the stabilitie of the promise of God he hath passed over those things by covenant and he cannot be a covenant-breaker his covenant standeth faster then the mountaines that cannot be moved and therefore as long as they are not above the promise and covenant of God neither let them be above our faith and hope onely let us wait for them in the way of faith and obedience It 's said in Psal 25.10 All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that keepe his Covenant 1 Cor. 1.9 Faithfull is he that hath called you to the fellowship of his Sonne Jesus Christ And to the same purpose is that of Moses Deut. 7.12 Therefore doe but enter into covenant with God and keepe it with him and then be confident of all that rich blessing which the Lord hath promised to his people There is a promise made to Christ Esa 49.7 that though he was despised of men and abhorred of the Nations and contemned by the rulers yet though it was very unlikely in reason Kings and Princes should bow downe to him and worship him But how shall this be brought to passe this shall be done saith the Text because of the Lord that is faithfull So though we be poore wormes yet the Lord hath promised to us life and glory and a Kingdome But can this be accomplished to such as we be Yes because of the faithfulnesse of God who hath promised and undertaken to performe it Therefore if God have made thee mindfull and carefull of his covenant to walke in obedience to him then know that the Lord is more mindfull of his owne covenant with thee to performe to thee all that mercy and blessednesse which he hath promised to thee and let this be a pledge unto thee of the accomplishment of all even the care that God hath put in thy heart to walke in Covenant with him Thus wee have heard the fourth generall observation noted out of the Text. But now by occasion thereof wee will lanch a little further into the deepe having sailed by the shore all this while and enter into a consideration more particularly of the nature of that Covenant by which God conveyes life and salvation to his people There are two covenants which the Scripture makes mention of one of workes the other of grace of both the Apostle speakes Gal. 4.23 24. The one is the Testament or Covenant of the Law that shuts up all under wrath the other of grace and that proclaimes libertie the one is usually called the commandement the other the promise the one is contained in the Law the other in the Gospel Now if it be demanded what covenant it is by which God communicates salvation to us I answer it is the covenant of grace and not the covenant of workes by which the blessing of life and salvation cometh For the more distinct handling whereof wee must consider these two things severally First To shew what the Covenant of grace is Secondly To shew that the Lord communicates his salvation by the covenant of grace and not of workes Concerning the former that wee may discerne what is the nature of the Covenant of grace this I will set forth by considering these five things 1. By comparing the covenant of grace with the covenant of workes shewing both wherein they are alike wherein they differ 2. By shewing the divers dispensations of the covenant both before Christ and since Christs coming 3. By shewing what are the benefits which wee receive by vertue of this Covenant 4. By shewing the condition of the Covenant what that is 5. By noting out the properties of the Covenant 1. For the first compare the covenant of workes with the covâ—nant of grace and therein first see wherein they are alike and doe agrâ—â— and that in sundry things 1. They agree in the author of them God is the author of both Covenants even the same God The Manichees thought one God was author of the Law the Covenant of workes and another author of the Covenant of grace contained in the Gospel but this heresiâ— was exploded long agoe 2. They agree in the parties contracting and making covenant together both of them are made with us God and man are the parties covenanting in both Covenants not as if one the covenant of workes were made with us the other the covenant of grace were made onely with Christ but both are made with us 3. They agree in one common end which is that God may be glorified in his creature in the manifestation either of his justice or mercy according to the nature of the Covenant made with him the glorifying of God is the common end of both 4. They agree in this that in both there is a promise of life and blessednesse the covenant of workes saith Doe this and live the covenant of grace saith Believe and live Life is promised in both Now whether the same life be promised in both or whether a terrene felicitie and life here on earth be promised in the one and an heavenly in the other as some
thinke or whether a heavenly life and glory in both as some others thinke I will not determine it not being much materiall It 's enough to know that life and blessednesse was and is promised in both 5. There is in both Câ—venants a condition required on our part for the attaining of the life promised wee are not left to our libertie in either Covenants neither of the two Covenants promise life absolutely whether wee obey or no and whether we believe or no but under the condition of faith or obedience the promise of life is made 6. Both Covenants require a perfect righteousnesse of us that wee may have life no life is promised in either Covenants but upon the bringing in of a perfect righteousnessâ— before God either of our owne or of anothers the covenant of grace as well as that of workes will make this good that no unrighteous person shall enter into the kingdome of God Hence Rom. 3. last the Gospel stablisheth the Law they agree herein and doe not crosse one another 7. Both Covenants are unchangeable never to be reversed or altered The covenant of grace is an unchangeable covenant it is an everlasting covenant more unchangeable then the covenant of the day and of the night more unmovable then mountaines that cannot be moved as Esa 54.10 Jer. 35.20 So likewise the covenant of workes is an unchangeable covenant Mat. 5.17 Heaven and earth shall passe away but not one jâ—t of the Law shall faile Though now in the estate of corruption no man attaines life by the covenant of workes yet this so comes to passe not because the covenant is changed but because we are changed and cannot fulfill the condition to which the promise is made the covenant stands fast but wee have not stood fast in the covenant but it is now become impossible to us that wee are unable to fulfill it as the Apostle speakes Rom. 8.3 yea it is the unchangablenesse and stabilitie of this covenant which condemnes all the world of sinfull and ungodly men The Law hath said Cursed is every one which continueth not in all things c. And the soule that sinneth and flies not to the covenant of grace shall dye This word takes hold upon them and condemnes them Nay more for the fulfilling of this Covenant the Lord Jesus Christ came downe from heaven and bâ—came man to fulfill that righteousnesse of the Law which was now becâ—me impossible to us Rom. 8.3 So unchangeable is the covenant of workes that rather then it shall not be fulfilled the sonne of God must come downe to doe it Thus wee see the agreements between the covenant of workes and the covenant of grace But the principall and wâ—ightier consideration is to set downe the proper diffâ—reâ—câ—s between thâ—m which some have gone about to darken and obsâ—urâ— and doe make them agree too neare and so make a compound of both Covenants aâ— if one should mixe wine and water togâ—â—â—â—r whereby they doe disanull the nature of the Covenant of grâ—â—â— and tuâ—â—â— it into a covenant of workes Herein tâ—â—â—â—fore â—ee â—usâ— labour the more carefully to set downe the true and reall differences between them which being done wee shall see the nature both of the one and the other more distinctly and clearly The differences are many Differ 1 The first difference is in the condition of the Covenants the one requires doing the other believing the one workes the other faith The one saith Doe this and live the other saith Believe and thou shalt be saved the way of life which the Law propounds is Doe these things comprehended in the Law and doe them constantly and then thou shalt live as Gal. 3.12 The Law saith The man that doth these things c. But the condition of the Covenant of grace is faith Acts 16.31 Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved But here a twofold doubt may be moved Quest 1. Whether faith be not required in the Law in the Covenant of workes 2. Whether workes be not required in the covenant of grace If both these be required faith in the Covenant of workes and workes in the covenant of grace then how stands the difference between the two Covenants Answ For answer to the first when it is demanded whether faith be not required in the Covenant of workes I answer It is but first it is not the same faith secondly nor required for the same end as in the Covenant of grace To explaine this I say the Covenant of workes requires faith and that in a threefold act thereof 1. In regard of dependance upon God the fountaine and author of all good wee were not in our first and best being which wee had by creation wee were not I say so perfect but wee stood in need still to depend upon him that had created us for the continuance of that being which he had given us It is imprinted in the nature of every creature to depend for sustentation upon that from whence it had its beginning as the chicken upon the hen c. So the whole creation lookes backe unto him that made it for preservation in their being as Psal 104.21.27 Psal 145.15 And if it be so in these unreasonable creatures thus to depend upon their Creator then was the same in man much more the covenant of the Law required this faith of man in the beginning though now we be as Gods in our owne eyes selfe-sufficient depending upon our selves and none else for all the good wee hope for yet at the beginning it was not so But man was to depend upon God for his being and well-being 2. Another act of faith required in the Law was a perswasion that God was well pleased with him whilst he walked in the way of love and obedience to his creator he was to believe without feare and doubt that so long as he obeyed the will of the Lord he was well-pleased with him 3. He was to believe the blessing of life promised in that covenant and to expect it according to the promise In all these regards faith was commanded in the Covenant of workes It may here be demanded Object If faith be required in the covenant of workes why is it not expressed in plaine words as well as doing the Covenant of workes saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and serve him but it doth not call for any act of faith at all The reason thereof is Answ because when the Covenant of workes was made with man he was then in his integritie sinne was not yet come into the world and therefore there was no cause for man to doubt of Gods love and acceptation of him But having received so great benefits from God made after his image but little inferior to the Angels and having dominion given him over all the workes of Gods hands he was now to be put in minde of his dutie towards his creator and therefore was to be stirred up to love honour
and obey him no need was there to stirre him up to believe Gods goodnesse towards him of which he had no cause to doubt But when God cometh to make a Covenant of grace with man he finds him in his sin and rebellion full of feares and doubts and therefore had need to be encouraged to believe that God will be reconciled but then it was not so there was then nothing to cause distrust and therefore faith was not expressed in that covenant yet faith was then required as wee have shewed though not the same faith that is required in the covenant of grace But they differ in three things 1. The covenant of workes commandeth faith in God as a creator to preserve our being but not as a redeemer to deliver us from misery Adam was not bound to believe on God as a redeemer for then he needed no redemption But the Covenant of grace requires faith in God as a redeemer redeeming us from sinne and misery The Jewes professed they believed on God but by what faith When the faith of the Gospel was preached unto them by Christ and his Apostles they counted it a strange thing they clave to the Covenant of workes they therefore believed on God as a Creator but believed not on grace revealed in the Gospel by this faith they believed not on him 2. The Covenant of workes required faith to believe in God loving mee as created holy and continuing in the same puritie and holinesse before him and no further but the Covenant of grace commands faith to believe in God loving us and pitying us lost sinners 3. The faith required in the Covenant of workes was mutable as now all the righteousnesse required in that Covenant and so might be lost as afterwards it was by the sinne of Adam but the faith required in the Covenant of grace is such as is begotten of an immortall seed 1 Pet. 1.23 and therefore cannot be lost but abideâ— and continues for ever It is a faith that cannot faile Luk. 22. Thus yee see the same faith is not required in both Covenants Secondly It is not required in the Covenant of grace for the same end as it was in the Covenant of workes In the Covenant of workes faith was required as a part of that righteousnesse which the Law required it is one of the duties of the Law but in the covenant of grace it is required not as any part of our righteousnesse but onely as an instrument to receive and apprehend the righteousnesse which is wrought for us by Christ and therefore the faith required in the Covenant of workes was a giving unto God but the faith required in the Covenant of grace is onely a receiving from God that which he freely offers us Quest So that if the question be asked and stated thus Whether the Law and Covenant of workes doe require the same faith and to the same end as the Covenant of grace doth Answ I answer No it doth not as is evident by that of the Apostle Gal. 3.12 The Law is not of faith i it is not the doctrine of faith requiring faith and promising life upon believing but the Law saith thus The man that doth these things shall live in them as if he should say the Law requires not believing but doing therefore those are deceived that would bring in the faith of the Gospel to be required in the Law For the second doubt Quest 2 Whether doth not the Covenant of grace require workes as well as doth the Covenant of workes I answer It doth as is evident Titus 2.11.14 Answ The grace of God that bringeth salvation teacheth us to be zealous of good workes and Mat. 5.16 Let men see your good workes saith Christ though Christ preached not a Covenant of workes but of grace yet he calls for good workes But marke the difference 1. The Covenant of workes doth not require workes for the same end as the Covenant of grace for that requires workes as the matter of our justification before God so saith Moses understanding him in a Legall way Deut. 6. last This is your righteousnesse but the Covenant of grace requires workes not as a part of our righteousnesse but that thereby wee should glorifie God and manifest it that wee are made righteous by Christ James 2. wee are thereby declared to be righteous the godly conversation of a Christian maketh it evident to the consciences of men that he is a justified man 2. The workes that are required in the Covenant of grace are not required from the same beginning the Covenant of workes requires workes to be performed from our own strength and abilitie received in the Creation it presupposeth abilitie in our selves to doe what it requireth But the Covenant of grace requireth workes to be done by the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Phil. 4.13 I can doe all things saith the Apostle through Christ strengthning mee that is the power which the Covenant of grace directs us unto 3. The Covenant of grace doth not require works in the same order as the Covenant of workes doth for the Covenant of workes requires workes first and then faith to believe our selves beloved unto life but the Covenant of grace requireth faith first and then that we bring forth good workes therefore saith the Apostle Titus 3.8 Let them which have believed be carefull to shew forth good workes He doth not say Let them which have done good workes believe but first believe and then doe good workes he placeth faith before workes and hence it is that the obedience of the Gospel is called the obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 as following faith and springing from it Thus then this difference of the condition of the Covenants remaineth the one Covenant commanding workes the other faith Vse Let therefore every soule looke unto his faith that expects to receive the blessing of life by faith wee are brought into Covenant with God and are enabled to wait for the blessing of it Those that are of faith are blessed with faithfuâ—l Aâ—raham Gal. 3.9 Though there be imperfection in your works yet if your faith be working and it be not a dead faith but fruitfull manifesting it selfe in a holy life here is comfort it is faith that gives interest in the Covenant of grace let it appeare that it is a faith unfeigned and this is the condition to which God hath promised life and salvation Differ 2 The second maine difference is this namely that the Covenant of workes is made without a Mediator to mediate between God and man But in the Covenant of grace there is a Mediator coming between to unite God and man together and make them one Hence Heb. 9.15 Christ is called the Mediator of the new Testament so also Heb. 12.24 but the first Covenant of workes had no Mediator The reason of this difference is because when God came to make a covenant of workes with Adam then there was no disagreement between God and man
Sinai had not Christ for the Mediator of it Heb. 8.6 But Christ was the Mediator of the covenant of grace ever since that covenant was first made even in the time of Adam Gen. 3.15 and of Abraham Joh. 8.5 and of Moses Acts 15.11 and afore his coming in the flesh as well as since Heb. 13.8 Answ I grant that Christ was not in his owne person visible Mediator of that covenant yet in his type he was for when Moses stood betwixt God and them Deut. 5.5 and as a Mediator he tooke the Law from God to deliver it unto them Gal. 3.19 he did not so stand in that place of Mediator in his owne name but in the name of Christ as representing Christ of whom he was therein a type and figure so that what Moses did in that Mediatorship Christ did it in him It is said of Christ 1 Pet. 3. He went and preached to the old world in the ministry of Noah so he went and was Mediator between God and Israel in the ministry of Moses and as Aaron was Mediator between God and them in the Priestly office so was Moses in the Propheticall office and yet neither of them in their owne names and for themselves but both of them as they were types of Christ and thus Christ was Mediator of that typicall covenant in his type and afterward Mediator of the Evangelicall covenant in his owne person Object 2 The covenant of grace is said to be established upon better promises then the first covenant made at Mount Sinai Heb. 8.6 Now these better promises are promises of life upon better conditions i upon condition of faith in Christ and not upon that impossible condition of perfect obedience to the Law The covenant of grace therefore being built upon better promises then the former covenant at Mount Sinai therefore the covenant at Mount Sinai cannot be a covenant of grace because the promises of the covenant of grace are alwayes the same Acts 15.11 Answ As wee read of better promises so we read also of a better testament and better sacrifices Heb. 7.22 8.6 9.23 Now mark shall we from those better sacrifices of the new Testament conclude that the former Testament which had sacrifices though it wanted these better sacrifices was a covenant of workes No the covenant of workes taken properly hath no sacrifices at all The same I say concerning the better Testament Heb. 7.22 8.6 Where the comparison is betwixt the Testament under the Messiah and the Testament under Levi as the verses before doe make manifest the Testament under the Messiah is called a better Testament then that under Levi yet was that Testament under Levi a Testament or Covenant of grace and not of workes This therefore I conceive that those better promises are not so called in regard of the substance of the promises but of the manner of propounding them Even as the sacrifices of the new Testament are said to be better then the sacrifices of the old not in substance but in the manner of exhibiting If I may so speake they had the same sacrifices in substance as wee have even the Lambe slaine from the foundation of the world Rev. 13. But he was then slaine onely in types and figures not really or personally But now in the new Testament there is a reall and personall offering up of Christ himselfe and not in the type onely and therefore it is called a better sacrifice And so it is in the promises the promise of eternall life was then made but how seldome plainly expressed but shadowed over in the promise of their dwelling in the land of Canaan which was to them a type of heaven but now wee have the promise of eternall life plainly and nakedly set before us so that wee may say as they said Joh. 16. Now speakest thou plainly and speakest no parables now the Lord speakes to us without putting such vailes before our eyes which held them that they did not see into the end of that which was spoken so as now in this sense our promises are better then theirs because more clearly and plainly revealed In a word the Covenant under the Messiah is compared with the Covenant under Levi the sacrifices of the one with the sacrifices of the other the promises of the one with the promises of the other Looke then how the one is better so are they all as the sacrifices of the one are better then the sacrifices of the other so is the Testament and so are the promises which betternesse is not in the substance but in the manner of revealing The Covenant made at Mount Sinai was the Covenant of the Object 3 Morall law which is the Covenant of workes This objection is answered by that which was before delivered Answ 1 of a two-fold consideration of the Law 1. Absolutely 2. With respect to the Covenant of grace and as dependant on that and thus onely it was delivered to them and not as a Covenant by which they should be saved no more then it is to us though wee have it in our Bibles Answ 2 Though the Morall Law was then given them yet there was more then that Law delivered to them namely all the ordinances of the Ceremoniall Law which belong to the covenant of grace and not of workes and all of them together made up but one covenant wherein they were to walke with God Object 4 The first Testament delivered at Mount Sinai was such as no salvation could be attained by it for therefore it is said not to be faultlesse Heb. 8.7 But the Covenant of grace did alwayes bring salvation Therefore c. Answ That Covenant did give life and salvation was attained by it And though it be said to be faulty yet not so as to hinder or debar from salvation but onely it was defective in respect of the full perfection of the new Covenant as it is now revealed It was not so cleare and manifest as now it is there was then a defect in comparison of what it is now by the revelation of Jesus Christ but not faulty to as that interpretation would make it Compare herewith Heb. 10.1 2 3 4. Object 5 This is made a difference betwixt the covenant of grace and the covenant at Sinai that the covenant of grace promiseth forgivenesse of sinnes and the writing of the Law in our hearts which the former covenant at Sinai did not Therefore it was not a covenant of grace but of workes Answ It is true the covenant at Sinai did not promise forgivenesse of sinnes scil so clearly and the writing of the Law in our hearts scil so abundantly in so full a measure as the new covenant doth but if from the denying of the full measure we shall deny the whole benefit in any measure this will not follow no more then this followes that because the Prophets did not reveale Christ so plainly as the Apostles therefore they did not reveale him at all They had types
of the forgivenesse of sinnes in the killing of the sacrifice in putting their sinnes upon the head of the Goat So also the Law was written in their hearts else David could not have said Thy law is within my heart but not so fully as in the new manifestation of the Covenant under the Gospel In Joh. 7.39 it is said The Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified not but that the Spirit was then given in a measure but not so abundantly as after his ascension So here c. But in Gal. 4.22.24 25. the Covenant at Sinai is expresly distinguished Object 6 from the new covenant or testament the covenant at Sinai being signified by Hagar which brings forth children to bondage who was cast out with her sonne and haâ— no inheritance with Isaac the sonne of the free woman therefore the covenant at Sinai must needs be a covenant of workes It is not to be denied Answ but that the Law which is the summe of the covenant of workes was then published at Sinai but wee must withall remember what was before expressed concerning the two-fold consideration of the Law First Absolute in it selfe as it was given to Adâ—m Secondly Respective depending upon the promise of grace in which respect it was given to that people of Israel Now the Apostle speaks of the Law and covenant of works both wayes First he speakâ—s of it in the relative consideration as it had respect to that people and to the covenant of grace before made with them in Abraham and of this consideration of it he speakes from Chapter 3.17 to Chapter 4.21 and then from the beginning of ver 21. of the fourth Chapter to the end of the Chapter there he begins to intreat of the Law as simply considered in it selfe And indeed if wee so consider it simply by it selfe it doth containe nothing but a covenant of workes and begets children to bondage which shall have no inheritance with the children of promise which lay hold of the new Covenant but yet the former truth still holds firme and unshaken namely that it was not a Covenant of workes as it had respect to that people that is it was not given to them with intent that they should looke to be justified and to live thereby but onely to lead them to Christ and to restraine transgression as the Apostle fully shewes in the third Chapter This two-fold consideration of the Law here spoken of is evident to any that doth with attention read those two Chapters and attends to the scope of them for that which the Apostle speakes concerning the Law and the Jewes being under the Law Chap. 4.1 2 3. c. cannot be meant of those that are under it as under a Covenant of workes but of those that were children of God by grace though yet under age c. Againe that which he speakes of the Law in Chap. 4.29 30. with the verses before from ver 21. to the end cannot be applyed otherwise then to the children of the Law and Covenant of workes strictly and properly so called And therefore this two-fold consideration of the Law is grounded upon the Text it selfe And the Apostle ariseth from one of these unto the other First speaking of the Law as it had reference to that people shewing for what end it was given unto them which he handles Chapter 3.17 to Chap. 4.21 and then falls to an absolute consideration of it in it selfe shewing the danger of being under the Law being so considered simply as a covenant of workes namely that it casts us out of the inheritance which is given onely to the children of promise the Covenant then which God made with Israel at Sinai was a covenant of grace God renewing with them the former covenant made before with them in Abraham but withall did then shew them the covenant of workes what it was thereby to force them to cleave unto the former promise of grace The summe is that though the Law which containes the covenant of workes was delivered to the Israelites at Mount Sinai by a Mediator Moses by reason of that reference it had in them to the covenant of grace yet was it not so given by a Mediator unto Adam to whom it was given as a meere covenant of workes by which he should live And in this appeares the difference between the one Covenant and the other the covenant of workes is without a Mediator there being no breach between God and man when the covenant of workes was given But the covenant of grace is by a Mediator to make up the breach which sin hath made between God and us so as now in this estate of sin there is no peace with God no blessing from God but it must be obtained by the Mediator between God and man Jesus Christ Hence is that Ephes 2.13.16.18 where the Apostle shewes how both Jewes and Gentiles are made neere to God by Christ Wee were aliens and strangers but now are made Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and have entrance and accesse to the Father by Christ Neither is there any other blessing to be looked for but as it comes to us through the hand of the Mediator he it is that hath received gifts for men Psal 68.18 and he gives gifts to men Eph. 4.8 by him wee have remission of sinnes Eph. 1.7 by him wee receive the Spirit of life and grace Joh. 1.16 By him the Mediator wee enter and are brought into covenant with God by him we are kept in covenant with him by him wee receive all the blessings of the Covenant and without a Mediator there is no peace no blessing to be looked for All the promises of the Covenant are made by him and fulfilled 2 Cor. 1.20 In him they are yea and Amen though every promise doe not by name mention Christ yet it hath respect unto Christ and without Christ wee can receive nothing that comes in the nature of a blessing or that comes from grace Grace comes onely by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.17 This serves to let us see the misery of all such as are under the Vse 1 Law under the Covenant of workes and not under grace let them consider they must come and stand before God the Judge of all who shall judge every man according to his workes and then shall all their sinnes be set in order before them and laid unto their charge and the Law passe sentence of death upon them and their own Consciences terrifie them and which is the upshot of their misery there shall be none to plead for them not one in heaven and earth to stand betwixt Gods wrath and them to turne it away from them but they shall be left unto themselves to dye and perish in their sinnes The Law hath no Mediator Christ is no Mediator to such as are under the Law he hath not a word to speake for them he tells such Joh. 17.19 how little they must
would againe receive us graciously Hosea 14.2 And thus by meanes of this our blessed Mediator and Advocate wee are holden and continued in Covenant with God so as the Covenant of his grace peace made with us stands fast through Christ notwithstanding our manifold declinings and turnings backe from him Differ 3 The third difference between the Covenant of workes and of grace is this That in the covenant of workes Gods acceptation begins with the worke and so goes on to the worker or person working But in the covenant of grace his acceptation begins with the person and so goes on unto the worke In the one God accepts the person for the workes sake In the other God rewards the worke for the persons sake Hereof it is that the life promised in the Covenant of workes Rom. 4.4 is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a debt as due unto the worke unto which it is promised But that which is promised in the covenant of grace is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gift as being freely given to the person without respect to any worke or if to the work yet for the persons sake This word gratis freely puts the difference between the covenant of workes and of grace In the covenant of work God justifies the doers of the Law but not gratis freely but in the covenant of grace God justifies freely without respect to the worke out of love to the person This is noted in the speech of Moses concerning Abel Gen. 4.4 God had respect to Abel and to his sacrifice Abel being a believer and under grace God had respect to his sacrifice but it was because he first had respect to Abel himselfe Hence also is that argument of theirs in Judges 13.23 Judg. 13.23 If say they the Lord would slay us he would not have accepted an offering at our hands They reason from the acceptance of their service to the acceptance of their person because the person is accepted first and therefore if the offering be accepted then the person much more But on the contrary the Lord threatneth that when he tooke no pleasure in their persons Mal. 1.10 then their offerings should not be regarded And so when Elijah and the Priests of Baal offered the same kinde of sacrifice God accepted the sacrifice of Elijah but not of the other because his person was accepted but theirs were not In 1 Kings 8.52 1 King 8.52 God is said to have his eyes open to heare the prayers of his people it is not the eye which heares but the eare yet God is said to have his eyes open to heare our prayers because there is something first in Gods eye which makes his eare to listen unto our cry First he looks favourably upon our persons and hath a gracious respect unto our selves and then he bowes his eare to the prayer which we make before him According to that Psal 34.15 Psal 34.15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his eare is open to their prayers Thus it is in the Covenant of grace Gods acceptance beginneth first with the person And hence it is that when God hath cast favour upon the person then he accepts weake services from them A cup of cold water is better accepted from such an one Mat. to last Micah 6.6 7. then a thousand rivers of oyle from another hand yea though there be imperfections and weaknesses in the thing done yet God passeth by the weaknesses for the favour he beares unto the person As wee may see in Jacob he seekes the blessing but mixeth so much imperfection and sin in it that if God had not accepted his person he might have brought a curse upon himselfe in stead of a blessing but God had said Jacob have I loved and therefore though he liked not his dissembling yet he passed by his infirmitie and Jacob got the blessing And so David 1 Sam. 11. ult though the thing which he had done displeased the Lord yet God tooke not his mercy from him as he tooke it from Saul for Saul was under a covenant of workes and David under a covenant of grace Herein the Lord would shew that it was the person not the worke which he had respect unto But Adam being under a covenant of workes he finds acceptance with God no longer then his worke is found perfect before him All his personall indowments excellent gifts and the Image of God which was stamped upon him by which he was but little inferiour to the Angels all these could procure him no favour or acceptance any longer then his worke was right because he was under the Covenant of workes his person is accepted according to his worke Vse 1 For all such as are under the Law and have not yet made their refuge unto grace to finde acceptance in Christ nothing that they do hath any acceptance with God Tit. 1. last Themselves are abominable and so are all their workes abominable Psal 14.1 And till they come to have their persons accepted in Christ it 's in vaine to tell God of their services and what great things they have done he regards none of their workes they are to him as the filthinesse of a menstruous woman Though they doe such things as are highly esteemed amongst men yet they are but abomination in the sight of God In Luk. 18. Luke 18. the Pharisee tells the Lord what a number of good workes he had done fasting praying paying tithes dealing justly c. But what doth all this availe him he goes away without any acceptance before God So Mat. 7.22 Mat. 7.22 and Luk. 13.26 Luke 13 26. they shall come and say unto Christ Wee have eaten and drunke in thy presence and prophesied in thy Name and done many great workes But see what the Lord saith Depart away from me I know you not Their persons were never accepted by grace in Christ and therefore all that they had done was but as if they had brought a carrion for sacrifice or had offred swines bloud before the Lord. Here therefore begin if wee would have our workes accepted come before God in humilitie and sense of our owne vilenesse as the Publican did and seeke to be accepted through grace in Christ and then come and offer thy gift and so coming both thou and thy sacrifice shall finde acceptance with God But as in his own might shall no man prevaile 1 Sam. 2.9 1 Sam. 2.9 so now in this state of sin and corruption in his own worke shall no man finde acceptance in Gods sight Vse 2 For singular comfort unto all such as having made their refuge unto grace have found acceptance through faith in Christ Be herein comforted that the weakest and poorest services that you put up to God in Christ are accepted of him These are many times discouraged by reason of their weake performances Oh! there is so much deadnesse coldnesse dulnesse so many by-thoughts
such hypocrisie in their best actions that they cannot thinke that ever such sorry services such lame and sick sacrifices should be accepted of God But tell me you that thus complaine To what do you look that you may finde acceptance with God To your workes or to the riches of grace revealed in the covenant of grace accepting your person through Christ Doe you looke that your worke should be accepted for its own sake or through grace in Christ your persons being first accepted in him If you looke to your workes God regards neither you nor them but if you fly to the aboundance of grace looking for your acceptance there then feare not thy weakest endeavours are accepted before God and doe find favour in his fight Our comfort lyes not in the excellency of our duties but in our free acceptance in Christ Thinke thus thy workes being done never so weakly are not worse then thou thy selfe wast when first thou wentest to the throne of grace begging to be received through grace If then God did in mercy accept thee when thou wast so vile doubt not but out of the same grace and mercy he will accept thy worke also his promise being that he will spare such as a man spareth his sonne that serveth him Mal. 3.17 Mal. 3.17 Great cause hast thou to be humbled and displeased with thy selfe that thou canst performe no better service to thy God that thou art so dead and livelesse in the things of thy God who hath so graciously looked upon thee But no cause therefore to thinke that thy service is not accepted because Gods acceptance begins in the person not in the worke accepting the worke for the persons sake And therefore if God have accepted thy person he will accept thy worke also The fourth difference is this In the Covenant of workes a man Differ 4 is left to himselfe to stand by his own strength But in the Covenant of grace God undertakes with us to keep us through faith The reason of this difference is because when God comes to make a Covenant of workes with Adam he finds him furnished with a sufficiency of power which was put into him in his creation But when he comes to make with us a Covenant of grace in this estate of sin he finds us of no strength Rom. 5.6 Rom. 5.6 impotent feeble possessed with a spirit of infirmitie made up of weaknesses having no power and therefore Isa 40.29 the Lord promiseth unto such that he will give strength unto them and increase power The Lord knowes the infirmitie of our flesh how impossible it is for us to fulfill any part of the righteousnesse which the Law requires Rom. 8.3 Rom. 8.3 He knowes also what powers we have against us Ephes 6. and therefore he tells us that we are kept not by our own power but by his power through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 1 Pet. 1.5 And hence is that in Joh. 10.28 Joh. 10.28 Christ tells us that none shall plucke us out of his hand And this is the reason that though Adam fell from his first estate and lost the life promised in that Covenant made with him yet we fall not he had more strength of grace then wee and wee have more corruption then he for he was then pure without sin yet being left to his own liberty he willingly forsooke the commandement of God and fell into a state of perdition But wee being weaker then he yet being once taken into the Covenant of grace though we have the same powers of darknesse against us as he had yet wee fall not so as to sin unto perdition as he did because wee are supported by the power of God Adams life was put into his own hand ours is put into the hand of Christ wee are committed to his care and trust The Father hath given us unto the Sonne the Sonne hath taken us at the hand of the Father and hath undertaken with the Father for us to present us before him As in Gen. 43. Gen. 43. Judah undertakes with his father for Benjamin At my hand saith he shalt thou require him c. So doth Christ undertake for us at his hand the Father requires us and Christ hath ingaged his own faithfulnesse to keepe us till he have presented us perfect before his Father Vse 1 See hence the ground of that which sometimes seems marvellous in our eyes we see men of different abilities some simple weak and despised others indued with eminent gifts and excellent parts yet those that so excell many times fade and fall away their graces wither their light is extinct and they go out like the smoke of a candle with an ill savour whereas the weak and simple ones are upholden and go from strength to strength and increase with the increasings of God The reason hereof is because the one sort viewing themselves and their own excellencies in the glasse of their own conceit they trust in themselves and in their own strength and do not commit their souls to God to be kept by him and so are left unto themselves And then at length meeting with some temptation which is stronger then they their confidence and their strength fails them and so they fall and being left unto themselves they are never able to rise any more whereas the other being sensible of their own infirmitie and casting themselves on the power of God to be kept thereby they are hereby preserved and upholden against all the powers of darknesse which are against them so that either they fall not or if they do fall yet they rise again And thus it comes to passe that these that are weak in themselves they are strong through Christ as 2 Cor. 12.9 2 Cor. 12.9 And those that are strong in themselves are indeed weake in the power of God having no help nor assistance from him and so are quite overthrown This may stay the mindes of those that are weak they think they Vse 2 shall never hold out They cannot deny but the Lord hath shewed mercy on them and wrought his grace in their hearts but they feare they shall not hold out they feel such a power of corruption in themselves so many lusts such strong temptations who can endure True not of your selves but God is able to make you stand Rom. 14.4 Rom. 14.4 do but commit your soules to him in wel-doing as 1 Pet. 4.19 1 Pet. 4.19 And then consider that noble resolution of the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.12 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him go thou and do likewise If a friend relying upon thy trust and faithfulnesse should bring a Jewell to thee and intreat thee to keep it carefully thou wouldest be ashamed to be carelesse of it Christ is the faithfull and true witnesse therefore commit thy soul to him and he will keep
it He can do it Jude 24. Jude 24. and he is faithfull and will do it 1 Thes 5.24 1 Thes 5.24 it being his covenant and promise and he cannot deny himself In the covenant of works Gods highest end is the glorifying of Differ 5 his justice In the Covenant of grace it is to glorifie his Grace In the Covenant of Works God reveales himself a just God rewarding good and punishing evill condemning sin but in the Covenant of Grace he shews himself a God gracious and merciful forgiving iniquity c. as Jer. 31.31 32. Jer. 31.31 32. I will be mercifull to your iniquity c. The Covenant of Works forgiveth no sin there is nothing but strict justice in that Covenant In this Covenant God looks not at any mans repentance and turning from sin but only considers whether he hath sinned As in Courts of Justice where there are tried matters of life and death there is no regard had whether the party be penitent or no but whether the fact be committed and if found guilty he is led to execution so in Gods Court of Justice which he keeps according to the tenor of the Covenant of Works Justice acts and doth all Justice indictes Justice examines Justice pronounceth sentence Justice executes the punishment and so whosoever hath sinned receives according to the evil that he hath done And hence it is that when Adam had sinned the inquisition is not whether he repented him of the evill that he had done but what hast thou done Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I said unto thee thou shalt not eat And the Lord finding that he had offended pronounces curses and death But in the Covenant of Grace it is otherwise There God looks at the repentance of his people and accepts of humiliation and faith in Christ Hence is the counsell of the Apostle Acts 2.37 Acts 2.37 Repent and be baptized c. When they saw the horrible sin which they had done in killing the Lord of life they being the children of the Covenant he tels them that yet there was mercy for them they might obtain forgivenesse of sins Hence also Jonah 3.10 Jonah 3.10 when God saw their repentance and that they turned from their evill wayes he also turned from the evill which he said he would do to them and did it not The voyce of the Covenant of Works is like the first speech of Nathan to David Thou art a childe of death the voyce of the Covenant of Grace is like his after speech when he saw Davids humiliation and repentance The Lord hath put away thy sin In the Covenant of Works God speaks as Ezek. 18. Ezek. 18. The soul that sinneth it shall die In the Covenant of Grace he speaks as Ezek. 33.11 Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a sinner They are both expressed in one place Exod. 34.6 Exod. 34.6 The Lord gracious and mercifull slow to anger yet not acquitting the wicked but visiting iniquitie c. In one Covenant God condemnes both sin and sinner in the other he condemnes the sin but spares and gives life to the sinner to glorifie his grace thereby In the Covenant of workes he aymes to make his power and justice knowne as Rom. 9.22 cap. 2.5 Rom. 9.22 cap. 2.5 But in the other to glorifie grace as Isa 48.9 Eph. 1.6 The reason of this difference is because God will be glorified in all his attributes as he is glorious in all so he will have the glory of all to be seene He will have his power and wisdome knowne in the creation of the world his goodnesse knowne in the continuance and preservation and ordering of it his faithfulnesse in keeping covenant with us according to the covenant made his justice in a covenant of works his grace in a covenant of grace which he makes with us in Christ Jesus Vse 1 This may smite feare and terrour into the hearts of all such as are strangers unto the Covenant of grace such as never yet entred into a new Covenant with God by that new and living way which is opened to them in Christ Let such consider what hath been said that in the covenant of workes under which yet they stand there is no grace shewed but strict justice without any mercy Let such therefore bethinke themselves what a God they must meet withall and with whom they must have to do even with a just God a God of judgement a God of vengeance that will not spare their misdeeds what ever justice can require of them they must satisfie to the utmost mite were it so that mercy and justice might sit on the bench together that justice might be tempered and mixt with mercy your sentence might be the more tolerable But these two sit in two severall Courts Justice without mercy and therefore when nothing but justice shall judge you who can stand what flesh may abide it In Psal 78.5 Psal 78.5 with the cup of the Lords wrath is said to be full mixt but in Rev. 14.10 Rev. 14 10. it is said to be pure wine unmixt both together imply that it is both mixt and unmixt how both mixt of all sorts of plagues but unmixt without any drop of mercy pure wrath without any dram of mercy to allay the bitternesse of the cup of wrath and how bitter then will this cup be more bitter then gall yet this must all the wicked of the earth drinke and wring out the very dregs of it Psal 78.5 Psal 78.5 This is an hard saying but a true saying as God is true Therefore Isa 27.11 Isai 27.11 God speaking of the wicked people of the Jewes saith he He that made them will not have mercy on them neither shew them any favour And in Ezek. 5.11 Ezek. 5.11 He threatens that his eye shall not spare neither will he have any pitie And Hos 1.6 Hos 1.6 I will no more have mercy c. And James 2.13 They shall have judgement without mercy As God will be made marveilous in his mercy toward those that are vessels of mercy prepared unto glory 2 Thes 1.10 2 Thes 1.10 so as men shall wonder at the aboundance of grace shewed towards them so on the contrary God will be admired and wondred at in his judgements upon all sinfull and ungodly ones he will make their plagues wonderfull Deut. 28.59 He will deale with his own servants onely in a way of grace with these onely in a way of justice And if so what will their end be Justice will spare neither high nor low it is impartiall and alike towards all Justice will passe by no transgression but will have an account for all greater or lesse wicked thoughts idle words foolish jests Justice will not remit any part of the punishment which the Law calls for but it will have the full to the utmost furthing Let this strike
all their hearts who are yet under a Covenant of workes with a feare of this just God who will judge them without mercy And let this cause them to fly to the throne of grace and there to enter into a new Covenant with God As the Angel counselled Lot so doe I counsell thee hasten to get shelter under the wing of grace that thou mayst be freed from the wrath of the just God Vse 2 Seeing Gods end in the Covenant of grace is to glorifie his grace in us we may by this in some measure discerne what part wee have in the grace of this Covenant And wee may doe it by this if our aymes and Gods aymes our ends and Gods ends meet in one when we come to seek grace in his sight Many an one comes before God begs mercy and yet obtaines it not as Prov. 1.28 Prov. 1.28 because they aske amisse they seek it not in Gods way Consider therefore what seekest thou in begging mercy at his hand Dost thou seek onely to have thy sin pardoned onely to be saved from wrath this will not argue thy peace that thou art under grace But dost thou as well seeke the glorifying of his grace towards thee as the obtaining of thine own peace with him if God have put this disposition of heart into thee that thou couldest be content to lie downe in the dust and to take shame for thy sin before Angels and men so that the aboundant riches of his grace may be glorified in taking away thy sinne if thy desire be not onely that thou maist see his salvation but that the Lord himselfe may be made marvellous and his grace magnified in thee then thou art herein another David a man after Gods own heart thy thoughts are as Gods thoughts thy intents and ends the same with Gods ends Take this therefore as a pledge of his grace towards thee Never couldest thou so desire the glorifying of that grace if God had not a purpose of grace towards thee Naturall desires of our own good may perhaps worke a desire to have our sin forgiven but nature though elevated to the highest cannot reach this to desire the glorifying of grace as our end Vse 3 For comfort unto such as see their own unworthinesse and are discouraged thereby from seeking after grace with God They are so vile in their own eyes that they thinke it is impossible that ever such as they are should find favour and acceptance with God But let me aske cannot the riches of grace when it shall set it selfe on purpose to glorifie it selfe to the full cannot such grace make thee accepted Thou darest not deny it Hold here then grace can make thee accepted if it will please to glorifie it selfe now then consider this is the very end which the Lord aymeth at in saving his people scil to glorifie his grace in such as seeing their owne unworthinesse doe fly to grace alone to be accepted in Christ Jesus I say more If thou wert not unworthy there could not be any communication of grace to thee for were there not unworthinesse in us there could be no grace shewen from God When God will glorifie himselfe in a way of justice he will abase all the haughtinesse of man no excellency of man can then stand in his presence so on the contrary when God will glorifie himselfe in a way of grace there is no unworthinesse of man can hinder it he will exalt the most vile the abject the most despised and contemptible that not we but grace it selfe may be glorified 1 Cor. 1.27 28. 1 Cor. 1.27 therefore doe not wrong the grace of God but fly thereto in the sense of thine own basenesse and this is the readiest way to find acceptance It may serve for direction unto all such as desire to enjoy the Vse 4 blessings of this grace which God offers in his Covenant let them seeke it with the same minde that God offers it with a purpose and desire to have grace exalted and magnified doe not onely seeke it that you may be exalted by grace but that grace may be exalted in you Goe to God for grace with the same minde as Moses did and then we shall obtaine it as he did Now Moses sought it for this end that his mercy might appeare Exod. 32.32 Exod. 32.32 If thou wilt pardon their sin thy mercy shall appeare this reading I chuse and embrace as the best as if he should say they have indeed committed a great sin but the greater their sin is the more shall thy mercy and grace appeare if thou wilt forgive Thus Moses prayes and see how it prevailes with God In ver 10. the Lord seemed to have been resolved to consume them and bids Moses let him alone that his wrath might wax hot against them I will destroy them saith God I will not be intreated for them yet Moses notwithstanding goes before God confessing their vile and hainous sin but withall prayes Oh yet forgive and then thy mercy shall be magnified And this prayer of his prevailed with God he stayed his hand he changed his minde as ver 14. and destroyed them not These are prevailing requests with God when wee plead for the glorifying of his owne grace In Joh. 12.28 Joh. 12.28 our Saviour prayes to his Father Father glorifie thy Name and there comes a voice out of the cloud I have glorified it and will glorifie it againe so let us seeke grace from God for this end that it may be glorified in us Father glorifie thy grace and then the Lord in his time will answer us I have both glorified it and will now glorifie it againe In this way wee cannot misse of obtaining the thing wee seeke for at Gods hand Differ 6 In the Covenant of workes God deales alike with all that are alike in themselves Looke how he deales with one so will he doe with another if they walke in the same way The same work shall have the same reward whether in good or in evill They that are alike in sin shall be alike in punishment Justice which is Gods rule in the Covenant of workes maketh no difference between persons that are equall in themselves It hath its ballance in its hand to give to every one according to their workes It is no respecter of persons Therefore God speaking of Bâ—asha 1 Kings 16.2 3. 1 King 16.2 3 saith that because he walked in the wayes of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin therefore God would make his house like the house of Jeroboam They both make Israel to sin and therefore they are both alike in punishment so also he speakes of Jerusalem Ezek. 23.31 Ezek. 23.31 that because shee walked in the way of her sister that therefore he would give her cup into her hand Hence saith the Apostle Rom. 2.6 to 17th Rom. 2.6 to 17 â—h That every soule that continues in well-doing shall have glory and honour
but unto the disobedient shall be tribulation and wrath whether Jewes or Gentiles c. Where actions are alike God will deale alike with all such as are under the Covenaâ—t of workes What is just towards one is just towards another when actions and workes are alike Now God will deale justly with all He that commands us to give to every man his due Rom. 13.7 will not himselfe withhold due from any here therefore God will deale alike with all Let one fulfill the Law and he shall live thereby Let another fulfill it and he also shall have the same life Let one breake it and he shall dye and as many as breake it shall lye under the same condemnation But now it is otherwise in the Covenant of grace grace deales diversly with men that are equall in themselves where there was no difference before grace makes a difference as Rom. 3.23 24. Rom. 3.23 24 All have sinned c. there is no difference in our selves wee are all shut up in condemnation by sin but are all justified No but onely those that are of the faith of Jesus Hence saith the Apostle Rom. 9.10 11 12 13. that when Jacob and Esau were both in the same condition neither of them having done either good or evill yet grace put a difference betwixt them and preferred one before the other They were alike in themselves but yet they had not the like grace vouchsafed to them from God Justice is due but grace is free Justice must doe right but grace may communicate it selfe to whom where and in what measure it will Hence is that in Rom. 9.15 Rom. 9.15 I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy c. He doth not say I will deale justly with whom I will he cannot deale unjustly with any But concerning grace he saith I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy Therefore to manifest the freenesse of his grace the Lord sometimes preferreth those that seeme least worthy he sets the younger before the elder Jacob before Esau Ephraim before Manasseh and the Gentiles which were aliens from God before the Jewes which counted themselves to be the onely people Consider those two speeches in Mat. 20. Mat. 20.14 15 The one ver 14. Take that which is thine owne and goe thy way the other ver 15. I will doe with mine owne as I will Here is our owne and Gods owne our owne is that which we looke for according to our agreement which wee have made with God for the worke done As those hyred into the Vineyard they agreed with the Master of the Vineyard for so much and that which they so agreed for for their worke that was their owne due by Justice But that which was not by agreement nor for worke but comes by grace that is Gods owne with which he may doe even as he will our owne is that which is due from Gods justice Gods owne is the gift of his free grace To every one God will say take thine owne And where there is no difference in worke Justice will make no difference in wages And if any begin to complaine that others are better dealt with then they the Lord answers to such I will doe with mine owne as I will Grace is mine owne and I owe it to none I will shew it where I will It is grace which makes the difference herein may God deale diversly giving more to one lesse to another as pleaseth him And hereto agrees that in ver 16th He that is first shall be last and the last first He that should be last in a way of Justice shall become first in a way of grace Those that Justice would set last and lowest Grace will advance and set highest This may serve to stop every mouth that is ready to open it selfe Vse 1 against God and apt to wrangle against the dispensation of his grace you have your owne therefore complaine not you have what you can require in a way of Justice and more and therefore let God doe with his owne what he will What if God will shew more grace to another then to you Is he therefore unrighteous you your selves will take the same liberty to shew the fruits of your kindnesse and courtesie where you will And will you be more free then God Let not your eye be evill because his is good murmure not against God repine not against men if they have received more if God have given them more gifts then unto you grudge not The spirit that is in us lusteth after envie James 4.5 James 4.5 And the Jewes were moved with envie when they saw the Gentiles preferred before themselves But learne to submit to the Lords dispensation neither murmure against him nor envie against men remembring grace is free to give to whom and wâ—â—re he will Vse 2 For incouragement to such as are yet under the condemnation of the Law though you have deserved to perish and have been as deepe in sin as many of those that are now in hell so as Justice can make no separation no difference between you and them yet grace may Consider how it was with those two malefactors Luk. 23.39 to 44. Luke 23.39 to 44. they were both in the same condemnation yet one flying to grace found mercy with the Lord one went to Paradise the other to hell Though you are as vile as the damned in hell yet grace may save you Vse 3 For all such as goe on in their sinne in an impenitent course marke what you must looke for what ever plagues or judgements have befell any sinner you going on in the same sinnes must looke for the same judgements Except you repent you shall likewise perish Luk. 13.2 3. Luk. 13.2 3. God is the same his justice the same now as before It followes the same rule to judge by therefore where the sinnes are the same if you be not under grace you must look for the like vengeance Consider what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.7 8 9 10. Be not you murmurers idolaters fornicators as they were lest you meet with the same judgements as befell them Therefore take heed how you goe on in an impenitent course in any sinne lest the same plagues be inflicted on you Take heed of the covetousnesse of Judas the hypocrisie of Ananias the obstinacy of the Jewes the pride of Nebuchadnezzar the murmurings of the Israelites the lukewarmnesse of Laodicea lest yee taste of the same miseries Justice can make no difference The seventh difference is this That the Covenant of workes is Differ 7 disanulled and broken by one transgression never to be made up any more But the Covenant of grace is not broken asunder by many transgressions so long as wee follow God in a way of faith and repentance After many offences the Covenant of grace may stand firme still This difference is made by the Apostle Rom. 5.16 Rom. 5.16 The guilt came of one offence unto
condemnation but the gift is of many offences unto justification c. Adams one sin brought guilt upon him and all his posteritie because he was under the covenant of workes and therefore justification can be had by that Covenant no more But it is not so in the Covenant of grace neither one sin nor many sinnes doe exclude from life in this covenant But this gift is of many offences c. And this holds true not onely of such sinnes as are committed before our entrance into a covenant of grace with God but of such sins as are committed afterward as is evident Psal 89.31.34 God having made a Covenant with them though he chastise them yet his Covenant will be not breake c. The reason of this difference is from the summe and scope of the Covenant of workes which is to bind us to a totall full perfect and constant obedience of the Law in all things unto the end Gal. 3.10 so that one or once fayling breakes that Covenant But in the Covenant of grace God promiseth not onely to forgive but to multiply forgivenesses Isa 55.7 Isai 55.7 Hence though in many things we sin all as James 3.2 yet 1 Joh. 2.2 1 Joh. 2.2 wee have an Advocate with the Father And 1 Joh. 1.7 The bloud of Christ cleanseth us from all sin No number of sinnes doth exclude from salvation till they be accompanied with finall Apostasie impenitency and unbeliefe till as Heb. 3.12 wee doe by an evill heart depart away from the living God Hence also saith the Apostle Rom. 5.19 Where sin abounds there grace abounds much more God will glorifie his grace by our sinne As sin takes occasion by the Law Rom. 7.10 so grace takes occasion by our sin God will glorifie his grace thereby and make it marvellous in the eyes of the world so that men shall wonder that such grace should be shewed in pardoning such sinnes that they shall say as Micah 7.18 Micah 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee who passest by the transgression of the remnant of thy people Consolation to the weake Saints of God Vse who are often cast downe in themselves through sense of their own infirmities and the many falls they are subject unto by reason of which they are cast into sad feares and doubts concerning themselves yea so farre as to make conclusions against themselves that they cannot belong unto God because as they thinke if they were the Lords people and his grace were effectuall in them they should not be so often overcome But such must know that so long as the sinnes that are in us be repented of and mourned for it is not one nor many infirmities which can make voyd the Covenant of grace which wee are entred into or hinder us of the blessing that comes thereby Wee must remember that we are not under the Law but under Grace wee must not be too severe against our selves like Novatians denying pardon to second falls In so doing we set such limits to the grace of God as he himselfe hath not set God hath not said He will pardon once and no more or that he will pardon sinnes before grace received but not those committed after God never so stinted his grace but his gift of grace is against many offences unto justification of life In denying therefore of pardon to our selves for sins iterated and for our often infirmities so long as there is a spirit of repentance working in us and we are humbled for them before God we doe not onely wrong our selves and deprive our soules of the peace we might enjoy but we do wrong to the grace of God as if that grace were not sufficient for us as if that God could not or would not renew his gracious pardon to us as wee renew our repentance towards him Let such consider what the Lord hath commanded us to doe we must not onely forgive seven times but seventy times seven times if our brother turne againe and say it repenteth me And can wee thinke that God lookes for more mercy from us towards our brethren then he will shew towards his owne children He hath bidden us daily to pray for the forgivenesse of our sinnes as knowing that we are subject to daily infirmities and doe stand in need of daily mercy and forgivenesse And therefore to limit Gods grace as we are apt to doe is in effect to turne the Covenant of grace into a Covenant of workes as if there were no more grace under the one then under the other Know therefore that whiles there is in us an holy watchfulnesse against the sin that dwells within us whiles it is our desire and care to please the Lord whiles we feele in our selves the spirit of grace causing us to mourne over him whom we have pierced by our sinnes though we be overtaken again and again through the infirmity of the flesh that is in us yet know that it is not one nor many offences that can deprive us of the blessing of this covenant of grace in which God hath promised to multiply forgivenesses according to the multitude of his great mercies Yet let no man abuse this doctrine unto carnall liberty this is childrens bread impure dogges and carnall livers that make no conscience of sinning have nothing to doe with this consolation it is onely to support the weak to comfort the feeble minded not to encourage the wicked and impenitent in their sin Let such know that though God abound in mercy and do multiply forgivenesses unto such as are humbled for their sins yet he will multiply plagues also upon impenitent wretches that goe on in their evill way To such neither many nor any one of all their sins shall be forgiven but being under the law they shall make an account to God for every transgression God will repay them all their wickednesses not one shall be forgotten or forgiven He is indeed abundant in goodnesse reserving mercy for his people and so he is also abundant in wrath against rebellious sinners and will abundantly reward the proud doer That the covenant of works if it be accomplished and fulfilled Differ 8 leaves in man matter of glorying and boasting in himselfe but the covenant of grace excludes all glorying in a mans selfe and leaves him nothing of his own to boast of but in the grace of God If Adam who was under the covenant of works had fulfilled that covenant he might have come before the Lord and said Behold Lord I have fulfilled the commandment which thou gavest me and done thy will now therefore justifie me and give me the life which thou hast promised here Adam had had something in himselfe to glory in Thus the Apostle speaks of Abraham that if he had had the righteousnesse of works by his fulfilling of the Law he should have had whereof to glory before God Rom. 4.1 Rom. 4.1 he might have said as the elder son did in Luk. 15.29 Luke 15.29
a type of one under the covenant of works I have served thee these many years never brake thy comandment c. Hence is that in Rom. 11.4 To him that works the wages is counted a debt Man might have required life from God as a due debt But in the covenant of grace a man hath nothing left him of his own to glory in before God But all his glorying is in the grace of God as 1 Cor. 1.30 31. 1 Cor. 1.30 31. Christ is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that whâ—soever glories should glory in the Lord. The covenant of grace teacheth us to look at our selves as lost and undone creatures but withall to look at the riches of grace and to glory in Christ As Paul 1 Tim. 1.13.14 I was a blasphemer c. But the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was aboundant towards me This difference the Apostle layes down on both parts both in respect of the covenant of works and of grace Rom. 3.27 Rom. 3 27. Where is boasting then It is excluded By what law Of works No the law of works doth not exclude boasting but it is excluded by the law of faith which is the summe of the covenant of grace And so Ephes 2.9 Ephes 2.9 We are saved by grace and not by works Why so lest any man should boast as implying that there is matter of boasting if saved by works but not in bâ—ing saved by grace It is with us now as with a company of condemned prisoners all have received the sentence of death but thoâ—gh some be executed yet others are spared by favour from the Prince what have those that are saved to glory in more then the other Nothing in themselves onely in the favour of the Prince As in Pharaohs two officers whereof one was restored the other hanged so it is with us we are all condemned all have received a sentence of death in our sâ—lves and in some God will shew forth his wrath and make his power known Rom. 9.22 Rom 9.22 others he will spare reserving them as vessels of mercy prepared unto glory But nothing hath one to glory in more then the other but onely in the riches of grace which was shewed to the one and not to the other They that are saved may say I was in the same condemnation but the Lord hath had compassion on me because it so pleased him Here is that which gracâ— teacheth us to glory in Hee that is under the Law if hee fulfill the Law may say as Deut. 9.4 Deut 9.4 For mine own righteousnesse c. But he that is under grace must say as Deut. 9.6 Deut. 9.6 Not for mine own righteousnesse but according to his great mercy Tit. 3.4.5 Tit. 3.4 5. Object But Gal. 6.4 Paul who taught a covenant of grace no where more then in that Epistle yet wisheth a man to prove his own work that so he may have matter of rejoycing in himself and not in another Therefore it may seem that even the covenant of grace teacheth a man to glory in himselfe There is a twofold glorying one of confidence Answer the other of a good conscience First there is a glorying of confidence in regard of our righteousnesse and justification by it before God And this the Apostle wholly excludes Rom. 3.27 Rom 3.27 Ephes 2.9 Ephes 2.9 as was shewed before n ither doth he give any allowance to this in the place alledged Gal. 6.4 Secondly there is the glorying of a good conscience before men and this is allowed unto the Saints Thus Paul himselfe 2 Cor. 1.12 2 Cor. 1.12 My rejoycing is the testimony of a good conscience and 1 Cor. 9.15 And this glorying is either sincere and upright or hypocriticall and unsound Sincere glorying is when a man being privie to his own integrity pleads his own faithfulnesse against the calumnies and accusations of men As Job when he was accused to be an hypocrite was forced to plead the uprightnesse and holinesse of his former conversation chap. 30. 35. And so Paul when hee began to bee vilified among the Corinthians was constrained to plead his own faithfulnesse and diligence and great labours in the work of Christ which hee did in the integrity of his conscience lest the Gospel should be despised Hypocriticall glorying is when a mans glorying in himselfe ariseth not from the soundnesse of grace and the uprightnesse of his own conversation but from a vain proud comparing himselfe with other men as bâ—ing more excellent then they in his own eyes like the Pharisâ—e Luke 18.11 Luke 18.11 I am not as other men c. Now the Apostle speaks of this last kind of glorying whereas some had fallen by infirmity v. 1. others were ready to please themselves that they had not discovered so great weaknesse as others had done and so were apt to think better of themselves and therein to boast The Apostle therefore exhorts them not to glory in this that they were stronger then such as had so fallen but to examine whether all were well with themselves and sound within because otherwise the matter and ground of their rejoycing is in anothers weaknesse and not in their own goodnesse rather in anothers falling then in their own sure standing by grace and so they glory in another not in themselves which is but an unsound and vain kind of rejoycing and this the Apostle condemnes But Hezekiah glories even before God Isai 33.3 Isaiah 33.3 Remember Object O Lord saith he what I have done c. Answer He glories not of his merit and worth unto justification but of his uprightnesse and good conscience As if hee should say Thou hast been wont to shew favour to thy servants that have walked faithfully before thee therefore doe the like unto me and so usâ—th it as an argument to encourage himselfe to seek and hope for favour from the Lord. Vse Hereby we may see of what spirit wee are whether it bee the spirit of grace or of the law that dwels or works in us There is a spirit or the law and there is a spirit of grace The spirit of the law may teach us and inform us of the duties we ought to walk in and also stirre up to a lâ—gall performance of them by the light which it hat wrought and yet the spirit of grace may still bee wanting Would wee know then whether the spirit which is in us be a spirit of the law or of grace the point in hand will shew it The spirit oâ— the law fills a man with rejoycing and glorying in himselfe and in that which he hath done it makes him to boast of his own righteousnesse as the Pharisee Luke 18.11 12. Luke 18.11.12 he is full of his own goodnesse and as the Church of Laodicea Rev. 3. The spirit of the law maketh a man to say as the proud King of Ashur Isai 37.24 25. Isaiah
holinesse which the holy God requires and lookes for And thus it was with the young man Mark 10. Mark 10. that was so perfect in his owne eyes who thought he had kept all the Commandements of the Law mentioned to him yet he comes as one unsatisfied in his own minde and doubtfull whether he had done enough to bring him unto life And therefore comes to Christ to know what more he should doe beside what he had done alreadie The Papists who build upon their workes teach a doctrine of doubting No man say they can come to be assured and setled in an undoubted perswasion of his own salvation and well may they teach such a doctrine when they build upon such a sandy foundation of their own workes Let them establish their owne righteousnesse with all the strength they can as the Jewes did Rom. 10.3 Rom. 10.3 yet as long as they rest here and doe not submit to the righteousnesse which is offered by grace the issue will be anxiety of mind fearfulnesse of heart conscience will be perplexed it will never finde rest nor peace but let a man renounce his own righteousnesse and fly to the Covenant of grace and cast himselfe wholly upon grace here is a sure rock for the anchor of our faith to rest upon Let us then hereby see the way of peace to quietnesse of heart Vse and assurance for ever Isai 26.3 Isai 26.3 even to stay our selves upon this rock fly to the rock that is higher then we as Psal 61.2 Psal 61.2 build upon the foundation of grace and come off from the foundation of our own workes they that rest upon the Covenant of workes will be diffident of their owne estate they are upon a rock that is no higher then themselves and when the waters swell they will quickly get above them But if wee rest on the foundation of grace that is a rock that is higher then our selves there is safety all the surges and waves of greatest troubles can never get above the top of this rock stand here and we are safe for ever Hence Rom. 5.1 2. Rom. 5.1 2. Being justified by faith we have peace with God c. But many that doe believe and build on this foundation Object are yet troubled with many feares and are full of doubting c. These doubts and feares of theirs Answ are not like the feares of those that build upon their workes the cause of their feare is not because there is not a sufficient foundation to beare them up but because their adhaerence and dependence is feeble and weak They are weak in faith they are flesh and spirit there is in them a spirit of faith which cleaves to grace and there is also a spirit of unbeliefe which is leaning to their owne workes and this causeth their doubtfulnesse But it is otherwise with those that doe wholly rest upon their workes Let a man build himselfe upon these never so resolutely let him establish his own righteousnesse with all the strength he can yet this will never give him assurance not because he doth not adhaere firmly to his foundation but because his foundation is nought and shakes under him Suppose two men both in feare of drowning by water one stands on a firme rock the other on a quick-sand he that stands on the quick-sand stands there resolutely he that is on the rock is doubtfull and weake in his resolution So it is in this case In the one of these the foundation is firme but adhaerence is weake In the other adhaerence is strong but his foundation is unsound The way to true peace is to rest wholly upon grace and the more we commit our selves to grace alone the more peace Hence saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.12 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and am perswaded that he will keep that which I have committed to him And 2 Tim. 4.18 2. Tim. 4.18 The Lord shall deliver me c. When feare shall seise on hypocrites which have trusted in themselves and in their own workes then shall those have confidence which have rested on grace these shall be able to look death in the face and shall have confidence in the day of Judgement Differ 10 The Covenant of workes is impossible to be fulfilled by us in this state of corruption But the covenant of grace by the help of grace is possible to be fulfilled Since the day that sin came into the world never did any man fulfill the Covenant of workes all of us being transgressors from the wombe Hence saith the Apostle Rom. 8.3 Rom. 8.3 What the Law could not doe c. And Rom. 9.31 32. He saith that the Jewes which followed after the Law of righteousnesse did not attaine unto that righteousnesse The Papists may talke of perfect keeping of the Law but the Scripture teacheth us another doctrine Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my heart cleane And 1 King 8.46 There is no man that sinneth not But the Covenant of grace is possible and therefore the Saints doe plead this before the Lord Psal 44.17 Psal 44.17 that they have been faithfull in his Covenant They doe not plead themselves to be without sinne against the Covenant of workes and yet they can say they had not dealt falsly with God in the Covenant of grace Nay the Lord himselfe lookes at them as fulfilling and keeping Covenant with him Psal 103.18 Psal 103.18 One of these Covenents is as Acts 15.10 Acts 15.10 a yoake too heavie for us now to beare the other as Mat. 11.29 30. Mat. 11.29 30 an easie yoake and a light burthen The Pharisees that were teachers of the Covenant of workes laid load and heavie burthens upon mens necks Mat. 23. Mat 23. But the Commandements of the Covenant of grace are not grievous The Covenant of grace may be fulfilled 1 Joh. 5.4 or else no man could be saved To provoke us to come from under the Covenant of workes Vse and to get under the Covenant of grace Who would serve an hard soure Master that will never be pleased with any thing that he can doe when he hath spent his utmost strength such a Master is the Law we can never fulfill the minde and will of this Master But grace is kinde loving easie to be intreated taking every thing in good part so it be done in truth and faithfulnesse according to the strength received It will accept the will to doe when wee have no abilitie to performe It saith Well done good and faithfull servant But alas it is with us as with all flesh and with all other things Every thing desires to continue in its state in which it was bred and borne Now we are borne under the Law the Covenant of workes and therefore would faine continue under it This made Paul speake in that manner to the Galatians Cap. 4.21 Gal. 4.21 Yee that will be under the Law They had
a mind to returne to the Law though they had had grace revealed to them We have a mind to live and dye under that Covenant as the fish in the Sea and the mole in the earth But see what it is a severe and rigid Master the will of it can never be accomplished Therefore fly from it to this amiable and gracious Lord that accepts of weakest indeavours so they be done in sinceritie So long as wee strive to doe the will of the Lord and fly to grace for pardon and acceptance wee doe fulfill the Covenant of grace Therefore cast off that yoke which cannot be borne and take the yoke of Christ upon us for that is easie and his burthen light Mat. 11.29 30. Mat. 11.29 30 Though we doe by sin breake the Covenant of workes and so Differ 11 make it voyd that there is no life and salvation to be had thereby yet there is hope and helpe by flying to the Covenant of grace But if the Covenant of grace be broken and made voyd as it may to those which onely externally lay hold on it there is no more helpe for such a soule It 's in vaine to fly back to the Covenant of workes I deny not but many sinnes may be committed by those that are under the Covenant of grace which yet doe finde helpe and mercy from God as was shewed out of Rom. 5.16 Rom. 5.16 Because the bond of the covenant is not broken As it is between man and wife though shee be foolish passionate and wilfull yet these doe not breake the Covenant of marriage so long as shee remaineth faithfull So here But if the Covenant of grace be made voyd then there is no more helpe nor hope It is in the Covenant of workes as it was under the Law Num. 35.6 25. If a man had committed man-slaughter he was subject to the avenger of bloud yet there were Cities of refuge for him to fly unto where he was to remaine to the death of the High-Priest so it is with those that sin against the Covenant of workes though one hath committed bloudy sins yet there is a refuge for him which the Apostle seemes to allude unto Heb. 6.18 Heb. 6.18 We have strong consolation that have made our refuge c. The Covenant of grace is as Isa 25.4 a refuge against the tempest c. Here is a safe Sanctuary it saves such as are condemned by the Covenant of workes But if a man sin against the Covenant of grace so as to make it voyd to himselfe there is no refuge for him no remedy for him as Solomon speakes of those that being often reproved harden their neck Prov. 29.1 Hence is that in Heb. 10. from 26. to 31. If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaines no more sacrifice for sinnes c. The reason of this difference is Because in the Covenant of workes we have to doe with justice but in the covenant of grace with grace and mercy and therefore as when a man hath committed a trespasse against the Law and Justice condemnes him yet the grace and favour of the Prince may save him but if he contemne the favour of the Prince then he must dye So though we have provoked justice yet we may fly to grace and get helpe there but if wee have offended against mercy and made grace our enemy whither can wee then goe there is no refuge then left for us Vse To let us see the great danger of sinning against Grace there is danger in sinning against the Covenant of workes but it is more dangerous to sin against Grace For there is helpe for such as breake the Covenant of workes but no helpe for such as make voyd the Covenant of grace to themselves These are the killing and destroying sinnes that leave no remedy It is true as was said before that the Lord passeth by many weaknesses of his servants that desire and indeavour to cleanse themselves from all filthinesse and spareth them as a Father his sonne Mal. 3.17 Mal. 3.17 But contemptuous sinnes against Grace are beyond all helpe This is to sin desperately Herein men stumble at the stumbling stone they thinke that now under the dayes of grace though they be yet under the Law they may sin without danger and continue in their evills but here the danger is the greatest therefore take heed how you make Grace your enemy If the Law condemne us Grace may save us But if Grace save us not who shall plead for us How doe men sin Quest so as to make the Covenant of Grace voyd unto themselves and to make Grace their enemy 1. By neglecting and slighting the offers tenders of Grace Answ which are made unto them hereby they become guilty of sinne against Grace In Mat. 22. and Lak 14. the Father invites men to the marriage of his Sonne and so to receive all the blessings that are prepared and made ready There is mercy ready forgivenesse ready c. But marke their answer They cannot come the profits and pleasures of the world hinder them â—rom embracing the tenders of Grace What follows then the sentence goes out of the mouth of Grace it selfe They shall not taste of my Supper Grace invites but it is refused and therefore passeth that direfull sentence So Psal 81.11 Psal 81.11 God offers himselfe to be a God unto them but they will have none of him Then he gave them up to walke after their own hearts lusts c. When we will not have his Grace upon his tearmes then God gives up to Justice When God calls upon us as he doth upon his people Isai 55.1.3 Isai 55.1.3 Come unto me and incline your eare take me to be a God unto you and I will make a sure and everlasting Covenant with you if then wee depart away from God as Hos 11.2 Hos 11.2 and wee will have our lusts and keepe the Idols of our hearts then the offers of grace are made voyd unto us 2. When men turne back from the grace which they have received and grow weary of it when we are convinced of the excellency of grace and doe take hold of the Covenant as it were with one hand but not with all our heart and therefore doe Apostatise and turne back to our own lusts then doe we frustrate all the promises of grace to our selves This exposes grace to contempt as if there were more good to be found in sin and in the world then in the grace of Christ Hence saith the Apostle Heb. 10.26 39. Heb 10.26 39. That they that sin wilfully after they have received the knowledge of the truth there remaines no more sacrifice for sin They that draw back doe it to their own perdition and so Psal 73.27 Psal 73.27 They that turne back from thee shall perish If they be entangled againe saith the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 2.20 2
Pet. 2.20 then their latter end is worse then their beginning Here is another way to make voyd the grace of God to our selves 3. When we turne the grace of God into lasciviousnesse as Jude third verse when men presume upon grace they sin presumptuously and thinke that Grace shall beare all save all and though they goe on presumptuously in an head-strong way yet Grace shall pardon all This Paul meets withall Rom. 6.1 Rom. 6.1 Shall we fin that grace may abound c. Men are ready to abuse the precious Grace of God we will sinne and grace shall abound This turning of grace into wantonnesse frustrates the Covenant of grace unto our selves Jude 3.4 verses Let us therefore take heed that we sin not against grace I would to God that none of these things were found in the Generation of Jacob among our Churches sinnes against Grace are the most dangerous sinnes therefore beware Differ 12 The Covenant of workes was made with man in the state of Innocency before his fall but the covenant of grace was made afterwards when he had fallen for before the fall there was no impossitie but man was able to have fulfilled the Law and therefore God might justly require such obedience of him then man stood in no need of a Covenant of grace he might have had life by the Covenant of workes but after the fall then he became impotent unable to fulfill the Law which God had given him and then without a new Covenant of grace he could not live and therefore now God enters into a Covenant of grace with him Object This may seeme to imply that the Covenant of workes is more ancient then the Covenant of grace which is not to be granted because the Covenant of grace was from before the world began 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 1.2 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 1.2 I answer that both covenants must be considered two wayes Answer First as they were in mente divina in the counsell and purpose of the Father Secondly as they are actually enacted and stricken with us Now if we speak of the former how they were in the eternall purpose of God then I say it is true that the covenant of grace was from eternity But so was the covenant of works also which appeares by these two things First both these purposes that I may so speak for our conceiving though both are but one in God I say both these I wil glorifie my self in my justice and I wil also glorifie my selfe in my grace are from eternity one as well as the other Rom. 9.22.23 Now the means of glorifying his justice is by entring with mâ—n into a covenant of works therefore as the end was from eternity so was the means also Secondly Christ himself when he received the promise and covenant of grace for us did withall receive a commandment and covenant of works to be fulfilled by him in our behalfe Hence he is said to bee made under the law Galat. 4. Galat. 4. he received a commandment from the Father John 12.49 John 12.49 And was sent to fulfill the righteousnesse of the Law for us Rom. 8.3 Rom. 8.3 By which means he becommeth the end of the Law Rom. 10.4 Rom. 10.4 And as he was made under the Law and did fulfil it in fulness of time wherin he was sent so he was preordained hereunto before the world was 1 Pet. 1.20 1 Pet. 1.20 So that in respect of Gods counsell and purpose there is neither prius nor posterius betwixt these covenants but they are from everlasting neither of them before nor after another But if we look at the manifestation and enacting and striking of the covenant with us the covenant of works was first in as much as the state of perfection was before the state of imperfection in which the covenant of grace was made with us Therefore for a man now to suppose an accomplishing of the covenant of works to be saved thereby Vse is in effâ—ct to conceive a new creation of man or to suppose man not fallen but as perfect as Adam was in his creation before his fall and is in effect the same as to say that we have no need of a covenant of grace as then Adam had not The covenant of works is revealed by the light of Nature but Differ 13 the covenant of grace is revealed by a supernaturall light from above Natures light teaches men to look for life and righteousnesse by works and this is written in all mens hearts Rom. 2.15 Rom. 2.15 And therefore if you should ask all the men in the world severally one by one How doe you hope to be saved They would all answer By works and by doing good All men by nature have something of the law in their hearts though sin hath blotted out a great part of it but the covenant of Grace is not known but by the revelation of the Spirit Hence saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.6 7 8. 1 Cor. 2.6 7 8. that the Gospel is a mystery an hidden wisdome which none of the Princes of the world knew though they have the greatest helps to find out hidden things but it is brought by the Son out of the bosome of the Father John 1. John 1. Flesh and bloud doth not reveale this doctrine Matth. 16.17 Matth. 16.17 Vse Then let no man think to attain the knowledge of the covenant of grace and find out the mystery thereof by naturall understanding by any strength of wit learning The strongest parts will not reach it till it be revealed to us from heaven And if any have understood the mystery of this covenant let them learn to say as Christ doth Mat. 11.25 Father I thank thee that thou hast revealed these things unto me c. Differ 14 The covenant of works was made with all men all men being in Adams loins and he standing as a publick person in the room of all his children when God made that covenant with him but the covenant of grace is not made with all men but only with the faithfull with those that are given unto Christ by the Father John 17. John 17. And therefore by the covenant of works God is a God to one as well as to another God is not God of one people more then of another by the covenant of works for it was made equally with us all in Adam it being made with him for all his posterity And therefore seeing we are all equally the sons of Adam this covenant makes no difference betwixt man and man but all are shut up under it all bound to fulfill it and if they break it as we all doe then liable are we to the sentence of death But in the covenant of grace God is the God of one people and not of another Hence is that in Gen. 17.21 Gen. 17.21 God saith that he will establish his covenant with Isaac and not with Ishmael So it was made with
Jacob and not with Esau with Abel and not with Cain with David and not with Saul not with Iudas but with Peter with the Jewes first and not with the Gentiles and after with the Gentiles and not with the Jewes By this covenant one people becomes a more peculiar people then another As first of Peter 1 Pet. 2.9.10 2 chap. the covenant of grace is not universal it is not made with all as the covenant of works was Let none therefore look for the blessing of life and salvation by being a son of Adam Vse the blessing of the covenant of grace is no common blessing Naturall life is common to all but spirituall and eternall life is the peculiar blessing of the covenant of grace made onely with those that are given unto Christ Therefore the Lord speaking of those that he will be a God unto Zach. 13.8 9. Zach. 13.8 9. saith That two parts shall be cut off and to the third hee will say You are my people Let us not therefore flatter our selves with vain hopes that he that made us will save us No he that made you will have no compassion on you so long as you remain an impenitent and disobedient people Isai 27.11 Isai 27.11 All doe not so much as heare of this covenant nor know it all that doe heare of it and have knowledge of it doe not enjoy the blessing of it as Matth. 13.11 Matth. 11.25 Matth. 13. Matth. 11.25 Therefore it were good for every one of us that we would begin to suspect our selves and to question our interest in this covenant Ask our selves yea and ask others and goe and enquire at the Lords own mouth Am I within this covenant Have I any part or portion in the blessing of it Sure I am that I am by nature under the covenant of works but am I translated into the covenant of grace The salvation brought by this covenant Object is a common salvation Jude vers 3. True it is common to all that doe beleeve Answer whether they bee Jewes or Gentiles whether those that lived before the incarnation of Christ or since There is not one way of salvation for one and another for another but one way for all that shall be saved But it is not common to all flesh therefore doe not build upon this false principle that all that heare of the covenant of grace with their eares are partakers of the blessing comming by it No it is no common salvation but onely to those that enter into a covenant with God to those that beleeve and bring forth the fruit of a living Faith One that is under the covenant of works may get from under Differ 15 that covenant and may come to be under the covenant of grace but he that is once under the covenant of grace can never bee brought back under the covenant of works any more A member of Adams body may be lost but a member of Christs body can never be cut off Adam being under the covenant of works lost himself wholly and therefore may lose a member of his body much more But those that are engraffed into Christ are safe he saves himselfe and all that belong to him Esay 63.5 John 17.12 Vse 1 A word of incouragement to those that are yet under the covenant of works that yet live in their sins and find their consciences condemning them consider there is a possibility that you may come to be under a covenant of grace break off your sins give up your selves unto God it may be he will receive you Vse 2 See the safe estate of those that are under the covenant of grace here is a safe harbour here cast anchor upon this rock and here is no danger the ship may be tossed but cannot perish In Matth. 8. the ship in which Christ was was tossed with wind and water so as the Disciples were afraid yet it sunk not The law hath no more power against you yee cannot come under the power of the law any more Rom. 6. Thus much of the differences between the covenant of works and of grace which differences are carefully to be observed and kept inviolable for if we begin to confound these two covenants we bring in a confusion into all Religion As the Papists have done by confounding the differences between the covenants They make the covenant of grace to differ no otherwise from the covenant of works then a thing more perfect from that which is imperfect and to be distinct onely in respect of degree and so in effect they make them all one They call the commandements given by Moses the old Law and the Gospel the new Law and herein they make all the difference that the new Law as they call it giveth rules of greater perfection and difficulty then the old Law As where the old Law as they term it commanded Thou shalt not kill the new Law forbids one to be angry unadvisedly c. And hence scil from the confounding of these two covenants follows their doctrine of the possibility of the keeping the whole Law That whereas the Scripture speaketh of an Evangelical keeping of the law in uprightnesse and sincerity and acknowledgeth it in the Saints as in Zachary and Elizabeth they not putting difference betwixt Law and Gospel they apply this to a legall keeping of the commandement which is quite contrary to the mind of the Spirit of Truth speaking in the Word Hence also they teach that there is but oâ—e way of justification in both covenants which is by works as they say The new law gives more grace to fulfill the commandement of it then the old doth but the way of justification is the same thus they teach Therefore we must be carefull of keeping these differences between the covenant of works and of grace But Christ who was the Minister of the covenant of grace Object calls his doctrine a new commandement John 13.34 15. chap. 12. Joh. 13.34 cap. 15.12 and therefore it is a doctrine of works as well as the former commandement given by Moses It is true that the Gospel and Covenant of grace hath its commandement Answer 1 as well as the law and covenant of works but withall it reveales the free promise of grace and of righteousnesse without works which the law and covenant of workes doth not The commandements of the covenant of grace are in part Answer 2 different from the other commandements of the covenant of works For the great commandement of the covenant of grace is that we beleeve in the Name of the Son of God that we may have life by him 1 John 3.23 1 John 3.23 thereupon the Gospel is called the Law of Faith as opposed to the law of works Rom. 3.27 Rom. 3.27 Though the doctrine of grace command the same duties as the Answer 3 covenant of works doth as of love feare and of keeping the commandements and it ratifies the duties of the
law yet here is the difference that they are commanded in another manner for another end then in the covenant of works not as the matter of our justification but as testimonies of our thankfulnesse for the great mercy of God in our free justification by grace Let us therefore keep these differences unconfounded for these two covenants are as different in their nature as heaven and earth 2. Having thus farre spoken of the differences between the covenant of works and of grace I now come to the revelation and dispensation of the covenant of grace to see how diversly it hath been administred in the severall times and ageâ— of the Church before and after the comming of Christ 1. And here I will first shew that the covenant of grace is the same in all ages of the Church 2. The different manner of the dispensation 1. For the first the Fathers before Christ were under the same covenant of grace as we be not they under one covenant and we under another and this we will shew in two things First that they had the same promise and hope of life and salvation as wee have Secondly they had it upon the same ground and in the same way scil by faith in the free grace of God by Christ 1. They had the same promise and hope of eternall salvation This is necessary to bee considered because of the Anabaptists which teach that they lived and died without hope of life eternall onely fed with temporall promises and fatted like swine with earthly blessings but without hope of a better life But the contrary is evident by the promises that were made to them Lâ—vit 26.12 Levit. 26.12 I will be your God and yee shall be my people but Christ saith that God is not the God of the dead but of the living Matth. 22.32 Mat. 22.31 But it is more plain Deut. 38.29 Happy art thou O Israel saved by the Lord. If they had had onely temporall promises they might have been called a miserable people according to that of Paul in 1 Cor. 15.19 1 Cor. 10.19 If in this life onely we had hope we were of all men the most miserable they could not have been called an happy people Isai 33.22 Isai 33.22 The Lord is our King and he will save us They did therefore look for and expect life and salvation And Christ speaking of Abraham and so of the rest of the Fathers before Christ saith That many shall come from the East and West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of God Therefore the old Patriarchs are in heaven Mat. 1.8.1 and therefore it is an hellish and diabolicall doctrine that they were fed onely with temporall promises In Heb. 11.10 it is plain they had not only the hope of an earthly inheritance in Canaan but the hope of an heavenly inheritance in the Kingdome of God And in reason what more absurd then to imagine that Abraham should be called the Father of the Faithfull and we to be called his children and yet we to have an eternall inheritance in heaven and Abraham the Father of us all to have only a temporal here upon earth Againe the Saints professed themselves pilgrims and strangers upon the earth Heb. 11.13 and David Psal 39.12 Psal 39.12 Which shewes that they had hopes of a better inheritance then that of Canaan Againe they had the same Spirit as we have Psal 51.12 Psal 51.12 Take not thy holy Spirit from me saith David Now the Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance Eph. 1.14 Ephes 1.14 And therefore if they had the same Spirit then the same inheritance 2. As they had the same promise and hope of life so they had it upon the same ground as we have even by faith in the free grace of God in Christ Jesus They had the same Gospel of grace that wee have Hence is that Rom. 1.2 Rom 1.2 the Gospel was promised before by the Prophets to the Fathers And Rom. 3.21 Rom 3.21 The righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets It is manifested without the Law that is without the workes of the Law yet hath witnesse of the Law that is of the writings of Moses who teacheth a man to looke for justification by Grace and not by workes Hence also saith Christ Joh. 8.56 Joh. 8.56 Abraham saw my day therefore he had Christ revealed to him See Camero tom 1. p. 127 128. c. Heb. 13.8 To the same purpose is that in Hebr. 13.8 Christ the same yesterday for the time past before his coming in the flesh to day while in the flesh and for ever after He is the same not onely in regard of essence but also in regard of the efficacy of his office from the beginning to the end of the world So also in the Songs of Mary and Zachary Luk. 1.54.72 Luk. 1.54.72 The revealing and fulfilling of our redemption by Christ is made to be the accomplishment of the promises made unto the Fathers What is now fulfilled was then promised hence also saith the Apostle Act. 15.10 11. Act. 15.10 11 We hope to be saved even as they And Heb. 4.2 Heb. 4.2 Unto us was the Gospel preached as unto them and to them as well as to us And the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 4.6 1 Pet. 4.6 saith that unto them that are now dead who lived in the dayes of Noah was the Gospel preached Hence Jude 3. it is called the common salvation common to all believers both before and after Christ This may teach us to abhorre that swinish opinion of the Anabaptists Vse 1 who make the Fathers before Christ to have lived onely under a temporall Covenant promising to them temporall things feeding their bellies and fatting them up with outward blessings but they had no hope of eternall life Whereas Christ who is the truth tells us that they are in the kingdome of God Mat. 8.11 Mat. 8.11 Hence the state of rest and immortalitie is called Abrahams bosome Luk. 16. Luke 16. Abraham is the Father of us all and therefore when we dye we are said to be carried thither as the childe runs to the bosome of the father or mother when any thing troubles it therefore if Abrahams bosome be the place of our rest it is then plaine that Abraham and the rest of the Fathers are entred into their rest as we hope to enter into our rest Vse 2 Let us looke unto the old Covenant made with the Fathers and hold to that doctrine of life which was of old given unto the Saints Let us stand to that and contend for it Jude 3. There is a generation in the Land that are altogether looking after new light and new truths and the old truths delivered to Abraham Isaac and Jacob are nothing with them But let us take heed lest while we gape after new
light and new truths we drinke not in old poysoned errors and be fed with windy fancies in stead of bread Aske for the old way Jer. 6.16 Jer. 6.16 The old way is the good way wherein you must finde rest to your soules Men have itching eares itching mindes and itching tongues also itching to be fed with and to be venting novelties It hath been the blemish of our English Nation that they have been alwayes new-fangled running after new fashions taking up the fashions of every Nation The poverty of our estates will not here permit us to follow new fashions but yet still the vanitie of our mindes is working and doating upon our new opinions whereby men are led into pathes that were not troden by the Fathers of old God charges the false Prophets Jer. 18.15 Jer. 18.15 that they led his people from the ancient wayes Whiles every one is forward to vent his own imagination and hath libertie so to doe every one saying I have seene I have seene when indeed they have seene nothing but the vanitie and lying imagination of their own heart they fill the world with idle fancies which breed questions rather then godly edifying Aske therefore for the way which Abraham David Moses Isaiah and Jeremy with the rest of the Prophets walked in and departed not therefrom Though we have cause to praise the Lord for the aboundant manifestation of the Doctrine of Grace in these dayes more then before Christs coming in the flesh yet the Doctrine is the same As the light of the Sun which shines at noone-time or mid-day is the same light which shined in the morning onely more cleare and bright then before so the Doctrine of Grace though more clearly manifested then formerly when hid under types and shadowes yet the truth is the same Wee hope to be saved by grace as they did and they had the same Doctrine of Grace as we have therefore seeke we after the old way 2. But though the substance of the Covenant was the same then and now yet there is a difference in regard of the manner of dispensation and revealing it being diversly propounded according to the severall times ages states and conditions of the Church delivered one way before the coming of Christ and another way afterward And therefore in regard of the old way and manner of administration of it it 's called the old Covenant and in regard of the new manner of dispensing it 's called the new Covenant The same Covenant therefore is called both new and old as is evident Heb. 8.8.13 Heb. 8.8 13. But lest any should thinke that the old Covenant there spoken of was properly and strictly the Covenant of workes see what is said before Pag. 59 60. c. Wherein stands the difference between the old and new manner of the dispensation of the Covenant of grace Quest It stands principally in foure things Answ 1. One more burthensome another more easie 2. One more darke the other more cleare 3. One more weake the other more lively and strong 4. In regard of the extent of the dispensation one dispensed to that one people of the Jewes the other to all Nations First The Covenant in the former dispensation of it was more burthensome and heavie to be borne and is now made to us more easie which appeares by those places of Scripture-speeches which the Holy-Ghost useth of the Ordinances of the old Testament Acts 15.10 Acts 15.10 They were a yoke which neither we nor our Fathers could beare and Colos 2.20 Colos 2.20 If saith the Apostle you be freed from these worldly Ordinances why are you burthened with traditions He did not say Why will you take upon you the observation of traditions but why are yee burthened with them implying they were an heavy burthen So Galat. 4.3 Galat 4.3 he comparing the state of the Church then and now he saith they were then in a kinde of bondage in respect of us now In the dayes of the New Testament the burthen is made light c. Therefore saith Christ Mat. 11. Take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easie and my burthen light He taketh off the burthen of the Ceremoniall Law that we need not be bâ—â—thened with it Consider the burthen that lay upon them First The burthen of their costly Sacrifices that if any had but touched an uncleane thing he must come and offer sacrifice sometime a bullock sometime a lambe If we were for every offence to offer such sacrifices we should count it an heavie burthen Secondly They had long and tedious journeys to Jerusalem the Land lay more in length then breadth and Jerusalem stood almost at one end of it and thither thrice a yeare all the males were to goe and appeare before God Deut. 16.16 Thirdly They were restrained from many liberties which wee now enjoy we are allowed many creatures for meat which they might not eat as the Hare swine c. Difference of meats is now taken away Fourthly They were tyed to the observation of many dayes the new Moones and many Ceremoniall Sabbaths to which they were bound and not at libertie as we are Now whether wee respect one of these or all together it was a burthensome thing to them But now the yoke is made more easie therefore Christ compares the Jewish Church to a childe that in his nonage is under tutors and governours till the time appointed by the Father But the Church now is like a man growne up that hath his patrimony in his own hand Gal. 4.1 2. Gal. 4.1 2. Though we be bound to the duties of the Morall Law as well as they yet a great yoke is taken off from us Vse Seeing we have so much libertie in the dayes of the Gospel and are eased of the burthen that lay upon them it must teach us with the more freedome and willingnesse to offer up those spirituall sacrifices unto God which he calls for at our hands He hath taken off from our shoulders the heavie yoke which lay upon them Let us not therefore be as the people of Israel of whom the Lord complains Hosea 11.3.4 Hosea 11.3.4 that though he had taken off the yoke and laid meat before them yet they were like an unruly beast that kicketh with the heele If now when the Lord hath taken off the yoke of the Ceremoniall Law and hath given us the Covenant of his grace without those burthens that lay upon them if yet we deale unkindly with him and count those spirituall services which he requires from the inward man to be a burthen unto us how may the Lord complaine of us much more Let us therefore give unto the Lord voluntary and spirituall sacrifices the lesser that our burthen is the greater is the sin if we serve not the Lord with a chearfull heart in the services he requires from us Secondly The Covenant was then revealed more darkly and obscurely but now the dispensation of it is
is able to make up all to them that they are cut short of Our discontents therefore doe not arise from the change of our condition in outward things but because we want our fellowship with God If we doe not finde a sufficiency it is because we doe not injoy him our all-sufficient good What is the cure then We must stirre up our faith and consider our Covenant thinke with our selves what God hath promised to be to us even our God our all-sufficient good If wee had faith but as a graine of Mustard seed and did exercise our faith in this promise and live by it wee might command these stormes of discontent which trouble us to be at peace and be still We might then say as Psal 42.11 Psal 42.11 Why art thou cast downe within me O my soule c. Hast not thou an all-sufficient good a God to injoy Here then is the way to true contentation Labour to enjoy God live upon him he is the rest of the soule an all-sufficient good Vse 2 It may be a rule of triall whereby we may in some part discerne whether we doe indeed enjoy God in the outward comforts of this life which we doe partake in Many will aske the question Whether doe I injoy God in the blessings I have Here is one thing whereby it may be knowne God is an all-sufficient good to them that doe enjoy him he fills all things with his fulnesse He maketh every thing a full blessing when he comes to us in it It is contentfull Doe we then finde that the things which we have are sufficient for us and doe they bring a kind of satiety and fulnesse with them so that we are satisfied with our portion this is because God is in it and fills the blessing with his fulnesse and so makes it to fill us and makes us say with Jacob I have enough therefore when wee are not satisfied with what we have it is a signe that God hath left the creature and then it proves an empty and windy vanitie to us So much satiety so much of God in every blessing For direction where to pitch our affections and settle the desires Vse 3 of our soule when we would find contentment in any blessing Set our hearts there where we may be sure to find that which will fill the desires of them Contentment is that which all seeke for but they seeke not aright fasten therefore the affections of the soule on God and on him alone Set not your hearts on riches Psal 62.10 Psal 62.10 Lâ—y not out your money for that which is not bread Isai 55.1 2. and your silver for that which satisfies not Nothing can fill the heart but the fulnesse of God For comfort unto all those that are in Covenant with God to Vse 4 you I may say as Moses to the people of Israel Deut. 33.29 Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord And as David Psal 33.12 Psal 33.12 Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord. Take notice therefore of your blessednesse This is a blessednesse that hath the confluence of all good in it Let others blesse themselves in their wealth dignitie in titles and places of honour and in their power and authoritie over men this is a poore and miserable blessednesse But let us say as Psal 144.15 Blessed are they whose God is the Lord Rejoyce therefore in your portion you have an all-sufficient God to save you from all kinde of evill to minister to you all kinde of good to worke all your workes for you and in you and the time will shortly come when you shall say I have enough my cup runs over But we see many that professe to be in Covenant with God Object that live as poore contemptible lives feele as many wants and lie under as many troubles as any other For the present I say in a word thus 1. Answ That the time of the full enjoyment of this promise is not yet come 2. Peradventure Gods owne people sometimes walke not in the way of the Covenant for as there is the blessing of the Covenant so also the way wherein they must walke and they starting out of the way misse of the blessing 3. The lives of Gods people are not to be judged of by their outward appearance but by their inward state and condition many a man lives poorely for outward things in this world and yet finds more sufficiency and fulnesse in that estate then many a man that hath barnes full and fares deliciously every day For first they have necessaries as well as they that have more though but little before-hand They have every day a certain provision prepared for them As the King of Babylon provided for Jeremiah 2 Chron. 36. 2 Chron. 36. Again though Gods servants have many times but little yet they have as much comfort in that little as those that have greater abundance Psal 37.16 They have as much peace quiet of heart and conscience as free from feare and care as chearfull and comfortable and finde as good a savour in that homely provision they feed upon as others in their honey-combe And whence is all this but from hence that the fulnesse of God is in that little which they enjoy There is a full blessing in it God hath put himselfe into it and though it be but little and mean in shew yet it is much in substance And lastly If Gods servants want at any time he sees a little to be better for them then more abundance not because God cannot fulfill their necessitie or is not willing he is able to supply their wants and will in due time administer all Grace to them God is a sufficient God to his people and therefore blessed are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. 2. As God will be a sufficient God unto us so he will be all this to us from himselfe God hath his all-sufficiency from himselfe therefore called Jehovah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is the first cause of his own blessednesse and communicates all blessednesse to his people from himselfe Man may communicate good to man the Father to the children a Minister to his people one neighbour to another but he cannot doe it from himselfe but as he hath first received from God The vessell may give you water but not from it selfe but what it hath from the fountaine the fountaine onely gives it from it selfe So it is between God and the creature God is the fountaine of living waters who immediately communicates all to his people and thus the Lord will be to them as he promises Isai 44.24 Isai 44.24 I am the Lord that maketh all things that stretcheth out the heavens alone and spreadeth abroad the earth by my selfe There is the force of the promise that whereas the enemies
in effect all one but we are Saints by calling and our calling is by the Gospel of Grace 2 Thes 2.14 and therefore our sanctification is from Grace also 5. We are sanctified by being in Christ whence are those expressions frequent in Scripture Saints in Christ Iesus sanctified in Christ and such like Now our implanting into Christ is onely from Grace and therefore so is our Sanctification also 6. Our sanctification is called a new Creation Create in me a cleane hearâ— O God saith David Psal 51. Psal 51. And in Ephes 2.10 Ephes 2.10 We are created unto good workes And in 2 Cor. 5. We become new Creatures in Christ Iesus And in Ephes 4.24 Ephes 4.24 The new man is created after God in holines c. All which imply that there must be a creating power put forth to the working of this new man in us We must therefore deifie the workes of the Law and make a God of them induing them with a creating power if we will ascribe such efficacy unto them as to worke true sanctification in us 7. We receive the Spirit by faith Gal. 3.14 therefore not by the workes of the law 8. Christ tells us plainly the world of unbelieveâ—s that are under the Law cannot receive the Spirit Ioh. 14.17 Iohn 14.17 whom the world cannot receâ—ve 9. Sanctification is purchased for us by the bloud of Christ He gave himselfe for us to purge us c. Tit. 2.14 T it 2.14 And so in Ephes 5.25 26 27. He gave himselfe for his Church that he night sanctifie it The third Part. THE BENEFITS and BLESSINGS this Covenant brings THE Covenant of Workes presupposeth our sanctification but it promiseth it not It presupposeth it I say because there could have bin no place for a Covenant of Works if God had not first given Adam a spirit of holinesse to enable him thereunto First therefore God creates man holy and then makes a Covenant with him requiring of him to work according to that holiness of his nature which he was endued with but if he violated and brake this Covenant this Covenant doth not promise to renew him to holinesse again this promise belongs to another Covenant But especially consider the proper and immediate worker of our sanctication which is the Holy Ghost Rom. 15.16 for which cause the spirit is called the spirit of Grace Zach. 12.10 and the spirit of holinesse Rom. 1. Election is the immediate work of the Father Redemption the work of the Sonne Sanctification the work of the Holy Ghost All the whole Trinity working together in the work of our salvation yet every one in his owne order First the Father elects then the Sonne redeems and lastly the Spirit sanctifies Concerning these severall works of the three Persons we are to consider 1. That they are all of equall extent 2. That they doe all issue from the same spring and fountaine of Grace First they are of the same extent none larger nor narrower then another Those that the Father hath chosen those doth the Sonne redeem Those that the Sonne hath redeemed those doth the Spirit sanctifie The Father chooseth none but whom hee gives to the Sonne to be redeemed by him the Sonne redeems none but those that were so given him by the Father and so it holds also in the third place that the Holy Ghost sanctifies none but whom the Father had chosen and the Sonne redeemed Secondly as it is thus in the extent so it is also in respect of the ground and cause from which they issue and spring Look then as our Election is of Grace and not of works Rom. 11.6 and our Redemption is of Grace Rom. 3.24 so is our Sanctification also Tit. 3.4 5. Not according to the works which we had done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Ghost so that the same grace favour and good will which moved the Father to set his love upon us in our Election and caused the Sonne to give himselfe for our Redemption the same Grace sends or brings the Spirit into our hearts to renew us unto holinesse And thence it is that sometimes we are said to be chosen that we might be holy as in Eph. 1.4 sometimes said to be redeemed that we might be holy Luke 1.74 75. to the end that we might know that our sanctification and renewing unto holinesse doth come from the same grace as doe our election and redemption and therefore as our election is not of works but of grace and our redemption is not of works but of grace so it is also concerning our sanctification I conclude therefore that by the works of the Law no man being under the Law or Covenant of works can attaine to true sanctification and holinesse And if sanctification be not by the Law or Covenant of works then it necessarily and invincibly followes that for a man to try his estate in Grace by his sanctification is no turning aside to a Covenant of works Thus much we do not unwillingly assent unto namely that there is a kinde of outward sanctification improperly so called or rather an outward reformation which a man under the Covenant of Works may attayn unto The Law hath a power not only to irritate and provoke the lust that is within by its contrariety thereunto Rom. 7.11 but also to curb and restrayn the breaking of it forth into outward acts by the terrour of it Gal. 3.19 Exod. 20. And by this reformation thus wrought by the work of restraynt the unclean Spirit may seem to be cast forth Math. 12. but whatsoever reformation is thus wrought is as farre from true sanctification as earth is from heaven For though this reformation doth and may come from some inward work of the Spirit of God upon the spirit and soule of man as namely to convince and terrifie the conscience to stirre the affections and to awe the will also so that a man dares not commit the things he would yet the minde and will is still unrenewed the frame and disposition of the heart is still the same as it was before and therefore this reformation is not true sanctification That may be by the Law this is only by the Gospel and from Grace Object But in Hebr. 10.29 it is said of some who in respect of their inward estate never went beyond a Covenant of works yet of them it is said that they were sanctified by the blood of the Covenant which is the blood of Christ therefore such as are under a Covenant of works may be sanctified Answ There is a twofold sanctification one reall another in profession only As some men are said to beleeve when the work of faith is really wrought in the heart who are therefore said to be found in the faith Tit. 1.13 and 2.2 so others are said to beleeve only because they make a profession of faith as Iohn 2.23 Acts 8.13
Simon himselfe beleeved also c. i.e. he professed to beleeve And as it is in faith so it is in sanctification also There is an holinesse of truth really wrought Eph. 4.24 and there is an holinesse of profession when we professe to carry the lamp of holinesse in our hands but want the oyle of grace in the vessell of our heart Mat. 25. 2 There is a sanctification externall reaching to the purifying of the flesh standing in the observance of the outward ordinances of the Church and there is another sanctification internall standing in the inward purging of the conscience from dead works by which wee are enabled to serve the living God Heb. 9.13 14. 3 There is a sanctification to men making us so to be esteemed by men and there is also a sanctification to God when we are so indeed in the sight of God Now this sanctification here spoken of was in profession externall in respect of men and in esteem of men but not reall inward and in respect of God so as to make them holy and blamelesse in his sight Object But they had reall gifts as illumination some delight in the word and such like Hebr. 6. therefore they were really sanctified Answ It followeth not because there may be some reall work wrought in the soule which yet may not reach so farre as to reall and true sanctification There may be some morall dispositions wrought in a man which are reall in their kinde and yet may come farre short of true sanctification Object As where there is the substance and being of a man there is a true man so where there is such a being of reall gifts there must needs be reall and true sanctification Answ Where there is the substance of a man there is a true man if true be taken for verum naturale which hath a true naturall existence and being and is not a meere spectrum a phantasm an image or shadow of a thing And thus taking true in this sence a rank theef is a true man But take true for verum morale for that morall truth which is required in the word then may there be the substance of a man head armes feet c. and yet this man may not bee a true man considered thus morally bring this man to the rule of the word try his actions by the truth which the word requires and then he which was found a true man in the former consideration will here be found a man false and deceitfull So here gifts may be really wrought in a man by a physicall work of the spirit and yet bring these same gifts and the actions produced by them to the rule of the word and try whether they will answer to the patterne of true sanctification which the word layes down and then their sanctification will be found false comming short of that holinesse of truth which is in the true Saints Object But these here mentioned are said to be sanctified by the blood of the Covenant that is the blood of Christ but the blood of Christ doth not sanctify only outwardly as touching the purifying of the flesh but it purgeth the conscience also within to serve the living God and therefore these here mentioned were inwardly and truly sanctified Answ The blood of Christ is taken either Properly or Sacramentally Properly as in 1 Iohn 1.7 where he saith the blood of Jesus Christ his Sonne clenseth us from all sinne the blood in the spirituall efficacy of it being applyed unto us doth indeed inwardly clense us from all sinne But sometimes the blood of Christ is taken Sacramentally and it is received Sacramentally only and thus the Water in Baptism and the Wine in the Supper is the blood of Christ Math. 26. 1 Cor. 10. and 11. Now this Sacramentall blood was sprinkled upon them they were washed with the Sacramentall blood of Christ in Baptism but the spirituall efficacy of the blood it selfe never touched their conscience though the sign of it might be sprinkled on the outward man And thus Paraeus Erat eorum sanctificatio non interna sed externa in professione fidei participatione sacramentorum externâ consistens They were sanctified that is sayth he they were by profession segregated from the Iewes and Pagans and were accounted for true Christians or for Saints To conclude the answer to the place alleadged the allusion is to that of Moses in Exod. 24.3 to 9. where Moses makes up the Covenant betwixt God and the people there Moses first rehearseth unto them the words of the Covenant to which they shew themselves willing to assent verse 3 then having taken order for the killing of the Sacrifice the blood whereof was to ratify and confirm the Covenant verse 4 5. next he takes part of the blood and sprinkles it upon the people verse 8. using these words behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these things And now the people having thus farre accepted the terms and conditions of the Covenant and accepted the blood of the Covenant being willing to be sprinkled with it now I say this people was a sanctified and holy people a people in Covenant with God separated from the prophane people of the world and were now esteemed a peculiar and holy people though yet many of them were not inwardly sanctified but only thus farre in respect of externall confederation and profession so it is with these here spoken of they were content to accept the sprinkling of the sacramentall blood upon them and outwardly professed themselves willing as Israel did to become the people of God but yet all this while they were never in truth inwardly sanctified never washed with the washing of the new birth Tit. 3. This allusion I gather by the words of the Apostle calling the blood here mentioned the blood of the Covenant just the same expression as Moses used before Behold the blood of the Covenant Exod. 24.8 And look how the one blood was sprinkled so was the other and what sanctification was wrought by the one the same was also by the other namely an externall federall holinesse they having both one and other accepted the blood of the Covenant to be sprinkled upon them whereby they were sanctified thus farre as to become a separate people unto God So that notwithstanding all that which hath been objected or can be this stands good that sanctification is a blessing of the Covenant of Grace only And being so therefore to prove our justification by our sanctification is not to go aside to a Covenant of works Vse 2. Is our sanctification a benefit of the Covenant of grace and springs it from Grace what then can our works of sanctification merit for us at the hands of God what have wee herein which we have not received 1 Cor. 4. of his own hand doe we give unto him as David spake in another case 1 Chron. 29. but of this there will be fitter place to
yet would live in hatred of their brother ver 9. They would say they loved God yet loved not their brethren 1 Ioh. 4.20 Now against these Sayers as I may call them that were all in profession and in word saying Lord Lord but not doing his will against these I say the Apostle opposeth these others which had the true work of sanctification in their heart and tells us that hereby we know c. Namely if we doe not onely say we love the brethren but doe indeed love them c. hereby we know that we are passed from death to life Thus by these expressions taken out of the Apostles own mouth we see clearely who they are whom the Apostle meaneth by this we namely not we onely who have received that immediate witnesse of the Spirit assuring us of our election and justification but we also which have this work of sanctification wrought in our hearts by the holy Ghost Quest But some may say why should we goe about to evidence our justification by our sanctification rather then our sanctification by our justification Ans Because though they goe both together in time yet they are not both alike in respect of manifestation Our sanctification is more manifest to us then is our justification It s easier discerned First because our sanctification is the work of the Spirit whose part it is as was said before to make known unto us the hid things of God for which cause he is called the Spirit of Revelation c. Eph. 1.17 Secondly because our sanctification is a work within us wrought in out own hearts Our justification is an act of God without us God not imputing to us our iniquities but our sanctification is an inward work wrought in a mans own bowels of which he hath and cannot but have a sensible feeling in himselfe Obj. But by this reason may some say a man may as well know his justification as his sanctification because we are justified by faith and faith is an inward Grace planted in the heart as well as any other sanctifying Grace which springs therefrom And therefore we may know our justification by our faith as well as by our sanctification Answ True so farre as we discerne our faith we may thereby discerne our justification also But this makes for us not against us Though this withall is to be considered that faith being as the root of all other Graces is more hidden then they are as the root of the tree is more hidden in the earth then the body or branches but this we stand not upon This therefore we would grant that a man may know his justification by his faith but this toucheth not the point in hand For when we goe about to try our justification by our sanctification and by qualifications inherent in us in this way of tryall faith is excluded as much as any other sanctifying Graces be And the meaning of those that doe oppose this way of evidencing by our sanctification is to remove all evidence by any thing in our selves whether by faith or by any other Grace and to urge only the immediate revelation of the Spirit The summe is that this is a safe way of tryall being laid down unto us by the Lord himselfe in the Word And it is a possible way in as much as our sanctification is more evident then our justification this being an act of God without us as was said before and that a work within us which we feele and finde in our own soules Would we then know whether we be of the number of those that are saved by the blood of the Covenant we need not for this ascend up into heaven to search the book of Gods election nor need we to goe down into the lower parts of the earth for any there to tell us that we are deliveâ—ed thence but goe down into our own hearts and if we finde this work of sanctification there wrought then what Moses said of Israel Blessed art thou O Israel a people saved by the Lord the same may be truly said of us Our salvation is begun we have the seale of it the earnest the first fruits which shall at length bring the full possession of the whole harvest Blessed therefore are they which are undefiled in their way saith David which walk in the Law of the Lord Psal 119.1 Blessed are the pure in heart Matth. 5.8 Those that have innocent hands and a pure heart shall surely ascend into the mountaine of the Lord and stand in his holy place Psal 24.3 4. Such as these shall never be moved or confounded Psal 15. end But if in our hearts we doe still nourish impurity if we be fleshly carnall such as have not the Spirit then have we no part nor portion in that salvation which the Covenant brings unto Gods people without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 No unrighteous person no uncleane thing shall enter into Gods Kingdome 1 Cor. 6. Quest But how shall we discern our sanctification to be right sincere and sound Answ 1. By the extent of it It goes over the whole man soule body and spirit 1 Thes 5.23 and therefore compared to leaven Matth. 13.33 which runnes through the dough till all bee leavened As corruption had defiled all so Grace sanctifies all The minde which was darknesse before is now light in the Lord to know and understand the will of God and to discerne things that differ The judgement made to approve the good which is known the will to desire and endeavour after the doing of it The conscience is made watchfull and tender fearefull to offend The affections ordered aright to love the things which God loveth and to hate the things which he hateth The body is made an instrument to execute and doe that which is holy and good Both body and spirit are Gods set to doe the things that please him by which he may be glorified 1 Cor. 6. all that is within us and without us is imployed to praise God 2. True Sanctification as it doth sanctifie the whole man so it doth forme the heart to a closing with the whole will of God without exception or reservation when God writes his Law in our hearts he writes all his Commandements there as he wrote all of them before in the Tables of stone and they being all written in the heart now we love all the Commandements of it saying as Paul The Law is holy and just and good now his Commandements are not burthenous or grievous all are equall and right we love all embrace all and labour to practice all duties of holinesse towards God duties of love and righteousnesse towards men goe hand in hand in the life of a sanctified Christian He makes account he hath done but half his duty if either of these be omitted He counts himselfe as debtor to God and man to glorifie God and procure the good of men and desires to keep a cleare conscience
of Noah for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more goe over the earth so have I sworr that I would not be angry with thee The mountaines 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 Plentifull is the Scripture in such promises as these In Hos 2.19 20. I will marry thee unto my selfe c when the Lord marrieth us to himselfe he doth it with a purpose to be ours for ever whom God loves once with this conjugall love hee loves them for ever unto the end Ioh. 13.2 And thence it is that those that are truly regenerate and sanctified are compared to Mount Sion which cannot be removed Psal 125.1 And to a tree planted by the river of water which continually flourisheth and withers not c. Psal 1.3 and to an house built upon a Rock Matth. 7. And hence is that glorious triumph of the Apostle setting all contrary power at a defiance Who shall separate us from the love of God c. Rom. 8.33 Neither heigth nor depth nor things present nor things to come shall ever separate us from the love of God wherewith he hath loved us in Christ Jesus and in 2 Tim. 4.8 Hence forth is laid up for me a crown of righteousnes And thence was that confident speech of the Prophet in Psal 73. Thou wilt guide me by thy counsell and afterward bring me to glory This benefit the Lord will fulfill unto his people when he hath begun the work of his Grace he will finish it unto the day of Christ Phil. 1.6 he will shew himselfe to be both the author and finisher of our salvation Hâ—b 12. Arminians and Papists which reach a falling away from Grace know not the difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace Their Doctrine of the Apostacy of the Saints that those that are adopted sanctified and planted into Christ may fall away and perish is a doctrine contrary to the whole tenour of the Covenant of Grace injurious unto God and uncomfortable unto the Saints It is true that there is a kinde of seeming holinesse which may be lost a forme of godlinesse which may vanish and come to nought Heb. 6.4 6. 10.29 It s true also that Gods own people called and chosen may much damp quench the Grace of God which is in them and may shew much infirmity in particular falls which they are subject unto being sometimes so farre left unto themselves as we see in David and Solomon Peter c. Acts of grace may be interrupted in them for a season sense of it may be much lessened power of it weakned the degree of it abated but the habit cannot be utterly lost the life of it never goes out a man may be in a swoun and yet his life be in him still The certainty of the Saints perseverance is built upon these foundations 1. God is able to stablish them and therefore they shall be established He is able to keep us Iude 24. He is able to make us stand Rom. 16.25 and therefore we shall never be removed nor overthrown Object But this is a weak argument to reason from Gods power to his will Answ Then the Apostle himselfe argues weakly in Rom. 14.4 where speaking of the weak believer hee saith that such an one shall bee established and how proves he that because God is able to make him stand This is the Apostles Argument Indeed its true God will not doe all things which he can doe he can out of the stones and rocks raise up children unto Abraham but he neither doth it nor will doe it But though God will not doe all things which he can yet he will doe all things which he hath promised to doe Now this is Gods promise as we have seen before that he will preserve his people and therefore if he can doe it surely he will doe it because he hath promised it And hence it is that in Ioh. 10.28 29. Christ argues from the power of God doth by that argument prove the undoubted salvation of those that believe namely because God is in power greater then all and none is able to pull them out of his hand Indeed till we have a promise there is no arguing from Gods power no man can groundedly argue that God will out of stones raise up children to Abraham because he never promised it but when we have the promise then we may reason from his power And thus did Abraham reason I shall have a Sonne saith Abraham because though my body bee as good as dead yet God is able to doe it The argument was good because God had before promised to doe it So in the case in hand God hath said that he will keep us to his heavenly Kingdome and therefore if he can doe it he will doe it he hath engaged all his power and goodnesse to be for our salvation God is ours his power is ours to stablish and strengthen us that we fall not yea here are two immutable things to support us the power and will of God These two are as the two pillars before Salomons Temple Jachin and Boaz Boaz signifying in him is strength and Iachim he will stablish these two pillars stand together to establish all those that are ready to fall if there be strength in him he would have us to know that he will put it forth for our establishment that we might bee supported by his power his power and will stand together to support us 2. All the gifts of God which accompany salvation are given without repentance Rom. 11.29 Hos 13.14 God never repents him of the Grace he hath shewed to his people that he knew before Hence is that in 2 Sam. 7.14 when God promiseth to David that he would take of his seed and set upon his Throne after him and then saith the Lord I will be his Father and he shall bee my Sonne and my mercy will I not take away from him as I took a from Saul to teach us when hee hath once brought us into the state of Adoption to be his sonnes he will never cease to follow us with Fatherly love he will never take away his Fatherly mercy from us adde hereto that in Isai 46.3.4 and Mal. 3.6 3. It would shake the foundation of Gods election if those that are once sanctified should fall away and perish for those onely whom he knew before those onely doth he sanctifie If he hath in mercy drawn us unto himselfe it s a sign he hath loved us from everlasting Ier. 31.3 our calling and sanctification is according to his purpose Rom. 8.28.30 2 Tim. 1.9 Those that are sanctified justified and called are all first chosen And thence faith is called the faith of Gods elect Tit. 1. and those that are sanctified are said to be chosen unto it Eph. 1.3
4. And why are these things said to flow from Gods election but that we knowing that that foundation of Gods election remaineth sure we might know that our state in Grace is sure also as being built on that foundation which cannot be moved And this doth our blessed Saviour make good in that speech of his in Matth. 24. where speaking of the strong delusions and deceits which many should be deceived with he saith that those deceivers shall shew forth such signes and wonders as if it were possible should deceive the very Elect If it were possible but that they cannot doe the Elect cannot perish 4. It would frustrate the vertue and efficacy of the mediation and intercession of the Lord Iesus who not onely once offred up himselfe as a sacrifice for us but appeares for ever at the right hand of the Father to make intercession for us Rom. 8.34 That prayer of his Ioh. 17. which he made for us when he was here upon earth was and is a testification of the care he hath of us now in heaven He then prayed Father keep them in thy name and the same doth he for us now He is not changed he is yesterday and to day and the same for ever he is our faithfull High-Priest who beares our names upon his breast in the holy place he is now entred into Exod. 28.29 presenting us with his heartiest affection unto his Father he having set us a seale upon his heart and carrying us in his bosome and loving us with his bosome love This comfort Christ gave unto Peter I have prayed for thee saith Christ that thy faith faile not Luke 22.32 And look what Christ prayed for in the behalfe of Peter and the rest of his Disciples the same prayer he makes for all those that believe in him through their word Joh. 17.20 And if Christ make such intercession for us we know that he is alwayes heard and accepted by the Father Joh. 11. It is not possible that those for whom he intercedes should perish 5. If there were falling away from Grace then it must come either by Gods departing from us or by our departing from him But neither of these shall do it neither will God depart from us not shall we when once effectually called depart any more from him Jer. 32.40 He will not forsake his people 1 Sam. 12.22 Nor will they goe away from him Joh. 6.68 Lord whether shall we goe thou hast the fountaine of life and blessednesse in thee whether should we goe to forsake thee Object But Adam who had perfect holinesse in him and had more grace then we have did fall therefore we which have lesse grace then he may fall much more Answ It followes not because Adam and we are to be considered under different Covenants Adam was under the Covenant of works those that are regenerate are under a Covenant of Grace He was therefore left to himselfe to work either in one kinde or other well or ill as he would himselfe but now we are under a Covenant of Grace and are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 he had no promise of being kept as we have He had that which we have not Posse si vellet he had power to have stood but abused his will we have that which he had not we have will but we want power but though we want power of our own yet we are kept by the power of God Object But we have no promise of being kept in the state of Grace but onely so farre as wee are not wanting to our selves c. Answ 1. If so no flesh should bee saved for who is not wanting to himselfe more or lesse Are those that plead thus so watchfull and diligent never to be wanting to themselves I suppose they dare not for shame once affirm it and yet I believe they will not therefore say that because of such want they are fallen from Grace 2. If this were all that God promised unto us now under Grace then I demand what have we promised to us more then was promised to Adam for surely if Adam had not been wanting to himselfe he should have continued still in that holy estate And if the Lord should now promise us no more what grace is shewed to us more then to him where is the Grace of the second Covenant above the first 3. The Lord hath promised this also that we shall never be so farre wanting to our selves as wholly to turn away from him Ier. 32.40 He puts into the hearts of his people an holy feare of departing away from him they feare to be deprived Heb. 4.1 This feare makes them pray knit my heart unto thee and to resolve with David It is good for me to draw nigh unto God Psal 73. And thus in Ier. 32.39 I will give them one heart that they shall feare me for ever This fearing him for ever makes Gods children for ever to cleave to him so as though they may have their particular slips and failings yet they can no more cease to feare God and to cleave unto him then this promise of God can faile wherein hee hath said I will give them an heart to feare me for ever At what time they cease to feare God at the same time this promise of God failes and comes to nought Object But these promises which doe sound as if they were absolute are to be expounded by other promises which are expressed conditionally if yee continue Colos 1. if yee faint not Galat. 6. Answ 1. These conditionall expressions are added not to weaken the force of those absolute promises before named as if one sort of promises did crosse another and were to weaken our confidence in them but there are two other causes of adding these conditions One is this Namely because the Apostle in writing to visible Churches hee knew that in all such Churches there were some that though they made as faire profession as the rest yet they would in time discover some unsoundnesse at heart for their sakes therefore the Apostle addes these Ifs as if hee should say if yee be truly grounded on Christ and so continue then shall yee be presented blamelesse c. Col. 1.22 23. but this doth nothing at all tend to weaken the assurance of those that are truly called and sanctified The other is this These conditionall expressions have in them the force of a secret warning and quickning exhortation for every one that standeth or thinks that he standeth to take heed lest he fall and so in stead of weakning our confidence they make us to stand more cautelously and sure 2. It is a sweet and usefull consideration observed by that learned Lawyer and active Instrument in the Cause of Gods truth that in the comparing and compounding of these conditionall promises with the absolute we must place conditionall in the first rank and then absolute in the second Set the former as the major Proposition
them good in the later end Deut. 8.16 The hardships which Israel suffered for awhile in the wildernesse was recompenced with a Land flowing with milke and honey Thirdly sometimes God withholds good things from us for a chastisement of our sinne according to that in Jer. 5.25 your iniquities have hindred good things from you when wee goe out of the way in which the blessing falls it s no marvell if it fall beside us In these cases when either by sin we turn aside from the path of righteousnesse or if the Lord will take a time to try our uprightnesse before him or if he see our enjoying of these outward blessings would be an hinderance to our spirituall good in these cases I say Gods children may be exercised with wants and necessities and yet the promise of God failes not not in the first case because the promise of outward things in the making of it is subservient to the spirituall good of our inward man nor in the second case because the Lord hath put an exception of tryall by which he will try all his Nor in the third case because these outward good things are promised as rewards of Grace whereby the Lord doth recompence the love and obedience of his people But to the third part of the demand if it be further questioned how farre forth a childe of God out of these cases forenamed may assure himselfe of the fulfilling of these promises unto him hereunto I answer thus Wee must consider two things first what is promised secondly how and in what manner First consider what is promised for here may be a mistake in taking the promise to containe more then indeed it doth when the Lord promiseth that riches and treasure shall be in the house of the righteous what doth he meane by riches and treasure not the riches of a Kingdome or that which shall be sufficient for a man of high degree but such a sufficiency as is sutable to every ones estate and condition which God hath set them in That which is want and poverty to one may be fulnesse and abundance to another That then is riches to any man when God gives him so much as is sufficiently enough for him in his estate and condition though he may still come short of many others of higher ranke this is that which is promised Secondly consider in what manner God promiseth these things and that is as was said before as rewards and as fruits of that faith and obedience which he requires of his people Dwell in the land and doe good and thou shalt be fed assuredly saith the Prophet Psal 37.3 But what is this good that we must doe Answ 1. In generall Be upright with God in our conversation before him 2. Walk diligently and faithfully in our particular callings be not slothfull and unprofitable unto our selves It is the diligent hand that hath the promise of abundance The talk of the lips brings nothing but want Prov. 10. 3. And then we must depend upon God by faith in the use of meanes not trusting either to our own uprightnesse or to the meanes used but rest by faith on the grace of the promise as knowing that when we have done all that wee can both in our generall and particular calling yet the Lord might justly blast all our endeavours so as all our labour and strength might be spent in vaine Here therefore our confidence must be pitcht not upon our selves nor meanes but look by faith to the blessing promised which blessing is all in all Believe and yee shall prosper said Iehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20.20 and contra if yee believe not yee shall not be established said Isaiah Isai 7.9 There is much in the faith of Gods people It s a speciall meanes to obtaine the blessing It was usuall with Christ when any came unto him for help in outward things to ask them whether they believed or no and then he would tell them according to your faith be it unto you All Gods blessings are wrapt within his promises And faith is the hand to receive all whether they be spirituall blessings or outward concerning this life whatsoever the blessings be if they spring from Grace they must be received by faith The hand of Grace gives them and the hand of faith receives them And sometimes the want of faith onely cuts us short of the blessing we might enjoy we prosper not because we believe not The summe is this Let a man walk uprightly before God in his generall calling Let him be provident and diligent in his particular calling Let him withall in both these look by faith to the faithfulnesse of the promise of God believing that in this way he will give that which is sufficient for him Then I say that in the ordinary course of Gods dealing hee may be sure the Lord will not be wanting to him in such things as his state and condition doth require Vse 1. For confutation Are these outward blessings pertaining to this life blessings of Grace promised in the Covenant of Grace then first eternall life cannot come by merit when lesse blessings then that must come from Grace 2. Hence also falls down Popish satisfactions which they think are made by almes-deeds and such like works What satisfaction can we make to justice from that which we receive of meere grace of his own hand give we unto him 1 Chron. 29. 3. It makes against placing perfection in a state of voluntary poverty as if perfection could stand in renouncing the blessings of Gods Covenant Vse 2. For information 1. Concerning wicked men this may let us see that they have no true right before God unto the good things of this life I speak not of right before men but before God for if they have I ask by what Covenant Is it by the Covenant of works then they must fulfill it which they doe not nor can doe is it then by the Covenant of Grace but they are not within that Covenant They are within the Covenant of works but cannot fulfill it they are without the Covenant of Grace and therefore they can claime nothing by it But they say there is debitum naturae nature may claime so much as tends to the upholding of naturall life and being But I say again what claime can they have to life or to any thing which concernes life which have deserved to be destroyed and brought to nothing for ought I can see the old opinion herein must stand as truth that wicked men are but usurpers of the things they doe enjoy And if Christ bee the Heire of all things and we come to our right to them onely by Christ then those that are not Christs have no right unto them 2. Whereas some weak ones doe think they should pray only for spirituall blessings and not for outward things of this life they may hence see their errour They may lawfully pray for outward things look what God doth promise we may lawfully
pray for but God doth promise to us these outward things therefore we may pray for them Christ also hath taught us the same Matth. 6. and it s our duty to doe it thereby to testifie our dependence upon God our heavenly Father for the supply of all our necessities and in so doing wee give glory to God as acknowledging that every good gift must come from him James 1.17 3. Whereas some of Gods servants are possessed with doubts concerning their estate before God as fearing that they are not the Lords people because they are suffered to prosper so much in outward things this point may serve to remove that scruple because these outward blessings are blessings of grace to the people of God and therefore may well stand with a gracious estate If we endeavour to walk before God in truth and uprightnesse striving to keep a pure conscience in all things towards God and man then for any one to say I feare I am none of Gods people because I prosper in the world is all one as if he should say I feare the Lord intends me no good because he makes good unto me the blessings which he hath promised in his Covenant Vse 3. For direction 1. In the want of these outward blessings 2. In the enjoyment of them First In the want of them and here consider 1. The cause whence it is that we are deprived of them 2. What to doe to get them supplyed I. As for the cause of our wants what shall we say is God unfaithfull doth his promise faile is he unmindfull of his Covenant if not then think what is the cause of these wants which lie upon us c. In Iosh 7. when Ioshua saw the people flie before their enemies which seemed contrary to the promise of God the Lord having before promised to Joshuah that not a man should stand before him all the dayes of his life Joshuah falls on his face before God and begins to expostulate with him why he had brought them thither to destroy them But mark the Lords Answer Get thee up saith the Lord to Ioshuah why lyest thou upon thy face Israel hath sinned and therefore they cannot stand before their enemies Ioshuah not knowing nor considering the sinne of the people hee wonders at their overthrow as if the Lord had not been mindfull of his promise he having promised that not a man should be able to stand before them But the Lord tells Ioshuah Nay saith the Lord It is not I that have failed in my Covenant towards you but you have broâ—en Covenant with me Israel hath sinned and transgressed my Covenant and therefore it is that they cannot stand before their enemies So we when we feele our selves pressed with wants and necessities we are apt to think that Gods falls short of his promise towards us He hath promised sufficiency of all good things to his servants but we see not his promise made good unto us we suffer wants And now we are ready to aske why hath the Lord brought us hither into this wildernesse to destroy us But let us know it is not the Lord which hath broken promise with us but we have sinned and broken Covenant with him There is amongst us an accursed thing which till it be cast out of the campe of Israel we shall not stand before our necessities but they will prevaile against us as an armed man They are our iniquities which have turned away these things and our sins have hindred good things from us Jer. 5.25 Our own wayes and doings have procured these things unto us we may thank our selves if we be cut short in the things we would have Let God be true and every man a lyar Let him be acknowledged faithfull in his promise but we have dealt treacherously against him we have sinned and there is the true cause of our misery 1. We have amongst us Achans sinne I saw and coveted saith he we have amongst us worldlinesse and coveteousnesse which hath seised upon us and hath eaten up our hearts The rust hereof hath consumed the good that was in us we pretended to come hither for ordinances but now ordinances are light matters with us and we are turned after the prey Had any other people that professed themselves to be of the world and for the world had they thus walked the Lord would have said of them they are gone thither for the worlds goods and let them take their fill of it let them have what they goe for But as for us the Lord will not suffer us so If he see us forsaking the substance the true treasure to runne after these shadows they shall flie from us the more that we pursue them till we turn againe unto the Lord and then though we follow not them yet they shall follow us and shall pursue us and overtake us as Moses speaks Deut. 28.2 As now we are pressed with wants so then we shall be laden with benefits Psal 68. 2. We have amongst us excesse and pride of life pride in apparell daintiness in dyet and that in those who in times past would have been glad to have been satisfied with bread this is the sinne of the lowest of our people 3. Another sort are idle and walk inordinately not labouring at all but live unprofitably going from house to house They cannot put their hand to works 4. We have abundance of oppression and injustice in our dealings with breach of Covenants and promises there is want of truth and justice it is almost departed from our streets The Lord may now complaine of us as sometimes he did before of Israel I looked for judgement but behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a crying Isai 5.7 and this sin will make a fire which is not blown by man to kindle of it selfe to consume us Job 20.19 26. 5. By these our sinnes we have brought a reproach upon the Gospel the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ which should have been glorified by us So long as the Gospel held its credit amongst us so long the Lord also manifested his marvellous goodnesse towards us upholding us also and keeping us from those wants which now we feele But when the credit of the Gospel began to suffer by us we began to suffer with it also receiving therein a just recompence of our evill as was meet 6. There is amongst us a straight-heartednesse and close-handednesse towards the Lord in not ministring to the things which concern his worship the least portion is enough and the worst is good enough for those things that concern his honour This is a sinne which the Lord hath ever been wont to punish with scarcity as we may see in Hag. 1. Mal. 3.9 10. Prov. 20.25 These are the Achans which have robbed us of our silver and gold these sinnes have spoyled us of our substance and where the e things are found it is no marvell though we complaine of wants yet not through breach of Covenant on
we shall speak hereafter thus much only for the present he affirmes that there is mutua obligatio a mutuall bond or tie by which God binds us to himselfe as well as he binds himselfe to us c. 2. But for further confirmation hereof consider the different kinds of expressions which the Scripture useth in speaking of the Covenant betwixt God and us There is mention made of a Covenant promised And there is mention also of a Covenant commanded not to imply two Covenants but two parts of the same Covenant one part of it standing in the promise from God to us the other in duty from us to God Thus Deut. 7.12 there is the Covenant which God promised and by oath swore unto his people and then in Josh 7.11 there is the Covenant commanded which is the condition on our part required take away the condition you must also take away the Covenant commanded and if there be a Covenant commanded there must of necessity be a condition 3. Consider that expression used in Ezek. 20.37 I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant saith the Lord why doth the Lord speak of a bond of the Covenant If the Lord had bound himselfe only and put no condition upon the Covenant for us he could not have said that he would bring us into the bond of it But hereby he would teach us that when he makes with us a Covenant of Grace and mercy he doth not then leave us at liberty to live as we list but he binds us by Covenant to himâ—elfe he doth not only bind himselfe to us but us to himselfe as in Jer. 13.11 He is said to have tyed to himselfe the whole house of Israel binding them to himselfe as with a girdle in the bond of the Covenant wee were sometimes free from God and free from righteousnesse Rom. 6.20 But now we are by Covenant become the Lords servants 1 Cor. 7.22 being bound unto him by the bond of the Covenant 4. Consider how we are said sometimes to keep Covenant sometimes to break Covenant with God In Psal 25.10 and Psal 103.18 Here we are said to keep Covenant but in Psal 44.17 and Esay 24.5 There is mention made of breaking Covenant with God and in Deut. 29.25 they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord their God This keeping of Covenant and bâ—eaking or forsaking of it cannot bee conceived to be done otherwise then by observing or violating the condition of the Covenant required on our part Such as are most profane and wa k most loosely they will be forward enough to claime Gods promise but they are faulty in performing their own part of the Covenaâ—t Thus the Jewes they would hold to the promise that God was their God Joh. 8. and yet they brake the Covenant by failing in the condition required of them 5. Consider how the name of Covenant is given not only to the promise which God makes unto us but to that duty which he requires on our part to be done by us in Gen. 17.7 There the name of Covenant is given to Gods promise which he makes to us but afterwards in vers 9. the same name of Covenant is also given to the duty required of us I will saith the Lord to Abraham establish my Covenant with thee and what is that I will be a God unto thee c. and thou also shalt keep my Covenant that is there is the duty I require of thee by which thou shalt testifie thy observance of the Covenant namely in circumcising thy seed This use of the word Covenant being applyed to that which is required of us shewes plainly that there is a stipulalation or condition in the Covenant required on our part 6. We reade expresse mention made of the condition upon which the promise of life and salvation is made as in Act. 16.31 Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Rom. 10.9 If thou believest thou shalt be saved c. 7. Gods dealing with the Israelites when he made his Covenant with them at Mount Sinai shewes plainly that there is a condition in the Covenant Exod. 24.3 to 9. when the Lord was about to make up his Covenant betwixt him and them you see how Moses rehearseth before them the words of the Covenant that they might know what it was which the Lord required of them and to the end it might be done more seriously he repeats the termes of the Covenant to be observed by them twice over and they doe twice promise to observe the words of the Covenant before the bloud of the Covenant by which it was confirmed was sprinkled upon them shewing unto us thereby that we must for our part assent unto the Covenant not only accepting the promise of it but also submit to the duty required in it or else there is no Covenant established betwixt God and us we must as well accept of the condition as of the promise if we will be in Covenant with God Object But the Covenant is otherwise called a Testament Heb. 7.8 9. Answ This terme or name of Testament is given to the Covenant not to exclude the condition but to shew the firmnesse and inviolable and unchangeable nature of it being confirmed by the death of Christ the Testator and therefore never to bee altered nor changed Whiles men live they may alter their Wills or Testaments as oft as they please but when they are dead it is unalterable Gal. 3. Christ hath dyed to confirm his Testament it s therefore now unchangeable being ratified by his death as a Testament is by the death of the Testator And that this is the true reason why the Apostle calls it a Testament is evident by Heb. 9.16 17. Where a Testament is saith the Apostle there must be the death of the Testator and he gives the reason even now alledged because the Testament is confirmed when men are dead and not before And that the Apostle had no intent in so calling it to exclude the condition is evident by verse 15. where he saith That Christ is made the Mediator of a better Testament that through his death those which were called might receive the promise of eternall inheritance These words those which were called doe plainely and fully imply the condition required in the Covenant of life our calling being finished in the working of faith which is the condition of the Covenant no man is effectually called so as to have part in that eternall inheritance untill he believe so that the Legacies of the Testament being to those that are called that is to those that do believe it is most manifest that the intent of the Apostle in calling the Covenant by the name of a Testament was not to exclude the condition but only as was said to shew the stability and immutability of the Covenant It being now like a Testament confirmed by the death of him that made it The forme of the former Covenant which God made with Israel in the
Wildernesse was changed in respect of the manner of Administration of it because it was not confirmed by the death of the Testator but this is confirmed by death and therefore herein neither matter nor forme can be changed any more in Joh. 17.24 We have Christ there making his last Will and Testament to be executed by his Father and what his Will is we have it expressed in his own words Father I will those whom thou hast given me may be where I am c. And who those be that hee meaneth by them that are given him is plainly expressed verse 20. Even those that believe in his name Christ doth not bequeath the Legacy of his Testament unto all in generall but to such as doe believe as for the rest he bequeathes nothing unto them Joh. 17.9 Object But there be same absolute promises of the Covenant which are without any condition at all on our part as the promises of the first gracâ— c. in which God promiseth to his Elect as yet uncalled that he will give them a new heart and take away the stony heart from them Ezek. 11. 36. Answ 1. We must consider the Covenant not only as consummate and made up with our selves in our own persons but as it was begun and first made with us and for us in Christ in which regard it is said to bee made with us before the world began Tit. 1.2 a promise of grace being made to Christ for us and to us in him Now if we thus consider the Covenant as made with us in Christ so the first grace it selfe is conditionall as well as the last Christ receives the promises of grace for us but he receives not the least of them but upon condition that he must lay down his life for them that he may performe them unto us as we see in Esay 55.5 Where God the Father makes a promise to Christ that he shall call a Nation or People to the knowledge of himselfe which is a promise of the first grace given us in our first conversion and calling but in respect of Christ this is not absolute but conditionall as appeares in verse 4. for he must be a witnesse unto the people to testifie unto them the will of the Father which he performed in his Propheticall and Priestly Office yea he must make his soule an offering for sinne Esay 53.10 and upon this condition he must have power to call a Nation to bring them home by effectuall calling unto God and thus in respect of Christ the very first Grace is conditionall though without condition on our part 2. Consider the Covenant in respect of the end of it which it leads unto which is life and salvation in which respect it is called a Covenant of life and peace Maâ—th 2.5 and if wee thus consider it it is conditionall in respect of our selves for these promises of life and peace are not made but upon condition of faith and obedience not to the unbelieving and profane Rom. 10.9.10 13. Rom. 8.13 Mat. 5.3 to 10. and thus whether we look to the first Grace as the beginning of the Covenant or to the last Grace as the end of it the one is conditionall in respect of Christ the other in respect of our selves there is a condition of both 3. The giving of the first Grace in our calling goes before our pesonall Covenant betwixt God and us by which we bind our selves unto him to take him for our God to depend upon him and to submit our selves unto his will first the Lord doth dispose us and fit us to a walking in Covenant with him by putting into us his own spirit as it is in Ezek. 36. and then he requires an actuall performance of Covenant on our part to walk according to the Grace received Look how it was in that Covenant made with Adam so it is in this Covenant of Grace in respect of the point in hand though otherwise there be wide differences betwixt them as we have seen before first God indues Adam with an habituall righteousnesse thereby enabling him for that obedience which he was to walk in and then having thus qualified him the Lord enters into a Covenant with him requiring of him to walk according to all that Law which was set before him and in that way of working righteousnesse to look for the life which was promised him so it is here in the Covenant of Grace first the Lord comes and takes away from us the heart of stone that evill heart of unbeliefe and gives us a spirit of faith and renewing Grace and then draweth the soule into a Covenant with him to walk with him in a way of faith depending upon him by faith and obeying him by faith so looking for the promise of eternall life Thus it was with Abraham first God gives unto Abraham a believing heart then he comes to him and tells him Abraham I am come to enter into a Covenant with thee and withall tells him what are the articles and conditions of the Covenant both on Gods part and on Abrahams on Gods part That he will be to Abraham and to his seed a God to blesse him and to be an alsufficient good unto him and on Abrahams part Requiring That he walk before him and be upright and keep his Covenant which was commanded him and so it is with all the Adult Children of Abraham first God gives us a spirit of Grace beginning to renew us then propounds to us the great things of his Covenant which he will bestow upon us and commands us to depend by faith upon him for the performance of them and if we thus consider of the giving of the first Grace this doth no whit crosse the condition of the Covenant but makes way for it enabling us to walk in Covenant with God that so he may bring upon us the good which he hath promised us Object But this putting of a condition to the Covenant of grace may seeme to confound it and to make it the same with the Covenant of works Answ It is not the having of a condition but the identity or samenesse of the condition which makes them the same Covenant all Covenants have a condition but all Covenants are not therefore one and the same but do differ according to the difference of the conditions which are made there being then one condition in the Covenant of works and another in the Covenant of grace they are therefore distinct Covenants though there be a condition in both Thus then we see there is a condition of the Covenant But to come to the second point before propounded why may some say doth the Lord require any condition of us and not bring us to life and glory without requiring any thing at our hand Answ 1. It is meet we should glorifie God and his grace towards us before he exalt us and bring us unto glory in this way it was that Christ himselfe went into glory according
but legall Christians and legall Preachers as allowed this way All her assurance was from revelation it was revealed unto her that shee was one of the Elect of God and shee knew all things by immediate revelation from above but I fear she knows not that her glorious revelations were but Satanicall delusions Let her damned heresies shee fell into denying the resurrection c. and the just vengeance of God by which she perished terrifie all her seduced followers from having any more to doe with her leaven which shee spred among them Beware of her sinne least yee perish in her plague Vse 2. Is there a condition of the Covenant Then let this provoke us all who look for the blessing which it brings to be faithâ—ull with God in keeping our Covenant with him take heed we fall not short of the condition least we be deprived of the blessing this is that which the Apostle teaches us Heb. 4.1 Seeing we have a promise left us of entering into his rest there is the blessing promised let us feare least through unbeliefe any of us should be deprived there is the condition required The words through unbeliefe are not in the Text expressed but they are evidently implyed as appears both by the coherence with the third Chapter and by that which followes Chap. 4.2 To be deprived of such a blessing is a heavy losse such as can never be recompenced and the preventing of this losse so far as concernes us is by keeping of our Covenant which the Lord commands us to walk in If we forsake the condition we forsake the promise and therefore it is also that when God took Abraham into a Covenant with him he did not only tell Abraham what he would be unto him a God to blesse him but he brings Abraham to walk in Covenant with him Thou also shalt keep my Covenant saith the Lord Gen. 17.9 Thou shalt walk before me and bee upright Gen. 17 1. When God takes us into Covenant with him we are said to be brought into the bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20. to teach us that now we must look at our selves as tyed and bound unto God in a Covenant never to be broken we are not now any longer at our own liberty to walke as we list but must observe our Covenant to walk therein when we walk so that we may truly say before the Lord our heart is not turned back from thee neither have we dealt falsely with thee in thy Covenant as it in Psal 44.17 18 this keeps the heart in a comfortable expectation of the blessed hope which is set before us Thus Paul I have kept the faith I have finished my course and now henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Let us carefully walk in the condition and then the promise will be sure not only sure in it self but suâ—e to us 2 Pet. 1.10 These bonds of the Covenant are not like the fetters of a prison they are like the pleasing bonds of wedlock vincula nuptiarum which every one gladly enters into Oh let us love these bonds give up both our hands unto the Lord yea and our hearts also to be bound in them for ever these are sweet bonds they work no griefe seek not therefore to break them Psal 2. nor cast them from you say not we will be our own and walk by our will such lawlesse and licentious spirits as will be at liberty they shall be at liberty to their wo they shall have such a liberty as Jeremy threatned to the rebellious Jewes a liberty to the sword to the famine and to the pestilence Jer. 34. a liberty to goe to hell to their eternall destruction a liberty with a curse granted unto them in wrath which shall end in chaines of everlasting darknesse and bring them into that prison from whence there is no going out Therefore let all such as look for the blessing and life promised in the Covenant Let them walk faithfully in the condition of it and in this way expect the mercy which is promised Thus wee have shewed First That there is a condition of the Covenant Secondly Why the Lord hath put a condition unto it 3. The third point follows to shew what the condition is which though it hath been obiter mentioned before yet is now to be spoken of more particularly The condition then of the Covenant of Grace is faith Rom. 4.16 Rom. 10.9 10. If thou believest in the Lord Jesus thou shalt be saved so Acts 18.31 Joh. 3.16 hence in Rom. 3.27 The Gospel is called the Law of Faith because as the Law of works doth put works as the condition of that Covenant so the Gospel puts faith as the condition of the new Covenant Quest But why is faith made the condition of the Covenant Answ 1. The blessing of life promised is not in our selves but in Christ Christ is life and he which hath the Sonne hath hath life and he which hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5.12 We are dead Colos 3.3 and our Works are dead Heb. 9.14 there is no life in them they cannot bring life unto them that doe them nor can wee quicken our own soules but Christ is the life of men Joh. 1.4 Colos 3.4 and the way to receive Christ and the life which is in him is only by faith Ioh. 1.12 unbeliefe rejects Christ and puts him away But faith as an hand puts forth it selfe to receive him in whom our life is If we had life in our selves and could have found it in our own works it had then been needlesse to appoint faith as the condition of the Covenant but being that both we our selves are dead in sinne and our works are dead works nothing but death to be found in either therefore it s required that wee believe in Christ that we may receive life from him 2. The condition of the law is now become impossible unto us through the infirmity of our flesh Rom. 8.3 and therefore the Apostle saith that the Law cannot possibly give life Gal. 3.21 Therefore the Lord would go that way with us no more the Lord saw by Adam what would be the fruit of that condition if we had been put upon the same as Adam was we should have done as he did we should have shewed our selves men like men transgressing the Covenant as Hoseah speaks Hos 6.7 This condition being above our ability to performe the Lord hath in goodnesse appointed another which is possible through grace to be fulfilled by us having now received a spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 It is now given us to believe Phil. 1.29 this is possible 3. It is by faith that it might be by grace Rom. 4.16 The Covenant is stablished upon the condition of faith that it might appeare to be by grace that wee obtain the blessing the condition must answer the nature of the Covenant therefore being a Covenant of grace the
condition must be such as may stand with grace but if works had been the condition this could not have stood with grace Rom. 11.6 Gods maine end in this Covenant is the maniâ—estation of his grace towards his chosen that his grace may be glorified in them Ephes 1.6 2 Thes 1.10 that nothing might be left unto man to glory in but that he which glorieth might glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. ult c. 4. It is faith that the blessing might be sure to those to whom it is promised Rom. 4.16 Adam had a promise of life but being made upon condition of working he never got the blessing by that Covenant when Adam first entred into Covenant with God it was uncertaine whether he should live by it or no in regard that it was uncertaine whether he would fulfill the condition and thereupon it was that he had one Sacrament of death as well as another of life to assure him of death in case he sinned as well as to assure him of life in case he obeyed but now the promise of life being made to us upon condition of faith it is thereby made sure to those that doe believe Christ is a sure foundation for them to rest upon Esay 28.16 the promise also is sure and faithfull 2 Sam. 23.5 and faith is as an anchor sure and stedfast Heb. 6.19 and Christ being so sure a foundation the promise sure and faith taking such sure hold upon both these three together are as a threeâ—old cord not easily broken so that the blessing in the Covenant of grace now is not so uncertaine and doubtfull as in the Covenant of works but is sure to those that believe And hence it is that in this Covenant though we have two seales added unto it as well as in the Covenant of works yet there is no Sacrament or seale of death but they are both seales of life and salvation assuring us that if we believe in the name of the Lord Jesus we shall surely have everlasting life 5. Faith is sufficient to make us partakers of all the blessings of the Covenant Look back unto all those blessings before named and you shall see how faith doth possesse us of them all God promiseth to be a God unto us Jer. 31. but how comes he to be our God It is by faith Rom. 3.29 30. He promiseth forgivenesse of sinnes and to remember our iniquities no more and it is faith which maketh us partakers of this blessing also Acts 10.43 Rom. 3.24 25. By faith wee are made partakers of the Spirit of holinesse Gal. 3.14 faith purifies the heart Acts 15.9 26.18 By faith we are kept in the estate of grace unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Rom. 11.20 we stand by faith 2 Cor. 1.24 By faith we are made heires and owners of all the good things of this life We are sonnes by faith Gal. 3.21 and being sonnes we are also heires Rom. 8.17 even heires of the world as Abraham was Rom. 4.13 and if by faich we be partakers of Christ then are we with him interested in all other things also Rom. 8.32 yea all things are ours whether things present or things to come all are ours we being Christs 1 Cor. 3. Lasty by faith we obtaine that great and last blessing of the Covenant even the blessing of eternall life Joh. 3.16 36. So that faith alone makes us possessors of all the blessings of the Covenant and therefore there needs no other condition but faith alone Object But may some say if faith alone be the condition of the Covenant and doe make us partakers of life and forgivenesse of sinne then what need is there of any obedience or works of holinesse faith alone is sufficient in stead of all Answ This was the old plea of loose Libertines in the Apostles times I have faith saith one and though I have no works yet my faith will save me But understand O thou vaine man saith the Apostle James chap. 3. that if thy faith be without works such faith is vaine but like a dead carkasse without soule or spirit it is dead in it selfe and leaves the soule in death wanting life in it selfe and yeelding no living fruit it cannot bring life unto the soule A good tree saith Christ is known by its fruit and so a right and sound faith Let a man believe in truth he cannot but love and if he love he cannot but seek to please God in well doing faith is as a tree of life which abounds with good fruit as therefore when a man desires to have good fruit in his orchard he doth not set the fruits themselves in it but plants the trees which use to beare the fruit as knowing that if the trees be good and kindly the trees will yeeld the fruit so God delighteth to see the fruits of righteousnesse in the lives of his Saints and for this end plants in their hearts the tree of faith as knowing where this tree is planted and takes root the fruit will and cannot but follow faith and holinesse can no more be separated then light can be separated from the Sunne such as say they have faith and hope to partake in the blessing of the Covenant and yet live loosely carnally unconscionably they doe but deceive themselves they may be in Covenant with hell and death but have no part of the Covenant of life and peace Quest 2. But whereas in speaking of faith wee speak sometimes of the habit sometimes of the act of it It may be demanded which of these is the condition of the Covenant whether is it the habit or the act of faith which is required of us Answ It is the latter that is the act faith acting and working towards the promise and from the promise and causing us to live by faith in the promise according to that in Gal. 2.20 the life which I now live I live by the faith of the Sonne of God the habit is freely given us and wrought in us by the Lord himselfe to inable us to act by it and to live the life of faith and then we having received the gift the habit then I say the Lord requires of us that we should put forth acts of faith both by waiting upon him to receive from him all the good which he hath promised and by walking in all obedience of faith in an humble submission to his will this work of faith the Apostle shews fully to have been in those Saints in Heb. 11. both in expecting the promise with patient suffering under the hope of it and in obedient submission to any Commandement of God and these acts of faith are implyed in that expression of walking by faith 2 Cor. 5. and the work of faith 1 Thes 1.3 and in that faith is said to work by love Gal. 5. all tending to shew that it is the act and work of of faith which is required on our part Reas 1. It is the act of faith which receives the promise
and Christ in the promise Joh. 1.12 Heb. 11.13 A man may have an hand and yet not have the gift which is offered him unlesse hee put forth his hand to receive it faith is the hand of the soule and the putting of it forth is the act by which wee receive Christ offered 2. Look as it was with Adam in that Covenant made with him he had an habituall righteousnesse within him but that was not the condition of the Covenant betwixt God and him but the acting of that inward habit in acts of obedience was the condition of the Covenant so here in the Covenant of grace first God puts into us the habit of faith and then requires of us act of faith to lay hold of the promise and to receive the grace which iâ— offered in the Covenant 3. It is not an habit of faith but a life of faith which is required of the Saints that are in Covenant with God it is the habit which enables and fits us to live by faith but the life of faith consists in the acts of faith put forth according to the severall occasions we meet withall Gal. 2.20 2 Cor. 5.8 Heb. 11. 4. There must needs be a difference betwixt that which God promiseth as a part of the Covenant on his part and that which he requires of us on our part now the habit is that which God promiseth to us when he saith I will give you a new heart c. and this he worketh in us in our effectuall calling and then the acting of that faith received is that which is required on our part Quest But what is that act or acts of faith by which we perform the condition of the Covenant Answ 1. First there is an act of faith by which we doe as it were first close with the Covenant revealed and offered unto us 2. There is also another act of it by which we are carried on to an answerable walking before God according to the Covenant made with him 1. For the former before we give a direct answer we must lay down these two grounds First That in the making up of the Covenant betwixt God and us God is first with us he is the first mover he begins with us before we begin with him we should never seek to be in Covenant with him if he did not allure us and draw us unto him Thus in Ezek. 20.37 I will bring them saith the Lord into the bond of the Covenant It is the Lord which brings them they doe not first offer themselves And first God prepares his own way for entering into Covenant with us and then he finisheth the work and in this preparation he doth these three things 1. He breaks us off from our Covenant with Hell and Death makes us sensible of our undone estate makes us see that we are without God without Christ without hope Ephes 2. that we are not under mercy that wee are not of his people 1 Pet. 2. 2. He opens unto us his minde and will shewing himselfe willing to receive us to grace and to enter into a new Covenant with us yet againe to take us to be his people and hee to be our God he goes into the streets and open places as it is in Prov. 1.20 21. and there makes publike proclamation Ho ho every one that will Come yee unto me and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you Esay 55.3 Esay 65.1 yea more he comes and beseeches us to be reconciled unto him 2 Cor. 5.20 and speaks to us as pittying us Jer. 3.12 and lamenting over us Ezek. 33.11 thereby to perswade us to come into a Covenant with him 3. By the hearing of these promises and offers of grace the Lord usually scattereth some little seeds of faith in the hearts of those that he will bring unto himselfe which seed being sown doth sometimes quickly put forth and acts towards the Covenant propounded and layes hold of it as we see in Lydia the Jaylor Zacheus and such others but sometimes and that most usually before that faith hath done any great thing in seeking after God to make a Covenant with him the Lord doth againe withdraw himselfe and goes away as Hoseah 5. end hiding himselfe as if he would regard us and look after us no more so that now if we will get into Covenant with him we must seek after him as he before sought after us and must sue unto him for grace to take us into Covenant with himselfe and herein faith begins to shew it selfe beginning to work and move towards the Covenant which the Lord offereth to make with us For though the Lord hath withdrawn himselfe yet he hath left such a touch of his Spirit upon the heart as makes the soule affectionate towards him so as now it cannot rest but feeling its own wo being without God and without Covenant and having heard of the Lords willingnesse to enter into a Covenant with us it now begins to seek after the Lord to be in Covenant wirh him This is the first ground that God is first he begins with us Secondly The second is that whatsoever faith doth in seeking to enter into Covenant with God it doth it alwayes in that way and according to that order in which the Lord hath gone before us in the offer of his Covenant unto us faith doth alwaies follow the Word and doth nothing but as it hath a word of Faith to guide its way it goes step by step as it hath the light of the word directing and going before faith doth not prescribe unto God it will not presume to appoint the conditions of the Covenant onely it answers and applyes it selfe to Gods offer taking conditions of peace but giving none It doth not seek to wind about the promise of grace to our own minde and will It doth not say I will have it thus thus it shall be or else I will admit of no conditions of peace but the soul now finding that the everlasting estate of it for weal or woe life or death stands at the meer good pleasure and mercy of God and knowing that either it must submit to that way of the Covenant and to those conditions which the Lord is pleased to set down or it must perish for ever it gladly comes in humbly accepting the offer of grace in the same way as it is tendred and offered unto us of God Here then that we may see how faith closeth with the Covenant propounded we must see first how God offers himselfe in his Covenant unto us Now in that main promise of the Covenant which is indeed the sum of all I will be thy God God offers himself unto us two wayes as hath been before shewed in the opening of that promise First he offers himselfe unto us as a God of mercy to pardon us as a God of blessing to blesse us with all sufficient blessings 2. As a God over us and above us to order us and to rule us
in all our wayes to governe us according to his owne will that he may be glorified in us Thus God offers himselfe unto us in his Covenant c. Now the answer is ready to the question propounded how faith doth act in closing with the Covenant the work of faith herein is to carry the soule towards the Covenant in the same order and way as it is propounded First accepting the grace offered resting upon God for all the mercy which he hath promised 2. Taking God to bee a God over us submitting to his government and authority to command us and to rule us in all things according to his own will these two things faith doth and so takes hold of the Covenant in the same way and order as God offers it 1. God makes himself known to us as a God of mercy gracious long-suffering pardoning iniquity transgression and sin he offers himselfe to be reconciled unto us though we have rebelled against him promising to be a Father unto us and to accept of us as his sons and daughters in his beloved Now the worke of Faith in respect of this offer of grace is only to accept the grace offered to lay hold on it and take it unto our selves being so freely offered Faith brings nothing to God of our owne it offers nothing to stand in exchange for the mercy offered it receives a gift but giveth no price The Lord holds out and offers the free grace of the Covenant faith receives it and makes it our owne Hence is that expression used by the Prophet in Esay 56. where we are said to lay hold of the Covenant God holds it forth and we take hold of it the hand of grace offers it and the hand of faith receives it and makes it our owne and this it doth by such steps and degrees as these that follow wherein though I should not limit the Lords dealing with all his yet I will shew what I conceive is the most usuall and ordinary course of Gods dispensation towards those whom he brings into Covenant with himselfe Here then faith closeth with the Covenant in this manner 1. By hearing the great things proposed in the Covenant it stirs up in the heart a deep and serious consideration of the blessed condition of those people that are in Covenant with God Oh what a blessed estate is it thinkes such a one to be in favour with God to be one of his covenanted people It makes him say with Moses Blessed art thou O Israel a people saved by the Lord Deut. 33. It saith with David No people O Lord is like thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed unto thy selfe 2 Sam. 7.23 Time was when we counted the proud blessed and placed our felicity in other things as in riches preferments favour and credit with men c. but now these are become vile and things of no value faith makes us change our voice and to speake with a new tongue and to say not Blessed are the people that be so but Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord Psal 144. ult This high esteeme of grace being accompanied with a sence of the want of it wee seem unto our selves as undone men lost wretched miserable The poor soul thinkes with it selfe no sin like my sin no misery like my misery I am separated from the Lord an alien from his people Oh blessed are they that are are at peace and in covenant with him this is now the onely pearle of price the rich treasure in the field for which such a one is content to give all the substance of his house In the prodigall when he began to thinke of returning to his father these two things were found in him First a deep sence of his owne misery I die for hunger Secondly a consideration of the wellfare of those that were in his Fathers house they have bread enough So it is with those poor soules in which faith begins to work to draw them back into Covenant with God sensible are they of their own woe highly also doe they prize the excellency of grace if by any means they might attain to have a part in it 2. This high esteem of grace and being in Covenant with God begets a longing desire of it good being beleived cannot but be desired and longed for and therefore faith now beleeving the benefit of being in favour and Covenant with God it cannot but work desires after it desire naturally springeth from the apprehension of any good made knowne Faith is both in the understanding and in the will as it is in the understanding it opens the eye to see and clearly to discerne the blessing of the Covenant and then stirs up the will to pursue and desire the attaining of the grace revealed Never did David more long for the waters of the well of Bethlehem then such a soul touched with the sence of sin doth desire to be at peace with God and in covenant with him and therefore it is that they are said to thirst after the the Lord Psal 42.2 to pant after him Psal 42.1 to gaspe after him Psal 119. longing for communion and peace with him Thus in Esay 26.9 with their soules they desire him in the night and with their spirit in the morning the desire of their soul is set upon him and cannot be satisfied by any thing without him peace with him is their life and to be separated from him is unto them as the shadow of death 3. Faith being yet weak and but as in the bud or in the seed and being yet unacquainted with the Lords dealing with his people not knowing how he useth by terrors of death to bring them to life and peace hence it comes to passe that the soule being pressed with sence of sin therefore though its desires be strong yet hope of obtaining is but feeble and vveak vve seeming to our selves utterly unworthy as indeed we are and uncapable which we are not of so high a priviledge as this is to be in favour and Covenant with the most high God Here therefore faith is taken up with many thoughts thereby to support and keepe up the heart in hope carrying the eye of the soul towards God though as beholding him afarre off faine would the poor soul be joyned to the Lord Isai 56. but being as yet dismayed with the sence of sin he stands like the poor Publican afar off as one afraid to come neere into the presence of the holy God as yet faith can scarce speak a word to God it cannot come neer to call upon him only it can with Ionah look towards his holy Temple as being like the poor weak babe which lies in the cradle being both sick and weak and speechlesse and can onely look towards the mother for helpe the cast of the eye after a sort expressing and signifying what it would say Thus doth faith being yet weak it would speak unto God but cannot onely it hath its eye towards
in us Secondly a power assisting and being with us By faith we get a power of grace inherent and abiding in us and that is in this manner and by these meanes 1. By faith we look at Christ as having all fulnesse of grace in himselfe Joh. 1.16 Col. 1.19 All others Angels or Saints have but their measure some more some lesse according to the measure of the gift of Christ Ephes 4.7 but Christ hath received the spirit not by measure but in the fulnesse of it John 3.34 Faith looks at this fulnesse of Christ 2. By faith we know that what ever fulnesse of grace is in Christ he hath received it not for himselfe only but for us that he might communicate unto us and we might receive from him In Psal 68.18 it is said He received gifts for men not for himself but for men that we might receive from him and thence it is that in Iohn 1.16 Of his fulnesse we receive grace for grace his wisedome is to make us wise his meeknesse and patience to make us meek and patient and so in the rest c. 3. By faith we look at Christ as faithfull to distribute unto us all such grace as he hath received for us he is faithfull in all the house of God Heb. 3. faithfull in dispensing all the treasure of grace committed unto him for his Churches good he keeps nothing backe his faithfulnesse will not suffer him to keep that to himselfe which he hath received for us but as he hath received all for us so in faithfulnesse he will communicate the same unto us according to our need and therefore it is that as in Psal 68. he is said to receive gifts for men so in Ephes 4. The Apostle alledging the same place of the Psalme he changeth the word received into giving and saith He gave gifts unto men as he receives so hee gives being faithfull in all that is committed to him and this faithfulnesse of Christ doth faith look at that we may receive grace from him 4. Faith looks at the promise of Christ promising to give us his spirit Ezek. 36. Prov. 1.23 upon him rests a spirit of strength Esay 11.2 and he hath promised that the holy Ghost shall take of his and shall give unto us Ioh. 16. and that the father shall give the holy Ghost unto those that desire him Luk. 11. these promses faith feeds upon and sucks life and spirit out of them begging performance of them according to our need Doe we want wisdome meeknesse patience or any other grace faith carries us by prayer to this fountaine and in this way waits for and expects to receive the grace we want as the childe by sucking the breast draws forth milk for its own nourishment and thereby grows in strength so doe we by the prayer of faith suck from the promise of grace and doe thereby derive strength to our inward man to enable us unto all wel-doing And thus it is that in Gal. 3.14 we are said to receive the promise of the spirit by faith which spirit being a spirit of power 2 Tim. 1.7 and being thus received by faith we see how faith enables us with all power to fulfill the Covenant which we have made with God c. 2. Faith gets an assisting strength from Christ Besides that which is inherent dwelling within us there is an assisting power of Christ by which he helps his servants that cast themselves upon his help In those great works which were done by the Apostles it was not any indwelling power within themselves by which they did them but a power of God without them assisting and working with them and so it is after a sort in the ordinary duties we take in hand 1 Chron. 15.26 In carrying the Ark God helped the Levites which were to beare it the Lord assisted them and this doth the Apostle also seeme to point unto in 1 Cor. 15.10 speaking of his aboundant labour in the Gospel hee saith yet it is not I but the grace of God which is with me he doth not say which is in me though there was such grace within him also but which is with me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as implying an assisting grace strengthening him to doe above that which any thing in himselfe could have reached unto Compare together 1 Pet. 5.9 with Rom. 16.20 in the one of these places the Apostle bids us to resist Sathan by faith but in the other place Paul tells us that it is God which treads Sathan under our feet both these Scriptures together imply thus much that the faith within us must bee working in resistng of Saâ—han but yet the power by which we overcome him is not by the power of faith or any grace in us alone but the assisting power of God without us is that which subdues Sathan to us and treads him under our feet This assisting power the Lord hath promised to his people Judg. 6.14 15 16. 2 Chro. 15.2 Act. 18.9 10. And faith rests upon these promises 2 Chron. 14.11 and this makes all things possible to a believer Mark 9.23 because faith sets Gods own power awork to work that by us which of our selves we could never doe he works all our works for us while we rest upon him for help Esay 26.12 Thus faith furnisheth us with all strength enabling us to walk with God in a holy conversation according to the tenour of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with us 6. As faith doth thus strengthen us c. so if at any time wee be by occasion over taken with any fault faith recovers us out of our falls and restores us againe to our former estate the true believer though he doth not deale falsely with God in his Covenant Psal 44.17 yet he may and sometimes doth walk weakly in the keeping of it because he doth not stirre up his faith in which his strength lyeth though his heart is not turned back yet his foot may sometimes goe out of the path many slips Gods own covenanted people are subject unto But though they fall and fall often yet they do not so fall but they rise againe they turn aside but yet they return again into the way of the Covenant faith brings us back to God in exercises of humiliation and renewing of our repentance before him It casts shame upon our faces that after all the grace which hath been shewed unto us we should so requite the Lord with such undutifull carriages Deut. 32. Ezrah 9.6 But yet it doth withall encourage us with hope speaking thus in the heart of a believer yet there is hope in Israel for all this Ezrah 10.3 It remindes us of those promises Return unto mee and I will return unto you Zach. 1. Ye have indeed sinned a great sinne ye have done all this wickednesse but yet depart not from following the Lord for the Lord will not forsake his people whom he hath pleased to make his people 1 Sam. 12.20 21
looking were healed so it is here with us Christ is lift up on high for us to look unto this looking is by faith Ioh. 3.14 15. and by this looking we are healed and saved Isai 45.22 Reas 4. Look what place works had for our justification to life in the Covenant of works the same place hath faith in the Covenant of grace but works were to goe before our justification in the Covenant of works and therefore so must faith in the Covenant of grace Though Adam was by nature just by an habituall justice yet he was not thereby actually justified unto life but besides his native or habituall righteousnesse he must also performe an actuall righteousnesse and without this he was not to be justified unto life and if he was not to be justified without or before works then are not we justified without or before faith because faith is to us in stead of works and hath the same place now in the Covenant of grace as works had then in the Covenant of works Reas 5. To make faith a condition consequent to our justification is to place faith in the same ranke with works as works are considered in the Covenant of grace for even works also have a place in the Covenant of grace though they are not a condition antecedent yet are they a condition consequent to our justification so as every justified person must walk in good works Tit. 3.7.8 And therefore if faith be placed after justification then it stands but in the same rank with works having no propriety or pre-eminence above works in respect of our justification For though it shall be granted that faith goes before works as the cause beâ—ore the effect faith producing works as the tree doth the fruit yet they are both alike in respect of justification they are one before another when they are compared betwixt themselves but compare them both with justification and then according to this opinion they goe both together no more is ascribed to faith in our justification then to works if faith follow our justification Reas 6. We are not actually justified till Christ be actually ours Christ being our righteousnesse before God but Christ is not actually ours till he be received by us nor is he received but only by faith Ioh. 1.12 Christ must be received by us or wee have no benefit by him unto salvation Christ is righteousnesse for us before our faith but he is not righteousnesse unto us till he bee received of us by faith our garments are prepared for us before we be cloathed with them but that they may actually cloath and cover us we must take them by the hand and put them on so must we receive Christ Ioh. 1.12 which is done by faith Gal. 3. though he be fit to justifie us before faith yet he doth not actually justifie us or cover our sinfull nakednesse till by the hand of faith we take him and put him on Reas 7. That righteousnesse which is by imputation cannot be before that which is imputed to us as our righteousnesse but the righteousnesse which the Covenant of grace sets forth is a righteousnesse by imputation and it is faith which is imputed for righteousnesse Rom. 4.3 Gaâ— 3.6 and therefore our righteousnesse cannot be before our faith Reas 8. If we were justified before faith then the witnesse of the Spirit of bondage witnessing our bondage under sin and death could not be true for till faith come he testifies unto us that wee are under wrath unjust sinners and this witnesse of the Spirit is true and therefore till wee believe wee are not justified Reas 9. Lastly to omit other reasons which might be produced if justification were before faith we might then ask as the Apostle doth in Rom. 3.1 What is the preferment of faith what profit hath the believer above the unbeliever they are both alike in respect of justification before God when a man comes to believe hee is not a pin the better then he was before he believed but was justified before as well as after and thus faith which is called precious faith is made vile and of little worth seeing a man may be justified without it as well as with it And thus much concerning the third thing propounded about the condition of the Covenant namely what the condition of it is sc Faith 4. The fourth point follows which is whether the putting of a condition doth or can stand with the free grace of the Covenant yea or no for it may seeme that if there be any condition required on our part then the grace of the Covenant is not free and if not free then it s no grace at all and how then is it called a Covenant of grace Ans The putting of a condition doth not hinder or lesson the free grace of the Covenant so long as the condition is Evangelicall and not Legall Some have beene of minde that the promises which we call conditionall are not free promises or promises of free grace and therefore they make an opposition betwixt the promises which are called absolute and the conditionall as if only the absolute promises were free promises excluding the conditionall but the condition annexed being a condition of the Gospel not of the Law doth no more derogate from the freenesse of grace then a Princes offering a royall reward to a Subject upon condition that he doe thankfully accept of it and acknowledge his Princely bounty towards him doth any whit derogate from the freenesse of the gift no more doth the condition of faith by which we receive the grace given unto us of God derogate from the freenesse of his grace towards us a legall condition doth indeed exclude free grace but an Evangelicall condition doth not When the Lord saith Believe and thou shalt bee saved Act. 16.31 and saith also by grace yee are saved Eph. 2.8 There is the like free grace in both Believe and be saved though conditionall is as free grace as if said Thou shalt be saved by grace freely loving thee and pardoning thy sinne That these conditionall promises are of free grace as well as the absolute I prove because First They all flow from the same purpose of grace towards us all Gods purposes towards his Elect are purposes of grace 2 Tim. 1.9 and so are all his promises also Tit. 1.2 for these flow from that eternall purpose of his The promise is but the manifestation of his purpose towards the Elect whether the promise be absolute or conditionall all is one That which was first hid within God himselfe as only purposed by him is afterwards made manifest by his promise And look in what series and order God did purpose to communicate the blessings of grace to his Elect so as one shall succeed and follow the other the same doth he make known in his promise and so doth also execute and fulfill first calling then justifying then glorifying c. Rom. 8.28 29 30. hee doth not save
command us to believe unto life but it must shew us Christ on whom we must pitch our Faith But this the law doth not Christ is only revealed by the Gospel not by the law the Law knows him not Adam in his best estate knew not Christ and yet Adam had then the knowledge of the whole law and of all that the law required The law then not revealing Christ cannot command faith because faith cannot bee without Christ who is the object which it is carried unto Object If it bee said that the law is a Schoole-master to lead us unto Christ and therefore the Law reveales Christ Answ I answer if we take the law for the morall law then its bringing of us to Christ is only occasionall in as much as it drives us from it selfe as making us to see that by it there is no hope of life it curseth all it gives hope of life to none but the Gospel shewing us a salvation to be had in Christ now the Law by the severity of it is an occasion unto us of seeking life where it is to bee found But to bring us to Christ is no proper work of the law It is no otherwise then as if a child knowing the tendernesse of his Fathers love and finding his Schoole-master to be very severe and sharp runnes from the severity of his Master to hide himselfe under his Fathers wing yet not by the teaching or bidding of his Master but his severity is the occasion of it so it is in the point in hand But if we take the Law for the Law Ceremoniall It s true that the Ceremoniall law points out Christ unto us but the Ceremoniall law was Gospel in the substance of it though vailed over with types and shadowes which were to continue till the body was come How the carnall minded Jewes misunderstood those ceremonies it matters not It s certaine that in the primitive institution of them they were ordained for Evangelicall ends and therefore this infringeth not the truth before laid downe namely that the law sc the law of works properly so called doth not reveale Christ and therefore cannot command faith in Christ 4. If faith be commanded not in the Gospel but in the law then unbeliefe is no sinne against the Gospel but only against the law for where there is no commandement or law to bind there is no transgression Rom. 4. so that if the Gospel have no commandement to command us to believe then not to believe is no sinne against the Gospel and if so then those that have had the Gospel preached unto them all their life long shall lie under no more guilt of sinne then those that never had any more then the law only 5. If our calling be by the Gospel not by the law then the commandement which commands faith is a commandement of the Gospel not of the law our faith is wrought by our calling our calling is by the Gospel Gal. 1.15 2 Thes 2.14 and therefore the commandement of faith is a commandement of the Gospel Object Our calling and Faith also is wrought by the Gospel yet not by the commandement but by the promise Answ It is by the commandement though we exclude not the promise the commandement is indeed made more alluring more drawing by the promise annexed but the very name and terme of calling imports that it is not wrought without the commandement and therefore it is that we have these and the like voyces and commandements of Gods calling unto us Come unto me Return unto me Come out from among them Separate your selves and I will receive you Are not these so many commandements of God and by these the Lord inclines and drawes the heart to come unto him In Esay 55.5 there are the words of God the Father unto Christ Thou shalt call a Nation saith the Father unto him and they shall runne unto thee But what voyce is that by which Christ shall call the Nation that comes unto him The Prophet tells us in vers 1.3 Come to the waters yee that thirst saith Christ Come unto mee and I will make a Covenant with you These commandements backed with promises doe draw and make the Nation so called to come to Christ and runne after him so Jer. 3.22 Return O backsliding Iâ—rael Here 's a commandement and what followes Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God See therefore how the Lord makes use of the commandement joyned with the promise to draw men unto him Thus it was with those Bretheren Mat. 4.19 21. and with Matthew the Publican whom Christ called from the receit of Custome Matt. 9. Follow me saith Christ to him he said no more but presently hee riseth up and followes him Matth. 9.9 And thus usually Come unto me saith Christ follow me believe on me c. which commandedements being accompanied with a Spirit of grace going with them the soule follows Christ to apprehend that grace to which it is called The summe of this argument is this that if there be a commandement concurring to our calling then there is a commandement concurring to the working of our faith and if our calling be by the Gospel then the commandement by which we are called to faith is a commandement of the Gospel and not of the Law 6. In 1 Ioh. 3.23 This saith the Apostle is his commandement that we believe in the name of his Son Iesus Christ Here is a direct commandement to believe Is this a legall commandement the whole Epistle breathes nothing but a spirit of grace and of the Gospel many passages in the Epistle might be noted for the confirmation thereof but I am loth to spend time in a thing so cleare 7. The commandements of the law wound and kill as it is in 2 Cor. 3.6 they doe not heale nor give life but the commandement of believing doth heale and give life to those that are wounded How many dying soules have been raised to life how many wounded consciences have bin eased and healed by that sweet invitation and drawing commandement of our blessed Saviour Come unto me all yee c Matth. 11.28 This comming is all one with believing Joh. 6.35 and the commandement to come is a commandement to believe and will any say this is a legall commandement then could it never have healed and given life as it hath done for the law woundeth but healeth not The comfort and sweetnesse which is in this invitation shews of what nature it is not legall but Evangelicall In Mark 10.49 when Jesus had called Bartimeus To come unto him those about him speak encouragingly unto him Be of good comfort say they for he calleth thee there is comfort in the very call invitation or command of Christ To come unto him It encourageth us to come it shews us that it is his will we should come unto him and that he is willing to receive such as come and will not cast them away Ioh. 6. But the Law
makes us to flie from God and to stand afarre off Exod. 20. The Gospel only draws us and brings us unto God This commandement therefore Come unto me that is believe in me being so alluring and drawing as it is must needs be a commandement not of the law but of the Gospel 8. If the law do command faith in Christ then it commands things contrary as namely to look for life by our own personall working and to look for life not by our own working but by anothers That law which binds us to personall fulfilling of it doth not also send us to another to have it fulfilled in him but the law commands us personall obedience to fulfill the commandements in our own persons It urgeth us thus Thou shalt love Thou shalt not lust Thou thy selfe must fulfill all these things and no other for thee but faith looks for these things to be done for us by another and therefore cannot be commanded in the Law By the law the righteousnesse of the righteous shall be upon himself and the man that doth these things shall live in them but by faith the righteousnesse of Christ is upon others even upon those that doe believe faith therefore is not commanded in the Law 9. That which confounds the two Covenants is not to bee admitted but that the commandement commanding faith is a commandement of the law doth confound the two Covenants Law and Gospel and therefore is not to be admitted as true If the commandement commanding faith be a commandement of the law this must needs make a confusion betwixt Law and Gospel so as these two sayâ—ngs Doe and live and Believe and live shall be in effect all one both of them legall one as well as the other which to affirm is to confound things as different as heaven and earth Now that by this opinion this confusion must of necessâ—ty follow I shew thus When a promise is annexed to a commandement the commandement and promise are ever of the same kind either both Legall or both Evangelicall The nature and kind of the promise doth depend upon and follow the nature and kind of the commandement which goes before it The quality of the commandement doth qualifie and distinguish the promise annexed to make it either Legall or Evangelicall For when the Lord saith doe this and live and when he saith believe in Christ and live the life promised is for substance one and the same in both promises yet these promises do differ because the commandement which goes before as the condition of the promise is different in the one and in the other Doing being a Legall commandement Believing being Evangelicall the ground therefore of difference in the promises is from the diffâ—rence of the commandâ—ment which is the condition of the promise so that when it s said Doe this and live Here the promise of life is legall because the commandement of doing is legall on the other side when it s said Believe and live here the promise of life is Evangelicall because the commandement of believing is Evangelicall But if we make the commandement of believing to be legall then the promise of life upon condition of believing must be legall also and then there is no difference left betwixt these two do and live and believe and live which confounds Law and Gospel heaven and earth and makes the two Covenants all one Papists turn the Covenant of grace into a Covenant of works This doth the contrary turning the Covenant of works into a Covenant of grace Chemnitius speaking of the point of justification brings in Andradius his conceit which is this That utraque justitia Legis Fidei c. both righteousnesses both the righteousnesse of the Law and the righteousnesse of Faith doth consist in observatione Legis in the observation of the Law only with this difference that when the Law is fulfilled by the unregenerate then it is justitia Legis the righteousnesse of the Law when by the regenerate then it is justitia Fidei the righteousnesse of Faith Like hereto is this Doctrine that the commandement of faith is a commandement of the Law for then both Covenants both Law and Gospel must stand in observatione fidei in the duty of believing only perhaps the maintainers of this opinion will make a difference thus That that faith which is wrought by the commandement is the faith of the law or Covenant of works and that faith which is wrought by the promise is the faith of the Covenant of grace But as he notwithstanding his distinction of men regenerate and unregenerate doth in effect confound both Covenants changing the Covenant of grace into a Covenant of works So doe these notwithstanding their distinction of commandement and promise they confound both Covenants changing the Covenant of works which stands in doing into a Covenant of grace which stands in believing and so by this Doctrine one of the principall differences betwixt the two Covenants is taken away the one requiring works the other faith the one doing the other believing 10. This is confirmed further by that which is spoken of our Saviour Christ in Mark 1.14 15. where it is said of him that he came preaching the Gospel not the Law but the Gospel and saying Repent and believe the Gospel here the commandement to believe is directly called a preaching of the Gospel and therefore it is a commandement of the Gospel and not of the Law Other Reasons might be added as namely if faith be commanded in the law then a man may be saved by a work of the Law and cannot be saved without it Secondly That this opinion makes the righteousnesse of the law and the righteousnesse of faith to be all one if faith be a duty of the law c. Thirdly What the law commands it commands it as a work but faith is not requird as a work being everywhere in the Gospel opposed to working But these I passe by the other may suffice Thus farre then we are come that the putting of faith as a condition of life in the Covenant of grace doth no whit derogate from the freenesse of grace First Because the gift of faith flows from the same purpose of grace towards us as life it selfe doth Secondly Because faith is an Evangelicall grace of the Gospel not of the Law Thirdly I adde this also that it derogates nothing from grace because faith receives all the blessings of salvation promised only from the hand of grace alone we acknowledge no such condition as by which we might receive life from the hand of justice as putting a price into our hand to be a meritorious cause of life such a condition could not indeed stand with grace but the condition we put is both received by grace is by grace wrought in us and doth also receive all from grace and therefore doth nothing derogate from the grace of the Covenant The Apostle cleares this in that one short speech of his in
Eph. 2.8 9. ye are saved by grace through faith There is first the maine blessing of the Covenant yee are saved There is secondly the fountaine or cause of it by grace yee are saved by grace Then thirdly there is the condition through faith And if any should now ask how it could be by grace and yet depend upon the condition of faith the Apostle goes on and shews how that may be namely 1. Because faith is not of our selves but it is the gift of God and 2. Because faith doth not come to God boastingly to claime life by the works of righteousnesse which we have done but comes to him with an empty hand to receive what grace and mercy is willing to give such a condition as this doth no more derogate from the freenesse of grace then doth the beggers receiving of the almes given him derogate from the kindnesse of him that gave it 4. The grace of the Covenant is free notwithstanding the condition because we doe not put any condition as antecedent to the Covenant on Gods part whereby to induce and move the Lord to enter into Covenant with us as if there were any thing supposed in us which might invite and draw him to take us into Covenant with himselfe only we suppose a condition antecedent to the promise of life which condition we are to observe and walk in and in the observation thereof to expect the blessing of life which the Covenant promiseth If God had not purposed to have dealt with us after his rich grace he might have said to us when he saw us polluted in our bloud I will no more have mercy as it is in Hoseah 1.6 9. ye shall no more be my people neither will I be yours But yet he is pleased to over-look all our sinfull pollutions and to sprinkle clean water upon us and then to take us by the hand and to enter into Covenant with us here is grace free notwithstanding the condition of faith to which the promise is made In a word The Lord out of his free grace purposing life and salvation to his chosen then to make way for the accomplishment of his purpose in bringing us to life first he works in us renewing grace and puts within us a spirit of faith and so leads us on in the way of faith to the obtaining of that great blessing the salvation promised the one of these being antecedent and as a condition to the other 5. It s a good consideration which Doctor Ames hath in Coron Arâ—ic 5. cap. 3. That eadem res absolutè promittitur quia certò efficietur cum conditione quia non alià s efficietur nisi per media in illis mediis hominis ipsius exigitur cura thus forgivenesse of sinne is absolutely promised Esay 43. For mine own sake will I put away thy transgressions and yet it is promised also with condition 1 Joh. 1. If wee confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes These promises are both of them promises of free grace the annexing therefore of a condition doth not impaire the free grace of the Covenant Vses And first from this that faith is the condition of the Covenant from whence first we may conceive how it is that even in the Covenant of grace life is promised unto good works and to well-doing as it is in Iohn 5.29 Luke 14.14 Gal. 6.9 1 Tim. 6.18 19. Hebr. 6. by all which it might seeme that works have the same place in the Covenant of grace as in the Covenant of works even to be proper causes of salvation but where we finde the promise of life made unto good works we must not look at them as works of the Law but as works and fruits of faith wrought by a beleever wrought forth by the power and by the life of faith which being a living grace cannot be idle and fruitlesse but will be working and fruitfull in well doing These kind of promises which promise life unto works are if I may so call them not casuall but declarative making manifest who be those true beleivers to whom the life promised in the Covenant doth belong In these promises workes are not set as the causes of our salvation but as evidences and signes of those that do beleeve unto life distinguishing betwixt beleevers and unbeleevers between those that are sincerely faithfull and seeming professors which professe and say they beleive but indeed their faith is but a dead faith and therefore vaine the promise is made to works not as the cause of our salvation but to note out the nature and quality of that faith which is the condition of life seeing faith is a grace more inward and that act of it by which it saveth is secret and cannot be seen for who knows our resting on or adhering unto Christ therefore this saving faith shews it selfe by some other acts of it setting love a worke which discovers it selfe by obedience in all righteousnesse and true holinesse and these fruits being seen do make knowne the tree from whence they come although therefore the promise of life is made sometimes to faith sometimes to workes yet this is not to note out a twofold condition of the Covenant as if the condition were partly faith and partly works but to note out the property and nature of that faith which hath the promise of life belonging to it not an idle but a working faith not a dead faith but living not ineffectual in word or tongue only but operative and effectuall making us carefull to shew forth good works Tit. 3.8 Otherwise if we look at workes by themselves as separated from faith to such works there is no promise of life made in the Covenant of grace The same work done by a beleever hath a promise of reward and the same work being done by an unbeleever hath no promise which shews that the promise is made rather to the worker or to the beleever thus working then to the worke it selfe and by this meanes the promise of life being made to this kinde of faith which doth thus work hereby the faithfull are enabled the better to see their own estate in the promise of life as having a good foundation of assurance thereby that they shall obtaine eternall life 1 Tim. 6.19 hereby also carnall professors who talk of saith but have no works walking unholily are convinced to have no part and right thereunto 2. This may let us see the kindnesse and love of God towards us in that he hath appointed such a condition of life unto us as through his grace is possible for us to fulfill To fullfill the righteousnesse of the Law is now become impossible through the infirmity of our flesh but it is not impossible to beleeve on him who hath fulfilled all righteousnesse for us Here is grace in appointing such a possible condition for though the Lord should have fully pardoned all our former breaches of Covenant with him and
should have said unto us you have once broken my Covenant and yet if you will at last fulfill my Law which I gave unto you I will yet accept you as just unto life yet we could not have done it the condition was too hard for us to perform If we had been held close to this condition of fulfilling the Law we should have missed of life for ever The Lord therefore seeing and pittying of our infirmity was pleased to propound unto us another condition saying unto us only beleive Beleive on my son trust on my grace and thou shalt be saved herein the Lord hath condescended to our weaknesse taking compassion of our infirmities laying upon us no other burthen but this Beleeve my promise accept my grace and rest upon it and this thy faith shall save thee Thou shalt never perish 3. It serves for comfort to all Gods faithfull ones that have beleived through grace if you have received this first gift if it be given you to beleeve you shall not fail of a second gift even the gift of eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord Though your repentance be lesse then to equall the measure of your sins though your obedience be imperfect yea though your faith it selfe be weak also yet if it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unfained syncere and sound this your faith is accepted of God and is imputed to you for righteousnesse Those that are of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham saith the Apostle Gal. 3.9 Blessed is shee that beleeveth saith the Angell Luke 1.45 and the Son of God comes in as a third witnesse testifying that whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but is passed from death to life Iohn 3. Here are three witnesses from heaven and earth all witnessing the blessed estate of such as do beleive Faith is well termed precious faith 1 Pet. 1.2 Pet. 1.1 because it makes us partakers of all the precious blessings of grace which are contained in the Covenant The faithfull are inheritours of all the priviledges which God hath promised to his chosen and therefore it is that they are called heires of promise Heb. 6.17 and heires of blessing 1 Pet. 3.9 You beleevers be exhorted to see and owne your blessednesse take notice of the great things the Lord hath done for you he hath made a covenant with you even a Covenant of peace and blessing and life for ever God is become your God he will be all things unto you and when all helpes under heaven fail you yet from himselfe he will do you good all your sins are forgiven you his spirit is yours to lead you to sanctifie you and to heal the evils that be in you he will uphold you in that state wherein you stand and will keep you that you shall never perish and will at last bring you to a full injoyment of himselfe in his heavenly Kingdome where you shall for ever blesse him and be made blessed by him and shall rejoyce before him with joy unspeakable and glorious pluck up your hearts therefore and be glad lift up your heads strengthen the weak hands and the feeble knees serve the Lord with gladnesse and joyfulnesse of spirit considering the day of our salvation draweth neer though now for a time you may be in heavinesse through manifold temptations and afflictions in this evill world yet faint not you being partakers of that precious faith you have the holy and faithfull God in Covenant with you to love you to blesse you and to save you and yet a little while and he that shall come will come and receive you to himselfe and then you shall fully know what it is to have beleived and to have been in Covenant with God what it is to have God to be your God when you shall see him and enjoy him as he is Only nourish your faith and live by faith make much of this precious grace cherish it by thinking often on the promises and of that grace which hath been shewed upon you from on high study to walke worthy of that mercy received and in so doing wait for the end of your faith the salvation of your soule 4. If faith be the condition of the Covenant then woe to all unbeleevers that go on in their impenitency and unbeleife Their unbeleife deprives them of that good which the Lord hath by his Covenant promised to his people they have no part nor portion in God they are without God without Christ without Covenant without promise without mercy their sins are unpardoned they are under the curse the wrath of God abides upon them there is nothing to take it away from them but if they abide in unbeleif wrath abides upon them for ever There is a wrath wherby God is angry with his own people but that anger lasts but for a little season it is but for a moment Isai 4.7 8. it passeth away and abides not upon them but the unbeleiver hath wrath abiding on him for ever John 3.36 In Iude 5. it is said that God afterwards destroyed those Israelites that beleived not when once they had had the means of grace made known then not beleiving God afterwards destroyed them you that tread in the steps of their unbeleif you are little troubled to thinke what misery is comming upon you as not knowing that you are in danger but you are under wrath your judgement hastneth and your damnation sleepeth not be awakened therefore be thinke your selves and consider what your end will be by your unbeleif you put a bar to exclude your selves from the blessing of life promised to Gods people you thus continuing the Lord neither will nor can save you You will thinke this an hard saying but you will finde it too true God cannot lye Titus 1.2 much lesse can he forswear but God hath sworne this that such shall never enter into his rest Psal 95. and Hebr. 3. ult In Mat. 13. ult It s said Christ did not many great works in his owne country for their unbeleifes sake But in Marke 6.5 it s said hee could not doe them he neither did them nor could do them unbeleif stops the course and diverts the stream of Gods goodnesse from comming unto us Christs usuall speech to those that expected any blessing from him was this According to your faith be it unto you faith makes all things possible Marke 6.23 It will reverse the sentence of death which is passed upon us and bring us back unto life but unbeleife makes it impossible so that we cannot be saved The Lord can do nothing against his own counsell and will and he hath concluded this with himselfe to save none but such as beleive and that whosoever beleeveth not shall perish all you unbeleevers consider this your unbeleefe will bee your destruction Secondly Is there such a work of faith in bringing us into Covenant with God and in enabling us to walk in Covenant with him 1. This serves to direct all the people of God
how to live and walke before God look at your selves as such as have God in Covenant with you to blesse you with all blessings meet and expediâ—nt for you whether they be blessings of this life or that which is to come you are no more strangers and forreiners you are not aliens from the Covenant or common-wealth of Israel All the good which God hath promised to his Israel belongs to you Live therefore a life of faith resting upon the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you Naturall men live by sence and reason live you by faith in Gods Covenant and promise and there is much use to be made of this consideration 1. In case we have sinned and done things that we should not and thereby have grieved the Lord as David did of whom it is said that the thing that David had done displeased the Lord yet herein make use of our faith trusting still to his grace and mercy for forgivenesse according to his Covenant we must not now fly away from God and stand afar off or cast away our hope as if we had lost our God and had no more part or portion in him but still beleive that we renewing our Repentance before him he will still be our God and love us still and will be mercifull to our iniquities Now is a time to put forth faith in Gods promise we must remember we are not under that hard condition of workes but under the condition of Faith It s the weaknesse and sinfull infirmity of many of Gods people who walk in much discouragement of spirit because of some failings which they see in themselves by which they become uncomfortable to themselvs and to others when yet their conscientious walking and tendernes is manifest to all such a discouraged spirit might well become a childe of the Law that is under the condition of Workes but it becomes not such as are under the condition of Faith Hath the Lord said that if his people sin against him after hee hath taken them into Covenant with himselfe he will cast them off and acknowledge them no more See what Samuel speaks to the children of Israel in 1 Sam. 12.19 20. Ye have indeed sinned a great sin and done all this wickednesse yet feare not depart not from following the Lord for the Lord will not forsake his people The Lord knowâ—â— our frailty and remembers we are but dust and therefore hath told us that he will spare us as a father spareth his son that sâ—rveth him Mal. 3.17 and will be mercifull to our sins If we were or could be without sin we should not have needed such promises of forgivenesse but when the Lord tooke us into Covenant with himselfe he knew we should still need daily mercy and compassion to heale our backslidings and foreseeing our need of such promises he hath made them knowne unto us that we might live by them looking up unto him by faith in the fence of our daily infirmities for a gracious acceptance of us and forgivenesse of our sins 2. In case we want any blessing suppose some speciall grace to enable us to walke more fruitfully in our particular places and callings look herein at the Covenant as a storehouse full of all rich blessings and make use of faith which is the condition of the Covenant set that aworke and draw out of this fountain as much as we need if we want wisedome boldnesse meeknesse temperance remember by what means we must receive them we receive the spirit by faith Gal. 3.14 beleive this promise therefore wherein the Lord hath said he will give the Holy Ghost to them that desire him Luke 11.13 This is the way the Saints have taken David when he found his heart defiled with those lusts what course took he to get it cleansed from these impurities he flyes to God by the prayer of faith desiring to have a clean heart created in him when the Church found her self shut up under deadnesse and hardnesse of heart they fly for help to Gods Covenant Thou art our father and we are thy people Breake not thy covenant with us Isai 63. and 64. Ier. 14. 3. In case we be troubled with feares of Apostacy and backsliding as thinking though we have begun well yet we shall never be able to continue Persecutions discouragements temptations are so many so violent that we thinke we shall never stand out against them here also live by faith God will give an issue to all our temptations in the mean time commit our soules to God in well doing and beleeve as Paul did that he will deliver you from every evill work and preserve you blamelesse to his heavenly Kingdome 2 Tim. 4. If Satan annoy with his temptations say as Jehoshua did The Lord rebuke thee O Satan Zach. 3. and remember the promise The Lord will shortly tread him under our feet Rom. 16. 4 In case of any service or duty to be performed unto God remember his Covenant I will make you able to keepe my judgements and to doe them Ezek. 36.27 In 1 Chron. 15.26 it is said God helped the Levites in bearing the Arke so will he help us to undergoe the burthen of that work which is too heavy for us if we rest upon him by faith if we have a word of faith to assure us that the work to be done is for the generall Gods worke and that it is particularly required of us as Our works a worke of our calling we have then good warrant to depend upon his help he hath called us he hath sent us to the work and therefore he will be with us according to that speech of his to Gideon in Judges 6.14 16. I have sent thee and therefore I will be with thee This is written not for him only but for us also that being called to any ministration or service we might by faith look for the same presence of God with us the same assistance as he had Many other particulars might be named but these may suffice to give a short direction how to live by faith in the promise and Covenant of God according to the severall occasions which befall us 2. As we must depend upon God by faith for all good things which the Covenant promiseth so we must remember the other part of the Covenant That God will be a God over us as well as a God to blesse us and therefore here our care must be to advance the Lord on high that it may be seen by our subjection unto him that we doe acknowledge him to be our God above us and over us he hath humbled himself to take such underlings as we are into Covenant with himselfe and hath thereby advanced us above our selves our duty is to set up him that hath abased himselfe for our sakes and to humble our selves to walke with our God Micah 6.8 It is said of Abraham that by his faith he gave glory to God if we be the children of Abraham let
us herein imitate the work of Abraham give honour to him whom we beleeve to be our God We are all willing to be in Covenant with God thus far that we may set up our selves and climbe up into heaven that there we may sit upon Thrones and to possesse a Kingdome but we must thinke especially of setting up the Lord upon his Throne that he may rule in us and reign over us he having for this end taken us to be a people unto himselfe Ascribe greatnesse to our God saith Moses Deut. 33 3. make it a name and a praise unto him that he hath vouchsafed to make us his people and to take us into Covenant with him Honour him as he is God but honour him more abundantly as he is our God we owe this unto him by the Covenant we have made with him the world knowes him not nor honours him not the wicked contemne God Psal 10. and shall God have no honour Shall he that stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth and formed man upon it shall he have no glory by all his workes shall he in vain create all the children of men having none to praise him The Lord himselfe answers in Isai 43.21 This is a people whom I have formed for mine owne praise God will have praise from his own people whom he hath taken unto himselfe he will be glorified in all those that come neer unto him Levit. 10 3. He knows them â—bove all the people of the earth Amos 3. and is known of them Psal 72.1 2. he advanceth them as a select and peculiar people and will be honoured by them according to all the great things which he hath done for them Hence is that in Deut. 26.18 The Lord hath set thee up this day to be a precious people unto him and in verse 17. Thou hast set up the Lord thy God to walke in his wayes and to keepe his Commandements The word which is there translated avouched Pagnine in his great Thesaurus translates exaltasti Thou hast set up as doth Arrius Montanus also we must then set up our God on high Labour to advance him above the heavens he hath raised us above the earth and above the condition of the men of the earth that we might fill the world with his glory and extoll him above all he hath made it a name and a praise unto us that we are the people in Covenant with him much more should it be a name and a praise unto him that he hath shewed such grace unto the sons of men Isai 55.13 Ier. 13.11 All such therefore as are the faithfull people of God that are entred into Covenant with him consider this duty take heed of polluting the Name of your God let not his name and honour suffer by you but lift up his Name on high that it may be magnified before all the world And for this end take these few directions 1. If we will honour God and exalt him in due manner we must set him up as our cheife and highest in our esteem far above every name that is named in this world or that which is to come set none compar with him none equall unto him Kings count themselves not to be honoured with due honour if they be not set up above other men It s not enough to honour God but we must honour him as God and that is to set him highest in our hearts and above all Hence it is that the Saints of God have used such expressions concerning him as doe single him forth beyond the comparison of all creatures Thus Moses Who is like unto thee amongst the Gods who is like unto thee so glorious in holinesse c. Exod. 15.11 So David Thou art great O Lord there is none like thee 2 Sam. 7.22 So Solomon O Lord God of Israel there is none like thee in heaven above or in the earth beneath 1 Kings 8.23 So Micah 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee which passest by the trangressions of the remnant of thine heritage Thus have the Saints advanced God in their esteem of him making none like unto him in greatnesse in glory in holinesse in goodnesse and in mercy c. And thus we must rise up in our thoughts and apprehensions of God till we come to a holy exstacy and admiration of him carried beyond the limits of all created excellency so as to esteeme all things else as nothing in comparison of him Esay 40. There be men that say they are gods and think they are equall with the most High but they are but gods of the earth as the Prophet calls them Zeph. 2.11 but our God is the God of heaven therefore set him on high above all gods God counts himselfe debased when any are made equall unto him Esay 46.5 9. 2. Count it our blessednesse and highest dignity to be a people in Covenant with God that we have him neare unto us in all that we call unto him for and may live in an holy fellowship and communion with count it our honour that we are his servants and may stand before him and minister unto him David though great in name and dignity who knew his plaâ—â— as well as other men and who could say when occasion was Doe not I know that I am this day King over Israel yet took more felicity in being Gods servant then in being King and Ruler over that great people and therefore he speaks to God in such manner O Lord I am thy servant O God thou art my God c. So then are we honorable as David was yet esteeme we this as our greatest honour that God is our God and we his servants Are we low and despised in the world yet count this honour enough that God hath lifted us up to this excellency to be one of his people And herein the Lord counts himselfe to be honoured by us when being counted as things that are not as Pauls phrase is even as things of nought yet we can say with Jacob I have enough because the Lord hath had mercy on me and hath taken me into Covenant with him to be my God When in persecutions in wants in distresses we can quiet our selves in this that God is our God we doe herein beare witnesse of him before heaven and earth that he is better to us then dignities riches and all worldly contentments that he is enough to those that enjoy him 3. We must count the things of God the greatest things his work to be the greatest work his service the greatest businesse of our whole life yea to be preferred before life it selfe When Nehemiah was in hand with that great work of God the re-edifying of Jerusalem and the reformation of things amisse in Church and State hee looked at this as a great work Neh. 6.3 I have saith he speaking to them that would have drawn him from it a great work to doe which I may not suffer to cease whiles
and so it was with those mockers Act. 2.13 37. here were no dispositions and preparations before on their part but tree and unexpected grace from God 5. Compare those that are taken into Covenant with other that are left out for all are not taken in Ephes 2.12 there be that are without God without Covenant and this will also make it manifest it is free grace by which any are taken in For 1. If we look upon those that are taken into Covenant and those that are left we shall finde that there is no difference in themselves betwixt one and other we have all sinned and there is no difference saith the Apostle Rom. 3.22 23. No reason therefore in us why one is taken into Covenant and not another but only free grace in God for if it be not free grace towards them that are taken in then there is injustice and wrong done to those that are left If there were any worth in those that are taken there was as much in those that are left and therefore either it must be free grace towards the one or there is injustice and wrong towards the other but what blasphemous mouth dare impute unrighteousnesse and wrong to the righteous God he owes nothing to any he may truly say to all men I doe thee no wrong Matth. 20.13 Thou hast as much as I owe thee Both sorts therefore being in themselves alike and no wrong done to those that are left it must needs be free grace in those that are taken in apply Ioh. 14.22 Matth. 11.25 2. As sometimes there is no difference betwixt one and other so sometimes God chuseth the worse takes in the more unworthy and leaves those that are better then they Paul a chiefe of sinners 1 Tim. 1. Publicans and Harlots Matth. 21. Mary Magdalene possessed with seven Devills these were taken in and the righteous generation as they were reputed which justified themselves and were justified by others were left and passed by In Ezek. 3.7 8. The Lord tells the Prophet that if he would have sent him to another strange people as he sent Jonah to the Ninevites they would have hearkned unto him and obeyed him but the house of Israel will not obey thee and yet for all this God sent his Prophet to them and not to the other to the worse and not to the better and so Matth. 11.23 Thus it is in the communication of himself in the Covenant of grace he sometimes passeth by such as seeme better and takes the worse to the end that it might appeare that he respects none for any thing that is in them but that the freenesse of his grace might be seene in those whom he takes unto himselfe This is that which the Apostle points at 1 Cor. 1 27 28 29. God chuseth the foolish things of the world the weak things base and despised things things which are not passing by the wise the mighty and things which are in esteeme that all might see it is nothing in man but the grace of God by which we are taken into communion and Covenant with him c. 2. As the grace of the Covenant is thus free in the making of it so it is also in the accomplishment of it the blessings of the Covenant are as free grace in the bestowing as they were in the promising Not that God is now free to performe or not to performe for he cannot but performe that which he hath promised but yet he owes the blessing to us in regard of his own promise faithfulnesse and goodnesse not in regard of any worth that is in us for though there be our obedience of faith intervening and comming between Gods promise and between his performance yet the performance is as free grace as is the promise because there is no such worth in any of our obedience as to which the blessing should be done in a way of justice He cannot deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2. nor can he alter the thing which is gone out of his lips Psal 89.34 otherwise the blessing of the Covenant is as well freely given as it was freely promised And therefore it is that the Prophet speaking of the performance of the Covenant which God made with Abraham but was to be performed to his seed he speaks in this manner Thou wilt performe truth unto Jacob and mercy unto Abraham as thou hast sworn unto our Fathers in old time Micah 7.20 Gods truth gives assurance that hee will doe it thou wilt performe truth unto Jacob but yet its mercy when it s performed thou wilt performe mercy unto Abraham c. and thence it is that in Iude v. 21. the Apostle speaking to the Saints exhorts them to wait for the mercy of the Lord unto eternall life and in Rom 6.23 Life eternall is called a gift freely given by free grace and in 1 Pet. 3.7 we are said to be heires of the grace of life because grace is the cause as well of our inheriting life as of Gods promising for though we have received a Spirit of grace to renew and sanctifie us yet in many things we offend still standing in need of forgivenesse from day to day and where there is need of forgivenesse there life must needs be of grace and not of merit or works The Reasons why the Lord would have his Covenant to stand upon this foundation of free grace are these 1. To be a ground of hope to such as see themselves unworthy of acceptance with God If the grace of the Covenant were not free such unworthy ones could have no hope 2. It is the glory of grace to be freely communicated Esay 55.1 Come and buy without money It darkens the glory of grace when it is vouchsafed for any benefit received as Potiphar favoured Ioseph because he saw God prosper the things that were under his hand Gen. 39.3.4 but where favour is wholly free there it shines forth in the glory of it and thence it is that when the Lord had made his promise to the dispersed Jewes concerning their gathering in againe he tells them that it is not for their sakes but for his own name sake thereby to maintaine the glory of his free grace towards them 3. The Lord would have his Covenant to be a Covenant of free grace that the blessing of it might be sure unto those to whom the promise is made The Lord saw the unstability of the former Covenant of works the promise being made with respect to that which was in us or to be done by us and so would this new Covenant have been also if it had been built upon the like foundation therefore that the blessing of it might be sure the promise is made to depend not upon any thing to be done by us but upon the free grace of God Rom. 4.16 Vse 1. To enforme us from what hand to expect the blessing of life promised to us in this Covenant even from mercy and from grace not from justice he
which is shewed on us First loving the Lord not for his gifts and rewards but with a free love as he hath loved us and serving him with a free spirit and a willing minde Secondly be free in doing good unto all men even to such as have deserved nothing or if any thing onely evill at our hand though they be aliens and strangers and such as we never hope to receive any good from yet freely do them good even where we look for nothing againe Luke 14.12 14. as God hath done unto us so doe we unto them in this we shall shew our selves the children of our Father in heaven Matth. 5. 2. As it is a free Covenant so it is a sure Covenant certaine to bee performed It cannot faile those that rest upon it shall finde it will not be as a lie unto them to deceive them but the accomplishment will every way answer their expectation and hope Thus saith David 2 Sam. 23.5 God hath made with me a Covenant perfect in all points and sure and in Esay 55.3 The promises of the Covenant are called the sure mercies of David not because they are sure unto David alone but because they are sure and shall be sure unto all the seed of David that are in Covenant with God as David was The promises of Gods Covenant are not yea and nay various and uncertaine but they are Yea and Amen sure to be fulfilled 2 Cor. 1. There shall not faile so much as one word of all that good which God hath promised to doe for his people see Iosh 21.45 23.14 1 King 8.56 The stability of Gods Covenant is compared to the firmnesse and unmovablenesse of the mighty mountaines Esay 54.19 and to the unvariable course of the day and night Jer. 33.20 to imply that it is as easie yea more easie as the places quoted import for the mountaines to remove out of their places and the course of the day and night to cease as for the Covenant of God to faile Reas 1. The Covenant and promises of grace are built upon the unchangeable purpose of God which is a foundation remaining sure and cannot be shaken 2 Tim. 2.19 and for this cause it is that in Tit. 1.2 the Lord is said to have promised eternall life before the world began not that any promise could then be made to us in person but because first God then purposed it in himselfe secondly According to that his purpose he promised life to Christ for us and in our behalfe and thirdly because the promise of life which is in time made unto us in our own person is according to that purpose of God in himselfe and that promise from everlasting made unto Christ and hereto agrees that of the Apostle in Heb. 6.17 where he grounds the truth and certainty of the promise upon the stablenesse of Gods counsell so that unlesse Gods Counsell and purpose change the promise cannot faile Reas 2. The freenesse of the Covenant proves the surenesse and certainty of it as before we argued It is free that it might bee sure so here its sure because its free the former Covenant of works was not sure because it was not free but depended upon some things in our selves which were mutable and changeable and if the Covenant of grace did depend upon the mutability of our will as that did the promise of life now made to this Covenant could be no surer then it was before but this Covenant is free and therefore sure nothing can hinder free grace from giving eternall life to whom it will mans unrighteousnesse comming betweene may prevent a promise made upon condition of righteousnesse but it cannot prevent a promise of free grace Reas 3. God hath given us many pledges to assure us of the certainty of his Covenant and the blessing of it First his word is gone out of his mouth and he cannot alter it Psal 89. Secondly he hath written it to make it more sure and what he hath written is written never to be blotted out Thirdly He hath sealed it with his own seale and so it is become as the Laws of the Medes and Persians which alter not Fourthly He hath sworn it Psal 89.3 â—5 Heb. 6.17 Fifthly He hath given us the earnest of his Spirit 2 Cor. 1.22 Sixthly Christ the Mediator and Testator of it hath confirmed it by his own blood Heb. 9.16 17 18. What can then be more sure Object But in Numb 14.34 God tells the Israelites they shall feele his breach of promise and in Ezek. 16.59 he tells them that he would deale with them as they had done with him in breaking his Covenant and so in Zach. 11.10 by all which it may seeme Gods Covenant may faile Answ Men may be said to be in Covenant with God two wayes First In appearance by visible profession Secondly According to truth the former sort professe hope in the promise of life but being hypocrites which never gave themselves to the Lord in truth they fall short of the promise and are deprived Heb. 4. But those which are truly in Covenant with God having given up themselves unto him in simplicity and truth to be his people towards these Gods promise stands firme never to be changed There were in Israel a mixt people some believed some believed not and yet they all did in shew accept the conditions of the Covenant and professed themselves to be a people in Covenant with God Those of them which in truth believed had the promise of God fully accomplished unto them Those that believed not they enjoyed it not because of their unbeliefe they were in truth none of the children of the Covenant although they professed it and therefore no marvell they missed of the blessing promised As in Exod. 32.32 33. Some are said to be blotted out of the book of life not that those which are written in it are ever indeed blotted out but because some which seemed to have their names written therein are at length declared and made manifest that they never were of those that were written there but were written in earth as Jeremy speaks Jer. 17.13 rather then in heaven so it is here in the case in hand God seemes to break his promise with some but not with those which are truly in Covenant with him only he makes such hypocrites as professe and pretend hope of obtaining the promise to see and feele that all their expectation is in vaine when they finde themselves disappointed of the blessing they hoped for The one sort namely such as truly believe they enjoy the promise following faith to the conservation of the soule the other sort namely seeming hypocrites and formall professors deprive themselves through unbeliefe but the Covenant and promise of God stands firme and sure to all that lay hold on it by a true faith Vse 1. This may shame us for our unbeliefe When we heare of the great things of the Covenant which God hath promised we heare
them as matters beyond beliefe Those that publish these things of our peace and salvation may say with the Prophet Lord who hath believed our report Esay 53.1 We look at these things as things of which there is no certainty we heare of them but we believe them not This is evident by our little seeking after them our little minding of them that we doe no more comfort our selves in the remembrance of them and rejoyce in the hope of them These things are plaine evidences that either we believe them not or our faith concerning them is very small Fulnesse of faith concerning these would bring on fulnesse of joy to rejoyce under the hope of the glory of God and would cause us to presse hard towards the mark so running that we might obtaine Let us shame our selves before the Lord for this our unbeliefe shall he promise and not perform shall he speak to us and write to us and sweare to us and seale to all with his own seale and we not believe him Let God be true though every man be a lyar consider how by our unbeliefe we doe both cast dishonour upon the Lord and weaken our own comfort which we might be filled with through believing Vse 2. Is the Covenant and promises of it so sure This then may minister a ground of strong consolation unto all such as have given up themselves unto God to be a people in Covenant with him Let them know Gods Covenant is sure and cannot faile them you that are such lift up your heads comfort your hearts strengthen the weak hands and feeble knees Look upwards and rejoyce in the expectation of those great things which are laid up for you They are so great that you can hardly believe them yet they are sure as the promise Covenant and Oath of a faithfull God can make them When you see uncertainty and unstability of all things riches goe away friends forsake strength failes Let your stay and comfort be that yet Gods Covenant failes not the riches of the world may be consumed but his grace is an abiding substance other friends may hide themselves and stand afarre off in the day of affliction but the Lord will not forsake his people and though strength decay and life be ready to depart yet he will be the strength of our heart and our portion for ever Heaven and earth shall sooner passe away then on tittle of his Covenant shall fall Could we in our meditations dwell more upon the certainty of this Covenant which is so perfect and sure in all points it would much help to uphold us in our greatest failings Sometimes things are so crosse and contrary to that which God hath promised that his promise seemes to be but winde and vanity and lies his word speaks good to us but his dealing is quite contrary There are great words but little done we see little but sinne and misery and corruption in our selves with chastisement and affliction from God we enjoy not the blessing promised It is with us as it was with Gideon when the Angel uttered those comfortable words unto him The Lord is with thee thou valiant man Ah saith Gideon Is the Lord with us why then is all this evill come upon us where are all his miracles our Fathers told us of the Lord hath now forsaken us Judges 6.13 So it was with David he had the promise of the Kingdome made unto him by Samuel who also anoynted him thereunto but before he came to the possession of it he met with so many crosse haps and contrary events that David began to think all Samuels words to be but lies he concludes All men are lyars and Samuel himselfe is no better Thus it is with us we meet with many sad crosses and hard events which seeme quite contrary to the promise of God These make us to feare and doubt of the promise and not only to say with David All men are lyars but with Jeremy to say to God himselfe Be not thou as a lyar unto me Jer. 15.18 As if all the promises of God were quasht and come to nought But consider though your faith may be thus exercised for a season yet Gods promise is faithfull and sure These are times in which God comes to us as he came to Abraham to prove him God made Abraham a promise that of his seed Christ should come in whom all Nations should be blessed this promise God never meant to reverse yet he will try Abrahams faith he will see whether Abraham can believe this and hold unto it when a sore shock and plunge comes which shall seeme quite to overturn and dash all Here therefore to try Abraham God bids him goe and sacrifice his Sonne here reason saith to Abraham this is against the promise for if Isaac be sacrificed how can the Messias come out of his seed but Abraham believes though he cannot tell how yet doubtlesse God will fulfill his promise and so he did Thus God will try the faith of his servants seeming to work clean contrary to his promise yet not as intending to break it but intending to try their faith to see whether they can then believe the promise when all things make against it In such times our work is to stirre up our faith believing the firmnesse and stability of the Covenant of God assuring our selves that heaven shall sooner be confounded with earth and turn into a Chaos again the Sun shall sooner be turned into darknesse the fire shall sooner cease to burn the mighty Rocks and Mountaines shall sooner be thrown out of their places then the promise of God shall faile which is a sure foundation which cannot bee removed Whatsoever therefore the work of God seemes to pretend yet judge of Gods intent by his promise whatsoever falls out in the way Gods intent Gods end is to fulfill his Covenant that 's sure eye this end and hold fast to the conclusion which God makes in his promise and though you cannot answer the argument which reason will frame out of those things which sence suggests yet hold the conclusion Gods promise is sure his Covenant failes not here rest and waite for it Helps hereunto 1. Consider that all Gods people that have gone before us which doe now inherite the promises and have them in possession have met with the same discouragements as we doe They were tryed in their faith and patience before they came to enjoy the blessing Heb. 6.11.12 c and the same things are fulfilled in the rest of our bretheren which are now in the world 1 Pet. 5. they have their shakings doubts and feares as well as we Be not therefore discouraged 2. See that the promises of God be precious unto you so have the children of God esteemed them as of great and precious things 2 Pet. 1.4 they are pearls unto those that are owners of them Matth. 7.6 the more we prize them the more may we assure our selves of our part in
with God 44 45 46 wherein both Covenants agree 50 51. wherein they differ 52 56 70 73 75. how faith in both differ 53 54. both Covenants considered two wayes 97 the Covenant of works requires faith 52 53. why the Lord conveys life and blessednesse to us by the Covenant 26 27 28 the Covenant of Grace the same in all ages 102 103 more powerfully dispensed since then before the comming of Christ 112. D Demeanour of Fath after prayer 307 308. Differences between the two Covenants fifteen 52 between faith in both covenants 53 54 between both in requiring works 55 between the Commandement of Law and Gospel 332. Discontentâ— the causes of them 134. Dispositions sanctified tokens of true sanctification 239 240. Draw nothing in us to Draw God into Covenant with us 353. E Effects of the Spirit of Grace in the soul 88 of true sanctification 235 236 237 of light in the soul 380 Effect of the Covenant is to work holinesse 373 seq England an admonition to it to receive the Grace offered 14. Encouragement to faith 261. Enmity in our nature against God 353. When it is that we make grace our Enemy 95 96. Evangelicall condition excludes not free grace 326. Everlasting the Covenant is 367 why so 368 the blessings of the Covenant are so ibid. how the first Covenat is so 369. Exalted God is to be Exalted chiefly 346. how he is to be Exalted 348 when hee is ibid. F Faith the condition of the Covenant of Grace 295 why it is ibid. how closeth with the Covenant 302. encouragements to it 261 two acts of it 289 290 not commanded in the Law 331 proved ibid. its workings 304 its weaknesse 303 its earnestnesse in prayer unto God 307. its demeanour after prayer as God answers or not answers 308 309. Looks on the Lords Government as a mercifull government 312 reconciles the heart unto God 313 enables to walk with God ibid. when the life of faith is most seen 314 faith of Christ why so called 329 It is a strengthening grace 317 gets assisting strength from Christ 313 We are not actually justified before it comes 322 the reasons of it ibid. Fall why the Saints cannot fall away 248. Father God the Father in Covenant with us 124 with Christ 29 30. Forgivenesse of sin the benefit of it 164 why the Lord doth forgive sinnes 165 166 what a man is to doe that he may be forgiven 169 signes when a mans sinnes are forgiven 171 172. Freenesse of Gods grace 81 how the condition and the freenesse of grace agree in the Covenant 292 The condition in the Covenant excludes not the freenesse of grace 291 how it appeares that the Covenant is free 354 why it is so 356 the freenesse of grace in the Covenant 353. G Gentiles beleeving are the seed of Abraham 17. God alone satisfies a sanctified soule â—38 his things great 346. Glorying twofold 87 what glorying is ibid. the Covenant of grace teacheth to glory in God alone 85 88 holinesse the glory of a people 381. Gospel vayled in the Ceremoniall Law 330 the commandement of Faith a commandement of the Gospel Government of the Lord when we are under it 153 154 a mercifull government 312. Grace habituall may be a tryall of our state 231 232 it appeares in cleansing us from filthinesse of sinne 181 why the Lord would have his Covenant to bee of free Grace 356 the free grace of God in pardoning of sinne 159 the infinitenesse of it 160 Faith a strengthning Grace 317 the Covenant at mount Sinai a Covenant of Grace 65 66 the performance of the promise of Grace is Grace 355 the freenesse of Grace in entring into Covenant with us 353. H Habituall holinesse 376 Habit of Faith not the condition of the Covenant 298 reasons of it ibid. Heaven Canaan a type of it 107. Heart sanctified finds no peace but in the way that 's holy 236. Holy Ghost in Covenant with us 124 the Covenant a holy Covenant 373 why it is holy 374. Holinesse what 375 a twofold holinesse ibid. signes of a true 379 it s the glory of a people 381 the perfection of our Christian state 381 it s wrought by the Covenant 373. I Iewes after their conversion shall continue faithfull 7 shall inhabit their own land again 16 their conversion 17 18 reasons of it 19 two hindrances of their conversion 20 why wee should pray for their conversion 20. Iustice without mercy in the Covenant of Works 77. Iustification considered three wayes 322 sanctification an evidence of it 183 it goes not before faith 322 the reasons of it Ibid. K Knowledge of the Covenant what benefit 119 120. Know whether we be in Covenant 378. L Law considered two wayes 58 Ceremoniall a Gospel vailed 330 commandeth not faith 333 the condition of it impossible to be fulfilled 295. Law-Giver who and how 328. Libertines mistake the Covenant 379. Light the effects of it in the soule 380. Life of Faith what it is 314 when it is most seen ibid. Love of God to us should comfort us in the enjoyment of lesser blessings 273 274. M Man in Covenant with God two wayes 361 man seeks not God but God man 353. Mediator who 68 69 the Covenant of Grace given by a Mediatour 66 Chirst in his Type a Mediatour of that Covenant given at Mount Sinai 62 wee are not to goe to God but by a Mediatour 67 68 Christ that Mediatour 68 69 Christ an everlasting Mediatour 370 the comfort the mediation of Christ affords the Saints 69 70. Morall Law how it leads to Christ 330 Motives to holinesse 330 seq Mover in making the Covenant who first 299 353. N Nature of man in enmity against God 353. New why the Covenant of Grace is so called 195 New-England 14. O Obedience of the soule to God at its first conversion 310. Old why the Covenant of Grace is so called 105. Outward blessings pledges of better things 262 what the Outward blessings are that God promiseth his servants 264. why the Lord keeps his servants sometimes short in Outward things 263 in what manner God premiseth Outward blessings 165 they are part of the Covenant 267 they may be prayed for 166 God is the giver of them 271 272 the causes why the Saints are often deprived of them 267 seq when Outward things are blessings and tokens of Gods love 272 273 Outward blessings should make us serve God with the Outward man 274. P Peace cannot be wrought in the soul by the Covenant of works 90 91 a sanctified soul can finde no Peace but in that that 's holy 236. People of God are promised to have God himselfe 122 123 reasons of it 126. Person God first acceps the Person then the sacrifice 70 71. Personally God personally in Covenant with us 1â—4 Perseverance in grace the Certainty of it 245 246 the reasons of it 246 247. Preservation in the state of grace part of the Covenant 243 244. Performance of the promise oâ— grace is free grace 353. Perfection of a Christian state what 281. Positive holinesse what 376. Possession of honour uncertaine 366 true grace is an everlasting Possession 255. Professours severall sorts of them hollow-hearted 256 257. Promises absolute the use of them 289 conditionall are of free grace 326 proved ibid. promises to encourage the people to return from Babylon 2. Q Qualifications may be tokens of Iustification 234 Qualifications in the promises when we are to make use of them 358. R Reasonable it is that God should rule over his people 311. Râ—concilement of the heart unto God is by faith 313. Relative holinesse what 375. Righteousness that justifies what it is 322. Riches of grace opened 126 Riches uncertaine 366. S Salt why the Covenant is so called 368. Saints who is their strength 254. Sanctifiâ—aâ—ion twofold 227 it s a blessing that will make those that receive it blessed 177 why so 178 179 it is an evidence of justification 183 Sanctification more manifest to the soul then Iustification 233 the reason of it ibid. the effects of Sanctification 235 236 237. It makes wary against staining sins 237 it makes us sensible of our weaknesses 23 some reall work in the soul proves not a reall Sanctification 228. Security that is wrought by assurance what it is 241. Seed of Abraham double 35 36. Separation between Iew and Gentile ended at Christs Ascension 97. Sinne a wrong done to God 160 Sinne turns good things into evill 164 Sinne the greatest evill why 163 God chuseth sometime the worst of sinners 354 why he doth so 355 Sins cannot make voyd the Covenant of Grace 84 85. when it is that Sinne makes voyd the Covenant of Grace 95 96. Son the Son of God in Covenant with us 124. Spirit whether the Spirit of Law or Grace dwels within us 88 how to know when our comfort is from the Spirit of grace 89. Storehouse of rich blessings what is 342. Strengâ—h of the Saints who is 254. Substance the absolute and conditionall promises one in substance 29. T Temporary blessings of the Covenant 259. Testament why the Covenant called a Testament 283 284. The old Testament revealed the Covenant of Grace darkly 107 why so 109 it revealed it only to the Iewes 115 116. Thankfulnesse 118. Things of God great things 343. True taken two wayes 228. Truth of sanctification signes of it 235 seq Truth of holinesse signes of it 379. Trust encouragements to Trust in God 261. Tryals of our estate may be made by the conditions of the Covenant 288 289. Tryall of our estate may be made by habituall grace 231 232. V Vnbeliefe the danger of it 340 unbeliefe dishonours God 363 it shames us 362 it weakens our comfort 363. Vncertaine riches are uncertaine 366. Vnworthinesse hinders not the freenesse of Gods grace 357. Vse of absolute promises what 289. W Worst of sinners chosen of God 353. Work of Faith what 314 how Works are considered in the Covenant of grace 3â—4 The Covenant of grace requires Works 35 The Covenant at Mount Sinai not a Covenant of Works proved 58 A man that is under the Covenant of Works cannot attaine sanctification 184 the reasons of it ibid. Our Works are dead works 295 good Works the fruit of the Tree of faith 9 justification cannot be attained by the Works of the Law 226. Z Zeale for God is an honour to God 149. FINIS