A TREATISE OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE As it is dispensed to the Elect Seed effectually unto Salvation BEING The substance of divers Sermons preached upon Act. 7.8 by that eminently holy and judicious man of God Mr. John Cotton Teacher of the Church at Boston in N. E. The second Edition by a Copy far larger then the former and Corrected also by the Authors own hand This Copy was fitted for the Press by Mr. Tho. Allen Minister in Norwich LONDON Printed by Ja. Cottrel for John Allen at the Rising-Sun in Pauls Church-yard May 1659. The 13. of the third Moneth THe Works of this Reverend Author now with God have already praised him in the gate The name of Cotton is as an oyntment poured out nor needs there more to commend a Book to any godly Readers acceptation then to say 't is his But as the name of this Author puts a great value upon the Work so the Subject matter doth it much more The Covenant of Grace is a taking Title How free is Grace how sure is the Covenant The freeness of grace and the sureness of the Covenant of Grace as made with Jesus Christ for us or with us in Jesus Christ is the Subject of this excellent Piece That unbelievers may be inticed into the bonds of this Covenant and believers grow up in the joy and comfort of it and that the unsearchable riches of grace may be admired by all are the reasons of this Publication Joseph Caryl THE STATIONER TO THE READER THe former Edition of this excellent Treatise of the Covenant of Grace containing the sum and substance of divers Sermons preached by that precious servant and man of God Mr. John Cotton Teacher of the Church at Boston in New England having found good acceptance amongst godly and judicious Christians and the Book being much desired and sought for still by divers I am encouraged to publish this second Edition and so much the rather too in regard that by the good hand of the Lords Providence I have of late received from a neer Friend and Relation one of the reverend Elders of that Church another Copy of the said Treatise far larger then the former above a third part corrected also in some places by the Authours own hand before his death the reason of which enlargement is not from any addition by any other hand but as may easily be conceived from the diversity of the Amanuenses who did take the Notes of his Sermons some writing the same more largely and exactly then others and several Copies so taken being presented to the reverend Author to correct He as he had leasure willing and ready to gratifie the desire of his Friends did peruse and rectifie the sense with his pen as he went cursorily over the same 'T is not for me to say any thing by way of commendation of the Book and what is contained in it and therefore I shall wholly forbear it being sufficient to speak for it self only I shall crave leave to say thus much viz. That in the judgment of some who have perused it were there only one of them to be had 't were worth its weight in gold J. A. A Table of the Contents Doct. THe Coherence of the Text Pag. 1 In the Covenant which God made with Abraham God gave himself to be a God to him and his seed and received Abraham and his seed to be a people unto himself and the chiefest of this seed the Lord Jesus Christ he took to be the Meditator or Surety of this Covenant between them both Pag. 3 In the Covenant these three things are implyed Pag. 4 Viz. 1. That God gave himself to be a God unto Abraham and his seed 2. That God did receive Abraham and his seed to be his people 3. That God takes the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Mediator and Surety of this Covenant 1. God gave himself unto Abraham containeth three things 1. The Blessing given viz. 1. The whole Nature of God and all the Persons Pag. 6 2. All the Ordinances Creatures and works of God Pag. 8 2. The Order in which it is given 1. God doth first give and not the Creature Pag. 11 2. God is the first thing that is given ib. 3. The Manner of giving wherein the Freedom Of the Gift Pag. 12 Eternity Of the Gift Pag. 12 Object The Lord did require that he should give himself again Answ Pag. 13 Object The Lord did require that himself and seed should be circumcised Answered ib. 2. The Lord did take Abraham and his seed by a double act Pag. 15 1. By preparing them by a spirit of Bondage Pag. 16 Burning ibid 2. By giving of himself to them and taking possession of them by his Spirit Pag. 19 Quest How doth the Lord give himself unto his people and they receive him ib. Answ 1. The Spirit takes up his seat in the soul making it his Temple ib. 2. The Spirit also worketh faith in the soul to Give it self to the Lord. Pag. 20 Receive Jesus Christ Pag. 20 Which Faith is built upon some absolute Promise of grace Pag. 22 From Union with Christ there springeth Communion with him in spiritual blessings Pag. 24 Viz. 1. Relative blessings not created in us adoption and justification ib. 2. Positive blessings created in us sanctification and glorification Pag. 25 3. The Lord did take Jesus Christ the chiefest of Abrahams seed to be the Mediator of his Covenant Pag. 27 Quest How did the Lord constitute him so to be ibid Answ 1. By taking Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary to be one Person with the second in Trinity ib. 2. By giving him to be a Covenant ibid. Wherein He Receiveth from God all the Promises and gracious gifts requisite for him to be King Priest and Prophet Pag. 28 Performeth all things needful for Application of redemption unto the souls of his people ib. Use 1. To teach the difference between the Covenants of works and of grace Pag. 29 1. Difference in the one God offereth himself upon condition of obedience not so in the other ibid 2. In that of works the union that is between God and a soul is by that faith from which people may apostate Pag. 30 3. In that Covenant the fruits which flow from it viz. the semblance of justification adoption and sanctification endure but for a season Pag. 32 Quest Is that sanctification the same that is in Gods children ibid Answ No being the sanctification either of Washed Swine Pag. 34 Goats ibid 4. In respect of the Mediator of the one and the other Pag. 36 Use 2. It holdeth sorth an Argument against the whole body of Arminianism Pag. 37 Use 3. To teach Gods people to bear a gracious respect to them that are under a Covenant of works and not forthwith to condemn them ibid Use 4. To clear up sundry passages that concern the Covenant of grace by answering of divers Questions 1. Quest What is the first gift that the
were brought under and the children of Judah prevailed and yet this Kings heart was not perfect with the Lord his God 2 King 15.3 and yet minde you a strong confidence he had that the Lord was with him and that he would be present with his own ordinances there Faith built upon fellowship with Ordinances like unto that Faith in the Scripture before alledged Luk. 8.13 Men are affected with the Word and beleeve and finde comfort and all this springeth from that Relative communion which they have with the Lord they finde refreshing in their way and work and many times take it for the very Seal of the Spirit of God all which may be and often is found in Hypocrites but here is the difference In a Covenant of Works God giveth himself conditionally in that of Grace absolutely in both he maketh a Covenant in the one of Grace the other of Works in which the voice of the Lord is If you be true to me then I will not renounce you and in this Covenant is Faith found but it is only built upon such changes as they finde in themselves and will in the end vanish utterly away There is a Difference also that springeth from the fruits of these two Covenants in their continuance Diff. 3 for though in the Covenant of Works there be a semblance of Justification and Adoption and a kinde of Sanctification yet they endure but for a season and therefore he calleth them Lo-ammi for ye are not my people and Lo-ruhamah for I will no more have mercy though sometimes they were his people and he then had mercy on them they may also have pardon of sin for a season Psal 78.37 38. Being full of compassion he forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not yet they were such whose heart was not upright with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant this is plainly held forth in the Parable Mat. 18.23 to the end when the servant had not wherewith to pay his Lord he fell down and worshipped him saying Lord have patience with me I will pay thee all his Lord was moved with compassion and loosed him and forgave him the Debt but when he had not like compassion on his fellow servant then his Lord was wroth and charged all his iniquities upon him and cast him into prison until he should pay all that was due unto him So that this pardon is not everlasting but only respite from outward punishment and from inward pangs of conscience many times and this they take for pardon of sin and acceptance in Jesus Christ when indeed they are deluded So likewise their Sanctification is but for a moment they come at last some of them to tread under foot the Bloud of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctified Heb. 10.29 For Christ was but a conditional Redeemer unto them they had only gifts of Tongues and utterance and wisdome and discerning of Spirits and a common Faith which things are not that Sanctification which is a fruit of Saving Faith but only such gifts as do sanctifie them unto the work of the Ministery perhaps or Magistracy and fit them for houshold-government or the like and so much positive work there is in them as doth make them in some measure fit for the work or service which they are called unto For a little more explaining of this Quest Is it the same with that Sanctification which is in Gods children God forbid Answ All the men in the world are divided into two Ranks Godly or Ungodly Righteous or Wicked of wicked men two sorts some are notoriously wicked others are Hypocrites of Hypocrites two sorts and you shall finde them in the Church of God some are washed Swine others are Goats 1. The Swine are those of whom our Saviour Christ saith that they return unto their wallowing in the myre like unto these are such men as at the hearing of some Sermon have been stomack-sick of their sins and have rejected their wicked courses but yet the swines heart remaineth in them and as a swine when he cometh where the puddle is will readily lie down in it so will these men wallow in the puddle of uncleanness when their conscience is not pricked for the present but these are a grosser kinde of Hypocrites 2. There is another sort that go far beyond these and those are Goats so called Mat. 25.32 33. and these are clean beasts such as chew the cud meditate upon ordinances and they divide the hoof they live both in a general and particular calling and will not be idle they are also fit for sacrifice what then is wanting Truly they are not Sheep all this while they are but Goats yet a Goat doth loath that which a Swine will readily break into but where then do they fall short of the nature of Sheep A difference there is which standeth principally in these Particulars 1. The Goat is of a capricious Nature and affecteth eminency his Gate also is stately Prov. 30.31 Agur reckoneth the Hee-Goat among the four things that are comly in going 2. And they are full of Ambition they cannot abide swamps and holes but will be climbing upon the tops of mountains there is not that plain lowly sheep-like frame that attendeth unto the voice of the shepherd to be led up and down into fresh pastures they attend upon their own ends and will outshoot God in his own bow and therefore when they have done many things for Christ he will say unto them Depart from me ye workers of iniquity more eminency they did affect then they were guided unto thus it was with Jehu who in his zeal for God thought to promote himself and herein he will not be perswaded of his sin and therefore walking along in crooked waies the Lord led him forth with evil doers he cometh at length to cleave unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin notwithstanding you may receive a Goat into Church-fellowship for all his capricious Nature and he will be a clean creature and of much good use the five foolish Mat. 25.2 were all of them virgins all of them abhorring Idolarry and all go forth to meet the Bridegroom and yet they are foolish and never shall you make them wise to be all for Christ in him and from him only hearing and obeying his voice 3. They are of a rankish nature all of them specially the old Goats will have an unsavoury relish far from the pleasant sweetness that is in a Sheep and herein hypocrites are greatly different from the Sheep of Christ and many times also they do push with the shoulder the poor sheep of Christ as the Prophet speaketh Ezek. 34.21 And they mar the pastures with their feet and will be at length mudling the fair waters of the Sanctuary also And in their best sanctification they fall far short of a sheep-like frame of spirit diligently to hear the voice of the shepherd this will not be found in the
unto that Altar Exod. 20. ult but Christ doth prepare his Tabernacle for himself to dwell in This is in the first place for instruction concerning what is the first gift which the Lord giveth unto the soul before any work He giveth spiritual union with his Son this standeth firm from the tenor of the Covenant and the nature of it 2. Quest In what order the Lord giveth the Covenant and the blessings of it whether Faith before them or those Blessings before Faith be able to apply them He doth give himself to work Faith Answ before Faith can be there for it is the Fruit of the Spirit that Faith is wrought in the soul Gal. 5.22 the Spirit is in the soul in which Faith as a fruit groweth and this Faith doth receive the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ himself by his Spirit and it doth also receive Adoption and Justification but to be able actually to apply Christ before we be in Christ our first birth will not bear it for a man is as passive in his Regeneration as in his first Generation only the Lord giveth us his Spirit that doth unite us unto Christ which is received by Faith together with Adoption and Justification and this is the true and native order of the Lords working 3. Quest Whether do we receive the Lord Jesus Christ in an absolute or in a conditional Promise We know the Lord can convey himself in an Evangelical commandment Answ as well as in a promise as we finde it Isa 41.12 Fear thou not worm Jacob I will help thee c. He can also convey himself in a â—hreatning unto the Devil as unto our first parents he did convey himself wrapping up a promise in it as Gen. 3.15 I will put eâ—â—nity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel and from hence the Lord gave them to suck a sweet and comfortable promise of his Free Grace and when the like is conveyed in a commandment the Lord undertaketh to work that which he so commandeth But now it is questioned Whether the promise wherein the Lord giveth himself be absolute or conditional Faith uniting us to Christ it is ever upon an absolute promise or a condition subsequent not antecedent If you will say it is a Promise to a Condition What kinde of condition was it There is no condition before Faith for then a man is out of the way of any gracious Blessing from heaven no condition before it whereby a man can close with Jesus Christ and if it was a condition after Faith unto which the promise was made then Faith was there before and whatsoever followeth conversion is no ground of Faith but a fruit and effect of it therefore I say our first coming on to Christ cannot be upon a conditional but upon an absolute Promise If the Lord bear witness unto Justification it is either absolute or to Faith If he come to bear witness unto a mans Sanctification then the Lord doth it from some work or other of his Grace in them as unto Abraham Gen. 22.12 By this I know that thou fearest me seeing thou-hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son It is true indeed after a mans Justification is born witness unto from Grace or from Faith then Sanctification and Justification do mutually bear witness one to another that is when Justification is not wholly doubted of but in part then Sanctification is of use to witness but not when Justification lieth wholly prostrate There is a fourth Question which is as a further branch of the fourth Use of which I would not speak but that I might through the good hand of God the better clear things that we may not stumble in our expressions nor in any office of brotherly love in conference about the covenant of Grace and Works 4. Quest Forasmuch as you hear of a Sanctification under a Covenant of Works it doth imply that there is a Sanctification that is but transitory and not everlasting nor immortal Whether then may a man evidence his union with Christ from his Sanctification I answer in four Propositions Answ that I might not leave any occasion of scruple or difference about what is held forth in our Congregation as being that which doth yeeld as much agitation as any other Doctrine that is taught among us Let me therefore shortly and plainly discover it and let it be so far received as we see the life and presence and truth of the Spirit of God revealed in the Doctrine of Free-grace from the Scriptures of Truth That Sanctification according to the Law Propos 1 that is to say such a Sanctification as may be found in a Covenant of Works is no evidence or witness of our union with Christ And I suppose there is no difference there But though there be no difference in mens judgments in this yet it is an easie thing for Christians to mistake their evidence upon this very ground and as much upon this ground as any For when Christians come to be really wrought upon and finde themselves discouraged from sin and so reform their lives and give up themselves to obey the Word and finde comfort therein and great consolation many times in such a case as this Christians do much differ upon the point and yet I do not know any of all the Teachers in this Countrey that withdraw their consents from this Doctrine that such Sanctification as is wrought in hypocrites though that it may reach to great improvements yet it is no evidence of Justification at all It hath been handled in another Congregation and I think not without weight of truth that to distinguish in men between that Sanctification which floweth from the Law and that which is of the Gospel is a matter so narrow that the Angels in heaven have much adoe to discern who differ a work fitter for Angels to cut the scantling in it then for the Ministers of the Gospel though indeed there be great difference of the one from the other Now though this do not tend to heal any difference in judgment yet it is useful to heal a misprision of sanctification that may be found in all hypocrites Three things are to be attended unto in all Sanctification As 1. From what Root it springeth 2. By what Rule it is guided 3. At what End it aimeth And commonly under some one or other of these three are put all the differences between the one Sanctification and the other I speak it that it may be searched and God is my witness not to unsettle the well-grounded comfort of any soul but if any man hath built upon an unsafe foundation or hath built hay or stubble better it is to know it at first whilest there is hope in Israel then when it is too late In those three things formerly mentioned are all the differences between the sanctification of Hypocrites and of the Children of
have feared well enough but here is his confidence vers 15. God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave for he shall receive me But will not this make a Christian wanton against God and cause him to abuse his libety to hardness of heart no no brethren this is the kindly melting of a godly heart to consider a Redeemers love drawing him from the power of the grave and that he should by his sins pierce the Lord Jesus Christ this melteth his heart more then all his other sins specially considering the abounding Grace of God which where sin hath abounded grace aboundeth much more thus when a man doth not look for life by his own Righteousness but knoweth the Redemption of souls to be more precious then so this sheweth a man not to be under a Covenant of Works and then his very iniquity shall not make him afraid there is such a state in Christianity and let all men know it But will it not make men think the worse of Christian profession No David will have all to know it that they may see the difference between all worldly confidences and the confidence of Christians all their glory will leave them to be like the Beasts that perish and cannot redeem their souls that the Lord onely might be exalted 2. As a Christian looketh not for salvation by his obedience to the Law nor feareth condemnation by his disobedience so neither doth he seek for any blessing from his obedience nor fear any curse from his disobedience he seeketh not for blessings from his obedience and therefore if there be any promises of blessing made to any obedience though God should help him to as much obedience as might be he doth not look for any blessing from that obedience Rom. 4.4 5 6. To him that worketh the reward is not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousness even as David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works He looketh not for his blessedness from his works though he should perform all the conditions to which the promises are made yet he expecteth all his blessing from free justification and union with the Lord Jesus Christ Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin this is the blessedness of Christians It is true the Lord doth bless the workings of his servants and accept them Mat. 25.34 35 36. The king shall say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was an hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and you gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Thus Christ blesseth them but they are not sensible of their good deeds so as to expect blessings for their obedience sake and therefore they make answer and say Lord when saw we thee an hungry and sed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink c. neither do they fear the curse of God or that their sins should separate them from God those that are under the Law are cursed indeed if they do not continue in all things that are written in the Law to do them but this curse is removed from the elect by Jesus Christ 3. This also is a third effect of the freedom from the Covenant of Works that a Christian doth not look for conjugal comfort from his obedience nor fear conjugal divorce from his disobedience In a Covenant of works it is with a man as it was with Leah Jacob's wife who expected love and fellowship from her husband because of her fruitfulness Gen. 29.32 when she brought forth her first-born she said Now therefore will my husband love me and when she brought forth her third son ver 34. Now this time will my husband be joyned unto me but thus doth not a man under a Covenant of Grace for when he hath done all he can he is ready to say I am an unprofitable servant Luk. 17.10 and doth not challenge God for any of his dealing with him he seeth he deserveth not his daily bread and so looks for no reward from his good works though the Lord will graciously acknowledge his servants in what they do according to his will yet they are not wont to plead any such thing which is very observable in the practise of Jacob Gen. 32.9 10. c. O Lord God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac the Lord which saidst unto me Return unto thy country and to thy kindred and I will deal well with thee I am less then the least of all the mercies and truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant So he doth not press his performance of Gods Commandment to procure blessing but acknowledgeth his unworthyness and looketh for Grace from the Promise of God Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother for thou saidest I will surely do thee good Nor doth a child of God fear divorce by his disobedience though it have been very great Sometimes the people of God have not onely rejected the servants of God but the Lord himself 1 Sam. 8.7 but when Samuel had pressed hard upon them for their sin Chap. 12. and they were truly humbled then Samuel said unto them vers 20 21 22. Fear not ye have done all this wickedness yet turn not aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your heart and turn you not aside for then you should go after vain things that cannot profit nor deliver for they are vain for the Lord will not forsake his people for his great Name sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people therefore fear you not he will not cast you off So that mind you a poor Christian doth not fear divorce from his disobedience for if we should look for blessing from the one or cursing from the other we were not under Christ but under the Law but he that is freed from the Covenant of Works is freed also from expecting salvation or fearing damnation from what he doth he knoweth the Lord will hide his face from him if he doe evil but he knoweth the Lord will not cast him off for ever yet he dares not commit sin but being under Grace he is the more affected if he shall at any time displease God and procure chastisement to himself and by this means the Lord doth mortifie his distempers On the other side if he do well he will not say Now my husband will cleave unto me and dwell with me no no we are freed from the Law Rom. 7.4 which we were not if we look for conjugal love from God for our obedience to the Law it is true if a man be married to the Law his
unless the Lord come in with his immediate power above the power of any Ordinance all that you have received amounteth not to the faith of Gods elect and unless it be the Spirit of God that enlighteneth we have received no saving light and when he doth come to seal up Jesus Christ unto our souls he ever speaketh in some promise of the free grace of God for the Lord justifieth no man upon an imperfect righteousness but in that work doth ever declare himself to be just and a justifier of him that is of the faith of Jesus Rom. 3.26 therefore seeing in this work he sitteth upon a throne to declare his own righteousness there is no place now for our righteousness to appear hence it is that if he justifie it is freely by his grace Rom. 3.23 thus God dealt with Abraham when he shewed him the innumerable stars of heaven and told him So shall thy seed be He believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness Gen. 15.5 it was the free grace of God which he mentioneth unto him But suppose the Lord should reveal a work unto you as a work there is in every soul that is justified if you should see any work in your soul yet unless the Spirit of God should above the power of the work breathe in it it is not possible that it should beget a Divine Faith it is only the work of the Spirit of God it is he also that shews you your acceptance with God and that manifesteth your sanctification and makes it a sign unto you of your justification otherwise neither word nor work can set on a promise with power upon the soul until the Holy Ghost confirm it it is his immediate work What then Object doth the Spirit do this immediately without the word No Answ if he speak peace unto the soul he ever doth it in some word of promise and if he testifie our acceptance it is in some word and in that respect it is mediate but he doth set on a power above the word and in that respect I call it immediate and therefore if a man shall seek to hammer out any thing by his own knowledge though he may add to his knowledge yet he can do nothing to the begetting of faith unless the Lord come in by a power above the word and when he doth speak in any word of his grace he doth not in the first place speak to you of your own righteousness but first convinceth you that you are a chief sinner as when he said to Saul Why persecutest thou me when he sends his Spirit it is first to convince the world of sin Joh. 16.8 9 c. and what of your sanctification next no of your justification next he will convince the world of righteousness that is of his righteousness and afterward of judgement and that is sometimes put for sanctification Mat. 12.20 A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench until he bring forth judgement into victory But it is the Spirit that doth all this and therefore let not men deceive themselves in any conclusions that they can make for their enlightened conscience is but a creature and unless the Lord come in with a greater light then your conscience will afford you all will be but lost work unto your souls you will build but castles in the air which in time of temptation will vanish away In the third place Use 3 this may teach all the servants of God that have received in any measure the first fruits of the Spirit to know that they have received an earnest of an everlasting possession that Spirit will never leave you till you become a full vessel and running over if he have given you one promise he will give you more and if he have given you Christ he will with him give you all things else In the fourth and last place Use 4 it may teach us That if we have received Christ and our hope be in him never to rest until we do more fully and clearly see that the Lord is our God until the Holy Ghost do fill your hearts with more power and stamp more of the image of Christ in you grow more and more sensible how dead and insufficient you are unto any thing that is good be meek and lowly in heart think meanly of your selves you cannot pray you cannot preach you cannot of your selves perform any Christian duty it is Christ that must work all our works for us know therefore that if you be lively and active it is because your life is hid with Christ in God he it is that stirreth up your faith to look up unto Christ to expect all help from his hand Sometimes you must look to be severed from the world and the more clear the truths of God are unto you the more they are hidden from the world for if a man cannot look upon a candle how shall he look upon a torch and much less upon the shining Sun Therefore it behoveth all the servants of God to grow up in the power of God and the strength of his might not holding forth insolency of Spirit nor uncharitable censoriousness such things are far off from expressing the Spirit of Christ but it is the part of the servants of Christ to be faithful meck lowly humble and couragious in the waies of the Lord and when you have done all be contented to be counted the off-scouring of the world as 1 Cor. 4.9 for it must be the part of all that fear God to take heed that you give none occasion to any to speak evil of us for if we do consider the great hope of our calling how should it cast holy shame upon our faces that we walk so unworthy of our calling for if there be any work of God upon our hearts it is no transient work if God begin He will perfect until the day of Christ the work of grace is an uncessant work but as in the first creation the Spirit of God hatched upon the face of the waters till the work of Creation was perfected so doth the Lord by his Spirit in his Saints he doth not leave hatching in their hearts till he hath separated light from darkness and made every thing fruitful in the soul We must not rest therefore in former weak beginnings but if we be born of God and under a Covenant of grace we must look to grow up in all well pleasing unto God that we may not be strangers to any of all the heavenly works of the grace of God but that we may grow up to abound in fruitfulness in them all Thus having explained Second Branch of the Doctrine how the Lord gives himself in a Covenant of grace unto Abraham and to his seed we now come unto the second part of the Doctrine which is that he received Abraham and his seed to be a peculiar people unto himself which although we have spoken somewhat unto in
Lord giveth unto his Elect Pag. 39 Answ Christ is first given and with him faith to receive him ibid Quest Doth not the Lord give saving preparations before Jesus Christ ib. Resp negatively and the Reason thereof ib. 2. Quest In what order doth the Lord give the covenant and the Blessings of it whether faith before them or those blessings before faith to apply them Pag. 40 Answ He doth give himself to work faith before faith can be there and then faith doth receive the blessings of the Covenant as adoption and justification Pag. 41 3. Quest Whether do we receive Christ in an absolute or conditional Promise ib. Answ 'T is alwaies in an absolute Promise Pag. 42 4. Quest Whether a man may evidence his union with Christ from his sanctification Pag. 43 Answ In four Propositions 1. Prop. That sanctification which may be found in a Covenant of works is no evidence of union with Christ ib. The difference between the Sanctification which floweth from the Law Pag. 44 Gospel Pag. 44 1. In the Root in which it springs which is hard to discern Pag. 47 2. In the Rule whereby they are guided viz. the word of God Pag. 49 Yet the difference here is not easily to be discerned Pag. 50 No not by professing universal obedience to all Gods Commandments Pag. 51 3. In the end and scope which they aim at that also is difficult Pag. 52 Yea though they may suffer Persecution Pag. 53 2. Prop. True sanctification is many times dark to a Christian Pag. 55 3. Prop. True-sanctification is not discerned neither is it discernable until justisying faith be first discerned ib. 4. Prop. Though the resemblance be neer between the Legal and Evangelical holiness yet there is a real difference which is discernable by the Spirit of God Pag. 57 Viz. both in the Root which is faith Pag. 58 Rule by which they walk Pag. 60 Scope and end which they aim at Pag. 61 5. Quest Of what use are Promises if not to bring us unto Christ which it seems they do not if Christ must first be given Pag. 63 Answ There is a threefold use of Promises ibid 1. Before union with Christ Viz. for Doctrine to teach what things are laid up in Christ ib. Instruction shewing whither to look for life and salvation Pag. 64 Exhortation inviting and perswading to come to Jesus Christ Pag. 65 They have also a threefold effect in some of all sorts good and bad Viz. of Illumination Pag. 66 Taste of Christ so as to be affect-with him ib. Conviction so as to leave inexcusable if despised ibid 2. In union with Christ for the Lord giveth himself to the soul in a Promise Pag. 67 3. After union with Christ more efficacious still Pag. 68 Viz. for Doctrine to teach us what gifts of grace are in Christ ib. Instruction to direct us whither to look for qualifications Pag. 69 Prayer ibid To know our spiritual state and means to discern it ibid To work all the qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised Pag. 70 To stir up to such duties to which the blessings are promised Pag. 71 To strengthen faith ibid 6. Quest To what use serveth the Law if God giveth himself to his people without respect to any work Pag. 75 Resp 'T is of use both unto them that are Carnal Pag. 75 Spiritual Pag. 75 1. To carnal both to Elect to aggravate their sins Pag. 77 Not elect in regard of Disobedience Pag. 78 Obedience Pag. 79 2. To them that are spiritual and under a Covenant of grace Pag. 81 Viz. as they are under the Law to Christ which is explained Pag. 82 There are two effects of Gods people being under the Law Pag. 85 Viz. 1. The sense of Gods Fatherly displeasure when they transgress ibid 2. The sense of Gods gracious acceptance of their obedience Pag. 86 Yet a Christian is not under the Law i.e. the Covenant of it Pag. 89 So as neither to Look for justification and salvation from obedience Pag. 90 Fear condemnation by his disobedience Pag. 92 Look for conjugal comfort from his obedience Pag. 94 Nor fear conjugal divorce from his disobedience Pag. 94 Claim his right unto any conditional promise by his performance of the condition Pag. 96 Application by way of use it serveth to shew Viz. 1. The Doctrine of the Covenant is free from Antinomianism Pag. 97 2. How far Gods servants are freed from the Law Pag. 99 3. Men some discontentment of their spirits and state ibid 4. How to build our faith and hope Pag. 100 7. Quest If the Lord giveth himself and his holy Spirit what need is there of any gifts of holiness to work and act by He can do all in us without us Pag. 102 Answ There is a necessity of holiness and of following after it Pag. 103 Quest What need is there to follow after holiness if the holy Spirit dwell in us Pag. 105 Answ To be fitter instruments for every good word and work ib. Quest But if there be need of gifts of holiness what need the Holy Ghost dwell in us ibid Answ 1. To keep these gifts in us Pag. 106 2. To act them in us ibid 3. To witness to them in our souls Pag. 107 4. To comfort us in the changes that may come upon us Pag. 108 Quest How and to what end are we to imploy and improve our sanctification Pag. 109 Answ 1. We are to look to Christ for Our supply of it ib. The perfection of it ib. 2. Not to trust in the gifts of holiness and sanctification Pag. 111 Neither for The performance of any duties without Christ ibid Justification from them Pag. 117 3. In point of witness ibid 4. In point of rejoycing Pag. 118 5. To grow up in grace and holiness Pag. 120 8. Quest A further main Question for the clearing of the Point is How doth God the Father give himself Pag. 124 Answ God the Father doth give himself by a threefold work or act Viz. 1. By giving his Son for the redemption of Abraham and his seed and giving him also unto them in their calling ib. Quest How doth the Father call and draw us to his Son Pag. 128 Resp 1. by his Word and Spirit ibid 2. By giving the Spirit of Adopon Pag. 135 3. By a work of Reconciliation Pag. 130 Hence follow two Acts of God upon the soul 1. Adoption Pag. 140 2. Justification ib. 1. 'T is useful to teach us how we came to fellowship with Christ ib. Four sorts of persons fall short of union with Christ 1. Such as bless themselves in their natural estate Pag. 141 2. Such as rest in their Reformations ib. 3. Such as rest in a Faith in Christ which is of their own making ibid 4. Such as Wait on the Lord in their own strength Pag. 143 Use 2. To shew upon what grounds a soul cometh to close with Christ viz. upon an Absolute Promise Pag. 146 Use 3. Hence see
imply that the Lord giveth himself to be the staffe and strength of them so that you shall see the presence of God in them he will not only give a man Wife and Children and Ordinances and Providences but he himself will be in all these and blesse his people in the enjoyment of them all so as that they shall enjoy God in all Psal 16.5 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance He saw the Lord in what he did enjoy and when he had any thing it was in God and when he wanted any thing it was supplied in him The like did Jacob finde when his brother Esau came against him with 400. men and the Lord turned him from the fierceness of his wrath here was the Covenant of Abraham the Lord gave him the mouth and arms and tears of his brother Esau what saith Jacob to all this Gen. 33.10 I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God He saw the power and mercy of God in changing the countenance of his elder Brother and that is it which sweetneth all that a man doth enjoy the loving kindness of God in all is the Blessing of all and this likewise doth Jacob acknowledge Gen. 33.5 These are the Children which God of his grace hath given me and so he looked at them as Gods wives and children and servants and cattel and this is the very life of the Covenant of Grace when as the Lord is wrapped up in all his Blessings when as he giveth himself and in himself his Christ and in Christ Peter and Paul and all things unto his Church This is the main thing given God himself the God of the Covenant his Persons Nature Ordinances Providences and now Abraham is made the Lord of the world and so the Apostle doth interpret it Rom. 4.13 The Promise that he should be heir of the world was not to Abraham nor to his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith and this is that which Abraham did receive in receiving the Lord to be his God 2. In the order of giving the Covenant there is something to be observed 1. God giveth first and not the Creature it was not Abraham that gave unto God first for which of all the creatures shall offer a Covenant unto the mighty God Rom. 11.35 Who hath given unto him first and it shall be recompensed unto him again the Lord hath the pre-eminence in giving for what should Abraham give unto God if God give not something unto him first he is the first giver 2. He is also the first thing in order that is given For doth he give the world first or ordinances first or any other spiritual or temporal blessings first No doubtless the Lord is the first thing that he giveth by his Covenant and with himself all things else also Rom. 8.32 and there is the precedency of Jesus Christ he is given and in him all spiritual blessings as the Apostle saith Eph. 1.3 Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus And this for the order in giving the Covenant not obedience first nor faith first nor any thing else first but Himself is Donum primum primarium and in him all his goodness 3. For the Manner of giving in that he giveth himself there is implied both the freedom and eternety of the gift Firmness therefore and that unto eternity In that he giveth himself it must of necessity be done freely for what can any creature give to purchase God if a man could give thousands of worlds they were not enough to redeem or purchase one soul and if he had millions of worlds to give what were they all to purchase so great a gift as God himself is therefore it must needs be of free gift for the creature can do nothing to prevent God God indeed may give with a purpose to receive back again but he looketh to receive no more then what he first giveth us and giveth us strength of Will and Deed to give him back again He required this of Abraham that he should walk before him and be upright Gen. 17.1 but the very truth is though Abraham shall perform these things in an Evangelical manner yet God himself doth undertake in this Covenant to be the Author and Finisher both of his Faith and Obedience Heb. 12.2 And this doth argue the marvelous freedome of the Covenant of Grace for the Lord offereth it out of his Grace without the foresight of Faith or Works for he undertaketh to give both Will and Deed of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 But it may be said Object Did not the Lord except it that he should give himself back again or else the Lord would not give himself Truly then it had not been of Free-grace Answ But as you see sometimes great Princes will take in a neighbour-Nation into league with them and not tell them of it so doth the Lord deal with his elect ones he maketh a Covenant with Christ and taketh us into that Covenant otherwise he should not at all intend it effectually nor ever give himself unto us for we are not able to give our selves unto him till he first take us For if Abraham did give himself it was because God did take him first and therefore it is that the Apostle telleth us that the Lord took hold of Paul that he might take hold upon the Lord Phil. 3.12 I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus is not he the Father that hath bought us hath not he made us established us Deut. 32.6 If we give up our selves unto the Lord it is because the Lord hath taken hold upon our hearts first But doth not the Lord require of him to circumcise his seed the eighth day Object So he doth indeed Answ but the Lord giveth him that also God the Father seeth it needfull for their everlasting Salvation therefore he doth give him Circumcision and giveth him the grace to circumcise his children I know that the Lord doth call for many things under a covenant of Grace but then the Lord doth 1. Work those things in them And 2. He will have them know that those things are nothing without the working of his Grace It is true he may circumcise Isaac but who shall circumcise the heart of Isaac it is a small matter to circumcise the flesh so it is a small matter for us to baptize with water but who must wash us from our sins save only the Lord our God so that he doth secretly intimate that what his poor servants do outwardly he would do it inwardly and effectually The children of Israel shall at the Lords commandment march about the city Jericho seven daies together and not speak a word and hereby the wals of the city shall fall down flat of what use were these weapons to such an
second in Trinity hereby laying a ground of a firm Mediation between God and us for Jesus Christ being of Gods Nature therefore he will be faithful unto God and being of our Nature therefore he will be compassionate towards us And here is the root of all the life and power of this Mediation to wit this Personal Union of the Son of man with the second Person in Trinity which is a firm and everlasting Union 2. By Gods giving him to be a Covenant Isa 42.6 I will give thee for a Covenant of the People for a Light of the Gentiles What is meant hereby the Lord meaneth that he giveth him to be a Mediator of this Covenant 1. To receive from God all the promises and gracious gifts whatsoever is requisite for him to be King Priest and Prophet and all these things he receiveth from the hand of the Father Col. 1.19 for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell thus he becometh a plentiful Redeemer And as the Lord gave him to be a Covenant so he giveth him also to work all things needful for our Redemption partly by his passion and obedience unto the Death of the Cross Phil. 2.8 and partly by fulfilling all the righteousness of the Law Mat. 3.15 The Lord Jesus Christ did fully accomplish whatsoever was requisite for him to accomplish in his own Person 2. He doth perform all things needful for the Application of this Redemption unto our souls Isa 26.12 And to this end he it is that sheadeth abroad his Spirit into our hearts Joh. 15.26 16.7 and when this blessed Spirit cometh he applieth unto the soul all this gracious Redemption of Jesus Christ by giving Jesus Christ and all the Fruits of his redemption and by working all those blessed works that the souls of his people come to be partakers of and so performeth all those conditions that are required on our parts if it be needful for us to have Faith he will work it in us if it be needful for us to live a life of Faith he will help us so to live for it is not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.9 Thus hath the Lord made him a compleat Mediator of this holy Covenant and whatsoever we receive we receive from him for unto him first as the head of the Church are all blessings given and unto us all promises in him are Yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 for though Christ be not a sinner in his own Person yet in respect of his Members he is many times lost in them though not in himself and poor in them though not in himself for us therefore he receiveth the Promises of God and that is the great security of them that they are laid up safe in him and belong unto us if we have union with the Head and in him we perform whatsoever God requireth whether we pray or preach or hear we do all in the Name of Jesus Christ going forth in his strength and power Col. 3.17 Thus is the Lord Jesus Christ a firm surety of this better Covenant stablished upon better Promises Heb. 8.6 In the first place Use 1 This may teach us a broad difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace In the Covenant of Works The Lord offereth Himself as a Father Diff. 1 his Son as a Redeemer his Spirit as a Sanctifier but this is still upon a condition of obedience if they shall keep his Laws and obey his voice then they shall be a peculiar treasure unto him above all people Exod. 19.5 6. This also they undertake to do Deut. 5.27 All that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee we will hear it and do it but O saith God that there was such an heart in them vers 29. When they rebelled he did not pardon them graciously but the Angel whom he sendeth with them he biddeth them beware of him and obey his voice and provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my Name is in him In the Covenant of Grace he will but not in this here is indeed a conditional Redeemer and Saviour and so it is expressed Isa 63.8 9 10. He was their Saviour in all their affliction he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love c. But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them with many of them God was not well pleased almost with none of them but overthrew them in the wilderness Thus in the Covenant of Works all is given upon condition of obedience The Lord giving himself Diff. 2 his Son and Spirit upon condition though it be but to Works yet he is pleased to receive them into some kinde of Relative Vnion expressed Jer. 32.32 Which my Covenant they brake although I was an Husband to them He was married unto them in Church-Covenant this was some kinde of union He was their God and they were his peculiar people and yet the Lord cast them off a generation of his wrath from this Marriage-Covenant between them and him from this union there springeth a kinde of Faith by which the soul cleaveth unto the Lord in some measure else there could not be this Marriage-Union and this Faith is that of which you read Psal 106.12 13. They beleeved his words they sang his praise they soon forgat his works they waited not for his counsel So also Exod. 14.31 it is said They beleeved the Lord and his servant Moses this is that Faith which men may receive and yet may Apostate from it spoken of Heb. 6.3 to 6. For a while some do beleeve and in time of temptation fall away Luk. 8.13 But all that Faith was never grounded upon any free promise of Grace but all was built upon Ordinances and Duties and upon no higher ground In the 2 Chron. 13.8 to 12. marvellously strong are the expressions of Abijah when Jeroboam came against him You think to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hand of David c. Have not you cast out the Priests of the Lord saith he c. But as for us the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him and the Priests which minister unto the Lord are the Sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business and they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening Burat-sacrifices and sweet Incense the Shew-bread also they set in order upon the pure Table and the Candlestick of gold with the Lamps thereof to burn every evening for we keep the charge of the Lord our God but ye have forsaken him And behold God himself is with us for our Captain and his Priests with sounding Trumpets to cry Alarm against you O ye children of Israel fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers for you shall not prosper Thus we see what Faith he did express and hereupon vers 18. the children of Israel
sanctification of the best hypocrite under heaven they may go far and yet at length fall away this is no Arminianism but if you search the Scriptures diligently you will finde these things to be true But such instances deceive the Arminians There is a fourth Difference between the Covenant of Works and of Grace in reâ—pect of the Mediator Diff. 4. Gal. 3.19 The Law was given and ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator Moses was a mediator according to their Works and this our Saviour telleth the Jews Joh. 5.45 You have one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust and as for Jesus Christ if he be given to be their Redeemer it is but according to their works if they shall obey his voice but if they shall sin against him he will overthrow them body and soul into the nethermost Hell But now in the Covenant of Grace Jesus Christ hath obtained a more excellent ministery to be the Mediator of a better Covenant stablished upon better promises Heb. 8.6 Thus we see in this first Use the difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace I might in the second place from hence also gather an Argument against the whole Body of Arminianism Use 2 for they look at no gift of God but meerly upon the Faith or Works of the creature foreseen if you speak of Election they tell you it is of Faith foreseen if of Glory it is upon condition of perseverance but we see how contrary it is unto this truth of God for he giveth himself first before he giveth any thing else accompanying salvation he gave us Christ in his eternal Counsel before Election and so doth he also in our Effectual calling not Faith before Christ to enable us to choose whether we will have him or not have him but he is God and first giveth himself and with himself Faith and so worketh our wils unto himself not otherwise leaving it to us to choose whether we will have him to be our God or no. Many things in Popery and Arminianssm come to be confuted from hence for in truth they hold forth no more but a Covenant of Works and if we will not grant Faith and good Works to be the cause of all the blessed gifts of God they will take it marvellously unkindly but they were as good deliver unto us another Gospel This may also serve to teach the people of God to bear a gracious respect unto those that are under a Covenan tof Works Vse 3 and not forthwith to condemn them as if there were no hope of their salvation for God never calleth any unto fellowship with himself in a Covenant of Grace but ordinarily he first bringeth them into a Covenant of Works The ignorant look to be saved by their good prayers and by their good serving of God After God may terrifie and humble their souls with the sense of their palpable wickedness Then they may reform and trust in their performances and then God may burn up all such false confidence Therefore those that are under a Covenant of Works may belong unto the Lord as well as thy self pray for them therefore Paul was under a Covenant of Works Steven prayeth for him and as most conceive that prayer was effectual unto his Conversion and Paul was as dear unto the Lord as Steven himself was Men under a Covenant of Works the Lord may bring them home unto himself by dashing all their works in pieces and shewing them the presidence of their spirit and the Lord will also come and pluck away the caul from their hearts and then they will have none in heaven but Christ nor in the earth in comparison of him and then the Holy Ghost convinceth them of this sin above all their other sins that they have not beleeved on Jesus Christ Do not therefore censure any such as to say there is no likelihood that they should ever come to have fellowship with Christ for if the Lord make them to fall down before him and to yeeld up their spirits unto the Lord in holy reverence and fear these have now received some fecret smoking affections besides a Spirit of burning which the Lord will not quench It may serve in the next place to clear up our judgements in sundry passages that do concern the Covenant of Grace Use 4 by Answers unto these six Questions following 1. Quest What is the first Gift that ever the Lord giveth unto his Elect First of all he giveth himself the Father Answ and the Son and the Holy Spirit this is the Foundation and if you shall lay Faith in the Foundation before these the foundation will lie uneasily and the spirit of a true Christian shall not lie long in peace Christ must therefore be first and with him Faith cometh in to receive him first he will make a Covenant with us and put his holy Spirit within us which worketh in us Faith and Fear that we never shall depart from him He giveth us his Son and all things else in him he giveth us in him pardon of sins in our Justification and in him some degrees of Glory also and in him right unto all the Promises of the Covenant no other Foundation but him take him first therefore for he is the first thing given But whether doth not the Lord give us some saving preparations before Jesus Christ Object Reserving due honour to such gracious and precious Saints as may be otherwise minded Answ I confess I do not discern that the Lord worketh and giveth any saving preparation in the heart till he give union with Christ for if the Lord do give any saving Qualification before Christ then the soul may be in the state of salvation before Christ and that seemeth to be prejudicial unto the Grace and Truth of Jesus Christ for if there be no Name under heaven given whereby we must be saved but only Jesus Christ nor his Name but in a way of fellowship with him then it seemeth to me apparently to follow that whatsoever saving work there be in the soul it is not there before Christ be there It is true John Baptist was sent to subdue all flesh by a Spirit of Burning which burneth up carnal confidence in the Covenant of Abraham and all their fruits of righteousness here were indeed preparations for Christ but these were not saving they were still children of wrath ye serpents ye generation of vipers notwithstanding all this Further John did indeed dispense poverty of Spirit unto which a saving Promise was made but then Jesus Christ was there also whether they knew it or knew it not that is not greatly material in this Argument but if the Kingdome of Heaven was there Jesus Christ was there first otherwise it will prove dishonourable unto the Name of Christ Indeed there is a saving preparation before consolation in Christ and the manifestation of our gracious union with him but for our first union there are no steps
besides the waiting of a Christian upon him who hath made the promises doth make him yet more patient and hopefull and this is a fourth use of conditional promises 5. They are of use to work all these qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised By the exceeding precious promises we are made partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and this is no small work or use of these promises that from them should spring all our gracious qualifications for the Lord having promised such blessings in them these promises being received and enjoyed and meditated on by us we beholding them and the glory of the Lord Jesus in them are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 this great power there is in the promises to help an end the work of God in the soul of a Christian so that though they were never given to bring us to Christ yet to this end they were given to work all those qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised 6. They are of use to provoke and stirre up Christians to all such duties to which blessings are promised they stirre them up effectually The Lord maketh a Promise 2 Cor. 6.17 18. that such as touch no unclean thing he will receive them and be a father to them and they shall be his sons And mark what use the Apostle maketh of this conditional promise chap. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God Implying that the having of these promises stirreth up Gods people unto duties and the Lord is wont to breath in them and so to set forward the work of cleansing in the hearts and wayes of his servants 7. They are of use further to strengthen faith for the Lord that hath made such promises will accomplish them for his servants Genes 32.9 10. Jacob there putteth the Lord in minde of his promise and saith O God of my father Abraham God of my father Isaac and the Lord which said unto me Return unto thy Countrey and to thy kindred and I will deal well with thee and he was now returned according to the appointment of God but what now doth he plead the condition minde in the next words I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Yet now though hepleadeth not any worth at all yet seeing the Lord hath promised such a mercy to him he prayeth for it vers 11. Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother thus his faith is strengthened though he doth not plead his worthinesse to receive mercy So also do absolute promises strengthen faith and the prayer of faith 2 Sam. 7.13.14 c. the Lord there promiseth David that he would build him an house and that he would not take his mercy from his Children this stirreth up and strengtheneth the faith of David vers 28 29. Now O Lord thou art that God and thy words be true and thou hast promised this goodnesse unto thy servant therefore now let it please thee to blesse the house of thy servant c. this well ordered and sure Covenant of God was all his stay and all his salvation though his house was not so with God 2 Sam 23.5 So when the Lord promiseth to heal the back-slidings of his people Hosea 14.4 their hearts are strengthened to come unto the Lord and to say O Lord thy words are true let it please thee to heal the back-slidings of thy servants Thus by the promises of God the faith and faithfull prayers of Gods servants are both of them strengthned together Now let me further say thus much Let us rightly discerne what use to make of the principal part of the Scriptures take heed you do not close with promises before you have Jesus Christ specially take heed you make not use of promises to a qualification to give you your part in Jesus Christ neither be taken aside to make account that the Lord did give you himself gratiously in a conditional promise for these are aberrations from the Covenant of Grace Consider therefore well what the Promises be and what use the Lord would have us to make of them It is not for a woman to take her husbands inheritance before she take his person and you know that all the blessings and all the promises are as it were the Inheritance of the Lord Jesus given unto him and to no other but in his name and therefore there is not any Soul under Heaven that can challenge his right in Christ at the first by any promise till Christ first be given if you know that you are in Christ you may then know that the promises are yours otherwise you shall not be able to know your right in Christ by your right in the promises and therefore do not turn them upside down beyond the scope and intendment of the Covenant of Grace we may take occasion by them to admire the goodnesse and grace of God as David did Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee thus ought we to consider of them and whither to look that we might enjoy them and the blessings in them If you shall say We have been converted and we have had gratious changes wrought within us be not deceived such work may reach no farther then conviction and you may come at the last to turn your backs upon Jesus Christ Consider therefore did ever the Lord give himself to be one with you whensoever the Lord doth strike up the bond of Union it is in an absolute and free-promise of his grace Trust not therefore unto every leaning of your Souls upon conditional promises for so you may build upon a Covenant made upon a work and in the end you and your Covevenant will fail together but when you read how the Lord hath made such promises to such and such qualifications then consider that those things are indeed requisite to be found in you but who is there in heaven or earth that is able to work them in you there is none but Jesus Christ and unlesse you have him to be in you you cannot have any of these things wrought in you But will a poor Soul say I am not able to reach the Lord Jesus Christ therefore all the promises of the Gospel do fall heavy upon a man and he seeth that they are too burdensome and weighty for him he doth not say Here is the qualification and here is the blessing promised to it and therefore I will take it to my self but one that is taught of God doth forthwith go and pray unto God that he will set him in the way of those blessings and that so he will make him partaker of them he prayeth that God will give him his
Son and that he will adorne him with his grace as a bride of Jesus Christ Thus while the soul looketh towards Jesus Christ and grace in him the Lord doth secretly transform him into the image of Christ by working such qualifications in him and then beareth witnesse to that sanctification which is wrought in his heart thereby inlarging his soul with strong consolation in Jesus Christ and in the same way it is that the Lord doth strengthen the faith of his people to believe that all those things which God hath promised are accomplished in Jesus Christ and the Law fulfilled in me so farre as Christ is in me and therefore I come unto God in prayer to make good those promises unto me in a right way which would have been preposterously applied before Christ was given And this may serve for answer unto this fifth question We come now unto a sixth question Quest 6 If the Lord do give himself first in the Covenant of his Grace this may then be a doubt and a question in a Christian soul If God gives himself before any blessing before any promise in order of nature though he giveth himself alwayes in a promise or in a word that is equivalent to a promise as Cant. 5.9 16. ch 6.1 if we cannot claim any blessing from God at the first in any conditional promise therefore not by any condition in our selves but as we received all things from God so we claim all things from God in Jesus Christ and so do first seek for him and for all things in him If thus to what use then serveth the Law of God which requireth such and such conditions in us do we not abrogate the Law and make it of none effect and root it out from having any power over Christians And truely some under pretence of the Covenant of Grace have thought it altogether bootlesse to bind Christians unto the Law of God and to look at it as any part of the direction of their course because this is an imputation usually reflected upon the Covenant of Grace let us consider therefore and enquire to what use serveth the Law of God if God give himself first unto his people in the Covenant of his Grace Though the Lord giveth himself freely to the soul Answ and his Son and all the blessings of the Covenant of Grace without respect unto any work of the Law yet the Law is of special and notable use unto all the sons of men both unto them which are not yet brought home unto God by converting grace and also to those that are regenerate in Jesus Christ The Apostle Paul did observe that the question would arise upon the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace Gal. 3.16 17 18. for if the blessing of Abraham cometh upon the people of God by Jesus Christ to what end then serveth the Law which came 430 after it cannot disannul to make the promise of God of none effect to what end then serveth it some say it is of no use others say that it is of such use that they had rather renounce the Covenant of Grace then it but the answer is It is of especial use both unto spiritual and carnal men First unto carnal men and they are of two sorts some belong unto the election of grace though they he not yet called others are not written in the Lambs books of life but will in the end finally perish and yet the Law is of use unto both sorts of them 1. For those that are the elect of God it is of use unto them to aggravate their sin and to multiply it unto them as it were that is to say to aggravate the apprehension of the hainousnesse of sin upon their consciences and to set home the burden of their sins unto their souls thereby to drive them to feel their great need of the Lord Jesus Christ whom otherwise they should for ever have despised Thus the Apostle answereth in the place forenamed The Law was added because of transgressions that they might clearly appear and be aggravated thereby that a man might plainly discern how be hath made himself liable unto the wrath of God by so manifold breaches of so many Commandments in one kinde or other the Law giveth clear knowledge of sin and so much the more doth it set on the weight of it upon the conscience working fear in the heart Rom. 8.15 and hence it is that the Apostle telleth us Gal. 3.24 that the Law was our School-master to Christ as a School-master driveth his Scholar through fear unto this or that duty so the Law of God driveth the soul through fear unto Jesus Christ not that it doth reveal Christ a Saviour and Redeemer of free grace but the soul being once brought down under the sence of sin by the terrours of the Law will readily and diligently hearken unto the news of Christ a Saviour for being once made sensible of his own inability to redeem himself and unworthinesse to be redeemed from the wrath of God now is the Soul fitted to hear the voyce of the Gospel now is the news of Jesus Christ beautifull and glad tidings and of this use is the Law unto the Elect of God before they come under the Covenant of the Grace of God 2. But of what use is the Law unto other men Answ First In regard of disobedience it is of use unto them and 2. the obedience to it is of use 1. In regard of disobedience for if men had not known sin it had been some pretence though they had committed sin but when men have the knowledge of the Law and yet commit sin willingly now they have no Cloak for their sin Rom. 1. vers 21. compared with 32. where the Apostle speaketh of the great sin of the Gentiles and much more of the Jews who though they knew God and the judgement of God and that they which commit such wickednesse are worthy of death yet not onely do the same but have pleasure in them that do them When a man shall not onely do such wickednesse but blesse himself in it this aggravateth a mans condemnation if men will not come unto Jesus Christ that they might have life Joh. 5.40 what saith our Saviour in such a case vers 54. Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom you trust Moses will judge all those that please themselves in wickednesse and will not turn to the Lord Jesus Christ thus there is use of the Law unto disobedient persons their disobedience will leave them without excuse when they sin against their consciences against the means which the Lord hath administred unto them for though the Lord never gave them such grace as did accompany salvation yet such Illumination he did give them that they needed not to have broken his Law so many wayes with such wicked hands as they have done therefore when they have been enlarged to
of the Law of God they would neither have faith nor sence of Gods fatherly displeasure when they negligently break these laws neither would they be sensible of Gods acceptance of their conformity thereunto but we know what the Apostle Paul saith 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. and truly the Lord doth often bear witness unto the integrity of his servants against the oppositions of men so he did to Abraham to David to Paul and to sundry of the Saints of God though the servants of God are not wonted thereupon to build their safe estate yet this kind of Gods acceptance of their waies and obedience they do discern yet in their best obedience which they do perform they see the need they have to go unto God for justifying grace because if they have failed in any one circumstance their best righteousness is polluted therefore they have need of Jesus Christ to cover the failings of their most strict performances This Nehemiah was sensible of when he had been very faithful in reforming the abuses of the Sabbath and of many other Ordinances of God and though the Lord had helped him to undertake the reformation with much dexterity and success yet for all this he runneth unto Christ for acceptance and pardon Nehem. 13.22 Remember me O my God concerning this and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy and what would he have done if he had been conscious of some gross sin He would then much more have run to the Lord Jesus Thus the Law is established by faith for there is no justified person but he is very apprehensive of his sins and so of his continual need of Christ whose blood cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 and who is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness vers 9. who is an Advocate if any man sin and a propitiation for our sins Chap. 2.1 2. and what do all these things argue but that a Christian being under the Covenant of the Grace of God doth submit himself unto this yoak of God Thus far then a Christian is under the Law to Christ so far as the Law is under Christ he is under the commandment of Christ and under the power of Christ and under the displeasure of Christ if he negligently sin against the Law and unto Christ he runneth for pardon and cleansing and unto Christ he cometh for acceptance of his obedience so that he hath no use of the Law but unto Christ and in and under Jesus Christ But how is a Christian not under the Law So far forth as the Law is not under Christ I mean so far as it is without Christ freely justifying of us by his grace so far a Christian is freed from under the Law In one word a Christian man under a Covenant of Grace is not under a Covenant of Works Rom. 6.14 You are not under the Law but under Grace he meaneth not under the Covenant of the Law nor under the power and authority of the Law as of their husband Rom. 7.1 2 3 4. The husbandly Jurisdiction of the Law is taken away The Law is not made for a righteous man 1 Tim. 1.9 that is not the Covenant of the Law for else we are under the Commandments of the Law to Christ but the Jewish Teachers taught more to wit the Covenant of the Law unto salvation not but that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully he meaneth the Covenant of the Law but how shall a man use it lawfully for it is not given unto a righteous man but he reckoneth up the breakers of every commandment and unto them it is given to the lawless and disobedient to the ungodly and sinners to the unholy and profane to murtherers of fathers and murtherers of mothers to man-slayers and whoremongers and to them that defile themselves with man-kind to men-stealers to lyars to perjured persons and if there be any other things that are contrary to sound Doctrine the Covenant of the Law is given unto such and unto none but such to convince them of their sins against the Law to humble them to the death and to drive them out of themselves and considence in themselves But how doth it appear that the Covenant of the Law is not given to the children of God from hence it is manifest 1. Because a Christian man neither looketh for Justification and Salvation from his Obedience to the Law nor feareth Condemnation though he fail in his Obedience and this is a fruit of his exemption from under the Covevenant of the Law for if a man should look for Life by his Obedience to the Law and fear condemnation by the breach of it this would bring a man under the Covenant of the Law for the sanctification of the Covenant of the Law is life to them that obey and to them that disobey death and the curse But a Christian looketh not for Life by his Obedience and that is plain Psal 143.2 Enter not into Judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified so Rom. 3.20 By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified for by the Law is the knowledge of sin therefore no hope of salvation from our Obedience to the Law But methinkes you will say a Christian may fear his condemnation because of his Disobedience to the Law Truly this is a great snare and this Doctrine will be scandalous to many a poor soul but without cause Indeed if God give a man to be under the Covenant of Grace and not to see it then he may fear but if a man know himself to be under the Covenant of Grace then he doth not fear condemnation from his disobedience notable to this purpose is the considence of David Psal 49.5 where the Prophet calleth upon all People in the world to take notice of it Both men of high degree and men of low degree Wherefore should I fear in the dayes so of evil when the iniquities of my heels shall compass me about wherefore truly if there be any fear in the world one would think this might procure it what should a man fear if not this David professeth it and would have all to know it that there is no cause therein why a Christian man should fear Wherefore should I fear c. though it should follow you to the stocks or to prison yet there is no cause why it should make you fear Men that trust themselves in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a ransom for him that he should live for ever and not see corruption had David had nothing but the wealth of his Kingdom he might
stay but is still thriving and growing and that not in his own strength but in the strength of Jesus Christ seeking for his acceptance and help in every duty he goeth about and this is that which the Apostle Paul doth exhort the Colossians unto chap. 2.6 7. As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and stablished in the faith This ought Christians mainly to attend unto that as you see the branch the more juice it sucketh from the root the more fruitful it is so also it becometh the people of God to know that the more need we stand in to be fruitful the more need we have to derive a continual fresh supply from the Lord Jesus Christ that by his Spirit renewing grace in us we may be enlarged and carried an end in the waies of God whereas otherwise the hearts of Christians would soon fail to go on in those things wherein they desire to be growing up unto perfection What is the reason that so many servants of God are not so lively in their profession as they were wont to be many years ago Truly we attend upon Ordinances but it is only upon the outward act of them and not upon Jesus Christ in them This is many times wanting in the hearts of Gods people but truly if this be our constant frame and we do not recover our selves then is not our sanctification that which floweth from fellowship with Jesus Christ and the Spirit of his grace for you shall ever find this to be true that there is no gift of Jesus Christ nor sanctification accompanying salvation but it doth knit us neerer and neerer unto Christ for the more we are filled with true spiritual gifts the more empty we are of our own strength and of self-conceits and so we ought to be otherwise you shall constantly find this that if the Lord do not preserve this empty frame in us the more full we are of any gift the more full shall we be of our own strength and consequently we shall feel the less need of Jesus Christ and if this be our constant frame it will be a sad argument that our best sanctification will not endure but fall away unless we be knit unto Jesus Christ by the Spirit of his grace for by all true sanctification we are the more knit unto him so that if any man would know whether the superscription of Christ and his image be stamped upon his sanctification this you shall ever find to be the stamp of the grace of Jesus Christ That the more you receive from him the more need you stand in of him insomuch that notwithstanding all the gifts of the Spirit there is not the ablest Minister of the New Testament but if your gifts flow from the Spirit of Christ and knit you unto Christ you will find as great need to cleave unto Jesus Christ as ever you did the first day when you came trembling into the Pulpit If therefore we feel our selves full so that the more we have received the more sufficient we are and go not about the duties we have in hand in fear and trembling but in self confidence if this be our usual and constant practice it is but counterfeit Christianity I do not say That the gifts are counterfeit for they are from the Spirit of God and men may by them be very serviceable to Church Commonwealth but this is certain that the stronger and the more your gifts are if you sit loose from Christ the emptier your hearts are of him But you will say May not a Christian be sometimes full of himself and depend upon the strength of his own gifts Yes brethren God forbid I should deny that for the best Christians have gone astray in the exercise of their best gifts and hereupon Abraham hath been wanting in faith and Moses in meekness and Peter in courage and Sarah in her modesty they have been so apt to trust upon those graces of God wherein they have most abounded that they have principally failed therein but this you shall find that if they have been overtaken once or twice as the burnt child dreadeth the fire so they grow to be more sensible of their need of Jesus Christ more fearful of departing from him more careful to cleave unto him that they might grow up in his name to all well pleasing in his sight If therefore there be a sanctification that standeth at a stay in any man it is a great suspicion whether it flow from fellowship with Christ or no if gifts be truly spiritual a man shall ordinarily grow up in them Habenti dabitur Imploy them and multiply them but if you have received gifts in your own strength and you are now full of your own sanctification truly this is but froathy work and doth not convey true nor lively nourishment and comfort but to him that in his most spiritual gifts is empty of himself and only full of Jesus Christ to live or die is his advantage This is the Use which I would commend unto you touching your Christian Sanctification Thus we see sundry things have been clear'd from this Doctrine concerning the Covenant of Grace There remaineth another thing to be resolved and cleared from the Doctrine For if God in the Covenant of his Grace do give himself to be a God to Abraham and his seed It is then to be enquired 1. How God the Father giveth himself 2. How God the Son giveth himself 3. How God the Holy Ghost giveth himself For these are the Fundamentals of the Covenant of Grace and necessary to be opened for clearing the Doctrine of it 1. Quest 2 How God the Father doth give himself to be a God in Covenant to Abraham and to his seed that is to the faithful seed of Abraham By a threefold work doth God the Father give himself Answ in the Covenant of his Grace to be a God unto Abraham and to his elect seed 1. The first Act of God is by Giving his own Son out of his bosom for the redemption of Abraham and his seed That is the first and Fundamental of all the rest that God doth put forth or any other person in Trinity for the applying of the Covenant unto the hearts of his people And God in giving his Son doth give himself Joh. 9.14 and 10.30 He that hath seen me hath seen the Father and I and my Father are one if God giveth us his Son he giveth us himself also so saith the Apostle John 1 Joh. 2.23 He that hath the Son hath the Father and he that hath not the Son hath not the Father Herein hath God commended his love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5.8 this is the love of God to send us his Son that whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3.16 As God giveth us his Son so he giveth us all things else
no small matter to be cut off from Adam that 's contrary to nature Rom. 11.24 as saith the Apostle For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive-tree this is marvelous strong work when the Spirit of God cometh to act contrary things to nature for nature is fully possessed that what God commandeth I am able to do it nature will not be perswaded to the contrary If I hear God command any thing I will do it saith a carnal heart and if I cannot do it I will believe and if I cannot believe I will wait that I may believe this is still but nature Now when the Lord cometh indeed to engraft us into Jesus Christ this is quite contrary to nature Why wherein is it so contrary to nature I answer whereas nature is active for it self now it cometh to passe that whereas a soul hath been stirring and busie in his own strength at length the Spirit of God by the mighty power of his Grace being shed abroad into the soul doth burn up root and branch not only the root of Abraham's Covenant but all the fatness of the root of the wild Olive by which we are fat and lively to spiritual work in our apprehensions so that we work in our own strength untill the Lord come and cut us quite down and make us to see that there is not in us the least good thought as of our selves and therefore unless the Lord be wonderfully gracious to us we cannot be saved till it come unto this the soul is not fit for Jesus Christ Thus the Spirit of God may work powerfully in the hearts men and burn up their root and branch and this a spirit of burning may do and yet leave the soul in a damnable condition for ought I know and such as many a soul may be in and yet never come to enjoy saving fellowship with Jesus Christ Therefore as this is one arm of God stretched forth for the salvation of his people when he draweth them home to Jesus Christ so 2. Secondly there is a further work of God when he giveth the spirit of adoption which reacheth beyond all the former work he hath cut us off from our selves and now we stand in a state quite contrary to nature and if any saving-work be wrought in us it is quite contrary to nature if any thing fall upon the heart and soul of a man to bring his will to this passe to lie down at Gods feet that he knoweth not what to do and yet whatsoever the Lord calleth him unto he is willing if it were possible to be done he would run through fire and water to do it but he findeth himself unable to do any thing and now he will tell you that to believe is as impossible for him as to build a world Why then bid him wait wait saith he I but I cannot wait and if I seek the Lord I cannot find him and I see others of the servants of God wrought upon graciously but dead hearted I nothing will work upon me Now in such a case as this the Spirit of adoption cometh into the heart of a Christian and taketh possession of the soul for Jesus Christ and so draweth the soul unto Jesus Christ and maketh it there to stay and there to lie down and to be willing to be drawn yet neerer and neerer to Jesus Christ and to be carried an end by him to take all from him and to give all the glory to him This spirit of Adoption doth give a man a son-like frame to lie prostrate at his Fathers will like unto the Prodigal son Luk. 15.17 18 19. who when he came unto himself and saw how unable he was to provide for himself and how unworthy he was that his father should do any thing for him he came and lay down as it were at the feet of his father for he is unable and unworthy of any mercy now this stooping of the heart unto God and yielding unto him to do with us as seemeth good in his own eyes is such a prostration of the heart wherein the Lord hath taken possession of the soul that now a man is led unto fellowship with Jesus Christ that there is none in heaven but him none in the earth in comparison of him that the soul desireth after and now a man waiteth upon Christ to see what he will do for him and though he cannot tell you that he waiteth yet he doth wait that he may be helped of God to depend upon him thus he receiveth all from Christ and giveth all unto Christ This is the Fathers drawing of the soul which is expounded to be the hearing and learning of the Father of which John speaketh chap. 6.45 He that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me which is when the Lord hath drawn the soul out of his natural corruptions legal reformations pretences of faith and waiting upon Christ in his own strength for faith if it be wanting then when the soul doth lie at his feet to disposed of according to the will of God and is in some measure subject unto the Lord though not so much as he could be desirous he were and therefore now the soul doth not content and bless himself in his faith not any other gifts or works of his own but yieldeth himself humbly unto the Lord to work in him both will and deed of his own good pleasure and to teach him how to seek and wait and believe and long after Jesus Christ these things he waiteth for otherwise until he be thus taught of God the soul will alway think that he can do something and is not able to come out of himself to an utter denial of himself but if any man will come unto Christ he must deny himself even all his own gifts and parts and good works whatsoever for a man is never utterly denied until there be nothing left of which a man can say This I am able to do or this is an excellent thing in me and when it cometh unto this passe then will the soul lie down at the will of God and acknowledge that if the Lord would never shew him mercy just and righteous are his judgements Now when the soul and will of a Christian are convinced of these things as well as his judgement that now he waiteth upon Christ as well that he may be able to wait and seek the Lord as he doth for any other good thing from the Lord he waiteth now upon the Lord for a poor spirit and cannot perk up himself as a bruised reed cannot do Thus when it cometh unto saving-work the will and soul of a man is so cast down that a man cannot tell what to make of himself but there he lieth to see what the Lord will do with him whether he will reach forth the hand of salvation unto him In this case the soul
had put away his sin he should not dye yet still he prayed for mercy Psal 51.1 and for establishment with Gods free Spirit ver 12. and Make me to hear the voice of joy and gladness ver 8. why had he not heard it already it was a most gracious word that Nathan spake true but he is not yet clear in it it is that Holy Ghost that must make him to hear the voice of joy and gladness otherwise though a man hath much experience of Gods goodness to him and sits and talks of the wonderful things that God hath done for him to the warming of the hearts of all that hear him yet the soul cannot reach that abundant satisfaction which he doth desire till at length the Lord comes in some Ordinance of his and beareth witness freely of love bestowed upon us and such a testimony will marvelously settle and establish any soul in the world so that it is the Spirit that beareth witness unto faith and nothing can do it but the Spirit only and yet if the Spirit should breath out of the word it were but a delusion Isai 8.20 To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to that it is because they have no light in them And therefore the Lord couples his word and his Spirit together Isai 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace though it be creating work yet it is by the fruit of the lips so likewise Isai 59.21 My Spirit that is upon thee and my words that I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever Thus the Spirit of God in the word is mighty to begin and mighty to carry an end spiritual work in the soul Now the ordinary manner of the revelation of the Spirit is if he reveal Gods free justification of us it is by revealing his free grace in a promise not made to works no not to faith it self but rather as a thing to be created by the word of a free promise unto sanctification indeed he doth bear witness in any promise as if the question be about Abraham's sanctification how did the Lord reveal it we may see Gen. 22.12 By this I know that thou fearest me seeing thou hast not withheld thy son thine only son from me but for his justification the Lord had revealed that in another promise Gen. 15.5 6. wherein God brought him forth and bids him Look now towards heaven and tell the stars if thou be able to number them and he said unto him So shall thy seed be and among them he shews him that seed that shall be a blessing unto all nations this is a thing beyond his capacity but this he believed and it was counted unto him for righteousness now in this the Lord reveals nothing but his free grace without any respect unto any goodness in Abraham faith was in him before and had put forth it self by faith when he was called he went out not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 but a man is justified not by the habit of faith only but by every act of faith and as often as this is revealed so often is the grace of God revealed unto the soul for it is nothing that God seeth in Abraham for which he doth reveal his justification to him but this he doth freely of his grace and so Abraham receives it Rom. 4.4 5 6. c. To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousness which shews us that Abraham looks at himself as an ungodly man when he considereth his justification not but that Abraham was now godly in Scripture account before but he looketh at him that justifieth the ungodly as David describeth the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works for thus the Lord setteth it home unto the heart without works saying Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered so it is free blessedness that the Lord reveals unto the soul and lest you should think that these things were peculiar to Abraham and David c. he tels us ver 23 24. that it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also c. As it was with the Father of the faithful so it is also with all believers which are his children that as he considered not his own body that was dead nor the deadness of Sarah's womb so neither should we consider this or that in our bodies or souls for if we were thus and thus fitted for justification then the reward would be of works and so a debt unto us now though works be there when justification is again and again revealed yet it comes not into sight for a double reason First Reas 1 Because when the Lord appears as justifying the soul he sits upon a throne of justice and a throne of grace together not accepting any righteousness but that which is compleat and adequate Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus it is not justice for God to pronounce a man just upon any other righteousness besides the righteousness of his Son for if God should mark what we have done no flesh living should be justified in his sight Psa 143.2 but through the righteousness of Christ which is perfect the Lord justifies every one that believeth in him and that act of faith whereby a man taketh hold on Christ and receiveth Christ that is it which quieteth the soul for it is not meet that the Lord should justifie any simple work of mine for if the Lord should justifie me so mine own cloathes would defile me and if I should come before him with any work which he hath wrought in me to be accepted for it this would be preposterous and out of place for he will have a full righteousness to accept me before he will pronounce me righteous and therefore I am first called to his Son for as there is no more required to make me a sinful man but that I be found in Adam so there is no more required to my justification but that I should have union with the second Adam Secondly Reas 2 As the Lord doth sit upon a Throne of justice when he justifies a soul so he doth also upon a Throne of grace Rom. 3.24 We are justified freely by his grace therefore he will not justifie any man upon works lest they should boast before him and therefore you shall finde it to be true that if the Lord be to declare his acceptance of the sanctification of his people he will not do it in respect of the worth of their works but according to the grace of his promise But is not my sanctification a work of free
grace Object doth one grace hinder another such is Bellarmines reason against justification by grace what saith he doth grace fight against grace if we say We be justified by our works it is grace that gives us those works and a will unto them thus doth he confess Our Divines answer is That if our justification be of grace it is not of works and if it be of works it is not of grace so in like manner if the Lord do shew himself in a matter of grace let all our works be silent for if Abraham hath whereof to glory it is not before God so then if grace appear it is not in our works and therefore if God do speak any comfort unto sanctification he will put his servants quite off from the conceit of their own holiness Thus we finde it 2 Sam. 7.18 Lord saith David what am I or what is my fathers house c. though at that time the Lord took notice of his sanctification and so indeed it is usual with the faithful when the Lord pronounceth any mercy to them they see no reason in themselves why the Lord should vouchsafe it as you see when the light of the Sun shineth upon a candle it dampes the light thereof so it is in this case when the riches of Gods mercy shineth upon the soul he is not so taken up in the consideration of his own works and holiness because his heart is lifted up higher in the consideration of the grace of God and yet let me say thus much There is a kinde of revelation that is under the Law Ezek. 18.5 6. If a man be just and do that which is lawful and right and hath not eaten upon the mountains neither hath lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel c. he is just he shall surely live saith the Lord God Thus a man is pronounced just upon his righteousness that is to say so far just as the Law declares him just if either he keep the Commandment or if he break the Commandment and come and bring his Sacrifice then his sin shall be forgiven him Lev. 5.10 13 16. somewhat sutable unto what we read Mat. 18.23 24 25. c. when the servant was required to make payment to his Lord and had nothing to pay he falleth down and worshippeth his Lord saying Have patience with me and I will pay thee all so out of compassion he forgave him the debt just as when the Lord taketh hold of a man by sickness and is ready to expose him to death then he cryeth Lord be merciful to me and I will become a new man and all the world shall know it and all my friends shall see it then the Lord out of compassion delivereth him from his sickness according to Psal 78 34 35. c. when God slew them then they sought him and returned and required early after God and though they did but flatter him with their lips yet he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not Thus the Lord may let men see that he doth forgive them and no small comfort sometime doth arise and all this from some works that they have done but when the Lord revealeth himself graciously by his Spirit in our justification he doth banish the sight of our works so that the soul doth look at himself as the chiefest of all sinners as not having so much as the crawling or creeping of any work of sanctification Yea when the Lord revealeth to his people their sanctification the manifestation of his love unto their souls upon that point doth take them off from the sight of their own works and move them to wonder that ever the Lord should manifest himself graciously to such as they are Now for the Use of this Use 1 Let me apply it to teach Christians not to be afraid of the word Revelation you have heard of many that have attended to Revelations that have been deceived it is true for the Devil himself will transform himself into an Angel of light he will be foisting in delusions yea many times when the soul waiteth for the revelation of Gods mercy the Devil will be apt to foist in such revelations from whence many delusions may grow but yet on the otherside let not men be afraid and say That we have no revelation but the word for I do believe and dare confidently affirme that if there were no revelation but the word there would be no spiritual grace revealed to the soul for it is more then the Letter of the Word that is required to it not that I look for any other matter besides the word But there is need of greater light then the word of it self is able to give for it is not all the promises in Scripture that have at any time wrought any gracious change in any soul or are able to beget the faith of Gods Elect true it is indeed whether the Father Son or Spirit reveal any thing it is in and according to the word but without the work of the Spirit there is no faith begotten by any promise the word of God and all his works may beget you some knowledge if you be not mistaken in them but to beget the faith of Gods elect that may be able to stand against all the powers of darkness and to crush all the temptations of that wicked one it is not all the works of God nor all the word of God of it self that is able to beget such faith if there be any it is but an historical faith a dead faith that is not able to bring the soul neerer to God I beseech you therefore consider of it as a mystery of God indeed yet marvelous plain in Scripture as I conceive That neither the word of grace nor all the works of grace are able to clear up the grace of God unto the soul it is the Spirit of God that must do it he must reveal the grace of God if ever we see it otherwise it is not possible that we should believe for though we should attain unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulness of knowledge we shall not attain unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulness of faith As for our works in justification the Lord will dash them to pieces and cast them out of his sight and though faith comes by hearing yet it is the Spirit in the word that maketh the New Testament a lively Letter otherwise as not the flesh of Christ so nor the word of Christ profiteth any thing it is the Spirit that quickeneth therefore look for this revelation of the Spirit to shew you the need of Christ and the Lords offering and presenting Christ unto you and his drawing your hearts to believe upon him otherwise you neither can have any faith nor can you discern any gift of God bestowed upon you In the second place Use 2 Let this teach and exhort us not to look for any revelation out of the Word for
the Spirit comes in the mouth of the Word and the Word in the mouth of the Spirit take heed therefore of all Revelations in which the Word of God is silent for the Spirit of God will speak Scripture to you when he comes he will not bring a new Gospel and new Revelations but he alwaies speaks in the Word of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which is given unto us therefore if any Spirit shall speak and not according to the Word it is but a delusion rest not therefore in any assurance nor revelation unless thou hast a word for it In the third and last place Use 3 This may teach and exhort us in Justification to look for no word but such as holdeth forth some absolute Promise of Free-grace for the Lord looketh for no work in our Justification but the Works of the Son it is the work of his free grace to justifie the ungodly therefore if any man having been in desperate anguish of soul have built his faith upon some Promise made unto some such work as he findeth in himself this is no other but a legal righteousness for when the Lord doth pronounce Grace in a way of Justice he will pronounce it unto that soul that he is most ungodly and that he himself doth justifie him freely for example take that promise which we read Acts 10.43 44. To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever beleeveth on him shall receive remission of sins there is a promise of remission of sins unto them which believe But was this faith in them before Nay but while he spake these words the Holy Ghost fell upon all them which heard the word and this Holy Ghost it was that did beget that Faith by this Promise whereby they did receive the Promise So in like manner if the Lord do promise that he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall finde mercy as Prov. 28.13 if he doth manifest his free grace in such a promise to any soul that soul will look at his old confessions as marvellous poor works and will not challenge this mercy promised by vertue of them for when the Holy Ghost doth apply a conditional promise to the soul he doth work the condition by the promise in the soul therefore when the Lord comes to testifie his acceptance of our persons it is freely of his Grace and thou canst not build any thing thereof upon any of thy works and if he do acknowledge our sanctification in any word of his grace he will let us see that every such gift or work of grace is freely given unto us so as that we shall be ready after all this to say with David Who are we or what are our fathers houses that the Lord should ever accept such as we are and such poor sacrifices as we offer unto him Thus having spoken of three distinct Works wherein the Holy Ghost doth give himself unto the soul to wit 1. In a work of Inhabitation 2. In a work of Sanctification 3. In a work of Revelation It now remaineth The fourth work of the Spirit that we speak unto the fourth work wherein the Holy Ghost gives himself unto the soul and that is a work of Consolation This is one of the great Characters of the Holy Ghost and this the Lord Jesus doth in special ascribe unto the Spirit Joh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter so vers 26. and this is no other but the Spirit of Truth Joh. 15.26 thus doth he stile the Holy Ghost the Comforter Why had the disciples no comfort before think you was there no comfort in the Fathers drawing them to Christ and revealing Christ in them Mat. 16.17 Was there no comfort in Christ his revealing the Father to them doubtless there is comfort in all these works the work of the Father mentioned in Joh. 6.44 is the same with what we read Isai 54.13 All thy children shall be taught of God and great shall be the peace of thy Children though it be but peace for the future yet light is sowen for the righteous herein and gladness for the upright in heart Psal 97.11 there is some ground-work of light and comfort in the Fathers work and some sparkles of it do appear for the Father reveals the Son and the Son is no sooner seen but hope is seen for Jesus Christ is our hope 1 Tim. 1.1 and hope it self I mean the grace of hope is a comfortable blessing so that the soul hath supportance in the very work of our being drawn to Jesus Christ and moreover the Father addeth further comfort in his Justifying grace for by it we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 and chap. 8.34 it is God that justifies who shall condemn such gracious supports and more then transient tastings of his mercy not such as hypocrites may have but such as do more or less stay with the Saints and people of God so that at the least there doth ever remain a seed of consolation in the hearts of all those whom God hath by his Spirit drawn home unto his Son And when the Son receives the soul he doth amplifie this comfort he reveals the Fathers work unto the soul Mat. 16.16 17. Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona flesh and bloud hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in heaven and Luk. 10.20 Rejoyce in this because your names are written in heaven So that there is consolation also in the work of the Son but you shall finde it true that it is by the Holy Ghost that both of them work and that either of them comfort the soul with those beginnings of consolation that afterwards break forth into more abundant riches of increase But what doth the Holy Ghost do more 1. For Answer He doth bear witness with a more abundant measure of consolation Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost He doth so clearly reveal our acceptance through the righteousness of Christ that from thence springeth peace unto the soul which groweth up until it passeth understanding and bringeth us unto joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 therefore he is called by way of eminency The Comforter because when he comes he doth so clearly ratifie unto you your righteousness to be in Jesus Christ 2. Secondly The comfort of the Holy Ghost is more constant and abiding as Christ speaking of the Comforter promiseth unto his Apostles Joh. 16.22 I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you not but that God may sometimes eclipse it for the trial of his servants yet ordinarily it is more constant and leaveth faith even then more constant and firm Nehem. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength when the Holy Ghost taketh in hand to comfort his people he doth abundantly strengthen them with his consolations 3. Thirdly As
your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David wherein you see the Lord putteth it upon such terms that if the soul come not by it it is because he would not not that any can come when they will as by the power of their own will but this the Lord will leave upon the children of Christian Parents that they shall not say that God forsook them until they have forsaken him and that when there lay no necessity upon them but voluntarily they did despise the grace of the Covenant for do but observe the causes wherefore the Lord hath discovenanted the children of gracious Parents 1. The first that ever fell off from the Covenant of grace made with Abraham it was Ishmael and what was the ground of it he mocked Isaac Gen. 21.9 10. what mocking was it in regard of humane frailty no no it was a plain persecution and that implies such a persecution as was cast upon him in respect of the Covenant of grace made with him as if he should say Here is the child of promise or the like insomuch that Sarah could not endure he should tarry any longer in the house for this was not humane frailty but humane insolency against the Covenant whereas happy he if he might have fallen under the wing of it 2. The second that you read of who fell from the Covenant fell not upon those terms but the love of worldly sensual blessings did choak the affections of Esau toward the Covenant of grace which was the chief blessing of the first born in the days of Abraham and Isaac but he coming in hungry selleth his birthright for a mess of red pottage Gen. 25.31 c. Thus Esau despised his birthright so this sort of children despise the grace of God not out of a malicious frame of spirit but they are choaked with the cares of this world and the best seed that was sown in them becomes unfruitful and this is the case of all the good husbands of the world that despise the Covenant of grace for when once a man is taken up with the profits and pleasures of this life he then cares not a rush for the Covenant of grace mount Sion is not now commodious for him so prophanely do they undervalue the Covenant of grace in comparison of sensual lusts and do men thus fall from the Covenant of grace because it is a duty above the power of nature no no the very common gifts they had might have restrained the one of these from mocking and the other from selling his birthright for a mess of pottage it is evident that the children of Christian Parents when as they come to fall off from God they do not fall upon such things as they are not able to prevent but either they scorn and persecute the things of God or else they prefer sensual lusts before them 3. A third way whereby the children of Christian Parents fall from the Covenant of grace is a self-confident cleaving unto those gifts of grace which by the Covenant they have received besides these causes of their falling from the Covenant of grace I have observed no more in Scripture nor have I found any more in mine own experience When men are invested with many spiritual blessings sweetly indowed with many sprinklings of the bloud of the Covenant whereby they come to be great in knowledge and sometime excel in a spirit of prayer and some are good at one thing and some at another and being full of such gifts it may easily come to pass that they may grow so confident of these that they will not subject themselves unto the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus And this was the rejection of the whole house of Israel Rom. 10.3 They being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God and hence the Covenant of grace is unto them turned into a Covenant of works they are now become the children of the bond-woman and not the children of the free-woman for they that have their faith in themselves and not in Christ they fall under a Covenant of works So that minde you the Lord is just and righteous in all these his dispensations I said before God did receive Abraham and his seed into this Covenant I mean the faithful seed and they are received into the second sort of blessings of the Covenant which are truly saving for the Lord receives them into inward fellowship with his Son so as that they shall be justified sanctified and glorified But are the carnal seed then rejected no but they partake in many bounties of God and grow up and live in his sight what in the enjoyment of outward blessings only no of spiritual blessings also I but the Lord gives them not the spiritual blessing of saving grace by the Covenant doth he not and why is it not because he doth not offer it to them but because they fall off from it upon such terms wherein there lay no necessity upon them that they should so fall off Ishamel needed not have mocked Isaac Esau needed not have sold his birth-right for a mess of pottage never let them pretend the necessity of corrupt nature corrupt nature putteth no such necessity upon us to sell away such blessings upon such terms And for others that trusted in their own righteousness had not the Lord convinced them that it was not their own righteousness that could save them did not David say If thou Lord mark iniquity Lord who shall stand Psal 130.3 and in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified Psal 143.2 so that it is not the blindness of mans nature that excuseth but this flows from a malignant and affected self-confidence therefore now they are justly disinherited for the Jewes were not rejected until it was made plain to them that their righteousness would not stand before the Lord therefore saith the Apostle Act. 13.46 It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken unto you but seeing you put it from you c. and he had said before They contradicted and blasphemed and why was it necessary that the word should be spoken unto them truly that God might be faithful in his Covenant for if all the children of Christian Parents may not have liberty in the means of grace then the Lord should be wanting to his Covenant so that if they be Jewes by nature the Lord is bound by Covenant that they shall not for want of means perish nor upon such grounds as are far above the nature of creatures to reach unto for though it be above the power of the creature to repent and believe yet it is not above the power of nature to abstain from prophaneness and malignity and such strong confidence in their legal righteousness therefore doth he call them to Church-priviledges and common gifts and graces things that are
end what would the Lord shew his people hereby hereby he teacheth them to know by what ability and power to bring mighty things to pass they shall do duties as the Lord commandeth them but he himself will breath in them to make them effectual For though we do never so much yet we cannot reach unto the accomplishment of any good thing not by might nor by strength but by my Spirit the Lord therefore by his Spirit must work all our works for us Here is the freeness of Gods Covenant in that the Lord giveth himself first Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me You may speak of Conditions in this kinde but the Lord doth undertake both for his own part and for our parts also for as the Covenant is free so the Lord will freely maintain and preserve all his Elect and all from the immutable Nature of God it is not possible that God should lye I am Jehovah I change not Mal. 3.6 therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed Hence springeth our Eternity and perseverance unto it Rom. 11.29 for the gifts and callings of God are without repentance And I am perswaded saith the Apostle Paul that he that hath begun this work will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 The Lord took your Father Abram and brought him from the other side of the floud Josh 24.3 and he being called obeyed Heb. 11.8 Thus mind ye the Lord dealeth in the Covenant of Grace he looketh towards those that look not towards him as is held forth Hos 3.3 where the Lord biddeth the Prophet love a woman that was an adulteress and say unto her Thou shalt be for me and I will be for thee this is a branch of the Covenant when the Lord doth undertake to receive Abraham and his seed unto himself his giving himself unto them doth breed a reciprocal returning of them unto him Now it may be demanded How the Lord did take Abraham and his seed to be his people Quest By a double Act As Answ 1. Of Preparation not on Abrahams part nor on his seeds part but on his own part the Lord prepared them 2. The Lord did invest him with the Blessings of this Covenant 1. For Preparation the Lord prepareth them by a double work of his Spirit which are manifest in all the seed of Abraham 1. By a spirit of bondage whereby he cutteth off the seed of Abraham from all worldly intanglements and delights thus God took Abraham and brought him from beyond the floud and so doth he take men off from their countreys and fathers houses he separates them from all such things that he might draw them unto himself thus he dealt with the children of Israel and called them to be a singular People unto himself Deut. 7.6 7 8. Thus doth the Lord deal with all those whom he receiveth to be a people unto himself by this spirit of Bondage he draweth them from all their sinful lusts and passions so as that they can finde no life in them nor any hope of mercy at all in any thing by this Bondage the Lord setteth home unto the consciences of men the weight and danof their sins and bindeth them under the sense of his wrath unto fear of Damnation The Romans first received the spirit of Bondage to fear before ever they came to receive the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.25 But thus the Lord doth even shut a Soul out of doors that he may open to him another and a better way 2. The Lord also prepareth his people by a Spirit of burning which upon a Spirit of Bondage he doth shed abroad into the hearts of men this we read of Mal. 4.1 Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up and it shall leave them neither root nor branch It is spoken of the Ministery of John Baptist which did burn like an oven against all the Scribes and Pharisees and left them neither the root of Abrahams Covenant nor the branch of their own good Works He cutteth them off from the Covenant of Abraham Mat. 3.9 Think not to say within your selves that you have Abraham to your Father for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham and so by cutting them off from the Root he leaveth them no ground to trust on From their good Works also the Lord Jesus Christ cutteth them off Mat. 6.2 When thou dost thine alms sound not a Trumpet before thee as the Hypocrites do that they may have the glory of men and vers 5. When thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites are c. and vers 16. When ye Fast ye shall not be as the Hypocrites are of a sad countenance c. This was a Spirit of Burning which the Lord conveyed by the Ministry of Christ and of John Baptist to burn up all the Hypocrites like stubble and the beauty of their works were blasted by it and this is Gods usual manner of dealing Now there are many under a spirit of bondage that never came under a spirit of burning and they being convinced of sin and of the danger thereof yet hope to wrestle it out and work it out by their own performances till the spirit of Burning come and consume all that false confidence But when the spirit of Burning cometh he then blasteth all the fruits and branches of their righteousness and burns up all that a man hath wrought or can work And this is that which the Prophet Esay chap. 4.4 speaketh of that the Lord will purge away the filth of the Daughter of Zion with a Spirit of Judgment and of Burning the one is a spirit of Sanctification and the other is a consuming Fire which forceth them not to build any comfort upon any works that they have done this may Hypocrites reach unto in their judgments so as that they may be convinced that they have neither root within them nor branch growing upon them and yet in the mean while they may not come unto a Spirit of Adoption but hereby also the Lord useth to prepare his people Some bless themselves in worldly courses and never came unto a spirit of bondage Some do finde comfort in their performances and never saw the vanity of their own Righteousness But there are those whom the Lord doth carry further unto a spirit of burning even unto a sensible feeling of Gods wrath burning against whatsoever is as stubble and such is a mans own gifts and parts and worth so that now the poor soul findeth that he hath no Root not any sure mercy of the Covenant of Grace that he can rest upon no green branch of righteousness remaining but all
perform many duties and might avoid much sin and yet will sin against their consciences and tread under foot those means of grace that were committed unto them It is then most righteous with God that they should be condemned 2. Of what use is the obedience of the Law unto such whom Gods Soul taketh no pleasure in Truely it is of sad and dreadful use unto unto them for it serveth to harden them in their sins though that be but an accidental use thereof their sins are thereby made out of measure sinful Rom. 7.13 They harden their hearts 1. by their obedience to the Law 2. by the Comfort which they take in that obedience both these do marvellously harden their hearts For the first of these The Apostle Paul Acts 23.1 had kept so good a conscience that he knew not any sin against the Law that he lived in but though he was unrebukeable he did count it all losse afterward Phil. 3.7 8. those things that before he thought had been his gain now he counteth them but dung that he may win Christ when a man attaineth to outward conformity unto the Law he is then ready to think it is indeed good for poor sinfull men to look for salvation by Jesus Christ but for himself he hopeth in his devotion and that he is able to save himself these are such as justâ—fie themselves before men to whom our Saviour speaketh Luke 16.15 and of whom he saith That Publicans and Harlots shall go into the Kingdom of heaven before them Mat. 21.31 32. for many times you shall have the most deboist and profane wretches more humbled and readier to hearken to the voyce of Christ and sooner convinced of the necessity of the Covenant of Grace then those that are but morally righteous by the Law Rom. 9.30 31 32. the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained to righteousnesse even the righteousnesse which is of faith but Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse hath not attained to the Law of righteousnesse wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law and chap. 10.31 They being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their own righteousnesse have not submitted themselves unto the righteousnesse of God Thus the Law becometh a snare unto them and that which is of singular and wholsom use unto the Children of God is made death unto them And as their obedience to the Law is thus a snare unto them so secondly the delight and comfort which they take in their obedience is a greater snare then the other The stony and thorny soyl did hear the word with joy and so those Hypocrites Isai 59.2 did delight to approach unto God but what followed upon the delight which they took in God and in holy Duties it made them ready to expostulate with God why he did not answer them according to their works the delight which they found did so fill their hearts with assurance of the grace of God that they looked at their Duties as so many tokens of the love of God unto their souls and then when men come to find more comfort in their obedience then in the grace of God in Jesus Christ it maketh them ready to expostulate with God touching the worth of their own Righteousness Isa 57.10 Thou hast found the life of thine hand therefore thou wast not grieved as long as a man findeth life and comfort in his own duties and performances what need can he see to be grieved for the want of Jesus Christ or at the best if he do grieve and find his heart comforted in grieving and delighting in the course of humiliation he then thinketh he hath no need of being farther solicitous about his spiritual estate Thus we see plainly that the Law of God is of marvellous use in the days of the Gospel of great use unto those that belong unto God to break their hearts for sin and to drive them to Jesus Christ and for others the disobedience of the Law leaves them without excuse that so disobey it again the obedience of it and comfort in that obedience doth harden the hearts of others from Jesus Christ But what say you then unto men that are under a Covenant of Grace and brought unto fellowship with Christ therein of what use is the Law of of God unto such is it utterly antiquated or is there any more to be done with it The Apostle answereth this Question Answ when he saith I am not without the Law to God but under the Law to Christ 1 Cor. 9.21 so minde you the Law is of use unto the Apostle Paul but how as the Law cometh under Christ so Paul cometh under the Law this is the sum of the Answer but that would be further explained What meaneth he when he saith I am under the Law to Christ In some sence a Christian is wholly freed from the Law In some sence he is yet under the Law So far as the Law is any way besides or out of Christ so far the Apostle is without the Law So far as the Law is under Christ so far he is under the Law Keep close to these two Principles and you shall safely avoid Rocks on every hand thus by the use of the Law shall you not go aside to a Govenant of Works nor by attendance unto Grace shall you need to neglect the Law How far is the Law under Christ when it hath brought the soul neerer unto Christ and in a remote manner prepared him the Law is in Christ and you subject to it in him 1. As the Law is given by Christ 2. As in Christ help is given to perform it First as the Law is given by Christ as 1 Thes 4.2 3. You know what Commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus for this is the will of God even your Sanctification c. and many other commandments he gave them all which are legal commandments and yet the Apostle gave them by the Lord Jesus so Mat. 5.17 to the end of the chapter our Saviour Christ would not have us think that he came to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfil them And to that end he doth there expound the spiritual and true meaning of the Law that whereas the Pharisees held forth the outward letter of the Law to be observed onely as thinking that unless a man did commit the Act of Murder he was not guilty of the breach of the sixth Commandment and if he committed not the Act of Adultery he transgressed not the seventh Commandment and so of the rest Our Saviour Christ expoundeth the Law more spiritually shewing that anger against a mans brother is the breach of the sixth Commandment and whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart and broken the seventh commandment thus Christ hath as it were revived Moses but as the Law is given by Christ it
is not a covenant of Works but a commandment of well-doing and he having given it we take our selves bound to be subject to it The Apostle also presseth the Moral Law upon several relations of men Ephes 6.1 2 3 c. It is an honour to Jesus Christ that his servants should be holy as he is holy it is for the glory of God and he requireth it The Apostle James presseth it Chap. 2.8 to the end of the chapter If you fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self ye do well And again Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Thus we see the Apostles of Jesus Christ put it upon Christians to keep the Law of God and Christ himself beareth witness to the Law for God will never justifie sin to be no sin though he will justifie the person of a sinner Now as the Lord Jesus giveth the Law and as it were reneweth it so he doth also give his Spirit unto his servants enabling them to keep it Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 36.27 I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them And again I will put my law in their hearts and write it in their inward parts Now this Law would he not write in the hearts of his people nor give unto them his holy Spirit enabling them to keep his Law were it not his will in Jesus Christ that the Law should be the rule of holiness and righteousness unto his people hence it is that the children of God though they be not under the Covenant of the Law yet take themselves to be bound to the obedience of it for if Jesus Christ have given the Law as well as Moses and if he have ratified it by giving them his Spirit to teach and strengthen them to keep it though not perfectly yet sincerely then they take themselves bound to obey the Law though they be under the Covenant of Grace for do we make void the law through saith God forbid yea we establish the law For what need have Christians of free Justification by Christ if they were not bound to obedience by the Commandment of the Law Therefore the free Justification of men under a free Covenant of Grace doth establish the obedience of the Law otherwise what need they run to Christ to save them from the curse of the Law Why do we still run to Christ for the continuance of our justification But that we find our selves ungodly creatures against the righteous and holy Law of God therefore if God have given men the Law and his holy Spirit to strengthen them in the obedience of it and his grace to save them from the curse of it then Christians are to know that they are bound to keep the Law they lie under the authority of it and dare not pluck their necks from under that yoke Now there are two Effects springing from the subjection of Gods people to the Commandment of the Law 1. As they take themselves bound to the obedience of it so they believe and many times feel the fatherly displeasure of God when they transgress the Law now the transgression of the Law could not bring them under Gods displeasure unless they were bound unto the Commandment of the Law this displeasure David was sensible of Psal 38.1 2 3. c. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin And many complaints of like nature doth he there make which do all of them spring from the conscience of the disobedience of the Law which God hath framed in the hearts of his servants whereby they reflect upon their sin as the ground of all the distempers which lie upon their bodies or minds This is the first effect of the subjection of Gods people to his Law they lie under the faith and sence of the danger of the disobedience of it 2. They are under the faith and sence also of Gods gracious acceptance of their waies when they are suitable to the blessed directions of his word not that they can raise therefrom the assurance of their justified estate but by the same Spirit of God whereby they are helped to obey the Commandment they do see the Lords gracious approbation of them in their poor and weak endeavours for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous that is acknowledgeth and approveth it Psal 1.6 when the Lord by his Spirit boweth the hearts of his servants to obedience then he knoweth and accepeth their obedience Gen. 22.12 Now I know that thou fearest me seeing thou hast not withheld thy son thine only son from me thus the Lord beareth witness to his servants that he doth accept their works so that they sensibly know and believe that the Lord doth acknowledge their poorest and weakest endeavours unto which they are carried forth by his Spirit in the obedience of his word This the Prophet David confirmeth Psal 18.20 to 26. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me for I kept the waies of the Lord have not wickedly departed from my God for all his judgements were before me and I did not put away his statutes from me I was also upright before him and kept my self from mine iniquity therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands in his eye-sight with the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful and with the upright man thou wilt shew thy self upright c. This David speaketh of his righteous dealing with Saul and whereas his enemies laid it to his charge that he was an enemy unto Saul the Lord beareth him witness that he had walked toward Saul with a good conscience now the Lord having led him an end to deal justly and righteously and purely with Saul having kept him from all the malice and outrage of Saul and maintained his cause against Saul and delivered him out of the hands of Saul whom the Lord had now rejected herein the Prophet seeth the Lord accepting him when in the name of his Son by the power of his Spirit he is helped to attend unto the Commandments of God This is comfortable unto a Christian spirit when the Lord beareth witness to his soul that he hath an eye to all the Commandments of God And all this argueth that the servants of God being in a state of grace in Jesus Christ have looked at themselves as bound by the Commandments of the Law and as being under the law to Christ who hath given the Law and power unto his servants sincerely to keep it both by writing in their hearts a law of obedience and by putting his holy Spirit within them for if the people of God were not sensible of their bounden duty to the observation
obedience unto it will supply comfort unto him but if we be dead unto the Law we have no life in it nor by it but only in Jesus Christ from whom we expect our comfort indeed we are troubled that we should sin against the grace of God otherwise we look not at our obedience or disobedience to make us accepted or rejected 4. And finally the soul doth not claim his right unto any conditional promise by his performance of the condition nor doth he deny himself the blessing that the promise may reach forth unto him though he be wanting in obedience to this or that Commandment pregnant for this purpose is the example of Jacob which we mentioned before Gen. 32.9 10. who though he had a plain and a full promise of God to do him good if he would return to his Country and to his kindred yet when he did return according to the word of God he claimed not his interest in that promise for that he had done as God commanded him but I am less then the least of thy mercies and yet he cometh unto the Lord for the performance of his promises but not upon this ground only for the sake of mercy and truth Deliver me I pray thee for thou saidest I will surely do thee good ver 11 12. so that mind you though the soul can make use of a conditional promise and come to God for the blessing of it yet not expecting it in the least manner by vertue of his obedience and truly this is the freedom of a Christian soul whereas another man if he have kept the Commandment and performed the condition he then looketh for acceptance from God as if the Lord make this promise that he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find mercy this man confesseth his sin unto God and forsaketh it and therefore he looketh for mercy but this is not the manner of Gods people and yet if they look for any mercy it is in the way of God but not because of their own goodness their hope is in the faithfulness and free grace of God they may make mention to the praise of God how he hath guided them and carried them an end in his own waies yet they challenge nothing from any thing that they have done but put the Lord in mind of his free promise that as of his free grace he hath freely promised so from the same grace he may make good what he hath promised Vse 1 If any therefore shall accuse the Doctrine of the Covenant of free Grace of Antinomianism and say it teacheth men freedom from the Law of Moses and if they commit any sin they plead they are not bound unto the Law we see how false such an aspersion would be for all the people of God know that the Lord is an avenger of every such wickedness There is none under a Covenant of Grace that dare allow himself in any sin for if a man should negligently commit any sin the Lord will school him throughly and make him sadly to apprehend how he hath made bold with the treasures of the grace of God Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid none that have a portion in the grace of God dareth therefore allow himself in sin but if through strength of temptation he be at any time carried aside it is his greatest burthen 2 Sam. 12.8 9. compared 13. Hath not the Lord saith Nathan done these and these things for thee wherefore then hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord then David confesseth I have sinned It pierced him to the heart to consider it that he should abuse his Neighbours wife and kill her husband and commit such wickedness against God that had dealt so graciously with him So that the children of the Covenant of grace will only tell you that they are free from the Covenant of the Law but not from the Commandment of it for as it is given by Jesus Christ and ratified in the Gospel and as Christ hath given us his Spirit enabling us to keep it we are under it so far as to take our selves bound by the authority of it and if we do transgress against it we know it is sin in the sight of God and therefore it is that the soul in such a case is sensible of the wrath and displeasure of God whether it be his own sin or the sin of his brethren therefore he runneth unto God for mercy which he would not do if he did not know that his desert according to the Law did utterly cut him off from mercy else would he never pray for pardon of sin nor rejoyce when the Lord helpeth him to do that which is right and just in his sight nor bless the Lord for strengthening him unto obedience unless he thought it to be his duty and therefore It is of use also to teach the servants of God how far they are freed from the Law Use 2 to wit from the Covenant of it so that they neither look for justification nor salvation from it And let it not be grievous to any soul that a Christian should say He doth not fear condemnation by his disobedience he will be apt to fear in this kind untill he be assured of the favour of God but when he knoweth his portion in the Covenant then indeed he doth not fear condemnation by his sin nor doth he think that the Lord will cleave unto him because of his fruitfulness he casteth not off his comfort nor looketh at himself as divorced from Christ because of his barrenness before the Lord nor doth he look for his daily bread from all his obedience but expecteth all goodness and blessing from the treasures of the free grace of God Use 3 This may also serve to teach men some kind of discernment of their own spirits and state if you look for justification no longer then you are obedient and fear eternal condemnation when you are disobedient if you be afraid of divorce from Christ because of your sins or if you look for any blessing and challenge right to any promise by vertue of any well-doing of your own in such a case either thou art under a Covenant of works or at the least thou art gone aside to a Covenant of works and if ever the Lord open your eyes and bestow his free grace upon you you will know your redemption from such dependances as these be I know a Christian man that hath not been clearly taught the distinct differences of the two Covenants may be misled into dangerous waies that might tend unto the utter undoing of his soul but it is a sin of ignorance and the Lord will not leave his servants but clear up his truth and grace unto them May serve to teach the servants of God Use 4 that desire to walk in a way of constant comfort how to build their faith and their hope truly if they be grounded upon your own obedience or righteousness or
is left utterly void and hath in himself neither root nor branch but seeth how unable he is to believe or wait nor can he tell whether Jesus Christ be his portion and now doth the Lord take possession and fill the empty soul If you shall ask me how this spirit cometh into the soul to make it thus to stoop unto Jesus Christ You shall find that the Lord useth to convey himself unto the soul in some word of promise of the Gospel that sheweth unto the soul the riches of the grace of God in Jesus Christ something or other is declared of Jesus Christ This word being taught in the publick Ministry of the Word or brought to remembrance in some spiritual duty as prayer or conference or the like for I will not limit the holy One of Israel yet usually it is done in the Ministry of the Gospel and though the Lord doth not limit himself yet he doth limit us to attend upon the means which he usually worketh by but whatsoever the way be this is the manner of Gods working he doth universally come into the soul in some word or other of his grace as for instance that in 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself or that in 1 Tim. 1.15 Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of which I am chief In some such word of Gods grace he cometh and putteth life into the soul and maketh it somwhat quiet and causeth it to see that there is hope in Israel and the Lord is able to save me and there is riches enough in Jesus Christ to save me By such kind of work it is that the Lord bringeth the souls of his servants effectually to Jesus Christ And now hath God the Father given us unto Jesus Christ and until now thou never camest home savingly This is the second act whereby God the Father giveth himself unto the soul 3. The third Act or work of God the Father which followeth both these So soon as ever the Lord hath given this self-denying spirit unto the soul and hath made it like unto a bruised reed or like a Traveller that is out of his way and willing to take any man by the hand that will lead him into his way again when the soul is in such a frame now God the Father cometh by a third work of actual reconcilement The first work was of conviction The second was a work of subjection And the third of reconciliation This is the third work of the Father though there is in all these works a concurrence of the whole Trinity yet some are more proper unto each person as our Catechisms teach us and we are not wont to scruple such expressions in them God the Father created us and we cannot expound it but as God the Father created us at the first so he doth again create you or else if we acknowledge it in the one and not in the other we do God the Father wrong Well he is then reconciled unto us having given us the Spirit of his Son and now he doth pronounce us reconciled unto him this is the work which is spoken of Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son And this is the work of God the Father according to that which is before alledged 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world c. now there are two acts of God as fruits that follow hereupon and both of them done at once upon the soul 1. Act of God is Adoption whereby he maketh us his Children as Gal. 4.4 5 6. When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons and because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father And as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God Joh. 1.12 So that now we are the brethren of Christ and the sons of the eternal God Adoption is properly the work of the Father but Jesus Christ being the natural Son of God we must be knit unto him before we can be accounted sons 2. Act of God is Justification It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth Rom. 8.33 34. This is the Fathers work and it is principally attributed unto him to forgive our iniquities and to reconcile us in Jesus Christ And look as it is in our natural being so soon as ever we have received natural life from Adam we become the sons of Adam and his sin is imputed unto us so it is in the new birth so soon as ever the life of Christ is shed abroad into our hearts so soon are we heirs with Christ and the righteousness of the second Adam is imputed unto us now to our justificacation as was the sin of Adam before to our condemnation The Doctrine it self is but an Use Vse 1 But I desire that we may all of us apply it unto our selves It will be helpful unto us for our instruction to teach us how we came to saving fellowship with God in Jesus Christ and wherein lieth our spiritual union with Jesus Christ how it is wrought and obtained and this is necessary for as it hath been observed by others so we may now gather it from what we have heard that there be four sorts of men that fall short of this union with Jesus Christ 1. You have some that bless themselves in their natural state it may be they are rich and honourable among men well they bless themselves in that state and will never go any further 2. There is another sort that are convinced of the danger of their natural estate they dare not rest there and hereupon they fall to reformations and so to duties of humiliation and the like wherein they find such a blessed change and so much comfort as doth satisfie them and indeed the Lord doth comfort men in their reformations for God will have no man lose by him Mat. 6.2 5. Hypocrites have their reward for their alms and for their prayers Herod when he heard John reformed many things and heard him gladly Mar. 6.20 here was a great change and doubtless much comfort yet these men never had the work of God the Father to burn up all that they have received by any strength of their own 3. A third sort go a step beyond these They have been convinced that they went forth to reformation in their own strength they plainly see it and discern it and therefore they know that it is impossible to be saved by the righteousness of the Law and that it is not of works neither of one kind nor of another They are convinced that faith only must do the deed and upon this ground they will take up faith to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation and that faith which
seek for some qualification in our selves and think that the Holy Ghost applieth some promise made to such a qualification and so we lay hold upon Jesus Christ a most unsafe building in my understanding for we cannot reach any gracious qualification until we have first received Christ in the Promise and then we must look up unto him to bring us unto the promises and to apply them to us It is not possible that a corrupt tree should bring forth good fruit but first make the tree good and good trees we cannot be till we be ingrafted into Christ which is indeed the ground of my great fear and solicitude and the reason why I dare not be so unfaithful as to set men in a way of faith or any other qualifications thereby to conclude their safe estate before they have received Christ in a promise Indeed when a mans soul is wounded and convinced of some hainous sins the Promises of God in such a case may support his soul but do not lead a man in such a case to see his faith or any other qualification therein to satisfie himself but if I would help and comfort such a soul I would declare to him what the Lord hath done for us in Christ I would shew him all the treasures of the rich grace of Christ I would set in order before him how he loveth freely without any deserts in us I would tell him how freely the Lord Jesus Christ doth invite men to come to him that have neither money nor moneys worth and if the Lord take delight to do him good and to do him good by my mouth he will convey his Spirit of grace in some such word as I have spoken unto him but if the Lord do not breath by his Spirit in my words then I would advise him to go and talk with some other Christians I would not limit him to any one brother but let others also tell him what Christ hath done for their souls it may be the Lord may thereby convey himself and I have sometimes known this in experience that when some have spoken scornfully of the free grace of God yet when the same hath been held forth their spirits have been subdued to stoop unto it so great is the power of the word of Gods free grace set home by the Spirit of God and the meditation thereof doth serve greatly to the firm rooting of the peace of Gods people The fourth Use Use 4 is to such a soul who is brought home to fellowship with Jesus Christ and actually justified being first adopted he is reconciled to God and is become the son of the most High and hath all his sins pardoned both past present and to come It is a ground of much Consolation to such a soul who hath the Holy Ghost dwelling in him he cannot rest till he find the free grace of Jesus Christ revealed to him by his holy Spirit in some promise thereof for Christ himself hath said That the Spirit of truth will take of mine and shew it unto you Joh. 16.14 There is strong consolation laid up for all those that cannot rest without the manifestation of the free grace of God unto their souls other things will not satisfie them the Lord doubtless will withhold no good thing from such We now proceed unto the ninth Question Quest 9 which is How doth God the Son give himself unto Abraham and to his seed in an everlasting Covenant and union that shall never be dissolved In three acts or works about Abraham and his seed Answ 1. First in giving Christ God doth give himself and therefore here is the Son's work to come and take our nature upon him For the Father gave him for that end and the Son came to fulfil the will of the Father and that is the Son's work even the true distinct work of Christ It properly belongeth unto the Son to be our actual Redeemer from all sin and misery 2. As the Father draws us to the Son and reveals the Son unto the soul so doth the Son reveal the Father also Joh. 1.18 Mat. 11.27 3. As the Father doth accept us in his Son as justified by his righteousness so the Son doth preserve us in this estate even to his heavenly Kingdom These therefore are the three works of the Son in the Covenant of Grace He takes our nature upon him for our redemption He reveals the Father to us He preserveth us in the Father and in himself Let us speak something to each of these in particular 1. For the first of these That he took our nature upon him the Apostle saith Heb. 2.14 15. c. For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage c. Therefore it was truly said Isa 9.6 Unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given c. He took our nature upon him lived a miserable life died a cursed death this is the proper character and work of the Son and thus he is made an horn of salvation to us Luk. 1.69 and all this floweth from the everlasting Covenant as also Zachariah Prophesied Luk. 1.72 73. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant the oath which he sware to our father Abraham By him we have redemption through his blood Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 This then is the first work of the Son to Redeem us And the very phrase of Redemption doth imply a double state of those that are redeemed without which it cannot be understood to wit The state whence and whereunto they are redeemed Even from a state of bondage unto Christian liberty this is found in all redemption properly so called It findeth us in bondage and setteth us in a state of liberty Heb. 2.14 15. He took our nature upon him that he might deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time made subject to bondage And this third thing also is implyed in the word Redemption with both the former namely a certain price by which we are redeemed from bondage unto liberty In a state of Bondage we were under the Law and curse of God but Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law Gal. 3.13 and now sin shall no more have dominion over us for we are not under the law Rom. 6.14 that is not under the Covenant of the Law though we lie under the Commandment of it in Christ we were sometime under the bondage of sin under the guilt and strength of sin but by Christ we have redemption even the forgiveness of our sin and as the Law was the
had done they wrought from themselves and for themselves and so those many that were called Mat. 20 they had denied father and mother and wife and children and therefore they looked for great reward having borne the burden and heat of the day and this is the proper character of an hypocrite he doth challenge his reward out of the worth of his work whereas the chosen ones of God are taught to say When we have done all that is commanded us we are unprofitable servants Luk. 17.10 this is one difference in the rise of the work Again there is a difference in the work it self Gods chosen ones work the will of Christ and not their own though their will also goeth along with it others work the will of Christ as far as it will stand with their own Jebu's zeal did root out Baal and the house of Abab freely he drove on furiously for it was an act of his own ambitious heart to settle his own Kingdom this he aimed at no further would he go from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat he departed not And Lastly Hypocrites will out-shoot Christ in his own bow they will aim at their own ends in Christs works Jehu will root out Ahab and Baal but it is to establish his own Kingdom to walk in all the Lords Commandments he did not regard while Gods will accomplisheth his will he goeth along with it but no farther Thus we see there is a work of sanctification under a Covenant of works such as whereby men have another heart and many gifts of courage and wisdom and zeal and power come upon them for the service of the Church and yet you will find that they will work from themselves and for themselves and for God they will not work beyond their own ends and though they seem to walk with him for a while yet you shall soon see the Lord will take one course and they will take another 3. We now come unto a third work of the Holy Ghost in which he doth give himself as God unto his people for in all these works he doth work as God and so expresseth himself this work is Divine revelation he doth reveal himself like a God in the soul that so you may acknowledge his presence power and truth a very clear place we have for it Eph. 1.17 18. c. I cease not to make mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him c. mark how the Apostle doth consider God in regard of his most eminent glory and power as he is the God of Jesus Christ and the Father of glory That he might give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him that is of the Father Son and Spirit That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints c. minde what Divine revelation here is see how gloriously God is set forth that giveth it and also the gift that is given and these things the Apostle prayeth not only for glorious and transcendent Christians men of renown but for all the Ephesians for all ordinary Christians among them he would have none of them destitute of a Spirit of wisdom and revelation and what should this Spirit do it should enlighten the organ even the eyes of their understanding otherwise it is beyond the power of created gifts to reach the clear discerning of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God as they are dispensed in the Gospel of Christ and as in all sight there is the Organ and the Medium and the Object the eye is the organ the air is the medium the thing seen is the object so doth the Apostle here pray that the eyes of their understanding might be enlightened far above the capacity of Reason yea above the capacity of the spiritual gifts which they had received for he desires that a spirit of wisdom and revelation might be given them though the Lord had blessed them with all spiritual blessings already they had believed and had been sealed yet here is something more to be attained they want a further enlightening by the clearing of the word of God which is the medium by which we discern all things therein and for the Object he doth express what it is that you may know what is the hope of his calling and the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward which believe c. these things the Apostle prayeth that the Spirit would reveal even the hope that God hath laid up for his Saints glorious things are spoken of the church of God great and glorious hopes are prepared for them and they are begotten unto them even to an inheritance incorruptable and undefiled that by vertue of our calling we might have fellowship with God the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1.2 3. some degree of fellowship we have already but the hope of that which is to come is beyond all our comprehension and beyond what any created understanding can search into the depth of and yet we may see much in the hope of preservation and quickening to that which is good in the hope of God's turning all things to the best for us we may see much of the rich and plenteous redemption which God hath wrought for us and what goodness of God is reserved to every poor servant of his and what is the riches of his glorious inheritance in his Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe even that mighty power which he did put forth to bring us to believe that ever he should bring such hearts as ours were to be enlightened to see the blessings of his heavenly calling to be called unto fellowship with the Father and with the Son and with the Spirit and with the Church of God in all the promises of God and gifts of grace and duties of sanctification our calling is to be exercised in them all until at length all their enemies be subdued and death at length swallowed up in victory This the Apostle prayeth for that their eyes might be opened to behold all these mysteries And thus doth the Holy Ghost clear up our understandings and the Scriptures whereby we understand and the objects which are to be understood by us even the riches of grace here bestowed upon us and laid up in heaven for us But how doth the Holy Ghost work these things Quest indeed they are unconceivable mysteries better felt then told The Spirit doth reveal himself partly in witnessing unto our spiritual estate Answ and partly by revealing all other counsels of his truth needful for us to know in this our age and time wherein any Christian man
liveth Touching our estate He is called a witness 1 Joh. 5.6 It is the Spirit that beareth witness because the Spirit is truth there are six witnesses mentioned in that text three in heaven the Father the word and the Holy Ghost three in earth the Spirit the water and the bloud but it is the Spirit that beareth witness in all these But doth not the water and the bloud bear witness truly they do but it is in the hands of the Spirit and that is plain by the 9. ver wherein the Apostle giveth us to understand that if any thing be confirmed by any of those witnesses it is the witness of God because indeed the Spirit witnesseth in them all You will say Object Doth not a Divine work yield a Divine Testimony and are not the water of sanctification and the bloud of justification Divine works and will they not reach a Divine Testimony It is not a Divine Testimony Answ unless the Spirit of God bear witness in and by it for are not the heavens and the earth Divine works which the power of the creature cannot reach unto all are Divine works even to the least hairs of our head for we cannot make one of them white or black and yet an argument from the creature is no Divine Testimony unless the Spirit of God set it home if it be from the least work when the Spirit of of God beareth witness in it there is a powerful Testimony the Magicians of Egypt do profess when Moses brought the Plague of Lice that it was the finger of God when as in greater works they did not acknowledge it but thought they could do the like and what was the reason that they were confounded in the Lice truly because the Spirit of God would on purpose breath in that work to confound them in so mean a creature all which sheweth us thus much that it is not in the power of Divine works though they be never so immediate that are able to work Divine faith in us unless the Holy Ghost breathe in them and then though it were but some creeping work or word it would breathe a strong testimony to some former work of God so that it is the Spirit of God that doth make Divine Testimony both in heaven and in earth otherwise howsoever the judgement may be by some means convinced yet a lively faith will not be wrought To speak something unto particulars the Father beareth witness and the Son beareth witness of himself and many great works which He wrought bear witness of him all his life long Take you now the Father's work which is to draw the soul unto Christ through a spirit of bondage to make us sensible of our need of him for every man that hath heard and learned of the Father comes unto Christ Joh. 6.44 and no man can come unto Christ except the Father draw him so Mat. 16.17 Flesh and bloud hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven so Gal. 1.15 16. When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me now though these be the work and witness of the Father yet doth he not work them immediately but by his Spirit as he saith expresly 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Eye hath not seen nor ear hath heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him but God hath revealed them unto us by the Spirit c. In like manner when the Father doth discover Christ unto us and draw us unto Christ it is by the Spirit that he doth these things When the Son bringeth on the soul unto Christian liberty for liberty is the property of the Son and reveals the Father's love unto the soul Joh. 16.27 a son-like spirit doth this it is the Spirit of his Son that maketh us cry Abba Father Gal. 4.9 7. Also the Spirit beareth witness by a testimony from it self which it doth set on more clearly then either of the former testimonies according to Joh. 16.25 The time comes when I shall speak no more to you in proverbs but I shall shew you plainly of the Father He comes with power and speaketh peace more plentifully unto the soul Act. 1.8 Psal 85.8 Isai 57.19 All which sheweth us that the Spirit setteth on his testimony with more clearness power and certainty unto the soul therefore he is called the unction by which the Saints know all things 1 Joh. 2.20 by his testimony we have more full assurance of all things concerning our spiritual estate It is he also that doth bear witness in the water and in the bloud for otherwise though the Spirit be never so much broken in the sence of sin as Davids was and he saw it Psal 51.17 it was the Spirit that gave him to see it and yet he still begs the upholding of the free spirit ver 12. for without him neither the water of sanctification nor the bloud of justification will clearly establish the heart in the peace of God Faith it self is not able to beget more assurance of faith nay it is not all the word of God that is able to put life into faith though the whole word of God beareth witness unto faith wherefore is the word excluded from the number of the witnesses all is certainly carried home unto the soul by the word whether the Father reveal the Son or the Son reveal the Father all is by the word likewise also whatsoever the Spirit doth reveal it is by the word Joh. 14.26 He shall bring all things unto your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you he makes the word take deep impression upon the soul but the word of God of it self doth not testifie though it be the counsel of God for the Lord would not have his people to scramble out a testimony from the word nor from his works for they will not afford it unless the Spirit be in them but when the Spirit doth accompany them then will the soul finde matter to build upon otherwise though sanctification may convince a gainsayer yet Divine faith is only wrought by the Spirit breathing in the word of life Thus have we seen that it is the Spirit that beareth witness in all the six Witnesses unto the state of a Christian It is the Spirit also that beareth witness unto all things else that are needful for us to know in our times 1 Joh. 2.20 Joh. 14.26 The anointing teacheth you all things the Comforter shall teach you all things Great is the power of the Spirit to beget and encrease faith by the word of God and by the works of his providence he causeth the soul to trust in God and to say He that hath delivered me out of six troubles will not he deliver me out of the seventh otherwise if the Spirit do not set in though judgement be convinced yet the heart is not enlarged to believe David could not gainsay Nathan when he told him from the Lord that God
the comfort of the Holy Ghost is more abundant and constant so it is more powerful Luk. 24.49 Behold I send unto you the promise of the Father tarry ye at Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high so Act. 1.8 You shall receive power from on high after that the holy Ghost is come upon you not by the gift of him nor by his inhabitation nor by sanctification nor by revelation only but in the power of all these that in the middest of strong opppositions you might have strong consolation therefore this is the ground of the Apostle Pauls thanksgiving 2 Cor. 1.5 and chap. 2.14 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so also our consolation aboundeth by Christ and thanks be to God who alwaies causeth us to triumph in Christ Thus you see the truth of the Point that the work of consolation doth in special manner belong unto the Holy Ghost yet for the further clearing of it there is a Question or two to be answered There is mention made Ephes 1.13 14. of the seal of the Spirit and of the earnest of the Spirit Therefore it may be demanded 1. What is the seal of the Spirit 2. What is the earnest of the Spirit What is the seal of the Spirit Quest 1 for so he is called Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption so likewise there is mention made both of the seal and earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1.21 22. For answer hereunto Answ to speak properly what I conceive the Scripture to hold forth I take the seal of the Spirit to be nothing else but the Spirit it self as the name of Christ is often put for Christ himself for you shall not read in Scripture that it is called the seal of the Spirit but they were sealed by the Spirit He hath sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 So that as the Spirit is the anointment and the earnest so he is also the seal when the Angel mentioned Revel 7.2 is said to have the seal of the living God it is meant of the Spirit But Quest how is the Holy Ghost said to be a seal and in respect of what workings of his is he so called I Answer Answ There is a threefold respect in which he is called The seal and he doth expresse the nature of a seal in them all 1. First He doth confirm and ratifie all the gracious promises of God unto the soul bearing witness in truth and power of them unto the soul and thereby begetting and confirming faith in the soul for the use of the seal is to confirm and this is the principal work of the Holy Ghost to confirm all the promises of God as an authentick seal There is a place of Scripture which being a little miss-translated leadeth I cannot say into a little but into a great inconveniency Ephes 1.13 In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed Calvin is much troubled about it and so is Piscator the truth is it implyeth thus much that in believing they were sealed this is the true English of those Greek words so that it is the Holy Ghost that comes in every promise of grace wherein Jesus Christ is conveyed unto the soul he setteth it home and confirmeth it to the soul by begetting faith in that grace and so setteth to his seal that it is true to thee and hence it is that the faith which is wrought by the Holy Ghost is said to be a seal Joh. 3.33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true so then the Holy Ghost setteth his seal to it when he gives us faith and thus he is the seal as he doth confirm all the word of Gods grace unto us and hence it is that faith is called the spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 Calvin disputes this point at large when he speaketh touching the authority of the word of God which though it be none of the most learned nor elegant of his works yet I think there be so many plain arguments that they may convince the most arrogant Atheist yet to make him believe it you cannot except the Holy Ghost set in to convince a gain-sayer for it is the Spirit that gives the seal and confirmation of every word of the Gospel And to speak a little more plainly in this point although the Apostle John 1 Epistle chap. 5. ver 7 8. speaketh of six witnesses that bear witness unto Jesus Christ yet you shall finde this to be true that there are none of all that do set it home unto the soul but the Holy Ghost only when the Father beareth witness he doth it by the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 10. c. God revealeth the hidden things of his love unto us by his Spirit c. when the Son doth shew us the Father and so setteth the soul at liberty and easeth our consciences thereby The Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 And it is the Spirit that setteth on his own work much more plentifully by the powerfull efficacy of himself upon the soul Act. 1.8 and for the water and the bloud who applyeth them as for the water of sanctification it is but a creature and it is not in the power of any creature to beget faith for the word of God it self cannot beget faith can any work of God do it no no it is neither the bloud of justification nor the water of sanctification that can beger faith but the Spirit only otherwise you will ever and anon suspect your faith and your sanctification and every Christian knows what I say That if a man have nothing but his works of sanctification to trust unto they will fail him unless the Spirit of God do breathe in them testifie the Lords acceptance of you All the works of creation though they may convince my judgement that there is a God yet they cannot beget lively faith in me unless the Holy Ghost set in with them for the word of God cannot do it no nor the Sacraments though they be seals but when are they seals only then when the Holy Ghost is conveyed in them and therefore we see why the Holy Ghost is called a seal because he doth confirm our faith in the works and word of God You will say But may not a soul comfort himself in the former experiences of Gods mercy True but the Holy Ghost must then breathe in them and his work it is also to bring them to remembrance Joh. 14.26 if he will reveal his loving kindness in these footsteps of his grace then they do come in to confirm your faith otherwise both word and works are dead unlesse the Spirit of God breathe in them he it is that revealeth free grace justifying the ungodly and afterward will let you know the works of your sanctification he
teacheth and none like him 1 Joh. 2.20 27. You have an unction from the holy One and ye know all things c. and in this respect every Christian is a sealed one of God more or less when as the Angel was sent to set the seal of God upon his servants Revel 7.2 3. he did not leave out weak Christians doubtless but did seal all the servants of God Christ is careful to keep his weak servants from inundations of evil as well as others so in Ezek. 9.4 The mark of God is set upon all that mourn for the sins of the times therefore in some work of this seal the Holy Ghost is not wanting to seal all believers otherwise thou couldest not believe that the Father hath drawn thee to Christ unless the Lord had revealed it nor couldest thou believe that the Father is thy Father unless the Holy Ghost hath sealed thee thou canst not know that thy faith is accepted of God that thy sanctification is in truth unless the Spirit of God do clear up these things unto thy soul though thou hadst many promises before thee yet unless the Lord by his Spirit apply them thou canst not see thy right in them But is not that my sin Object It is your sin Answ but it is such a sin as the power of the creature cannot help you out of for unless the Lord be pleased to discover Jesus Christ unto you and your faith in him and your deriving of your works from him you will neither know your justification nor your sanctification to be true therefore there is ever a sealing work of Gods Spirit upon the souls of his Saints though this may be done before the Holy Ghost come to seal you in his own proper work for you have many gracious workings of God about you before he come to seal his own work in your soul 2. The second work of the Spirit in respect whereof he is called a seal is his ingraving the likeness of Jesus Christ upon the soul for the Lord hath predestinated us to be conformed unto the image of his Son Rom. 8.29 and how come we to be so conformed even by the Spirit of God who writeth as it were Jesus Christ in our hearts as with the finger of the living God and hence Christ is formed in us Gal. 4.19 and this image of Christ the Holy Ghost writeth in us by making us conformable unto the death and resurrection of Christ and unto that end he doth breathe in both the Sacraments Rom. 6.4 5 6. for he is both a Spirit of mortification and vivification so as that through him we do not onely finde sin mortified but do live by the faith of the Son of God and the Spirit it is that doth preserve these gifts and acteth and stirreth up our faith to look unto Christ this is another use of the seal not only to confirm but to conform so that of his fulness we all receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 and we live yet not we but Christ liveth in us and this seal the Holy Ghost doth set on more or less in every Christian but in his own proper work he doth it with more power 3. The third work whereby the Holy Ghost doth express the nature of a seal is in distinguishing the Saints from other men Rev. 7.2 3. the servants of God were sealed and in sealing them he doth conceal them as a seal doth so that the world knows them not Joh. 14.17 and 1 Joh. 3.1 we are called the sons of God therefore the world knows us not c. and the more the Spirit doth distinguish a man from the wicked of the world the less they do discern him to be a gracious man the more lively grace is the more it is hidden from the world as men grow more in godliness so they grow more and more to be suspected by the world this is sealing work to distinguish and yet to conceal these things doth the Spirit of God as a seal upon the hearts and consciences of his people he begetteth and confirmeth all their faith more or less he doth conform them to the image of Christ more or less he doth also conceal and distinguish them from the world The second Question needful for the clearing of this point Quest 2 is How is the Holy Ghost an earnest For Answer Answ He is called an earnest in two respects 1. First As he bindeth the bargain between God and the soul he doth confirm all the promises of God to us and fasteneth them upon our hearts and settleth our hearts with an unmovable faith God having given us his Spirit doth give us all in him for he bindeth our union with Christ and our relation to the Father the Covenant of Gods grace unto us and us unto it the Gospel to us and us unto the Gospel 2. Secondly He is an earnest as he is the first fruits of the payment if a man give a pledge he meaneth to take his pledge again but if he gives money in earnest he meaneth not to take that again for it is part of the payment and the whole is but a greater payment of the same kinde so in like manner what is all our inheritance surely a fulness of the fruition of God the Father and of Jesus Christ and of the blessed Spirit of God this is all our inheritance that we look for in another world Eph. 1.14 He is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory here we have but a little portion of the Spirit a little earnest-peny but this little portion is an assurance unto us that he will make it up until we be able to receive no more Now for Application of this Point Use 1 let it first teach us how to speak of the seal of the Spirit all those that desire to speak the language of Canaan no man hath part in Christ but he hath the seal of the Spirit also for if the Holy Ghost had not given thee Christ in this or that promise thou couldest never have believed it True it is indeed there are many Christians yea and sealed Christians which are not sealed with the proper work of the Spirit I mean with that full consolation and universal conformity to Gods image every Christian hath not received that measure of power but every Christian waiteth for it and is sealed by the blessed Spirit having set home some word of Gods grace wherein Jesus Christ is brought unto the soul In the second place Use 2 let it teach us thus much that it will come short of bringing us unto Christ if we lay claim to a promise of God by any work of grace such as we can have before we have the seal of the Spirit I mean such a work of the Spirit as wherein he doth come in with power upon the soul above the power of the word and works of God for they are both creatures and
above the power of nature to reach unto and he doth also preserve them from many evils and tenders unto them the sure mercies of the Covenant but if they will maligne it and cast it behind their backs and choose other things before it such degenerate children of godly Parents their bloud shall be upon their own heads The Use hereof in the first place Use 1 may serve to justifie the righteousness of God in the confusion of the children of Christian Parents if thou seest any child of the godly perish write upon him He is either a persecutor or a worldling or a presumptuous hypocrite otherwise he had been an heir of grace The spirit of God dealeth fairly and sweetly and comfortably with them whence it is that they are oft-times sweetly trimmed up with many good gifts and parts that you would wonder to see how forward and dexterous they are in their places and how comes this is it not from the faithfulnesse of Gods Covenant that we might see and say That on Gods part there was no want unto his salvation but it was his own ungracious gracelessnesse that cast off grace in the means of it let Ishmael perish and Esau perish and all civil justiciaries perish and their bloud will be upon their own heads the Lord and his Throne is guiltless it 's not for want of grace offered unto them for though he had not purposed to save them meerly of grace yet he meant to let them see that he did not only deal justly with them but also graciously in some kinde What a warning should this be to the children of godly Parents take heed what you do Ishmael had a godly Father and Esau both godly Father and Mother therefore blesse not your selves in that Take heed also that you rush not upon another rock for you will be ready to say Notwithstanding the fair Covenant which I am under I cannot have grace unless God work it in me stand not with God upon those terms for either God will bring you home unto himself or else you shall fall upon such terms as that God will take you by the throat one day and make it appear that you did forsake the Covenant of grace upon such grounds as many a Reprobate in Hell would never have parted with it upon the like either you do maligne the grace of God or are prophane or else you stand upon your own righteousness and stablish that and then your heart begins to rise against your Parents and you think your self wiser then seven men that can render a reason or if you break not out upon these terms then you will begin to see that God hath enlightened your minde and to seise upon your heart and then you see that you can do something you can pray and you can hear with profit and the like and hereupon you come to build an undoubted hope of salvation you believe upon this that your soul is wrapped up in a bundle of life and peace and if any man come to shake your foundation you are like a stone-wall that beateth back all therefore if thus you fall off the Lord and his throne is guiltless and you are justly miserable it is the bloud of the Covenant that did sanctifie you but it will not save you because you did not look to be justified by it so that as you have despised the Covenant of God you are now cut off from the saving fellowship of it which else the Lord had called you to enjoy It was not the Jewes crucifying the Lord of life and glory in their ignorance that cut them off from God for notwithstanding that Christ prayed for them Luk. 23.34 Father forgive them they know not what they do but when they grow malignant and despise and contradict and blaspheme Act. 13.40 45 46. and put off from them the word of life now they are cast off Therefore let all the children of Christian Parents understand it and the danger of it do not think that you shall be saved because you are the children of Christian Parents but take heed of scorning of Religion and of high-prizing the world and if you be forward in spiritual gifts take heed of blessing your selves in them for if you have any thing of your own to build upon you will in time tread under foot the bloud of the Son of God wherewith you were sanctified if you be not justified by it work out therefore your salvation with fear and trembling otherwise by one means or other you will fall off from God upon such base and unworthy terms whereby it will appear that the Lord is just in rejecting you and you justly left in a state of perdition You will say Object But what shall we think of Infants Peter Martyr saith Answ If they die when they are Infants they are certainly saved I cannot say it so fully nor have I any thing against it this I can say That they are holy for so saith the Scripture and therefore they are in the Covenant generally sometimes Parents may cut off the free passage of their Cavenant from their seed though God give them one child and another they are not greatly sensible what need the poor Infant standeth in of a Covenant of grace they do not believe for their children nor humble themselves in respect of them and then no wonder if the child miscarry through the unbelief of his Parents Otherwise I do not know whether ever God reject any upon other grounds then what we have alredy laid down In the second place Use 2 for Use It teacheth all the servants of God that are under the Covenant to be careful to bring up their children under the wing of the Covenant it may be some of you have sold away great estates from them these were but the appurtenances of the birth-right but if you have parted with great inheritances for the liberty of the Ordinances you do your children no wrong for as ever you desire that they may have a share in the Covenant bring them under the Ordinances of the Covenant for faith comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 Received you the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith Gal. 3.2 and this is the door of the Covenant Jesus Christ believed on Joh. 10.7 9. Act. 14.27 therefore whatsoever inheritances you sell if it were the inheritance of a Kingdom bring them to the Ordinances of God if they cannot be brought to them and so you have done your part and then if your childrens blood be upon their own heads through their own forsaking of the Covenant the Lord is guiltless and his Covenant guiltless they have forseited their birth-right which is not to be bought again for many worlds In the third place seeing that Use 3 as the Lord receives the faithful seed of Abraham into the Covenant of his grace and in like manner taketh not only you but all of yours by vertue of the Covenant and seeing that