end what would the Lord shew his people hereby hereby he teacheth them to know by what ability and power to bring mighty things to pass they shall do duties as the Lord commandeth them but he himself will breath in them to make them effectual For though we do never so much yet we cannot reach unto the accomplishment of any good thing not by might nor by strength but by my Spirit the Lord therefore by his Spirit must work all our works for us Here is the freeness of Gods Covenant in that the Lord giveth himself first Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me You may speak of Conditions in this kinde but the Lord doth undertake both for his own part and for our parts also for as the Covenant is free so the Lord will freely maintain and preserve all his Elect and all from the immutable Nature of God it is not possible that God should lye I am Jehovah I change not Mal. 3.6 therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed Hence springeth our Eternity and perseverance unto it Rom. 11.29 for the gifts and callings of God are without repentance And I am perswaded saith the Apostle Paul that he that hath begun this work will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 The Lord took your Father Abram and brought him from the other side of the floud Josh 24.3 and he being called obeyed Heb. 11.8 Thus mind ye the Lord dealeth in the Covenant of Grace he looketh towards those that look not towards him as is held forth Hos 3.3 where the Lord biddeth the Prophet love a woman that was an adulteress and say unto her Thou shalt be for me and I will be for thee this is a branch of the Covenant when the Lord doth undertake to receive Abraham and his seed unto himself his giving himself unto them doth breed a reciprocal returning of them unto him Now it may be demanded How the Lord did take Abraham and his seed to be his people Quest By a double Act As Answ 1. Of Preparation not on Abrahams part nor on his seeds part but on his own part the Lord prepared them 2. The Lord did invest him with the Blessings of this Covenant 1. For Preparation the Lord prepareth them by a double work of his Spirit which are manifest in all the seed of Abraham 1. By a spirit of bondage whereby he cutteth off the seed of Abraham from all worldly intanglements and delights thus God took Abraham and brought him from beyond the floud and so doth he take men off from their countreys and fathers houses he separates them from all such things that he might draw them unto himself thus he dealt with the children of Israel and called them to be a singular People unto himself Deut. 7.6 7 8. Thus doth the Lord deal with all those whom he receiveth to be a people unto himself by this spirit of Bondage he draweth them from all their sinful lusts and passions so as that they can finde no life in them nor any hope of mercy at all in any thing by this Bondage the Lord setteth home unto the consciences of men the weight and danof their sins and bindeth them under the sense of his wrath unto fear of Damnation The Romans first received the spirit of Bondage to fear before ever they came to receive the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.25 But thus the Lord doth even shut a Soul out of doors that he may open to him another and a better way 2. The Lord also prepareth his people by a Spirit of burning which upon a Spirit of Bondage he doth shed abroad into the hearts of men this we read of Mal. 4.1 Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up and it shall leave them neither root nor branch It is spoken of the Ministery of John Baptist which did burn like an oven against all the Scribes and Pharisees and left them neither the root of Abrahams Covenant nor the branch of their own good Works He cutteth them off from the Covenant of Abraham Mat. 3.9 Think not to say within your selves that you have Abraham to your Father for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham and so by cutting them off from the Root he leaveth them no ground to trust on From their good Works also the Lord Jesus Christ cutteth them off Mat. 6.2 When thou dost thine alms sound not a Trumpet before thee as the Hypocrites do that they may have the glory of men and vers 5. When thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites are c. and vers 16. When ye Fast ye shall not be as the Hypocrites are of a sad countenance c. This was a Spirit of Burning which the Lord conveyed by the Ministry of Christ and of John Baptist to burn up all the Hypocrites like stubble and the beauty of their works were blasted by it and this is Gods usual manner of dealing Now there are many under a spirit of bondage that never came under a spirit of burning and they being convinced of sin and of the danger thereof yet hope to wrestle it out and work it out by their own performances till the spirit of Burning come and consume all that false confidence But when the spirit of Burning cometh he then blasteth all the fruits and branches of their righteousness and burns up all that a man hath wrought or can work And this is that which the Prophet Esay chap. 4.4 speaketh of that the Lord will purge away the filth of the Daughter of Zion with a Spirit of Judgment and of Burning the one is a spirit of Sanctification and the other is a consuming Fire which forceth them not to build any comfort upon any works that they have done this may Hypocrites reach unto in their judgments so as that they may be convinced that they have neither root within them nor branch growing upon them and yet in the mean while they may not come unto a Spirit of Adoption but hereby also the Lord useth to prepare his people Some bless themselves in worldly courses and never came unto a spirit of bondage Some do finde comfort in their performances and never saw the vanity of their own Righteousness But there are those whom the Lord doth carry further unto a spirit of burning even unto a sensible feeling of Gods wrath burning against whatsoever is as stubble and such is a mans own gifts and parts and worth so that now the poor soul findeth that he hath no Root not any sure mercy of the Covenant of Grace that he can rest upon no green branch of righteousness remaining but all
stay but is still thriving and growing and that not in his own strength but in the strength of Jesus Christ seeking for his acceptance and help in every duty he goeth about and this is that which the Apostle Paul doth exhort the Colossians unto chap. 2.6 7. As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and stablished in the faith This ought Christians mainly to attend unto that as you see the branch the more juice it sucketh from the root the more fruitful it is so also it becometh the people of God to know that the more need we stand in to be fruitful the more need we have to derive a continual fresh supply from the Lord Jesus Christ that by his Spirit renewing grace in us we may be enlarged and carried an end in the waies of God whereas otherwise the hearts of Christians would soon fail to go on in those things wherein they desire to be growing up unto perfection What is the reason that so many servants of God are not so lively in their profession as they were wont to be many years ago Truly we attend upon Ordinances but it is only upon the outward act of them and not upon Jesus Christ in them This is many times wanting in the hearts of Gods people but truly if this be our constant frame and we do not recover our selves then is not our sanctification that which floweth from fellowship with Jesus Christ and the Spirit of his grace for you shall ever find this to be true that there is no gift of Jesus Christ nor sanctification accompanying salvation but it doth knit us neerer and neerer unto Christ for the more we are filled with true spiritual gifts the more empty we are of our own strength and of self-conceits and so we ought to be otherwise you shall constantly find this that if the Lord do not preserve this empty frame in us the more full we are of any gift the more full shall we be of our own strength and consequently we shall feel the less need of Jesus Christ and if this be our constant frame it will be a sad argument that our best sanctification will not endure but fall away unless we be knit unto Jesus Christ by the Spirit of his grace for by all true sanctification we are the more knit unto him so that if any man would know whether the superscription of Christ and his image be stamped upon his sanctification this you shall ever find to be the stamp of the grace of Jesus Christ That the more you receive from him the more need you stand in of him insomuch that notwithstanding all the gifts of the Spirit there is not the ablest Minister of the New Testament but if your gifts flow from the Spirit of Christ and knit you unto Christ you will find as great need to cleave unto Jesus Christ as ever you did the first day when you came trembling into the Pulpit If therefore we feel our selves full so that the more we have received the more sufficient we are and go not about the duties we have in hand in fear and trembling but in self confidence if this be our usual and constant practice it is but counterfeit Christianity I do not say That the gifts are counterfeit for they are from the Spirit of God and men may by them be very serviceable to Church Commonwealth but this is certain that the stronger and the more your gifts are if you sit loose from Christ the emptier your hearts are of him But you will say May not a Christian be sometimes full of himself and depend upon the strength of his own gifts Yes brethren God forbid I should deny that for the best Christians have gone astray in the exercise of their best gifts and hereupon Abraham hath been wanting in faith and Moses in meekness and Peter in courage and Sarah in her modesty they have been so apt to trust upon those graces of God wherein they have most abounded that they have principally failed therein but this you shall find that if they have been overtaken once or twice as the burnt child dreadeth the fire so they grow to be more sensible of their need of Jesus Christ more fearful of departing from him more careful to cleave unto him that they might grow up in his name to all well pleasing in his sight If therefore there be a sanctification that standeth at a stay in any man it is a great suspicion whether it flow from fellowship with Christ or no if gifts be truly spiritual a man shall ordinarily grow up in them Habenti dabitur Imploy them and multiply them but if you have received gifts in your own strength and you are now full of your own sanctification truly this is but froathy work and doth not convey true nor lively nourishment and comfort but to him that in his most spiritual gifts is empty of himself and only full of Jesus Christ to live or die is his advantage This is the Use which I would commend unto you touching your Christian Sanctification Thus we see sundry things have been clear'd from this Doctrine concerning the Covenant of Grace There remaineth another thing to be resolved and cleared from the Doctrine For if God in the Covenant of his Grace do give himself to be a God to Abraham and his seed It is then to be enquired 1. How God the Father giveth himself 2. How God the Son giveth himself 3. How God the Holy Ghost giveth himself For these are the Fundamentals of the Covenant of Grace and necessary to be opened for clearing the Doctrine of it 1. Quest 2 How God the Father doth give himself to be a God in Covenant to Abraham and to his seed that is to the faithful seed of Abraham By a threefold work doth God the Father give himself Answ in the Covenant of his Grace to be a God unto Abraham and to his elect seed 1. The first Act of God is by Giving his own Son out of his bosom for the redemption of Abraham and his seed That is the first and Fundamental of all the rest that God doth put forth or any other person in Trinity for the applying of the Covenant unto the hearts of his people And God in giving his Son doth give himself Joh. 9.14 and 10.30 He that hath seen me hath seen the Father and I and my Father are one if God giveth us his Son he giveth us himself also so saith the Apostle John 1 Joh. 2.23 He that hath the Son hath the Father and he that hath not the Son hath not the Father Herein hath God commended his love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5.8 this is the love of God to send us his Son that whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3.16 As God giveth us his Son so he giveth us all things else
that 't is not safe to build upon Qualifications in our selves until Christ be first received in some Promise Pag. 150 Use 4. Of Consolation to such as rest upon the free grace of God in Christ Jesus revealed in some Promise Pag. 151 9. Quest How doth God the Son give himself to Abraham and his seed Pag. 152 Answ 1. By his taking our nature upon him and giving himself to redeem us by his obedience whether active or passive Pag. 153 2. By revealing the Father unto us and his free grace Pag. 158 Whence ariseth liberty From the burden of fears Pag. 160 Of hope through the filling of the Spirit Pag. 162 3. By keeping us in this state Pag. 163 Both by Praying for us Pag. 164 His ruling Providence ib. Use 1. Then our state before redemption is a state of Bondage Pag. 166 2. To teach such as are in bondage where their Redemption lieth Pag. 167 3. To teach Christians to hold on in this way Pag. 170 4. To wait on the Lord for this his Redemption ibid 5. To stand fast in our Christian liberties Pag. 171 Quest 10. How God the Holy Ghost doth give himself to Abraham and his seed ibid 1. For Inhabitation Pag. 172 Which is necessary 1. For Union with Jesus Christ Pag. 173 2. To keep possession against all adversary powers Pag. 174 2. For Sanctification opened at large Pag. 177 3. For Revelation and what things he doth reveal Pag. 185 How he doth reveal viz. by Witnessing to our spiritual state Pag. 188 Making known all necessary truth yea even our faith and justification Pag. 192 For Application 't is useful 1. To teach Christians not to be afraid of the word Revelation Pag. 199 2. Not to look for any Revelation without the Word Pag. 201 3. In Justification to look for no word but such as holds forth some absolute Promise of free grace ib. 4. The fourth work of the Holy Ghost is Consolation Pag. 203 Viz. by Bearing witness with an abundant measure of consolation Pag. 204 A more constant and abiding comfort Pag. 205 A powerful and strong consolation ibid Here two Queries 1. What is the Seal of the Spirit and how it doth seal Pag. 206 1. By confirming the Promises to the soul ib. 2. By engraving the likeness of Christ in the soul Pag. 210 3. By distinguishing the Saints from others Pag. 211 2. How is the Holy Ghost an earnest Pag. 212 Answ 1. As he bindeth the bargain between God and the soul ibid 2. As he is the first fruit of the payment ibid Use 1. To teach us how to speak of the Seal of the Spirit Pag. 213 2. To teach the danger of laying claim to a Promise by any work of grace before we have the Seal of the Spirit ib. Yet the Spirit doth not seal immediately but by and in some word of Promise Pag. 214 3. To teach such as have received the first fruits of the Spirit to know that they have received an earnest of an everlasting possession Pag. 215 4. To teach us that if we have received Christ never to rest till the Holy Ghost doth stampe more of the image of Christ in us Pag. 216 The second branch of the Doctrine That God received Abraham and his seed to be a peculiar people unto himself Pag. 217 For which three things are opened 1. That God did take Abraham and his seed to be a peculiar people to himself Pag. 218 2. How he did so take them to be his people ibid 3. Who are meant by Abraham and his seed Pag. 219 Quest Whether the carnal seed had any portion in the Covenant of grace Pag. 219 Answ 1. They were called to outward fellowship of the Covenant Pag. 220 2. They are not far from the kernel and blessing of the Covenant ibid 1. They have not only outward Ordinances and common gifts of the Spirit but a liberal use of the Creatures much patience of God ibid 2. They have the Offer of the sure mercies of David Pag. 222 Now the Causes of their being discovenanted are Either Mocking or persecuting of the Covenant ib. The love of worldly sensual blessings Pag. 223 A self-confident cleaving unto gifts received by the Covenant Pag. 224 The Vse 1. To justifie the righteousness of God in the confusion of the children of Christian Parents Pag. 227 What we may think of the Infants of Parents in Covenant if they die Pag. 229 2. To teach Parents that are in Covenant to bring up their children under the wing of the Covenant Pag. 230 3. To teach them that are in Covenant to be all themselves and theirs for God Pag. 231 Here is a ground 1. For family-Family-duties ibid 2. To improve all we have for the glory of Gods grace Pag. 232 4. To look to the Lord in all duties to receive us and ours Pag. 233 The third Branch of the Doctrine That the Lord took the chief of Abrahams seed the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Mediator and Surety of the Covenant between God and Abraham Pag. 234 Christ is a fit Mediator in respect Of his Person being God-man whereby he is Fit to be the ground of union with God Pag. 235 Able to maintain it ib. Offices by Removing offences ib. Communicating good things ib. 1. As a Priest offering Sacrifice making intercession c. Pag. 236 2. As a Prophet he teacheth us all things 3. As a King he applies all to us subdues Us to himself ibid The creature to us ibid In particular He is a Mediator of the Covenant in a threefold respect 1. In that he is the Messenger of it to publish it Pag. 237 2. In that he doth ratifie and confirm it by a threefold Seal 1. By his bloud ib. 2. By his Spirit ib. 3. By the Seals of the Covenant Pag. 238 3. In that he is the Prince and Head of it ibid Which implyeth three things 1. That all the Covenant is made first with him ibid 2. That he doth inherit the blessings of the Covenant Pag. 239 Therefore He Fulfilled all the conditions of the Covenant ib. Communicateth the blessings of the Covenant ib. 3. That he doth apply the comforts of the Promises to us ib. Use 1. For refutation of the Popish Doctrine that deviseth other Mediators Pag. 240 Object We pray the Saints to pray for us Resp 1. Christ bath bidden us to pray one for another but not to the Saints in Heaven ibid 2. We do not depend upon the merit of their Prayers 241 2. For Instruction how to make an holy use of all the gifts of Gods grace and duties of Gods worship Pag. 242 3. A ground to strengthen faith and for encouragement to the duties and fruits of it Pag. 246 THere seems to be a gross mistake or Errata through the leaving out of one word not in pag. 240. within 3 or 4. lines of the bottom 'T is said it were Idolatry I think it should be It were not Idolatry THE COVENANT OF GRACE
is blasted and broken in pieces according to what the Prophet Isay saith chap. 40.6 7. All flesh is grass and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field the grass withereth and the flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it and so the Lord cometh to leave a man neither Root nor Branch For by a spirit of Bondage the Lord blasteth all flesh but when it cometh unto the goodliness of flesh that is consumed by a spirit of Burning 2. As God thus prepareth us for himself so he doth give himself unto us and taketh possession of us by his blessed Spirit the Father giveth himself and his Son by his blessed Spirit for the Spirit it is by which he doth visit the hearts of his people and this is the main Blessing of the Covenant of Grace For the better clearing of it it may be demanded How doth the Lord give himself unto his People Quest and his People back again to receive him 1. They being thus prepared Answ the Spirit of God taketh up his seat in the soul by making it a Temple unto himself in the Name of the Father and of the Son and so are they made an habitation of God through the Spirit Ephes 2.22 Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts c. Gal. 4.6 He speaketh not of sons by actual Regeneration but by Gods eternal Counsel The fame Spirit is also called the Comforter whom Jesus Christ hath promised to send Joh. 16.7 8 9. If I depart I will send you the Comforter and when he is come he will reprove the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment of sin because they beleeve not in me this the Holy Ghost convinceth men of to be the greatest misery of the soul that they have not beleeved upon Jesus Christ And look as a talent of gold or some weighty metal falling into a vessel of water dasheth out all that is in the vessel to make room for it self so the Lord Jesus Christ coming into the soul dasheth out all watry confidences and maketh room for himself And in very deed because the heart of man is not only like unto water but is hard as yee and strong therefore the Spirit of God cometh like fire and melteth the iron stone of the heart and softneth it into flesh so that now the soul is utterly at a loss not only in regard of his sins but in regard of his best works also and is most of all convinced of his unbelief Now this holy Spirit of God being thus shed abroad into the heart at the very first entrance of it into the soul as it doth chiefly convince the soul of unbelief so 2. The same Spirit worketh Faith in the soul to yeeld himself unto the Lord to receive the Lord Jesus Christ and this is a true saving work he now submitteth unto the will of God so that the Spirit of God becometh unto the soul not only as a Spirit of burning to consume all that is like stubble but doth also melt the iron stone of the heart and softneth it into flesh that the word may take deep impression in it Now there is room for Jesus Christ now Faith is wrought there and now a soul can plead with God by Faith in Prayer he seeth there is no former safe hold of his Covenant that he can plead nor any righteousness of his own but such as hypocrites will quarrel for and rise up to maintain as they did against John Baptist pleading their covenant and their righteousness with these things a poor soul is not satisfied but unto you that fear my Name shall the Son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings c. Mal. 4.2 Herein is implied such a reverent fear as distrusting our selves giveth all the honour to the Lord Jesus this Fear of the Lord accompanieth Faith and is of like nature to it both of them distrusting our selves and both of them giving all honour to Christ the one out of confidence in him the other out of reverence to him Thus it is in our Effectual calling the Spirit of God taking possession in our hearts and working this Faith in us thereby we submit unto the Lord and this is Faith in Jesus Christ that maketh us one with Christ for our Effectual calling bringeth us to be one with him 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful by whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ This fellowship standeth in two things 1. In the unity of the Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 2. In a lively Faith on our parts So that by Beleeving this is the first thing we do we yeeld unto the work of God when this stronger man cometh to wit Christ by his Spirit we yeeld up all our armour to him and herein standeth our coming on to be in Christ and in God the Father by this Spirit of God that taketh possession of the heart and hath not only burnt up root and branch of our Legal righteousness but hath also melted us unto a soft frame to yeeld up our selves unto the Lord and now we are fit for any duty the Lord having possessed us with his powerful presence herein lyeth our Effectual calling and this is true spiritual union between the Lord and our souls Now this Faith thus wrought in our Effectual calling is not built upon any conditional promise of Grace pre-existent in us nor can it be built upon any but upon some absolute free Promise of God unto the soul according to what we read Isai 43.22 to 25. Thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel thou hast not brought me the small cattel of thy burnt-offerings neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an offering nor wearied thee with incense Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins In all this we see the absolute freeness of the Grace of God But if the Promise be conditional it is a condition subsequent to Faith not antecedent before it You will say Object Though some may be converted by such an absolute Promise yet some other mans Faith may be built upon a conditional Promise and the condition preexistent I pray you consider it Answ If it be a Condition it is to some good Qualification or other some good work or other of the Spirit of God in the heart of a Christian Was this work wrought before Conversion or after Every Christian knoweth that all works before conversion are but dross and dung to apply promises to such works were indeed to build upon a
second in Trinity hereby laying a ground of a firm Mediation between God and us for Jesus Christ being of Gods Nature therefore he will be faithful unto God and being of our Nature therefore he will be compassionate towards us And here is the root of all the life and power of this Mediation to wit this Personal Union of the Son of man with the second Person in Trinity which is a firm and everlasting Union 2. By Gods giving him to be a Covenant Isa 42.6 I will give thee for a Covenant of the People for a Light of the Gentiles What is meant hereby the Lord meaneth that he giveth him to be a Mediator of this Covenant 1. To receive from God all the promises and gracious gifts whatsoever is requisite for him to be King Priest and Prophet and all these things he receiveth from the hand of the Father Col. 1.19 for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell thus he becometh a plentiful Redeemer And as the Lord gave him to be a Covenant so he giveth him also to work all things needful for our Redemption partly by his passion and obedience unto the Death of the Cross Phil. 2.8 and partly by fulfilling all the righteousness of the Law Mat. 3.15 The Lord Jesus Christ did fully accomplish whatsoever was requisite for him to accomplish in his own Person 2. He doth perform all things needful for the Application of this Redemption unto our souls Isa 26.12 And to this end he it is that sheadeth abroad his Spirit into our hearts Joh. 15.26 16.7 and when this blessed Spirit cometh he applieth unto the soul all this gracious Redemption of Jesus Christ by giving Jesus Christ and all the Fruits of his redemption and by working all those blessed works that the souls of his people come to be partakers of and so performeth all those conditions that are required on our parts if it be needful for us to have Faith he will work it in us if it be needful for us to live a life of Faith he will help us so to live for it is not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.9 Thus hath the Lord made him a compleat Mediator of this holy Covenant and whatsoever we receive we receive from him for unto him first as the head of the Church are all blessings given and unto us all promises in him are Yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 for though Christ be not a sinner in his own Person yet in respect of his Members he is many times lost in them though not in himself and poor in them though not in himself for us therefore he receiveth the Promises of God and that is the great security of them that they are laid up safe in him and belong unto us if we have union with the Head and in him we perform whatsoever God requireth whether we pray or preach or hear we do all in the Name of Jesus Christ going forth in his strength and power Col. 3.17 Thus is the Lord Jesus Christ a firm surety of this better Covenant stablished upon better Promises Heb. 8.6 In the first place Use 1 This may teach us a broad difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace In the Covenant of Works The Lord offereth Himself as a Father Diff. 1 his Son as a Redeemer his Spirit as a Sanctifier but this is still upon a condition of obedience if they shall keep his Laws and obey his voice then they shall be a peculiar treasure unto him above all people Exod. 19.5 6. This also they undertake to do Deut. 5.27 All that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee we will hear it and do it but O saith God that there was such an heart in them vers 29. When they rebelled he did not pardon them graciously but the Angel whom he sendeth with them he biddeth them beware of him and obey his voice and provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my Name is in him In the Covenant of Grace he will but not in this here is indeed a conditional Redeemer and Saviour and so it is expressed Isa 63.8 9 10. He was their Saviour in all their affliction he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love c. But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them with many of them God was not well pleased almost with none of them but overthrew them in the wilderness Thus in the Covenant of Works all is given upon condition of obedience The Lord giving himself Diff. 2 his Son and Spirit upon condition though it be but to Works yet he is pleased to receive them into some kinde of Relative Vnion expressed Jer. 32.32 Which my Covenant they brake although I was an Husband to them He was married unto them in Church-Covenant this was some kinde of union He was their God and they were his peculiar people and yet the Lord cast them off a generation of his wrath from this Marriage-Covenant between them and him from this union there springeth a kinde of Faith by which the soul cleaveth unto the Lord in some measure else there could not be this Marriage-Union and this Faith is that of which you read Psal 106.12 13. They beleeved his words they sang his praise they soon forgat his works they waited not for his counsel So also Exod. 14.31 it is said They beleeved the Lord and his servant Moses this is that Faith which men may receive and yet may Apostate from it spoken of Heb. 6.3 to 6. For a while some do beleeve and in time of temptation fall away Luk. 8.13 But all that Faith was never grounded upon any free promise of Grace but all was built upon Ordinances and Duties and upon no higher ground In the 2 Chron. 13.8 to 12. marvellously strong are the expressions of Abijah when Jeroboam came against him You think to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hand of David c. Have not you cast out the Priests of the Lord saith he c. But as for us the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him and the Priests which minister unto the Lord are the Sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business and they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening Burat-sacrifices and sweet Incense the Shew-bread also they set in order upon the pure Table and the Candlestick of gold with the Lamps thereof to burn every evening for we keep the charge of the Lord our God but ye have forsaken him And behold God himself is with us for our Captain and his Priests with sounding Trumpets to cry Alarm against you O ye children of Israel fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers for you shall not prosper Thus we see what Faith he did express and hereupon vers 18. the children of Israel
besides the waiting of a Christian upon him who hath made the promises doth make him yet more patient and hopefull and this is a fourth use of conditional promises 5. They are of use to work all these qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised By the exceeding precious promises we are made partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and this is no small work or use of these promises that from them should spring all our gracious qualifications for the Lord having promised such blessings in them these promises being received and enjoyed and meditated on by us we beholding them and the glory of the Lord Jesus in them are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 this great power there is in the promises to help an end the work of God in the soul of a Christian so that though they were never given to bring us to Christ yet to this end they were given to work all those qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised 6. They are of use to provoke and stirre up Christians to all such duties to which blessings are promised they stirre them up effectually The Lord maketh a Promise 2 Cor. 6.17 18. that such as touch no unclean thing he will receive them and be a father to them and they shall be his sons And mark what use the Apostle maketh of this conditional promise chap. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God Implying that the having of these promises stirreth up Gods people unto duties and the Lord is wont to breath in them and so to set forward the work of cleansing in the hearts and wayes of his servants 7. They are of use further to strengthen faith for the Lord that hath made such promises will accomplish them for his servants Genes 32.9 10. Jacob there putteth the Lord in minde of his promise and saith O God of my father Abraham God of my father Isaac and the Lord which said unto me Return unto thy Countrey and to thy kindred and I will deal well with thee and he was now returned according to the appointment of God but what now doth he plead the condition minde in the next words I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Yet now though hepleadeth not any worth at all yet seeing the Lord hath promised such a mercy to him he prayeth for it vers 11. Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother thus his faith is strengthened though he doth not plead his worthinesse to receive mercy So also do absolute promises strengthen faith and the prayer of faith 2 Sam. 7.13.14 c. the Lord there promiseth David that he would build him an house and that he would not take his mercy from his Children this stirreth up and strengtheneth the faith of David vers 28 29. Now O Lord thou art that God and thy words be true and thou hast promised this goodnesse unto thy servant therefore now let it please thee to blesse the house of thy servant c. this well ordered and sure Covenant of God was all his stay and all his salvation though his house was not so with God 2 Sam 23.5 So when the Lord promiseth to heal the back-slidings of his people Hosea 14.4 their hearts are strengthened to come unto the Lord and to say O Lord thy words are true let it please thee to heal the back-slidings of thy servants Thus by the promises of God the faith and faithfull prayers of Gods servants are both of them strengthned together Now let me further say thus much Let us rightly discerne what use to make of the principal part of the Scriptures take heed you do not close with promises before you have Jesus Christ specially take heed you make not use of promises to a qualification to give you your part in Jesus Christ neither be taken aside to make account that the Lord did give you himself gratiously in a conditional promise for these are aberrations from the Covenant of Grace Consider therefore well what the Promises be and what use the Lord would have us to make of them It is not for a woman to take her husbands inheritance before she take his person and you know that all the blessings and all the promises are as it were the Inheritance of the Lord Jesus given unto him and to no other but in his name and therefore there is not any Soul under Heaven that can challenge his right in Christ at the first by any promise till Christ first be given if you know that you are in Christ you may then know that the promises are yours otherwise you shall not be able to know your right in Christ by your right in the promises and therefore do not turn them upside down beyond the scope and intendment of the Covenant of Grace we may take occasion by them to admire the goodnesse and grace of God as David did Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee thus ought we to consider of them and whither to look that we might enjoy them and the blessings in them If you shall say We have been converted and we have had gratious changes wrought within us be not deceived such work may reach no farther then conviction and you may come at the last to turn your backs upon Jesus Christ Consider therefore did ever the Lord give himself to be one with you whensoever the Lord doth strike up the bond of Union it is in an absolute and free-promise of his grace Trust not therefore unto every leaning of your Souls upon conditional promises for so you may build upon a Covenant made upon a work and in the end you and your Covevenant will fail together but when you read how the Lord hath made such promises to such and such qualifications then consider that those things are indeed requisite to be found in you but who is there in heaven or earth that is able to work them in you there is none but Jesus Christ and unlesse you have him to be in you you cannot have any of these things wrought in you But will a poor Soul say I am not able to reach the Lord Jesus Christ therefore all the promises of the Gospel do fall heavy upon a man and he seeth that they are too burdensome and weighty for him he doth not say Here is the qualification and here is the blessing promised to it and therefore I will take it to my self but one that is taught of God doth forthwith go and pray unto God that he will set him in the way of those blessings and that so he will make him partaker of them he prayeth that God will give him his
sanctification if they depend upon you you will find your hearts ever unsettled you may find comfort as under the Law you shall for if a man be married to the Law the Law will cast in comforts upon him because of his obedience but if you shall believe that Christ is yours and comfort your selves because you have been by the power of the Law constrained to duties and restrained from sin and thereupon build your conjugal communion with Jesus Christ you will find your souls full of sadness and fear ere long specially if you have true grace in your hearts and therefore it is the faithfulness and tenderness of the grace of God unto his people that when Christians come into this Country though they have been marvelous eminent in our native Country they cannot pray fervently nor hear the word with profit nor receive the seals with comfort they wonder what is become of their old prayers and hearings and Sacraments and of their lively spirits in holy duties truly the Lord hath disenabled them as it were from such things because they did build their union and fellowship with Jesus Christ upon them that so they might know the freedom of the grace of God that justifieth the ungodly then will the poor soul be glad to seek after the Lord Jesus Christ and say as the people of God sometimes did Hos 2.7 I will go and return to my first husband for then was it better with me then now now the soul will plainly see and discern that he closed not with his true husband when as he built so much hope and comfort upon his duties therefore he will find himself weak and dead as it were to all spiritual duties and can find no life in them no comfort from them and it is the marvelous goodness and free grace of God unto such a soul whom the Lord will not suffer to bless himself in his works for if a man should lay the foundation of his comfort in them and be ready as it were to take it ill if he should not find God accepting his works Wherefore have we fasted and thou regardest it not Isa 58.3 If a man rejoyce in the sparks which he hath kindled this shall he receive at the hands of God to lie down in sorrow Isa 50.11 whereas the light of God shall graciously break forth unto the servants of God though they wait upon him though they be for present in darkness and see no light Trust not therefore in any legal comforts but wait upon the free grace of God both to justifie sanctifie comfort and glorifie your souls and this is the way of constant peace and if the Lord do at any time check his servants when they walk in by-waies it is that he may build them upon a surer foundation So that their salvation will not lie upon their obedience nor damnation be procured by their disobedience this is the way of constant peace and safety unto all the Israel of God This Doctrine may serve in the next place Quest 7 to answer a seventh Question touching the necessity of Sanctification For it may be demanded If the Lord will give himself unto the soul in the Covenant of his Grace not only his attributes but his person all that is God is given by vertue of this Covenant If God will give himself not only to choose us to life and glory but his Son to redeem us and his holy Spirit to sanctifie us Ezek. 36.27 what need is there of Sanctification for if the Holy Ghost will dwell in us he can take our wits and understanding and understand all our Meditations for us without any such actual concurrence of ours as might be requisite for that end if the Lord giveth himself to be my righteousness and holiness what need I then these gifts of holiness So that this in sum is the Question If the Lord will give unto us himself what need we these gifts to work any thing which God is much more able to perform then we can be This springeth naturally from the Doctrine Though the Lord giveth us himself Answ and his holy Spirit to dwell in us yet is it needful that we should be indued with all the gifts of the Spirit of Grace that do accompany-salvation You will say What need is there then that the Holy Ghost should dwell in us or will not these carry an end our souls unto immortality Truly we have need that the Lord should give us his holy Spirit to dwell in us notwithstanding all the gifts of his grace though they indeed are necessary conditions to be found in the souls of all Gods servants Heb. 12.14 Follow peace and holyness without which no man shall see the Lord. As if he made it of absolute necessity to salvation not onely in another world but for a comfortable condition in this world follow Peace and Holiness as if so be that they were ready to fly away from a man and indeed the word doth imply no less for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie the pursuit of something that fleeth from a man as peace will many times flee from one and a man will have much ado to attain unto it Psal 120.6 7. My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace I am for peace but when I speak they are for war it is not easily attained unto therefore should not be suffered to depart but held fast when it is enjoyed And so for Holiness the Apostle would have us make an holy kind of pursuit after it as if it were still withdrawing from us which cometh through the corruptions of our heart for we are soon weary of holy Duties as Prayer or Conference or the like if Holiness be in any thing it soon groweth wearisome to flesh and blood but though our weak and feeble nature will be withdrawing us from Holiness yet the Lord would have us to follow it and pursue it and so shall a man be withdrawn from the world and from the temptations and bad examples thereof Do not say What shall we be wiser then our Fathers and Is not Moderation best in all things but consider what the Apostle saith Follow still after it even unto perfection and his words do intimate the reason of it without which no man shall see the Lord for what is Holiness in its own nature it is that which giveth God his due as Righteousness giveth man his due And this is a main ground why we are so slow in works of holiness for were they of another nature and did they serve our turns more as we think we should not then account them tedious If I were to sit and tell money all day long this is for my self saith a man and for my profit and if it were for another we should not think the time long it may be at that work neither but mind you when it cometh to any thing which doth concern the Lord then it 's so far above a mans reach
should dwell in us for the causes we have spoken unto And I might add this to comfort us in all the changes that may come upon us it is a strong Scripture which we read in Joh. 15.26 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me our Divines have no place of more clear evidence to prove the procession of the Spirit from the Father both of what mighty redemption he hath wrought for us and what grace he hath wrought in us This the Holy Ghost shall testifie even he that proceedeth from the Father this is the comfort of Gods people Thus we see both these points opened to us How may we then imploy and improve this Sanctification which the Lord hath given us Quest 3 and which he keepeth and acteth in us by his Spirit and whereunto he beareth witness How or to what end shall we imploy it seeing the Lord undertaketh to do these things for us If so be it Answ that the Lord Jesus Christ by his Spirit giveth us these gifts it is our part then first to see that we do not rest in any sanctification which doth spring from Christ conveyed unto us by his blessed Spirit The Spirit knitteth us unto Christ and Christ unto us he worketh faith in us to receive whatsoever the Lord giveth unto us and by the same faith worketh all our holiness for us 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made unto us of God wis dom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption therefore we are to see him principal author of all these things in us and for us This is the principal comfort of all and the glory of all our safety and so far as any of these lieth in our Sanctification we ought to see that it be sanctification in Jesus Christ and then it is sanctification in Jesus Christ when the Lord giveth us to look unto the Lord Jesus in it and to it in him and as we look for our holiness to be perfect in Jesus Christ so we look for continual supply of it from him and this it is to make Christ our sanctification when as whatsoever gift the Lord giveth us we go not forth in the strength of it but in the strength of Jesus Christ There may be a change in the soul which may spring from a spirit of Bondage and may captivate our consciences unto the Law that may restrain us from sin and constrain us unto duties but such holiness springeth not from union with Jesus Christ for there may be a conscience of duty without sence of our need of Jesus Christ as it was with the Israelites at Mount Sinai Deut. 5.27 Go thou neer say they to Moses and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it they have well said all that they have spoken saith the Lord O that there were an heart in them that they would fear me and so forth This I say therefore is the first thing to be attended unto as ever you would make a right use of your holiness see that it be such as floweth from Jesus Christ that there be not only an heart awed with the Law but waiting upon Jesus Christ to be all in all in us and to us so shall we neither neglect the gifts of God in us nor Christ and his Spirit but shall give their due honour unto all of them together 2. This may also teach all Christians not to trust upon the gifts of their Holiness though they do spring from the Holy Gbost himself though they be such as are unchangeable though they spring from Jesus Christ and knit your souls in Union with him yet trust not in the gifts themselves the Lord layeth it down as the Apostacy of Israel Ezek. 16.14 15. Thy renown went forth among the Heathen for thy beauty for it was perfect through my comeliness which I had put upon thee saith the Lord God But thou didst trust in thine own beauty and playedst the Harlot c. Trust not therefore in any of these but let all our confidence be in Jesus Christ not in any of the gifts of his Spirit whatsoever For a little further opening of it 1. Trust not in any gifts that you have received for the performance of any duty for it is not the strongest Christian that is able to put forth a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 But our sufficiency is of God He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.5 And the Apostle Paul cannot onely not do any great matter by his own strength and grace but nothing at all without Jesus Christ and therefore he giveth us to understand that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do Phil. 2.12 if therefore we have any new work to do look to the Lord Jesus Christ afresh by Faith that he may carry an end our works in us and for us otherwise it is not any strength or grace in us that can produce any good work word or thought And therefore mind you the Apostle maketh it a Principle of Christian Religion that The just man liveth by his Faith and he often mentioneth it Gal. 2.20 The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God where he putteth it into his own experience why did he not live by Love and Patience and Zeal c. yes truly they were lively in him if ever in any man besides our blessed Saviour and yet notwithstanding he never attributed life to any of these gifts of his but if he speak of his Life he maketh this his Universal Life I live by the Faith of the Son of God and I am I am able to do all things through Christ which strengthneth me Phil. 4.13 This is the true savour of a Christian spirit that when gifts are at the highest the heart is then at the lowest 1 Cor. 15.9 10. The Apostle Paul there acknowledgeth himself to be as one born out of due time for saith he I am less then the least of the Apostles not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God I but by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God in me This is truly spiritual sanctification that when the soul is full of the Holy Ghost and gifts of the Holy Ghost yet he is like a man in great penury as having nothing of himself This is a marvelous spiritual poverty and you shall ever find and I desire the Lord would open the hearts of his people to know what I speak that if Christians have fallen their
conversion he counteth it all as dross and dung that he might win Christ Phil. 3.6 7 8. And for our faith they are not to be trusted upon as grounds of it for all the gifts of our sanctification are fruits of our faith and therefore faith is said to work by love Gal. 5.6 And so it doth by all other gifts of the Spirit and if they be fruits of faith then faith is not built upon them And thus much for the second Use which Christians are to make of their sanctification 3. There is in the next place a point of witness which this Sanctification doth yield and the Spirit of God by it The water beareth witness to the bloud and the bloud to the water and the Spirit unto both 1 Joh. 5.6 7 8. A mans own spirit beareth witness also Rom. 8.16 The Spirit of God beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God and therefore as a witnesse of God unto our faith we may lawfully hear what it speaketh but this is the life of a true evidence that all these gifts of God do not bear witness any further then a man seeth the Lord Jesus working them in him and for him for it is faith that maketh all the graces of the Gospel active and it is a condition so requisite that unlesse our works be of faith and flow from it they are not acceptable before God Heb. 11.6 for without faith it 's impossible to please God therefore unless faith carry an end our works they are not works of holiness such as should bear witness to the soul Therefore the Apostle doth stir up the Corinthians unto this mainly Examine your selves whether you are in the faith 2 Cor. 13.5 if he do exhort them to examination it is in point of faith and therefore some of our Divines as Reverent Forbes of Middleburgh by name who hath written a Sermon upon it wherein he noteth this that unless men find faith in their holiness none of all their Sanctification will become a sound witness of the grace of God unto them but if faith be found then you shall see Jesus Christ accepting you and breathing in you except you be reprobates There is a marvelous gracious witness that sanctification giveth unto him that liveth by faith in Jesus Christ if it be in Christ and from Christ and for Christ This only is that sanctification which the Lord commendeth unto his children to seek after it 4. A fourth Use of our sanctification is that the Spirit of God helpeth us by it in point of rejoycing and therefore it is that you shall see the servants of God rejoycing in their holiness so doth the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world he rejoyceth at what the Lord doth by him and with him Let every man prove his own work and so shall he have rejoycing in himself and not in another Gal. 6.4 But what is it that maketh the Apostle to rejoyce before God When he rejoyceth in his work before the Lord you shall ever find him rejoycing at the Lords acting these gifts in him and blessing him in his work let us look upon two or three Scriptures for this end 1 Tim. 1.12 13. I thank Jesus Christ our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me into the ministry who was before a blasphemer c. this he thanketh God for so that mind you as he seeth God giving him these gifts and enabling him unto the work so he blesseth God in that behalf You shall find him also blessing God that had prospered this work of the Ministry wheresoever he came 2 Cor. 2.14 Thanks be to God which alwaies causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place The Lord working in him and for him maketh him to triumph and to over-wrastle all the difficulties which he meeteth withal The Lord had given him gifts and taught him to exercise those gifts and doth accept him and therefore he expresseth himself in a marvelous strong speech Phil. 1.20 21. I am in nothing ashamed but that with all boldness as alwaies so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain to me to live is Christ as if he had said I have no life but from Christ I put forth no act of life but for Christ this is the sum of all his conversation and if Christ be his life then death will be his advantage and Christ will be magnified in either Thus we may see how the Saints of God have made use of their sanctification they are careful to see that it flow from Christ and yet when they have it they dare not trust in their best gifts for the least duty neither do they look for their faith from their best gifts but they expect their best gifts to flow from their faith they make use of the testimony of their holiness when they see Christ in it and faith in it and the Spirit of God carrying them along in the waies and duties thereof thus they see their holiness and take comfort in it and from the witness of it as that by which the Lord dispenseth comfort unto his people when they receive it from the hands of Christ and by faith in him by which they are taught of God to carry an end their whole conversation in his name 5. Furthermore as we receive it from Christ and trust not in it but in Christ and receive the witness of it in Christ and in the holy Spirit of Christ and as we receive Joy and Comfort also which the Lord doth minister unto us in a sanctified course by his holy Spirit so we grow up and perfect our Holiness which we have received in his Name there is growth in grace this sanctification is not bedrid Christians are not as weak now as they were seven years ago nor do they stand at a stay but go forward in Christianity and hereupon the Apostle exhorteth the Ephesians Ephes â— 6 to speak the truth in love that they may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ implying that men that enter into wayes of Holiness ought to grow on unto perfection in the fear of God The Righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger Job 17.9 And many sweet means the Lord hath appointed for this end the communion of Gods people tendeth hereunto Prov. 13.20 He that walketh with the wise shall learn wisdom all the Ordinances of God are appointed for this end also to beget and encrease faith and holiness therefore a Christian in the use of all these Ordinances doth not stand at a
is left utterly void and hath in himself neither root nor branch but seeth how unable he is to believe or wait nor can he tell whether Jesus Christ be his portion and now doth the Lord take possession and fill the empty soul If you shall ask me how this spirit cometh into the soul to make it thus to stoop unto Jesus Christ You shall find that the Lord useth to convey himself unto the soul in some word of promise of the Gospel that sheweth unto the soul the riches of the grace of God in Jesus Christ something or other is declared of Jesus Christ This word being taught in the publick Ministry of the Word or brought to remembrance in some spiritual duty as prayer or conference or the like for I will not limit the holy One of Israel yet usually it is done in the Ministry of the Gospel and though the Lord doth not limit himself yet he doth limit us to attend upon the means which he usually worketh by but whatsoever the way be this is the manner of Gods working he doth universally come into the soul in some word or other of his grace as for instance that in 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself or that in 1 Tim. 1.15 Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of which I am chief In some such word of Gods grace he cometh and putteth life into the soul and maketh it somwhat quiet and causeth it to see that there is hope in Israel and the Lord is able to save me and there is riches enough in Jesus Christ to save me By such kind of work it is that the Lord bringeth the souls of his servants effectually to Jesus Christ And now hath God the Father given us unto Jesus Christ and until now thou never camest home savingly This is the second act whereby God the Father giveth himself unto the soul 3. The third Act or work of God the Father which followeth both these So soon as ever the Lord hath given this self-denying spirit unto the soul and hath made it like unto a bruised reed or like a Traveller that is out of his way and willing to take any man by the hand that will lead him into his way again when the soul is in such a frame now God the Father cometh by a third work of actual reconcilement The first work was of conviction The second was a work of subjection And the third of reconciliation This is the third work of the Father though there is in all these works a concurrence of the whole Trinity yet some are more proper unto each person as our Catechisms teach us and we are not wont to scruple such expressions in them God the Father created us and we cannot expound it but as God the Father created us at the first so he doth again create you or else if we acknowledge it in the one and not in the other we do God the Father wrong Well he is then reconciled unto us having given us the Spirit of his Son and now he doth pronounce us reconciled unto him this is the work which is spoken of Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son And this is the work of God the Father according to that which is before alledged 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world c. now there are two acts of God as fruits that follow hereupon and both of them done at once upon the soul 1. Act of God is Adoption whereby he maketh us his Children as Gal. 4.4 5 6. When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons and because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father And as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God Joh. 1.12 So that now we are the brethren of Christ and the sons of the eternal God Adoption is properly the work of the Father but Jesus Christ being the natural Son of God we must be knit unto him before we can be accounted sons 2. Act of God is Justification It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth Rom. 8.33 34. This is the Fathers work and it is principally attributed unto him to forgive our iniquities and to reconcile us in Jesus Christ And look as it is in our natural being so soon as ever we have received natural life from Adam we become the sons of Adam and his sin is imputed unto us so it is in the new birth so soon as ever the life of Christ is shed abroad into our hearts so soon are we heirs with Christ and the righteousness of the second Adam is imputed unto us now to our justificacation as was the sin of Adam before to our condemnation The Doctrine it self is but an Use Vse 1 But I desire that we may all of us apply it unto our selves It will be helpful unto us for our instruction to teach us how we came to saving fellowship with God in Jesus Christ and wherein lieth our spiritual union with Jesus Christ how it is wrought and obtained and this is necessary for as it hath been observed by others so we may now gather it from what we have heard that there be four sorts of men that fall short of this union with Jesus Christ 1. You have some that bless themselves in their natural state it may be they are rich and honourable among men well they bless themselves in that state and will never go any further 2. There is another sort that are convinced of the danger of their natural estate they dare not rest there and hereupon they fall to reformations and so to duties of humiliation and the like wherein they find such a blessed change and so much comfort as doth satisfie them and indeed the Lord doth comfort men in their reformations for God will have no man lose by him Mat. 6.2 5. Hypocrites have their reward for their alms and for their prayers Herod when he heard John reformed many things and heard him gladly Mar. 6.20 here was a great change and doubtless much comfort yet these men never had the work of God the Father to burn up all that they have received by any strength of their own 3. A third sort go a step beyond these They have been convinced that they went forth to reformation in their own strength they plainly see it and discern it and therefore they know that it is impossible to be saved by the righteousness of the Law and that it is not of works neither of one kind nor of another They are convinced that faith only must do the deed and upon this ground they will take up faith to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation and that faith which
toward us as he saith Joh. 16.26 27. I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you Then doth he keep us in this estate And which is a farther work of the Son for this purpose he will send us his holy Spirit as He told his Disciples Joh. 16.7 It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you Thus as the Father sent the Son so will the Son send the Spirit and in the mean while he doth preserve us until the Spirit come and then he preserveth us by his Spirit Now sometimes he makes his people tarry longer before he send the Spirit in this kind of dispensation but we leave the times and seasons thereof unto the free purpose of the grace of God but I say mean while the Son preserveth us Joh. 6.39 This is the Fathers will that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing So Joh. 17.12 Those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost He keeps us in a waiting frame of spirit so that we cannot but thirst after him and long for him and mourn for the want of him and then a bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench until he bring forth judgement unto victory Mat. 12.20 Thus hath the Lord Jesus promised to keep us and this he doth perform 1. Partly by praying for us Luk. 22.31 32. Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy saith fail not so Joh. 17.11 20 21 22 23 c. Holy Father keep through thy own Name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are c. and this is the eternal efficacy of the Son whereby every beleeving soul is kept until he do finde fulness of accomplishment of his spiritual desires and though we may be many waies wanting in prayer for our selves yet he will give us his Spirit to pray within us with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed 2. And as he ' will keep us by his prayer so secondly by his ruling Providence for all power is given unto him both in heaven and in earth Mat. 28.18 and this power he doth employ to preserve his servants from all the delusions of the sons of men The Prophet Ezekiel complains of some that thrust away and shoulder out the people of God Ezek. 34.21 22 c. but saith the Lord I will set up one shepherd over them and he shall feed them even my servant David vers 23 25. They shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods None of all the delusions of Antichrist none of all the power of Tyrants not all the flattering world nor all the persecuting world shall be able to shoulder off the Saints of God from him 2 Tim. 1.12 I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day and the Lord Jesus engageth both his own power and his Fathers power for this end Joh. 10.28 29. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall they pluck them out of my hand my Father which gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand Thus have you seen how Jesus Christ gives himself unto Abraham and to his seed to become one with us to lead a miserable life and dye an accursed death thereby to redeem us from all our enemies unto a state of liberty by an invaluable price even by himself And having thus had the Father drawing us unto Christ though the Father said little unto the soul who had been about him all this while and so leaves the soul in no small distress as the Fathers work is Power so the Sons work is Liberty and he revealeth to us our redemption and reveals it so that the soul is set in an earnest longing after Christ in whom there is a way to the Father and a great mourning after him hungring for him so that nothing in heaven nor earth can satisfie him in which case the Lord doth give such strength and constancy unto the soul in looking towards Christ as encourageth him to expect refreshing in the end though at present he looks at all that he hath attained as a parable in comparison of what he would further enjoy in communion with Jesus Christ but it often befals the servants of God as it did the Disciples of Christ they were put unto new demurrs and doubtings We thought say they it had been he that should have restored the kingdome to Israel Luk. 24.21 these were Simon and Cleophas if it had not been He where was the comfort and blessed hope of rest which they looked for in Jesus Christ we thought it had been he a sign it was a demurr and dispute in them whether it was Gods grace in them or Christ that had been with them yea or no whilest they are at this debate in themselves Jesus himself comes unto them and reproves them for their unbelief and chargeth them to tarry at Jerusalem and there to wait for the promise of the Father And thus doth the Lord Jesus teach us to know the Father and reveals him to us by strengthning us unto all such holy duties as he calleth us unto and though we be many times affraid to pray to hear to come to Christian conference yet the Lord will not suffer us to refrain but we must pray and confer and hear and when we have used all he teacheth us to know that it is not in all these as of themselves to work any thing in us nor doth he suffer us to content our selves in any thing wrought in us but causeth us to thirst after more of himself in every Ordinance until the Spirit comes in a plentiful measure according to all the latitude of our desires after Christ Jesus Now for the Use of this Vse 1 in the first place If so be the work of the Son be such a work of redemption then certainly our state is a state of bondage before we be thus redeemed yea it is such a state of bondage as wherein we lie bound under Gods Law and under sin under Gods wrath and curse under the Devil and death and under the power of this world and all these enemies have power over us to carry us captive unto sin and misery so that great is the misery we lie under if we knew our misery few know it but are ready to say with those Joh. 8.33 We were never in bondage to any oh poor hearts then were you never redeemed to this very day if thou never yet knewest thy bondage thou never yet knewest thy Redeemer the Lord will never so dishonour his own work as to pay so great a price to
the Lord doth in giving himself give us all his Persons Attributes Ordinances Providences for he is the Lord of hosts and therefore all that is Gods is ours also It will follow semblably that we must be as God is and our children as his children and our servants as his servants and our wits and parts and authority and power and times must all be for God and not for our selves moreover all that is in our Churches is for God Cant. 7. ult At our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits both new and old which I have laid up for thee O my beloved Now from hence two things follow 1. First Here is a ground for family-family-duties for if all that I have must be the Lords for he takes me as he gives himself then it is for us to give up all our relations unto him as much as lies in us we can do nothing but set them before the Lord but it will be requisite that we should constrain them to duty pray with our children and servants teach them the will of God restrain them from wickedness I know Abraham saith the Lord That he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord c. Gen. 18.18 and the Lord commandeth Parents to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Ephes 6.4 we must therefore teach them to know the God of their Fathers as David 1 Chron. 28.9 And thou Solomon my son know thou the God of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde c. and so old Lois and Eunice were careful to train up Timothy in the knowledge of the Scriptures from a child this the Lord requireth of us as ever we look to have right in his Son he will have right in our sons if we have right in his Spirit he hath right in our spirit if you have any right in his servants he hath right in your servants and therefore use the means to draw them home to him and leave the blessing unto the Lord but if Parents be watchless in conveying the blessing to their children and children careless in receiving it God is faithful and his Covenant faithful though they fall short of it 2. Secondly This also follows that as God betrusteth us with any gifts or parts or talents with honour wealth health strength beauty liberty or what else soever if the Lord have given us any blessing it is wohlly his for we must be unto God as we would have him be unto us and therefore the Lord took it unkindly from his people Hos 2.8 That the corne and wine and oyl and silver and gold which he had given them they prepared for Baal Israel is an empty vine when he bringeth forth fruit unto himself Hos 10.1 so likewise he taketh it ill Ezek. 16.20 21. that they took his sons and his daughters and sacrified them unto Moloch so sometimes men count it a gentile thing to train up their children to idleness and other vanities whereas in truth it is as if they trained them up to Moloch and this the Lord doth abhor and will sadly require it in his own time If therefore we must give up our selves and ours unto God then here is a foundation for family-family-duties and also to improve our selves and all that we have wholly to advance the glory of the grace of God in Jesus Christ else we pluck asunder the Covenant of grace In the fourth place Use 4 If the Lord in this Covenant receive us to be a peculiar people unto himself something we are to learn in the manner of the performance of all holy duties for as we are still to be doing in the use of means to help our knowledge and faith so in all let us still be expecting from the Lord to lay hold upon us and ours and to receive us for our hope standeth more in Gods receiving us then in our giving our selves unto him rest not therefore in all the good means that you use for that will not hold unless the Lord be pleased to receive us and ours Joh. 6.37 All that the Father gives me shall come unto me so that unless the Lord give our children to his Son though we devote them to him it is a question whether he will take them or no look we up therefore unto the Lord that he may take them graciously unto himself the Prophet exhorteth Israel to return unto the Lord Hos 14.1 2. But how shall they return not unless the Lord take away their iniquity and receive them graciously and thus the Propher teacheth them to pray so that they do not stand upon their own reformations nor look to this and that which they can do no no take with you words and say Take thou away our iniquity otherwise we shall never get it out he also must receive us graciously and so shall we render unto him our selves and all that we can do This is the way of the Covenant of grace whatsoever duties the Lord requireth to be done on our parts let us look unto him in all to receive us and ours otherwise we and ours shall soon turn our backs upon God and upon his Covenant which he hath so graciously invited us unto in Jesus Christ We now come to the third and last Branch of the Doctrine Third Branch of the Doctrine which is That the Lord took the chief of Abrahams seed the Lord Jesus Christ to be the mediator and surety of the Covenant between God and Abraham this is expressed Gal. 3.16 To Abraham and his seed were the promises made he saith not And to his seeds as of many but as of one And to thy seed which is Christ so that he is the chiefest of the seed with whom the Covenant is established as also the Prophet Isaiah testifieth chap. 42.6 and 49.8 I will give thee for a covenant of the people and a light of the Gentiles c. and the Apostle speaketh fully when he saith Heb. 8.6 that he is the mediator of a better covenant and a surety of the Covenant Heb. 7.22 Christ is therefore the chiefest of the seed and the Mediatour and Surety of the Covenant Now a Mediatour he is between both parties partly in respect of his person and partly in respect of his Office 1. In respect of his person as he is God and man he is a fit person to be the ground of our union with God and to maintain our communion with him for what is a Mediator but a middle person to bring two persons that are at difference into one now Christ as he is God-man is most fit for this work 1. First To be the ground of our Union for being God-man he hath united both the differing natures into one so he is a middle person and fit to be the foundation of our union and therefore he is called Immanuel Isa 7.14 That is God with us 2.
unto it they will acknowledge that we have no merit of condignity but only merit of congruity therefore in truth it is plain Popery in English it is true indeed there is a fitness but it lies not in doing it is such a fitness as whereby the soul judgeth it self unworthy of any grace and now the creature being emptyed of it self is fit to receive mercy from God it is now fit to receive all from Christ Consider therefore I beseech you what kind of Use God calleth us to make of all gifts and works of grace do not think we cry down sanctification because we do not put it into Christs Mediatourship because we do not shut Christ out of heaven and out of his Office by it for we give it his honour if we give it this honour of mediation we cannot come to God but we must be united you will say We cannot be united till by faith we have uniting Is faith then a Mediatur between Christ and us can there be no union with Christ unless we bring faith and repentance with us truly then we must have Mediatours to bring us unto Christ but doth not the Gospel require faith and repentance in all that be in Christ true but how comes a man by the faith and repentance of the Gospel Zach. 12.10 I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem a Spirit of grace and supplication and they shall look on him whom they have pierced and mourn for him c. This looking is faith and this mourning is repentance thus Christ seeth us before we see him and because we are sons God hath shed abroad the spirit of sons into our hearts Gal. 4.6 7. and hereby we come to see him and more and more of him and this is the way of the Gospel of Jesus Christ First We have him and him drawing us and fitting us by his Spirit whereby we come to see him and then we mourn over him for all the wrong we have done him this is that faith and repentance that flows from Christ and then brings us unto him if it flow not from him but first brings us unto him it is not the faith and repentance of Gods elect nor that which the Gospel holds forth First take Christ and then you have all things in him Again As nothing can first bring us unto Christ so neither will it be able to maintain our communion with him for as he is the door so he is the Surety of the Covenant he is the Publisher and Confirmer and Prince of the Covenant and he receives and keeps all the blessings of the Covenant for us You will say What then would you have us to neglect repentance and faith no no brethren but exercise your selves in all godliness 1 Tim. 4.7 but let it be godliness then let it not be righteousness only but godliness even such as spring 〈…〉 from fellowship with God in Jesus Christ but when you have done all you can do not think that this will give you rest be not deceived you will not find that your souls are any thing neerer to God when you have prayed constantly morning and evening indeed if the Lord strengthen your faith and give you comfort this is effectual but it is because you did not rest in the Letter of the duty but you did exercise your self unto godliness in a way of faith and by faith the walls of Jericho fall down and the walls of Jerusalem are built up and so make account that your godliness must be exercised to fetch all from Christ otherwise that which you have will not uphold you when you have done all you can wait upon him to speak a word of comfort to you in his own way for his own names sake and so shall you indeed exercise the gifts of God as not abusing them and so exercise godliness as not to talk of it but to practise it and so use it as it ought to be used as fit to be an handmaid but not fit to be an husband fit to be serviceable unto Christ but not fit to justle him out of his Kingdome In the third place Use 3 this is a ground of much strength unto faith and encouragement unto all the duties and fruits of faith that the Lord hath made such a Covenant as this is an everlasting covenant stablished upon better grounds in the hands of a better mediatour that is so fit to bring us unto God and to maintain union and communion between God and us to remove all offences and quicken our spirits towards God it is our strength to rest upon this rock of Israel this is indeed eternal life Joh. 17.3 when we can say to Saints and Angels We know you not and to our own righteousness and all the duties of it We know you not in point of mediation but Jesus we know and his righteousness and mediation we know as for other things bring them in their places but if you bring them in point of mediation they will keep us from closing with Christ Therefore such as desire to maintain and to see maintained firm and full communion with Jesus Christ let the Lord Jesus only be their Advocate and Righteousness for it is he that worketh all our works for us and in special this main work of making and maintaining peace for us if then we rest not on what we are or do but look unto Christ for our acceptance and know that we are unprofitable without him then do we not abuse our gifts and duties but use them as fruits of Christs mediation if we look at them as causes of our mediation we do utterly evacuate the mediation of Jesus Christ neither can we continue in that state without the same hand of grace for even the Angels in heaven as is generally received stand confirmed in Jesus Christ if therefore they could not stand firm were it not for Jesus Christ much less shall the sinful sons of men come unto union or stand firm in communion with God by their best graces but when you have done all your union will be broken if the Lord doth not both begin and perfect it to immortality Yea even then when you are full of all the power of the most High and of all heavenly consolation it is Jesus Christ that maintaineth your union with himself therefore let creatures know that they are creatures and let them look at the gifts bestowed upon them and works done by them as the way which the Lord hath given them to walk in Say not We have all we look for nor think we our selves fit to be accepted of God it is a Popish delusion it is not all our endeavours or duties that will maintain us in communion with God one hour to an end Thus you see that all these things are as they are you have done but your duty in them all and but a piece of that neither and you have neither power nor right nor
imply that the Lord giveth himself to be the staffe and strength of them so that you shall see the presence of God in them he will not only give a man Wife and Children and Ordinances and Providences but he himself will be in all these and blesse his people in the enjoyment of them all so as that they shall enjoy God in all Psal 16.5 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance He saw the Lord in what he did enjoy and when he had any thing it was in God and when he wanted any thing it was supplied in him The like did Jacob finde when his brother Esau came against him with 400. men and the Lord turned him from the fierceness of his wrath here was the Covenant of Abraham the Lord gave him the mouth and arms and tears of his brother Esau what saith Jacob to all this Gen. 33.10 I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God He saw the power and mercy of God in changing the countenance of his elder Brother and that is it which sweetneth all that a man doth enjoy the loving kindness of God in all is the Blessing of all and this likewise doth Jacob acknowledge Gen. 33.5 These are the Children which God of his grace hath given me and so he looked at them as Gods wives and children and servants and cattel and this is the very life of the Covenant of Grace when as the Lord is wrapped up in all his Blessings when as he giveth himself and in himself his Christ and in Christ Peter and Paul and all things unto his Church This is the main thing given God himself the God of the Covenant his Persons Nature Ordinances Providences and now Abraham is made the Lord of the world and so the Apostle doth interpret it Rom. 4.13 The Promise that he should be heir of the world was not to Abraham nor to his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith and this is that which Abraham did receive in receiving the Lord to be his God 2. In the order of giving the Covenant there is something to be observed 1. God giveth first and not the Creature it was not Abraham that gave unto God first for which of all the creatures shall offer a Covenant unto the mighty God Rom. 11.35 Who hath given unto him first and it shall be recompensed unto him again the Lord hath the pre-eminence in giving for what should Abraham give unto God if God give not something unto him first he is the first giver 2. He is also the first thing in order that is given For doth he give the world first or ordinances first or any other spiritual or temporal blessings first No doubtless the Lord is the first thing that he giveth by his Covenant and with himself all things else also Rom. 8.32 and there is the precedency of Jesus Christ he is given and in him all spiritual blessings as the Apostle saith Eph. 1.3 Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus And this for the order in giving the Covenant not obedience first nor faith first nor any thing else first but Himself is Donum primum primarium and in him all his goodness 3. For the Manner of giving in that he giveth himself there is implied both the freedom and eternety of the gift Firmness therefore and that unto eternity In that he giveth himself it must of necessity be done freely for what can any creature give to purchase God if a man could give thousands of worlds they were not enough to redeem or purchase one soul and if he had millions of worlds to give what were they all to purchase so great a gift as God himself is therefore it must needs be of free gift for the creature can do nothing to prevent God God indeed may give with a purpose to receive back again but he looketh to receive no more then what he first giveth us and giveth us strength of Will and Deed to give him back again He required this of Abraham that he should walk before him and be upright Gen. 17.1 but the very truth is though Abraham shall perform these things in an Evangelical manner yet God himself doth undertake in this Covenant to be the Author and Finisher both of his Faith and Obedience Heb. 12.2 And this doth argue the marvelous freedome of the Covenant of Grace for the Lord offereth it out of his Grace without the foresight of Faith or Works for he undertaketh to give both Will and Deed of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 But it may be said Object Did not the Lord except it that he should give himself back again or else the Lord would not give himself Truly then it had not been of Free-grace Answ But as you see sometimes great Princes will take in a neighbour-Nation into league with them and not tell them of it so doth the Lord deal with his elect ones he maketh a Covenant with Christ and taketh us into that Covenant otherwise he should not at all intend it effectually nor ever give himself unto us for we are not able to give our selves unto him till he first take us For if Abraham did give himself it was because God did take him first and therefore it is that the Apostle telleth us that the Lord took hold of Paul that he might take hold upon the Lord Phil. 3.12 I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus is not he the Father that hath bought us hath not he made us established us Deut. 32.6 If we give up our selves unto the Lord it is because the Lord hath taken hold upon our hearts first But doth not the Lord require of him to circumcise his seed the eighth day Object So he doth indeed Answ but the Lord giveth him that also God the Father seeth it needfull for their everlasting Salvation therefore he doth give him Circumcision and giveth him the grace to circumcise his children I know that the Lord doth call for many things under a covenant of Grace but then the Lord doth 1. Work those things in them And 2. He will have them know that those things are nothing without the working of his Grace It is true he may circumcise Isaac but who shall circumcise the heart of Isaac it is a small matter to circumcise the flesh so it is a small matter for us to baptize with water but who must wash us from our sins save only the Lord our God so that he doth secretly intimate that what his poor servants do outwardly he would do it inwardly and effectually The children of Israel shall at the Lords commandment march about the city Jericho seven daies together and not speak a word and hereby the wals of the city shall fall down flat of what use were these weapons to such an
fitness in your selves to stand in Gods sight In the mean while this is a point of much consolation that the Lord hath laid up the promises in a safer hand then our own so as that now there is no fear of breaking between God and Abraham and his faithful seed for the Lord hath promised to take us to be his people and given Christ to be the Mediatour of the Covenant then he will see this Covenant maintained and perfected and all the blessings promises and treasures of it accomplished to us from day to day do but know him and be acquainted with him and it will be of effectual power to root out all the diffidence that is in us look upon Jesus Christ and wait on him and yet neither can we bring our waiting unto him but it is our part to be convinced of our own poverty and insufficiency and then all our power and help and hope is in maintaining our fellowship with Jesus Christ wait upon him that he may carry an end the whole work of a Mediatour for you and that he may never leave you till you be settled in heaven nor then neither for even the Angels in heaven would not be steadfast but that the Lord hath laid a sure foundation in a middle person that he might unite God and the creatures together There is comfort in knowing this though we have but little experience of it because there is comfort laid up in it therefore that we might not ravel out our time in vain know we that there is an Aliquid ultra something further to be sought after besides what we have found in our selves we sometimes hear of conditional promises but as the Lord Jesus is the first and last in other things so in the Covenant he is the first and last condition he doth first bring us unto God and so to the right of the Covenant and when we are in Christ we cannot be active of our selves nor keep our peace with God but through him if you stay in any thing that you can do you have forgotten that Christ is the last condition you have no right unto the Covenant before you have him you have no condition of the new Covenant unless you have him But when I have Christ have I not now the condition in my self which the promise requireth truly you have not for Jesus Christ is the last condition as well as the first and if your right unto the promise be not maintained by him you forfeit the promise as soon as you lay hold of it you must therefore look back again unto Christ not only to give you the right unto the promise but the accomplishment of it otherwise you may stay many a seven years if you look for it in your own works though thou hadst right in Christ and fellowship with Christ and shalt look for comfort from thine own duties thou mayst look till thine eyes fail and not finde it Christ is the first and the last in the Promises he gave you the Yea and he must be the Amen therefore know that in all the duties you perform you must as it were be dressing a meal for Jesus Christ Luk. 17.7 8 9 10. and he content to feed after him and upon him who is the beginner and maintainer of the Covenant for us and will perfect all the powerful blessings of it in us and for us in his own time FINIS Books sold by John Allen at the Sun-rising in Pauls Church-yard Viz. Caryl on Job Vol. 5. quart Caryl on Job Vol. 7. quart Caryl on Job Vol. 9. quart Beza Novum Testamentum fol. Allen's Scripture-Chronology quart Baxter's Call to the Unconverted twelve Lukin's Practice of Godlinesse twelve Burges of Original sin fol. Davenport and Hook of New-England their Catechism Gataker against that wicked Cheat Judicial Astrology proving it to be the Abomination of the Heathens and that it ought not to be tolerated in a Christian Commonwealth Isa 47.12 Jer. 10.2 The Faith and Order practised in the Congregational Churches in England agreed and consented unto by their Elders and Messengers at their Meeting at the Savoy Octob. 12. 1658.