leaneth on my hand and I bow my self in the house of Rimmon when I bow down my self in the house of Rimmon The Lord pardon thy servant in this thing verse 18. He will be still an idolater rather then he will lose the countenance of the king his master This is the mercenary love of an harlot for which the Divell accused Job though very injuriously Job 1. 9 10. Secondly the love of an harlot is hypocriticall doubtless Sampsons harlot Dalila did profess very much affection towards him before she could win him to tell her wherewith he might certainly be bound But if her love had been reall and sincere she would not have delivered him into the hands of the Philistines As Jud. 16. 18 c. This was Judas his charity to the poor Jo. 12. 4. c. And his love to his Lord Mat. 26. 49. And this is the love of all such as will serve both God and Mammon Thirdly the love of an harlot is unconstant when God complained of Judah for her inconstancy and apostacy Thou hast played the harlot saith he with many lovers Jer. 3. 1. And truly that love which is mercenary must needs be unconstant that which was bought will be sold The love of a poor passive Christ will never continue long in a mercenary bosom And whosoever loveth God for giving will cease to love if God shall cease to give or at least if he shall take away that which he formerly did give This is one of the Divells surest weapons and it is to be feared that there are but few Jobs to beat him at it And lastly the love of an harlot becometh contemptible Thus saith the Lord because thy filthiness was poured out and thy wickedness discovered through thy whordoms with thy lovers c. Behold therefore I will gather all thy lovers with wbom thou hast taken pleasure and all them which thou hast loved with all them that thou hast hated I will even gather them round about against thee and will discover thy nakedness unto them and they shall see all thy nakedness Ezek. 16. 36 37. And I will also give thee into their hand c. verse 39. And to conclude with this particular observe the shamefull end of Jezebel 2 Kings 9. 30. c. But the virgins love is of another nature Because of the favour of thy good oyntments thy name is as ointment poured forth therefore do the virgins love thee saith the chaste spouse unto her loving Lord Chap. 1. 3. You know that a pleasant sent or savour hath nothing that is outwardly beneficiall but being drawn in with the breath it refresheth and comforteth the inward parts And oyntment or unction or anoynting do signifie unto us the Spirit of God 1 Joh. 2. 20. Wherewith their blessed Bridegroom was anointed to be their Priest their Prophet and their King And by the influence of the same Spirit the very name of Jesus Christ infuseth both life and sweetnesse into all his Saints and therefore do their Virgin chaste Souls love him Thus it appeareth that the Virgins Love unto her Lord is neiher mercenary nor carnal but most pure and spiritual And it is most excellently compleated through these four passages First it is improved by Contemplation Secondly it is manifested by Profession Thirdly it is confirmed by Preparation And fourthly it is perfected by Practice When a chast Virgin first begins to love her heart delighteth much in Contemplation Her thoughts are very much upon the object of her affections alwayes meditating upon his amiable person his outward greatnesse and his inward graces In his person she considereth the beauties or comelinesse of his countenance and composition In his outward greatnesse she reflecteth upon his birth his wealth his power deserts and dignities Concerning his inward graces she recordeth his love his goodnesse his mercy truth Justice and wisdom With these and with the like sweet contemplations she feeds her fancies and augments her fires For the coals of love are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame Cant. 8. 6. By this poor scantling you may partly aim at things that are incomprehensible Thus the sweet Soul that is in love with Christ with God in Christ revolves her amorous thoughts first on the person of her Lord and Lover Thou art fairer then the children of men saith she Psal 45. 2. Of this you shall finde a most elegant and excellent description Cant. 5. 10. c. Where she setteth forth his beauty sweetnesse strength and lovelinesse by way of allusion or similitude My beloved saith she is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand his head is as the most fine Gold his locks are bushy and black as a Raven his eyes are as the eyes of Doves by the Rivers of water washed with Milk and fitly set His cheeks are as a bed of spices as sweet flowers his lips like lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrhe his hands are as Gold rings set with the beril his belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires his legs are as pillars of Marble set upon sockets of fine Gold his countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars his mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely This is my beloved and this is my friend O daughters of Jerusalem In the second place she surveyeth his greatnesse his outward greatnesse according to our apprehension and expression As first the greatnesse of his birth where she findeth that he is the Son of God Lu. 1. 35. Not an adopted Son or younger brother But the onely begotten Son of God 1 John 4. 9. Secondly the greatnesse of his wealth or estate He is the Heir of all things Heb. 1. 2. The earth is his and the fulnesse thereof the world and they that dwell therein Psal 24. 1. Thirdly the greatnesse of his power Even the windes and the Sea obey him Mat. 8. 27. Yea all power is given to him in Heaven and in Earth Mat. 28. 18. Fourthly the greatnesse of his deserts or worthinesse Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glorie and blessing Rev. 5. 12. And fifthly the greatnesse of his Dignities He is the blessed and onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6. 15. In the third place she admireth his inward essential Graces And first his Love that he should love her so as to purchase her with his own bloud Acts 20. 28. As to die for her Rom. 5. 6. Even a cursed death Gal. 3. 13. Next this she wondreth at his matchlesse goodnesse the goodnesse of his Love or his goodnesse in loving her when she deserved no such thing as love when no eye pitied her to have compassion upon her but she was cast out into the open field to the loathing of her person Ezek. 16. 5. Then even then he passed by her and looked upon her and behold her time was a time of Love and he spread his shirt
mistaking of these or any of these infirm kindes of faith instead of the true justifying and saving faith several errours have received their original especially that uncomfortable errour of the Saints falling from Grace received through the unsteadfastnesse of their faith But I dare be bold to affirm that such Apostates did never feel the force of an effectual faith of a justifying faith This is the gift of God Rom. 12. 3. And the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11. 29. I will not say but a man may fall grievously in it but he can never fall finally from it For the Lord hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. And truely I conceive this discovery to be very pertinent to our present purpose For faith being the onely condition to be performed by us in this Covenant of Grace It is very necessary that we be rightly instructed therein Least peradventure we either satisfie our selves with empty shadows instead of the true substance Or torment our selves with causelesse discomforts concerning the losse or uncertainty of that glorious inheritance which our gracious God by the purchase of Jesus Christ hath so long since estated upon a true and a lively faith according to this eternal Covenant We proceed now to consider why the Lord propoundeth faith for the Proviso or Condition of this Covenant of Grace First I conceive because he would have his gift received which would otherwise become fruitlesse and unprofitable He gave his onely begotten Son And were it not a world of pitie that such a precious gift should be neglected and not received applied and improved Well how are we to receive him Into our houses No but into our hearts By what instrument or means Verily by faith onely According to the Scriptures By faith Christ liveth in us Gal. 2. 20. And by faith Christ dwelleth in us in our hearts Eph. 3. 17. Questionlesse there is no relation between the Saviour and the souls of his Saints but what is contracted fixed and confirmed by his affection and their lively faith Secondly the Lord requireth faith That so this gift of his might be beneficial to the whole World in all places and at all times indifferently For were Christ to be received any other way then by faith All men could not have been capable of receiving him at all seasons Suppose he had come into the World in the day of the Creation and continued in the World till the day of dissolution Yet in regard of his passive Nature his humanity he could not have been received by any two persons in any two several places at one and the same time But wheresoever he abideth faith will instantly finde him out and lay hold upon him And therefore there is no cause now why any man should say in his heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring down Christ from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ from the dead The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach saith St. Paul Rom. 10. 6 7 8. And this word of faith which we preach if truely believed and rightly applied will do both It will bring down Christ from above with the virtue of his Resurrection and Ascention And it will bring up Christ from beneath with the virtue of his death and passion It will do all things that may concern the Remission of our sins the justification of our persons and the salvation of our Souls by Jesus Christ our Lord. So then saith the same Apostle in the same Chapter faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God But I say have they not heard Yes verily their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world Rom. 10. 17 18. And to that very purpose the Lord Jesus Christ after his Resurrection gives his Apostles this universal Commission Go ye saith he into all the world and preach the Gospel unto evâ—ry Creature Well what is the tenour or substance of that Gospel He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved That is he that receiveth Christ by faith and manifesteth the same in his Profession shall be saved as Rom. 10. 10. he that believeth not shall be damned Marc. 16. 15 16. And as this Gospel this word of faith is universal so is it likewise everlasting And I saw another Angel fly in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Cospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people saith St. John Rev. 14. 6. But why doth God require nothing else but faith We know there may be divers Provisoes in one and the same Conveyance or Covenant Truely faith by it self is enough provided that it be such a faith as apprehendeth Christ He that hath the Son hath life saith Saint John 1 John 5. 1. And it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell saith St. Paul Col. 1. 19. Whatsoever had been required besides faith according to our apprehension either it must have proceeded from or reflected upon our own persons or performances And then it is more then probable that our corrupt nature would have mislead us to neglect this all-satisfying gift to repose our selves either wholly or partly upon our own deserts or abilities But faith comes empty-handed and by that means it takes the surer hold When a man gives liberally we say he is open-handed And truely he that will receive freely and hold firmly it is necessary that he be empty-handed Faith is very fitly called the hand of the Soul For as we use to receive an earthly gift from man by the hand so we must receive this heavenly treasure from God by faith And therefore the Evangelist in reference to this most blessed gift intimateth unto us that receiving and believing do signifie the same thing As many as received him saith he to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to soem that believe on his name John 1. 12. A place very well worthy of our consideration for the proof of this particular Verily this onely begotten Son of God is beyond all thought of exception the most satisfying solid and substantial gift the most compleat and weighty gift that either heaven or earth can possibly afford us And therefore whatsoever we have or seem to have of our own whether it be work or worthinesse suffering or satisfaction ability or possibility our faith must cast it wholly to the ground or otherwise we shall never receive the Lord Jesus Christ so as to make him our own for ever A second Reason which I conceive to be most proper in this case is this Because whatsoever had been required with or besides faith It would have been destructive of the very nature of this Covenant of Grace For if by grace then it is no more of works
Divinity And both of these are left upon Record by that sweet singer in his nineteen Psalm The first in the first six verses The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handiwork c. to the 7 verse This is the lesson of Philosophy That of Divinity is examplified from the sixt to the twelfth verse The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul c. The mighty volume of the works of God may be perused by the light of nature and it is so fairly and so plainly written that every soul even as they run may read it What is he that sees the heavens and earth and those innumerable creatures contained in them And shall consider their Originall together with their Order Vse and End by which in which for which and unto which they were made placed fitted and intended but must confesse the wisdom power and Godhead of that great arm by which they were created This is in brief the lecture of Philosophy whereby the Lord doth manifest himself to every creature that is indued with Reason The second means whereby we are inabled to see and know God is by the light of his word This is the safest and most christian way This is Gods lecture of Divinity where he presents himself unto the eye of every knowing soul But none can read it comfortably and effectually but such as are Partakers of the divine nature as 2 Pet. 1. 4. I know there are they that esteem themselves great politicians and are indeed very worldly-wise men who will be apt to say do not we understand the holy Scriptures and see God in them what should hinder us Truly I will not say but such as these may read and understand the word of God rationally and morally but not spiritually and savingly These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that Believing ye might have life through his name saith St. John John 20. 31. And thus to know Christ or God in Christ Is not from the flesh but from the Father which is in heaven Mat. 16 17. Again our onely Saviour telleth us That the words that he speaketh they are spirit Jo. 6. 36. And the Apostle Paul That the law is spirituall Rom. 7. 14. Now the naturall man receiveth or perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that is spirituall judgeth or discerneth all things 1 Cor. 2. 14 15. But peradventure it will be demanded How much may a judicious morall man see of God in his word by the light of naturall reason industry and experience Truely I conceive that he may see even as much as the spirituall man seeth one thing onely excepted But without that one thing he had as good or better see nothing He is able to see God as he is the creator of all things Gen. 1. 1. c. As he is the almighty God as Gen. 17. 1. As he is a consuming fire as Deut. 4. 24. A God of gods and Lord of lords a great God a mighty and a terrible which regardeth not persons nor taketh rewards as Deut. 10. 17. The King eternall immortall invisible and the onely wise God as 1 Tim. 1. 17. Yea he may see him in a nearer relation so near as to say The Lord our God as Deut. 6. 4. Thou art our Father our Redeemer as Isa 63. 16. Our Saviour as Jude 25. But haply you will say that this is much for a naturall man to see and know by the light of Reason what would you have him know more Truely let me tell you all this is nothing worth unlesse he can see so far as to say with good David O Lord of hosts My King and My God Psal 84. 3. And with the penitent Prodigall I will arise and go unto my Father Luke 15. 18. And with righteous Job I know that My Redeemer liveth Job 19. 25. And with the blessed mother of our Lord My soul rejoyceth in God My Saviour Luke 1. 47. And with believing Paul I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved Me and gave himself for Me Gala. 2. 20. These are such proper and peculiar interests as are discovered by the light of God and none can see or know them savingly but such a one as is the childe of God And as this saving light directeth us unto the knowledge our Sovereign Lord So it instructeth us to know our selves in reference to God and by this means it teacheth us to entertain Humility This the third obedient courtier which still attends upon that King of kings And whom Christ seems to send before his face as to prepare usher in his way into the new illuminated soul Nor did there ever any soul injoy the saving presence of her loving Lord but by the conduct of this favorite For God resisteth the proud but giveth grace unto the humble James 4. 6. And therefore Peter doth advise us saying Be ye clothed with humility 1 Pet. 5. 5. But forasmuch as he is much abused by some that do usurpe his name and office although in nature they are nothing like him I therefore shall endeavour to set forth four sorts that do and do pretend to march under his colours and assume his titles And of these the first is a treacherous Humility The second is a cowardly humility The third is a constrained-humility And the fourth is the true and the sound humility The first I say is a treacherous humility And under this fair-seeming Cloak doth lurk many a foul perfidious design The Prophet David in his description of a wicked person Psal 10. saith That he croucheth and humbleth himself that the poor may fall by his strong ones verse 10. 'T is strange to any honest heart to see how some will counterfeit humility and cast themselves beneath their prouder thoughts to gain the reputation of good men good lowly men but though they gull the world the blear-eyed world yet he that knows their hearts doth see for truth that they are nothing so And whosoever shall believe their forgeries shall finde at length that they are inside Wolves though outside Sheep Wolves in Sheeps cloathing Ye shall know them by their fruits saith our Saviour Mat. 7. 16. Proud Absolon conspiring to depose his tender father David from his Kingdom that he might wickedly usurp the same When any man came nigh to him to do him obeysance he put forth his hand and took him and kissed him And on this manner did Absalon to all Israel that came to the King for judgement so Absalon stole the hearts of the men of Israel 2 Sam. 15. 5 6. See here how this ambitious rebel humbleth himself even to the lowest and worst of the people thereby promoting his conspiracie that so he might advance himself above the greatest and the best of Kings And is it not a
c. The second sort of these deluded Souls are such as ground their peace upon mistakes perswading themselves that God is as it were ingaged to defend and preserve them And why Because say they he is mercifull It is true indeed the Lord is very mercifull For so he proclaimeth himself Exod. 34. 6 7. But what is all that to thee He will by no means clear the guilty as in the same 7th vers God cannot be so mercifull as to be unjust his justice must be fully satisfied which thou art never able to perform And therefore unlesse the guilt of thy sins be washed away by the bloud of Jesus Christ thou hast no present interest in Gods mercy Thou art still in thy wickednesse And the wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 57. 20 21. Now every one of these three sorts of peace is such a judgement as exposeth us to Gods just wrath and indignation For he that blesseth himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart to add drunkennesse to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man c. Deut. 29. 19 20. But the fourth sort of peace is a safe peace And this is that which doth inseparably attend upon the person of our Lord. And for our better understanding and satisfaction in this particular we must know that this true peace must be grounded upon the assurance of that reconciliation which God in Christ hath concluded between himself and us For it pleased the father that in him should all fulnesse dwell And having made peace through the bloud of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the bodie of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight Colos 1. 19 20 21 22. Now whosoever hath been formerly sensible of that great emnity that was between God on the one part And his own corrupt sinfull nature and conversation on the other part And is now fully satisfied and assured by a lively faith That God was thus in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them As likewise the same Apostle 2 Corinth 5. 19. That Soul I say may confidently boast that she injoyes a safe and solid peace For that she is joyned unto the Lord of Hosts in an offensive and defensive league And is thereby impowred both to fight the good fight of faith and so to lay hold on eternal life as at 1 Tim. 6. 12. And also to resist the Devil and to make him flee as James 4. 7. By which we may perceive that this true peace consisteth not in an absolute freedom from war but in the assurance of Gods Almighty favour and protection Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee saith that Prophet unto the Lord Isa 26. 3. Not such a perfect peace as feeleth no interruption but such a perfect peace as feareth no dissolution He shall not be moved for ever saith the Psalmist Psal 112. 6. He may be moved by some violent incounter But it will not be long before he returneth unto his resting place Doubtlesse it maketh much for Gods glory to exercise his Souldiers in a continual warfare That so he may make bare his own holy arm in the eyes of all the Nations and that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God as Isa 52. 10. Verily the godly nor are nor ever shall be without adversaries Neither do they wrestle onely against flesh and bloud but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against spiritual wickednesse in high places wherefore they take unto them the whole armour of God that they may be able to withstand in the evil day according to Saint Paul's direction Eph. 6. 12 13. And in truth the servant of Jesus Christ is still more doubtfull of some intestine treachery then of any forraign invasion And therefore he keepeth his heart with all diligence according to that word of command Prov. 4. 23. He placeth a strong century in that center And for his outworks He walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly he despiseth the gain of oppressions and shaketh his hands from holding of bribes he stoppeth his ears from hearing of bloud and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil according to those safe postures Isa 33. 15. And therefore he shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure His eye shall see the King in his beauty they shall behold the land that is very far off verse 16. 17. Briefly thus He shall rest securely and fare sufficiently He shall see the King in his Majesty and travail safely under his protection And in every conflict he is sure of conquest I can do all things through Christ which strenghteneth me saith he with St. Paul Phil. 4. 13. And therefore with the Prophet David he likewise concludeth saying I will love the Lord my strength The Lord is my Rock and my fortresse and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high Tower c. Psal 18. 1. c. This is the godly mans garrison and it is invincible And in this confidence I will both lay me down in peace and sleep saith he for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safety as in Psal 4. 8. This indeed is a safe peace Such a peace as passeth all understanding And he belongeth to our Saviours guard For he shall keep our hearts and mindes through Christ Jesus Philip. 4. 7. And where this peace is quartered he provides to entertain his pleasant partner joy This is a compleat Courtier whose office most properly proclaims his Prince his presence Psal 16. 11. But being of that frolick disposition he is much mistaken and as much abused by some that seem to be his fellow servants For you shall hardly meet with one in forty but is deceived in this particular which we shall very easily maintain when we shall finde there are five sorts of joy whereof the first is a cursed joy The second is a counterfeit joy The third is a carelesse joy The fourth is a carnal joy And the fifth is a compleat joy The first I say is a cursed joy And this is when a man rejoyceth in any evil either against God or his Neighbour Their Soul delighteth in their abominations saith the Lord Isa 66. 3. Every sin hath some sweetnesse wherewith it delighteth the
the first Although we finde not that the word of God hath set forth unto us this Covenant of Grace under that very Notion or expression of the Covenant of Grace In totidem syllabis as we say In just so many syllables or in the very self-same words Yet by the consideration of some few particulars I doubt not but I shall settle it very strongly even upon the weakest apprehensions For we finde that the Lord hath contracted or made many Promises Grants Agreements or the like Conveyances under the name or stile of Covenants I will establish my Covenant with you and with your seed after you saith the Lord to Noah Gen. 9. 9. The same day the Lord made a Covenant with Abraham Gen. 15. 18. Which not long after he confirmed in these words And I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Gen. 17. 7 8. And oftentimes in the same 17. Chapter he urgeth the said Covenant He commandeth obedience thereunto vers 9. And sealeth it with the sign of Circumcision vers 11. The seal of the righteousnesse of faith saith St. Paul Rom. 4. 11. Again we read of the book of the Covenant And of the bloud of the Covenant Exod. 24. 7 8. And truely these and the like were no other then representations or manifestations or confirmations of this which we call the Covenant of Grace In like manner the Covenant of peace Isa 54. 10. The Covenant of the Redeemer Isa 59. 20 21. The everlasting Covenant Jer. 32. 40. The new Covenant promised Jer. 31. 31. and repeated Hebr. 10. 16 17. were Covenants for Reconciliation Preservation and Sanctification All which together with every other of the like nature are but as so many Members which do receive their very life and being from and by the virtue of this original Covenant for Redemption and Salvation which we call the Covenant of Grace The name and substance whereof are very well presented unto us in that typical Covenant extended literally to David but intended really to Christ the Son of David in these words My mercy will I keep for him for ever more and my Covenant shall stand fast with him His seed also will I make to endire for ever and his Throne as the dayes of Heaven If his Children forsake my law and walk not in my judgements If they break my statutes and keep not my Commandments Then will I visit their transgression with the Rod and their iniquity with Stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindenesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips c. Psal 89. 28. to the 35. Thus are we warranted to call this grand evidence of our Salvation by the name of a Câ—venant In regard that our heavenly Father hath made so many promises and concessions to us and our predecessours under that very title And now that I may resolve you in a word why we call it the Covenant of Grace Be pleased to consider That God gave unto Adam great possessions and privileges by way of Covenant But revocable and destructive also in case of his disobedience thereunto Gen. 2. 17. Yet Adam rebels to his eternal ruine Gen. 3. 6. Neverthelesse without the least desert or desire of his He is not onely reprived but also restored unto favour by vertue of another Covenant Inplied in the discovery of Christ by the seed of the woman Gen. 3. 15. And doth not that deserve to be called the Covenant of Grace And not onely Adam but we also have all sinned and come short of the glory of God But are justified freely by his Grace Rom. 3. 23 24. Yea ye also were dead in sins but by Grace ye are saved Eph. 2. 5. And all by virtue of this Covenant which is therefore most worthily called The Covenant of Grace We come now in the second particular to shew you By whom this Covenant of Grace was made And I trust I shall not need to take much pains therein For I am confident that whosoever can believe that there was a Covenant of Grace made with the World for redemption and salvation they cannot doubt but God was the onely authour thereof It was God that was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself 2 Cor. 5. 19. And it is the grace of God that bringeth salvation Tit. 2. 11. And the onely true light hath made it most manifest here in this Text. God so loved the World God the father for he gave his onely begotten son God that great Creatour and onely wise disposer of all things both in heaven and in earth Who having created the first man in his own Image Gen. 1. 27. That is saith St. Paul In knowledge Col. 3. 10. And in righteousnesse and true holinesse Eph. 4. 24. He gave him dominion over the Creatures Gen. 1. 28. Stated him in Paradise Gen. 2. 8. A place abounding with all and all manner of happinesse and pleasure and plenty And for the more secure and setled injoyment of the same He promised him everlasting life whereof the tree of life Gen. 2. 9. was the symbole sign or token To have and hold all the said premisses priviledges and prerogatives to him and his heirs for ever And all this by way of Covenant upon condition of the said Adams obedience to the whole will of God Notwithstanding the onely Proviso expressed consisted in his abstinence from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and this under the penalty of eternal death Gen. 2. 17. This is that which we call the Covenant of works And which the word of God commonly calleth the Law The matter or substance whereof is exemplified in the Moral Law or the Law of the ten Commandments Ex. 20. which is sometimes called The works of the Law Gal. 2. 16. And sometimes the Law of works Rom. 3. 27. But Adam carelesse of his blest estate believes the Devil rather then his God Insomuch that he neglects his Maker and Master And despising his Covenant breaks the condition By which rebellion he incurs the penalty and pulls the woefull ruines of misery death and condemnation upon himself and his whole posterity Yet this good God this much offended Majesty notwithstanding this his just occasion of eternal displeasure So loved the World that he confirmed this Covenant of Grace wherein He gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life I am now in the third particular to shew you with whom this Covenant of Grace was made Expressed here under this notion The World God so loved the World We finde that the holy Ghost hath applied this word World to several senses and significations It is used for the habitable places of the world for the universal frame of the world and
for the Inhabitants of the world All in one verse Joh. 1. 10. For mankind Joh. 1. 29. For the whole earth Math. 4. 8. For the riches or the wealth of the world Mat. 16. 26. For the pleasures lusts and delights of the worlds Gal. 6. 14. But here in this place it is restrained onely unto Man or Mankinde As being the onely Creature in the world that was capable of such a Covenant And unto whom it was altogether needfull and absolutely necessary So that it cannot otherwise be But that this Covenant of Grace was made with Man or Mankinde Yet not with the first man who did utterly devest and deprive himself of all possibility for such a glorious enterprise or undertaking by his disobedience to the Covenant of wâ—rks Neither was it made with any of his seed after the flesh I mean after a fleshly generation For if flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdom of God As in 1 Cor. 15. 50. much lesse could flesh and bloud recover their lost title to the Kingdom of God We must know that upon the first mans breach of Covenant God Man were parted Man flies from God in fear and God could not follow man but in fury Neither could any reconcile them but he that must be both God and Man Man that so he might suffer for the sin of Man And God that so he might satisfie the justice of God For Adams disobedience had made God and Man enemies Now it is not to be imagined that one enemy will make a league or Covenant with another but either out of fear And far be it from the Lord of Hosts to be subject to any such passion or upon satisfaction which to poor decayed man was a thing impossible And notwithstanding Gods love towards his lost creature and his pity towards the distressed helplesse hopelesse Soul might plead for mercie pardon and compassion Yet justice might not could not be abused without Gods infinite dishonour in whom it is essential Neverthelesse the mercie of God prevailed with his wisdom not against his justice but to finde out a means whereby to satisfie his justice that so his righteousnesse might be vindicated his wrath appeased and Man might be impartially restored And he saw that there was no Man and wondred or considered that there was no intercessour Therefore his arm brought salvation unto him Isa 59. 16. His arm That is His son Christ According to that of the same Evangelical Prophet Isa 53. 1. unto whom is the arm of the Lord revealed For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant And so he goes on with a Prophesie of Christ in that whole Chapter Or if you will understand the arm of God for the power of God according to the more usual construction Yet that also shall direct us to Christ For he is the power of God and the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. We must know and consider that man by his fall was so broken and disjoynted that he became too weak for such a weighty burthen as that of eternal redemption Therefore the Lord laid help upon one that is mighty Psalm 89. 19. Mighty to save Isa 63. 1. Moreover God might not in honour yield to man his enemy But he could not in gentlenesse deny his only son The son of his bosom John 1. 18. In whom his Soul delighteth Isa 42. 1. who doth alwayes those things that please him Joh. 8. 29. Nay he could not in justice refuse a competent satisfaction from the hand of such an High-Priest as is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him Heb. 7. 24. And to that very purpose Christ came forth from God Joh. 16. 28. To overcome the evil of the world vers 33. And God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself 2 Cor. 5. 19. Thus you see with whom this Covenant of Grace was made Not with the World universally propounded Nor with mankinde simply considered But with Jesus Christ both God and Man who being very God Yet he took upon him the very nature of Man that so he might suffer for mans disobedience on mans behalf Not to abolish or destroy the law or the Covenant of works which man transgressed to his own confusion For till heaven and earth passe one jot or one title shall in no wise passe from the law till all be fulfilled Mat. 5. 18. But to fulfill the said law in his own person for and on the behalf of all believers And so Christ is said to be the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth Rom. 10. 4. For which cause he is likewise called the last Adam Because like as the first Adam as a publick person received the Covenant of works for himself and all his posterity and brake it to their utter ruine and universal undoing So Christ the second or last Adam as the publick head of his Church hath undertaken the perfect performance of the same Covenant of works in the name and place of all believers which he shall most exactly fulfill and keep for them even unto the end of the world And therefore I may confidently say to all true believers as Paul said to the Saints at Rome Ye are not under the law but under grace Rom. 6. 14. For Christ hath doth and will observe and accomplish the whole Law as it is the Covenant of works for us That so he may estate and settle us in this Covenant of Grace in and by himself onely for ever He being in truth the very essence the onely entire being thereof With whom For whom In whom And by whom the said Covenant of Grace was made granted confirmed and delivered With whom it was made For he is the Surety of the Covenant Hebr. 7. 22. For whom it was granted For he is the Mediatour of the Covenant Hebr. 8. 6. In whom it was confirmed For he is the Seed of the Covenant Gal. 3. 16 17. And by whom it is delivered For he is the Messenger of the Covenant Mal. 3. 1. We passe on now to the fourth particular wherein we are to consider when this Covenant of Grace was made I shall not stand to strive with those unwarrantable opinions that are or have been offered and received in reference to the Date of this Covenant But I shall prove by Scripture and such truths as will conclude from Scripture that it was framed from eternity For first we finde that Adam soon after his creation having sinned against God in the Covenant of works through the seducement of Satan Immediately thereupon the Lord in the presence of Adam cursed that old Serpent And denounced his destruction by the Seed of the woman which was Christ Gen. 3. 14 15. To Satans confusion and mans consolation And truely it is to be conceived that God would not so suddenly and so certainly have set forth his Son for the Saviour at that very instant had there not been some pre-contract
between them to that purpose Verily he was fore-ordained before the foundation of the World saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 20. Secondly we read that Abel the second son of Adam did offer unto God a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain the first born And this was by faith saith the Apostle Hebr. 11. 4. Now this faith of his could not have been so effectual had it not been built upon some sure foundation And what might that be His own righteousnesse in order unto the Covenant of works Surely No He could not but know that to be a false ground for it sunk under his father whereby both they and we became liable to death and destruction And therefore Abels faith must of necessity be established upon some such promise as that of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Titus 1. 2. And to whom might this promise be made before the World began But to Christ the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. who was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the earth was Prov. 8. 23. Nor can we imagine that this promise of eternal life was made by God the Father but upon some conditions to be accomplished by God the Son which were to be revealed and performed in their season When he shall make his Soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Isa 53. 10. There is the condition prescribed and the time prefixed Thirdly this Covenant of Grace will appear to be eternal if we shall consider how mightily Gods truth was ingaged in the Covenant of works Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die saith the Lord Gen. 2. 17. Yet we see that Adam did eat and died not accordingly Gen. 3. 6. Now how shall the truth of God be preserved in this case but by vertue of some such former act as might dis-ingage Gods resolution before it proceeded to execution which in all probability must be according to that eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord Eph. 3. 11. For albeit the truth of God might seem to suffer in the breach of the Covenant of works yet grace and truth came by Jesus Christ John 1. 17. Fourthly if we shall seriously regard the Justice of God we shall finde this Covenant of Grace to be eternal Almighty God createth Adam and freely gives him great possessions reserving to himself the fruit of one tree onely in signe of homage due to his supremacy And in case of disobedience by eating thereof he decrees the penalty of death Neverthelesse Adam transgresseth in this very particular And shall he eat and not die Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right saith Abraham Gen. 18. 25. But Adam eateth and dieth not Now the justice of God which must not cannot be violated sends us of necessity to some further consideration There must be some preconclusion made by way of prevention Doubtlesse if Christ the Redeemer had not been ready by vertue of this Covenant of Grace to satisfie Gods Justice even in that very instant of mans rebellion against the Covenant of works Death destruction had immediately seised upon sinfull man together with the whole Creation But in that very point of time the Son of God appeareth in the presence of his Father on the behalf of miserable man Saying Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a Ransome as Job 33. 24. And in order thereunto Christ suffered the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God or reconcile us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. Fifthly if we look back towards Gods Election that will also prove unto us the eternity of this Covenant Blessed saith St. Paul be the God and father of the Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World Eph. 1. 3 4. Now in all reason there was no occasion why God should choose any in Christ before the foundation of the world but that foreseeing mans general ruine by his disobedience to the Covenant of works a remnant might be preserved from destruction by Christ according to the Election of Grace And therefore most excellent to this purpose is that of Paul to Timothie Be not thou therefore ashamed saith he of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began 2 Tim. 1. 8 9. Let us consider the latter verse more seriously Who hath saved us and called us He saved us intentionally before he called us actually Not according to our works or according to the Covenant of works made with us but according to his own purpose and grace or his own purpose in the Covenant of Grace which was given us in whom why in Christ Jesus when before the world began The certainty of all these former four particulars will appear yet more clearly if we shall conceive and consider That God the Father almighty together with Christ his onely begotten co-essential Son did from eternity contrive to advance their glory and to make it shine through their illustrious attributes of Goodnesse Power Wisdom Justice Grace and Truth And to that purpose this individual two the Father and the Son did in the unity of the Spirit comply and conclude to modellize or frame a goodly creature called Man Such a one as may be sensible of their intentions capable of their commands and active to proceed in their designs The better to affect him with their goodnesse they will create him of contemptible materials The dust of the earth But they will shape him in a royal mould In their own Image And least he should be wanting in any particular whatsoever To manifest the greatnesse of their power They 'll frame for him a spacious Universe A World compleatly and abundantly supplied with all things necessary convenient and comfortable far beyond humane apprehension over all which Man shall have the sole dominion To qualifie and fit him for such a vast command They will inrich his person with excellent endowments and his minde with admirable instructions Neverthelesse in reservation of their own original right they will binde him by Covenant to the observation of certain particulars And in case of his disobedience thereunto they will cast him from the height of honour into the depth of horrour and destruction But in their boundlesse wisdom they foresee that man their great Vicegerent will miscarry and fall away from his integrity And therefore in reference to
said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud Live I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field and thou hast increased and waxen great and thou art come to excellent ornaments thy breasts are fashioned and thine haire is grown whereas thou wast naked and bare Ezek. 16. 6 7. See here the wonderfull incomprehensible goodnesse of our God not onely in pitying and reviving the poor Soul miserably polluted and even dead in the gore and filth of her natural sins and corruptions But also in supplying and inriching her with most beautifull Ornaments Allegorically relating to the graces and indowments belonging to a spiritual life Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I sware unto thee and entered into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord verse 8. And what Covenant can any man imagine this to be but an expresse or a discovery of that eternal Covenant of Grace For who can expect these undeserved favours but by and through Jesus Christ our Lord the onely Mediatour of that Covenant And being such blessings as no man can receive from God but by the hand of a lively faith according to the condition of that Covenant We come now to prove that the peacefull life or the spiritual mans peacefull passage to eternity is vouchsafed unto us in and through Jesus Christ by virtue of this Covenant of Grace Wherein I desire you to understand that it is not an outward or a worldly peace that I intend in this place For albeit the Lord promiseth his people upon their reconciliation and return That in that day he will make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and that he will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth and make them to lie down safely as Hos 2. 18. Yet without doubt this promise was neither generally nor absolutely intended but conditionally even as he in his wisdome should see it to be good and neceâ—â—ary for his own people and conducible to his own glory For our Saviour telleth his Disciples plainly These things have I spoken unto you saith he that in me ye might have peace in the world ye shall have tribulation John 16. 33. A Child of God shall never want adversaries so long as the Devil hath any agents or instruments abroad yet he is not without his several comforts and preventions For when he first discovers them he considers them to be Gods enemies also and therefore he leaves them wholy unto Gods ordering Secondly when they begin to rouze themselves he looks the more narrowly to his own wayes least his indiscretion should give them the greater advantage And lastly when they pursue him with violence he maketh merily towards his covert his strong hold He trusteth in the Lord for ever for in the the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Isa 26. 4. The peace of a true believer may be shaken but not utterly overthrown All the world cannot beat him from his confidence in God for albeit he is very sensible of his own weaknesse yet he is sure of a powerfull Peace-maker Being justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord saith Saint Paul Rom. 5. 1. Yea The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and mindes through Jesus Christ saith the same Apostle Phil. 4. 7. You will say This is by Christ but how is it by Covenant I will make a Covenant of peace with them it shall be an everlasting Covenant with them saith the Lord concerning his Church Ezek. 37. 26. This indeed is a Covenant of peace you will say and an everlasting Covenant But what is this to that eternal Covenant of Grace I answer first had it not been for that eternal Covenant No Creature after Adams rebellion had ever been capable of any other Covenant for good Secondly we may be confident that God did never make any Covenant whatsoever to or with mankinde since the Creation but it hath its relation to that Original Covenant of Grace The very Covenant of works made with Adam and exemplified to the Israelites as a rule of life in the Moral Law or the Law of the ten Commandments discovereth unto us that enmity between God and us together with our own infirmities and inabilities and sendeth us to seek for reconciliation by Jesus Christ By whom we have now received the atonement Rom. 5. 11. And thirdly the gift that God vouchsafed unto us in that Covenant of Grace was Jesus Christ the onely begotten Son of God And he is our peace Eph. 2. 14. The fourth and highest degree is everlasting life in the Kingdom of glory This also is given unto us in and through Jesus Christ our Lord. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 23. He that believeth not God hath made him a lyar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son And this is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son 1 John 5. 10 11. And it is assured unto us in and by this eternal Covenant For it was promised before the world began Tit. 1. 2. But what need we any further proof then the expresse words of this Copy God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life This is the glorious inheritance which the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God hath purchased for the sons of men in and by this Covenant of Grace delivered unto us in this Copy under the Title of Everlasting life Our blessed Saviour in his description of the day of judgement calls it a Kingdom Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Mat. 25. 34. This is that which old Jacob expected upon his death-bed saying I have waited for thy salvation O Lord Gen. 49. 18. And that inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven As St. Peter sets it forth 1 Peter 1. 4. Seing therefore that we have such a hopefull and such a happy inheritance presented unto us in this eternal Covenant I conceive it will be very necessary that we search out the right Heire thereunto Lest peradventure the numerous or numberlesse pretenders should deceive both themselves and others by presuming upon their unwarrantable interests without any considerable evidence or assurance And in order unto this discovery It will be very convenient that we do first lay down this firm foundation That Faith is the onely evidence which either
of his own Soul Not like a Christian but a Cretian Whilest he professeth that he knoweth God but in works he denieth him being abominable disobedient and to every good work reprobate As Tit. 1. 16. And it is impossible that any Reprobate should inherit the Kingdom of God Flesh and bloud cannot do it 1 Cor. 15. 50. Much lesse shall any thing enter thereinto That defileth or worketh abomination or maketh a lye Rev. 21. 27. And therefore this first Pretender this obstinate Offender hath no interest at all in this glorious inheritance The second Pretender thereunto is the Ignorant Infidel The fool that saith in his heart there is no God as Psal 14. 1. Haply with his mouth he may acknowledge a kinde of an unknown God Yet in his heart he conceiveth no otherwise of him then a meer fancy But if you come to shew him how that God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost are but one God Yet neverthelesse that God the Father did make a Covenant with God the Son according to the Testimony of God the Holy Ghost That this covenant was concluded purposely to redeem the world before the world was created and that by virtue of the same covenant it is as agreeable with Gods Justice to pardon sin as to punish it With the like necessary principles Why you tell him wonders so far above his capacity that he is resolved not to trouble his brains about them Truely all his actions do too much expresse his ignorance Whilest he walketh in the vanity of his minde having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in him because of the blindnesse of his heart who being past feeling hath given himself over unto lasciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greedinesse According to that of the Apostle Eph. 4. 17. 18 19. But he will alledge that if ignorance be an offence yet God will easily forgive it in regard it is a thing so general among simple people that were never brought up to much learning I answer First he must know that ignorance is an offence and a great one too For we finde that the Lord protested against it in his own Children Hear O Heavens saith he and give eare O earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters Crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Ah! sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquity c. Isa 1. 2. c. Secondly it shall not be forgiven For the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God saith St. Paul 2 Thes 1. 7 8. And thirdly the generality thereof shall rather hasten then hinder the Justice of God to punish it We shall not need to runne over the whole word of God for the many examples of whole Cities and Kingdoms to prove the truth of this particular If we shall consider how and wherefore God destroyed the whole world except 8. persons as 1 Pet. 3. 20. If he alledgeth that it was for all sorts of sins and not for ignorance that God did inflict those general and universal judgements I answer that it is not ignorance simply considered which I do principally point at but ignorance circumstantiated ignorance with its effects and accessaries Not such a kind of ignorance as is in those whom we call Ideots who have no competent understanding either in things spiritual or natural Nor such an ignorance in things spiritual as is in those that never heard of the true God Both which I conceive to be the punishment of the first original sin rather then sin it self Neither are these excusable in the day of Judgement without Gods incomprehensible mercy and goodnesse which I dare neither question nor confine For the Apostle speaketh generally when he saith If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost 2 Cor. 4. 3. And so doth our Saviour himself when he saith He that believeth not shall be damned Mar. 16. 16. But I intend such an ignorance in spiritual things as is in them that have the word of God amongst them or not far from them And yet either through contempt or wilfull neglect of the true light they will rather choose to walk in darknesse then either to seek after or to receive instruction And this kinde of ignorance is not onely such a great sin as shall be grievously punished But it is likewise the cause of all manner of sin whatsoever First it is such a great sin as shall be grievously punished Because I have called and ye refused saith the wisdom of God I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlewinde when distresse and anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not finde me for that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord Prov. 1. 24. to 30. And thus the Prophet Isaiah Because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts and despised the word of the holy one of Israel therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people and he hath stretched forth his hand against them and hath smitten them and the Hills did tremble and their Carcases were torn in the midst of the streets c. Isaiah 5. 24 25. But he will alledge that it is no absolute signe of ignorance to reject the word of God he may be a wise man for all that I pray observe how the Lord answers him by his Prophet Jeremy How do ye say we are wise and the law of the Lord is with us Lo certainly in vain made he it the pen of the Scribes is in vain The wise men are ashamed they are dismayed and taken Lo they have rejected the word of Lord and what wisdom is in them Jer. 8. 8 9. A man may seem to be a wise man in his own opinion and in the opinion of other men too But the wisdom of this world is foolishnesse with God saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 2. 19. And oftentimes it proveth destructive to the owner thereof And therefore the Lord by his Prophet telleth the daughter of the Chaldeans That her wisdom and her knowledge hath perverted her Isa 47. 10. Verily to be carnally wise is to be spiritually foolish And as a wilfull or a carelesse ignorance is a great sinne and shall be grievously punished So in the next place ignorance in general is the cause of all manner of sin What should cause the covetous wretch to rake and scrape and heap up money upon money
shine unto them As in the 2 Cor. 4 4. And well may the Apostle call it the glorious Gospel not onely in regard that it bringeth us unto glory or for that God is so much glorified thereby But principally because that whatsoever God purposed or performed In by or cencerning his said Gospel he did it altogether in relation to the advance of his immortall glory And in testimony of this truth I beseech you let us First consider this glorious Gospel in the Originall thereof even in this eternall covenant of grace concluded and agreed upon between God the Father and his onely begotten Son for and on the behalf of mankinde before the foundation of the world By vertue whereof we were elected and predestinated before the world began And we shall finde that in this great design the Lord did wholy aym at his own glory Blâ—ssed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ saith St. Paul who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that me should be holy and without blame before him in love Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his wil To the praise of the glory of his grace Ephes 1. 3 4 5 6. Secondly let us consider our redemption and see how that relateth to Gods glory The Son of God being about to suffer and so compleat the work of our Redemption Father save me from this hour saith he but for this cause came I unto this hour Father glorifie thy name glorifie thy name in the redemption of sinfull man even by the death of thine own sinless Son Then came there a voice from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorifie it again Jo. 12. 27 28. I have both glorified it from everlasting and I will glorifie it again to everlasting And excellent to this purpose is that of the Apostle Ye are bought with a price saith he therefore glorifie God in your body and in your Spirit which are Gods 1 Cor. 6. 20. Thirdly he created us for his glory Bring my Sons from farr saith the Lord and my Daughters from the ends of the earth even every one that is called by my name for I have created him for my glory Isa 43. 6 7. Fourthly it is for his glory that he preserveth us For my name sake will I defer mine anger and for my praise will I refrain for thee that I cut thee not off behold I have refined thee but not with silver I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction for mine own sake even for mine own sake will I do it for how should my name be polluted and I will not give my glory to another Isa 48. 9 10 11. Fifthly it is for his own glory that he calleth us Ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthoâ—d an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should set forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darknesse into this marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. And whose offereth praise glorifieth me saith the Lord Psalm 50. 23. Sixthly he justifieth us for his own glory Thy people shall be all righteous they shall inherit the land for ever the branch of my planting the work of my hands that I may be glorified saith the same God Isa 50. 21. Seventhly he sanctifieth us for his own glory I am the true Vine saith the Son of God and my Father is the husband-man every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit John 15. 1 2. And in the 8. verse Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit And this I pray saith St. Paul that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement That ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ unto the praise and glory of God Phil. 1. 9 10 11. And lastly it is for his glory that he saveth us Father saith our Lord Jesus Christ I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me Joh. 17. 24. And this shall he accomplish most compleatly when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe 2 Thes 1. 10. See here how infinitely the glory of God is interessed in all his Evangelical actions and concessions As namely in his Election Redemption Creation Preservation Vocation Justification Sanctification and Salvation of the Sons of men And doest thou want a sure ground for thy faith Cast away all execrable opinions of humane perfections and performances As truely as I live all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord saith Almighty God Numb 14. 21. Ingage thy Soul therefore boldly upon this eternal design of Gods glory with this assurance that it can never perish so long as the God of all power and glory is able to preserve it This I am confident is the soundest and the most substantial foundation that any Christian can build upon having its Warrant from the manifold wisdom of God Ground thy self therefore firmly thereupon and then doubt not but thou art well rooted in Christ by faith Thirdly to be setled in the faith is a very good argument that we are well rooted in Christ by faith To be setled that is to be confirmed or established in the faith according to that of this Apostle Col. 2. 7. And this is done chiefly by observation and experience Doest thou desire to be setled in the faith Observe Gods mercy and loving kindnesse towards thee Prospering thine honest endeavours in the works of thy lawfull calling blessing thee in thy person and in thy posterity providing for thy necessities preserving thee from thine enemies comforting thee in all thine afflictions delivering thee out of thy distresses and graciously answering thee in thy fervent prayers and supplications But especially consider what great things God hath done to thy Soul In weaning it from the world redeeming it from the bondage of sin and Satan Translating it from darknesse unto light supplying it with good motions and godly desires fixing it firmly upon thy Lord and Saviour And working it to the willing obedience of faith and love If thou shalt thus apply thy self to see the good hand of God upon thee and to feel the sweet influence of his holy Spirit within thee Thou shalt come to know God experimentally Thou shall know that thou knowest him According to that of the Apostle 1 John 2. 3. With Job Thou shalt know that thy Redeemer liveth Job 19. 25. With David thou shalt know that God favâ—ureth thee Psal 41.
over her and covered her nakednesse and sware unto her and entred into a Covenant with her and made her his own Then he washed her and anointed her he decked her with the richest Ornaments both of Jewels and Rayment he fed her with the chief est nourishment And her beauty was made perfect through his comelinesse that he had put upon her Ezek. 16. 8. to the 15. verse And in consideration of these so great so undeserved favours she crieth out with that good Prophet David O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 107. 1. And so thirdly she falleth upon his mercy which she cannot but mightily commend for that so soon as she became sensible of her own lamentable condition he then appeard to her most mercifull For no sooner did she finde her self to be by nature the child of wrath Eph. 2. 3. And by sin the child of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. 8. But suddenly she perceived that he had redeemed her to God by his bloud Rev. 5. 9. That when she was yet his enemy he had reconciled her to God by his death and most assuredly saved her by his life Rom. 5. 10. And all this without the least satisfaction by or from her self For not by works of righteousnesse that she had done but according to his mercie he saved her Tit. 3. 5. And she is most confident that he will continue her in her now happy estate For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forfake thee Hebr. 13. 5. Neither can she doubt but what he hath said he will most certainly perform For she findeth Fourthly That he is full of Grace and Truth John 1. 14. Yea he is the very Truth it self John 14. 6. And therefore she sings with David Her Lord is good his mercie is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations Psal 100. 5. Nor Fifthly is she afrighted at his Justice But rather she rejoyceth therein For albeit The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. And every transgression and every disobedience must receive a just recompence of reward As Hebr. 2. 2. Yet the law of the Spirit of life in her Lord Christ Jesus hath freed her from the law of sin and of death Rom. 8. 2. And in such a case it is not the office of Justice to condemn but to acquit protect and justifie And sixthly she can never forget his wisdom who is the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. She apprehendeth by faith that it was he which made the earth by his power which established the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heaven by his understanding As Isa 51. 15. He knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 1. 19. And he knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished 2 Pet. 2. 9. And she doubteth not but she may most safely and savingly resign her self to his direction and disposition For in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Colos 2 3. The soul that adds a thousand fold to these shall yet fall short a thousand thousand fold of his essentiall super-excellencies and lose her self at last in admiration Yet by these dear indearing contemplations she acts and strengthens and improves her Love and works it to a prosperous conditon For as the roote by vertue of the Sap causeth the tree to put forth fair green leaves So worketh Faith by Love and fits the soul the chast soul for a flourishing profession ANd now though somewhat bashfull yet she dares discover her affections to her friends the sweet companions of her virgin Love I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem if you finde my beloved that ye tell him that I am sick of love Saith she Cant. 5. 8. And therefore as the virgin lover first delighteth much to meditate upon the rare perfections of her Paramore So in the second place she will be talking of him very often extolling and comending his person parts and properties that so he may the better come to the knowledge and assurance of her intire affection towards him In like manner the love-sick soul that panteth after Christ will not omit the least occasion or opportunity of conference concerning her dear Lord but will evermore be magnifying his goodness loving-kindness and the like and setting forth the promises due thereto Because thy loving-kindness is better then life therefore my lips shall praise thee saith David Psal 63. 3. And to that purpose she consorts her self with his true servants his trustie friends whom she inviteth kindly to a sweet harmoneous concord and conversation O come saith she let us sing unto the Lord let us make a joyfull noise to the rock of ovr salvation Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and make a joyfull noise unto him with Psalms For the Lord is a great God c. Psal 94 to the 8. And from hence she proceedeth to a more eminent and evident Profession of her true zeal and pure integrity which will appear the more infallibly by loving that which he is known to love and hating that which he abhors and hates Resolved thus She findes he loveth righteousnesse and hateth wickednesse Psal 45. 7. And therefore she directeth her affections of love and hatred towards the same Objects In the first place she loveth righteousness whether it be the righteousness of faith which justifieth the person or the righteousness of the law which justifieth the faith of the person For she knoweth that as the one is the cause of her justification so the other is the evidence of her sanctification And this her Love appeareth very precious upon the account of these four properties First it is Cordiall secondly it is Constant thirdly it is Confident and fourthly it is Comprehensive First I say it is cordiall It is no brain-sick fancy begotten by imagination brought forth by opinion nursed by ignorance and maintained by impudence Neither is it an outward formall profession modalled by self-seeking and magnified by self-conceit These are degenerate monsters bastard brats abominable to her virgin brest She owns no other love but what proceeds from the assurance of a saving faith infused by the Spirit of her Lord into the hidden corners of her heart I sleep saith she but my heart waketh Cant. 5. 2. her loving heart is evermore in labour Neither can any thing prevent or hinder her amourous desires from running out towards the righteousness of her dear Lord Because He is the Lord her righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. Secondly her love is constant She regardeth not the face of the times nor the course of the tide the praise of a parasite nor the partling of a Parrat Neither will she take the spirit of giddiness for her guide least by any means she should wax wanton against Christ and wed her self to some unworthy creature like the younger widows Tim. 3. 11. Profits Pleasures and preferments
He bursteth out with the Prophet David in his 51. Psalm Sometimes by way of confession saying I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me verse 3. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me verse 5. Sometimes by way of petition for the remission of his sins Purge me with Hysope and I shall be clean Wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Make me to hear of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities verses 7. 8 9. Sometimes by way of supplication for supplies of spiritual grace Create in me a clean heart O Lord and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit verse 10. 11 12. O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise verse 15. And thus with David the poor humble Soul bemoans her self after a mournfull manner yet in the midst of all her passions she 's confident to say with the same Prophet A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise verse 17. For the Lord hath pronounced her blessed and promised her comfort saying Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Math. 5. 4. The second question is this By whom is this humility wrought To which I answer By the Lord our God God maketh my heart soft saith Job Job 23. 16. Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these fourty years in the wildernesse to humble thee and to prove thee saith Moses to the Congregation of Israel Deut. 8. 2. It was the Lord of heaven that humbled the proud heart of Nebuchadnezzar King of all the earth and made him a companion unto beasts whereby he perceived that he was no better then a beast in comparison of the living God Insomuch That he blessed the most high and praised and honoured him that liveth for ever c. Dan. 4. 33. 34. And because his son and successour Belshazzar humbled not himself though he knew all this but lifted up himself against the Lord of heaven the same Lord did put him into a condition worse then of a beast As appeareth by his desperate agony and his unexpected end Dan. 5. 22 23. Now albeit this abasing or humbling did work upon these mighty heathens no otherwise then to manifest Gods more mighty power and Majesty Yet where it becometh effectual through faith it fitteth and prepareth the heart towards the attaining of everlasting salvation And the preparations of the heart are from the Lord saith Solomâ—n Prov. 16. 1. But how is this humility wrought Or by what means doth our God work it in us For this is the third question Verily it appeareth unto me that the ordinary means whereby the Lord begins to break and soften and humble our rebellious hard hearts is by affliction which being sanctified unto us by the sweet influence and operation of his holy Spirit it directeth us unto the Agent the Cause and the Cure of all our miseries both outward and inward temporal and eternal Insomuch that every one who is become poor in spirit will freely confesse with the Prophet David I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me Psalm 119. 75. For our better satisfaction in this particular we must consider that we are all by nature proud insolent disobedient and obstinate No man repenteth him of his wickednesse saying what have I done Every one turneth to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel saith the Prophet Jer. 8. 6. And that is fiercely furiously and dangerously untill the Lord in pity of our Souls claps his restraining bridles in our jaws And to abate us of our desperate speed layes burdens of afflictions on our backs on some more heavy and on some more light according to his wisdom and our temper For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust saith David Psalm 103. 14. And when the Lord with his afflicting hand hath fill'd her with occasions of complaint the Soul beginneth to cast down her pride her stout behaviour and her haughty looks and to devise from whence those woes proceed And being now in this perplexity 't is ten to one but some of her acquaintance some miserable carnal comforters are ready to perswade her that her distresses come by accident by chance by fortune or by evil tongues or by the disposition of the Stars or by the malice of her enemies or treachery of some deceitfull friends And hereupon they will prescribe her remedies suteable to these devilish suggestions To turn her eyes from looking towards God and so to drown her in a Sea of sorrows But having now begun his work of grace her God strikes in and sends her to his word where she findeth That affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground Job 5. 6. But the Lâ—rd killeth and maketh alive he bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich c. 1 Sam. 2. 6 7. And being thus instructed and confirmed in these and the like godly principles she crieth out with mournfull Naomie The Lord hath testified against me and the Almighty hath afflicted me Ruth 1. 21. And having found the Agent to be God she knows the action must be just and right For the Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works Psal 145. 17. And going forward in her heavenly search She findes that God doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the Children of men Lam. 3. 33. And therefore there is some impulsive cause which doth constrain him to these sad proceedings Well what is the cause for which the Lord afflicteth why this his Church confesseth to be sin We roar all like Beares saith she and mourn sore like Doves we look for judgement but there is none for salvation but it is far from us For our transgressions are multiplied before thee and our sins testifie against us c. Isai 59. 11 12. c. And thus by the Prophet Jeremie We lie down in our shame and our confusion covereth us for we have sinned against the Lord our God Jerem. 3. 25. And this the Scriptures every where affirm And what is sin why sin is the transgression of the law 1 John 3. 4. Resolved thus the Soul draws forth her life and layes it to the level of the law and findes it so repugnant to the rule so crooked crosse deformed and destructive That now she feels not what she hath received but fears to think of what she hath deserved Her sorrow now is turned into anger Anger against her self her sinfull self she wonders how the Justice of the Almighty hath spared her so long and not inflicted
thirdly it is by this carnall joy that we rejoyce in spirituall things after a carnal manner or to the satisfying of the flesh by any present of future commodity or injoyment whatsoever As for example when we do delight to professe religion to hear Gods holy word or to partake in any other of his Ordinances either for custom curiosity lucre or pride preferment or vain-glory Doubtlesse it was in reference to these or some of these or the like indirect intents or purposes That Herod heard John gladly Mar. 6. 20. And soon after commanded him to be beheaded verse 27. And that the Jewes were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light John 5. 35. And yet walked in darknesse and ignorance and unbelief neverthelesse verse 37. 28. That Simon the sorcerer would have purchased the gift of the holy Ghost Acts 8. 13. And was therefore reproved for an hypocrite verse 21. And that such hearers as our Lord resembleth to the seed that fell upon the rock receive the word with joy and in time of temptation do fall away Luke 8. 13. Verily it were much to be desired that all such false time-servers and self-servers were separated now from Gods true saints that so we might discover love and honour the Lords true Members with a safer conscience Christians let us not deceive our selves whosoever delighteth in any such thoughts words or works as are meerly carnal or rejoyceth in common or indifferent good things sensually or carnally or in spiritual things in order unto these or any of these foresaid or any the like carnall ends or purposes I say his joy is carnal or hypocritical For these are the abortives the unseasonable and unsanctified conceptions of a carnal minde And therefore contrary to the Spirit of God For to be carnally minded is death Because the carnall minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be saith our Apostle Rom. 8. 6. 7. But the fift is a compleat joy And this is always in our Saviours presence In his presence is fulnesse of joy c. Psal 16. 11. And truly this most happy kinde of joy is not so much external or extream as it is both internal and eternal For albeit A merry heart maketh a cheerfull countenance as saith the wise man Pro. 15. 13. And the Prophet David exhorteth all lands To make a joyfull noise unto the Lord to serve him with gladnesse and to come before his presence with singing as Psal 100. 1. 2. Yet these joyful expressions are but the indices or evidences of a more joyful heart For this true christian joy is mainly spiritual and effectual very answerable unto the fountain from whence it proceedeth and the Object upon which it is placed and both these are the same God in Christ For whosoever can derive his joy from God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself he is likewise able to place his joy upon God in Christ and rateably upon all those Gospel mercies which as mediatour he hath procured and purchased for the sons of men And these Gospel mercies are of two sorts first such as are spiritual in nature and secondly such as are spirituallized by grace Those Gospel mercies which are spirituall in their own nature are such as are offered and evidenced and sealed unto us by the Spirit of God And which we do apprehend imbrace and apply and rely upon spiritually by Faith Those that are spirituallized by grace are such as are common to all mankinde upon the account of a generall dispensation or distribution But are received injoyed and imployed onely by the children of God after a spiritual manner And all these mercies whether they be spiritual or spirituallized are to be rejoyced in spiritually According to the exhortations examples and incouragements of our blessed Saviour and his dear saints by the Testimony of his most holy Spirit The first spiritual mercy which is also the first Object of a christians joy is our Election This our Lâ—rd Jesus Christ exhorteth us to rejoyce in Rejoyce not saith he that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in heaven Luke 10. 20. The second is our Redemption Look up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh saith our Redeemer himself Luke 21. 28. This is celebrated with a new song by all Gods elect both under the old and new Testaments as Reve. 5. 8 9. The third is our effectual calling and conversion manifested by our true Repentance For which If there be joy in heaven as Luke 15. 7. How much more ought we also to rejoyce on earth who do continually injoy the benefit thereof The fourth is our Justification Be of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee saith our Saviour to the man sick of the palsie Mat. 9. 2. This was the matter of Saint Pauls triumph who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect saith he it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again c. Rom. 8. 33 34. And in another place O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law But thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. Who hath given us the victory by justifying us both against sin and the law The fifth Object of our joy is our sanctification Let thy saints rejoyce in goodnesse This was part of Solomons prayer And it was Pauls profession our rejoycing saith he is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. The sixth is our Salvation This was the matter of good Hannas joy And Hanna prayed and said my heart rejoyceth in the Lord mine horn is exalted in the Lord my mouth is inlarged over mine enemies because I rejoyce in thy salvation 1 Sam. 2. 1. And of Davids rejoycing I will rejoyce in thy salvation saith he Psal 9. 14. And thus do all the godly in all ages with joy draw water out of the wels of salvation Isa 12. 3. The seventh Gospel mercy that we are to rejoyce in is Gods Ordinances I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house ef the Lord saith holy David Psal 12 2. 1. And wherefore should David go into the house of the Lord but to partake of his Ordinances But principally we are to rejoyce in the word of God the voice of Christ in his Gospel These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full saith the Son of God John 15. 11. The eighth is the faithful ministery together with the lawful portions thereunto belonging For thus the Jews whom God had
when the Soul deliberately findeth she is confirmed she hath found her Lord. ANd now the chiefest thing that she desireth is to be sure of his affection And to that purpose she indeavoureth to satisfie her self in these three Queries whereof the first is this whether the Lord who is of purer eyes then to see evil and cannot look upâ—n iniquitie Habak 1. 13. Can notwithstanding set his love upon such simple Creatures as the sons of men Seeing we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags as Isa 64. 6. Therefore to be resolved in this point she turns her self towards the word of God and sets her self to search the holy Scriptures where her dear Lord directeth her to these and many the like precious promises The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee saith the Lord that hath mercie on thee Isa 54. 10. Can a woman forget her sucking Childe that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee saith the same loving Lord Isa 49. 15. But I saith the Soul am very sinfull exceeding subject to transgresse True saith the Lord thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities But I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Isa 43. 24 25. I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously and wast called a trunsgressour from the womb but for my name sake will I defer mine anger c. Isa 48. 8 9. Again the Soul objects against her self But I have felt the goodnesse of my God and sometimes tasted something like his favour whereby I have been seriously resolved to give my self for ever to his service And yet as one forsaking her first love I have returned to my former courses and lost the hold of all my precions hopes Why I will heal thy back-sliding and will love thee freely saith her good Lord Hos 14. 4. Thus comforted the weary Soul proceeds to ruminate upon her Lords performances The wonderfull works that he hath done for the Children of men The glorie which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me saith our Lord in his prayer to his father on the behalf of his Apostles together with all other believers John 17. 22 23. I lay down my life for the sheep saith our good shepheard John 10. 15. No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self saith he again verse 18. And greater love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friends Jo. 15. 13. Most true it is no man hath greater love But our dear Lord both God and Man hath greater for he did lay down his life for his enemies when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son Rom. 5. 10. These are excellent arguments of his more excellent affection Yet to confirm her faith beyond all scruple she will examine some of his chief witnesses And first St. Paul who testifieth that our Lord hath purchased his spouse with his own bloud Take heed therefore unto your selves saith he and unto the whole flock over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own bloud Acts 20. 28. Again Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. And ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold c. But with the precious bloud of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 18. c. his own self bare our sins in his own bodie on the Tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousnesse by whose stripes we are healed saith the same Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 24. Now hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us saith that beloved Disciple 1 John 3. 16. And therefore unto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own bloud and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his father to him be glorie and dominion for ever and ever amen Rev. 1. 5 6. Scarcely for a righteous man will one die saith our Apostle Rom. 5. 7. But that the onely begotten Son of God whom he hath made Heir of all things should die a cursed death to redeem the foul Souls of filthy despicable sinners Hear O Heavens and be astonished O earth This is an unconceiveable love a bottomlesse affection But now the Soul having perused his promises considered his performances and examined his witnesses till she is well resolved in this truth In the next place she asks to what intent did Christ redeem us at so deer a rate And learned Paul informs her Eph. 5. Husbands love your wives saith he even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish c. Eph. 5. 25 c. But can so great a Lord vouchsafe such grace as to betroth or marry to himself such wretched weak and undeserving creatures As Paul in that place seems to intimate This is the second question in which the Soul desireth to be satisfied And thereupon she runs to his Records and there by his assistance findes it written I will betroth thee unto me for ever Hosea 2. 19. And by his Prophet Jeremy Turn O back-sliding Children for I am married unto you Jer. 3. 14. Having considered these testimonies Then from his word she frames such arguments as may confirm her in this blessed truth First it appeareth that the Lord doth marry his Church unto himself In that he ealleth her his spouse Cant. 4. 8. Come with me from Lebanon my spouse And in the four next ensuing verses of that Chapter he extolleth her beauty her affection her profession and her ehastity four several times under the title of his spouse his sister his spouse His sister in regard that he had taken unto himself her flesh And his spouse in regard that he had joyned her unto himself in the spirit Secondly it is evident that the Lord marrieth his church unto himself For that he will have her call him husband Thou shalt call me Ishi that is in the Originall my husband and shalt call me no more Baali that is my Lord saith he to his church of the Jews Hos 2. 16. Thirdly it