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
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
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
in his Son Rom. 8.32 for he that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things So then this is the first and the great work of God that he hath given his Son out of his own bosom to take our nature upon him to lead a miserable life and to die a cursed death and in him hath given all his attributes his mercy and power unto the sons of men an undoubted sign that God intendeth to give himself in the Covenant of Grace unto his people when he giveth Jesus Christ himself in that Covenant as he doth say expresly Isa 42.6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and will give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles Wherein we may see that God giveth another even that God the Father giveth God the Son thus it is a gift of the Covenant that the Lord giveth Christ to be the foundation of the Covenant and the chief blessing of it in chap. 49.8 He speaketh to the same purpose In an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a day of salvation have I helped thee and will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people c. No man hath seen God at any time Joh. 1.18 nor can see him nor will God the Father have immediate fellowship with any creature but the only begotten Son of the Father the Lord hath given him that he might reveal him Thus we may perceive that the Lord is gracious and marvelous gracious in that he giveth us his dear Son the second person in Trinity and thus he saith to his elect I will be a God unto thee and give thee my Son that shall redeem thee out of all distress and danger This doth the Lord for his people and it is a clear evidence of his grace and sheweth that his love unto his people is beyond all banks and bottoms for the Lord to give us his Son and this Son so soon as he was promised not the Lord only but his people saw him afar off Job 8.5 6. Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad For when the Lord Jesus Christ was promised unto him Gen. 17.16 17. and the Lord had said unto him I will bless Sarah and give thee a son of her yea I will bless her and she shall be a mother of many nations kings of people shall be of her then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed he did rejoyce that the Lord would give him a Saviour out of his loynes how it could be brought to passe it may be he knew not but by a Spirit of Prophecie did he discern it much no doubt This is the first work of God in giving himself by Covenant and this was done long ago before we were born he gave him in his eternal Counsel when he did elect us in him he gave him when he sent him into the world but this is more when he giveth us unto his Christ by Covenant and draweth us unto him and giveth Christ unto us also and this grace of God cometh neerer unto us the other did leave us like Lambs in a large pasture but now as he giveth us unto Christ so he giveth him to us and both in present possession and this the Father doth Joh. 6.44 for no man saith Christ can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me Now this hearing and learning of the Father is a strange kind of learning which the Lord teacheth the soul by when he draweth him unto Christ an effectual Teaching and powerful 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. This is our effectual calling and this is the Lords giving us unto his Son Joh. 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me all this is properly the work of the Father Men are said to be well given when they give themselves to their Books to their Works and business but this we may well say that we are indeed well given when the Lord giveth us unto his Son for otherwise we are but in an ill state which way soever we are given Quest If you shall ask how the Father giveth us and calleth us and draweth us to fellowship with his Son for they are Scripture-phrases and all of them of like value in Scripture-sence Ans In a word The Lord draweth us unto his Son by his Spirit and calleth us as by his Word so by his Spirit also and giveth us by his Word and Spirit unto Jesus Christ In this thing I shall speak no more unto you then what you have often heard and I suppose long ago received as that the Lord calleth his people out of their sins by the light of the Law and by the spirit of bondage he setteth home the Law effectually unto the soul and thereby draweth us from sin and from the world in some measure that we have now no might to those things which before we were full of delight in whether they be sins against the Law or sins against the Gospel it is the Lords usual dealing by his Spirit to set home sins against both Insomuch that thereby we come to be afflicted with some kind of trembling and fear and torment about our spiritual estate and thus it was with Saul who afterwards was Paul Act. 9.3 4 5 6. when Jesus Christ called unto him out of heaven he all trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do So it was with the Jaylor Act. 16.29 after the Lord had shaken his heart with an earthquake which is a sanction of the Law and a ratification of it as all Gods Judgements are he called for a light and sprang in and came trembling to Paul and Silas Thus the Lord draweth men out of themselves and their sinful waies by a spirit of bondage whereby they are greatly and deeply afflicted with fear concerning which the Apostle Paul saith 2 Tim. 1.7 God hath not given us the spirit of fear or bondage but of power of love and of a sound mind c. such fear also the Apostle John speaketh of 1 Joh. 4.18 when he saith Perfect love casteth out fear for fear hath torment which cometh from the sence of a mans state whereby he is many times forced to cry out and to say Wo worth my soul that ever I was born for the Lord causeth me to possess all my sins and presseth me down to the nethermost hell this is one work of the spirit of bondage by which the Lord draweth the soul out of itself and its sins though of it self the spirit of fear goeth no further then to shake a mans carnal confidence but there is a further act of the spirit
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
strength of sin so sin was the strength and sting of death 1 Cor. 15.6 but now O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory the Lord hath delivered us from him that hath the power of death Col. 2.15 Heb. 2.14 and from this evil world Gal. 1.4 and from the wrath come 1 Thes 1.10 so then this was bondage we sometimes lay under when the Law of God pressed heavily upon us the conscience of sin even unto death both first and second death and both Law and sin and death delivered us unto the power of Satan and held us under the wrath of God the world turned to be our enemy in all the blessings and crosses of it from all these bondages Christ hath redeemed us and it is a marvelous work in the eyes of all that enjoy the ben fit of it If you shall ask what Ransom the Lord did pay that we might be redeemed The answer is given in 1 Tim. 2.5 6. There is one mediator between God and man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all c. so that he himself is the Ransom I will not stand disputing whether he gave his active or passive obedience or both The Text is large He gave himself from the height of glory to become a mortal man not sinful but by imputation so that from first to last he gave himself Consider him therefore from his first taking our nature upon him and all is but one ransom for his very active obedience was passive and his passive obedience was active if he had not been active in his sufferings his sufferings had not been satisfactory therefore he willingly laid down his life No man taketh it from him but he layeth it down of himself Joh. 10.17 18. else had not his death been of any sweet smelling savour to the Lord forced death is no acceptable sacrifice Again on the other side his active obedience was passive he suffered himself to be closed in his Mothers womb and when he was born he suffered himself to be laid in a manger and although being God over all blessed for ever he was subject to no Law yet now he suffered himself to be obedient unto his Father now for great Princes to live in other Dominions to observe their Rules and be guided by their Laws it is a suffering This did the Lord Jesus for he had a special commandment to observe both Law and Gospel and in this the Divine Nature doth suffer as much as for the Creator to become a creature and to take upon him the terms of hardship which become a creature It is no debasement unto Angels nor unto Saints to be obedient but for the Creator to be obedient unto the Law of God given unto the creature in this he greatly humbleth himself when he saith Thus it behooveth us to fulfil all righteousness Mat. 3.15 And this is such kind of passion as hath all things tending to satisfaction in it And by all this you may see that from the first to the last the Lord Jesus is a Ransom take him in his Cradle and he is a Ransom take him throughout all the course of his life and he is passive and in all his sufferings he is active He went up and down doing good and suffering evil all his life long and thus he is a Ransom but above all when as he came to wrestle with the wrath of his Father he did therein exceed all the rest of his sufferings It was much indeed for the Son of God to make himself a servant but when he that is the Son of the eternal God and in regard of his God-head equal with the Father shall now stand to wrestle with the unsupportable wrath of God and to cry out My soul is in an agony unto the very death and through anguish thereof to sweat drops of bloud and though his heart as it were seems to recoil so that if it were possible he desires the cup might pass from him yet he is carried before Pontius Pilate and is there condemned and afterward suffereth the death of the Cross this was the chiefest part of the ransom which the Lord did intend to pay to the justice of his Father wherein he did also undergo the very pangs of Hell for our sins and so gave himself a Ransom for us And had not all this been we should never have been redeemed from the terrours of the Law Thus therefore did the Lord give himself in taking our nature upon him and giving himself unto a state of bondage from a state of liberty to redeem us unto liberty from a state of bondage under the curse of the Law of God even unto liberty from sin and death and Satan and this World and from the indignation of the most High A wonderful deliverance But as it is in all other liberties so this Christian Liberty doth stand in two things First As in removing some bondage and burdens Secondly So it carrieth with it some such priviledge and enfranchisement as whereby me claim some liberties which others cannot reach unto and those the Lord Jesus hath dearly paid for by suffering his Fathers wrath which did so drink up his Spirits that I believe he died not by the pains of his body for he died before his time but the wrath of God did swallow him up principally though his bodily pains did help it forward Now by this means we have access unto the Lord and into this grace wherein we stand Rom. 5.2 and that with boldness and confidence Ephes 2.12 even to enter with boldness into the holiest by the bloud of Jesus Hob. 10.19 Hereby we have liberty to call God Father and to come unto him as to a Father and to expect all blessings from him for this life and for a better both wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption from all miseries and dangers even from death to life even life eternal besides all blessings of the Kingdom of grace here below All Church-priviledges and Commonwealth-priviledges hath the Lord purchased for us by his bloud great and large are the liberties which the Lord hath purchased for us that are recorded every where in Scripture So that if the Son shall make you free then are you free indeed 2. Now for the second work of the Son in this everlasting Covenant Presupposing the Lord God the Father to have drawn the soul unto the Son from all confidence in the world and in his own righteousness and in his own returnings unto God by believing through his own power from confidence in his own resolutions and his own waiting upon Christ and from all confidence in priviledges and power of nature and grace received now it may be all this while the poor soul knoweth not who it is that hath wrought all this work in him and for him and it may be he is so far to seek in this as that he knows not whether it be the Lord God the Father or the
toward us as he saith Joh. 16.26 27. I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you Then doth he keep us in this estate And which is a farther work of the Son for this purpose he will send us his holy Spirit as He told his Disciples Joh. 16.7 It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you Thus as the Father sent the Son so will the Son send the Spirit and in the mean while he doth preserve us until the Spirit come and then he preserveth us by his Spirit Now sometimes he makes his people tarry longer before he send the Spirit in this kind of dispensation but we leave the times and seasons thereof unto the free purpose of the grace of God but I say mean while the Son preserveth us Joh. 6.39 This is the Fathers will that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing So Joh. 17.12 Those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost He keeps us in a waiting frame of spirit so that we cannot but thirst after him and long for him and mourn for the want of him and then a bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench until he bring forth judgement unto victory Mat. 12.20 Thus hath the Lord Jesus promised to keep us and this he doth perform 1. Partly by praying for us Luk. 22.31 32. Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy saith fail not so Joh. 17.11 20 21 22 23 c. Holy Father keep through thy own Name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are c. and this is the eternal efficacy of the Son whereby every beleeving soul is kept until he do finde fulness of accomplishment of his spiritual desires and though we may be many waies wanting in prayer for our selves yet he will give us his Spirit to pray within us with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed 2. And as he ' will keep us by his prayer so secondly by his ruling Providence for all power is given unto him both in heaven and in earth Mat. 28.18 and this power he doth employ to preserve his servants from all the delusions of the sons of men The Prophet Ezekiel complains of some that thrust away and shoulder out the people of God Ezek. 34.21 22 c. but saith the Lord I will set up one shepherd over them and he shall feed them even my servant David vers 23 25. They shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods None of all the delusions of Antichrist none of all the power of Tyrants not all the flattering world nor all the persecuting world shall be able to shoulder off the Saints of God from him 2 Tim. 1.12 I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day and the Lord Jesus engageth both his own power and his Fathers power for this end Joh. 10.28 29. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall they pluck them out of my hand my Father which gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand Thus have you seen how Jesus Christ gives himself unto Abraham and to his seed to become one with us to lead a miserable life and dye an accursed death thereby to redeem us from all our enemies unto a state of liberty by an invaluable price even by himself And having thus had the Father drawing us unto Christ though the Father said little unto the soul who had been about him all this while and so leaves the soul in no small distress as the Fathers work is Power so the Sons work is Liberty and he revealeth to us our redemption and reveals it so that the soul is set in an earnest longing after Christ in whom there is a way to the Father and a great mourning after him hungring for him so that nothing in heaven nor earth can satisfie him in which case the Lord doth give such strength and constancy unto the soul in looking towards Christ as encourageth him to expect refreshing in the end though at present he looks at all that he hath attained as a parable in comparison of what he would further enjoy in communion with Jesus Christ but it often befals the servants of God as it did the Disciples of Christ they were put unto new demurrs and doubtings We thought say they it had been he that should have restored the kingdome to Israel Luk. 24.21 these were Simon and Cleophas if it had not been He where was the comfort and blessed hope of rest which they looked for in Jesus Christ we thought it had been he a sign it was a demurr and dispute in them whether it was Gods grace in them or Christ that had been with them yea or no whilest they are at this debate in themselves Jesus himself comes unto them and reproves them for their unbelief and chargeth them to tarry at Jerusalem and there to wait for the promise of the Father And thus doth the Lord Jesus teach us to know the Father and reveals him to us by strengthning us unto all such holy duties as he calleth us unto and though we be many times affraid to pray to hear to come to Christian conference yet the Lord will not suffer us to refrain but we must pray and confer and hear and when we have used all he teacheth us to know that it is not in all these as of themselves to work any thing in us nor doth he suffer us to content our selves in any thing wrought in us but causeth us to thirst after more of himself in every Ordinance until the Spirit comes in a plentiful measure according to all the latitude of our desires after Christ Jesus Now for the Use of this Vse 1 in the first place If so be the work of the Son be such a work of redemption then certainly our state is a state of bondage before we be thus redeemed yea it is such a state of bondage as wherein we lie bound under Gods Law and under sin under Gods wrath and curse under the Devil and death and under the power of this world and all these enemies have power over us to carry us captive unto sin and misery so that great is the misery we lie under if we knew our misery few know it but are ready to say with those Joh. 8.33 We were never in bondage to any oh poor hearts then were you never redeemed to this very day if thou never yet knewest thy bondage thou never yet knewest thy Redeemer the Lord will never so dishonour his own work as to pay so great a price to
some peace unto the soul Thus the Father doth reveal the Son in us and in point of sanctification the Father doth regenerate us but it is by a spirit of regeneration the Son redeemeth us into liberty by a spirit of liberty he comes in the Fathers name and in the Sons name to carry on that work which they have in hand in the Saints Joh. 14.26 and chap. 15.26 the Father will send him and I will send him and the Holy Ghost doth kindly work all to make us regenerate sons unto the Lord these things he doth in their name he doth some things also in his own name though from their power also now though both these are sanctifying works there is a third work of sanctification which is proper to the Spirit this was foretold by Christ Act. 1.8 You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you they were the sons of God before and free sons before set at liberty by the Spirit of the Son but there is yet more to come You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you so this is the proper sanctifying work of the Spirit to give a further power in sanctification he doth imprint a character of power upon our sanctification that we have not only power to be called the sons of God nor to be free sons of God but powerful also 2 Tim. 1.7 the Lord hath given us the Spirit of power when the Spirit worketh this he worketh his own proper work And as there is such a kind of threefold degree in a spirit of sanctification so there is a kind of semblable work that is found in hypocrites in some measure for as you read of the Holy Ghost his coming upon them so shall you find mention made of their sanctification Heb. 10.29 they are said to tread under foot the bloud of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctified so Mat. 20.16 Many are called but few are chosen doth he mean by the outward call of the word truly you shall find that the context will carry you much farther then so for consider upon what occasion our Saviour speaketh it there was a certain rich man that would have forsaken all and followed Christ but he found it too costly but Peter said We have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have therefore verily saith Christ Ye that have followed me in the regeneration meaning in the regeneration of the world shall sit upon twelve thrones c. but many of those that do forsake much shall be last and the last shall be first for the kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain housholder that hired men into his vineyard and some he hired early in the morning some at the third hour some at the sixth some at the ninth some at the eleventh and when he comes to reckon he payeth every man a peny they that bore the heat of the day expected to have received more whereupon the Lord Jesus gives this as one answer Many are called but few are chosen they may be called to forsake brethren and sisters and fathers and mothers and that out of conscience unto Christ and much they have done for Christ they have laboured for Christ and born the burden and heat of the day they had a calling to come into the vineyard and there they have wrought and yet of these few are chosen so that it was not a meer verbal calling no here is a kind of strong spiritual calling which did prevail to withdraw them from all the comforts of this life so far it was effectual and yet these were not chosen so that there is a sanctification that doth not flow from Gods eternal election and therefore it is not to be despised that the Apostle doth add Rom. 8.28 To them that are called according to his purpose otherwise there is a calling that comes from Gods purpose of free grace and then it carrieth them along no farther then to do some outward service for God they may do much harvest-work and yet not be called according to purpose so then we see there is a calling and sanctification that reacheth unto them that are but common hypocrites whence it comes to pass they will work much according to it for sanctification is that which worketh from God the things of God and for the glory of God this is sanctification in the proper meaning of it and this you shall find in hypocrites For they will work from God Mat. 7.22 Have not we prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils they knew their own name would not reach it therefore they will make God their efficient cause and it is a great word which the Lord spake unto Jehu 2 King 10.30 Because thou hast done well in executing that which was right in my eyes and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart thus he wrought the things of God and pretended the glory of God vers 16. and which is more wonderful that they should for the sake of Jesus Christ do many things Mat. 19.29 and these not chosen and such as shall be last in the recompence and what is yet wanting in these mens sanctification is the change of their heart wanting truly not altogether for the Lord gave Saul another heart 2 Sam. 10.9 But mind it though it was somewhat altered in quality yet not in substance it was not a new heart not an heart of flesh for that is peculiar to the Covenant of Grace they want that self-denying faith that is found in all new-hearted Christians whereby they deny even themselves Luk. 9.23 for a man to be all from Christ and all in Christ and all for Christ this is wanting to these moral sanctifications that are found in men But wherein then is the defect of their sanctification discovered in this Take you a man sanctified as Saul Jehu Judas Demas these were men of good account Samuel had a good esteem of Saul and Jonadab bears Jehu record that his heart was upright with him the Disciples mistrust themselves rather then Judas and Paul ranketh Demas with Marcus and Aristarchus his fellow-labourers yet in all these here was no self-denying faith for he that comes to Christ and closeth with Christ must deny himself so then in this these men do shew themselves different from the chosen of God they come not to Christ with a self-denying heart they seem to work all in the name of Christ yet they still work in their own power and strength or at least they work for themselves You read of some that took delight in the Lord Isai 58.2 3. and yet if God do not hear their prayers they are offended a sign they wrought in the sence of the worth of their own works so also those in Mat. 7.22 Have not we prophesied in thy name they do expostulate with God why he should cast off them they expected a bountiful reward for the works they
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
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
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
of the Covenant he is the Prince of it and hath received all the promises from God they are accomplished in him he hath fulfilled all the conditions and received all the blessings and applyed them unto us and wrought all things in us and for us and still leadeth us on unto further and further fellowship with himself For the Use of this Point Use 1 in the first place it is of refutation unto the Popish Doctrine that hath devised other Mediatours besides Jesus Christ they come unto God in the mediation of Saints and Angels and pray to them to pray for them in Heaven and look that by the vertue of their prayers they shall be saved and whereas the Scripture is plain 1 Tim. 2.5 there is one mediatour between God and man the man Christ Jesus yea say they one Mediatour of Redemption but many of Intercession whereas mind you it is the work of a Mediatour not only to do that which may prevail for the obtaining of peace but he must apply it also or else he hath not brought us unto union and communion with the Father And when they make intercession unto Angels for the vertue and merit of their prayers it doth evacuate the mediation of Jesus Christ for bring in other Mediatours and you weaken him in his Office A sign they trust not in him and therefore are accursed when they put confidence in other things Jer. 17.5 But you will say Answ Do we not pray the Saints on earth to pray for us It is true we do so Object and Christ hath bidden us and given us paterns to pray one for another but if we in this Country should pray to a friend in England to pray for us it were Idolatry Paul indeed doth write unto the Churches to pray for him but not unto the Saints or Angels in heaven 2. We do not depend upon their prayers that by the merit of them they should prevail but we look at it only as a way wherein the Lord calleth us to wait upon him so as that when we have done desiring we look for all blessing from Jesus Christ even then when we beg the prayers of our friends When as God was angry with the friends of Job because they falsly accused Job chap. 42.7 8. he bids them take a sacrifice and go to Job and he shall pray for you for him will I accept but must they now trust upon Job or upon his acquaintance with God no verily but upon the Lord Jesus who was held forth by the Sacrifice So that though we crave the help of our brethrens prayers yet the Lord doth not allow us to make our friends Mediatours between Christ and us we look not for any thing from them but from the Lord Jesus Christ alone in that way Now they look at Mary as able to command the Lord Jesus Jube Mater Filium command thy Son and when they pray to this Saint and that Saint they look that the right and merit and efficacy of their prayers shall carry all an end whereas they need a Mediatour themselves and therefore they cannot by their own right be Mediatours unto us But that we might the better understand the mystery of iniquity do not they make the Saints and Angels the Mediatours of their Redemption also what is the ground of the Popish indulgences have not they a treasure of Church-merit which they boast of and therefore have they power as they say to grant pardons and to apply the merits of the Saints unto this and that soul now minde you he which is a Mediatour of the pardon of my sins is a Mediatour of redemption and justification and this is the dangerous gulfe into which the Popish Religion sinketh many millions of souls The second Use Use 2 Is of Instruction how to make an holy use of all the gifts of Gods grace and duties of Gods worship this Doctrine will properly hold it forth for here is as dangerous a rock for our souls to be split upon as is among them for we also may be subject to the like danger in making our own righteousness our mediatours as they be in making their prayers and merits of their Saints their Mediatours if we shall make any graces in our hearts the ground of our union with God we have forgotten that Jesus Christ became God and man and that he only is a fit person to remove all offence and to communicate all good things from God unto us if we shall say within our selves Were I but thus and thus humbled the Lord would accept me and all the blessed promises would be mine if I could but pray as such a Christian can then I know the Lord would accept me This may be a piece of refined Popery but it is Popery at the very bottom if we look unto our graces or duties to bring us unto union with Christ or if we think that by the right of them communion shall be maintained we have forgotten our Mediatour Jesus Christ God and man for if he be our Mediatour he doth work both these for us these things cannot bring us unto Christ for they all flow from him if therefore we have no other union with Christ then that which flows from them we are not united unto this very day But you will say Cannot our gifts and works maintain this union when it is true If they can uphold it they are in part Mediatours that they do uphold it by merit no Protestant will say neither is there any right or power in them to do this and therefore to trust in them is to put confidence in the arm of flesh and though it be not so gross as Popery yet it tends unto the like dishonour of Jesus Christ It was a faithful saying of the Apostle Peter and worthy of all acceptation when they saw the people ready to attribute much unto their holiness Acts 3.12 c. Ye men of Israel saith Peter why look ye so earnestly on us as if we by our power or holiness had made this man to walk the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob the God of our fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus c. so it is not in the power of the best spiritual gifts or works to make a creeple go much less is it in their power to make a feeble soul stand upright but the God of our fathers glorifieth his Son Jesus in doing all this work for us for he is our only mediatour of reconciliation redemption and intercession and if we look for any such vertue power or right in any other means under heaven we deprive Christ of the Office of a Mediatour There is an Opinion as I hear stirring in our native Country that though none of our works give us merit right or power to reach the blessing yet they give us fitness Now truly this is but an English word in Latine we call it congruity and this the Papists come unto that when they be driven hard
which is Christ And so by him are all the Promises and Blessings of the Covenant conveyed unto Abraham and to his seed his faithful seed all the world over and therefore he is called the Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 7.22 meaning the Covenant of Grace Heb. 3.6 These three things do contain the sum of the Covenant of Grace and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and would therefore be plainly discovered unto Christians As 1. What is the meaning of this that God gave himself unto Ahraham 2. How doth he take Abraham and his seed and make them his People 3. How doth he take Jesus Christ and make him the surety of the Covenant between them both For the Covenant is established and so is a firm and sure and everlasting Covenant Now in this gift that God gave himself unto Abraham Observe 3. things 1. The Blessing given 2. The Order in which it was given 3. The manner of giving it 1. In the Blessing given when God doth by Covenant give himself to be a God it doth imply 2. things 1. That God doth give himself the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost the whole Nature of God and all the Persons of the Godhead with all the Attributes of that Nature and all the Offices of those Persons For it is not a confused God that vanisheth away in a general imagination but God distinctly considered in his Persons Attributes Properties c. thus the Lord giveth himself to Abrabam and to his seed I will be a Father unto you 2 Cor. 6.28 and that is not spoken to the Jewes only but unto all the Israel of God He giveth the Son also Isa 9.6 Vnto us a Son is born c. and God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son Joh. 3.16 And for the Holy Spirit This is my Covenant with them Joh. 16.7 13. saith the Lord Isa 59.21 My Spirit that is upon thee and my words that I have put into 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 and this is it which the Apostle also saith Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father thus the Lord giveth himself unto his servants from one generation to another If therefore the Lord God the Father give himself he will not be wanting to draw his people unto the Son Joh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him And what is the chief business and work that the Son hath to do about us No man can have fellowship with the Father but he must have fellowship with Jesus Christ so our Saviour himself saith Joh. 14.6 No man can come unto the Father but by me this therefore the Lord Jesus Christ will do for all the elect seed of Abraham He will open their eyes to see that the Father did not draw them to Damnation nor utter desolation but unto Salvation by him this hath he promised to do And if it be the work of the Spirit of God to establish us both in the Father and the Son then will he convince the world of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Joh. 16.8 to 11. and so will stablish our hearts in the Comforts of the Lord our God and this is that which the Apostle prayeth for the Ephesians chap. 3.16 That the Lord would grant unto them according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his spirit in the inner man and hence it cometh to passe that what the Lord would have us to do he is present by his Spirit to teach us and to strengthen us and so to do it for us All these things doth the Lord work for Abraham and for his seed so that look what is meet for a Father to do or for a Brother to do or for the Spirit of God to do that will the Lord do unto his elect ones and so he giveth all his Attributes and they are even God himself and therefore when Moses desired to see his Glory and he desired it from the Grace that God had shewed him Exod. 34.6 the Lord proclaimed his Name before him Jehovah Jehovah strong merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth thus doth the Lord give himself and all the Persons in the Godhead as they are called and Attributes they are no more nor other then God himself 2. And as God himself is implyed so when God is given by Covenant all the Ordinances and Creatures and Works of God are given also For so it was in all Covenants of old time when Jehosaphat maketh a Covenant with Ahab King of Israel 2 King 22.4 then I am as thou art and my people as thy people and my ho ses as thy horses and all that he hath is for Ahabs service as the King goeth so goeth his strength So thus it doth come to passe that if the Lord of Hosts be for us and give himself unto us then also doth he give us his eternal Election and Redemption and whatsoever he hath wrought for the salvation of his Elect He hath not so dealt with any Nation Psal 147.20 but only with the Israel of God unto them hath he given his Lawes and shewed them his Judgments And for his Creatures they are all given to be for his people to whom he hath given himself If God be a God unto Abraham then shall all Gods people be sor him Melchizedeck shall blesse him Aner Eshchol and Mamre shall be confederates with him The Sun Moon and Stars shall fight in their courses for the people of God the Sea shall give way unto them to passe through it on dry ground What ailed you ye streams of Jordan to go backward Why all the creatures of God must stoop unto the people of God when he is in Covenant with them this is that which the Lord promiseth unto his people Hos 2.18 to 22. when the Lord shall marry them to him in faithfulness In that day saith the Lord I will make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of the heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bow and the sword and the battel out of the earth and I will make them to lie down safely And it shall come to passe in that day I will hear the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth and the earth shall hear the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl and they shall hear Jezreel Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours 1 Cor. 3.22 This is the large Gift of Gods Covenant Nay and which is wonderful and beyond all comprehension when I say all the creatures and ordinances of God are ours the very expression of the phrase doth
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
have professed that it is Angels work very hard it is so to distinguish them from Gods own children as not to discomfort poor Christians nor to imbolden hypocrites we must be tender therefore that the least of Gods children may not want their bread Better leave 99. sheep then that one poor stray sheep should not be sought after and better an hundred hypocrites perish then that one poor Christian should want his portion and yet it is not meet that hypocrites should wallow themselves in the fellowship of the Saints and alwaies bless themselves in their carnal condition If you shal ask a difference in the Root both of them are partakers of the Holy Ghost Hypocrites may have a taste and a poor Christian will fear that his best fellowship with Christ is but a taste and that manifold experience maketh good Wherein then lieth the difference doth the Spirit of God leave the heart of an hypocrite stony and unmelted It is so indeed with the stony but not with the thorny soyl for the hearts of some hypocrites are melted as iron stones they may come to melt about their own estates through fear and sorrow and so all those melt that want not depth of earth as the thorny soyl did not but minde you they will grow hard again as iron or lead will do after it hath been melted Now look at the Spirit of God when he cometh to work effectually and he doth not only melt the heart but taketh away the heart of stone and giveth an heart of flesh for it is not enough to break a stone it will be a stone though it be broken but when the Lord changeth it into flesh then it will be hard no more but though a man may have many temptations yet the Lord will keep his heart soft for ever This is the first difference between hypocrites and Gods own servants in the root though both may work in the Name of Christ yet as the one is temporary and the other persevereth so this difference you shall finde between common and sincere Christians and that not only when legal Christians are blasted of God but even then when they do most flourish in their profession The true Faith of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is never president of his own strength but goeth out of himself and is dependent on Jesus Christ whereas the legal Christian is confident in his Faith that he can make use of it to these and these ends which are before him He thinketh there is no more needful but to look up unto Christ and so his work is done whereas take you the strongest Faith of the Thessalonians who were grown to such height that none of the Churches were before them yet the Apostle doth not think their Faith strong enough but prayeth for the supplying of something that is lacking in their Faith otherwise when it is at the best it will warp whereas one that hath but a temporary Faith he is confident in the strength of that Faith insomuch that he doth not fear but to carry an end his profession in a safe course to Gods glory and his own thus we see there is a real difference between the presence and work of the Spirit in an hypocrite and in a childe of God in particular we see there is a difference in the Faith which is given unto both of them the one hath confidence in himself the other in Jehovah Isa 26.12 13. This is the first Difference in the Root of their profession 2. There is difference also in the Rule by which they walk though both seek to the Word and delight in that you shall not difference them there yet this difference you shall finde in their apprehensions the one is confident of his comfort that he hath in the Word the other seeth need that the Lord should maintain his comfort for him 1 Chro. 29.18 David prayeth thus O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel our Fathers keep this for ever in the thoughts of the hearts of thy people and prepare their hearts unto thee As being sensible that this their comfortable frame of spirit would soon fail them and they would quickly grow listless unto such spiritual work as then they had been about this is the nature of true consolation in Jesus Christ it maketh a man to have recourse unto the Author of it to preserve it Now though both attend unto the Word yet here they differ The one hath enough if he can see the Rule like to the Israelites Deut. 5.27 All that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee we will hear it and do it they have enough if they have the Rule but a Christian attending rightly unto his rule findeth it far off from him to walk according to it unless the Lord be pleased so to set it home unto him as that by his power he may be carried an end in obedience unto it for though he know and see his Rule yet he wanteth some body to rule his heart according to his Rule otherwise though the Rule be straight his walking will be crooked as a childe will write crookedly though his line be straight so a Christian man is sensible how his feet and hands will shake when he cometh to walk or do any thing by a rule therefore he doth wholly look unto Christ as being sensible of his own inability unless he finde help and strength from him 3. There is difference between hypocrites and Gods people in the scope and end which they aim at though both aim at the glory of God yet both cannot attain to this to make the glory of God their last end but the one of these do secretly winde about to their own glory in the end as Jehu doth 2 King 10.16 Come see my zeal that I have for the Lord but he bringeth about his own glory by it and here is the main deceit of the work he seeketh the glory of God in himself and in his own hand whereas the principal care of Gods own people is and â—ught to be the glory of God in Jesus Christ but the other his chief care is to have it seen that God is glorified by his hand Come see the zeal that I have You will say Object Is it not a great glory unto God to be glorified by my hand Yes brother Answ but there is a great deceit in it for many a man will work much so far as his own glory is wrapped up in his actions and like it well so long as God may be glorified in him but all this while he wanteth those single affections after the glory of God for Gods sake But how then should a man seek to promote the glory of God If it be the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ which a man seeketh after he will then rejoyce as much that God may be glorified by his brother as by himself and that is the spirit of a true Israelite indeed so that the name of
work of some enemy to deceive him though he all this while seeth his need of Christ and hath none in heaven but him none in earth in comparison of him of the want of whom he is sensible yet the soul knows not whether all this humiliation which is wrought in him come from the wrath or mercy of God and whether God hath not in all this given him only a taste of the very torments of Hell and the pledge of them to his everlasting perdition Thus may the poor soul be affraid notwithstanding all this gracious work wrought in him above all the power of the creature though the Lord hath not said much of it unto him yet he hath done it and happy we that ever the Lord hath owned us so far Now here is the special work of the Son he doth bring us back again to the Father and reveals what the Father hath done unto us even his rich grace that hath taken all this pains with us for as no man knows the Son but the Father so neither doth any man know the Father but the Son and be to whom the Son will reveal him Mat. 11.27 So that the Lord Jesus doth enlighten the soul by the anointing of his blessed Spirit to see what it is that the Lord hath done for him in mercy which heretofore he thought was done in wrath whence the soul begins to see the Fathers love even the goodness of a God in what hath passed upon him far beyond what he could have asked or thought for And therefore now begins with some more hope and liberty to call God Father for from this work of the Son there doth arise the two characters of a Son in the soul both which are comprized in this one that is liberty and there is a double liberty wherein a son doth stand 1. First He hath ease from all his doubtful fears or at least from a great part of the burden of them some refocilations some kind of quietness falleth upon the heart of a wearyed sinner whence the heart is eased beyond his thoughts although as yet his comfort stands rather in expectation then in actual fruition as our Saviour saith Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28.29 He doth not promise sudden rest He will give you present ease but learn of me for I am meek and lowly and you shall find rest unto your souls The Lord will give rest unto the souls of his people at the present he gives them ease and an expectation of much more plentiful fruition of rest and peace which they have begun to taste of And how doth the Lord ease the soul in such a case so as that they feel the burden a great deal lighter How doth the Son quiet and still and refresh the soul Is it by the sight of his own hungering and thirsting after righteousness What saith the Lord in such a case Or how doth he satisfie the soul He telleth us plainly where our satisfaction is Joh. 7.37 38 39. If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink So that if a man thirst how shall he satisfie himself in his thirsting This is the main question in many a soul May I not draw consolation out of this that I do thirst after the Lord Jesus You shall find that the Lord doth not bid me go satisfie my self by seeing my thirst If a man shall say I am exceeding thirsty and I shall tell him that he is a man of a healthful constitution because a man in a Frenzy is thirsty and knows it not this will not satisfie his thirst How therefore comes the soul to be freed of his burdens He thirsteth after Christ and none of all the creatures can quench his thirst therefore our Saviour proclaims this in the last and great day of the Feast when most of the Jewes were present for this Feast lasted eight days If any man be now athirst and not satisfied with all the Ordinances they had now enjoyed he doth not send them back again nor doth he bid them satisfie themselves with their own thirstings neither doth he tell them that their blessedness lyeth in that they do thirst though there be a blessedness in it but how then shall they be satisfied Let him come to me and drink So that this is the Christian Liberty which the Lord brings us unto when he works in us unquenchable desires after Christ if you would comfort a soul and tell him you do thirst after Christ that you could not have done if Christ had not wrought it in your soul you say true and there may be more in such a soul then he is aware of yet Christ is not wont to leave the soul to quench his thirst with his thirst but you will say Is not hungering and thirsting a sign of health For a surfetted body doth not hunger true yet the Lord doth not direct the soul to content himself with his own act but Come unto me But will the Lord Jesus give him drink He promiseth that he will Let him come to me and drink And he saith moreover He that believeth on me out of his belly shall flow rivers of water of life this he spake of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified so as that which now the Son doth is not the proper characteristical work of the Spirit but Jesus Christ doth come unto the soul and comforts it in some measure and which is a second degree of liberty giveth some liberty of hope that the Lord will at the length be pleased to fill him with his blessed Spirit which the Lord did more abundantly pour out upon the Disciples after his Resurrection And there is yet a more abundant fulfilling of all when he doth come unto the proper work of the Spirit and therefore he distinguisheth his own work from the work of the Spirit Joh. 14.16 17 18. and 16.7 13. he saith of himself that He will not leave them comfortless but he putteth this difference between his own work and the work of the Spirit Joh. 16.25 Hitherto I have spoken unto you in parables but the time comes when I shall shew you plainly of the Father yet he had spoken much unto them and told them that he loved them and that the Father loved them but all is but a kind of parable in comparison of what the Lord will further reveal when he doth more fully send forth his Spirit into their hearts In the mean while himself setteth on some word or other of his grace whereby he gives the soul such a taste of himself more then reprobates can have as makes him thirst after more and more of Christ until he be satisfied with the riches of the grace of God 3. Thirdly When the Son hath thus brought us unto the Father and shewed us his fatherly love
work so great redemption for those that never knew what it meant nay first he will teach them their bondage ver 34. He that committeth sin is the servant of sin therefore if the Son make us free we shall be free indeed but otherwise we cannot be free Secondly Use 2 It may teach all those that are under bondage where your liberty and hope and spiritual redemption lies Isai 45.22 Look unto me and be you saved all the ends of the earth look unto him Object But may I not look at such good desires and hungrings and thirstings and mournings after Christ as are in me to satisfie my self with them Answ Alas you may look long and it may be much ado to kindle a spark of comfort it may be you may get out a spark but then it is but a sparkling light neither will the Lord suffer his servants to fasten the satisfaction of their souls there shall a man that is hungry look to his hungring and thirsting will that satisfie him It is indeed a sign of health but it will not satisfie him so neither will spiritual hungring and thirsting therefore he saith Come unto me if you mean to finde rest it is not a mans weariness that doth set his bones at rest but Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden Mat. 11.28 there hath he laid up our peace in coming to him we shall find ease even a certain secret refocilation at least that will strengthen us to bear temptation so as that you may see the Fathers love and you may also see your own hungrings and thirstings for unto such the Lord calleth us and that puts a great deal of difference between a great deal of common work and such as is wrought by Gods efficacious drawing of us home to Jesus Christ Take you an hypocrite and if he begin to mourn for Christ and the like he satisfieth himself in these things but is this the way of the working of Gods almighty power to bring men unto something that is in themselves Is it not his effectual calling of us unto Christ doth not Christ say If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Otherwise all is but unprofitable work until you come unto Christ so far as Christ is there so far there is life if we be drawn unto him that as he beginneth the work so he is the end of it in us and the soul cannot rest but in cleaving unto him then is there something more then flesh and bloud hath revealed So that this is the way that God calleth his servants to walk in namely to look unto Christ to turn unto this strong hold Zach. 9.12 By his bloud he hath delivered his prisoners out of the pit wherein there it no water our strength lieth not in our own hungring and thirsting and poverty though there be truth in these and everlasting truth by reason of the Spirit that wrought them and the bloud that bought them yet your strong hold is not in them but in the rock of Israel he is the horn of salvation to his people so that I would advise every poor soul in whom is wrought any mourning after Christ through sence of your need of him make the Lord Jesus your strong hold And this is the true work and way of the Son of God to bring you to the Father and the more you find the Lord Jesus the more you shall discern the gifts that are given unto you and the comfort and power of them not that I deny that Jesus Christ doth open unto the soul what he hath done for him Joh. 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art Christ the Son of the living God so Joh. 16.30 but he doth not shew them for this end that you should satisfie your selves in them but still come unto him what though you have many gracious promises that promise many future consolations it is that you should seek unto the Lord in whom they are laid up and unto the Father of Jesus Christ that promised them in whose hand it is to make them all good unto us thus in all this doth the Lord train up his servants unto an heavenly and Christian frame and if the soul should rest in any work he doth or gift he hath received it is a strong jealousie the work is not sound for if it be of the grace of God and in truth it will still lead the soul to look up unto Christ and the soul cannot quench his thirst in it but comes to the Father and earnestly beggeth that out of his Fatherly love he would give him Jesus Christ this is the spirit and way of a true-hearted Christian Thirdly Use 3 This may teach Christians that are in such a way as this to hold on in that way for truly it is a way of comfort through the grace of God Isai 43.1 Fear not O Israel for I have redeemed thee none of the redeemed of God need to fear Luk. 1.74 We are delivered that we might serve him without fear It is in the Lord Jesus that the Apostle doth so triumph Rom. 8.31 c. Who can be against us who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died c. and hereupon he triumpheth saying Who shall separate us from the love of God c. and though we may say That he was grown to a greater measure of strength then we now speak of yet this is the work of all the Israel of God to hope in the Lord in whom is plenteous redemption Psal 130.7 Fourthly Use 4 This may serve to teach us to wait upon the Lord for this his plenteous redemption and to bless his name for it when we find it Psal 103.4 Bless the Lord O my soul who redeemeth thy life from destruction c. Let us learn to serve him with thankfulness and to grow up therein for this is the great redemption wherewith the Lord hath redeemed us to himself he that hath thus redeemed us will still redeem and deliver us 2 Cor. 1.10 he that hath done this will not leave us until he hath finished all his thoughts of peace towards us In the Fifth and last place Use 5 let it exhort us to stand fast in all our Christian liberties they cost dear and we are redeemed from the Covenant and curse of the Law of God from the Laws of men much more that are not according to God be not therefore servants to lusts and passions to the world and to the Devil let us tread the world under foot seeing God hath redeemed us let us walk as his redeemed ones redeemed from all errours of mind and judgement standing fast in all that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Gal. 5.1 and be not again entangled with the yoke of bondage it was a bondage that we were in before and a bondage greater then either we or our fathers were able to bear let
are only fitted to some work of God and therefore only attain to some work of common Grace but not such as doth accompany salvation you will finde this difference between them and Gods own children the Spirit of God indeed comes upon them as he did upon Saul 1 Sam. 10.10 so that he prophesied and more then so he doth sometimes continue with them for a season and so journeth a while in them according as sometimes it is said Jer. 14.8 he is like a stranger or a wayfaring man that tarrieth for a night thus we read 1 Sam. 16.14 The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evill spirit from the Lord troubled him a sign the Spirit of God had been with him before So Zedekiah when he smote Micaiah on the cheek and said Which way went the Spirit of God from me to speak unto thee 1 King 22.24 a sign it may be that he had sometimes found the Spirit of God but now he was departed however it be the Spirit of God is in them but for a season until he be grieved by them and then he doth depart and indeed did never bestow any regenerating grace upon them but only fitted them for some kinde of service for his Church or the Common-wealth So likewise Jehu and Judas and Demas did much for a season by the Spirit of God he did enlighten their minds and open their mouthes and gave free passage to their administrations and you may sometimes wonder how men have been assisted in the pulpit both in prayer and preaching that have been notorious in wickedness thus it pleaseth God to come and sojourn in them and work great works by them such as may be of great use among his people and may leave themselves without excuse but you see where the difference lieth even as it lay between the anointing of Saul and Jehu David and Solomon the anointing of Saul was with a Vial of Oyl and of Jehu with a Box of Oyl 1 Sam. 10.1 2 King 9.1 the word in the Original is the same in both places and it was not an empty Ceremony Gods Ceremonies are accompanied with gifts sutable unto them his Spirit came upon them both and they did mighty service in their times but when David was to be anointed God commanded Samuel to fill his horn with oyl in 1 Sam. 16.1 and in like manner did Zadok unto Solomon 1 King 1.39 Now an horn is not of a brittle Metal but a glass is soon broken the horn is the beauty and power of the Beast so that when the Spirit is conveyed in the horn and power of Jesus Christ it now giveth beauty and strength unto the soul and is not dryed up nor broken in pieces but abideth in the Saints unto the heavenly Kingdom This is the first work of the Spirit of God he doth give himself unto his people in a way of Inhabitation he dwelleth in them and unites them to Christ and keeps them from being drawn away from God by men or Angels I mean evil Angels and preserves alive all their gifts and graces and acts and quickens them so as may be for the edification of those that are with them in Church and Commonwealth 2. Secondly as the Spirit of God gives himself in a work of Inhabitation so doth he give himself in a work of sanctification and that is a work usual in all our Catechisms the Holy Ghost doth sanctifie and preserve us Let us look into some places of Scripture for the proof of it 2 Thes 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you through sanctification of the Spirit c. he chose us to be saved through a course of sanctification it is not the cause of election but the way of salvation in which the Spirit leadeth us so 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience So that it is the Spirit that sanctifieth us to be obedient and a notable place to this purpose have we in the delivery of the Covenant of Grace Jer. 31.33 I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their heart he means the law of holiness and righteousness and he will so write it in the hearts of his people that it shall be carried an end with power in them accordingly doth the Apostle testifie concerning the Corinthians 2 Cor. 3.3 Ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart it is the Spirit of God therefore that writeth these laws in our hearts and leaveth an impression of some measure of power to be guided by them He worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure he stampeth upon the soul such gifts of his grace as make us serviceable in our course to his heavenly Kingdom and hence it is that we read Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit with in you and cause you to walk in my statutes c. this is a spirit of sanctification To make it somewhat more plain The Spirit of God is said to be our sanctifier partly as he doth work the work of the two other persons and partly as he worketh his own work though in all these works they all concur yet they have their several characters wherein they more peculiarly shine forth whatever work any of the persons do they do it by the Spirit and yet he doth a peculiar work wherein though they concur yet he is eminent in it It is the proper work of the Father to draw us unto Christ Joh. 6.44 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope that is the proper work of a Father to beget he sheddeth abroad the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour Tit. 3.6 thus doth the Holy Ghost sanctifie us as the Father doth regenerate us and frame us to be new creatures though it be the Father's work in us yet he worketh it by the Holy Spirit And for the work of the Son the proper character of a son is liberty a servant is in bondage a child in the way of child-like liberty may expect much from his Father this the Lord Jesus properly giveth Mat. 11.28 Come unto me and I will give you rest freedom and ease of Conscience he gives his servants and how doth he work this ease and liberty but by his Spirit the same Spirit that is in him dwelleth in us and breaths a kind of liberty in us which it hath from Jesus Christ For where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 and where he is you may see the soul hath liberty from the anguish of Temptations so that is there any ease any liberty It is from Jesus Christ the Son of liberty who hath spoken
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