shall be from the immediate hand of God and that by a creating work that when the people shall look to the creatures and say we see no means to defend us yet they can look to an immediate acting of Omnipotency Esa 67.17 and that by a creating work for his people I create a heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness it is spoken of the glorious reformation that shall be in the later days it is there spoken not of renewing the substance but of the qualities of Heaven and Earth a glorious restitution of their primitive and original glory a mighty work that God shall not only pass upon Saints but on the creatures which shall be restored and delivered into the glorious liberty of the sons of God and he that looks upon the corruptions of men and the desolations of nations and the confusions amongst the creatures that shall be immediately before those days he will say How can these things be It is impossible that such a glorious reformation should be wrought But to strengthen their faith and to raise them up to expect it he puts them off from second causes and tells them it shall be an act of almighty power it is by a creating work and surely the same hand and the same power that did make them at first can also renew them and restore them unto their primitive and original glory that as the said immediate power is put forth for the renewing of their souls Eph. 2.10 We are created in Christ to good works all is made new within him by an immediate power so also all shall be made new without him by an immediate providence that though there be no concurrence of means and second causes yet if God can make a new world then he can renew this he can create a new Heaven and a new Earth and he can create Jerusalem a rejoycing and the people a joy as the promise is unto them so that the Lord will not always work for his people in a ruling but sometimes in a creating way in which there is an immediate putting forth of power and there is not there cannot be any concurrence of means or second causes with it 2. God puts forth an immediate providence for the Churches preservation he doth many times work immediately when there is no help in second causes but all men are ingaged on the contrary part and the Lord looks and there is none to help and the Lord wonders that there was no intercessor no helping of them none to intercede for them there was none so much as by way of prayer that comes in for them and yet now the Church must be preserved Zac. 4.23 Zac. 4.2 3. the Candlestick is the Church but by what means shall this be maintained there can be no supply of oil expected from men but the Lord will make Olive-trees to grow by it that shall make oil of themselves and shall drop into the bails thereof that though no men in the world stand by it or prepare for it yet the Lord will supply it in an immediate way from himself and by himself and by this means the lamp in this Candlestick shall never go out for by an immediate provision of God they shall be maintained Mic. 5.7 Mic. 5.7 The remnant of Jacob shall be as dew from the Lord and as showers upon the grass when they were Jezreel strengthned by the Lord though amongst many people that should hate them and persecute them yet should they be preserved and therefore as Calvin observes rorem pro prato rorido like unto the herbs which are nourished by the dew from Heaven and by the showres from above which stay not for man it tarries not for the sons of men that as the grass is nourished immediately by the dew and doth not depend upon the labours and the watering of man so shall these from God immediately there shall come from him an immediate dew an influence shall come by which they shall be supported that they shall not need to stay for any creatures assistance or any concurrence of second causes whatsoever 3. There is an immediate Providence that is seen in restraints upon the souls and spirits of men when there are no hindrances in second causes and yet this shall work for the people of God see it Gen. 20. Sarah was in the hand of Abimelech and his lust was stirred up towards her when he heard of her and there was nothing to hinder him but he might have had his will of her and yet for Abrahams sake she was returned unto him chast and undefiled but it was by an immediate working of God upon his spirit when there were no second causes in the way the Lord saith I did hold thee that thou shouldst not touch her And the same thing is true of the people of Israel when they went up to worship at Jerusalem and all the males left their habitation the fittest advantage that could be for the neighbouring Nations who hated them and sought to invade them and did it at other times yet that now they should not have made inrodes upon their Land in the several borders thereof when there was no restraint in second causes no man can give a reason for it but the immediate working of providence that the Lord doth put forth his power upon the spirits of men that it shall be enough if he withhold them There is a bridle without and there is a bridle within by which the spirits of men are turned about there is a hedge for mens ways God doth many times hedge up mens ways with thorns but there is a hedge for the spirits of men also that when there is no hindrance in second causes and none to lift up a hand against them yet their spirits are restrained by an immediate hand And indeed when the secrets of the counsels of Gods providence shall be made manifest at the last day many and glorious will â—he records of such immediate puttings forth of providence be We have an instance in Esau his malice was stirred and he had power in his hand he had three hundred men by which he might have cut off his brother Jacob but only there was an immediate appearance of God upon his spirit and that put a restraint upon him that he could not so much as speak an ill word unto his brother 4. The Lord appears immediately for the destruction of the Churches enemies when their means fail When there was no help from second causes to destroy Egypt or deliver themselves for the Israelites had no power but they cryed unto the Lord and in the night the Lord looked upon the Egyptians host and troubled them and took off their chariot-wheels and they drove heavily and there was a terrour upon their hearts that they said Let us flye for God fights for Israel And so he will do in the destruction of Antichrist the little horn who doth arise with the ten horns and
temptations shall quicken them to wisdom and watchfulness 8 And tend to the greater increase of their glory Pag. 406 The Providence of God as it respects men is for the good of the Saints Pag. 409 Providence orders all things in reference to their own spiritual good 1 For conversion 2 Instruction 3 Deliverance out of danger 4 Preservance when there is no visible support 5 Consolation 6 When lusts are high and temptations impetuous Pag. 410 There is a special Providence over godly men for the good of others that are good in present and after-generations 1 In improving their parts 2 In drawing out their graces 3 In their sufferings 4 Labours 5 Examples 6 Prayers 7 Faith Pag. 411 The Providence of God over-rules all things for the good of the Saints in reference to evil men 1 They have a being in the world and a standing in the Church for the Saints good 2 God stirs up the spirits of wicked Magistrates for the good of the Saints 3 He stirs up the spirits of wicked men to stand for a good cause and to assist the Saints 4 He doth them good by their persecutions 5 By their sins 6 Their desertions 7 Their restraints Pag. 414 The Providence of God is also concerned in the smallest things for the good of the Saints Pag. 417 Whatever the Lord doth by means he can work immediately by his own hand without means Pag. 420 In the means he uses there is an immediate concurrence of his own Power to the producing the effect Pag. 421 God doth sometimes delight to work without means by his own immediate hand ibid. This immediate acting of Providence is wholly for the good of his people Pag. 422 Gods immediate promise or ordering things in the use of means is for the good of his people 1 He appoints the means 2 He blesses the means 3 He raises up means unexpectedly 4 Most unlikely Pag. 425 The Providence of God orders all things that work from a necessity of nature for the good of his people 1 The Sun 2 The Stars 3 Rain 4 The Earth 5 The Seas 6 The Winds Pag. 427 All casual providences are for the good of the Saints as dreams lots ordering the wills and affections of men the fall of a house c. Pag. 428 The Providence of God doth order all good things for the spiritual good of his people 1 Their calling 2 Their habitation 3 Opportunities to exercise grace 4 Society 5 Preservation in service dismission from it 6 Posterity Pag. 429 The Providence of God orders all evil things either of sin or punishment for the good of his people Pag. 432 The Providence of God orders the sins of the Saints themselves for their good and that 1 In respect of the being of sin 2 Rising of sin 3 Actings of sin 4 Raging of sin ibid. In respect of the being of sin in them that thereby 1 He may exalt the grace of Justification to them 2 That there may be a continual conflict in them 3 That they may be kept humble 4 Be exercised in prayer and repentance daily 5 That the patiente and forbearance of God may be more exalted 6 To shew how great a grace the gift of perseverance is 7 To keep them in a continual longing for glory Pag. 433 In respect of the rising of sin in them 1 That all lusts break not forth continually 2 When lust doth not rise when the object is present 3 To shew them such a sin is in their nature which they either never considered or repented not of 4 To make them hate sin more 5 To awaken them 6 To be matter of continual repentance Pag. 435 In respect of the actings of sin 1 That they may see the power and tendency of sin 2 That if they be deserted of God they shall be drawn into all kinds and degrees of sin 3 That they may see how weak all means are against it 4 That they may fear to be delivered up unto the power of Satan 5 That they may exercise repentance of all kinds 6 That they may be willing to dye Pag. 437 In respect of the rising of sin This tends 1 To a new conversion in them 2 To discover the strength of sin the power of temptation and of Christs Intercession 3 To bring them to confession 4 To make them diffident of their own strength 5 To make them walk in fear ever after 6 To fit them for service 7 To be matter of humiliation to them all their days 8 To put them upon the greater mortification of sin 9 To make them more tender towards others 10 To be an argument for their consolation Pag. 439 The Providence of God orders the sins of other men also for the good of his people In general 1 Hereby they may read what they were 2 What they are delivered from 3 Hereby they are admonished what they are in their own nature if God leave them to themselves 4 And be minded of the ends sin brings men to to fear them 5 And put them upon many duties towards them which will turn to their account Pag. 442 In particular the Saints are gainers by the plots of wicked men by their counsels by their attempts against them and by their executions Pag. 443 TABLE Of SCRIPTURES more distinctly explicated Genesis Ch. Vers Pag. 2. 17 1-4 3. 15 195 3. 20 198 3. 22 23 4. 1 199 4. 7 18 4. 14 205 208 4. 25 199 5. 24 378 6. 5 434 8. 21 ibid. 9. 9 198 9. 27 199 208 210 11. 17 4 12. 2 194 17. 1 343 377 378 17. 2. 113 17. 7 8 160 260 21. 12 205 45. 5 6 7 432 50. 20 ibid. Exodus 19. 5 217 24. 7 10 283 38. 8 epist p. 2 Numbers 7. 7 8 9 169 14. 24 378 Deuteronomy 4. 23 185 4. 27 176 4. 51 194 5. 2 3 184 5. 5 87 6. 7 185 29. 14 15 202 29. 19 57 Joshua 24. 22 23 376 Judges 2. 1 398 5. 20 427 2 Samuel 23. 5 156 2 Chronicles 13. 5 182 30. 8 161 Job 1. 6 407 29. 4 17 38. 31 427 Psalms 12. 6 163 25. 14 186 44. 17 18 192 50. 5. 190 63. 8 192 74. 20 183 76. 10 393 83. 3 402 84. 11 347 87. 4 5 235 91. 3 407 110. 3 388 110. 7 172 144. 15 253 Proverbs 6. 14 443 8. 22 23 135 310 11. 16 epist p. 1. 17. 16 430 18. 10 373 21. 16 7 Ecclesiastes 1. 15 444 5. 6 398 Canticles 6. 3 188 6. 8 392 Esaias 4. 5 422 9. 6 235 10. 6 7 432 10. 24 404 17. 1 343 28. 15 187 35. 6 424 38. 14 188 42. 6 424 49. 1 2 128 50. 5 188 57. 6 297 60. 20 347 Jeremy 9. 25 207 11. 16 210 14. 22 372 17. 1 18 18. 18 443 31. 14 346 33. 20 418 35. 6 7 178 Ezekiel 1. 12 20 383 48. 35 218 Daniel 4. 17 380 7. 2 3 210 9. 24 329 9. 26 348 9. 27 165 239 Hosea 1.
They may not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly proceed nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly divide and so by doctrine and example they may hurt souls Ezech. 13.18 20. and their trading may be as that of Rome for the souls of men The Apostle says there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a craftiness to deceive and draw disciples after them And the Father says There is a bait of heresie something that the flesh of man is taken with 3 They may stir up great divisions and contentions in Churches and States There was a contention begun amongst the Disciples which of them should be the greatest And by Diotrephes from love of Preheminence He prates against us with malicious words and he neither receives the brethren 3 Joh. v. 10. and forbids them that would casting them out of the Church And in the Revelations they go forth together with the Kings of the Earth to the great battel of Armageddon Therefore Nazianzen bitterly bewails the contentions between the Ministers in his time If I saith he be the cause of this division if I be the Jonas then cast me out And he makes that as his last request to Theodosius the Emperour That he would compose those divisions telling him This should be as the ornament and glory of all his former Victories and Trophies 4 They may be a means to ripen the sins and to hasten the Judgment of God upon a people Isa 6.10 Heb. 6.8 and increase their condemnation Go make the heart of this people fat c. And the ground that drinks in the rain and bears briers and thorns is near to cursing If I had not come and spoken to you you had had no sin but now there is no cloak for your sin c. 2. There is a Curse that comes upon the Ministers by the peoples sin 1 For the peoples sins God does many times hide his face and his truth from their Ministers Psal 74.9 Ezech. 26. There is not a Prophet there is none can tell us how long I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth and thou shalt be dumb and not be a reprover to this people The Sun shall go down upon your Prophets and the day shall be dark over them c. For they do receive Truths as stewards to dispense them and when God will punish the family then he does straighten the stewards and hides his face from them 2 For the peoples sins God does many times give the Ministers up to errours and delusions that as the people are such also shall the Priest be They love lies and say prophesie and declare to us smooth things prophesie deceit therefore if any man will prophesie of wine and strong drink he shall be a Prophet for this people Ahab's sin did provoke God to send the Devil to be a lying spirit in the mouth of all the Prophets And 2 Thes 2.10 11. the people not receiving the truth in the love of it the Ministers were given over to that efficacy of deceit and the people were ensnared by it that all they might be damn'd that had pleasure in unrighteousness and had not pleasure in the truth 3 The people are many times a continual grief to their Ministers I was amongst you as a nurse and therefore did bear with much frowardness and perverseness in the people to the grief of his soul if you will not hear my soul shall weep in secret for your pride saith Jeremy And how much bitterness of spirit the Ministers of God have felt by the perversness of the people is known to God and their own souls 4 They many times make them to prophesie in sackcloth and ashes in a poor low afflicted and contemptible condition look upon them as the scum of the world and the off-scouring of all things It has in all ages been the portion of the Witnesses that God has stir'd up to be lookt upon as enemies to men because they tell them the truth and therefore there are snares laid for them to reprove in the gate And though the Lord says they should be counted worthy of double honour that labour in the word and doctrine yet amongst the generality of men they that labour most shall be honour'd least And though the Lord says Let him that is taught in the word make him that teaches partaker in his good things yet men are willing to make them partakers in nothing and yet if they sow to you spiritual things is it a great matter that they reap carnal things from you Yes men think it great and look not upon it as a duty but give it with the same repining that nigards give an alms at their door c. 3ly The Curse is also come upon the relation of Husband and Wife 1 When a Wife shall become a snare to a mans soul and be to him but one of the Devils darts a Serpent in his bosom 'T is said in 1 King 21.20 There was none like Ahab who sold himself to work wickedness whom Jezabel his wife stir'd up To have a Wife instrumental to further the lust of her Husband in what kind soever what a snare is that for her to entice him to the worst of evils Idolatry c. as Deut. 13. 2 When a Wife shall be false to her Husband in the Marriage bed Thy wife shall be a harlot in the middle of the city is threatned as the Husbands Curse Amos 7.17 And Job 31.10 Let my wife grind to another man c. And for a man to mistrust his Wife Keep the door of thy lips from her that lies in thy bosom 3 When a Wife shall be an enemy to Religion and a scoffer as Michal How glorious was the King of Israel to day when he was uncovered before the maids And for Job's Wife to joyn with his friends yea with Satan against Dost thou still retain thy integrity curse God and die It 's question'd why the Devil should spare Job's Wife when he took away his Goods and Children there is surely more comfort in a Wife than in all things in this world The reason given is because he did intend to make her an instrument to perswade her Husband to curse God hoping to conquer him by her And how this evil in a Wife imbitters the spirit of a Husband and what animosity it raises in him against her and what suspicious thoughts and what estrangement this does usually work in their minds one from another we many times by experience find And the Husband also becomes a Curse to the Wife 1 By a spirit of jealousie over her which though sometimes it may be upon just ground and cause given in the Wife yet sometimes it may be causless as appears Numb 5.12 13. We see what great care the Lord did take of Marriage-Chastity it being his own Ordinance he did appoint an Offering and a water of Jealousie the one to be offered to the Lord and the other to be drank by the
our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 which we do by his Grace yet there is a concurrence of ours therein 5 That the Patience and forbearance of God even towards the Vessels of mercy may be so much the more exalted Num. 14.17 Moses says Let the Power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken the Lord long-suffering and of great mercy even his forbearance is an act of his power it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is an impotency in a man that he cannot forbear if he be injured it is utterly a fault amongst you but it is not so with God it is his Power that he can forbear 't is the patience of his power and therefore we are not consumed when we daily provoke him the imagination of a mans heart being continually evil he is God and not man Gen. 6.5 Gen. 8.21 Hos 11.9 therefore Gen. 6.5 and 8.21 they do seem to cross each other in the first place 't is said the Lord will destroy man because the imaginations of his heart were evil and in the other I will not again curse the ground for mans sake for the imaginations of his heart are evil from his youth it seems to be given as a reason of two contraries he will and he will not every imagination of the heart of man is evil therefore I will no more curse the Earth for his sake it seems strange reasoning it is by the Jesuites and Arminians looked upon as an extenuation of Original sin There is now that infirmity come upon him which was in Adam indeed a sin but now it is become a disease an infirmity a condition of Nature and therefore humanae infirmitatis miserebor I will pity humane infirmity so A Lapide and others who make the being of sin in us to be no sin but there is quite another sence of the words the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken either causativè or adversativè and so it is rendred sometimes quia because and sometimes quamvis although Glass Rhet. pag. 606. Our translators take the first for the imaginations of the heart or because the imaginations of the heart of man are only evil and so Brentius Pareus c. Si vellem semper genus humanum diluvio punire c. If I should always bring upon them a flood for their iniquity I should not leave a man upon the earth all man-kind would be destroy'd for the imaginations of his heart are evil from his youth and therefore now having smelt a savour of rest from a sacrifice I will not for this cause destroy them any more by a flood But many of the learned render it adversativè and so it is although so Exod. 13.17 The Lord led them not thorough the land of the Philistins although that was near it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 34.19 Let my Lord I pray thee goe amongst us for it is a stiffe-necked people that is although it be a stiffe-necked people and so it is an expression of the wonderfull patience of God that though men provoke him daily and all the imaginations of their hearts are evil continually yet hoc non obstante I will shew my patience towards them and will no more curfe the ground for mans sake c. and it is spoken of all men not only wicked men but godly men for whose sake the Lord doth spare the creatures for it is for the Saints sake that the world stands and that the earth is not destroyed and yet the imaginations of their hearts are evil from their youth and by this the patience of God towards the vessels of mercy as well as towards the vessels of wrath is very highly exalted 6 That the Lord may hereby shew how great a grace that donum perseverantiae gift of perseverance is and what an almighty power doth concur thereunto Adam had no sin and yet he fell from his first state how then shall we stand that have in us nothing else but sin something of the venom of the old Serpent that is ready to open unto him upon every suggestion and ready to take fire by every temptation a sin that doth easily beset us or compass up about Heb. 12.21 And the great aim of Satan without and sin within is to extinguish grace that this seed may dye in the man but it is maintained and there is an almighty power that does it therefore 1 Pet. 1.15 We are kept by the mighty power of God through saith unto salvation or else we should perish every day and this exalts the grace of the second Covenant unto the souls of the Saints because there is not only a grace of conversion but of perseverance also the Spirit of Christ having once taken possession of the soul takes possession for ever never to leave it again if Christ hath cast out the strong man he will never himself be cast out till Satan be stronger than he which is never possible 7 That the souls of the Saints may be kept here in a continual longing and a groaning condition for glory there is nothing so great an evil as sin and therefore nothing should make the soul weary of this life so much as sin because it cannot end but with our life and this is one blessed fruit of it Rom. 8.13 We groan for the Adoption but why do we groan 2 Cor. 5.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are many burdens that the people of God are under in this life but there is no burden like unto that of the body of death that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a weight indeed Heb. 12.1 and they groan therefore to put off this tabernacle because without it there is no putting off this body of sin but by being freed from this prison we are so apt to be in love with this present life that we had need of something that might be bitterness to us and imbitter it to us so that we take not up our rest here but that the soul may look for and hasten to the coming of the day of God and may rejoyce to put off this Tabernacle be willing that the flesh should be destroyed that thereby there may be the destruction of the body of sin in us also And thus we see the Soveraignty of God working for the Saints in this great state of the being of sin in the Saints in this life bringing much good unto them as well as much glory unto himself thereby § 3. 2. As the being of sin comes under the Soveraignty of God so doth the rising of it in the heart which doth never break forth into act it is true that the heart of man is an evil treasury and it is an evil fountain but though it be always issuing yet it doth not vent it self the same way but sometimes in this kind and sometimes in that Seneca in omnibus omnia vitia sunt licèt non se exerunt c. Mar. 7.21 22 23. For out
content to be under it and seek righteousness and life thereby if they do follow the Law for righteousness and submit not to the righteousness of God and this be interpretatively and in Gods account a desire to continue under the first Covenant still though it be not formally and directly so then this clears the justice of God in two things by way of Vse and Application 1. That the Lord doth unregenerate men no wrong if he leave them still under the first Covenant for he does but give them the desire of their own hearts All the Heathens therefore that sit still in darkness and in the shadow of death that never heard of another righteousness in which they might appear before God but their own to whom the righteousness of God under the Gospel even the righteousness of the new Covenant the righteousness of God by faith was never made known The giving of the knowledge of this righteousness and this new Covenant unto some and hiding it from others was grounded on no precedent differences and dispositions in the man either to whom it was revealed or to whom it was denied it was only the Mystery hid in God in his own Will and in his own Counsel And the same good-will that was the cause of the revealing it to the one was the cause also of the hiding it from the other Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 3.9 Mat. 11.25 and revealed them unto babes For the Lord leaves them under that Covenant under which they did desire to be and under that righteousness by which they did desire to establish themselves and to be justified and did not reveal unto them the second Covenant which they had an inward disposition to despise and the righteousness thereof unto which by nature they could not submit Therefore it is riches of compassion that he has revealed it unto any but it is exceeding just that he has hid it from any And for those that live under the Gospel and have the tenure of the second Covenant made known to them and the glory of the righteousness thereof discovered and yet accept it not submit not thereunto it will be enough to clear the justice of God at the last day that they are left under the first Covenant under which they did desire to be and therefore as it is justice with God to leave a man under Adam's image and under the power and dominion of their own lusts to give them unto the power of their own hearts lusts and suffer them to walk in their own counsels and to say Ephraim is joined to Idols let him alone and he that is filthy let him be filthy still so it is just with God also to leave men under Adam's Covenant and to seek righteousness and life thereby and so not attaining to the law of righteousness they perish under the curse thereof for ever 2. He shall do no man wrong if in the general Judgment he do proceed against men according to the rules of the Covenant of Works for he will surely deal with men according to the tenure of the Covenant under which they stand and every man is under that Covenant which he desires to be 1 If they have all their sins laid upon their own score and give account for every vain thought in the heart and every vain word in the mouth every sinful purpose of the heart for he will bring every work to judgment with every secret thing and not a drop of the blood of Christ shall go to wash away the least of their sins and transgressions therein they must bear their own sins and their own shame and it is just with God for their Covenant admits of no Mediator 2 When God shall reject thy best services for the failings that are in them and look upon thy righteousness as a filthy rag abhor thy prayers for the noisome savours that be in them and they be turned into sin because thy person is not accepted thy Covenant is not changed the Lord will tell thee thy Covenant requires perfect obedience and if thou dost well thou shalt be accepted if thou dost evil sin lies at thy door and all thy services are but as if a man did bless an Idol and offer swines flesh and as if a man did cut off a dogs neck for thou art not in a state of acceptation thou art not found in his beloved Son in whom alone he is well pleased 3 When thou shalt have none to intercede for thee Joh. 17.9 and to plead thy cause before the Lord he prays for no such I pray not for the world as soon as thou shalt peep out of the Earth in the day of the Resurrection and lift up thy trayterous head out of the grave thy Conscience shall condemn thee thy heart shall fail thee and he also that is greater than thy Conscience Then shall the King say I was hungry and you gave me no meat c. and then thou shalt look for Christ to plead thy cause but thy Covenant admits no Advocate thou must plead for thy self which because a man cannot do having nothing to say he shall be speechless for ever 4 Then thou wilt repent and say I have perverted righteousness and it has not profited me for there shall be sorrow enough perfect sorrow in Hell even weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth but God can accept no repentance thy Covenant as it gives no repentance Revel 2.21 so it promises no repentance no acceptance and the time of repentance is past there is but a time of it 5 Thou wilt expect Christ as a skreen to stand between thee and the fathers wrath Gal. 3.13 for under the second Covenant he was made a curse for us but thy Covenant admits no surety the soul that sins shall die there is no ransome paid for thee for being under this Covenant either the Law must be obeyed but that it is not for thou art a sinner or else it must be abrogated but that it is not for not an Iota of the Law shall pass or it must be mitigated but that it is not for it is inflexible the Law is holy and just and good and remains the same that is was to Adam in the state of Innocency the curse must be executed the penalty inflicted even indignation and wrath upon every soul that does evil c. 6 When you shall look to have your services rewarded as mens Religious duties are the great actions of their lives and therefore men have the greatest hopes grounded upon them Phil. 3.7 it was in Paul's account gain to him and he did expect a reward answerable now when the Lord shall reject them and say that the inheritance is not by the Law since the Law became weak through the flesh but the inheritance is by promise and all comes by the second Covenant this can be no wrong to any unregenerate man
the Law which is a glass to discover sin and a rule to guide in duty to the end of the world and there will be use of this rule without as long as Heaven and Earth shall last and this frame of Heaven and Earth shall continue till the image of God be perfectly renewed in all the Saints and the law written perfectly in their hearts and they are a law fully unto themselves and so can live above the law and can live upon the law till then you will need the law without and so long this law shall continue and be of use in the Church of God 2. The meaning therefore is that the state of the Old Testament which is here called the Law and the Prophets that is that manner of discovering of the mind of God unto his people which was in the Law and the Prophets that was unto John that is by speaking of Christ to come and promising a higher and a greater light and a greater measure of the spirit in after times but yet it was not accomplished but in 1 Pet. 1.12 To them it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things that are now reported to us to whom the Gospel is preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven which things the Angels desire to look into So that the state of the Church of God under the Old Testament and the manner of revelation of the mind of God and that measure of dispensation of the Spirit of God and not the Typical part only as some would have it is here meant So that the Ceremonial Law and the Prophets did but speak of Christ to come and did vanish in John's time the Substance being come the Shadows must fly away but also all that manner of dispensation being more obscure and less spiritual and less powerful all that did end because the Law and the Prophets did but speak of Christ to come but John of Christ already come Behold the lamb of God c. so much that word in the Original signifies 3. At the coming of Christ the Law and the Prophets were as it were taken away not by abrogation but by way of excellency as when the Sun rises the Stars disappear and are darkned and all mens eyes gaze on the Sun This is a new and a higher and more glorious way of discovery 2 Cor. 3.10 That which was glorious had no glory in respect of the glory that excelled because now Christ was manifested to be more fully that which he was stiled to be before Dan. 8.13 the word Palmoni signifies the wonderful numberer of secrets or as Junius and Glass what has innumerable secrets And there are divers such names given unto Christ in the Scripture his name shall be called Wonderful Counseller to set forth his nature and his actions Prov. 30.1 Ithiel and Vcal c. The Angel Dan. 9. prays unto Christ to discover unto him how long the Vision concerning the daily Sacrifice and the desolation of the Sanctuary shall be for as Christ is the head of the Angels so he is the teacher of the Angels also and the secrets of the Counsels of God he knows and he reveals them unto the Angels in answer to their prayers Rev. 5. Now there being a fuller and a more glorious way of revelation and a fuller dispensation of Grace the state of the Old Testament under the Law and the Prophets is to be done away not by way of Abrogation but by way of Excellency and so these Scriptures also I conceive are to be understood They shall say no more The Lord lives that brought up his people out of the land of Egypt Jer. 2.3 c. Not that this mercy should be wholly forgotten but as it were darkned and obscured by a greater mercy and a more glorious deliverance and that place also They shall no more teach one another saying Know the Lord for they shall be all taught of God from the greatest unto the least that is there shall be a more full and glorious way of discovery that in comparison of that abundance of light when the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the fulness of Grace vvhen the vveak shall be as David there shall be no need of those former vvays of instructions but they shall have their teaching more immediately from the Lord and so that place There shall be no more need of the light of the Sun and of the Moon there shall be a fuller and more glorious light there shall novv seem to be no need of these former vvays of instruction by them and also that place they shall see his face Rev. 22.4 not that men shall have the Beatifical vision here but that there shall be a fuller manifestation of God insomuch that in comparison of what it was before it shall be even as seeing his face in glory as there shall be no more death no more sorrow no more crying not that absolutely there shall be no more for while there shall be sin there will be cause of sorrow and there shall be death till the Resurrection when the change of them that are found alive at the Lords coming shall be to them instead of death death is the last enemy that shall be destroyed immediately before the giving up of the Kingdom of Christ unto the Father but the peace and prosperity of the Church shall be such all the former persecuting Monarchies being destroyed that there shall be in comparison of what there was in former times no more death nor sorrow nor crying under persecutions and groaning and mourning under the cruelties of men no more And thus you see for all this the Law and the Prophets continue till Heaven and Earth be no more Object 2 But it is said in this Text Gal. 3.19 that this subserviency of the Law was but to last till the seed should come unto whom the promise was made and afterwards be given in the hand of a Mediator Vers 16. But till then and that seed is said to be Christ and therefore now Christ being come who is that seed this subserviency of the Law is ended for till then it was to last and no longer Answ 1. Some would seem to understand this only of the Ceremonial Law which they say is afterwards said to be a School-master to bring men unto Christ and so Beza seems to carry it namely that the School-master is only the Ceremonial Law which I conceive our former whole discourse of the use of the Moral Law in this great work of bringing a soul to Christ by discovering of sin and restraining sin and shewing a man the way of Gospel-obedience hath fully rectified but if we consider what is said vers 12 13. this will be clearly manifested for he speaks of that Law that saith He that doth them shall live in them and of that Law that saith Cursed is every one that continues not
Heaven we shall but enter into our Masters joy Thus every thing that concerns the Covenant belongs first unto him and then unto us and therefore we may safely conclude that the Covenant made with the Saints of Christ it is with Christ primarily and principally and with us at second hand 7. Lastly the great and principal respect that God hath in this Covenant is to him alone and unto us only as we are in him in all the transactions of the Covenant 1 In all the service that we tender unto God by vertue of this Covenant God doth not primarily respect it as it comes from us but as it comes from Christ as fruit in him Joh. 15.2 1 Pet. 2.5 as the Lord doth not meerly make that a ground for Christ says I do not say that I will pray the father for you Jo. 16.27 for the father himself loves you he would thereby pitch their faith upon another ground to assure them that the prayers he makes in our behalf are answered and that it is the love of the Father as well as the mediation of the Son but he loves them in him also and therefore respects their prayers principally as they do proceed out of the Angels hand 2 In all the mercies of the Covenant the primary respect is unto him and it is bestowed upon you only for his sake For thine own sake and for thy words sake 2 Sam. 7.21 Which Glassius and some others do apply unto Christ that Word of the Father though it may be meant as others do expound it for his own promise sake respecting his truth Mic. 7. last therefore Zach. 1.14 though they pray never so long Seventy years yet it is never accomplished till Christ prays and then the Lord answers the Angel with good words and comfortable words he is by and by zealous for Jerusalem And therefore Daniel says Dan. 9.17 Hear the prayer of thy servant cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate for the Lords sake Now if all things that concern the Covenant be in this manner made unto Christ primarily and unto us only as we are in him to him for his own sake and unto us only for his this doth plainly show that the Covenant of Grace though it be made with the Saints yet it is primarily and principally made with Christ § 2. Now we come to the Grounds why this Covenant must be made with Christ first and with us only as we are members of Christ and in him 1. Because the Covenant of Grace is a transcript of the eternal purpose of God in election and doth fully set forth the way how the ends of Gods electing love should be effected Now the ends of Gods electing love are 1 The praise of the glory of his Grace 2 The glory of his Son 3 The holiness and happiness of the Saints These ends are suitably accomplished by this Covenant Ephes 1.3 4 5. Ephes 1.3 4 5. He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ according as he has chosen us in him Here three things are observable 1 It is spoken of Christ as Mediator as God-man for in him we are blessed in him we are chosen but our blessings proceed from Christ as Mediator 2 The order of the election we are chosen in him that is in him as the head and therefore he is first elected as he is first beloved In whom I am well pleased well pleased with his people Matt. 3.17 all the members of Christ but first with Christ and with them only as they are in him and one with him 3 According to this order so are all the blessings of the Covenant of Grace dispensed for he hath blessed us in him as he hath chosen us in him according to the order of election such is the order also of benediction Now the blessing of the Covenant of Grace being only in pursuance of the Election of God the Order of God therein must be answerable to the Election which is first of Christ and afterwards of all the Saints of God in him It 's true there is but one Election as there is but one Covenant but yet there is an Order in Election as well as there is in the Covenant first Christ is elected and we in him as the Lord entred into Covenant first with him and with us in him as a head Here consider 1 that the great and the highest end of the counsel of God in Election next unto his own glory was the glory of his Son for this is the Order of God that the Father may be glorified in his Son and the Son glorified in the Saints and in the last day Christ shall be admired in them that believe 2 Thes 2.10 and that in the glory of Christ God the Father may be glorified and that God may be all in all when the Son also is subject to him Therefore they that make Christ to be chosen only in remedium peccati 1 Cor. 15. and bring him in only by accident for the reparation and restitution of man fallen I think entertain an opinion dishonourable to Christ and far below that great plot of God in Christs Election He is said to be the first-born of every creature Col. 1.15 which I conceive not to be spoken simply of Christ as God but as Mediator it is said before that he is the image of the invisible God If it be spoken of him as God then he is equally invisible with the Father but as Mediator in whom all the glorious Attributes of God do shine forth so he is the Image of God and so I conceive it to refer to the Election of Christ as being Jesus the first-born in the womb of Election the like unto that is Prov. 8.23 c. and in the first going forth in his Decrees towards the creature therefore Christ was first elected and the highest ends of God in the counsels of Election next unto the glory of himself was the glory of his Son 2 This glory of the Son he doth intend to accomplish two ways 1 He will in the fullest manner communicate himself to the Son he will in the highest way delight in him there could not be towards any creature the fullest communication and communion because all communion is founded in union and the higher the union the more glorious the communication Now between God and the creature there was a natural union as between the cause and the effect and there was a voluntary union by Covenant and answerable to these was the communication of God to the creature either ordine naturae or gratiae but yet there being a higher union this must make way for a higher communication and therefore God intending to communicate himself to his Son in the highest way he doth first in order priviledge him to be personally united to a created nature and in this nature he can take full delight which he could not do
our names to God in this Covenant given the hand to the Lord it is a duty often to renew it and to repeat unto a mans soul the same obligation and here I will show 1 That it is not enough that a man do enter into Covenant with the Lord but that he renew it often 2 I will give you the grounds why a man should renew his Covenant 3 Shew the times when in a special manner the Lord expects it and when it is a way to find mercy with the Lord. 4 Show you the manner how it is to be done 5 I 'le press it by setting before you the great benefits and fruits that do flow from a renewed Covenant with the Lord. 1. A man being once entred into Covenant with God is held and obliged by that Covenant for ever as we see the Devils entred into Covenant and this Covenant they have broken in respect of the precept yet they are all still under the curse of it and shall be for ever and that curse the chains of darkness in which they are held so man being once ingaged is for ever engaged therefore it 's his duty often to renew his Covenant and that will appear in these particulars 1. The Lord hath often renewed his Covenant with his people he made a Covenant with Abraham Gen. 15.18 and yet he renews his Covenant again Gen. 17.2 4 7. So the Lord did take Israel into Covenant with himself and his name was called upon them he doth take them into their Fathers Covenant he remembred his Covenant with Abraham and Isaac Exod. 6.4 5 7. and he saith I will take you unto me for a people and I will be to you a God and you shall know that I am the Lord your God c. and yet this Covenant he renews in a publick and solemn manner upon Mount Sinai when out of his mouth went a fiery law Deut. 5.2 3. Deut. 5.2 3. He made a Covenant with us in Horeb he made not this Covenant with our Fathers some refer it unto all the Patriachs from Adam and so the Covenant was the same for they entred into Abrahams Covenant but it is spoken in regard of the publick and glorious way of revealing it to them beyond what it was to their Fathers which was not revealed with that solemnity and speaking with and seeing God face to face or else by the Fathers some do understand those that died in Egypt and in the Wilderness who had forgotten the Covenant of their Fathers and the Lord did not renew it with them and yet afterwards Exod. 24.7 8 10. Moses takes the book of the Covenant and reads it in the audience of the people and they ingaged themselves to do all that the Lord had said and be obedient to his requirings and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the people and said This is the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you and v. 11. They did eat and drink before the Lord and see the glory of the God of Israel and upon the people he laid not his hand c. and yet this is not enough but the Lord renews his Covenant again Deut. 29.1 The words of the Covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab besides the Covenant that he made with them in Horeb and v. 10. 12. You stand before the Lord this day that you should enter into Covenant with the Lord and into the oath which the Lord made with thee to establish thee this day for a people to himself that he might be unto thee a God as he hath sworn unto thy Fathers c. thus you see the Lord has often renewed his Covenant with his people 2. The people of God have often renewed their Covenant also with him it was not enough that they had in Moses time been taken into Covenant so often but before he died he renewed the Covenant with them and they did solemnly ingage themselves The Lord will we serve Josh 24.25 and his voice will we obey and he set up a Stone under an Oak for a witness against them 2 Chron. 15.12 2 Chron. 29.10 2 Chron. 34.31 if they should hereafter deny the Lord their God And this Covenant was renewed in the days of King Asa and Hezekiah and Josiah and Ezra 10.3 and Nehemiah 9.38 therefore renewing of the Covenant is a duty that we owe unto the Lord and that ingagement must be reiterated c. 2. But seeing that a Covenant once made doth alwayes bind a man and the force of it continues distance of time doth not wear it out why should it be needful for men to renew their Covenant so often The grounds of it are these 1. Because of the unbelief of our spirits and from the infirmity of our faith for the confirmation of our faith in the mercy and grace of the Covenant Therefore David made it the matter and ground of all his delight and his thoughts were wholly upon it Why did God renew the Covenant so often with Abraham but to strengthen and confirm his faith therein that it was a sure Covenant and should never be forgotten The mercies of the Covenant are great and the heart of man would fail and his spirit sink in the expectation of them but then he calls to mind his Covenant and renews his Covenant-ingagements with them and for this cause we receive the seals of the Covenant often and every time we do so we renew the Covenant between God and us Gods seals are set to our seals that this may be like unto Joshua's stones a testimony that we have entred into Covenant with the Lord. 2. To manifest the sincerity of our hearts that though we fail in the duty of it yet our hearts still stand to it we delight in the Law according to our inward man though we fall every day yet saies a soul in Covenant with God I love to think of renewing the ingagement that is between God and me as a loving and tender Wife loves often to renew her ingagement to her Husband and to have it much in her mind that she may not forget the Covenant of her God so to shew that a man doth not repent but his ingagement â—s still pleasing to him he renews it often and if it were to do again and again a man would do the same thing if it were every hour to let the world see he is not turned back from the Covenant of his God Phil. 3.9 saies the Apostle I suffered the loss of all things and do count them dung c. I have not repented of it I am of the same mind still there is not in me a principle to draw back and to depart from the living God I am willing to renew this â—ngagement still When there is an error in the contract that a man makes with another then â—f it were to do again the soul would not do it so
mercy to thousands in them that love him and keep his commandments Thus God extends Covenant-mercy not only to parents but to their children also and that to succeeding generations and we must not limit the grace of God for that were to limit the holy One of Israel For Answer hereto 1 if the meaning here be of the priviledges of the Covenant which are conveyed by the parents unto the child then if any of them were godly from the beginning of the world this Scripture will intail Church-priviledges upon them by a lineal descent unto the end of the world for it 's likely there shall not be a thousand generations from the beginning of the world to the end thereof because these are called the latter times wherefore this is but a certain for an uncertain number and therefore in this case we must know where to stop there must be a period put that a man may be able to say none of them was holy in the second third or fourth generation and therefore now the federal holiness that was this mans or this childs is expired 2 If it should be understood of Church-priviledges and a federal holiness that descends upon the child from the parents then how shall this promise and threatning be both made good for it may be some of the Ancestors have been godly but the immediate parents are wicked and profane why may we not as well and much rather say that God will visit the iniquity of the immediate parents upon the children as that he will shew mercy unto the children for the grace and holiness of their remote parents 3 Of what mercy soever it 's thus understood whether of saving mercies or of outward blessings it 's plain that it 's only unto those children which walk in the same ways of holiness with their parents for God will visit the iniquity of the parents upon the children and if his hatred to children to the third and fourth generation be of them that walk in the ways and wickedness of the fathers then his mercy to thousands is upon them that walk in the ways of their fathers obedience So much I conceive the last words imply vers 6. Shewing mercy to them that love me and that keep my commandments if this be the meaning it will be easily granted that the children of godly parents who walk in the same ways of holiness with their parents shall obtain mercy from God unto many succeeding generations but that is nothing to the thing in hand which does suppose children to grow wicked and to degenerate from the holiness of their parents and yet men would infer that their fathers priviledges do unto many generations descend unto them which I conceive is far from the scope and intent of the Holy Ghost Object 2 But the Israelites were circumcised though their immediate parents were wicked of which the instances before given are many and therefore our children should be baptized though the immediate parents be wicked and if the profaneness of a Jew did not prejudice the childs right why then should the profaneness of a Christian take away the childs title are not our priviledges as large as theirs In answer hereto Answ 1 of Circumcision there was no set Officer appointed by God to administer it and therefore commonly the parents did it and it 's plain by those that write their stories that women did it commonly now there being no set Officer to administer it there was no set Officer to suspend it But in the Christians Baptism it 's not so there is a set Officer who is to administer it with judgment and as he is to deny it to none to whom it belongs so he is to dispense it to none but such to whom it belongs 2 The Lord took the whole Nation of the Jews into a Church-covenant and they became a peculiar people unto him and whoever was born of that Nation was therefore born a Church-member and had right unto the priviledges of the Church it is not so with any other people under Heaven there is something more required to make a man a Church-member than barely to be born of such a Nation and therefore while they continued Church-members though they were never so profane and wicked this could not prejudice the priviledge of the Church And though such deserve to be cast out yet as long as the Church doth through negligence or connivence continue such in a state of membership they cannot deny them the priviledge of members but yet it doth appear that now under the Gospel many men that live in the Church are not true members of the Church or if they be cast out then they and their children are justly deprived of the priviledges of members because it doth not belong unto them and though the posterity of Ismael and Esau did use Circumcision after they were separated from the Church of God yet it was unto them only a vain and an empty sign and no Church-ordinance neither was it unto them a Church-priviledge any longer than they continued Church-members 3 This seems to be demonstrative that none are to be looked upon as within the Covenant and to have right unto the seals but Church-members and that the Church-membership of children is a priviledge that they receive from their immediate parents only and that it 's not barely a parents being baptized and making a profession of Christ that doth de jure give him a right to membership and therefore if parents profess Christ and yet are not to be looked upon as members of the Church then Calvins rule I think will hold He that is not a Church-member himself cannot convey a right of membership unto his children Here are three things to be proved 1. That none have a right to the seals of the Covenant but those that are members of the Church This Calvin in an Epistle to Mr. Knox clearly asserts Semper attentè cavendum est ne profanetur hujus mysterii sanctitas quod fieri certum est si promiscuè alicui conceditur vel quispiam recipitur qui inter legitimos Ecclesiae cives numerari nequeat Therefore they that are baptized must be Cives Ecclesiae those that have a title to membership for the Ordinance of Baptisme is profaned if it be applied unto any other and the clear grounds of it are these The scals are the priviledges of Church-members only and if they be administred unto any whose priviledge they are not they are certainly profaned for Christ admitted none but Disciples Act. 2. and his Disciples afterward admitted none but Disciples They that believed were of one heart and they continued in breaking of bread and prayer c. and afterwards when the Church grew more corrupt and more remiss that such were admitted who did manifest they had no right unto this priviledge they were looked upon as spots in their feasts and it was judged a dishonour unto that Church And for this cause in the primitive times
the Name of God call'd upon them and by Covenant are the children of God and members of the visible Church of the number of those out of whom the Lord will take ordinarily the number of the Elect for he hath so ordain'd his eternal Decrees that the greatest part of those that shall be saved come out of the loyns of his own people and those he takes into a Church-covenant because the children of the Elect are mixed with and taken out of the Church visible and to be without such a title of Honour as God has put upon the Infants of his people is it better than to enjoy it seeing free grace bestows it 3. The one half of the Church of God as well as the one half of Man-kind dye in their Infancy and do never live to partake of the Dews and Influences of any other Ordinance but this only and if they might not be owned by God in having the Seal of the Covenant set to them as the children of the Covenant they should go out of the world without any visible owning from God at all or any visible way of blessing from him whereas the same Lord that will glorifie them with his Son in the world to come will own them for his in a visible way before they go out of this life and he has appointed this Ordinance of Sealing to this very end 4. If they live it 's an Obligation that lyes upon them that they are not their own for they were dedicated to God by their Parents in their Infancy There was under the Law a Dedication of the Males and that was an Obligation upon the child as we see in Sampson and Samuel though they did not actually consent unto the Vows which were made by their Parents yet their Dedication was a bond upon them and so must this needs be upon the children of Christians also 5. The fruits of Baptism have an influence upon a mans whole life and the benefits of it carry a man on from his Cradle to his Grave and it 's all the nourishment that children do enjoy or in Infancy can receive from Ordinances therefore Cant. 7.2 it 's said by some to be called the Navel by which the Child in the womb is nourished a mans Baptism and the Grace of it is never accomplished till he come to Heaven for Baptism saves and therefore having an influence upon a mans whole life it 's not best to leave it out in any part of a man's life 6. It lays a great engagement upon the Parents to bring them up in the knowledge of that God to whom they have dedicated them and whose Seal is upon them and that they pray for them and in their behalf take hold of the Covenant and it layes also a very great Obligation upon the Church to which the Parents belong for they looking upon those children as Church-members together with themselves they fall under their constant care and prayers in all these respects it is not better that it be deferred but it 's every way best that it be according to Gods Rule and that our will be wholly moulded into the discoveries of his will 7. As for the Example of Christ it 's true that he was not baptized till he was Thirty years of age but he was circumcised the Eighth day and so admitted into the Church of the Jews and so long as that building was to continue so long he continued a Church-member and walked in Church-communion with them but the time of Reformation being come that the Lord would by him set up another Church now he receives a new Sacrament of Initiation which was proper to the new Administration of the Covenant that he might fulfill all Righteousness but for us there is not the same reason neither have we now any other way to be received into the Church in our Infancy beside Baptism and children are as capable of the grace of Baptism in their infancy as they will be when they are grown men for it 's a good rule of some Divines Nulla actio requiritur Ames med p. 314. sed tantùm receptio passiva infantes igitur sunt aequè capaces hujus Sacramenti respectu principalis ejus usùs atq adulti In Baptism there is required no action but only passive reception therefore Infants are equally capable of the principal use of this Sacrament as adult persons SECT III. the Covenant-right of Children applied § 1. HEre is a threefold Use of this Point 1. Of information and that in two things Vse 1 1. To shew the evil and danger of the Doctrine of the Antipedobaptists who deny unto children an interest in their parents Covenant take parents into covenant without their children they must be left out until they come to be of years actually to take hold of the covenant for themselves but as for a parental right they acknowledge no such thing such an entail of the covenant upon Abrahams natural seed they cannot deny but unto the spiritual seed of Abraham they deny it because say they it 's every mans own faith makes him a son of Abraham And by this means 1 they make another covenant than God ever made a covenant with parents not respecting their children which is such a covenant as God never made either in the Old or New Testament Before the Floud as soon as the covenant was revealed we have heard that it was unto parents and to their seed Gen. 3.15 and therefore Eve was called the mother of all living it 's spoken in respect of the covenant Eve was a covenant-mother as Abraham is the father of us all Rom. 4.16 and it was continued in Seth a seed that God gave her not instead of Cain who was cast out of Gods presence that is out of the Church but instead of Abel whom Cain slew that is the covenant-seed Gen. 6.18 9.9 so to Noah before and after the Floud afterwards the Lord hews these spiritual stones out of another pit as the expression is Esa 51.1 2. and then with David and his seed And the Jews being rejected Psal 89.28 Rom. 4.16 Act. 2.39 the same covenant was continued for the Gentiles were grafted into the same Root and that root was Abraham and his covenant Rom. 11.16 17. and for this cause Abraham is called the Father of the Gentiles and therefore 't is said The promise is unto them that are afar off and to their children as many as the Lord our God shall call and when the Jews shall be grafted in again they shall be brought they and their children into the same covenant Rom. 11.24 out of which they were cast off they and their seed The Scripture speaks of no covenant that doth not comprehend parents and their seed therefore that which leaves out the seed of confederate parents is a covenant of mans making and not of Gods and it will be good for men to consider what a dangerous evil it is to pervert any
of his love and yet with all this he is never satisfied There is a further promise and that is an inheritance with the Saints in light and therefore he can never rest satisfied till he come there he forgets that which is behind and does reach forward to that which is before Phil. 3.12 Quest But how should we do to attain promises 1. Be sensible of your want of them we should look over all the Paradise of the promises and know that there is not a tree nor a fruit in it but it 's good for food the fruit is for meat and the leaves for medicine See how far thou dost come short look upon duty in the latitude and extent of it for obedience must be universal so you must do upon the promises that your faith may be universal also There should be always in our eyes a sight of something before unto which we should reach out our selves Phil. 3.12 God doth never accomplish promises but he doth use to make men see their need of them before-hand they say Lord increase our faith and Christ shews them the excellency of faith Luk. 17.5 and their necessity thereof that by this means raising their apprehensions of it and shewing to them their necessity of it they might be prepared to receive it as the Lord was ready to bestow it we go without many promises because we see no necessity of them and therefore our souls sit down quietly without them 2. Get a strong faith for it was by faith that they did attain the promises Heb. 11.33 and it must be such a faith as must stay the heart and fix the eye upon the promise and thereby support it under all the seeming oppositions and improbabilities or impossibilities unto an eye of reason or an arm of flesh it must cause a man to close his eyes against them all in the matter of justification there is in faith an exclusive resolution against all other ways and means of righteousness whatsoever so there is in this also against all things that from sense and reason may be offered or pretended to the soul to weaken the power of the promise of God therein Rom. 4.19 20. In Abraham there was enough that he might have taken in to have discouraged him but yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he did not admit a dispute he did not take in a consultation of flesh and blood when men have so consulted flesh and blood their faith has failed them God had promised his people a deliverance but they say our bones are dry and our hope is past Ezech. 37.11.12 we have no more reason to expect the accomplishment of such a promise than that we should see dry bones revive and arise out of their graves And the people of God have had their hearts always to fail them when they have looked off from the promise as Peter when the wind arose and he begins to sink he crys out Lord save me and Martha saith By this time he stinketh and the Israelites say The sons of Anak are there c. As whensoever the people of God begin to turn away their eyes from the holy commandment then their hearts fail them in point of duty so it is when they look off from the holy promise then their heart fails them in matter of faith and they cast away their confidence for every promise carries with it an obligation laid upon the power of God to accomplish it our faith gives us a title to the promise and the promise binds the omnipotence of God for its accomplishment and therefore it 's said They stopped the mouths of lyons and quencht the violence of the fire Heb. 11.13 and raised the dead to life By acts of Gods omnipotence all this was done yet they are attributed unto their faith as the fruit of it by which the omnipotence of God is ingaged in the work Therefore it was a brave spirit in Luther fit for him that shall attain the promises that when they sought his life by all means that might be at home and abroad and at last raised a war against him that small Chaldean war yet he wrote upon the walls of his Study that speech of David I shall not dye but live and declare the works of the Lord. Psal 118. 3. Be much in prayer for the promise is a kind of a debt and therefore it 's said when God doth perform any promise reddit debita nulli debens c. and it 's prayer that puts this bond in suit before the Throne of Grace Jer. 29.10 12. After seventy years are accomplished in Babylon I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return unto this place then shall you call upon me and pray to me and I will hear you and this was the very course that Daniel took Dan. 9.1 2. for we can expect nothing from God in mercy that we do not obtain by prayer he leads his people into their own land by supplications In the consolations that we receive from God he speaks to our hearts and in the supplications that we put up unto God we speak unto his heart and the grounds are these why God will have all promises to be nothing else but the returns of prayer 1. That hereby we may testifie that it 's the will of God that we eye in the mercy and not our own will for it's whatsoever we ask according to his will he hears us There is a natural and a carnal desire of mercies when it 's a mans own will that puts him upon it and there is a spiritual and holy desire of mercies and that is when a man has an eye unto Gods will in the promise to bestow them as well as to his own necessity that requires them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence there is a double importunity in prayer as Luk 11.8 a holy kind of impudency that they will in no wise be put off there 's a being stirred up by the apprehension of necessity Hos 7.14 and a desire of the flesh to attain the thing and so men howl for corn wine and oyl but they are but the crys of beasts and not of Saints and so men ask amiss and attain not as it is in Jam. 1.5 But there is an importunity that is grounded upon the will of God and upon the promise and the soul earnestly desires it because he sees it's agreeable unto the will of God that has promised it it 's not the love of the thing that is so much the ground of his importunity as seeing the will of God in the promise and for this cause the Lord will make the accomplishment of all promises to be the only returns of prayers 2. That hereby we may know that his mercy is free in bestowing of it and that though God has promised it in a way of mercy yet there is no way for us to attain it but in a way of duty
to perform the promise is Gods part and to press God with his promise is our part I will do it for you says tne Lord yet I will be inquired of by you that I may do it for you ask and you shall receive knock and it shall be opened and there is no way that ever any creature could attain any thing of God but this way Upon this very ground Christ himself if he will attain from God he must ask and so 't is with the Angels and so 't is with the Saints in Heaven Dan. 4.17 they cry How long Lord How much more is it to be with dust and ashes 3. That the Lord may honour his own Ordinance and testifie how much he doth delight in the worship of a creature and that thereby he might make it a double mercy For ungodly men to receive blessings as a fruit of Providence unto them it comes always single that is in the thing only but unto a godly man that has it as a fruit of the promise it 's always a double mercy mercy in the thing and mercy to the man not only an accomplishment of Gods promises but the return of the mans prayers the exercise of Gods faithfulness unto us and of our graces towards God and there are no mercies so sweet as those that come in with the exercise of grace in the attaining of them Deum orationibus ambiamus coelum tundimus misericordiam extorquemus as Tertullian says of the power of the Saints prayers because of his delight in the exercise of their graces And there is no duty wherein the graces of the Saints do act with more life and power than they do in prayer there is magna conjunctio a great concurrence of grace in them as we see it in Abraham in his prayer what strong acts of grace he puts forth Gen. 18. The nearer the soul draws to God the fountain of its life the more lively it works and moves the swifter the nearer the centre and there is no duty in which the soul draws nearer to God than it doth in prayer and hath more immediate communion with him than when he is upon his knees before the Throne of grace 4. And lastly the way to attain promises is a patient waiting for them till the Lords time come for it 's true of promises as it is of prophecies though the vision be for an appointed time Hab. 2.3 yet wait for it for it will come and will not tarry It 's a speech like unto that in Luk. 18.7 8. though he bear long with them yet he will avenge them speedily it may tarry long in respect of the time prefixed by us and may seem long to us but it shall not be long when the time comes that is appointed by God The Lord commonly does in the answering of prayers as he does in the fulfilling of Prophecies it 's a great while before the Prophecy seems to speak or to give any hope of its accomplishment as it was in the deliverance out of Egypt and Babylon but yet when once it begins but to dawn its day immediately in a manner it strangely and suddenly breaks forth that the Saints of God can scarce believe their own eyes they are like unto them that dream And so it is in the return of their prayers also as in the calling of the Jews they are as dry bones and they are scattered here and there all the world over but the bones shall come together and it shall be so suddenly done that the Lord saith A Nation shall be born at once and before Sion travelled she brought forth and so it is in the answer of Prayers as it was with Elijah he prayed seven times and his servant looked and there was nothing and yet he continued praying at last there appeared a Cloud like unto a mans hand and by and by the Heavens were covered over with Clouds and then the rain fell when it begins once to appear that the Clouds do break away a little the Lord doth strangely hasten the work and there is a glorious concurrence and falling in of all causes to its accomplishment there is a time of the Promise's accomplishment Acts 7 1◠and a great part of the Mercy is in the season of it the Lord doth not delay because he is unwilling to bestow it or because the Mercy comes hardly off for he knows that to our hasty Nature bis dat qui citò but the Lord doth defer it that he may improve the Mercy by the season of it for Gods time is best and not ours my time is not yet come though your time be alwayes ready all Christs Miracles were so much the more glorious by the seasons of their putting forth and so are Gods Mercies also the more magnified in coming to us in the fittest time he does wait to be gracious that is that he may bestow the Mercy when we are fittest to receive it and our hearts are best prepared for it As in judgement to a wicked man the Lord does watch over him for evil and he shall be ensnared in an evil time as a Bird in an evil snare judgement shall come upon him when he least expects it and is least prepared for it he shall be cut off as the foam upon the waters Hos 10.7 sicut aquae superiores ferventis ollae Jerome for the word spuma doth signifie a bubble that does arise from heat c. when they are swelled up and hold up their heads on high and be lifted up above the rest of the waters then they shall suddenly be cut off As I say there is a time for judgment that Justice doth watch over men for evil so there is also a time for Mercy that Grace does watch over men for good there is a time for the Promise to bring forth as well as the threatning and therefore it 's said That by Faith and Patience the Saints have inherited the Promises and there is as well a Patience in waiting as in Suffering Zeph. 2.1 2. let Patience have its perfect work in you in this respect also that you may be intire and perfect wanting nothing Hebr. 10.36 But the Soul will be ready to say I could be willing to wait Gods time if I could be sure to attain the Promise at the last but what grounds are there to support and underprop my heart that I shall receive the Promise and not miss of it in the end Now the grounds to assure the Soul thereof are these 1. The faithfulness of God the Promises are therefore confirmed by an Oath Heb. 6.17 that by two immutable things wherein it 's impossible for God to lye we might have strong Consolation Quid est Dei juratio nisi promissi confirmatio Aust. infidelium quaedam increpatio An Oath amongst Men puts an end to Controversie much more should the Oath of God put an end to all Controversie and Disputes in the Soul and
Esau who did despise the birth-bright Heb. 12. and partly that the soul understanding it may receive satisfaction and see an all-sufficiency in it Aristotle for godliness hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a self-sufficience going with it as it is 1 Tim. 4.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perfect good seems to be self-sufficient and for this cause the Apostle prays for a spirit of illumination Eph. 1.18 That the eyes of their understanding being opened they might know what is the hope of their calling and the riches of this inheritance which God has prepared for the Saints that God whose are all things and of whom are all things yet his portion is his people they are of all people his peculiar treasure and what a glorious inheritance the Lord has chosen to himself in them making up one glorious body with the Lord Jesus Christ Now if it be necessary the eyes of our understanding should be enlightned to know the glory of Gods inheritance in us how much more the glory of our inheritance in Gods attributes that the soul may be able to rejoyce in the goodness of the Lord and say Thou art my portion says my soul that as Calvin observes upon that place Zac. 9.12 Satis praesidii in uno Deo There 's safeguard enough in one God so it may be said of all things else there is wisdom enough and holiness enough and all to be had in him and it is enough if it be in him alone There is a threefold inheritance that Christ hath stated upon his people for Christ is heir of all things 1 by Nature and Generation 2 by Donation as he was man now the first belongs unto him alone and he cannot communicate it and the other he doth impart unto us as we are one body with him and as we partake with him in the same Sonship so we do also in his inheritance Eph. 1.14 and this inheritance of Christ the Saints have a treble benefit by 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he is the Heir of all things we have by him an inheritance of creatures as Christ is God he comes not under an act of Gods will and therefore it 's spoken of him as he was Mediator 2 He has an inheritance of promises for they are all made first unto him Gal. 3.16 2 Cor. 1.20 to him were the promises made not of seeds as of many but as of one who is Christ and therefore it 's in him that all the promises are Yea and Amen as we were chosen in him he was first elected and we in him so the promises were first Yea and then Amen in him and by virtue of our union with him unto us 3 There is a higher inheritance and that is Psal 16.5 that the Lord is the portion of Christ The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup Psal 45.7 c. Answerable unto this is the inheritance that Christ has made over unto the Saints who as they are fellows with him in his Unction so they are Coheirs with him in his Inheritance Rom. 8.17 as they have an inheritance in creatures for all all things are yours whether life or death and also in promises 1 Cor. 3.22 which is beyond what they have in any of the creatures so they have an inheritance that is far beyond both these and that is in God himself Rev. 21.7 He shall inherit all things I will be his God Heb. 6.12 Now if we consider it we shall see that there are great riches in this to have all the attributes of God theirs is greater than to have all the creatures and the promises of God made over to them 1. The Attributes of God are nothing else but the transcendent perfections that are in God the Divine Nature shadowed forth to us according to the capacity of the creatures in which the Lord as in his back parts that is pro nostro modulo according to our capacity makes known himself unto us and causes his goodness to pass before us and if the Lord would take any soul of us as he did Moses and in this manner discover himself there is nothing in the world would affect the soul like unto it for if these be the perfections of God how infinitely must they needs exceed all things that are in the creatures for they are all in him after the manner of a God and therefore all the attributes may be predicated of God in abstracto he is Wisdom and Holiness and Mercy c. because they are all of them the Divine Nature all the excellencies that are in the creature are received from him and therefore surely there is infinite more in himself Thence the Saints have been more taken with the Divine Excellencies that are in the Nature of God immediately than in all the blessings and benefits that come from him 1 Sam. 2.2 as Hanna after the blessing she had received from him she admires his goodness and the excellency that is in him there is none holy as the Lord and who is a Rock save our God and if the Saints did not do so their love were not of a right kind Austin plus diligere attractum quà m sponsum meretricius amor to love the token more than the bridegroom is adulterous love 2. This is the foundation of all our interest and all the comfort of it either in creatures or in promises How comes it to pass that all things are yours and promises yours c. but because the Lord is our God and therefore it 's brought in as the foundation of all blessedness having spoken of all creature-comforts in the highest he adds this Psal 144. Blessed are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. There is a blessedness therein without the creatures and the only foundation of blessedness in the creatures lyes in this 1 In creatures consider this is the difference between the portions of godly men and wicked men they may both possess the same thing but with a different temper and the one has only a title unto creatures as a gift of God but the other as he has a title unto God the one has them by a single and the other by a double title and so a little that the righteous has is better than great riches of many wicked because he has all that he has conveyed unto him from his interest in God as the Original thereof 2 In promises it 's true that their inheritance in them is very glorious far beyond that of Adam in Paradise but yet the foundation of all the promises is an attribute and they must all lead the soul unto God and his interest in him that did promise for Faithful is he that has promised and he will also do it There is a promise of pardon of sin but still it is to be resolved into an attribute 1 Joh. 2.1 He is faithful
draws virtue from all the objects of it Esa 66.11 It will suck and be satisfied with the breasts of consolation It 's true that we are now in a state of childhood 1 Cor. 13.12 our manhood is to come but yet there are breasts of consolation agreeable unto our condition as Christ cannot be touched by faith but virtue comes out of him Luke 8.46 there is a power and efficacy that goes out of him there is life to be drawn from the living Father and from the Son and from the Spirit a man can exercise no act of faith upon any of the objects of faith but he can find there is an influence that it hath upon the man that believes as it is in all the acts of Christ Phil. 3.9 10. so it is in this much more how should a man rejoyce to see the influence of each person upon his soul 4. There is also an act of resignation for faith hath two hands one to receive and the other to return I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine says the believing soul Cant. 6.3 a man doth as well give up himself to God as he doth receive an interest in God David says as well Lord I am thy servant as O Lord thou art my God and therefore a man should give up himself to the praise and glory of Father Son and Spirit for to be baptized in the name of them all is for a man to give up himself unto the obedience of them all there is a judging and reasoning also in faith says the Apostle Because we thus judge 2 Cor. 5.13 14. if one dyed for all then were all dead if the Father Son and Spirit give up themselves to work for our good and we have an interest in them all how much more should we give up our selves to be to the praise and glory of them all and still keep up the eye of our faith open to see the Lord making himself over to us and the ear of faith open to hear and receive the testimony that is given and be not indulgent to the unbelief doubtings and the misgiving of your own spirits receive the witness of God within you and having received a testimony of thy interest then triumph in God for there is a triumph of faith Eph. 1.3 blessed be God the Father by Christ who was rich in love loved me and gave himself for me glory be to the Father Son and Spirit § ◠Be much in exercising distinct acts of communion with all the persons seeing there is a distinct interest in them all we should labour for a distinct fellowship with them all The ground of all unions and relations amongst all rational creatures is that they might have a fellowship one with another by their interest one in another for their interest must be improved and exercised modo rationali in a rational way It is true that there are relationes aequiparantiae as well as disquiparantiae between inferiour and superiour and between equals but yet the end is communion in them both therefore the man and wife are made one flesh and therefore friends do become one heart and soul therefore in the Church the members do become one body 1 Cor. 12.12 13. as the body hath many members even so is Christs body We are baptized into one body and all is that they might by mutual consent enjoy a communion of Saints amongst themselves and for this cause we become one body with the Angels Eph. 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might gather them all together under one head so that the Saints and the Angels do make but one glorious Church and therefore it is Bernards apprehension That God did elect as many men as should supply the places of the Angels that fell and they should be in Christ taken up into the same body with them in glory and therefore we are said to come to the innumerable company of Angels Heb. 12.23 and all that we might enjoy a communion with them and so much the words ascending and descending imply Joh. 1. ult and this is the end of our interest in Christ the Mediator and we are married to him that we might have fellowship with him and by this means we rise to an higher interest and that is in the Father Son and Spirit and this also is that we might have a distinct communion with them all § 4. Here we will consider 1 That there is a distinct Communion with them all that a Believer may and ought to have with all the persons grounded upon his interest in them all 2 Wherein this Communion doth consist and what are the actings of it 3 Give you some arguments that may perswade the people of God to be much in the improvement thereof that as you have a fellowship with Christ and with the Saints and you look upon that as sweet so you would not neglect this which is the highest fellowship that you do attain by faith and is the end of all your union and communion whatsoever 1. That there is a distinct fellowship and communion to be had with all the persons That will clearly appear from 1 Joh. 1.3 Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ so that we have not only a communion with Christ the Mediator but through him with the Father and 2 Cor. 13.14 we do read of a fellowship with the Spirit also which must be mutual he hath a fellowship with us and we with him we are said to have access unto the Father which are terms of communion and that distinct communion which we have with all the persons Heb. 12.22 as well as they one with the other and therefore 't is said Heb. 12.22 Ye are come unto mount Sion c. Now to come unto the three persons notes 1 faith in them and so we come unto Christ Come unto me all ye that labour Mat. 11.29 that is that believe in him 2 It notes a communion with them and so we have access by him Ad gratiam ad gloriam Patris and thus we are said to come unto God by him Heb. 7. and no man comes unto the Father but by me Joh. 14.6 for he is the Mediator of Communion as well as of Reconciliation and we have as much need of him for the one as for the other If we look upon God and man as enemies then there needs a Mediator that may be as a days-man to lay hold upon both but being reconciled and made friends he having made us near by the blood of his Cross yet we cannot come unto God but by him it is he that gives us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3.12 Here to come to them is to be taken into favour and fellowship with them all as appears in these particulars 1 We are come unto mount Sion the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem that is the Church of Christ under the New Testament called therefore
the generation of them that seek thy face O Jacob. There is a generation of seekers in the world and in that respect the name is honourable though to be Scepticks in Religion is very hateful and they that do in this manner seek him are the true Jacob true Israelites indeed many others may and do pretend to the name to be of the same family and of the posterity of Jacob but they only are so indeed that are those that seek the face of God Hos 14.5 6 7. He shall grow as the lily Hos 14.5 6 7. which is the most beautiful of all flowers Mat. 6.24 Solomon in all his glory was not cloathed like one of these and she shall cast forth her root as Lebanon that is as they should have the beauty of the Lily so they should have the stability of the Cedar which is the strongest of all Trees and is less subject to putrefaction or that Lebanon that is as the goodly Mountain that you may as soon remove a mountain as the Church of God and her branches shall spread there shall be a daily and a wonderful growth in the Church in all the gifts and graces of the Spirit of God yea and the members thereof also they shall thrive and grow from strength to strength for as wicked men grow so do the Saints also Austin Mundus totus est in maligno positus propter zizania sed Christus est propitiatio propter triticum and their beauty shall be as the Olive there is indeed as you have heard a great beauty in the Lily but it will wither at winter and it is but a beauty to the eye for it is but for shew and no more but it bears no fruit but the beauty of the Olive is more there is in it a greenness and a fruitfulness it is green at winter and it bears excellent fruit for light and for food and ornament for it is oyl makes the face to shine c. they smell as Lebanon it 's spoken of the sweetness and the acceptation of their graces services and persons we are in our selves and all that comes from us gall and wormwood Deut. 29.18 and the Lord will not smell in them Amos 5.21 but the services of the Saints shall be a sweet savour unto God and again they that wait on him shall dwell under his shadow there shall be safety and security in all dangers for so much is intended by a shadow so Num. 14.9 They are bread for us for their defence is departed the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their shadow is departed from them and they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine though the corn fall into the ground and dye though it lie under ground under the nipping frost and the winter snow it will break through all and revive again and so shall the Church of God do in the worst affliction Tertullian as Tertullian saith Omnia pereundo servantur omnia de interitu reformantur All by perishing are saved c. And the Vine doth not only as other Trees cast her leaves but it is pruned and lopped as if it should bear no more but yet it doth spring forth and bear fruit more gloriously and brings forth more abundantly so the people of God the more they are crusht and kept under and lopped by persecution the more they thrive and the more fruitful they grow c. Quest But how comes all this to pass Now he directs the soul unto his alsufficiency in two expressions Hos 14.4 1 Hos 14.4 I will be as the dew the dew is of a heavenly original and it is the cause of all greenness growth savour and fruitfulness that is in things below now saith the Lord I will supply the place and perform the work of this dew and ye shall find all these effects in me It 's true that you are as the dry and barren earth that has no beauty no fruitfulness there is no savour no reviving in your performances but unto all these effects I will be alsufficient I will be as the dew unto thee the dew doth produce all these things in the earth I will be unto thee instead of the dew and thou shalt find all in me 2 I am a green Fir-tree that is as he is sufficient for their spiritual refreshment so he will be the dew and as he is sufficient also for their spiritual preservation in opposition unto all other shelters and hiding-places whatsoever so he will be the Fir-tree the Fir-tree is arbor frigida a cold tree because of the thickness of its boughs and therefore Drusius renders it frondosa and the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 densam umbram praebens affording a thick shade and it 's known by common experience that it never casts its leaves but yields a perpetual shade both winter and summer and such a protection saith the Lord shall my people have in me I am a green Fir-tree from me is thy fruit thou hast a beauty a growth a sweet smell it is all from me as the dew and thou dost bear fruit it is from me also for though it 's true our works are ours when they are done by us yet it is he that works in us to will and to do the duty is ours but the efficacy is his and thus is he alsufficient but unto whom is all this it is unto none but unto his Covenant people for it is I will be as the dew to Israel therefore he has in the promise made over his alsufficiency unto his Covenant-people and upon this ground it is that being in Covenant with God is more than all earthly blessings from God whatsoever because it does intitle a man unto God in his alsufficiency Gen. 17.21 I have heard thee for Ismael twelves Princes shall he beget and I will make of him a great nation but my covenant will I establish with Isaac this is more than all the promises that were made unto the son of the bond-woman 2. This will appear by instances also There are mainly two 1 Christ himself he had nothing else to live upon but the alsufficiency of God and when he was born he had not a house to put his head in became poor for our sakes so that it is said by some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nihil erit illi c. Dan. 9. the Messiah shall have nothing it was a wonder to see Verbum in fame qui regit sidera sugit ubera the Word in hunger c. but for him that was Heir of all things to have nothing and for him that was Lord of the world not so much as to have a foot in the world nay not so much of his own as a burying place which every one doth challenge in the Earth but he lived upon the alsufficiency of God Psal 16.4 5. The Lord is my portion the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places I desire no other portion
alsufficient he that desires nothing but God need fear none but God nimis avarus est cui non sufficit Deus he is too avaritious to whom God is not sufficient who has a self-sufficiency in him for his own blessedness for it is ones being a perfect good that he goes not out for a supply to any other nothing can add unto God to make him blessed and surely the same will make the Saints blessed also Blessed is the people whose God is Jehovah c. 4. He will have the creature perfect with him Gen. 17.2 Walk before me and be thou perfect he will have you perfect in his obedience to serve him alone and be unto him alone he 'l have you forsake all for him and this could not be required of the creature if he were not alsufficient and a full reward sin is nothing else but the aversion of the soul à bono incommuâ—â—tabili ad communitabile bonum from the incommutable to a commutable good as the School-men say when a man doth not believe the alsufficiency of God and so would go out to the creature to fetch in some supply to make it up as it is in the Righteousness of Christ when men go to their own duties to piece it out so it is here in matters of comfort and supply and so long a man is a double-minded man but when a mans heart is fastned to the alsufficiency of God so that he saith If I have him I need no other I need no friend if he be a friend nor no honour but that which comes from God only if I lose any thing he is able to make it up he can give me much more I desire no other God even our own God shall bless us he goes not out to the creatures to fetch in supplies and it 's the want of this that makes men to hasten after another God The only proper ground of a mans perfection with God is laid up in this alsufficiency of God that a man needs not go out unto any thing else he needs do service to no other and they that do so do proclaim that they look not unto him as alsufficient but when the soul is satisfied in this that he has God and can say In that I have enough then will he be perfect with him alone so it was with Moses the Lord would send him unto Pharaoh but Moses tells him Exod. 4.11 I am a man slow of speech I am not eloquent and they that speak unto Kings must speak well if they hope to be heard must speak with silken words if the subject is unpleasing and the words also if the message be disliked and the delivery of it what hope is there then to prevail but the Lord made him this answer Who made the mouth did not I I will be with thy mouth in that thing rest upon me and for words care not I will be alsufficient unto thee as if thou wert the most eloquent Orator in the world And so it is for all things else a man that looks upon God as sufficient for any work or any comfort so as he will be with him he will rest upon him and look no further this is to be perfect with him You 'l say What is perfection with God it's nothing else but when the soul looks upon God as an alsufficient God has an eye upon him alone expecting all his happiness from him and putting all his trust and hope in him The School-men say that God is objectum beatitudinis dupliciter the object of blessedness two ways 1 quia in ipso sunt omnes perfectiones simpliciter because in him are all perfections simply and so to cleave unto God is actus charitatis principalissimus the principal act of love 2 Vt suam perfectionem per ipsum consequatur As the creature obtains his perfection by him and both these are to be conjoyned in our happiness as God has all perfections in him and so is alsufficient unto us when God takes up the whole soul and Psal 18.2 The Lord is my rock my fortress my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler the horn of my salvation and my high tower he is the fear of Isaac the hope of Israel the love of Ignatius c. when he takes up and possesses the whole soul and a man looks no further does not hasten after any other God Psal 16.4 as they all do that joyn any thing else with him this mans heart is perfect with God Hos 3.3 Thou shalt be for me says God to the soul and thou shalt not be for another Mat. 6.22 23. so will I be for thee and that 's meant by a single eye Mat. 6.22 23. it is in opposition unto a double eye that is a double intention of spirit a single eye looks but upon one object but a double eye looks upon a double object it is divided between God and the world and knows not which to chuse but he would follow them both he has an eye to God and an eye to his pleasure and his credit and his profit c. that mans heart whatever his possession be is not whole with God he is not perfect with him and the ground of all is this because there is in God an alsufficiency that the soul may rest upon him alone and have no other God The Heathen multiplied their gods because one god served for one end and was good to them in one way and another in another but if there be a God that is sufficient for all things then there needs no other and therefore the soul is confined to him alone and in this is said to be perfect with him and if men go out unto any thing else they may truly be said to transgress without a cause for there was no need of any other but all good was to be found in him 5. That by this means the Lord may make up the banks against that which is the greatest temptation that doth ordinarily befal men it 's true that there are some motions that come from Hell immediately that are purely devilish a messenger of Satan that immediately comes into the soul as Lightning as thoughts of Atheism and blasphemy c. but the ordinary temptations that prevail with men are by a bait Jam. 1.14 Satan taking the same course that his instruments and his messengers do beguiling unstable souls 2 Pet. 2.14 promising them liberty there is some bait that he useth for all sorts of sinners are not fit for that immediate touch from Satan it belongs unto them most properly that have been much exercised in all spiritual wickedness their hearts and tongues are set on fire of Hell immediately but the way by which Satan deceives men is he doth bait his hook with the creature and therein lies the temptation he did first tempt our parents with the forbidden fruit it was fair to the eye good for food and desirable to
a life that is maintained by union and therefore though Paul saith I live yet he looks off from himself immediately upon the fountain of his life and the manner of the conveyance of it and that is by union continually Phil. 1.19 and therefore Phil. 1.19 we read of a supply of the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est dux chori or as some say quòd ornamenta suppeditat sacras choreas agentibus and so is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jul. Pol. pag. 145. publicum subire munus or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gymnasiis praeesse and therefore he says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 147. and for the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some render it by subministrare and so it notes a sweet but yet hidden and secret supply some insuper suppedito to supply aid and all to add something to what a man had before and some make use of that rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in compositione intendit significationem and so they read it abundè suppeditare from all which there are these particulars in the words 1 That the Spirit is not communicated unto the Saints as a Spirit of Grace all at once but by degrees and this in a secret and an unobserved way 2 That the Spirit hath undertaken this work as a publick office and administration in the Church of Christ 3 That the supplies of the Spirit come in by the teaching of the Spirit 4 That the Spirits supplies are rich and abundant supplies in all things necessary unto the salvation of the Saints Now the more any sin is against nature as we say murder is and unthankfulness is and disobedience to parents is the more hateful it is and there is a principle in nature that is against all such sins in a special manner and so is this also an unnatural sin for grace to be set up in a man by God the Author of it and yet for a man to deal so unnaturally with God as to make the grace he hath received from him his own sufficiency and neglect the God who alone is alsufficient 3. No man is able to act the grace that he hath received Christ tells his Disciples plainly Joh. 15.5 Without me you can do nothing not only by virtue of our union with Christ is our grace acted but there must be a daily and a continual influence from Christ also 2 Cor. 3.5 and the Apostle says We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God c. As there is an immediate dependence of all creatures upon the first cause so there is of grace also upon its first cause now Deus agit immediatè cum omni agente creato God acts immediately in all so it 's here also and if the Lord will suspend but his own actings no creature can act or do any thing as we see it in the fiery Furnace in which the King of Babylon put the three Children the fire remained true fire still for it immediately consumed the men that were thrown in but yet the Lord suspended the actum secundum the second act of the creature and it could not burn the three Children as it is in the creature so it is in grace much more but the one is a natural and the other is a supernatural concurrence and therefore hath a more special and supernatural dependence and influence now the Spirit is a free Agent he works where and when and in what manner he pleaseth sometimes God doth as it were withdraw himself from us and then all our grace is becalmed for it is as wind to the sails and therefore we read of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the plerophory of faith it is taken from the wind filling of the sails for the Spirit of God is compared to wind when he will fill the sail a man is carried on with a full gale or else he cannot move he can but lye in the harbour so that though the man hath grace yet he can never be able to perform one good duty either inward or outward without further assistance It is true that the Lord doth commonly concur with grace according to the measure given to the soul as he doth with the rest of the creatures according to their kind but yet the Lord will sometimes withdraw to let them see where their strength lyes and where the fountain of all their grace is he will use his Prerogative and leave a soul to it self and then resolve a Christian into his principles and one would think having such a good foundation laid such a stock laid in a man he can think well or speak well or do well when he pleases and he may begin to rouze up himself as at other times as Samson did no he hath not so much as a sufficiency to think a good thought all the grace that he hath cannot procure it to him 4. All the grace that a man hath cannot free him from temptations nor secure him from falling into the greatest and the foulest evil that a godly man is capable of 1 It preserves a man from no temptation grace could not preserve Adam in Paradise or Christ himself from being tempted whose grace was perfect Prosper Viatoris gratia neminem intentabilem facit The grace of a viator makes no man intentable and therefore we see what dangerous temptations the Saints have had Satan stood against David as he did against Joshua Zac. 3. but it was against the one for temptation and the other for accusation and grace could preserve from neither 2 It cannot preserve a man from the greatest and the foulest falls as we see how David fell into adultery and murder and numbering the people and Samson also to the same sin of uncleanness again and again and Peter denied his Master and began to curse and to swear that he never knew him he wisht upon himself the most terrible and dreadful curses if he knew the man There are only two sins that a godly man is secure from by the state of grace and that is the sin against the Holy Ghost and final impenitency but it is not the grace that is in a man that doth secure him from falling into sin but the state of grace by reason of his Head Christ Jesus to whom he is united and by reason of the Covenant under which he stands therefore there is no sufficiency in that grace that will not preserve a man from the greatest sins and foulest falls and indeed how is it possible that it should preserve us that cannot preserve it self as Austin did deride and mock the gods of the Heathen They that cannot keep themselves but are stoln away much less could they keep others so it is of grace also c. 5. This will certainly provoke God against thy grace though it be his own work yet he will let it decay as he doth his own Ordinances of the Law which are called
strength my buckler the horn of my salvation my high tower the Lord is my light and my salvation the Lord is the strength of my life it 's sweet to see all to be in God it 's glorious to see the fulness that is in Christ the beauty of him who is our Husband but it is much more to see it in God he is objectum ultimatum fidei the ultimate object of faith in whom the soul doth ultimately rest and the Lord is all these 1 unitivè unitedly all of them are united in him they do all meet in him as lines in a center they are scattered in the creatures but they are one in him as the Attributes of God are diversified according to their objects but they are one in God so are all the excellencies of the creature and therefore he is a Sun Psal 48.11 all the light that was scattered abroad all over the earth the Lord united in that body of the Sun and made it a glorious body because all light is in it so all the excellencies and sufficiency that are continued and scattered in broken rays in the creatures are all united in him 2 It is in God eminenter eminently so that he shall be unto us the end of all things in a far more glorious manner than any creature can be Deut. 32.31 their Rock is not like our Rock there is no God like our God there is no God that can save after this sort he is deliverance Dan. 3.29 he is protection provision and consolation and salvation in such a way as no creature can be fully indeed the creatures are good in their kinds and they do fetch in supplies to one another but it 's still but as a creature but God doth it in the manner of a God as having all eminently in him there is something of infiniteness something that manifests a God wherein God appears 3 Causativè causally the Lord is all things as being the cause of them all Who laid up all these things in the creatures was it not the Lord doth not all provision come out of his store-house and doth not all protection from the creature come from himself Zac. 2.5 I will be a wall of fire round about Jerusalem they had no wall but what is wanting says God I will supply it and they were never so guarded they never lay down in so much peace though the enemies were enraged against them round about the Psalmist saith The Lord takes my part Psal 118.7 therefore I shall see my desire upon them that hate me and the Lord is with them that uphold my soul It 's true that there is something in creatures but they are but instruments in his hand and there is but so much good as he will put into them and no more so much wisdom so much power and so much provision as he will put into them and no more and the same creatures that are now used for you he can turn against you Armies and Navies and wise men and great men shall all combine against you for evil as they have appeared for your good if you forsake God 2. Having God the soul doth not run out after other things in an anxious and a solicitous way but having him he saith I have enough whether I have much or little Gen. 33.9 11. Esau seemed to have a kind of contentment in the creatures but he says only I have much multum habeo but there is another kind of speech of Jacob Sunt mihi omnia I have all having God the soul hath room for no more for you can have but all and he that hath the Lord for his God hath all things else and so Paul saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I abound and am full a little supply is fulness to him because there is God in all he hath and therefore he looks upon all things else as things indifferent if he have them they are not his portion and he doth not set his heart upon them and therefore when other men are busied all their days in a traffick of creatures yet there is to him but one Pearl of great price Phil. 3.20 his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conversation or merchandise is in Heaven all things here below are dross My heart panteth my strength faileth me saith David but the wicked his heart runs to and fro from one market of the creatures to another and hunts what he can get of them for his treasure is in the things below he hath all his good things in this life and his hope in this life and then a man is miserable but while other men are hunting for the creatures as it 's said of Nimrod He was a mighty hunter before the Lord it was for a Kingdom that he did hunt there is a prey that all such men do pursue as the Lord threatens Jer. 16.16 I will bring many fishers and hunters upon you that is the Chaldeans men skilful to take all prey and they shall be hot and fierce in the pursuit of it but the prey that the Saints hunt after is this Ego Deum venor meum c. I hunt after my God he that hath drunk of this water his thirst is allayed in respect of all creature-comforts for ever and therefore it is enough whether he hath little or much and he can be content with the things that are present as the exhortation is Heb. 13.5 and who can be more happy than that man cui omnia sunt ex voto humiles sunt hoc volunt pauperes pauperie delectantur Allow them but the Lord for their portion and they can easily spare the things of this world unto the men of the world and leave the pursuit of these things to them that have no higher good to follow 3. He only fears the loss of God if he can but keep God with him still he fears nothing else Psal 27.1 2. The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear so long as God is with him there is no fear enters into him What misery or affliction is there in this world that I cannot object God against it all tell me of poverty and can he be poor that has an interest in him that is Lord of all tell me of disgrace the Lord is my glory and the lifter up of my head tell me of danger the Lord is my rock and my shield my high tower if I can but keep him to me it 's enough for me only the soul remembers that the rule is The Lord is with you while you be with him Now when his soul departs from God 2 Chron. 15.2 then he remembers that it may befal the Saints sometimes that their shield is departed and the Lord will give them up their rock has sold them Deut. 32.30 and therefore his great solicitude is to keep God with him his fear is ne discedat lest he depart and this is the
they shall be truly our servants that is they shall tend unto the advancement of our spiritual and eternal good Rom. 8.38 what he had before spoken positively that they shall all do us good here he speaks negatively that they shall never be able to do us hurt I am perswaded that neither life nor death via extrema secunda adversa the highest pitch of prosperity and the lowest ebb of adversity or affliction shall not be able to hurt us nor Angels good or bad nor principalities and powers that is all the powers of Empires and Monarchs of the world nor things present nor things to come not any intermediate events that now do or hereafter may befal us nor heights nor depths nor any creature i. e. if there be any creature that comes not under the former enumeration whether it be in heaven above or in the deeps beneath it shall never be able to hurt us in respect of our eternal state because it shall never be able to separate us from the love of God which has so sure a ground for it is love born to us in Christ in whom he has elected us c. therefore you see there comes no disadvantage but a continual advantage unto the spiritual Kingdom by all the creatures and by the dispensations of Christ in the ordering and the government of them all Let us see this by an enumeration of some particulars 1. If the Lord give unto his people prosperity it shall be to the advantage of the inward man and in their outward prosperity their souls shall prosper 2 Chron. 17.6 Jehosaphat had silver and gold and riches in abundance and his heart was lifted up and encouraged in the ways of Gods commandments and thereby the people of God make them friends of the unrighteous Mammon and they lay up a good foundation that they may lay hold of eternal life Eccles 7.11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance it is good in it self without an inheritance but there is a special advantage by wisdom with an inheritance and so it 's better to the man or it is good to a mans self but it is not so good unto another and so Prov. 14.24 The crown of the wise is their riches but there are to other men riches reserved for the hurt of the owner and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them Prov. 1.32 wisdom is the better with an inheritance but folly is the worse with an inheritance for the folly of fools is foolishness he speaks it of rich fools there are no men discover their folly more and whose foolishness is more eminent and notorious than these mens as riches draw forth the graces of the one so do they also the sins of the other 2. If the Lord give unto his people afflictions it shall be to the advantage of their inward man Rom. 5.3 Tribulation works patience surely patience is a fruit of the Spirit as all other graces are and cannot be wrought in any man by affliction unless it be given him by the Spirit A man must have patience 1 if ever he will bear affliction fruitfully but 2 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth signifie to work a thing out and bringing of it to perfection Phil. 2.12 It is this therefore that when patience is wrought in the soul by the Spirit it is improved and exceedingly drawn out by affliction it doth improve the graces of the Saints and upon this ground it is said Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations Jam. 1.2 Esa 27.8 9. in measure God shoots forth the affliction and the mercy of God is greatly seen in the moderation of the affliction By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is the fruit to take away the sin of his people when he makes all the stones of their Altars to be as chalk stones and therefore Esa 24.15 Glorifie the Lord in the fires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.10 he doth chastise them that they may be made partakers of his holiness 3. Temptations for the Lord Jesus doth order all the temptations of Satan and directs them unto spiritual ends for even the very enemies of the spiritual Kingdom he doth over-rule so as he makes them servants to it even the vessels of dishonour have their use in the great house as the Apostle speaks 2 Tim. 2.21 Satan is an enemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that enemy in two things to the Saints 1 In his accusations unto God he is therefore called the Accuser of the Brethren and so he did move God against Job to destroy him without a cause Job 2.3 there was cause enough in Job if the Lord had been extreme to mark what he had done amiss but there was not that cause that Satan did alledge and it is a mercy to the people of God that though there be cause enough yet he doth hide the true cause from their malicious accusers that that which they fasten upon them is no cause to set God or man against them but the more the Lord doth appear for his servants to justifie them had not Satan accused Job so impetuously God had never so eminently appeared for his justification This should quiet and comfort the Saints in all the hard measure and reproaches that they meet withal in the world that yet the Lord will arise for their justification and their enemies confusion that though a child of God may lye under the blast of the wicked for a season yet God will vindicate him at last so that false friends as well as true enemies shall be made to say Surely there is no inchantment against any of the seed of Jacob Jude 15. c. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him and his children c. 2 Satan is an enemy by his temptations unto the Saints and so the strength of God is made perfect in their weakness that is manifestly declared so to be 2 Cor. 12. for thereby their strength is tryed there is nothing tries grace so much as temptation unto sin because nothing is more opposite unto grace and gratia vexata seipsam prodit grace vexed discovers it self thereby also their corruption is purged for the Lord doth commonly temper that poyson into a medicine and Satan that seeks to kill shall be instrumental to cure he that doth intend to stab the man shall but give vent to his imposthume and therefore Luther says of temptation when the Papists did object unto Luther that he himself granted Purgatory I do indeed saith he but it is but that Purgatory of temptation and he adds Hoc Purgatorium non est fictum and hereby the enemy is conquered for we are more than conquerors Rom. 8. It was said that the Carthaginians did prevail against
the Gospel than there is at another time and we should watch and wait to hear what God speaks to us in that manner even while we are speaking to others and truly the secret hints that God many times gives that are immediately darted in from God we have cause to consider of and look upon as the special mercies of our lives because therein God has glory in a special manner according to the service that the Lord has to do for them and by them and all is for the good of his people 6. He doth give an efficacy and success unto their labours in three things 1 He doth by them gather souls for Paul saith 1 Cor. 4.15 I have begotten you thorow the Gospel and therefore as Christ is a Father so are they also spiritual Fathers under him as they are imployed by him to bring souls unto the Lord and they travel in birth with you there is a planting as well as a watering and this should be the great aim of a Minister without which he should think all the other ends as it were lost as Christ doth Esa 49.4 I have laboured in vain Israel is not gathered not in vain as to his reward but yet unto the great end of his calling in vain which is to bring men to repentance to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God Acts 26.18 2 For the perfecting of their graces Rom. 1.11 12. For I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end you may be established c. 1 Thess 3.10 it is that I might perfect that which is wanting in your faith for there is to be a watering as well as a planting there is a fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ in which the Ministers should desire to come unto a people Rom. 15.29 that it be not an empty Ministry but come with a fulness of blessing oratione satagamus ut ipse perficiat in auditore quod loquitur in doctore Luth. 3 To preserve them from errour they are the salt of the earth for this end that men may not prove unsavory Eph. 4.14 15. that men be not carried about with every wind of doctrine called so Eph. 4.14 15. 1 for its mutability it doth not abide long in one quarter men are not long of the same mind quò quis foret religiosior eò promptiùs novellis aedinventionibus contrà iret 2 For its prevalency it is strong and powerful and for the strength of it it is compared unto a mighty wind and so it is with this also unto light things that which is chaff and has no root it carries away with ease trees that have no root but that which has a root is the more firmly rooted and this is the honour of the Ministers that the people be in this manner preserved and established c. 7. Their sufferings are for the Churches sake also and the Churches good Phil. 1.12 13. The things that have happened to me in my bonds they have been for the furtherance of the Gospel I endure all for the Churches sake that they may attain the salvation which is in Jesus Christ I fill up that which is behind of the suffering of Christ for his bodies sake which is the Church It is true that the sufferings of Christ are only for the Churches redemption 2 Tim. 2.10 Col. 1.24 and that the suffering of the Ministers also is for the Churches edification and they whom the Lord will have to profit his people no longer by their preaching shall do it by their suffering as one of the Martyrs said I hope we shall kindle a fire this day in England that shall never be put out again Christs sufferings only are meritoriously available for the salvation of the Saints but ours also ministerially for their edification and therefore what do they intend that seek to destroy the Ministers of Christ of which Christ makes so great a use far from the apprehension of the people of Antioch who when Chrysostome was banished professed tolerabilius fuisset si Sol radios suos retraxisset and Luther Si in manu mea res esset non vellem Deum mihi loqui de coelo sed huc tendunt quotidianae preces meae ut digno honore habeam his care was that he might esteem the Ministry as the Ordinance that God had appointed c. 2. And as Christ useth the Angels upon earth for the advancement of the spiritual Kingdom so he doth the Angels in heaven also 1 they pray for us Dan. 4.17 Non ex officio sed charitate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen 2. They do joyn with us in our praises and out of their love bless God wonderfully for mercies unto us at the Birth of Christ the Angels sing Good will towards men Rev. 5.11 there is a principle of love that makes them to rejoyce in our good that we are taken into their fellowship members of the same body and it may be as many men are saved as there were Angels that fell qui supplent locum illum as Bern. and so the School-men generally non in naturam Angelicam sed statum for they shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. They do instruct us in the things of God for as the Devil doth put evil motions into mankind so do the Angels good motions also Dan. 9.22 I am sent to inform thee and the Angels themselves as by the Church so for the Churches sake they have many discoveries made to them that they might also teach them to us they receive a spirit of Prophecy from Christ for the Churches sake Rev. 19.10 the god of this world blinds the eyes of men and the Angels that are imployed by the Spirit of God do inlighten them 4. They watch over them carefully to keep them from sin Jude 9. Michael the Archangel when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses durst not bring against him a railing accusation but said The Lord rebuke thee c. Why did God hide the body of Moses Ne corpus ejus in superstionis occasionem adducerent Now here Michael contends if it be Christ that is here meant the Angels are his armies and they are behind him Zac. 1. but some conceive it a created Angel for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he durst not give him a railing accusation Satan would have brought it to light but the Angels hindred it and so Rev. 19. John would have worshipped the Angel but the Angel saith See thou do it not for I am thy fellow-servant Now see the difference between the good Angels and the bad the Devil will be worshipped he tempts all men as he did the Lord Christ to fall down and worship him he delights to make men sin in point of worship but now the good Angel will restrain from sin and will not suffer the servants of
God to sin against God See thou do it not c. 5. The Angels do sweetly comfort and chear the souls of the Saints in their dejections when Daniel was troubled an Angel bids him not to fear thou art a man of desires they delight as well in your consolation as in your conversion and so they did with Christ in his agony the Angels comforted him and so to Paul Be of good chear says the Angel Acts 27. Discamus optimos constantissimos amicos nostros esse Angelos qui fide benevolentiâ omnibus amicitiae officiis visibiles amicos longè superant sicut diaboli omnes hostes visibiles The Angels are our best and most constant friends c. Luth. Lastly At death they carry the souls of the people of God into Abrahams bosom and they do rejoyce in such a conveyance that they may be imployed to bring another into society and communion with themselves in that glory which they by Christ attain unto for they delight in the filling up of the body of Christ and when a soul is converted there is much joy not only to the Angels but even to God himself how much more therefore when a soul is glorified c. as the Devil from a principle of enmity is ready as an Executioner to conduct souls to be tormented in hell to carry them from the presence of the Lord so are the blessed Angels from a principle of love as Officers for our conduct to enter into our Masters joy and sweet shall the converse of the soul and the Angels be in that pleasant passage but as terrible in the passage will the converse of the soul and the Devil be there shall be nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth c. SECT III. What Interest the Saints have in Christs Providential Kingdom as to the greatest and least things § 1. WE have spoken of the Spiritual and come now unto the Providential Kingdom which is a further manifestation and exercise of the Soveraignty of God and this also have the Saints an interest in and it is in the second Covenant made over to them for their good that it shall be wholly administred for them and this will appear in these particulars 1. There is a special Providence over them above all the rest of the Creation it is true that there is a general Providence of God that doth reach unto every thing even the meanest and the vilest creatures Mat. 10.29 a sparrow a hair He doth whatever it pleases him in heaven and earth and in the sea c. there is a Divine manuduction c. and there is a concourse God has not set up a world to act of it self but there is and must be a concurrence that is 1 with all second causes or else they cannot act this appears in the Furnace of Babylon if the Lord do but suspend his act the creatures immediately work not and therefore there is an immediate acting that is with all second causes causa prima concurrit immediatè cum omni agente creato c. But 2 in a special manner over the Saints for that 's the scope of Christs reasoning Mat. 10.29 c. Ye are of more value than many sparrows he that feeds the ravens and cloaths the lilies will he not much more you O ye of little faith and not one of them is forgotten by your heavenly Father vocula Pater tanta est in corde eloquentia quam Demosthenes Cicero non possunt exprimere c. Luther all the rest are but his servants but he will much more take care for his sons to the rest of the world he is but a Master but he is unto you a Father and his affection answers his relation c. and therefore Deut. 33.3 All thy Saints are in thy hand that is under thy power for their preservation as Joh. 10.28 29. None can pluck them out of my Fathers hand and they are also under his care for their direction Num. 4.28 Vnder the hand of Ithamar and by the hand of Moses and Aaron and of David he rules them with the skilfulness of his hand c. they are as the apple of his eye Zac. 2.8 tactum pro injuria ponit so Jerome and 't is that which is the dearest to him and therefore it 's that which he has the more tender care of Psal 83.3 they are his Jewels and his hidden ones Psal 83.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that are kept as in chambers that are never exposed unto open view as it 's spoken of the chambers of the South of the stars that are under the Southern Pole which are not seen in our Horizon but are as it were locked up in their chambers and so it is with these Saints they are shut up in the secret of the Tabernacle and as it were kept in the Holy of holies where no man may come c. Now wherein doth this special Providence over the Saints consist It is 1 in ordering ruling and over-ruling all things for their good that nothing shall touch them or do them hurt for he could not preserve them if he did not rule and order all things for their good he doth so order all things that nothing shall do them hurt let there be the most cross turnings among the creatures that can be Psal 46.1 2. let the earth be moved and let the mountains shake let the Sea roar yet they will not fear how is it that they are so fearless Truly it is when they are not faithless and the ground of it is because there is a Providence that watches over them that none of these things shall do them any hurt Luke 10.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing shall by any means hurt them It is true that they have enemies they have one great enemy who is called the Envious man and all the means that he can use is to turn every thing to their hurt but they shall tread down all the power of the enemy that none shall be able to hurt them as it is said of the Patriarchs He suffered no man to do them wrong but he reproved Kings for their sakes there were many that had a mind to do them wrong but he suffered them not and any that did attempt it the Lord turned it into their good and they did it not impunè it was unto their own destruction Esa 49.17 There is no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord it is that which belongs to them only and that which they have a glorious title to it is jure haereditario theirs it descends unto them by their interest in God as their Father and they that have God for their Father have the secret Providence of God as their inheritance so that there is nothing shall work against them when God is for them 2 Every thing shall work for their good and their
preservation the stars shall fight for them the Sea shall be a wall unto them instead of drowning of them their very enemies shall favour them Psal 106.46 he gives them favour in the sight of their enemies and even Nebuchadnezzar shall give charge concerning Jeremiah when there was none concerning Zedekiah the King and he will turn the curse into a blessing Deut. 23.5 The Lord turned it into a blessing To a wicked man every thing is for his hurt what should be for his welfare that becomes his snare but it is quite contrary unto a godly man that which is intended for his hurt that is turned into good and to a quite contrary end than that unto which it was by the enemy intended Now when we see many causes with contrary purposes and intentions all of them conspire unto an end which they understand not but seek and desire the contrary it must be said that there is a providence and a wise hand that did over-rule all this for this is an end that was far from the intention of second causes for there is a peace with enemies Prov. 16.7 there is a Covenant with beasts as Hos 2.18 and there is a league with stones Job 5.23 Dominium habet custodem habebit lapides c. and all this is nothing but an expression of that special and secret providence of God that doth watch over his own people so that this is the comfort and the inheritance of the Saints that every thing in the whole government of the world is so ordered that it shall do them no hurt but all shall make for their good who love him and fear him Now to set forth this in the particulars of it we shall see that all things about which the providence of God is exercised are so ruled as that the government of them makes for the good of the Saints and here I shall propound these five distinctions 1. The Providence of God is either circa maxima vel minima 1 The greatest things in the world are not above the providence of God neither are the smallest things below it He doth whatever he will in heaven and in earth and in the sea It is not what the creatures will Psal 119.91 but it is what he will all are his servants the very Angels in Heaven do his pleasure and they hearken unto his voice and the greatest of men Dan. 4.16 17. the most high rules in the Kingdoms of mortal men he puts down the mighty from their seat he exalts them of low degree deponit reges disponit regna Ezech. 21.10 It is the rod of my son contemning every tree c. 2 There is not the smallest thing but it is ordered by him there is not a worm that creeps upon the ground Hos 2.18 but he can make it hurtful to a man he can command a serpent and he shall bite a man c. he can hiss for the flye c. 2. There is a double exercise of providence or the providence of God has two parts 1 He doth uphold them in their beings and the same Spirit that did create them doth to this very day sit and brood upon them as Gen. 1.2 3. He doth bear up all things by the word of his power Heb. 1.2 he doth hang the earth upon nothing but a word and the same word that created all things doth still continue them in their being if he should take away that word they would run into their first nothing immediately and therefore it is truly said of providence that it is continuata creatio a continued creation Psal 104.3 He sends forth his word and they are created and he renews the face of the earth it is spoken of the providence and the preservation of all things which he doth call a Creation for the same creating power is put forth continually and daily exercised for as ejusdem est potentiae annihilare creare so ejusdem est creare conservare to give a being and continue the creature in that being Psal 66.9 Who holdeth my soul in life c. even the continuance of a mans temporal or spiritual life is an act of a creating power 2 He doth order their actions at his pleasure all of them shall accomplish his ends either he doth act them or he doth suspend their actions at his pleasure and if he will concur with them or if he will withdraw his concurrence it is all according to his pleasure and therefore he is the Lord of Hosts and all the motions of this great Army are at his command as Pharaoh said to Joseph Without thee shall no man lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt It is true that the Lord governs all things yea the very thoughts of the heart there doth not a motion arise but he doth fashion the hearts of men Psal 33.15 Zac. 12.1 he formeth the spirits of men within them so that what fashion he doth put upon the apprehensions of men or the affections of men the same they have for all is of his government Ezech. 38 1â— things shall come into thy mind and thou shalt think an evil thought c. all his government of the creature is for the Saints both when they act and when he doth suspend their actings when he doth concur with them and when he doth withdraw his concurrence all is for their good 3. The Providence of God is either 1 what he doth by his own hand immediately by an extraordinary providence as sometimes the Lord doth so that it doth appear to be the finger of God and that there is nothing of second causes in it Esa 52.10 his arm was made bare and Hab. 3.9 his bow was made naked both of them do signifie patefacta est potentia Drus And so it appears when God goes out of the course of nature as when causes have not their natural efficacies the race is not to the swift the battel is not to the strong the men of might cannot find their hands the horse and the rider is cast into a deep sleep Psal 76.6 and so it is in all the Lords miraculous workings when he doth create a new thing in the earth and a woman doth compass a man Jer. 31.22 he doth make the Sea to go back and the Sun to stand still the Heavens to give bread and the Rocks water and all these extraordinary workings of God are for the good of his people and that way he will work for them as their necessity shall require for there is no such thing that the Lord has done for his people formerly but they may still expect the same if they be brought unto the same straits and necessities Esa 10.24 Esa 10.24 He shall lift up a staff against him after the manner of Egypt it was a miraculous way that the Lord dealt with his people then but it was not so that he would never do the like for them again and that they were
up the spirits of wicked Magistrates for the good of the Saints as we see it in Cyrus though he were a cruel and a bloody Prince yet he takes care for the building of the Temple and gives forth commands for that work and therefore Esa 44. ult he doth say unto Cyrus Thou art my shepherd and so Alexander when he came to Jerusalem and Jaddus the High Priest came forth to meet him by the providence of God it was so ordered that he did give the Jews great priviledges greater than any of the neighbour Nations insomuch that the Samaritans did stile themselves Jews also that they might partake in the same priviledges with them Nebuchadnezzar gave commandment unto Nabuzaradin the Captain of his Guard concerning Jeremiah God over-ruling his spirit therein that the Prophet was cherished rather than evilly intreated by him c. 3 By stirring up the spirits of wicked men to stand for a good cause and to assist the people of God therein as we see when Lot was carried Captive by the Kings that Abraham did pursue them Gen. 14. ult and there did joyn with him Aner and Escol c. they that were but Heathens yet were assistant unto Abraham in such a work as this the Lord did stir up their spirits and so he doth many times by an over-ruling power stir up the spirits of men otherwise uningaged and uninteressed to be instruments and means that the people of God may attain their rights and all of it is only by this over-ruling hand of the Soveraignty of Christ even over ungodly men 4. By their Persecutions the Lord doth stir men up many times to persecute his people Nebuchadnezzar is the rod of mine anger and I send him against an hypocritical nation though he know it not but this is all the fruit it is to take away their sin for by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged Esa 27.9 it is to make them to beat their Altars into chalk-stones c. and let me tell you because we may look for times of persecution that great hath been the victory and the glory that the people of God have gotten even by the persecution of ungodly men nunquam majore triumpho vicimus Nay if it be but a mock a scoff a reproach a false report from an evil spirit the Lord makes his use of it as we have an instance in Austins mother she had by custom rather than inclination learned to drink up full cups inhianter but after a while the maid of the house and she fell out and in their difference the maid objecit hoc crimen amarissimâ insultatione vocans meribibulam quo illa stimulo percussa respexit foeditatem confestimque damnavit exuit Confess lib. 9. cap. 8. 5. By their sins the people of God are warned the Lord doing as the Lacedemonians setting them forth as patterns of evil that his children might flee them heresies arise in the Church that so they that are approved may be made manifest and Apostates that Hymeneus and Philetus's Apostasie might make the rest of the people of God the more careful that they that name the Name of the Lord Jesus may depart from iniquity when they see such eminent and dangerous falls as these and the Lord doth make use of their sins in a way of admonition as of their judgments also 6. Their desertions and proving false to the people of God many times and forsaking them as Egypt proved a broken reed turn to the Saints good that so they might cleave to the Lord alone and that they may see that there is a deceit in all their former Lovers there is no trust unto such men that speak lyes in hypocrisie and follow Gods cause and people only for loaves c. and God permits them so to do that the people of God may say their trust is in the Name of the Lord only Assur shall not save us any more nor King Jareb they have all deceived us as a brook that passes by c. I might instance in many more particulars as 7. Their restraints for their good God puts a hook and a bridle upon them they shall not be able to hurt the Saints they shall hear a rumour that shall divert them another way § 5. As the providential Kingdom is circa maxima so it is circa minima and all these are ordered by the Soveraignty of God for the good of his people they have an interest in the Soveraignty of God even in the ruling of them also here are two things to be spoken to 1 That the smallest things come under the providential Kingdom of God that is under the Soveraignty and Supremacy of God 2 That in the government of them he doth order all for the good of the Saints that the Soveraignty of God works for them in small things as well as in great things 1. That the smallest things are subjected unto the Soveraignty of God and that his Kingdom is seen in the government of these also This I shall clear to you in a few particulars 1. The Lord is called commonly in Scripture the Lord of Hosts and that not only in reference unto the Angels and the Sun Moon and Stars which are the Hosts of Heaven but even as to the Hosts that are here below Gen. 2.1 there is an Host of the Earth as well as of Heaven and as there is not the smallest Star in the Heavens but belongs unto the one so is there not the meanest the poorest creature upon earth but is part of the other the Locust the Canker-worm the Caterpillar and the Palmer-worm my great army says the Lord Joel 2.25 And they are the Lords Host in three respects 1 Propter multitudinem Joel 2.25 for multitude there are many of them gathered together for they are not a few that make an army 2 Propter praeparationem in regard of preparation every one comes armed and prepared for the slaughter or any work that the Lord hath to do either for relief or for destruction 3 Propter subordinationem by reason of their subordination they all act in their places and do the service unto which they are particularly appointed they do every one keep their ranks fire and hail snow and vapour wind and storm fulfilling his word they do not thrust one another out of their place but there is a military order observed amongst them 4 Propter obedientiam in regard of their obedience they do all of them obey the word of command which they do receive from the great Commander for they are all of them under command as the Centurion said of his servants I say to one Go and he goes so doth the Lord also say unto the creatures for it is said that even before an army of Locusts Caterpillars and Palmer-worms the Lord doth utter his voice he doth command the winds and the sea and they obey him 2. Christ himself doth extend the care and the rule of God unto the
yet amongst the Israelites not a Dog did move his tongue Signum est magni silentii dum canes silent A great love may be seen in an ordinary Providence to a man as Grapes to be had in a wilderness as a Messenger sent one of a thousand a word spoken in due season a Scripture opened to me when I had need it was directed to me in my necessity such a comfort administred at such a time when I was in extremity and it came in the season of it it is an argument of great love as when David was besieged and Saul thought that he had them sure now a report must be brought that the Philistins had invaded the Land and so change his Counsels and divert the forces from pursuing David 6. Small and ordinary things shall be for their preservation Exod. 23.25 He shall bless thy bread and thy water and will take sickness away from the midst of thee that whereas other mens food breeds and nourishes diseases his food shall be blest unto him that it shall be healthful and not hurtful and when Sennacherib is come to besiege Jerusalem after all his ranting and threatning he shall hear a rumour a report shall be brought him that the King of Ethiopia had invaded his Land and so change his purpose and it shall be for the preservation of the people of God 7. Ordinary things shall tend unto the destruction of the enemies and they shall fall by the turning of an ordinary providence the smallest things shall even ruine persons and nations as Pharaoh and all Egypt were even destroyed by flies and lice c. the Sun shines upon the water and they shall say that it is blood The Kings have destroyed one another 2 King 3.22 23. Sometimes by the turning of the wind great things have been done for the people of God great battels have been won both by Land and Sea and sometimes by rain strange things have been wrought for the defeating of the counsels of enemies Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an East-wind c. And we know what small providences have cast the balance for the people of God against the enemies and that in many doubtful cases when they had nothing but providence to work for them 8. Consider how by small and ordinary things the Lord doth preserve the lives and support his people in the world by causing the Sun to shine and the rain to fall the earth to bring forth the fig-tree to blossom and we see he gives them food out of the earth and the beasts do them service and they do it willingly and readily Now what a miserable life were the life even of a Saint here if it were not for such common and ordinary refreshments if the Lord should as a Lion watch over us as he doth threaten them he would be as a Lion and a Leopard in the way to observe them There is a providence that hath given these unto the sons of God as their inheritance so that they do injoy the comfort of them and eat the fruit of them day by day the service of thy hand maid and of thy beast all act for thee as being made by God to be thy servants It is true that the service of the Angels is comfortable but it would not be sufficient without these which are ours in a way of ordinary providence Cogita te esse in regione deserti in peregrinatione vitae Aug. and such as we account less though we taste the good of them from day to day Surely therefore all things even the smallest things shall work together for good to them that love the Lord for the good of their spiritual and temporal state also SECT IV. The Saints Interest in Gods Providential Kingdom both mediate and immediate necessary and contingent § 1. WE have gone thorow the first distinction of the providential Kingdom we come now to the second which is that Providence is either immediate or mediate The one is when the Lord works without means putting forth his own power immediately to the producing of any effect without the concurrence of any means or help of second causes and this is called making bare his arm or making it naked Esa 52.10 So long as the Lord doth work by means though there be his hand yet his hand is hid and covered under the appearance of creatures so that our eyes are either wholly or mainly upon them but when the Lord lays creatures aside and his own arm doth appear to bring salvation so that nothing else is seen but the hand of God in it without the concurrence of creatures the Lord is then said to make bare his own arm that is to shew forth his own power Hab. 3.9 purely and nakedly so Hab. 3.9 His bow was quite made naked c. he speaks it of the discoveries of Gods power in an immediate way and his bow is vis tua robur tuum Drus he speaks it of the dividing of the red Sea and the turning back of Jordan in its own chanel the power of God did immediately appear without any concurrence of means and any instrument or second causes and therefore his bow was naked c. the Scripture doth speak of the Lords smiting with the rod and with his fist c. And here there are three Propositions that I must lay down 1. That whatever the Lord does by means he can work immediately by his own hand without all means he that did give being unto the second causes can without those causes produce their effects he is independent in his working as well as in his being and doth not depend upon means and second causes in any thing that he doth and therefore if he do deprive his people of the means and will supply it in himself it shall be infinitely better they shall have a hundredfold more in this life eminenter the Sun shall be no more thy light by day but the glory of the Lord shall be the light thereof if he deprive them of the light of the Sun yet he gives them his own glory to be instead thereof and it shall abundantly answer it He hath indeed bound us in duty to use the means but he hath not bound himself he is still at liberty either to work by his own immediate hand or in the way that he hath set in the order and subordination of causes yea as much as if no such order had been made by him and therefore the time will come when God shall be all in all and this order of causes shall surely cease and then all effects shall be produced by God immediately and that in a far more glorious manner than now they are by the influences of their causes amongst the creatures 2. In the means which he doth use there is an immediate concurrence of his own power to the producing of the effect concurrit immediatè c. and without this the second cause could do nothing men
live not by bread only and therefore if God do withdraw his acting or withhold it the second cause is of no value it is but as an axe in the hand of a man or as a pen it is but as it were a dead instrument as the Apostle says of himself 2 Cor. 3.2 3. and therefore the people of God put no confidence in them I will not trust in my bow and it is not my sword that shall save me it is thou O Lord that savest us from our enemies this is the language of a true Saint and therefore it is only the Lords withdrawing and then all second causes work not whence it is said That they shall eat and they shall not be nourished and they shall put on cloaths but not be warmed there is a natural aptitude in these means to produce such effects but yet if the Lord do but suspend his influx they can do nothing And therefore in the Babylonish Furnace Divines do commonly say that the Lord did not take away the nature of the fire it remained to be fire still only in reference unto such an object he did suspend his own concurrence so that though it remained in actu primo yet it was not able to produce actum secundum because the immediate concurrence of the first cause was denied so it is in all means and this is the reason of their want of efficacy the same Ordinances would be as effectual at one time as at another and unto one man as unto another there is no difference in the means only in the concurrence of the first cause with the means and so it is with creatures also the same land would be as fruitful at one time as at another and there is no difference only when thou tillest thy land it shall not yield its strength says the Lord there is not the same concurrence of God with it which is his blessing upon it and that is the true reason of all the difference in the use and the success of means whatsoever 3. Though the Lord doth in the administration of all things in the providential Kingdom use means and therefore hath made all things in a due order and subordination yet he doth delight sometimes to work without means by his own immediate hand not by power nor by might but by my Spirit Zac. 4.7 if there be none to help yet his own arm shall bring salvation And the Lord doth this 1 that he may sometimes shew forth some special discoveries of his own power The heart of man would be wholly terminated in the creature as we are very apt to be and we would look no further therefore the Lord is pleased sometimes to shew forth something more than the power of the creature and sometimes he will go in an ordinary way of nature sometimes in a miraculous way to shew that there is a higher hand that rules all things that he may not be forgotten by us 2 To shew that he doth not use the creature necessarily but voluntarily and therefore he can use it or lay it aside at his pleasure work by it or work without it that the souls of his people may depend upon him alone both in the want and in the injoyments of the creature and the good effect is never the further off when they want it nor ever the nearer when they do injoy it whether they have it or not it is all one they can rejoyce in the Lord and glory in the God of their salvation Hab. 3.17 18. 3 That he may still keep up in the remembrance of his people a creating power when there was nothing but himself immediately there was no means used It hath been disputed by the School-men Whether the ministry of Angels were not used in the creation of the world and it is commonly answered No it was not it could not be because in the exercise of almighty power there can be no concurrence of the creature no creature can be raised by the power of God unto such an elevation as to be made capable to put forth any act of omnipotence and therefore that this power of the Creation of God may be kept up he doth do the like often in the world that as he hath appointed a day to remember the Creation and would have us to remember our Creator so he doth works that he may keep it continually in our remembrance providence is said to be nothing but a continued Creation therefore the Lord will do something that shall be as a Creation still that this great work may never be forgotten he that doth create grace in the souls of men daily doth put forth other acts answerable thereunto 4 The Lord doth it that he may train up his people by it unto a remembrance of Heaven where all means shall cease for God shall be all in all that is he shall be all unto his people immediately It is true that the Saints do injoy God here and they injoy all in God he is their portion and their hope but all this is in the use of means as they see him in a glass so they shall injoy him also but there is a time that will shortly come when all means shall be done away and he that now governs the world and so dispenses himself by second causes will do all by his own immediate hand there shall be immediate therefore pure mercy and pure wrath and pure power and pure acts of Omnipotence In this life we are by the creatures refreshed and when he comforts us by the creature those comforts lose much by reason of the vessel and so when he doth teach us by the creature that treasure is in earthen vessels it is much otherwise when he teaches himself immediately and so when he doth punish by the creature it is but as a mighty man correcting a man with a straw it 's true that he is mighty but it is but a small thing that is in his hand which is nothing in comparison of that which shall be hereafter it shall be all immediate and that keeps up in his people an expectation of this that they may have herein a kind of foretaste of Heaven by beholding the immediate working of God without the help of creatures or their concurrence Now this immediate acting of Providence is wholly for the good of his people and is so managed sometimes he will use means for their good and sometimes he will for their good work without means but still so as his Soveraignty is made over unto them in these his actings and herein we are to observe 1. The Scripture speaking of a creating power which the Lord doth often put forth for the good of his people Esa 4.5 Esa 4.5 there 't is said I create upon every dwelling place a cloud c. Upon every dwelling place there is a protection that which is immediate and beyond the power of second causes when there is no defence in them yet their succour
upheld but now the Spirit comes in and makes bare his arm dispells the darkness and saith Behold me it is I now I come and so a mans comforts and supports come in from an immediate discovery of the Light of Gods countenance as if it were a voice from Heaven as it was to Christ This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased 7. He doth sometimes give unto his People courage and assistance immediately beyond what is natural unto them Zach. 4.7 and above and beyond all the means Zac. 4.7 Not by power nor by might but by my Spirit saith the Lord it is spoken of the Spirit of God immediately strengthning and stirring up the spirits of instruments beyond their own natural strength as Samson was the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and then he had the strength of many men in him Isa 35.6 and Isa 35.6 The lame shall leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb shall sing it is spoken of immediate strength and healing by the grace of Christ that as the Lord Jesus did heal men and with a word only and without means their feet and ankle-bones received strength and they did leap as a Hart and praise God so here they have immediate assistance as David had in the business of Goliah the spirit of fortitude came upon him for that service and the promise is Zac. 12.8 The weak shall be as David as full of courage in any difficult services that they should be called unto as David was when the Lord shall say to him that is of a fearful heart Be strong and it shall be so Esa 35.4 and so Mat. 10.19 It shall be given you in that hour Luk. 21.25 I will give you a mouth and wisdom that all your enemies shall not be able to resist for it is not you that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you that as Samson was not acted by his own strength so neither did they speak by their own spirits but by an immediate assistance from the Spirit both directing their minds suggesting to them the matter and also guiding their tongues and directing them unto words what to say and how they ought to speak that as 't is said of the Prophets the Lord speaks in them Heb. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.1 for they are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they were transported or carried by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.20 they were not acted according to their own spirits 2 Pet. 1.20 neither did they speak according to their own parts or light but as they were directed by the immediate assistance of the Spirit of God at the same time so there is an immediate assistance that the Lord hath promised unto his people when he doth call them forth unto any service wherein the immediate presence of God and power of the Spirit is necessary and required it is beyond the power or strength of a man and it is that which the Lord many times doth he will bring his people into such a condition that there shall be no means for them to look unto that they shall be wholly fatherless and have neither Sun-light nor Star-light in the creature receiving the sentence of death in themselves that they may look for Gods immediate appearing 2 Cor. 1.9 But we had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves that we could see no means to escape but now must have an eye to an almighty and immediate power of God that we might trust not in our selves but in God that raiseth the dead that our deliverance must be a kind of resurrection from the dead And the people of God if they have the means yet they look upon them as nothing We have no might against this great multitude but our eyes are towards thee and if they have no means they can look upon him that hath a creating power that can make waters to break out in the Wilderness and streams in the Desart and the parched ground shall become a Pool and the thirsty ground Springs of water in the habitation of Dragons where each lay shall be grass with reeds and rushes that which only was fit and delightsom unto the Devil the Satyrs that shall be good for the glory of God and the use of man as it is Esa 35.7 8. 2. There is in the next place a mediate Providence and that is in the manner of Gods ordering of all things in the use of means and so all the means that the Lord does use are for the good of his people Rom. 8.28 All things work together for their good that though the Lord doth work by means and doth make use of second causes to produce their effects yet they do all concur in this that they do conspire for the good of the Elect of God Hos 2.21 22. I will hear the heavens and they shall hear the earth Hos 2.21 22. and the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oyl and they shall hear Jezreel the Lord doth work for the good of his people by second causes he doth not rain corn from Heaven as he did Manna in the Wilderness but the Earth shall hear the corn and he will give it them out of the earth and in all the actings of second causes it is the Lord that hath the great hand he doth make them to be a means of blessing or else they could never prove so to be it is the Lord that doth hear the Heavens it 's a mighty strain of speech that the Heavens and the Earth that were before deaf and dumb to them that took no compassion upon them in their necessity and answered them not now when they are reconciled are brought as it were to be humble suitors and petitioners for them the Heavens shall say Lord I would give my influence rain to refresh thy people and the Earth shall say Lord I would give my strength for the good of thy people also c. For as it is by virtue of the Covenant of the Saints that all the creatures stand so it is by their Covenant also that they do act it is by being betrothed unto God that all the creatures are in Covenant with them and it is for them that all means do act freely and all creatures willingly do serve for it 's their redemption that they wait for and long for but unto other men they are made subject not willingly but the Lord hath subjected them in hope Rom. 8.20 21. but their subjection is an act of Soveraignty and not of choice for they would not serve the lusts of ungodly men though they are willing to serve the necessities of the Saints therefore all the means that the Lord doth use are for the good of the Saints and it is for them that they work in all that they do 1. He it is that doth provide and appoint means there is in
Providence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth order and appoint the cause to the effect the means to the end for the good of his people which all the creatures could not do he brings food out of the earth and he doth cause rain and reserve the appointed weeks of the harvest Jer. 5.24 it is he that orders every thing unto its end for the good of his people Mat. 4.3 Psal 127.1 2. He doth Bless the means man lives not by Bread only but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God c. Vnless the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it He gives all things richly to enjoy 1 Tim. 6.17 It 's the blessing of the Lord that makes rich and it 's he that blesseth the labours of our hand that we labour not in the fire Hab. 2.13 and therefore the creatures are said to be sanctifi'd by the Word and Prayer 1 Tim. 4.5 by a blessing attained thereupon Eccles 5.17 that they shall prosper for their ends 3. He doth raise up means when we can see none unexpectedly Mic. 6.4 he sent before them Moses and Aaron Zac. 9.13 When I have bent Judab for me and filled the bow with Ephraim and raised up thy sons O Sion against thy sons O Greece c. So for the deliverance of Mordecai and he rais'd up the Spirit of Cyrus and stirred it up so that he made a Proclamation for the good of Jerusalem Ezra 1.1 and Zac. 1.8 he stood among the Myrtle-trees that were in the bottom c. In the evening it shall be light Zac. 14.7 an Angel stops the Lyons mouths and opens the prison-doors when all hope is gone and they cannot see from what quarter supply shall come then do means appear unexpectedly and therefore the people of God do believe in hope against hope upon this ground because the hand of the Lord is not shortned 4. The most unlikely Means Isa 41.15 The Worm Jacob shall thresh the Mountains c. He doth open Rivers in high places Isa 41.18 waters shall break out in the wilderness and streams in the desert the enemies shall turn their Swords against one another that they shall destroy themselves Judg. 9.7.22 And their own breath shall be as fire to devour themselves Isa 33.11 And so the ten Kings shall destroy the Whore who set her up and God will act means contrary to their own nature or above their nature for his People Ravens to feed Elijah and the Heavens to give bread and flesh and the Rocks water out of the Eater shall come meat and the waters shall be a wall unto them and the Sun shall stand still for the wheels of Providence are sometimes lifted up he doth not always goe in an ordinary way but useth means that they know not of as in the work of Redemption so in a work of Providence also and beyond their intention as the instances are many which might be given Isa 44.25 that frustrates the tokens of the lyers and maketh Diviners mad that turneth wise men backward and makes their knowledge foolish the fiery furnace shall not consume Shadrack Meshack and Abednego but their enemies c. § 2. We come now unto the Third Distinction of Providence it is either circa necessaria vel contingentia about necessaries or contingents That is said to be necessary which could not otherwise be but the effect hath a necessary dependance upon its cause that it doth from an inward principle ex necessitate naturae produce such an effect and so the Sun doth naturally and therefore necessarily enlighten and the Fire doth naturally and therefore necessarily warm such causes as have a natural and therefore a necessary influence and causality And things contingent are such as have no necessity in their causes but in respect of us they might have been otherwise such of which we are able to give no reason but their causes are to us unknown and so the event unexpected That is said to be contingent and to fall out beyond our expectation Aust cujus ratio causa secreta est the seed whereof we are not able to foresee in second Causes Fatum nil aliud est quà m series implexa causarum So that if we look upon all things in reference to the first cause so all things are necessary and there is nothing that is contingent or falls out by chance or accident but all contingency is in reference unto second causes for they are known of God and appointed by him by a necessary and infallible Providence as if a man hewing wood the Axes head falls off and smites his Neighbour that he dye or if a man cast a stone unawares and it light upon his Neighbour Deut. 19.5 Num. 35.23 that which is beyond the intention of the man yet God is said to deliver him into his hand Exod. 21.13 that is God has jus vitae necis ad altissimam ejus providentiam refertur And so it was in the death of Ahab there was a man that drew a bow at a venture or in simplicity not aiming at him not intending his death more than any other mans but it smote the King of Israel between the Harness there was a Providence that infallibly guided it though in reference to the second cause it was meerly contingent and accidental and therefore the Lord foretells things that are meerly casual before they come to pass as that to Saul upon the plain of Tabor There shall meet thee three men one carrying three kids and another three loaves of bread and he shall salute thee and give thee two loaves and thou shalt receive them at his hand Luk. 22.10 There shall meet you a man bearing a Pitcher of water follow him c. for all things are unto him certain and infallible not only ex praevisione but ex praeordinatione he did order them that they should so come to pass 1. Gods Providence regards all Necessaries and such are all natural causes they work necessarily because ex necessitate naturae from a necessity of nature and so ad ultimum potentiae to the utmost of their power Now there is even in the ordering of these a gracious hand of God for the good of his People and that will appear in these six instances 1. In the Sun it riseth naturally and therefore necessarily and so it shines yet it is God makes it shine so Math. 5.45 He maketh the Sun to rise c. But it will be said that this is an act of common grace for it riseth upon the evil and the good the just and the unjust but it 's â—ar that the Lord makes it to rise and to shine for Job 9.7 he commands the Sun and it riseth not he can cause it to put on sackcloth for he has a negative voice upon the motions of all the creatures and although it riseth upon the evil as well as upon the good
enemies of Israel he doth therefore rule the raging of the Sâ—â— when the waves arise Psal 89.9 2 Pet. 3.4 he saith unto them Peace be still and by this wicked men are confuted that say All things continue alike from the creation of the world but that they do not for first the earth was covered with water now it is separated and the dry land appears it was afterwards in judgment covered with waters in the Floud and then the waters entred into their own chanel again 6. The winds also they have a natural and necessary cause The Lord brings the winds out of his treasuries there are treasures of winds Job 38.22 and the stormy winds fulfil his word Psal 148.8 but there is not a wind that ariseth upon the Earth or Sea but he doth in this dispose of it for the good of his people Maâ— 24.7 the winds and the Sea obey him and if there be a wind in the earth an Earth-quake as there was at the Resurrection of Christ for the confirmation of their faith all these obey him Acts 16.26 Rev. 11.13 when Rome shall fall seven hundred men shall be slain by an Earth-quake and there shall be great discoveries of God in those things which he over-rules for the good of his people which when they consider should bear up their hearts in the greatest storms and tempests that any of the creatures can raise against them 2. There are also some things which are contingent or fortuitous that is though all things be governed by a determinate counsel in God and there be nothing casual unto him but foreknown unto him were all his works from the foundation of the world yet in respect of us there are some things which are contingent and meerly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without humane election and wonderful and those casual providences are for the good of the Saints in dreams in lots in ordering the wills and affections of men in the slip of a horse the fall of an house the meeting of a friend a man is casually cast upon such places persons occasions as Saul when he went forth to seek Asses and found a Kingdom we may instance in a more special manner in the business of war wherein though there be a Council yet in the execution or the executive part every thing seems meerly contingent and yet we see all to be for Alimoth Psal 46.1 for the hidden ones he doth chuse the Officers appoint the Souldiers appoint the weapons direct the execution order the strategems give the advantages act or take away mens courage and their skill the Captains shall be as Grashoppers and he it is that either teaches their hands to war so that a bow of steel is broken by their arms or the heart of a Lyon doth melt and the men of might cannot find their hands and he casts it for the victory it is he that doth put the Crown upon the head of the Conqueror for the victory is of God SECT V. The Saints Interest in Gods Providential Kingdom as it regards goods and evils § 1. NOw follows the fourth distinction and that is circa bona vel mala about good and evil things and in both these also Providence doth order all things for the spiritual good of his people 1. There is a Providence circa bona for all the good things which do befal the Saints for every good doth come down from him who is the Father of lights Jam. 1.17 they are all from him who is the Fountain of living waters they are streams from the upper Springs as in Election there is a special love so there doth flow from it a peculiar Providence If God cloath the grass of the field much more you O ye of little faith He is the Saviour of all men but specially of them that believe so that if we look upon all the good things which in this life befal them they have it by a special providence over them for their good for the present I shall instance in these particulars 1. In appointing of their calling for there is as truly an election unto calling and a separation by God as there is unto life and salvation Rom. 1.1 Separated unto the Gospel that is set apart by God to preach the Gospel and so Gal. 1.15 says the Apostle But when it pleased God who separated me from my mothers womb and called me by his grace c. There is not a man that comes into the world but the Lord doth appoint him in what condition of life he shall serve and he doth set him apart unto an imployment for he is the Lord of Host and he doth set every man his station As it is said of Peter The Lord did appoint him by what death he should glorifie God so it 's true of all the people of God he doth appoint them by what condition of â—ife they should glorifie him and though Paul went on in another way a long time and little intended any such thing yet God ordered it so that he would reveal his Son in him both per modum objecti obâ—ectively that others should see Christ in him and subjecti subjectively that he himself should see the discoveries of Christ by a Spirit of Revelation and he should be a glorious instrument in the hand of the Lord to reveal Christ unto others and in this there is a wonderful and a gracious hand of Providence unto his people that unto other men their callings are for their hurt and their callings as well as their tables become their shares that they are intangled by them yet they are for the good of his people Thus Luther doth observe of himself in Gen. 17. Deus voluit me esse concionatorem sustinere prâ—pter verbum odium invidiam mundi Aliis imponit laborem manuum videntur mihi beati c. exerceor periculis tentationibus tamen mechanicus ille aequè atque ego salvatur But he saith this was the calling in which God had set him and in this he must walk with him and the works of this calling were unto him the works of God c. Of this we have a famous instance in Junius his father was exceedingly against his being a Preacher of the Gospel was desirous that he might have godliness in himself but that he should never be a Teacher of it vivus non fuisset passus c. but in sententia planè eram diversa à sententia patris in Vita Junii To ingage the spirits of men and to order occasions and opportunities that men might glorifie God in such a way of service as he hath appointed for them and that it should be suitable to their spirits their parts their graces and they shall be par negotio fitted for the work unto which the Lord hath called them that they may honour God in it with pleasure sweetness and delight there is a special hand of a merciful and a graâ—â—ous Providence therein 2. In
give better Rules to guide a mans life and bring him unto Happiness of governing of Estates and ordering the affairs of men than the Word doth lay down and so he cannot submit to it because he doth look upon it as a foolish thing and as that which hath no wisdom in it but a man must submit in point of wisdom and holiness to it 3. All fleshly Wisdom the Lord doth hate and look upon as Dâ—vilish Jam. 3.15 Jam. 3.15 that as spiritual wisdom is a Divine beam from the Father of Light so is carnal Wisdom a spark that ariseth out of Hell beneath it is a part of that wisdom that is in the Devil and answers unto it in all the ends intents and actings thereof that look what ends the Devil hath in his wicked plots such have they and look what means he useth such do they use also for it is that which their wisdom doth direct them unto so that take a man that hath a subtle and malitious heart and if you would see a picture of the Devil incarnate that is the man and as the wisdom which Satan hath as an Angel that remaining Stock doth make him the more perfectly a Devil so it is with this man also all that wisdom he has gotten by nature and by study and by experience and observation he becomes the more like unto the Devil by it and therefore this fleshly wisdom being so perfectly conformable unto the Devil and being inspired from Hell it is said to be devilish for there are the Devils lusts The Devil hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now which way to vent or to propagate them in the world immediately he knows not and they are much more propagated when they are acted than when they are suggested Now the ordinary sorts of sinners are able to act the Devils lusts but their plots are deep they are such depths that they must be wise men indeed that are able to understand them and for that cause as by his temptation he doth stirr up the one so he doth by his suggestion inspire the other and as there are Messengers of Satan immediate Lusts from Hell so there are immediate Plots from Hell and Satan fills the hearts of men with them as he did the heart of Judas in his betraying of Christ c. and upon this account â—or its original and for its resemblance it is called by God devilish wisdom 4. God doth seldom or never give Grace unto that man who is inspired with carnal Wisdom he doth seldom graft it upon such a Stock as this is 1 Cor. 1.26 Not many wise men not many noble are called and Math. 11.25 Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto Babes c. But might it not have been much for the honour of the Gospel and the advancement of Religion if the wise men of the world did come as the wise men of the East did and bow down unto Christ and worship him would not Religion have the greater name and glory amongst men and would it not be freed from that scandal of Piscatoria simplicitas No they are only the poor of the world and the foolish and simple ones that embrace it and believe it God looks not as man looks he doth choose the poor of this world and the foolish things of the world to confound the wise c. and this is one of those depths of Gods Judgments which are unsearchable and his wayes that are past finding out for he will exalt free Grace alone And the Lord hath no need nor the Gospel of any such Subsidiaries he hath a wisdom that is able to carry on the Gospel of his Grace and it shall prevail though there be no wisdom in the Professors thereof that it may appear to be his work and that he doth alone promote it if men stand not by the Gospel yet God will and the Simplicity thereof shall overcome that as he will have the Power to be of God alone so the Wisdom shall be also of God alone that makes a man wise to salvation 5. This is the Man that commonly the Devil doth make use of There is nothing in an unregenerate man but what is or may be the Devils weapons Luk. 11.22 his Soul is the Devils house and the inward abilities of the man that 's the Armor of Satan now the greater any natural mans abilities are the stronger armour he has for Satan and the more use he will make of him and that because he is able to do him more service and as God doth use men according to their Graces for he will act the Graces that he has given so will Satan also use men according to their abilities they shall not lye idle he doth proportion the service a man can do him as God doth that men may be pares negotio They will also be an honour to their imployment because they are look'd upon as wise men by the rest of the world Cupit Diabolus abs te ornari as Austin saith of a young man of great gifts and abilities and so there is this Curse upon humane wisdom it is a servant unto Satan and yet it is a snare unto the man and a Curse upon his Soul And indeed Satans cause hath need of such instruments that shall lay deep plots and not carry things in simplicity because it is darkness and if it be seen and discovered it is for the most part clouded But with the Lord it is not so he doth all in the Light and loves so to do therefore he has no need of any such secret plots and hiding of Counsels as the wise men of the world are accustomed unto There is but one very worldly wise man namely Solomon that the Scripture doth speak of among all the godly men in it and the Scripture has recorded more of his falling and of Gods departing from him leaving him to himself and more of the madness and folly that he ran upon by his exercise of and his leaning upon his own wisdom and the use that the Devil made of him than of any other godly man that we read of in all the Scripture besides therefore surely they are dangerous instruments in Satans hand 6. Carnal wisdom is commonly used against the people of God the edge of it is commonly turned that way Psal 83.3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people and consulted against thy hidden ones there are a people which the Lord hath undertaken to hide and to protect for he is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that believe and there are a people that he doth lay up for himself as his peculiar treasure for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 19.5 signifies both these and against these are the plots of the wise men of the earth see it in Pharaoh Achitophel and Herod they all prospered till they turned their wisdom this way