you and I will walk among you and will be your God and you shall be my people and in the very Covenant Exod. 20. 6. shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me The Preface made before the renewing of the Law upon the breaking of the Tables 3. Upon the breaking of the Tables of that Covenant before they were written again there is such a preface made by God as can no way fit any Covenant but that of Grace as you may see in Exod. 34. 7. The Lord the Lord gracious and merciful long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiveing iniquity transgression and sin 4. The Ceremonies were Appendices of the Moral Law especially of the first and second Commandments as given to the Israelites and what did those The Ceremonies were Apendices of the moral Law ceremonies shadow out even Jesus Christ and Redemption and Reconciliation and Remission and Salvation by him c. Moses is said therefore to write of Christ Joh. 5. 46. 5. Many other Arguments might be brought as that if those people were not Many of them under that Covenant were saved in a Covenant of Grace then none of them could be saved for a sinners salvation is in no Covenant but that of Grace and yet many of them under the Covenant which God made with them were saved Acts 15. 11. We believe that through grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they c. I now proceed to the Second Particular 2. Quest Wherein that Covenant of Grace under which the Fathers lived Wherein these Covenants agree doth consent or agree with the Covenant of Grace under which we now do live Sol. They do consent and agree in three Particulars 1. In the Parties God was one party and fallen sinners were the other party in the Old and so they are in the New Covenant Before the coming of Christ In the Parties which respects the Old Covenant none but sinnerâ— were lookt on and brought into Covenant and after the coming of Christ which respects the New Covenant none but sinners which work not but beâ—ieve in him that justifieth the ungodly are taken into Covenant The Grace of God is manifested towards sinners in the one and towards sinners in the other Covenant 2. Both these Covenants had a Mediator who stood between the parties at a In the Mediator distance and reconciled them even Jesus Christ who is said to be the same yesterday and to day and for ever You have him promised to Adam and made known to Abraham who saw the day of Christ and rejoyced Joh. 8. 56. and prophecied by of Moses Act. 3. 22. Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall you hear c. he was promised to the Fathers and expected oâ— them Luk. 1. 69. He hath raised up an born of salvation for us in the house of his Servant David Vers 70. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been siâ—ce the world began And verse 72. To perform the mercie promise to our Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant Vers 73. The oath which he sware unto our Father Abraham c. 3. They do agree in the main Promises the spiritual promises of good things In the main Promises Rom. 15. 8. Jesus Christ was a Minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the Promises made unto the Fathers Some think that the Fathers under the old Covenant were fed only with temporal Promises Indeed they had many temporal Promises and some were of special Blessings and Gifts as the land of Canaan c. Nevertheless they had the same spiritual Promises which we have under the New Testament Forgiveness of sins besides that place formerly mentioned in Deut. 4. 29 30 c. you read of frequent Promises of forgiving of sins upon their Sacrifices in Levit. 9 and 2 Chro. 7. 14. If my people shall humble themselves c. I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin Eternal life both promised and enjoyed Many shall come from the East and West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God Matth. 8. 11. They embraced the promises of a better Country even an heavenly vers 11 13 16. Prepared for them a City We hope to be saved even as they Acts 15. 11 c. 3 Quest Wherein they differ and wherein the betterness of the New Covenant Wherein they differ of Grace doth consist Sol. Although both these Covenants do agree in substance and end yet they differ very much as to the particular from of administration or dispensation I will touch only on Five differences 1 In Obscurity and Perspicuity 2 In Burdens and Liberty 3 In Weakness and Efficacy 4 In Restraints and Extent 5 In Time and Duration 1. The New Covenant is a better Covenant than the Old because there is a In Obscurity and Perspicâ—ity greater Perspicuity in the new Covenant and a greater Obscurity in the old Covenant Hence 't is that the Gospel is called The revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began But now is made manifest Rom. 16. 25 26. He doth not mean that it was kept secret or hid or covered absolutely from the beginning of the world to that time but he speaks comparatively that iâ— Now Jesus Christ and the way of salvation by faith in him appears most clearly the Sun is risen and shines without any cloud Behold the Lamb of God Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself He that believes shall be saved We are saved by grace c. I am the way the truth and the life There was not comparatively such clearness in expression in the Old Testament Hence it is that the Apostle speaking of both these Testaments in 2 Cor. 3. he tells us of a vail on the one Testament vers 14. and of an openness in the other Testament vers 18. We with open face behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord c. Let me give you a few Instances that you may the better understand this 1. Consider Jesus Christ it is true that he was revealed in the Old and in the New Covenant but yet with a marvellous inequality of light he is called the Seed of the woman and the Root of Jess and the Oyntment and the Mighty God and the Childe to be born But the clear expression of him is in the New Covenant Luk. 2 11. This day unto you is bern in the City of David a Saviouâ— which is Christ the Lord. Joh. 1 14. The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father Acts 11. 38. God hath anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and
if Jesus Christ appear for us he can answer all and silence all 4. A Restauration in case of sinning and falling and offending that yet the Restauration in case of offending breach may be made up 1 Joh. 2. 1. My little children these things I write unto you that you sin not and if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous ver 2. And he is the Propitiation for our sins As if he should say You that have fellowship with the Father and with the Son take heed of sinning O but do what we can we many times do sin and this is a sore grief and fear unto our souls but yet do not despair saith the Apostle this breach may be made up again for if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ c. He can plead your pardon and put away your sins and make your peace again As Jesus Christ made our peace by being our Redeemer so he keepes the peace by being our Intercessor the purchasing of our peace belongs to his blood and the conserving of our peace belongs to his Intercession 5. A pledge of sufficient help and of all good be it never so great never so A pledge of sufficient help much it will come it shall be had because Jesus Christ makes Intercession Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost perfectly that come unto God by him seeing he ever lives to make Intercession for them Christs Intercession is grounded on his Merits which have bought and purchased all for us and Christs Intercession is the Application of his Merits for the giving out of all the goodness he purchased it is able to carry any suit for you 6. A certainty of perseverance and duration in the state of grace Why will you Ceâ—tainty and perseverance say Because Christ makes Intercession for that in particular and Christs Intercession is alwayes effectual It cannot be denied if God will hear us and grant us what we do ask in the Name of Christ as he saith he will surely then he will never deny the Petition of Christ himself But Jesus Christ did make particular Intercession for the perseverance of his people unto the end Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Joh. 17. 11. Holy Father keep through thy Name those that thou hast given me ver 15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil Luke 22. 32. I have prayed for thee that thy Faith faile not 7. Assurance of salvation Joh. 17. 24. I will that they also whom thou hast Assurance of sâ—lvation given me be with me where I am that they may behold the glory which thou hast given me As he is gone to Heaven to prepare a place for them so his Intercession will set them in that place 8. A clear certainty of enjoyment What shall I say more as Christ makes Certainty of enjoyment Intercession for us so he hath an Authority to confer and bestow upon us whatsoever he prayes for c. One sayes well Praestat cum patre quod postulat à patre quia Mediator est Creator Mediator est ut poscat Creator est ut tribuat whatsoever Christ prayes to his Father for to give you that same he himself also can with the Father give unto you Vse 1 I shall now make some useful Application from this Doctrine of Christs Intercession for us First it discovers unto us the Erroneous Doctrine of the Papists who set up The Popish Doctrine of other Intercessors confuted other Intercessors with Christ in Heaven Although they seem to hold but one Mediatour of Redemption yet they do expresly maintain many Mediators of Intercession and though Bellarmine confesseth one onely Mediatour of Intercession which is Christ yet he extreamly contends for many mediate Mediators of Intercession as are the Saints now in Heaven who though they do not implere grant what we do pray for yet they do impetrare by their Merits for us and accordingly we may pray unto them to pray for us unto God But this Popish Opinion is 1. Most injurious to Christ who alone is designed by God and hath that Priestly Office for Redemption and Intercession who is the Angel that offers up the It is most injurious to Christ Prayers of the Saints our Advocate with the Father and ever lives to make Intercession for us And for us to assign Mediators whom God never assigned and to joyn them in Commission with Christ for our help to God whom God never joyned as this is a most daring presumption so is it a plain derogation to Jesus Christ as if he were either insufficient alone unto that work or else unwilling and backward to hear and help us 2. It is impious or at least superstitious for we have not one word of Command in It is Impious all the Bible to look up to glorified Saints as Intercessors nor any one Word of Promise that God will hear them for us or us using their names 3. It is needlesse for Christ saith Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name It is needlesse I will do it Joh. 14. 13. 4. It is an Opinion among themselves of wonderful uncertainty for they cannot assure us that if we do pray unto them that they do hear our Prayers and in Themselves are very uncertain this they do extreamly puzzle themselves especially about Mental Prayers which are only cognoscible of God himself some of them say that those glorified soules Mira quadam celeritate quodammodo ubique per se audiunt preces supplicantium a most silly unrational fancy Others that they know Ex Relatione Angelorum every man having his Angel Guardian who go away to Heaven with our Prayers But what then of the Prayers in the mean time made and what Scripture have they for this Others that In Deo vident omnia à principio suae Beatitudinis qua adipsos pertinent ideo Orationes Others deny that and say that our Prayers are then revealed unto them by God when we are making of them but how know they that It must be so or no way Object Remember Abraham Isaac and Jacob so prayes Moses Ergo. Sol. 1. To whom prayed he so 2ly The Covenant he means that God made with them not their present prayers in heaven 3ly For according to their Opinion Not at that time in Heaven Object Unto which of the Saints wilt thou turn thee said he in Jâ—b Sol. 1. Means he of them in heaven 2ly Not unto any one Object Dives in hell prayed to Abraham Sol. But who on earth Is it safe to imitate the damned Quando Pater à filio Quando Deus à Christo 5. It is Ridiculous to whistle thus to Saints for they must thereupon
inconsistent nor are they to be dijoyned Secondly If the Lord Jesus himself hath instituted some men particularly for his service and the benefit of his Church and hath committed the dispensation of Evangelical Ordinances unto them then no man under pretence that he hath the Spirit may slight and neglect the Ordinances but Christ hath instituted some persons in the Church for Ministerial service c. Ephes 4. 11. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers Ver. 12. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ c. Ver. 13. till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ What need of these if the presence of the Spirit without these be sufficient 1 Cor. 12. 28. God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secundarily Prophets thirdly Teachers Ver. 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers To these and not to all hath he committed the dispensation of the Evangelical Ordinances 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God Matth. 28. 19. Go ye and teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself c. and hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation What are all these Ordinances instruted and fixed and that by the will of Christ and yet useless for men that have the Spirit of Christ Thirdly What mean those several passages in the Scriptures Jam. 1. 19. Be swift to hear 1 Per. 2 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby 1 Thes 5. 19. Quench not the Spirit Ver. 20. Despise not Prephesying Luke 10. 16. He that despiseth you despiseth me c. Isa 59. 21. This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit that is upon them and my Spirit which I have put within 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 saith the Lord hence forth for ever Fourthly If the Spirit be given unto us to make the Ordinances effectual unto us then his presence should not take us off from Ordinances but the Spirit is given to make the Ordinances effectual they are so farre life unto us as the Spirit gives life unto them 2 Cor. 3. 16. The Spirit giveth life Secondly Having spoken these things I shall now look upon those forementioned Scriptures and see whether they conclude the needlesness of Ordinances after the reception of the Spirit Object Jer. 31. 34. They shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me c. Hence the Anabaptists do conclude that there is no need of Teachers nor Anabaptists answered Learning Sol. First I would fain know Whether these people have among them a Church of Christ yea or no if they have then I would know Whether they have any The Scriptures opened Teachers of the Word and Labourers in the Word and Doctrine any teaching publickly in their Churches Secondly But to the place of the Prophet who sets out the difference between the Old Testament and the New 1. In respect of efficacy this he layes down in ver 33. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after these dayes saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts c. 2ly In respect of Clarity that in the times of the new Covenant there should be a more clear and plentiful effusion of knowledge than in the old Covenant for when Christ came then did the Sun of Righteousness arise the light of which was sevensold to what the light was before his coming they before his coming had but a dark knowledge those after his coming had a more clear and full knowledge Object True and they had so much knowledge that they needed not to be taught they shall no more teach Sol. That expression is not to be taken litterally and absolutely as if those that live under the Gospel should need no teaching at all for we read an express promise relating unto Gospel-times to the contrary Isa 2. 3. Many people shall go and say Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall go out the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem But the words are to be taken Restrictively and Comparatively therefore if you observe them it is not said only they shall no more teach every one his neighbour but they shall no more teach every man his neighbour saying know the Lord So that God doth promise under the Gospel such a measure of knowledge as that his people now shall not be Alphabetarii any more need to be taught the first Principles of the Doctrine of Faith any more these they should all of them clearly know and much more clearly than many or most living under the old Covenant or Testament Object 1 Joh. 2. 27. You need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things c. Sol. The Apostle having in the former words delivered many excellent and comfortable truths he concludes with a perswasion of their knowledge of and assent unto them q. d. you are the people of God you have received his Spirit you know these things to be true I write them unto you not as to the ignorant but knowing Christian you know them assuredly the Spirit given unto you hath enabled you to know and to acknowledge them so that no man needs to teach you them c. Object 2. Pet. 1. 19. Vnto which you do well to take heed as unto a light that shineth in darknesse untill the day dawn and the day starâ—e arise in your hearts Sol. Untill the day dawn i. e. Pleniori apertiori cognitione quà m sub legis umbris fuerit 1. He commends the Jews for regarding the Prophetical writings 2. He prefers the Apostolical Writings which had more light in them 3. Vntil is gradual and not exclusive Fourthly lastly the Spirit is injured when any do Father upon him their odd Opinions and wild fancies and delusions and sometimes their abominable blasphemies which are not to be named amongst Christians but with detestation The Spirit of God is the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of holiness and to entitle him unto any errors or wickedness it is no less then to blaspheme and reproach him Fifthly The fifth Caution which I would
on mans part or by way of promise on Gods part And well he may do so inrespect of that Infinite Goodnesse and Wisdome in God who knows much better how to lay the frame of a Covenant betwixt himself and man than man can know how to draw a Covenant betwixt himself and God SECT II. 2. THat there is a Covenant which God makes betwixt himself and believers There is such a Covenant So you have it often expressed in Scripture Gen. 17. 2. I will make my Covenant betwixt me and thee verse 7. I will establish my Covenant betwixt me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations after thee to be good unto thee and to thy seed after thee Deut. 4. 23. Take heed unto your selves lest you forget the Covenant of the Lord your God which he made with you 2 Sam. 23. 5. He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure Psal 50. 5. Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice Jer. 31. 31. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah which is repeated by the Apostle Heb. 8. 8. all which places do manifestly prove that there is a Covenant betwixt God and Believers Against this a great objection will lie There are some who argue that there Sect. 2. Obj. The Covenant is only betwixt God and Christ is no Covenant made betwixt God and us there is only a Covenant betwixt God and Christ by vertue of which all Good is derived unto us The ground of this opinion is drawn from Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made he saith not And to seeds as of many but as of one And to thy seed which is Christ Whence they inferre there is no Covenant at all made to us but only with Christ or to Christ Sol. I desire not to make rents but where I find them I would willingly make them up againe but of necessity I must consider this present opinion for if This opinion considered and cleared in three particulars this were true how can this Text I am now upon be true which saith I will make an everlasting Covenant not only for you but with you For the better stating and clearing of this doubt and difficulty I will deliver my self in these Propositions 1. That there is a Covenant made betwixt God the Father and his Sonne Jesus Christ 2. That there is a Covenant made betwixt God and every believing person 3. That the place alledged doth not infringe this truth 1. That there is a Covenant made betwixt God the Father and his Son Jesus There is a Covenant betwixt God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ Christ touching the whole businesse of mans salvation Hence it is that Christ is called the Covenant I will give thee for a Covenant of the people saith the Lord speaking of Christ Isa 49. 8. In hope of eternal life which God who cannot lye promised before the world began Tit. 1. 2. This promise which was ante tempora seculorum was made to Christ I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest them me Joh. 17. 6. All that makes up a Covenant passed betwixt the Father and the Son On the Father part He dâ—signed Christ to the office of Mediatour 1. On the Fathers part 1. He designed his Sonne unto the office of Mediatour him hath God the Father sealed John 6. 27. Set apart marked out for that work and the Apostle Peter speaking of our Redemption by the precious blood of Christ saith that Christ was fore-ordained thereunto before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1. 20. And hereunto did Christ consent and agree Heb. 10. 7. Then said I lo I come in the volum of thy book it is written of me to do thy will O God and againe ver 9. lo I come to do thy will O God 2. He promised to give him the Spirit in abundant measure The Spirit of the He promised to give him the Spirit in abundant measure Lord shall rest upon him Isa 11. 2. I have put my Spirit upon him he shall bring forth judgement to the Genetiles Isa 42. 1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me Isa 61. 1. God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him Joh. 3. 34. 3. He promised to assist him in that great work I the Lord have called thee And to assist him in that great work in Righteousnesse and will hold thy hand and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles Isa 42. 6. What is that holding of Christ by the hand but his effectual supporting and strengthening of him to finish the work which he agreed to undertake 4. He promised a blessed successe to this undertaking he shall see his seed And a blessed successe to his undertaking and he shall see the travaile of his soul Isa 53. 10. Nations that know thee not shall run unto thee Isa 55. 5. 5. He promised him Dominion and Soveraignty His arme shall rule for him And dominion and soveraignty Isa 40. 10. He shall sit in judgement in the earth and the Iles shall wait for his Law Isa 42. 4. He shall judge amongst many Nations Mic. 4. 3. 6. He promised to glorifie him after all Joh. 17. 5. Now Father glorifie thou And to glorifie him after all me 2. Christ an his part consents to the Father undertakes the will and work of On Christs part He consents to him undertakes his work Depends on him dischargeth it and expects the glory promised There is a Covenant with Christ personally and mystically considered his Father Depends on his Father Trusts on him for help The Lord will help me Isa 50. 7 9. My God shall be my strength Isa 49. 5. And he dischargeth all the work agreed on for the Redemption and salvation of the elect I have finished the work thou gavest me to do And expects the glory promised by the Father I would be tedious to speak all that might be said concerning this high Covenant betwixt God the Father and Christ touching the elect and all that concerns them I might adde that as there is a Covenant betwixt God and Christ personally considered so also betwixt God and Christ mystically considered Take him as the Head of the Church his body the Covenant principally looks at Christ I will be your God this principally looks at Christ and I will be your Father this principally looks at Christ and so the maine promises as those of Life of Grace of Justification so they principally look at Christ As there was a respect to the people of God in the Covenant betwixt the Father and Jesus Christ so there was a respect to Christ in the Covenant
which because he is your God he is engaged unto you I thought to have added unto all this another discourse of Gods engagement in his Attributes unto his people viz. That his Attributes were engaged unto you conjunctively and that conjunctive engagement was 1. Vniversal not this or that Attribute of God but this and that every one of his Attributes 2. Special as his al-sufficiency and faithfulness his goodness and graciousness his power and wisdome his mercifulness and unchangeableness his omnipresence and kindness his Sovereignty and eternity But then I fear I should be too tedious unto you therefore let what hath been spoken be sufficient to give you a taste of that happiness which the people of God enjoy by having God to be their God upon this account that their God is engaged unto them in all his Attributes for their good SECT VIII 3. NOw follows a third singular comfort unto all who have God to be their If God be your God then Christ is your Christ God in Covenant which is this If God be your God then Christ is your Christ To whom God is a God unto them Christ is a Christ if God be your God then Jesus Christ is yours as Christ spake unto his Father All mine are thine and thine are mine John 17. 10. All that have an interest in me have an interest in thee and all that have a relation to thee have also a relation to me We may so safely say All who have propriety in God have propriety in Christ If God saith unto you I am your Father Christ saith unto you I am your Saviour whom the Father owns he doth own whom the Father loves he loves This is certain that God the Father hath not one sort of people and Christ another sort of people that there are some to whom God hath relation and there are others to whom Christ hath relation No but what relation God hath to any and what propriety God hath in any the same hath Christ and what relation and propriety any have in God the same have they unto Christ I and my Father are one Then if you be Gods then you are Christs and if God be yours then Christ is yours he is given to you and you are given to him Vnto us a Sonne is given Esay 9. 6. Thine they were and thou gavest them me John 17. 6. Now if God be your God Then Christ is yours in these respects 1. He is yours as to his person He himself is yours not yours only in the respect Christ is yours as to his person of his graces and works but yours also in respect of his person as it was his person who gave himself for you Christ hath given himself for us Ephes 5. 2. so it is the person of Christ who gives himself unto you my beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 2. 16. The union and relation 'twixt you and Christ is as real as that between the husband and the wife as that between the head and the body as that between the Vine and the branches as the husband can say This woman is my wife and the wife can say This man is my husband so truly doth Christ say This believer is mine so can the believer say This Christ is mine that Christ who is the Sonne of God the brightnesse of his Fathers glory who is immortal God with us who is God blessed for ever who is the Lord of glory whose Name is Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace The Saviour of sinners the Redeemer the Light and Life of the world the desire of all Nations who is altogether lovely and most excellent and precious in comparison of whom Paul counted all things but losse and dung this Christ is your Christ this Christ in whom is life and without whom there is no life this Christ in whom is salvation and without whom there is no salvation this Christ in whom is blessednesse and without whom there is nothing but curse and misery this Christ in whom is hope and without whom there is no hope this Christ is your Christ But let us a little more distinctly consider our happinesse and comfort that Christ Comfort from this that the person of Christ is ours It is more to enjoy Christ himself than to enjoy all things without him the person of Christ is ours 1. It is more to enjoy Jesus Christ himself than to enjoy any or all other things without himself Could you enjoy every good and every comfort which every creature in the whole world doth contain as all these are nothing in comparison of Christ what is the Candle to the Sunne what is the glory of the grasse to the glory of the only begotten of the Father what is the chaffe unto the wheat the soul of man is above all these much more is Christ so they are nothing in a separation from Christ unlesse the figure stands before all that follows are but empty ciphres which signifie nothing so unlesse you have Christ your greatnesse is but a cipher your riches are but a cipher they are neither a blessednesse unto you nor yet a blessing nor yet a way to the one or to the other Christ alone hath more worth in him more wealth in him more delight in him more greatnesse in him than can be possibly found in all the creatures although dividedly or conjunctively considered and therefore Moses preferred even the reproaches of Christ before aâ—l thâ— treasures in Egypt Heb. 11. Take me the greatest man on earth if he be a Christlesse man he is but a cursed man and all that he hath is but a curse unto him and take me the meanest man on earth if Christ be his he is a blessed man and all that he hath is a blessing unto him 2. It is mâ—re to enjoy Jesus Christ himself than to enjoy any or all the benefits It is more to enjoy Christ himself than to enjoy all benefits depending on him depending on Christ The benefits I say from the enjoyment of Christ are very precious how precious is the peace which flowes out of his blood and the joy which comes in by his Spirit and the graces and the gifts from him yet Christ himself is more precious more sweet more lovely and more desirable If the Image be so precious much more the pattern it self if the tokens and gifts be so precious much more is the giver himself if the words of his mouth and the kisses of his lips are so sweet much more sweet is the enjoyment of Christ himself therefore Paul rejoyceth especially in this that Christ lovâ—d him and gave himself for him Gal. 2. 20. And above all things desires to be foâ—nd in him Phil. 3. 9. No not the knowledge of Christ though it were the excellency of knowledge could suffice him it was Christ himself after whom he principally looked and in whom he would be found 3. All is enjoyed by
one of the persons doth love In respect of love you John 16. 27. The Father himseâ—f loveth you Ephes 3. 19. To know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Rom. 15. 30. The love of the Spirit There is a twofold love in the persons of the Trinity 1. A natural and necessary love so they love each other The Father and the Sonne and the Spirit do so love one another as that they cannot but love one another 2. A voluntary and gracious love with this love all who are in Covenant with God are loved of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Spirit This love of the Trinity may be considered both in respect of the properties of This love may be considered In respect of the properties of it It is the highest of all love it and in respect of the fruits and vertues of it 1. In respect of the properties of it 1. It is the highest of all loves Nothing which is in the creature can possibly be of that height as that which is in God Holinesse in the creature is not so high as holinesse in God goodnesse in the creature is not so high as goodnesse in God mercy in the creature is not so high as mercy in God love in the creature is â—ot so high as love in God Love in God is purest love there is no mixture in that love love in God is perfect love there is no defect or want in that love The love of Parents to their children and the love of husband and wife they are but weak shadowes of the unutterable and unconceivable love of God unto his people As the essence of the Trinity is the highest essence so the love of the Trinity is the highest love you cannot be loved by any that is higher than the Trinity nor can there be any love higher or equal to their love 2. It is a most special love not only in this respect that no other people besides your selves ate dignified with this kind of love but also in this respect that It is a most special love the love of the persons even unto your selves is most choice and wonderful and this you do read concerning the love Of the Father which is in the same Meridian unto you who are the children of the Covenant as it is uâ—to Jesus Christ John 17. 23. That the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me And ver 26. That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them What love the Father hath to Jesus Christ such a love hath the Father unto you who are Christs and this doth appear in four particulars 1. When he elected Christ he did then elect you 2. When he did purpose to give Christ to you he did then purpose to give you to Christ 3. That you are of the same relation unto him with Christ and therefore Christ is not ashamed to call you brethren 4. That you are heires of the same Kingdome and glory with Christ Of the Sonne who loved you to the utmost heighth and depth and expression of love Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends Joh. 15. 13. Ye are my friends ver 14. so Ephes 5. 2. Christ loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God And so for the Spirit He loves you so that he layes out the utmost of his power and the choicest of his gifts and graces upon your souls 3. It is the sweetest of all loves There is no love whatsoever which affords more delight contentment and satisfaction unto the hearts of men Thy love is better It is the sweetest of all loves than wine so the Church speaks of Christ Cant. 1. 2. Thy loving kindnesse is better than life so speaks David of the love of God Psal 63. 3. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us 1 Joh. 3. 1. so sweet is the love of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Spirit that in the apprehension and enjoyment thereof the soule is satisfied as with marrow It is a kinde of heaven unto us every faculty of the soul is affected with it and by it is filled with joyes and praises and love again to God 4. It is a most tender love the Fathers love unto you is so and the Sons love unto It is a most tender love you is so and the love of the Spirit is so unto you The love of every oâ—â— is tender in a marvellous sensiblenesse of your persons and conditions and in as marvellous a readinesse to help and blesse you There is not any one want upon you not any one distresse but every one of the persons in Trinity is apprehensive of it and looks on it with tender bowels of compassion I pitty them saith the Father I wil help him saith Christ the Son I will support and comfort him in this condition saith the holy Ghost 5. It is a most free love every one of the persons loves you with a love which ariseth It is most free love only from love not from any thing in your selves nor for any benefit which can arise from you unto your selves but only because they will love you and are so pleased to love you the love of the Father doth not finde you but make you children the love of Christ doth not finde you but make you righteous the love of the Spirit doth not finde you but make you holy It is a communicating love all the favour which you have and all the good which you have you have it wholly upon the meere account of the freenesse and goodnesse of their love 6. It is a most permanent love There is no change of it nor end unto it see Rom. It is a most permanent love 8. 35. to the end God is your eternal Father and Christ your eternal Priest and the Spirit is your eternal Comforter there is no end of themselves and there is no end of their love unto your selâ—es Secondly In respect of the fruits and vertues of it The fruits and vertues of the love of the Trinity unto you are high and glorious In respect of the fruits and vertues of this love This love is the foundation of all the good of heaven and earth I will mention some of them 1. This love is the foundation of all the building the springs of all the streames all that future glory in heaven and all the possible enjoyments on earth in reference unto that glory they all flow from this love all the kinde thoughts of God and purposes and Counsels and Acts are built upon this foundation of love 2. This love is the moving wheele it is that which sets all the Attributes of God This love is the moving wheel a working for you the Wisdom and Power and Goodness and Mercifulnesse and Graciousnesse and
Christ in us Col. 1. 27. 3. And the holy Ghost hath an interest in you he dwells in us and abides in us 2 Tim. 1. 14. and you also have an interest in every one of the persons 1. You are in the Father the Church that is in God the Father 1 Thes 1. 1. 2. You are in the Son Of him are ye in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1. 30. 3. You are in the Spirit He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. I also have the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 7. 40. Now this common relation and interest of every person in the Trinity as to you and the mutual relation and interest again as to them is a matter of such infinite consequence and full happinesse as indeed I am not able to unfold it I will only touch at a few things in relation to one of these persons and that is God the Father If God be your God in Covenant then he is your Father and you are his Consider this in relation to God the Father children the Apostle admires at this in 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath shewed us that we should be called the sons of God the dignity is most high that we should be the sons of the most High But let us view the comforts of it There are six comforts from this that our God is our Father 1. Your Father is the Father of mercies Blessed be God even the Father of our Your Father is the Father of mercies Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1. 3. God is the Father 1. Of Christ 2ly Of every believer 3ly And of mercies All mercies are in the Father and from the Father And shall you want mercies who are in so near a Relation to the Father of Mercies 2. Your Father doth love you exceedingly Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant Your Father doth love you exceedingly childe Jer. 31. 20. love is frequently given to God the Father Joh. 14. 23. 1 Joh. 2. 15. Cap. 3. 1 c. his Jewels Mal. 3. 3. Though you have offended him yet if you mournfully return unto him he will Though you have offended him yet if you returne he will be gracious Your Father hath enough to help you You may easily prevaile with your Father for all necessary good You shall be heirs who are children of this Father There is a common engagement of the whole Trinity unto you be very gracious unto you and receive you kindly When the Prodigal childe came back to his Father his Father faw him yet a great way off and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Luke 15. 20. 4. Your Father hath enough to help you and he will take care of you In my Fathers house there is bread enough and to spare Luke 15. 17. Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things Matth. 6. 32. 5. You may easily prevail with your Father for any necessary good If you being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask him Matth. 7. 11. 6. You shall be heirs who are children of this Father If Sons then Heirs Rom. 8. 17. Heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ Luke 12. 23. It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdom Matth. 25. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world 5 There is a common engagement of the whole Trinity unto you every one of the persons is engaged to you The Father is engaged to you to do all that a God and Father can and will do for his children The Sonne is engaged to you to do all that a Christ and Mediatour and a Redeemer and Saviour can and will do for his Members The Holy Ghost is engaged to you to do all that a Spirit of truth knowledge faith comfort can do for those who do come to the Father and the Son 6. Lastly There is a communion twixt you and every person of the Trinity 1 Joh. 1. 3. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 13. 14. Thereis a communion but wixt you and every person of the Trinity The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Communions with a Father with a Sayiour with a Comforter And verily these communions are most gracious and heavenly in respect of every one of them when the Father manifests himself unto you in the Relation and Testimonies of your loving God and Father And whom Christ discovers himself unto as your Head and as your Lord as your Saviour in your interests in him and his in you and when the Holy Ghost opens himself unto you in the strengthning of your graces in his comforts and evidences and assurances and fealings why These things are as life to the dead and as raine to the thirsty land they are an exceeding refreshing unto you they are a most heavenly tranquillity and joy and satisfaction unto your hearts And thus have you heard of the happinesse of those people who have God to be their God in Covenant in respect of his Attributes and in respect of Christ and in respect of the Spirit and in respect of every person of the Trinity and in their conjunctive relation and operations I will proceed a little further to some of the rest of the comforts depending upon Gods being your God which I mentioned at the first SECT XI 6. IF God be your God in Covenant and you be his people then all the promises If God be ours then all the promises are ours of God are also yours As you are the children of God so you are the children of promise and as you are the heirs of God so you are the heirs of promise and as your title is clear unto you so your possession is sure you shall certainly inherit all the good comprehended in them I have discoursed largely of the promises in general and shall God willing in the prosecution of this discourse of the Covenant speak more of the promises in particular and therefore I shall at this time only touch at two things viz. 1. The real statings of the promises upon all who have God to be their God in Covenant 2. Their singular happinesse thereby that all the promises of God are theirs 1. The promises do belong to all who are in Covenant with God They The promises do belong to all who are in Covenant with God are stated and settled upon them They are the heritage of the servants of the Lord the childrens bread Vnto us are given exceeding great and precious promises 2 Pet. 1. 4. The very nature and constitution of the Covenant do evince this which is a very cluster of promises I will be merciful to
for the good of his people and makes thâ—m serviceable thereunto All those choice gifts which he bestows on Ministers 〈◊〉 Apostles or others they are bestowed on them for the good of his Church And all the things of the world whatsoever good they may afford they are to let out the same for the good and comfort of the people of God and all the conditions and states of things are for their good life shall do them good and dâ—â—th shall be for their good and all the vicissitude of things are for their good the present postute of things and the future state of things whether of prosperity or adversity all occurrences whatsoever are for their good Rom. 8. â—â— We know that all things work together for good to them that love God to thâ—â— that are called according to his purpose As if you consider ungodly and wicked men who are none of the people of God there is nothing in all the world that doth them good The Ordinances of Christ by reason of the unbelief of their hearts do them no good they are the favour of death unto dâ—â—th â—nto them and not the savour of life 〈◊〉 life the blessings of God do thâ—m no good they prove curses unto them 〈◊〉 table is a sâ—â—â—e unto them and their richâ—◠〈◊〉 thorns 〈◊〉 them and their prosperity is a ruine unto them the judgments of God do them no good they learn not righteousnesse by them they harden their hearts under them and grow more obstinately wicked Wherefore should ye be smitten any more ye revolt more and more So on the contrâ—ry all the dispensations of God either of the world or in the world they are for good to the people of God Outward mercies are blessings to them they eat and drink and rejoyce and praise and blesse the Lord their God Outward afflictions are mercies to them they do them good It is good for me that I have been afflicted said David Psal 119. 71. By these things men live saith Hezekiah he chastiseth us for our profit or good saith the Apostle Heb. 12. 10. Wants and enjoyments honours and dishonours sicknesse and health smiles and frowns life and death all doth them good There are four things which I beseech you who are the people of God to remember 1. All the good in the World is in the Fathers hands it is the Fathers for possession All the good in the world is in the Fathers hands he is the possessor of Heaven and Earth Gen. 14. 22. and for Dominion The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Psal 24. 1. Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thy hand is power and might and in thy hand it is to wake great and to give strength unto all 1 Chron. 29. 12. 2. When God makes a Covenant with you he doth also take in all the creatures God makes a Covenant with the creature to be serviceable for your good and layes a bond of special command upon them to be serviceable to your good he doth not leave them out but covenants with them to do you good This is I confesse a strange expression that God should make a Covenant with other creatures for the good of service unto his own people and yet this you may expresly read in Hos 2. 18. In that day will I make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bowe and the sword and the battle out of the earth and will make them to lie down safely ver 19. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever ver 21. And I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the heavens and they shall hear the earth ver 22. And the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oyle and they shall hear Jezreel There are two choice things observable in these words 1. One is that God makes a Covenant with his people to bring them into a near and sweet relation unto himself this you finde in verse 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever 2. A second is That God makes a Covenant for his people and that is two-fold 1. For their security to secure them against all danger and evil and this you finde in verse 18. I will make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field c. No creature shall do them hurt neither the beasts of the field nor fowles of the aire nor the creeping things of the earth nor no wicked enemies who bend the bow and draw the sword and prepare to the bottle As when a Covenant is between Nation and Nation all the people are thereby bound up from all acts of hostility and mischief so the Lord by making a Covenant with the beasts and fowls c. he doth therein binde them up from being prejudicial to his people A second is for their prosperity and this you may finde in verse 21. 22. I will hear the heavent and the heavens shall hear the earth and the earth shall hear the â—â—rn and the wine and the oyle and they shall hear Jezreel As if all the creatures when we are in covenant with God were so many supplicants and Petitioners unto God entreating of him that they might be used for a blessing unto us The heavens do as it were beg of God that they may send down seasonable showers and seasonable influences and the earth doth as it were beg of God that it may be made fruitful by those influences of heaven c. And God doth promise to hear every one of them for Jezreel 3. All the creatures are in the hand of the Father and as all creatures are All creatures are in a subordination to the will of your God brought into the bond of the Covenant for you so all the creatures of the world are in a subordination and a necessary submission unto the will and pleasure of your God If he saith to any of them Go it goeth or to any of them Come and it cometh your God hath an over-ruling Providence over them all their power and operations and motions are at the sole will and command of him they act as God will have them act and when God will have them act and for them for whom God will have them to act and shall not all this be for you for your good who are the people of his Covenant and the children of his love If all this cannot satisfie you then know that as God hath the command of all As God hath the command of all good in the creature so he hath engaged to settle it upon you creature good and comforts so he hath engaged himself unto you to settle that kind of good upon you Though the earth and the things of the earth be not your only portion and be not your best portion yet it is a part of your portion Psal
which he stands engaged unto you in his Covenant He remaines and continues to be your God for ever and ever and therefore all your dayes may you go to him and expect good and help from him 3. Is it such an exceeding and compleat happiness to have God to be our God in Encourage your selves in the Lord your God Covenant Then the people of God should encourage themselves in the Lord their God and make up themselves in their Covenant interest against all the discouragements which they meet with in the world There are the Creature interests and there are the Covenant interests you are many times deprived of the former The world loves his own and the world hates you and deals hardly and deceitfully with you The world slights and contemns and reproaches and withdraws and opposes and troubles you and persecutes you Now in such cases you should not suffer discouragements to sink and tear your hearts you should remember 1. That you are not of the world but are chosen out of the world 2. That you have a Covenant interest God is your God in Covenant and by vertue of that Covenant interest you shall find that in your God which is denyed you in the world As the Church spake Isa 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledget us not Thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer c. You shall finde it better in your God then it can ever be found in the world You cannot find love and kindness and favour and good dealing and faithfulness and help from the world O but you shall find at that time love and kindness and favour and tender dealing and faithfulnesse and help from your God Though men will not love you yet your God will love you though men will curse you yet God will blesse you though men forsake you yet your God will help you Yea and you shall find the love of your God in Covenant and his countenance and his presence and his gooness a thousand thousand times more sweet and refreshing and comforting then all the comforts could be to you which are denied unto you by the weake Creature O Christians Be not so dijected upon Creature with-drawments and upon Creature failings or upon Creature oppositions there is enough in your God and there is better in your God There is fulness in him and a living fulnesse you have all and abound by enjoying God to be your God Though you have not the Candle yet you have the Sun though not the dirty puddles yet you have streams and fountains Reckon the enjoyment of God for your God reckon this as something reckon on it as your best and fullest good Assuredly it is enough to make up your happinesse and that which is enough to make you happy It is enough to countervaile all other things which can never make you happy 4. Give diligence to make out unto your soules this Covenant relation twixt God Make out your Covenant-relation and you as you have a real interest in God so rest not untill you do attaine unto a personal evidence that God is your God and that you are his people untill you can say as the Church in Isa 64. 8. But now O Lord thou art our Father verse 9. Behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people Two things I would briefly speak concerning this duty 1. You may attain unto this personal evidence and certainty of knowledge That You may attain to this personal evidence God is your God and that you are his people for asmuch as 1. You have expreesse promises for this in Zach. 13. 9. They shall call upon my Name and I will hear them I will say It is my people and they shall say The Lord is my God So Ezek. 34. 30. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they even the house of Israel are my peaple saith the Lord God 2. Both the graces of the Spirit and the testimony of the Spirit can make the Covenant relation evident unto you The graces in you are the infallible characters that God is indeed your God and that you are indeed his people The Spirit of grace is given only unto the people of God and unto every one of the people of God and besides that you have the testimony of the Spirit Rom. 8. 15. Yea have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Gather Verse 16. The Spirit it self beâ—â—eth witnesse with our spirit that we are the Children of God You should strive to attain to this evidence The advantage of it For the setling of the heart 2. You should strive to attain unto this personal evidence of your relation Next to your being in the Covenant I do not know any one thing of that advantage unto you as the knowledge upon sure grounds that God is your God in Covenant It is of singular advantage and benefit unto you 1. For the setling of the heart If this Covenant relation were known of you you may say as David Return unto thy rest O my soule Psal 116. 7. Your souls cannot be setled by knowing what is happiness but by knowing your propriety in happinesse whiles your propriety is unsetled all is unsetled within you and if that be obtained all is peace and at peace I know that this God is my God 2. For the Comfort and joy of your hearts It is fruition joyned with knowledge For the comfort of your hearts which is the Spring of all delight and comfort You have heard the precious comforts which belong unto the people of God who have God to be their God and yet none of them have made comfort within your soules because you are doubtful whether God be your God it is certain you cannot taste the comforts whiles you fear your title and interest But if your interest were clear your joy would be full happinesse known to be ours is a necessary cause of joy The Saints in glory have most joy because they have the fullest knowledge of the enjoyment of their happinesse 3. For your confidence in approaching unto God and in the application of the several For your confidence in approaching to God promises of God your wayes to God would be alwaies open and faire in all your duties and in all the Ordinances you might say I am now going to my God and Father to help me and that promise is my portion and this promise is my hope They are all of them mine for God himself is mine He hath given them every one of them unto me 2 Pet. 1. 4. That I might not fear that I might have strong hope and consolation and encouragement I will say no more unto you but this the knowledge of your Covenant-relation unto God it is the life of your lives and the life of your prayers and the life of your confidences and the life of your hope and
shall we drink or wherewithal shall we be cloathed Verse 32. For your heavenly Father knoweth you have need of all these things James 5. 7. Cast all your care on him for he careth for you I will tell you what your inordinate cares for the things of this life Inordinate cares are Your burdens are 1. They are your burdens David calls them so Psalme 55. 27. They sit more heavy upon your spirits than your wants do they are like the guilt of sinne in the conscience which makes us to go heavy all the day long 2. They are vexations They pierce us through with many sorrows 1 Tim. Your vexations 6. 10. Scratching tearing wounding thornes as our Saviour calls them 3. They are vanities As the King of Assyria distressed Ahaz but helped him not at all so our inordinate cares are are fruitful troubles but fruitlesse They are vanities helps They cannot adde one cubit to our stature Matth. 6. 27. 4. They are Indecâ—rums fit for Heathens who know not God nay unfit They are Indecorums for Christians who know and also enjoy God for their God 5. They are dishonours unto you and unto your Relation As if God were worse than an Infidel that he will not provide for his own They are dishonours houshold 6. They are very sins they justle aside the glory of the Covenant and the fidelity They are very sinnes Twelve things in respect of God to remove our cares His sufficiency and sufficiency of divine providence But to let these things passe I beseech you who are the people of God to remember and consider twelve things in respect of your God to remove your cares 1. His sufficiency He is able to supply all your wants and to succour you in all your distresses 2. His Omnisciency He knowes every want and strait that lies upon you as Omnisciency all his works so all your wants are known unto him He knows that you have need of all these things 3. His Authority The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Authority All the creatures and all your helps are in his hands and depend on his Command 4. His Willingnesse He is willing to do you good or else he had never promised Willingnesse all good unto you he is your Father 5. His Engagement He binds himself by Covenant to supply you He must Engagement wrong himself if he should forget you 6. His tendernesse His love as you have often heard is more to you than Tendernesse all the world 7. His Bounty He hath given you Christ and grace and will give you glory Bounty and how shall he not with these give you all other things 8. His Fidelity He is faithful who hath promised he never yet brake his Fidelity word or did fail his people 9. His extent of undertaking for all your life long I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. His extent of undertaking for us all our life The accounts of his careful proyisions His undertaking for our posterity 10. The accounts and reports of his careful provisions by his own people and their opinion of him Gen. 48. 15. The God which fed me all my life long unto this day said Jacob. Psal 37. 25. I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his â—eed begging bread 11. God undertakes even for your children and posterity also and is it likely that he will fail your selves The generation of the upright shall be blessed Psal 112. 2. I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee Gen. 17. 7. 12. He doth good to his enemies therefore he cannot forget his friends If he feeds the dogs surely he will feed his children If he provides for the Ravens His doing good to his enemies surely he will provide for his people 6. You who are the people of God should walk without inordinate feares Walk without inordinate fears even upon this account because you have God to be your God Gen. 15. 1. Fear not Abram I am thy shield and thy excâ—eding great reward Isa 41. 10. Fear thou not for I am with thee Be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uâ— hold thee with the right hand of my righteousnessâ— Isa 43. 1. Fear not for I have Redeemed thee I have called thee by name Thou art mine Verse 2. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flames kindle upon thee Verse 3. For I am the Lord thy God the holy One of Israel thy Saviour There are seven fears against which the Covenant-Interest should secure the Our Covenant interest should secure us against hearts of the people of God 1. A fear what man can do 2. A fear what Satan can do 3. A fear what God will do 4. A fear what we our selves shall do 5. A fear what ours shall do 6. A fear what the Churches of Christ shall do 7. A fear what death may do 1. Your Covenant-interest and relation should secure you against the fear what The fear of what man can do man can do Psal 118. 6. The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me We are sometimes afraid of the power of man and why are we so I even I am he that comforteth you who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die and the sonne of man that shall be made as grasse And forgettest the Lord thy Maker Isa 51. 12 13. Of the rage and fury oâ— man and why are we so Thou hast feared continually because of the fury of the oppressor as if he were ready to deâ—â—roy And where is the fury of thâ— oppressor Isa 51. 13. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee and the remainder of wrath shâ—lt thou restrain Psal 76. 10. Of the plots and combinations of men and why are we so Say ye not a confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a confederacy neither feare ye their fear nor be afraid Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread and he shall be for a Sanctuary So in verse 9. Associate your selves O ye pâ—ople and ye shall be broken in pieces c. Verse 10. Take counsel together and it shall come to naught speak the word and it shall not stand for God is with us 2. Your Covenant-interest and relation should secure you against the feares Against the fear of what Satan can do of what Satan can do You are many times exceeding afraid of the dreadful power of Satan as if he might command you and force you to such sinful thoughts and sinful acts which make your hearts
the good which we do enjoy or can enjoy or shall ever enjoy all our springs are in it 4. Sometimes that is stiled New which is diverse from what it was before It is diverse from the Covenant of works and from it self 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature that is he is not such a creature as he was before he is renewed he is changed into the image of the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. In this respect also is the Covenant stiled New not only because it is diverse from the Covenant of works in the foundation and condition and qualifications of the persons in Covenant but also because it is diverse from it self in respect of the administration of it after that Christ was manifested in the flesh and died and rose again from the different administration it is called Old and New Now it appears with open face without any vaile of legal Shadows and Ceremonies at all God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself and God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne and whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life It is now like a new Lease fairely written over with a new hand and new seals and new witnesses Though this Covenant be the same for substance in Abrahams and Moses time yet upon the coming of Christ it is new for the manner of administration it hath not those seals of Circumcision and the Passeover nor Sacrifices nor Ceremonies nor Types and Legal Figures which formerly it had it hath now the Mediator himself to deliver it and his new seals of Baptisme and the Supper and is established after a new manner even by the blood of Christ and hath many new institutions and adjuncts c. This is the Covenant which God makes with us even a New Covenant a Covenant of life upon new termes a Covenant which hath a new foundation a Covenant which hath new promises a Covenant which hath a new original and spring a Covenant which hath a new way of claime and title a Covenant which gives new hopes and a Covenant which hath new seals and confirmations Vse 1 Surely there is infinite reason for us poor and miserable sinners to bless the Lord even for this that he hath made all things New and especially for making a new Blesse God for this New Covenant Covenant had the Lord utterly left us when we left him had he held us to that first Covenant of works and proceeded against us for the breach of that Covenant we had every one of us for ever been condemned and lost but he was pleased to make a new Covenant with us where mercy is to be found for sinners and a Redeemer for transgressors and a Mediator 'twixt himself and us and our lives may yet be found in his grace and love and Christ and all this springing from his own grace and love What should oblige our hearts and raise our thankfulnesse if this doth not 2. Then there is no reason for distressed sinners to sink and despair although they have been Covenant-breakers and are never able to recompense God nor There is no reason for sinners to despair to raise up themselves for this new Covenant is made for the refuge and support of such sinners And herein God reveals himself to be a God forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne and to receive satisfaction for a sinner though not from the sinner I say for a sinner by a Mediator who hath likewise purchased reconciliation and favour and mercy and salvation for us 3. Not to refuse this Covenant this new Covenant for as it is said of Christ Refuse not this Covenant That there is no other Name given to us by which we must be saved Acts 4. 12. so there is no Covenant but this new Covenant which can relieve and save a sinner as it was with men in the time of the Deluge and the Ark all that got into the Ark were saved and all who entred not into the Ark were lost so all who get into this new Covenant they live and are saved and all who enter not into this New Covenant shall dye in their sinnes and perish SECT II. 2. A Second propriety of the Covenant is this it is a very perfect plentiful It is a perfect and plentiful Covenant and rich Covenant And this will appear weâ—her you will consider 1. The Author of this Covenant 2. Or the Mediator of this Covenant 3. Or the Covenant it self It appears by The Author of this Covenant 1. The Author of this Covenant who therein sets out all his gracious fulness here you shall finde him full of love and therefore the Apostle calls his love a great love Ephes 2. 4. and an exalted love God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 5. 8. And Saint John calls it a wonderful love Behold what manner of love the Father haâ—h bestowed upon us that we should be called the sonnes of God! 1 John 3. 1. Nay Christ himself calls it an unexpressible love God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne c. John 3. 16. And the Apostle repeats the love of God as the character and pattern of all love Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for us In mercy in relation to this Covenant he is said to be rich in mercy Ephes 2. 4. God who is rich in mercy nay to have riches of mercy Ephes 3. 16. According to the riches â—f his glory nay to shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus Ephes 2. 7. nay to be exceeding abundant 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant abundant mercy 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 to a lively hope where sinne abounded grace did much more abound Rom. 5. 20. Sinne doth exceedingly abound by way of extension and by way of intension in practice in degrees and in deserts but the mercy or grace of God it doth over-abound it is more than enough for the pardoning of the greatest sinners yea of all the sinnes of all his people his mercy is like himself infinite and unsearchable And therefore the Church cryes out Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage c. In goodnesse not only full of an essential goodnesse which is his own eternal and infinite perfection but also full of a Covenant goodnesse O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that trust in thee before the sonnes of men Psal 31. 19. He is great in goodnesse Nehem. 9. 35. He is abundant in goodnesse Exod.
Covenant because he is a third person engaged not so much for God as unto God on our behalf that all that we are obliged for in Covenant unto God shall be truly and faithfuly made good and performed He as our surety stands bound to fill us with those graces to give us those affections and to supply us with such a sufficiency of strength as for ever to cleave unto the Lord in dependance and love and to walk before him in truth and to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all out dayes 2. The Mediatorship of Christ you know that he is stiled the Mediator of The Mediatorship of Christ the Covenant Heb. 12. 24. You know that this is one difference 'twixt the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace that had no Mediator but this hath there God dealt with Adam as a righteous person and Adam had no other bottome and foundation for his standing but his own created righteousnesse as long as he kept that the Covenant remained and when he lost that the Covenant was broken for there was no Mediator to make up the breach But now for the Covenant of grace there is a Mediator upon whose shoulder the weight of the Covenant rests and as long as that Mediator lasts which is for ever so long that Covenant of grace shall last This Mediator is Jesus Christ who as Mediator doth confirm the Covenant by satisfying for sinne and making peace and reconciliation not suffering any enmity and difference to remain between God and his people but he doth if I may so expresse it keep up the League 'twixt them both by his merit with the Father and by his Spirit with believers by his Priestly Office he establisheth peace with God and by his Kingly Office he establisheth the hearts of the children of God his very Office as Mediator is to unite God and us together and to preserve that union for ever if at any time we sinne we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sinnes and when we are weak he then puts out his strength to conquer temptations for us All these things considered it is clear that because of Christs Mediatorship the Covenant of grace must be everlasting 3. The union 'twixt Christ and the people of the Covenant That there is an The union betwixt Christ and his people union 'twixt Christ and believers is most evident in Scripture I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine so the Church speaks of Christ Cant. 6. 3. in respect of which union Christ and believers are stiled the head and the body Eph. 1. 22. A foundation and a building Eph. 2. 20 21. 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. A Vine and the branches John 15. 5. A husband and wife 2 Cor. 11. 2. Eph. 5. 32. And Christ dwells in us and we in him John 6. 54. He lives in us Galatians 2. 20. Christ liveth in me and we live in him Col. 3. 3. This union 'twixt Christ and us it hath two properties It is 1. Unio arcta a very near union so near is that union that in a proportion it doth answer the union 'twixt Christ and God his Father John 17. 22. That they may be one even as we are one and that we are entitled with the very Name of Christ himself 1 Cor. 12. 12. and that we are said to die with Christ and to live and rise with Christ and our sufferings are stiled his sufferings Col. 1. 24. and the persecution of Christians the persecution of Christ Acts 9. 4 5. Why persecutest thou me 2. Firma a very firm and lasting union therefore our marriage with him is called an everlasting marriage Hosea 2. 19. And Christ saith of every believer who hath union with him that he dwells in him John 6. 56. that he will not lose him ver 39. that he hath everlasting life ver 47. that he shall not die but live for ever ver 50 51. And indeed by vertue of this union with Christ all believers do enjoy an everlasting influence and an everlasting communion with God in Christ c. 4. The love of Christ unto believers who are the people of God in Covenant The love of Christ unto believers the Scriptures are very high in the expression of it John 15. 9. As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love Ephes 5. 2. Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Rev. 1. 5. Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood John 13. 1. Having loved his own he loved them to the end Ephes 3. 19. The love of Christ which passeth knowledge His love is a fruitful love a watchful love an intire love a faithful love an helpful love and a preserving and upholding love is it imaginable that Jesus Christ having so much love to die for his people that they might not perish will after that leave them unto themselves that they may break the Covenant and so perish 5. The prayers and intercession of Christ the intercession of Christ is everlasting The prayers and Intercession of Christ He ever lives to make intercession he is our Advocate who appeares for us and our Intercessor who speaks for us and his prayers and intercession do prevail with the Father Thou hearest me alwayes Joh. 11. 42. Now you may read of four Petitions which Christ did put up for his for their constancy and perseverance in the Covenant Luke 22. 32. I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Joh. 17. 11. Holy Father keep through thine own Name those that thou hast given me Ver. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me before the foundation of the world 6. Christs promises and preparations and what are these Rom. 8. 1. Thâ—re is Christs promises and preparations no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved John 3. 16. Whosoever believeth in him shall nâ—t perish but have eternal life John 14. 2. In my Fathers house are many Mansions I go to prepare a place for you 7. I might adde to all these the work of Christ on the hearts of believers in destroying The work of Christ on the hearts of believers the works of the devil in crucifying of their lusts in healing of their natures in quickening of their graces in conquering of temptations in drawing out their affections c. 8. The titles of Christ 1. Our Rock 2.
grace and salvation shall never part 2. The second thing which I would shew unto you about the comparison of the This Covenant is a better Covenant than that old Covenant under which the Fathers lived Covenant is this That the new Covenant of grace under which we do live is a better Covenant then that old Covenant of grace under which the Fathers lived and the people of God of old time For the managing of this mighty and intricate Point I shall deliver unto you three particulars 1. That none of the people of God in any age of the world since the fall of Adam had a Covenant of works given unto them by God for life but the Covenant which God made with them for life was a Covenant of Grace 2. Wherein that Covenant of Grace under which the people of God of old lived consents or agrees with the Covenant of Grace under which we do now live 3. The pre-eminency or betternesse of this New Covenant in a comparison with that old Covenant 1. That none of the people of God in any age of the world since the fall had a Covenant None of the people of God since the fall had a Covenant of works given them for life but a Covenant of Grace as of works given unto them by God for life but they had all of them a Covenant of Grace given unto them for life Let us if you please calculate the several Ages or times of the Church of God and then you shall clearly see the truth of what I speak 1. As soon as Adam fell God was pleased to set up the Covenant of Grace in the form of a promise for he made a promise of Christ as a Saviour and deliverer Gen. 3. 15. I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele Here is an express Immediately upon Adams fall promise of Christ who is called the seed of the woman because he was to take our nature upon him And the work or Office of Christ is to bruse the head of the Serpent that is Jesus Christ was to conquer and destroy him and surely the conquest and destruction of of Satan imports our full deliverance from him and restoration of us into the estate of freedom and grace and happinesse The which Christ doth by having his heel bruised that is by dying and suffering for us and hereby procuring life and salvation The Apostle calls it His putting to death concerning the flesh 1 Pet 3. 18. And in this respect Christ is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13. 8. because the death of Christ by which our deliverance and salvation is wrought was published and promised from the beginning of the world Now there is no Covenant wherein Christ comes in on the behalf of sinners but that Covenant is a Covenant of Grace 2. Again pursue this from Adam to Abel and from Abel to Enoch and from From Adam to Noah Enoch to Noah it is evident they were not under a Covenant of works but of grace And I will give you one reason for it or rather the Apostle will do it for me who speaking of Abel and Enoch he doth commend the one for his more excellent sacrifice Heb. 11. 4. and the other for his pleasing of God verse 5. and both of them and Noah also for faith for he adds in verse 6. But without faith it is impossible to please God whence I argue thus That those persons who enjoyed such a faith by which their persons and services were pleasing unto God and graciously accepted of him those were not in a Covenant of works but in a Covenant of Grace Nay look on the words once more verse 4. By faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice then Cain by which he obtained witness that he was righteous And verse 7. Noah became heir of the righteousness which is by faith verily a righteousnesse by faith is no righteousnesse in a Covenant of works but of grace It is that righteousnesse through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3. 9. 3. Let us advance one step further from Noah to Abraham where we shall hear From Noah to Abraham of the Covenant again Gen. 17. 2. I will make my Covenant between me and thee and verse 7. I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generation for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Here is a Covenant expresly made twixt God and Abraham but what Covenant was it Surely not a Covenant of works but a Covenant of grace And that I shall clear unto you by four particulars which I pray you well to consider and observe 1. In this Covenant you have Jesus Christ promised unto Abraham so the Apostle in Gal. 3. 16. To Abraham and his seed was the promise made he saith not to thy seeds as speaking of many but of one who is Christ 2. Abraham In relation to this Covenant is stiled a believer yea the Father of all them that believe Rom. 4. 11. And the Gospel was the means of his faith which was a justifying faith Gal. 3. 8. The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed 3. He received the signe of Circumcision a seale of the righteousness of faith Rom. 4. 11. 4. Moreover it is said of Abraham Isaac and Jacob that they are in the kingdom of Heaven Matth. 8. 11. And of all the Elders with Abraham that they did desire a better Country that is an heavenly Heb. 11. 16. And this also proves that neither he or they were under a Covenant of works which never brought any to Heaven but under a Covenant of Grace for by grace ye are saved Ephes 2. 5. 5. Let us go forward from Abraham to Moses and there let us consider whether the Church were under a Covenant of works or of grace That From Abraham to Moses God set up a Covenant in Moses time the Scripture doth clearly teach us Exod. 19. 5. If ye will obey my voice and keep my Covenant Then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people verse 6. And ye shall be un to me a kingdom of Priests and an holy nation Exod. 34. 27. After the tenour of these words I have made a Covenant with thee and with Israel Deut. 4. 13. He declared unto you his Covenant which he commanded you to perform even ten Commandements and he wrote them upon two tables of stone Quest Whether the Law given upon Mount Sinai were a Covenant of works Some things premised But here it is earnestly objected What was not the Law which was given upon Mont Sinai a Covenant of works what was it else but a plain
a distance so that they cannot close that same hinders union Now there are four things which keep the soule and Christ at a distance Christ and we cannot close whiles they continue and faith breaks them all down 1. A proud conceit of our own fulnesse Righteousness sufficiency I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance said Christ And the whâ—le need From a proud conceit of our own fulnesse no physitian but the sick And the Son of man is câ—me to seek and to save that which was lost Now faith that unites to Christ breaks this partition wall and levels this mountain it empties the sinner of himself it takes away all confidence in himself and will by no means suffer him to rest upon or to be found in his own righteousnesse Phil. 3. 3. We rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh verse 9. And be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ 2. A love of sin This is likewise an absolute hindrance of union with Christ From a love of sin That heart cannot close with Christ which closeth with sin and Christ will not close with that heart which is joyned to sin Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Hosea 4. 17. as if he should say his heart loves Idols and therefore I will have nothing to do with him So Joh. 3. 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light Christ is that light and he presented and offered himself to sinners but they loved thier sins and would not part with them to joyne with Christ Now faith which brings a soule to Christ hath parted that soule and sin it hath given a bill of divorce unto sin it takes off the heart from sin what shall I prefer hell before heaven shall I prefer damnation before salvation shall I for this sinful lusts-sake deny Christ my heart refuse to marry him who is the Son of God the Lord of glory the Prince of Peace the Saviour of sinners What have I to do any more with Idols said Ephraim Hosea 14. 8. Get thee hence said they in Isa 30. 22. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Rom. 6. 2. 3. A love of the world He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not From a love of the world worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me Matth 10. 37. If a man saith I will have my ease and I will have my liberty and I will have my pleasures and I will have my profits and I will have my friends and I will have my honours and I will not have Christ with any losse or crosse this man loves the world and this hinders union with Christ The young man lost Christ upon this very account Luke 18. 22 23. But if Faith indeed be wrought in the heart all this language is removed out of the way Faith overcomes the world 1 Joh. 5. 4. The Merchants sold all for to buy the pearle of great price and Moses in Heb. 11. 24 25 26. We have forsaken all and followed thee said the Disciples When a man hath faith he can be content to be Fatherlesse and Motherlesse to be friendlesse and landlesse to part with all rather than he will be Christlesse Faith sees enough in Christ though he should enjoy no more but Christ Faith will enable us to trample upon the world so that we may enjoy Christ it will enable us to break off with all and to breake down all to possesse him who is better than all 4. Vnbelief This locks and shuts up the heart that it cannot move at all to From unbelief Christ cannot see Christ nor hear Christ nor desire Christ nor give consent to Christ But faith breakes down unbelief breaks open the prison and breaks asunder all the shackles and fetters of unbelief answers all exceptions reasonings cavils delayes fears doubts and sets the soule at liberty and works in the whole soule to Christ O beloved try your hearts by what I have spoken in this particular you think that you have this uniting faith But what hath that faith wrought upon you and within you to bring you and Christ together It is not so easie a work to match Christ and the soule together nothing can do that but faith and no faith can do that but such a faith which presents Christ in that height of goodness and beauty and excellency that the soul is drawn out with that strength and vehemency of desire after Christ as to part with all to enjoy Christ c. And who hath found it thus Is there not yet something or other which stand between Christ and our hearts c. 3. Thirdly you may know whether your faith be indeed a faith of union by The acts by which the soul is brought into union those acts or workings in the soule immediately and necessarily to make up an union between a soule and Christ unto which when the soule attains then Christ is ours and we are Christs For as there are some acts which are immediate to constitute a conjugal union twixt person and person without which there is no conjugal relation between them and upon which the relation is immediately made so there are some acts of the soul immediate to the being of the Spiritual union twixt a person and Christ without which there is no relation and upon which there is an immediate relation twixt him and Christ There are two acts upon the soule when the union is made between Christ and us 1. One is an act or work of the Spirit on the behalf of Christ testifying unto our An act of the Spirit testifying that Christ is willing to be ours hearts and perswading our hearts that Jesus Christ is contented is very willing to become ours to be an Husband to us to be our Head to be our Saviour Jesus Christ doth outwardly expresse his consent in the Gospel but he inwardly delivers it unto us by his Spirit As by the spirit he becomes ours If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8. 9. So by the Spirit he testifies his willingness and consent to be ours yea and that he is ours Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 Joh. 3. 24. 2. The other is the act or effect of faith on our behalf For the Spirit in testifying unto us the willingnesse and consent of Christ to be ours doth at the same An act of faith in a Reciprocal câ—nsent from us to Christ time work faith in our hearts which draws out a reciprocal consent from us to Châ—ist And therefore as Christ is said to abide in us by his Spirit so he is said to dwell in us by faith These
said to be the Head but he is the Head only of his Church 2. Those for whom Christ gave himself of those he is the Saviour but he is the Saviour of the Church which is his Body 3. Those for whom Christ here gave himself He is said to sanctifie and wash that he might present it unto himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinckle and those are only his Church none but his Church are sanctified and fitted for a glorious Church Ergo c. 3. A Third Scripture which I would make use of against the Universal efficacy of Christs death for all and every man shall be that in Rom. 8. 32 33 34. Verse 33. He that spared not his own Sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also give us all things Verse 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Verse 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us Verse 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ This place affords unto us many considerable passages 1. A delivering up of Christ to death for all the Elect and Called of God Pro Nobis omnibus not simply for all but for us all 2. A certainty of enjoyment of all things of all the good things which God the Father hath promised and God the Son hath purchased for all them for whose sake Jesus Christ was delivered up How shall he not with him also give us all things As if he had said God having given his Christ for you will certainly give you all other things with Christ if he gives the greater he will not stand with you for the less whatsoever good you need you shall assuredly possess and enjoy it 3. That the death of Christ is effectual for the absolution of all those for whom Christ was delivered up It is effectual against any thing that can be brought in against them who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth And it is effectual against all condemnation there is none to condemn them if any one it must be God but he hath justified them if for any thing it must be for sinne But saith the Apostle It is Christ that died who by his Death hath satisfied the justice of God and hath put away sinne Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that Died. 4. There is a Connexion 'twixt the Death of Christ and the Resurrection of Christ and the Session of Christ at the right hand of God and the Intercession of Christ those for whom Christ did Dye for them he did rise and those for whom he died and rose for them that is for their good He now sits at the right hand of God for them also he makes Intercession And one thing more from the love of Christ shall none of those be separated for whom he dyed and rose again and ascended and makes Intercession Now how all this can be affirmed of all and every man in the world that ever was is or shall be is a conceit beyond any solid reason of man or faith of a Christian to reach 1. Can all and every man be assured or assure himself because Christ was delivered to death therefore God will unquestionably deliver or give him all things 2. Is there no condemnation to any man in the world notwithstanding Christ hath died Nay saith John He that believes not is condemned already and thâ—s is the condemnation That light is come into the world but men love darkness rather than light 3. Is every man justified by God so that nothing can henceforth be laid to his charge seeing that God is the justifier only of all them that believe and they only that believe do receive the Remission of their sinnes If ye believe not that I am He you shall dye in your Sinnes said Christ 4. That Jesus who died here on earth and rose and ascended to heaven and there presents himself before his Father and makes Intercession that all this should be for all and every man the Arminians themselves are afraid and dare not to affirme for though they say that Mortuus est Christus Adaequate pro pecâ—atoribus yet they say also that Resurrexit intercedit cum salvandi intentione adaequate pro fidelibus But you see first that the Apostle knits and joynes all these together the Death and Resurrection and Intercession of Christ And secondly how miserably they delude poor ignorant people with the flash of an universal Redemption by the Death of Christ when yet notwithstanding this death and universal Redemption there is not any one saving good that ever shall befall them unlesse they do believe in Christ which will amount to no more than what we do maintaine that Christ died not effectually for all and every one but only for all and every Believer 2. Thus have I in the General brought some places of Scripture against the Opinion of Universal Redemption by the death of Christ I shall now discourse of it in a more particular way Where I shall endeavour to clear 1. That God the Father never did intend or purpose such an effectually Universal In particular Redemption of all and every one by Christ 2. That Jesus Christ the Son of God did never intend it 3. That Jesus Christ never obtained or impetrated the same no not in the sense of the Universalâ—sts themselves 4. That an Universal Application of this as it never shall be In Rerum natura so never was it In Dei aut Christi proposito God the Father did never intend this latitude of Redemption when he sent Christ into the world Proved 1. That God the Father did never intend this latitude of Redemption and Reconciliation and Salvation when he gave Christ and sent him into the world 'T is true that he had the Salvation of sinners and their Redemption and Reconciliation in his design of giving of Christ But I say this was not his design for all and every man whatsoever which I shall demonstrate in foure Arguments 1. What God intended that he Willed and Decreed this I think no rational Christian will or can deny but God never willed a General Redemption and Reconciliation and Salvation by the death of Christ which I prove thus If he did will and decree it then that Decree was either absolute or conditional if it were an absolute Decree or Will then it is effecual for no man hath resisted that Will which is an infallible cause of all which it doth will and then all and every man shall actually partake of Salvation by Christ which assertion as the Scriptures do manifestly contradict so the Arminians and their followers professedly deny If it be a Conditional Will in God as they say it is in case of believing on Christ then it is but
Apostle saith that Faith is the gift of God Ephes 2. 8 If God will give a man faith he shall have it for there is no gift which God will give but he hath power to make it his to whom he will give it Object But men will not receive it though God will give it Sol. God doth not give faith upon that condition if man will have it this is an offer not a gift But God saith the Apostle Phil. 2. 13. worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure To give us a will to believe and come to Christ this is Gods work and therefore if God will work towards faith as much as concerns him he must remove our unwillingness and make us willing 2. The giving of faith is commensurable with the election of God so saith the Apostle Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed and indeed it is the fruit and effect thereof and therefore it is called the faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1. 1. and stands as a necessary means in the way of participation of all our saving good unto which we are elected and which was purchased for us by Christ 3. A third Argument that God did not intend such an universal Redemption and Salvation by Christ is this If God had intended such an universal work and benefit for all men by Christ Then he would have given all men to Christ for such an end and purpose as their Redemption and salvation by him for if God wold never give them to Christ we may well suspect that he never intended to save them by Christ if they must not belong to the Saviour and Redeemer then Redemption and salvation shall never belong to them But God did not give all and every nan to Christ neither ex parte tituli so that he should acknowledge them as given unto him by the Father nor ex parte debiti nor ex parte Rei that he should stand charged and bound fot their Redemption and Salvation Ergo. That all were not discriminatim given by God the Father unto Christ ratione tituli is manifest in Joh. 17. 6. I have manifested thy Name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy word And verse 10. All mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them Nor ex parte Rei Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me Here you see 1. That those who were given unto Christ they were given out of the world not all the world but some out of it 2. That they who were given unto Christ God the Father had first a particular interest in them thine they were and thou gavest them me but all men whatsoever never had such a particular Relation to God nor God to them as that it can be said Thine they were 3. Those that were given to Christ he saith of them they have kept thy word verse 6. and have received thy words verse 8. and they have believed that thou didst send me Can this be said of all and every man Nor doth Christ acknowledge or own all men whatsoever as given to him verse 9. I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them whom thou hast given me for they are thine and verse 10. All mine are thine and mine are thine Neither were all given to Christ ratione debiti that he should stand charged and bound for their Redemption and salvation Joh. 17. 2. Thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Here is the extent of his Commission and Charge which he is bound to make good and that is to give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him i. effectually to save all them c. 4. I will add but one Argument more to prove that God intended not an universal Redemption and Salvation by the death of Christ and that shall be taken out of Rom. 9. 13. Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated ver 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion verse 22. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction verse 23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory The Apostle in this place doth purposely handle the doctrine of Election and Preterition that election he proves to be particular and not universal this he doth by instance and by Reason The instance is given in Jacob and Esau God loved Jacob but he hated Esau ver 13. The reason of this speciality of love in Election he presents in verse 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and verse 18. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth That God should love one and hate another chuse one and passe by another shew mercy to some and leave others to be hardned the reason of this is his own will he will love whom he we will love and elect whom he will elect and shew mercy to whom he will shew mercy Object Now whereas some murmuringly reply against God for such a particular love and election and purpose of mercy as if God dealt not fairly in it thus differently to deal with his Creatures verse 19. c. Sol. The Apostle defends this proceeding of God in the authority which he hath for it ver 21. Hath not the Potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel of wrath fitted for destruction verse 22. and to magnifie the riches of his glory of his grace on the vessels of mercy afore prepared unto glory verse 23. By all which it manifestly appears that there are some whom God never loved but hated whom he never elected but passed by whom he intended not to shew mercy unto but to leave them to be hardned that he would not make them vessels to honour but to dishonour that were vessels not of mercy aforehand prepared to glory but vessels of wrath fitted to destruction which if it be so and so the Apostle saith it is then undoubtedly God did never intend an universal Redemption and universal purchase of peace and mercy and salvation by Christ for all and every man For by Pauls Doctrine he doth not intend to shew mercy to the vessels of wrath and yet by the Arminian Doctrine he doth intend to shew mercy to all 2. I now proceed to the second Conclusion As God the Father never intended Christ did not intend such a latitude for all by his death an universal Redemption and Jubile by the death of Christ So neither did Jesus Christ the Son of God who did die to save sinners intend such a
latitude for all and every man The intention and minde of Christ in this I Proved humbly conceive cannot be better discerned than by 1. The entring into his Office of Mediatorship as a Surety 2. The opening of his last Will and Testament when he was near death to seal it 3. The prosecuting of all their interests who were concerned in him and his death 4. The disowning of some as such as he never had respect unto 1. When Christ entred into or took on himself the office of a Mediator he then declared himself also a Surety or Sponsor Therefore as he is stiled Heb. 12. 24. The Mediatour of the New Covenant so is he said to be made the Surety of a better Testament Heb. 7. 22. The Argument runs thus Jesus Christ is a Surety for all those to whom he is a Mediatour Redeemer and Saviour But he never was a Surety for all and every man Ergo. The first of these Propositions cannot be denied for the Scripture calls Christ our Mediatour and Redeemer our Surety and saith expresly that Christ once suffered for sinners the Just for the unjust 1 Pet. 3. 18. i. in their stead and for their good and that he bare our diseases and carried our soroows and the chastisement of our peace was upon him and our iniquities were laid upon him Isa 53. 4 5. But then for the second Proposition that he never was a Surety for all and every man Will the Arminians speak plainly to this was he or was he not If he were not then every sinfull mans debts are not paid by Christ and then every man is not redeemed and then God is not reconciled to every man for if that debt be not paid and God satisfied then Redemption is not wrought c. If he was a Surety for all and every man then Jesus Christ put himself in the room and stead of every sinner of the world as a surety doth for every one to whom he is a Surety and bound himseâ—f as responsible to Divine Justice to satisfie all that could be charged against any sinner as the surety doth for every one he stands bound for I will be surety for him said Judah to Jacob about Benjamin Gen. 43. 9. Of my hand shalt thou require him if I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee let me bear the blame for ever So Jesus Christ as Surety to God did actually satisfie the Justice of God the Father for us and pay and discharge all the debt so that wrath and curse and damnation are utterly removed and can never befall the sinner because Christ as a Surety hath perfectly satisfied for all and cleared all Sed ira Dei manet infidelibus Joh. 3. 36. Nay as a Surety he did not only satisfie to the discharging of all sin and punishment but merited also and purchased mercy life grace and glory and God is bound to give in all this So that if Christ be a Surety for all and every man and as a Surety died for them all then is Gods Justice fully satisfied God hath no more to say against any sinner he cannot damn any because all sin is satisfied for and discharged and every man shall certainly be saved because Christ as a Surety hath purchased this and must and will see it performed and enjoyed But this no Arminian that ever I read or heard of will maintain c. 2. Secondly we may find out the very mind of Christ concerning the latitude of Redemption and salvation by his death if we peruse his last will and Testament where his mind is plainly opened unto us and which he sealed and confirmed by his death there you read for whom he died Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Mar. 14. 24. This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many Luke 22. 20. This cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you Heb. 9. 15. For this cause he is the Mediatour of the New Tetament that by means of death for the Redemption of the transgressors that were under the first Testament they which aâ—â— called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance verse 28. Christ was once offered to bear the sinnes of many Matth. 20. 28. The Son of man came to give his life a ransome for many Here you see all along in the Testament of Christ no mention made for all men but only for many for many and for many and so God speaking of his Christ My righteous servant shall justifie many for he shall bear their sins Isa 55. 11. And he bare the sins of many verse 12. 3. Thirdly Jesus Christ did not prosecute an universal interest of all the world but a particular interest of some Ergo. He did not intend an universal Redemption and Salvation Joh. 17. 9. I pray for them I pay not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine Doubtlesse if Christ did intend to redeem and save all he would have done so much as to have paid for all It is strange that he should lay down his life for all and yet would not lay out a prayer for all that he would die to save them and yet not pray to save them if Christ would not do so much as to prosecute their salvation by a Prayer I verily believe he never intended their salvation by his death Ob. The Arminians to decline the edge of this Argument tell us of a double interceding or praying of Christ One is particular and this indeed is onely for Believers Another is universal and this is for the whole world Sol. A handsome evasion I confess methinks they should also distinguish of a two-fold death and Redemption and salvation by Christ one particular for all believers and another universal for all the world that effectual and doing good this ineffectual and profiting none Object But may we know any Scriptures for Christs universal Praying and intercession yes they quote Luke 23. 34. Father forgive them for they know not what they do Sol. True here is Christs Prayer indeed but yet here is not the universal prayer for the whole world here is his prayer for them that Crucified him out of ignorance and we hear of the fruit of this prayer in Acts 3. 17. compared with Acts 4. 4. these men who through ignorance crucified Christ and for whom Christ prayed Pater Remitte they were not the whole world this place therefore will not make out an universal interceding or praying for the whole world Object Therefore they bring another Scripture Isa 53. 12. He made intercession for trannsgressors Sol. 'T is true he made intercession for transgressors but where is that intercession which he made for all transgressors where is the universal intercession the transgressors for whom he made intercession in this 12. verse are those sinners which he calls many and justified them in
that according to their Opinion they must expound the place thus God so loved all man-kind with such a love whereby he neither would nor could will the salvation of any man that he sent his Son to save all men before he did intend to save any man that whosoever believes should be saved This is the great love which they make in God to save all men by Christ 2. Again Seeing that word world is ambiguous sometimes being taken for those men of whom Christ is the Head 2 Cor. 5. 19. sometimes for those men of whom Satan is the Prince Joh. 12. 31. The Prince of this world it had been fit for them to have made out unto us that both of these worlds were so loved by God that he gave his Sonne for the Salvation of them both Thirdly the sense of the place stands evident of itself thus God so loved the world c. i. e. he was so mercifully affected towards mankind in their lost condition that he would not suffer all of them to perish but sent his Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life Whence it evidently appears that Gods intention in the sending of his Son was for salvation not of every particular man but of every one that believes And indeed there the restriction of Gods purpose for salvation doth lie In quisquis credit whosoever believes not that God would save every particular man in the world but only every one that should believe And questionless this was great love shewn to the world of man-kind universally lost That Jesus Christ was sent for the recovery and salvation of every one of those in the world that should believe on him Nor will any Arminian dare to affirm more than this unless he will maintain that there was yet a larger love in God and a larger intention in him effectually to save all the world by Christ distributively and collectively whether they believe or do not believe The Scripture plainly rejects this and so do they themselves Object Again they object that Scripture of John 6. 51. The bread which I will give you is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Sol. That Christ gave himself for the life of the world is granted and that he is the bread which giveth life to the world verse 33. is also granted but the Point to be proved is that Christ did give himself effectually for the life of every man in the world But this can never be made out any farther than for Believers in the world verse 35. I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst And verse 5â— Except ye eat of the flesh of the Son of man and drink of his blood ye have no life in you Object 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them Sol. 1. Here is the same term again but the question is whether world in this place signifies any other but fideles in mundo for the Apostle speaks of an actual Reconciliation and of an actual forgiveness predicated of this world which are proper to believers 2. If you would have the word world in this place to be understood of every particular man in the world then it must follow that God is by the death of Christ actually reconciled to every one and every one to God which the Arminians themselves deny and that sin is not and shall not be imputed to any man whatsoever which is a notorious falshood 1 Joh. 2. 2. Object But another place there is unto which they much trust upon viz. 1 Joh. 2. 2. He is the propitiation not only for our sinnes but also for the sinnes of the whole world Answered Sol. But this place which at first sight seems one of the strongest for them will not help them at all for 1. The Apostle speaks of a Propitiation conjoyned with the intercession of Christ verse 1. If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous verse 2. and he is the propitiation c. Now the Arminians deny the Intercession of Christ to be for all the world for so say they there should be an actual application of the death of Christ unto all and every man which may not be admitted 2. Again such a Propitiation as Christ is here said to be for our sins the same is here said to be for the sins of the whole world otherwise the comfort here given were of small force if Christ should be a propitiation for us and for the world in a different sense for our sins effectually but for the sins of the whole world ineffectually But he is a Propitiation for our sins i. e. who believe effectually therefore he must also be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world also effectually So that if by the whole world in this place all and every man in the world be understood Then Christ must be and is an effectual Propitiation for the sins of every one i. e. he hath so satisfied and pacified God that he is no longer displeased with any one sinner but this the Arminians will not maintain 3. The scope and purpose of the Apostle in this place is to comfort and support the hearts of believers in case of falling or sinning that they should not despair and for this he presents two Reasons 1. One is that Christ is our Intercessor or Advocate with the Father 2. The other is that Christ is the Propitiation for the sins of all the faithful whether Jews or Gentiles by which he means here the whole world not only for our sins who are Jews but for the sins of the Gentiles So that by the whole world is meant all believers whether Jews or Gentiles for his Epistle is Catholick and respects them both Nor is it an universal expression when the Jews and the Gentiles are spoken of in way of distinction and opposition then to call the Gentiles the world See at your leasure Rom. 11. 12 15. Object But the consolation given here is not so full and rising unless by a Propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world he understood every man in the world Sol 1. I answer To me the Consolation riseth very full and high for the case is of some particular Christians or Believers sinnings if any man sin in this case he supports them not to despair but to hope for pardon and peace and that from Christ intercession and Propitiation he is the Advocate and he is the Propitiation for their sins and not only for their sins but for the sins also of all Believers that either do or shall live in the whole world whether Jews or Gentiles all Believers shall finde him so Ergo you shall 2. Yet suppose that by a Propitiation for the sins of the whole world were meant as the Arminians contend for for the
man can clear out unto himself that he is one of the people of Christ or one of the sheep or one of the friends of Christ or one of the body of Christ or one of the Church of Christ he may thereupon certainly conclude that he is one for whom Christ dyed and really intended to save by his death Object You will say Here lies all the difficulty to evidence to our selves that we are within the number of these Sol. I confesse it doth yet this must be evidenced if you would certainly know that Christ effectually dyed for you and upon diligent inquiry it may be evidenced forasmuch as Christs people and sheep and friends and body and Church have such signal characters and differences stamped upon them by which they may be known to be his indeed I will give some instances to help you in this They are the people of Christ his people who are given unto him of the Father and His people bought by him with a price and rescued by his power unto himself and brought into Covenant by him with the Father and do stand in a near and choice relation unto himself as their Head and Lord of these people it is said in Scripture that they are 1. A willing people in the day of his power Psal 110. 3. i. e. when the Gospel is preached unto them there goes with that Gospel such a power from Christ upon their hearts that they are overcome and perswaded and willingly leave their former station and relation to sin and to the world and to Satan and as willingly become Christs hearkening unto his call and falling into relation with him 2. A peculiar people Tiâ—â—s 2. 14. That he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people His people are a peculâ—ar people in a twofold respect One because they are purged from those sins and iniquities under which other people do lye and with which they are defiled Another because they are beautified and adorned with those excellencies of grace which other people do want and attain not unto and therefore in 1 Pet. 29. An holy Nation and a peculiar people are joyned together These things being thus opened it will not now be so difficult for any mans conscience to say whether he be any one of the people of Christ yea or no for two things will plainly testifie it One is the willingnesse of his heart to become Christs and the other is the choicenesse or excellency of his nature both these are in all the people of Christ and in none but the people of Christ and if you finde these upon your hearts then are you the people of Christ and if you be his people then assuredly he dyed to save you from your sins They are the sheep of Christ his sheep for whom he did lay down his life His Sheep who do hear his voice and follow him thus doth Christ himself describe his sheep John 10 27. My sheep hear my voice and they follow me And Ver. 28. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish Well then hence a man Hence a man may conclude Negatively may conclude both Negatively and Affirmatively I do not hear the voice of Christ â—or do I follow him I disregard his voice and disobey his voice therefore as yet I am none of his sheep and consequently I cannot assure my self that Christ did lay down his life for me And on the contrary one can say I do hear the voice of Christ and I do follow Affirmatively him His voice saith Come unto me Matth. 11. 28. and I come unto him his voice saith Open the door Revel 3. 20. and receive me and my heart is open unto him and I do receive him his voice saith Be converted that your sins may be blotted out Acts 2. 19. and I do repent and am converted his voice saith Hearken unto me and your souls shall live Isa 55. 2. and I do obey this voice of Christ I hearken unto him and yield up my self to the service and obedience of his will Why hence I can conclude I am therefore one of the sheep of Christ and being so I am sure that Christ did lay down his life for me Again Jesus Christ saith that he layes down his life for his friends And in His friends that very place he gives two Characters of such who are indeed his friends One on their parts Joh. 15. 14. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you The other on his part Ver. 15. I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you The meaning is As betwixt friends there is a reciprocal love so there is between Christ and his friends Christ loves them and they love Christ That they love Christ as friends indeed appears by their readinesse to do whatsoever Christ shall be pleased to command they are ready to take up his will and are chearfully at his command That Christ loves them as his friends appears by the manifestation and communicating unto them the secrets of his Father he tells unto them the love and minde of his Father in the great concernments of salvation which he doth not effectually make known to every man So now this stands as a firme and unmoveable ttuth that Christ did effectually lay down his life for his friends And secondly that they are the very friends of Christ who first are at the command of Christ And secondly unto whom Christ doth in a more special and familiar way make known the minde of his Father in the matters of salvation Therefore if you do experimentally finde an heart readily and chearfully affected to all the will and command of Christ What wilt thou have me to do his commands are not grievous I delight to do thy will then are you sure that you are one of the friends of Christ and if so then are you sure that Christ laid down his life for you And if you do experimentally finde such impartings of Christ to you from the Father which the men of the world know not in the sense of his love and taste of his mercy and fruits of his grace and efficacies of hâ—s Spirit thence you may certainly conclude that you are his friends for Christ effectually makes these known only to his friends and if you be his friends then undoubtedly Christ dyed for you he laid down his life to save you To this purpose might I go over the other instances of the body and of the Church of Christ but I have said enough unto this choice distinction 2. Secondly One may know that Christ dyed for him in particular by the quality of those persons who in Scripture have been able to say upon sure grounds that Christ dyed for them and redeemed them and unto whom the benefits of his death have been applied in particular It is a true rule Parium est par
Ratio par Affirmatio Put seveâ—al men into the same and like condition and into the same and like relation and into the same and like capacity then what interest priviledges one hath the same interest and priviledges the other hath and upon what ground the one can plead and conclude upon the same may the other plead and conclude I shall make use of this to the present purpose You read in Scriptuâ—e of some who have been able to say Christ loved me and gave himself for me Paul said so Gal. 2. 20. By the quality of the persons who have been able to say upon sure grounds that Christ dyed for them And I know my Redeemer liveth Job said so chap. 19. 15 And this is my beloved and this is my friend and I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine the Church said so Cant. 5. 16. and Cant. 6. 3. And of some to whom the benâ—fits of the death of Christ have been particularly applied and attributed Luke 7. 48. He said unto her Thy sins are forgiven Matth. 9. 2. Jesus saith unto the sick of the Palsie Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee 1 Joh. 2. 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for his Names sake 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us of God wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Revel 5. 8. Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood Now consider what was the quality and disposition of these persons who were able confidently and upon sure grounds thus to speak and of whom these things were thus affirmed and if you finde the same spiritual disposition in your selves you may then certainly conclude Christ gave himself for you and he is your Redeemer and your sins are forgiven you c. Quest Why what kinde of persons were they Sol. They were effectually called persons as Paul who saith in Gal. 1. 15. That it pleased God to call him by his grace And so were the Corinthians called to be Saints 1 Cor. 1. 2. And called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord Ver. 9. And they were upright persons fearing God and eschewing evil such an one was Job chap. 1. 8. And they were mourning and repenting persons such an one was the woman Luke 7. 37 38. And longing after Christ such an one was that person in Matth. 9. 2. And united unto Christ by Faith and Love filled with high thoughts desires and delights so was the Church mentioned in the â—anticles and the rest spoken of in the other places Why then if any man can say upon good grounds God hath called me by his grace unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ he may certainly conclude Christ dyed for me and gave himself for me I was thus and thus sinful but God hath converted me I was a blasphemer and a persecutoâ— c. And if any man can say My heart thirsts and longs for Christ and my soul is matched with Christ he is the beloved of my soul Why I say unto that man Christ loved thee and gave himself for thee And if any man finds himself a mourning and repenting sinner I can say to him Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee And if any man finds his heart upright with God and with Christ that man may surely conclude with By his interest in the condâ—tion of faith Job I know that my Redeemer liveth 3. Thirdly One may know that Christ dyed for him in particular by his interest in that condition of faith upon which Christ certainly becomes ours in his person and benefits If any one of â—s do indeed believe on Christ assuredly God the Father intended his salvation in the giving of Christ and Jesus Christ intended and wrought the remission of his sins and the salvation of his soul by his death Hearken what the Word of God speaketh in several places to this purpose John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life Acts 10. 43. Whosoever believes on him shall receive remission of sins Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved 1 Cor 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctificaâ—ion and redemption In those places it is most evident that whosoever believes on Christ he is certainly interested in Christ and in all the benefits depending on Christs death he is delivered from perishing he shall have everlasting life he shall receive the remission of sins his peace is made with God Christ is wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption and salvation unto him Object You will say this is true and unquestionable that whosoever believes on Christ he is certainly interested in the death of Christ and in all the benefits of his death but here lies the scruple I doubt whether my faith be that very faith which doth indeed interest a person in Christ whether it be faith unfained 1 Tim. 1. 5. And faith that is precious 2 Pet. 1. 1. And faith that is justifying Rom. 5. 1. And faith that is saving Ephes 2. 8. Sol. I will not expatiate in the answer of this because I have upon several occasions How I may know my faith doth interest me in Christ spoken already much of the nature and properties of true faith what I would say to the present scruple whether my faith be the very faith which doth interest me in Christ and in the benefits of his death is this That faith is true and truly interesting in Christ and in his benefits which First is seated in an heart broken with the sense of sin and deeply apprehensive of the need of a dying Christ such was theirs in Acts 2. 37. c. and his in Acts 16. 29 30 31. Secondly Is raised and created by the exceeding greatnesse of the power of God and according to the working of his mighty power Ephes 1. 10. Thirdly Is let in by the Ministry of the Gospel and upon Gospel-offers and calls and promises and assurances Ephes 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation Matth. 11. 28. Joh. 6. 36 37. Rev. 3. 20. Fourthly Raiseth the heart to high and precious thoughts of Christ unto you that believe he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. all is nothing without Christ And if I have but Christ I have enough he is life and best of all Fifthly Draws out earnest and unsatiable desires never resting without the enjoyment of Christ and parting with all which stands in opposition to that enjoyment Sixthly Makes the heart to receive Christ Joh. 1. 12. yea gladly to receive Christ Acts 2. 41. yea whole Christ the Lord Jesus Christ
people Ver. 34. And they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more Jerem. 32. 39. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and their children after them Ver. 40. And 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 into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Ezek. 11. 19. I will give them one heart and I will put a New Spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh Ver. 20. That they may walk in my Statutes and keep my Ordinances and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God Hosea 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever and I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement and in loving-kindnesse and in mercies Ver. 20. I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord. Hebr. 8. 10. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people c. Quest But why is God pleased to promise to give unto his people in Covenant Why God gives spiritual blessings as well as â—emporal His people have souls as well as bodies spiritual blessings as well as temporal Sol. The Reasons are these First Because his people have souls as well as bodies and their souls do stand in as much need of spiritual blessings as their bodies do of temporal blessings Every mans soul since the fall of Adùm is in a fourfold miserable necessity which cannot be relieved but by spiritual blessings 1. In an estate of spiritual death out of which it cannot be relieved but by the donation of spiritual life a quickning by the Spirit of Christ is necessary for a soul dead in trespasses and sins 2. In an estate of spiritual enmity and that enmity cannot be slain but by the death of Christ nor any atonement peace or reconciliation enjoyed but by his blood 3. In an estate of offence and guilt which expose the soul unto wrath and punishment by reason of which the soul needs exceeding riches of grace and mercy to forgive and acquit the sinner 4. In an estate of pollution and bondage being held under the power of sinful lusts in which regard the soul needs the Lord Jesus to be redemption and liberty unto it and the soul can never be freed nor free but by Christ and his Spirit John 8. 36. If the Son shall make you free you shall be free indeed Rom. 8. 2. The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death If a man had all the blessings of the world riches honour friends health pleasures c. they could be of no help or relief unto his soul at all notwithstanding all these the soul still remains sinful and miserable Give the soul Christ and grace and mercy or else you give it nothing it must perish for ever without them And therefore doth God give unto his people spiritual blessings because the soul needs them and they are sutable to the spiritual necessities of the soul Secondly His people are people of another life they have the promise of eternal His people are for another life life 1 John 2. 25. This is the promise that he hath promised us even eternal life Titus 1. 2. Inhope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens But what of this will you say why hence it follows that therefore God will give unto them spiritual blessings and why spiritual blessings because spiritual blessings are necessary for them in relation unto that eternal life Acts 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name given under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Loe here is a necessity of Jesus Christ for our salvation John 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Loe here is a necessity of faith for salvation Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall see God Hebr. 12. 13. Follow holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. Joh. 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Loe here is a necessity of holinesse and regeneration for salvation and they are congruous and fitting us for salvation or eternal life Colos 1 12. Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light It is meet to enjoy grace before we come to enjoy glory it is meet to have a conformity to Christ on his Crosse before we come to have a conformity to Christ in his Crown c. Thirdly His people are designed and set apart for special duties and services His people aâ—e set apart for special duties the which they can never performe without spiritual gifts and blessings They are to glorifie their God Isa 43. 6. Bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth Ver. 7. Even every one that is called by my Name for I have created him for my glory Ver. 21. This people have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise They are to deny themselves and to take up the Crosse of Christ and to follow him they are to crucifie the lusts with the affections thereof they are to suffer losses and reproaches and persecutions and perhaps death it self they are to fight the good fight of faith to resist temptation to quench the fiery darts of Satan to overcome the world they are to live by faith against hope to believe in hope to walk in all well-pleasing before the Lord. They are to have daily communion with God and their hearts are to be set on him and on things above Can any of these duties and services be performed by them without spiritual strength or can they partake of spiritual strength unlesse and untill God doth give unto them spiritual gifts or graces Fourthly All the people in Covenant with God they have his image restored They have Gods image restored to them unto them they behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. They are made partakers of the Divine nature
2 Pet. 1. 4. They are in Christ and new creatures 2 Cor. 5. 17. They are a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a Peculiar People 1 Pet. 2. 9. A peculiar treasure unto him Exod. 19. 5. A people from whom he will with-hold no good thing Psal 84. 11. Therefore unquestionably he will bestow upon them spiritual gifts and blessings and doth so or else none of these things could be affirmed of them Fifthly God will do more for his people in Covenant then he will for any out of God will do more for his people in Covenant than for any Covenant else what is the advantage of being in Covenant or where is the strength of Argument to perswade any man to disanul all other inconsistent Covenants and to submit unto the Covenant of God if he cannot better himself by being in this Covenant Now God doth give other things temporal things the things of and for this life many times to wicked men to men out of Covenant Thou fillest their bellies with thy hid treasure And if his children if the people of his Covenant who stand in near relation unto him should not have spiritual blessings and mercies given unto them if they should have after all but a common portion gain little more then what the worst of men wicked men his enemies have what advantage should they have yea thus it should be all one with them who love and fear God and with them that hate him and fear him not Sixthly Whatsoever Jesus Christ hath purchased for the people of Gods Covenant What Christ hath purchased for them God will give them that will God give unto them the purchases of Christ and the promises and performances of Gods Covenant are parallel but Jesus Christ hath by his death purchased all spiritual blessings you cannot think of any one of them which Christ hath not purchased they partake of Christ and with and by him partake of all spiritual blessings 1 Cor. 1. 30. Ephes 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Seventhly His people are to differ from all other people in the world in their His people are to differ from all other people present disposition and frame of heart as Joshua and Caleb had another spirit different from them who brought a false report upon the Land of Canaan but unlesse the Lord did give unto his people spiritual blessings there would be no intrinsecal difference as to the frame of heart 'twixt his people who are in Covenant and other people who are not in Covenant for without the reception or participation of these blessings their hearts would still remain wicked and unconverted and they would lie in the same state of condemnation with others for only spiritual blessings do make the difference Now this would be exceedingly absurd that the people of God in Covenant with him should remain in the same state of wickednesse and curse as people out of Covenant this would be 1. A dishonour to God that he should be a God in Covenant with ungodly and wicked persons and so continuing 2. A dishonour to his Covenant which is a Covenant of love and mercy and peace and life that God should in a singular manner love the wicked and assure mercy to them and make peace with them and give assurance of life and blessednesse unto them Vse 1 Are spiritual blessings promised expresly by God unto all his people in Covenant with him why this is wonderful comfort and encouragement unto any of the Comfort to the people of God in Covenant people of God being sensible of their spiritual wants and oft-times fearing and doubting and questioning spiritual helps and supplies O say we if they were lesser matters and ordinary mercies then we should not fear to go to God and rely on him and expect from him but our greatest wants are of the greatest mercies a Christ forgivenesse holinesse heaven it self and what shall we do in this case But I beseech you hearken and consider four things First Spiritual blessings are promised as well as temporal that God who Spiritual blessings are promised as well as temporal promiseth health doth likewise promise grace that God who promiseth food convenient doth likewise promise Christ and that God who promiseth deliverance from trouble doth likewise promise deliverance from hell and wraâ—â— and that God who promiseth outward peace doth likewise promise forgivenesse of sins and peace in conscience and that God who promiseth to subdue enemies doth likewise promise to subdue iniquities and that God who promiseth to give earth doth likewise promise to give heaven Is it nothing unto you that the great blessings which your souls do need are laid up and are to be found in Gods promises if you had more faith those spiritual blessings which you find in Gods promises you might quickly feel in your own hearts Secondly All spiritual blessings are promised there is not any one spiritual blessing All spiritual blessings are promised which any of the people of God do need or may need but God hath promised the same Consider spiritual blessings as in the end and means and causes God hath promised all of them He hath promised glory and he hath promised grace and he hath promised himself the cause of all He hath promised all that belongs to faith to Christ to Justification and he hath promised all that belongs to Conversion to Sanctification to Obedience and to Comfort and to Rest Thirdly God himself hath promised them If Men or Angels had promised God himself hath promised them them it were nothing for none of them are able to give any one spiritual blessing the collating of the least drop of grace and mercy and inward peace is above the power of any creature but this is the comfort that God himself hath promised to give all spiritual blessings unto his people I say God himself 1. Who is able to performe and make good whatsoever he hath promised Is any thing too hard for him is not his power more then commensurate with his Word is he not sufficient to do what he speaks he is mercifulnesse it self and holinesse it self and life it self and blessednesse it self is not the God of all grace able to give you grace is not the God of all power able to subdue your iniquities is not the God of all mercy able to forgive is not the God of all comfortable to comfort you is not the God of peace able to speak peace 2. Who is willing to do good in his promises I beseech you what are Gods promises but the expressions of his gracious will concerning us in all the good which he purposeth to confer upon us I will blesse I will heal I will shew mercy I will save I will pardon I will give grace and glory I will hear and help I will do you good these
support and encourage you against all the temptations of Satan and fears of your own spirits God himself is your God and God himself for whom nothing is too hard and who is faithful in Covenant he it is who undertakes to find out and give out unto you every mercy for soul and body which you do or shall need Vse 2 Do not only believe this truth but also make use of it i. e. in the sense of all your wants whether spiritual or temporal Go unto God with boldnesse unto Make use of this truth his Throne of grace that ye may finde grace and mercy to help in time of need Remember that of the Apostle in Phil. 4. 6. Be careful in nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God Do not vainly perplex your selves O it is impossible ever to get this sinful heart changed and this hard heart broken and those sins pardoned but â—â—nsider seriously 1. What is that which you finde promised in the Covenant Do you not expresly find the renewing of the heart promised there and the taking away of the hard heart promised there and the forgivenesse of all sins promised there 2. Who is it that undertakes to give these things promised Is it not God himself who can do it because he is Almighty and will do it because he is faithful it is not what strength and power you have for these things but what the sufficiency and fidelity of God is who undertakes to give them Object But he expects great matters from us before he will give them unto us Sol. 1. I will tell you what he expects from you he expects three things from you 1. That you acknowledge your own unworthinesse and his graciousnesse 2. That you come and pray unto him and intreat him to do these things for you 3. That you trust upon him as able and willing to help you according to his Word 2. And this which he expects from you if he hitherto hath not given them unto you yet he promiseth to give them unto you for praying Zach. 12. 10. I will poure upon them the Spirit of supplication for trusting Zephany 3. 12. I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. Object But we must bring something or other and undertake something else God will not do all for us Sol. 1. What would ye bring to a Covenant of Grace or what should you bring but your hearts to receive what is promised in the Covenant of Grace to be given 2. All the finding and giving work belongs to God that is it which himself undertakes forgivenesse righteousnesse holinesse love joy and peace and these himself undertakes to give unto us The fountain is full and runs freely take your care only for a Vessel to receive and take in the waters which flow out of it Vse 3 Doth God himself undertake to give all the blessings of the Covenant to his people What a comfort is this unto all his people this God himself is your God Comfort to the people of God and your Father and he loves you above all the people in the world and binds himself by promise and oath unto you that in blessing he will blesse you If you were to make your choice of one to undertake your good in whose hands you would have your all to lie you would pitch on one 1. Who loves you as a friend as a father and as a near relation 2. Who is sufficient and able 3. Who is mindful and faithful 4. Who is knowing and wise 5. Who is like to live long Now First Doth not God love his people I have loved thee with an everlasting love God loves his people Jer. 31. 3. I am a Father to Israel and Israel is my first born Ver. 9. Is Ephraim my dear son I remember him still my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him Ver. 20. Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Isa 49. 15. Secondly Is he not able to do you good he is the All-sufficient and Almighty God is able to do you good God nothing is too hard for him he is able to do above all that we are able to ask or think and can do whatsoever he pleaseth in heaven and in earth is it not be who stretcheth out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth Abraham was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able to performe Rom. 4. 21. Thirdly He knows all your distresses and wants your groans are not hid from He knows all your distresses him and all your tears are in his bottle he is mindful of his people Psal 115. 12. The Lord hath been mindful of us he will blesse us he is mindful of 〈◊〉 Covenant Psal 111. 5. He hath given meat to them that fear him he will be mindful of his Covenant Psal 105. 8. He hath remembred his Covenant for ever Fourthly He is the faithful God Deut. 7. 9. Know that the Lord thy God He is the faithful God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his Covenant to thousands of generations Heb. 10. 23. He is faithful that promised Fifthly He is the wise God God only wise Rom. 16. 27. Wise in heart Job He is the wise God 9. 4. And therefore will proportion and season out proper and peculiar mercies unto his servants Sixthly He is the unchangeable God there is not so much as the shaddow of Change in him Jam. 1. 17. The living God Jer. 10. 10. The Lord is the true He is the unchangeable God God he is the living God and an everlasting King Dan. 12. 7. liveth for ever 〈◊〉 If I do understand this Assertion aright it may suffice to take off all your fears and to draw on all your hearts to come unto your God with confidence who himself undertakes to give unto you all the good of his Covevant Can more be desired or can any thing else conduce further or better to your salvation Object We confess that here is enough in respect of God but that which makes us to fear is something in respect o ourselves our unworthiness against which God may take exception and for which he may deny to give unto us the good things which he hath promised Sol. This is the greatest doubt which still sticks with us and it is the strongest exception of our unbelieving hearts and unto which I shall endeavour to give a full resolution in the last General Proposition which now comes to be handled viz. SECT IV. Doct. 4. THat all these blessings which God doth promise to give unto his people All the blessings which God promiseth to his
gave himself for me said Paul Gal. 2. 20. 2. Another is evidence of the propriety a knowledge that Christ is mine and that he washed my soul from my sins in his own blood without these what joy and comfort can there be Rom. 15. 13. The God of peace fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost A good prayer for believers for joy for peace for hope yea and God hath promised every one of these unto them and therefore he applies unto them the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and assures them of the same Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the Atonement Thirdly God will be praised and blessed by his people for Christ and for all the God will be praised for Chrâ—st blessings accruing unto them by Christ and his servants do bless him for them Ephes 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Psal 103. 2. Blesse the Lord O my soul ver 3. which forgiveth thy iniquities But unless the Lord did impute the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and did give them some assurance thereof how could they praise and bless him 3. Quest. I now come to the last Question viz. Why the Lord himself doth Why the Lord himself doth undertake it undertake to impute the blood of Christ unto his people for the forgiveness of their sins and to assure them thereof I will sprinkle Sol. There may be these Reasons given for it First The difficulty nay the impossibility of this work unless the Lord himself undertake it There are three things which you can never attain unless the Lord The difficulty of the work himself doth undertake for them 1. To forsake your sinnes Jer. 31. 18. Turn thou me and I shall be turned 2. To believe in Christ Ephes 1. 19. 3. To gain assurance that Christ is yours and that God hath for Christs sake forgiven you your sins As Christ spake to Peter when he confessed his Diety Flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in heaven So say I about the particular application and assurance of your forgiveness of sins it must be God himself by his spirit which must raise us to that and make us to know that Take me a person rightly sensible of his sins although he be converted although he hath faith although he studies the promises although he hath all the grounds made clear unto him upon which he may conclude that God hath forgiven him although others can evidently discern his particular interest and propriety yet unless the Lord himself let in a special light by his Spirit to make him to see the special love of God towards him in this he cannot see it so as to be assured thereof Therefore you find in experience that this assurance is one of the longest and last and most questioned works in the soul The glory that comes to God by it Secondly The glory which God doth reserve unto himself of all the effects of his Covenant he will be known to be the Cause and Author of them all he will be acknowledged to be the God of grace and the Father of mercies and the God of love and the God of comfort and the God of joy and the God of peace I the Lord create peace the fruit of the lips peace Isa 57. 19. As none in the world can give trouble but God so none can give peace but God Job 34. 29. None can cast down the heart but he and none can raise the heart but he none can make sin known to the Conscience but he and none can make mercy known to the conscience but he All the Covenant-gifts come from him and all the knowledge and assurance that we have of those very Covenant-gifts come from him all the promises are of him and all the evidences of our propriety in them are from him in his light we see light our graces our abilities our comforts our assurances are from him Thirdly That the effect might he certain unto his people O what great things doth God promise unto his and for which he alone undertakes And if he That the effect might be certain did not so his people could never enjoy them Neither grace nor comfort c. If the Lord himself did not work the grace in our hearts which he promiseth whose soul should ever partake of it And if the Lord did not bring in that comfortable assurance of his forgiving mercy who should ever taste the sweetness of it Object Why will you say what doth hinder it what doth stand in the way but that we way enjoy it though God appears not to our help for it Sol. I will tell you what doth hinder and what will hinder unless the Lord himself remove them 1. Your own unbelief of heart doth and will hinder with such continual fears and doubts and exceptions and reasonings that unless the Lord himself doth silence that unbelief it will never be assured nor will your hearts be quieted with assurance 2. Satan will and doth hinder it by his many and subtile and strong suggestions and puzlings of your weak faith that none but the Spirit of God can answer them and settle your hearts with perswasion and assurance But now because God himself undertakes to sprinkle clean water upon them they shall be sprinkled if he will make Christ thine and forgive thy sinnes for Christs sake and make this known to them they shall certainly enjoy all for who is too strong for God who can resist his will he is too hard for our unbelieving hearts and Satan If he saith to the heart be of good comfort be at peace and it shall be so 1. Vse Doth God himself promise and undertake to sprinkle clean water upon his people so to apply unto them the blood of Christ as that every one of them shall have forgiveness and assurance of forgiveness by it Then in the first place let this serve to stir up the hearts of all the people of God Not to be sluggish or rest contented without this but to give all diligence Rest not contented without this untill they do attain the knowledge and certain evidence or assurance that their sins are forgiven to them in particular for Christs sake You have attained to much already but strive also for this The Reason why I would press this duty upon you are these 1. Many of the people of God are not yet come unto this sprinkling of assurance Reasons of it 2. Many of them are too remisse and negligent about the attaining of it 3. By reason of the want of it they are in a very uncomfotable condition 4. There is a possibility to compasse this assurance 5. The
reveales him who will be merciful to the penitent and will by no meanes cleare the guilty 2. Of union and complyance to bring us into Christ and to make us one with him and to give us fellowship with him and to make us one Spirit with him and to change us into the glory of his image if we had this faith the work were done Now we should be made like unto him in meekness and humbleness and tenderness of heart 3. Of dependence and reliance upon Gods Promises believing that what he hath promised he will also perform that all his promises are Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him that he is mindful of his Word and remembers his Covenant and will not suffer his faithfulness to faile and therefore he will give unto us humbly seeking and waiting upon him this soft and tender heart which he hath promised How quickly and easily would such a faith prevail with and obtain from such a Father and God! Fifthly If we would compass soft and tenderness of heart we must then Get hearts to love the Lord. get hearts to love the Lord Did we love him we would be tender of his glory and tender of his love tender to please him tender not to displease him tender to obey him and tender to honour him Joh. 14. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words ver 24. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings Love you know is of all affections the most tender most watchful to observe the most carefull to please and the most fearful to offend If we did love the Lord we would not we could not grieve him Beseech therefore the Lord to circumcise your hearts that you may love him and consider the exceeding greatness of his love to you that you may love him again We love him because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4. 19. And this love would raise a tenderness of heart in us in all the effects of tenderness which you have heard Sixthly What shall I say more if you would have softness and tenderness of heart indeed and to some purpose Then get the assurance of Gods Get the assurance of Gods love love and mercy and favour sealed unto your consciences by the testimony of his Spirit this would melt c. Ezek. 36. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them THese Words are one gold link more of the precious chain of Promises in the Covenant of grace They do contain in them another excellent promise unto the people of God wherein you have 1. The matter promised I will put my spirit within you 2. The vertue or benefit of this promise which is twofold 1. Obedience and cause you to walk in my statutes 2. Perseverance and ye shall keep my judgements and do them I begin at this time with the matter promised I will put my Spirit within you CHAP. XII Doct. 1. THat all the people of God have the Spirit of God or that God will put his Spirit within his people I will put my Spirit within God will put his spirit within his people you Psal 51. 11. Take not thy holy Spirit from me Zech. 12. 10. I will poure upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given of God 1 Cor. 7. 40. I think also that I have the Spirit of God 1 Thes 4. 8. Who hath given unto us his holy Spirit 1 Joh. 3. 24. Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us Chap. 4. 13. Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit For the opening of this excellent Point I will speak unto these particulars 1. In what sense the Spirit is given or put within the people of God 2. How it may be demonstrated that the people of God every one of them have the Spirit of God 3. Why the Spirit is put within every one of the people of God 4. Whether all the people of God do in the same measure partake of the Spirit SECT I. Quest 1. IN what sense the Spirit is given or put within the people of God Sol. There is a fore fold opinion concerning this In what sense the Spirit is said to be put within us Not to make us one person with himself First Some have held that the Spirit is so given unto the people of God as to make them one person with himself and to communicate unto them his very personal propriety so that they in their own persons are that person in the Trinity which is called the Holy Ghost This was the desperate opinion of Montanus the Heretick and I fear some wild persons amongst us are of the same wicked opinion But this cannot possibly be because 1. No Creature is capable to be God which yet he should be if he could be the person of the Holy Ghost for the person of the Holy Ghost is God 1 Joh. 5. 7. There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one 2. If any man were the person of the Spirit and the very Holy Ghost then 1. He is eternal for the Spirit is the eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14. Who through the eternal Spirit offered himself c. And 2ly He is Omnipresent in every place for the Spirit is so Psal 139. 7. Whether shall I go from thy Spirit And 3ly He is Omnipotent for the Spirit is so Who raised Jesus Christ from the dead Rom. 1. 4. And quickens and changeth the hearts of sinners Joh. 6. 36. 2 Cor. 3. 18. And 4ly He is Omniscient for so is the Spirit Who searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. And lastly then he might be adored and worshipped with Divine Worship be prayed unto be trusted on c. Secondly Some do hold that although the Spirit be not so given as to make us one person with himself yet he is given personally unto the people of God i. e. Some say he is personally given he is personally in them not only his gifts and graces are in them but also his very person is in them and they do alledge several places of Scripture to make good this their Opinion Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Ver. 17. Even the Spirit of truth Ver. 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach
Joh. 14. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come and make our abode with him Ver. 16. The Father shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever The Father dwells in us 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will dwell in them The Son dwells in us Ephes 3. 17. Christ dwells in your hearts by Faith The Spirit dwells in us Rom. 8. 11. Fourthly That all the people of God have the Spirit of God may plainly appear by the works â—f the Spirit which are to be found in every one of them 1. They are sanctified by the Spirit Ye are sanctified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 11. 2. They are led by the Spirit As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God Rom. 8. 14. 3. They are upheld and strengthened by the Spirit Psal 51. 12. Vphold me with thy free Spirit Ephes 3. 16. To be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man 4. They are partakers of the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8. 23. Our selves have the first fruits of the Spirit 5. They are helped by the Spirit Rom. 8. 26 The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities and the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered 6. They are taught by the Spirit Joh. 14. 26. The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things 7. They are comforted by the Spirit Acts 9. 31. They walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 8. They are sealed by the Spirit Ephes 1. 13. In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Quest 3. Why doth the Lord put his Spirit within every one of his Reasons of it people Sol. There may be assigned six Reasons for it viz. 1. Necessity 2ly Congruity 3ly Conformity 4ly Excellency 5ly The love of God 6ly The purchase of Christ First Necessity The presence and enjoyment of the Spirit is necessary for The necessity of it them in many respects 1. For applying of Christ unto them and for the applying of them unto Christ For applying Christ that there is a conjunction or union between Christ the Head and his Mystical body the Church is an unquestionable truth And how Christ who locally in heaven should be joyned or united to his Church here on earth this cannot be done but by the Spirit who doth knit or joyn Christ to us and us to Christ as really as the head is joyned to the body and as the body is joyned to the head But take the instance in any particular believer that Christ is his and he is Christs it is certain but how comes Christ to be his what is that on Christs part which makes this union it is the Spirit and none but the Spirit and what is it on our part which makes this union it is faith and it is caused by the Spirit So that the Spirit is necessary to this union on either part on Christs part to apply or unite him to us and on our part in causing faith which applyes and unites us to Christ And unto this reciprocal union the Spirit is such a necessary agent that without him there cannot possibly be any union at all No man can be united to Christ but by the Spirit neither can Christ I speak it with reverence unite himself to us but by his Spirit 2. For conveying of spiritual life into them or a new being into their souls For conveying of spiritual life Naturally all men are dead in trespasses and sins and every faculty in them is totally defiled and polluted and corrupted and is deprived of the glory of God nor can any man help himself in this case nor can any creature do it None can raise him from his death but that Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead Therefore is the Spirit called the Spirit of life and the Spirit of grace forasmuch as he is the authour of both unto our souls it is the Spirit who quickens them by infusing the life of Christ into them and who renews them by changing of them into the image of Christ 3. For all the actings of grace Take me any Christian though endowed with For all the actings of grace all the principles of grace and great measures thereof now put him upon any particular acting put him upon believing put him upon repenting upon mourning upon any acts of obedience why looâ—â—s no member of the body can move or strive but from an influence from the head no more can we act any grace we have but by an influence from the Spirit of Christ our Head Joh. 15. 5. And we find it in experience that it is with our souls Simile as with a ship which stirs not if the wind stirs not and it stirs more or less as the wind is greater or lesser so if the Spirit of God stirs not in us our graces stir not c. For all our receptions 4. For all our Receptions Would you know any truth of God you cannot know it unless the Spirit of God give you his light to know it 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. would you be acquainted with the love of God you can never perceive it unless the Spirit shed abroad that love in your hearts Rom. 5. 5. would you be clear and satisfied in your relation of sonship unto God as your Father all the men in the world cannot perswade and satisfie as to that unlesse and untill the Sperit beareth witness with your Spirits that you are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. Secondly Congruity It is meet and fit that the people of God should have the Spirit of God For Congruity 1. They are his children and is it not meet that the children of God should have the Spirit of God should they not bear his image if they were led by the same spirit by which the children of this world are led had they not another Spirit they could not be his children 2. They are his servants and therefore they have much to do for him and they have much to suffer for him Is it not meet that the Lord should help his servants The services of the people of God which they are to do for him and to suffer for him are above all their own strength and therefore God will give them his Spirit to enable them for all their services whether active or passive the Spirit can supply them for every work 3. They are his Heirs and intended for eternal glory and is it not fit that they should have the Spirit of grace who must have the Spirit of glory Heirs of God Rom. 8. 17. Before a person comes to heaven it is fit that he should be fitted for heaven be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. And who
the Covenant-advantages 105 A sinner that hath no worthiness at all may be taken into Covenant 107 A personal worthiness is not expected for admission into this Covenant ibid. It is a giving Covenant 120 God will refuse none from this Covenant who are willing to have him for their God 109 Directions what course a sinner should take to be brought into this Covenant 110 Exhortation to them that are not in Covenant with God ibid. Get into Covenant-relation 104 It is a new Covenant 116 It is a free and gracious Covenant 123 This Covenant is a well-ordered Covenant 128 Its a perfect and plentiful Covenant 118 It is a holy Covenant 131 It is a sure and stedfast Covenant 138 It is the last Covenant 148 It is an everlasting Covenant ibid. All the things of the Covenant are stiled everlasting 149 The certainty of the Covenant is the glory of it 141 It is the best Covenant 166 Whether faith only be the condition of the Covenant p. 187 Why faith is the only condition ib. The condition of the Covenant 181 How any condition can be allowed in the Covenant of grace 182 There is a Covenant betwixt God and believers 2 Of a Covenant in general ibid. Some Covenants are sinful ibid. That there is a Covenant betwixt God and Believers 3 There is a Covenant betwixt God the Father and Jesus Christ ibid. Differences betwixt the conflicts in a regenerate and unregenerate man 514 How to know whether we act upon Gods command alone 672 Parallels betwixt Gods commands and his precepts 701 Twelve things in respect of God to remove our cares 98 D. Duties GOd Commands not duties that we should be justified thereby 660 We must not perform duties to still our consciences 663 We must not perform duties to self-ends ibid. How we may so perform duties as to please God 664 E. Eternity Every work is a step to Eternity 667 What is Evangelical obedience 652 F. Faith WHat is to be done to obtain the Faith which brings us into Covenant 201 Consider the Author of this faith ibid. God and God only is the Author of Faith 202 Consider the means of working this faith ib. The Gospel is the means of Faith ibid. Four things to be done to get Faith 203 Faith is possible and probable to be had 207 No sinner to whom the Gospel is preached can conclude that God never intended to give him Faith ib. God will never deny Faith to them that cordially ask it 208 Improve your Faith to a dependence upon God 216 Improve your Faith to a keeping Covenant with God 220 A necessity of the use and exercise of Faith 405 All men have not Faith 406 All Faith doth not bring us in remission of sins ibid. What the Faith is that will certainly bring in remission of sins 408 Who strives with God for Faith 464 The necessity of Faith is we will walk in Gods wayes 657 Three degrees of Faith necessary 114 How we may know whether our faith be a faith of union 190 Walk without inordinate care before your faithful God 97 Walk without inordinate fears 98 What is meant by Filthiness 437 Upon forgiveness all displeasure ceaseth 364 Get a capacity of forgiveness 380 Some put themselves out of a capacity of of forgiveness 385 Gods Promise of forgiveness extends to all the sins of all his people 422 Whose sins God forgives he becomes their friend 424 The blood of Christ is the cause and the only Meritorious cause of Forgiveness 458 G. Glorying A twofold Glorying 12 The misery of such who have not God for their God 22 The answerable and reciprocal acts betwixt God and us 23 Of the Loving-kindness of God 27 Comfort in this that God is our God 26 The more or less you enjoy of God the more or less perfect 27 In all other enjoyments our condition is low without God ibid. God and he only is our rest 28 God is the most desirable good ibid. God unites himself to us by way of donation ibid. Every one who hath God for his God doth enjoy all things 29 If God be our God we are the Objects of Gods Eternal Love 30 All the glorious Attributes of God are engaged for their good 31 God is a merciful God 33 Six Comforts to those who have God for their merciful God he will forgive you though not others ibid. Comforts from this that God will be a holy God to you he will make you holy 34 God is an omniscient God 35 The Omniscience of God is comfort against all our enemies 36 God is a wise God 37 Your wise God will give you wisdom 38 God is an infinite essence and therefore of infinite power ibid. What comfort is this that our God is omnipotent 39 When God will do you good none can hinder him 40 Gods faithfulness is engaged for you 41 Four things in the faithfulness of God 42 God is a gracious God 43 What comfort from hence that our God is gracious 44 The immutability or unchangeableness of God 45 Six comforts from hence the unchangeable God will never cast you off 46 Gods Omnipresence 47 God is at once and wholly present every-where with his Essence and Attributes 48 If God be ours then all the promises are ours 76 Comfort from this that Gods promises are ours ibid. The promises are sufficient encouragements to pray to God to depend on him p. 78 If God be ours then all the immunities and priviledges annexed to the Covenant are ours 79 Ten immunities by the Covenant with God ib. Priviledges by being in Covenant with God 83 The priviledges of the children of God are yours ibid. Your Communions with God are by the Mediator 84 You may go to your God when you will ib. You may with confidence wrestle with God ibid. You may expect help from God in all your works 85 The Angels of God are ministring Spirits for you ibid. God will be your God in life and death 86 If God be ours all is ours ibid. God makes a Covenant with the creature to be serviceable for your good 87 All creatures are in a subordination to the will of your God ib. As God hath command of all good in the creatures so he hath engaged to settle it upon you 88 Instructions for the people of God in Covenant Thankfully bless your God for bringing you into Covenant ibid. Make use of your God in all your occasions wants troubles 89 Encourage your selves in the Lord your God ibid. There is a near relation betwixt God and you 218 Make out to your God for all your souls do need 271 God the Father did never intend this latitude of Redemption for all when he sent Christ into the world 289 Why God gives spiritual blessings as well as temporal 337 God will do more for his people in Covenant then for any 338 Gods soveraignty engag'd for our good p. 49 You can never be brought into any straits but God is able to help you 50