the Lord that hath mercy on thee I AM upon the Second General Head first proposed to be opened viz. to clear up the main Covenant Transactions about the bringing in and Establishment of the Covenant of Peace 1. I have passed through those Eight Explanatory Propositions 2. The Second I have been some time upon i. e. the Covenant Transactions I. I shewed you there was a treating about it between the Father and the Son as our Head and Representative before the World began II. That the Terms of our Peace were then by them both agreed on and that Jesus Christ was chosen Mediator and Surety of the Covenant III. That this Covenant is confirmed IV. And that it is Proclaimed Here I told you that I should do four Things 1. Shew you what the Proclamation is this we did the last Day 2. Shew you who are the Ambassadors of Peace 3. Open the Nature of the Proclamation 4 Shew you upon what Terms Peace is offered or proclaimed To proceed Secondly My Business is to shew you now who they are that God hath appointed impowered or authorized to be the Ambassadors of his Peace I. The Great and Chief Ambassador of this Peace is the Lord Jesus Christ and from hence he is called the Messenger of the Covenant The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple even the Messenger of the Covenant All Expositors agree that this is meant of Christ yea as one observes both Christian and Jewish Interpreters and the same Author also shews from the Hebrew that a Messenger signifies an Ambassador 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Messengers i. e. Ambassadors of Peace My Brethren I shewed you that Jesus Christ considered as Mediator was our great Plenipotentiary representing us and treating with God for us in that Council of Peace held betwixt them both 1. He was authorized and approved of by the Father to Treat about it and Conclude the Peace upon such Terms that the Father proposed to him on our behalf As thou hast given him power over all Flesh that he should give Eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him I was set up from Everlasting c. 2. He only was able to make our Peace not only capable to treat about it but as the Grand Ambassador to answer all the Just Demands of the Holy and abused Majesty of Heaven in order finally to conclude it 3. He was sent from Heaven to Earth actually to do this and from thence as I conceive he bears the Name or Title of Messenger or Ambassador My Brethren Christ as Mediator was sent by the Father The Father that sent me is with me God so loved the World that he sent his only Begotten Son 4. He was the first that Published or Preached the Gospel of Peace Which at first began to be spoken by the Lord c. First As to the full and clear Promulgation of it some conceive this may refer to his publishing of it to our first Parents after the Fall yet I rather conclude it refers to his Ministry in his own Person whose Doctrine was confirmed with Signs and Wonders The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath appointed me to Preach good Tidings unto the Meek Moreover he is called A Minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not Man This Work refers to his Prophetical Office 5. He only knows the Counsel of God or the whole Covenant Transactions between the Father and himself and therefore could best reveal them or make them known to us nor can we know or understand the Mysteries of God the Mysteries of the Covenant and Gospel but by this Interpreter Who is one among a Thousand Neither knoweth any Man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him He only is the Ambassador that can make the People to hear and understand I have given them the Words that thou gavest me He hath the Tongue of the Learned he was God's Great Ambassador whilst he was on Earth to make known the Joyful News of Peace and Reconciliation purchased by his own Blood and that gives Success to his Servants whom he employs 6. Without the Exercise of this his Office as a Prophet Minister or Ambassador he could not perfect his Work as Mediator for it is hereby he reconciles us to God by speaking to our Hearts by enlightening our Understandings bowing our Wills and renovating our Souls Moreover all other Ambassadors labour in vain if he works not labours not with them 7. He hath all the excellent Properties of a Messenger or of an Ambassador of Peace 1. A regular Call or Authority this he received from the Father 2. Wisdom He excels in Wisdom and Knowledge he is the Wisdom of God and in him is hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge never Man-spake like him 3. Faithfulness He was Faithful to him that appointed him as also was Moses and as Faithful to us witness his Death and also his continual Intercession now in Heaven 4. Lowly and of a Condescending Spirit How did he abase himself to become God's Servant that is his own Eternal Son nay our Servant he came to serve us and was as one that served while here on Earth 5. Active and Diligent It is my Meat and Drink to do the Will of him that sent me 6. Swift and Speedy How much Work did he do in three Years and a half For Swiftness he is compared to an Hart or young Roe But no more as to this II. Jesus Christ hath substituted ordained or appointed others under him for him and in his stead to be his Ambassadors of this Peace Quest. Who are they 1 Answ. Negatively they are not the Holy Angels tho it is true the Angels brought the Good News of his Arrival or first coming into the World and also proclaimed Glory to God on high on Earth Peace Good Will to Men Yet these he hath not appointed to be his Ambassadors of Peace No no they are Men or Gospel-Ministers 2. Yet Negatively they are not all which are called Gospel-Ministers 1. Some are Legal Ministers Preachers of a Law who know not what they say nor what they affirm yet not Preachers only of Moses Law but of a New Law turning the Gospel or Free Promise of God and Eternal Life to such that believe in Jesus into a Law of Imperfect Faith and Sincere Obedience as the Matter and Condition of Justification before God and indeed they seem to violate the Perfect Law of God as if that was abolished and a new Law or Rule of Obedience procured by Christ's Merits in its room 2. Not such that only Preach Good Manners or Morality tho Christ's Ministers Preach this yet to Preach this is not to Preach Christ and Peace to lost Sinners neither is this the great Doctrine contained in their
Consort and to lie in his Bosome O! what can be a greater evidence of Divine Love and Goodness than for God to give himself to us to be our God in the nearest Relation that a Creature is capable of or can be brought into with his Glorious Creator and Blessed Redeemer For this God to be our God our Portion the Lot of our Inheritance our Shield and our exceeding great Reward who were once his Enemies and meer Vassals of Sin and Satan What Tongue is able to express this Love or Heart to conceive how great it is II. It is an amazing Priviledge Grant and Blessing because God cannot give a greater Gift than this is My Brethren Is there any thing in Heaven or Earth greater or better than God himself What hath God to bestow that excels himself God as I may speak with Reverence look'd round about on all things he had in Heaven and Earth and saw nothing good enough to impart to his Elect and Beloved ones and therefore gave himself to them who comprehends and infinitely excels all Excellencies in both Worlds Now is the Fountain of the great Depths broken up and Mercy and Divine Goodness flows down like a mighty River O! what Thoughts of Love and Bounty was in the Heart of God to us when he entered into this Covenant of Peace with Jesus Christ for us What make a Deed of Gift of himself to us And on such a sure Foundation too Be amazed O ye Heavens One Smile of God's Face is better than all the World which made David say Whom have I in Heaven but thee And there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee III. Because when God gives himself to a poor Sinner he gives all he is and all he has so far as it is communicable to Creatures Fear not Abraham I am thy Shield and thy exceeding great Reward My Brethren all that Good that is contained in the communicable Attributes of God are in this Covenant made over by a Deed of Gift to every Believer as I briefly shall shew you I. Divine Goodness this is let out to all true Believers the Goodness of God is given to them not only laid up for them that fear his Name but also it is imparted to them and this of all the Attributes of God seems to be the sweetest it is one of the choice perfection of his Nature and that which renders God to be the Object of our Love Joy and Delight As he is a great and just God he is the Object of our Fear and as he is a Faithful God he is the Object of our Trust but as he is a Good God he is the Object of our Affections God is good There is none good but one and that is God nothing that is good truly good but what is derived from God the loss of God only made Man miserable and the Damned being for ever deprived of God is that which makes them eternally miserable And Sinners having interest in God in the Goodness of God this only tends to make them happy Quest. What a Good is God Answ. Goodness in God may be considered under a twofold Consideration I. The Perfection and Excellency of the Being of God I mean his Essential Goodness this cannot be imparted to Creatures II. His Communicative Goodness or that which God hath wrought out laid up and which he lets forth to Believers O how great is thy Goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the Children of Men The Earth is full of the Goodness of the Lord I will make all my Goodness pass before thee c. My Excellency or my Glory This is that which we call the declarative Goodness of God 1. God is Absolutely Good in the Perfection of his Being he is independently Good there is nothing wanting in him no defection he subsisteth in and of himself he needeth not us and there can be no addition made to his Goodness to make it more than it is 2. God is originally and essentially Good not only good but Goodness it self Goodness in Creatures is an accessary Quality or a Created or Superadded Gift but Goodness in God is not a Quality but 't is his Essence he can as soon cease to be God as cease to be Good as a Vessel of pure Gold the Matter is pure Gold it self gives lustre to it but Brass gilt with Gold is another thing So my Brethren a Saint is one thing and his Grace his Righteousness is another thing The Fallen Angels are God's Creatures still they retain their Beings but their Holiness they retain not that is gone God is the First Good the Original Good and Essentially Good 3. God is infinitely Good Goodness in Creatures is small and but little but in God there is an Ocean of Goodness it is bankless boundless bottomless our Goodness is like a drop of Water out of the Ocean nay there is a greater disproportion between that Goodness which is in God and that which is in Saints than there is between the Main Ocean and one small drop of Water or between a Beam of Light let into a Room and the Sun it self 4. God is Immutably and Vnchangably Good as Goodness in God cannot be augmented so it cannot be diminished he cannot change or loose his Goodness no not the least degree thereof I am God I change not He is the same Yesterday to Day and for ever God made Man good and upright but he long abode not so all things in the first Creation are subject to change but so is not the Blessed God and Creator 5. God is Vniversally Good we may have Health and no Beauty Learning but no Grace Wisdom but no Power Men may be Great and not Good Rich but not Vertuous c. but all Perfections and Excellencies meet in the Blessed God he is a Sun a Shield Wisdom Love Mercy Power Holiness Faithfulness Grace Mercy Glory c. 6. God is an unmixt Good there is no Condition of poor Mortals but hath in this Life its Mixtures Honey yet some Gall Grace yet some Sin Strength yet some Weakness Light yet some Darkness Wisdom yet some Folly but in God there is infinite and unmixt Goodness whatsoever is good all good and that without any mixture 7. God is a Soul-inriching Good a Soul-suitable a Soul-satisfying Good and a Soul-fatening Good Eat ye that which is good and let your Soul delight it self in Fatness Why will you spend your Money for that which is not Bread and your Labour for that which satisfieth not There is enough in God to satisfie the Holy Angels much more smaller Vessels this Good Satisfies and not Surfeits it satisfies the Soul the Precious and Immortal Soul neither can any Thing or Person do this but God himself alone They shall be abundantly satisfied with
through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot to God purge your Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God And in Heaven also he eminently intercedes for us Seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them and that his Atonement might be efficacious to us He now appears in the Presence of God for us therefore it is said That We are come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the Blood of sprinkling that speaketh bitter things than the Blood of Abel Come to Jesus c. that is to a clearer knowledge of his Work and Office Sirs all Christ's Satisfaction and Priesthood would be ineffectual for our good if he did not continue in the exercise of it in Heaven by his Intercession for it is by virtue of his Intercession that all his Merits are applied to us for if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son or God was reconciled to us for it is that which the Holy Ghost intends much more being reconcil'd we shall be saved by his Life the design of this Office therefore was to make our Peace or our Reconciliation to God by a Price paid and to apply that Atonement that it might be effectual and continued unto us for ever Christ doth not reconcile God to us as a King but as a Priest and it is not done by what he works in us but by what he hath done for us II. As Christ is a Priest so also he is a King He is I say invested with Kingly Authority as he is Mediator Yet have I set my King upon my Holy Hill of Sion His Kingdom as one observes is not Regnum naturale which he hath as God co-essential with the Father but Regnum Oeconomicum which he hath by Donation and Vnction from his Father it is given to him as Mediator Moreover his Power as King is very great He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords the only Potentate 1. King over Sin which as a Tyrant hath long Reigned 2. King over Devils and all the Powers of Darkness 3. King over Death that King of Terrors the Keys of Hell and Death are given to him 4. King of Saints he being the Universal Head of the Church and King of Nations 5. Nay he hath Kingly Power and Headship over the Holy Angels He is the Head of Principalities and Powers yea his Power is over all Creatures God hath put all things under his Feet His Kingship and Authority is therefore Universall All Power is given to me in Heaven and Earth And hence There is nothing which he as Mediator God-man cannot do Now the Work of Christ as King 1. Is to subdue all our Enemies for us which indeed he hath effectually already done Sin the World Devils and Death being all brought under his Feet 2. To give us Laws Statutes and Ordinances for as he is Mediator he is our Law-giver but he doth not give us Laws that by our Obedience to them our Peace should be made and we be Justified In this Sense Christ is no Law-giver no to make our Peace that appertains partly to his Priestly Office as I have shewed you before and partly to his Suretiship for so he paid both our Debt of perfect Obedience and our Penal Debt also and merited all Grace and Glory for us for tho Christ is a Priest yet he is more than a Priest viz a Surety also but he gives us Laws as we are his Free-born Subjects whom he Redeemed by his Blood that we might know how to Honour and Live under him that died for us and rose again 3. His Work as King is to govern his Church and every Member thereof moreover his Laws in the New Testament do contain all those Rules for the Constitution of a Gospel-Church and also all the Rules of the Government and Discipline thereof 4. Christ's Work and Office as King is to subdue all the Elect unto himself I mean to work Grace in them and to change their Hearts and vanquish the Power of Sin and Satan for this is and must be done by that Almighty Power which he exerts by his Spirit in their Souls and so takes possession of them as King and Supream Ruler whom as a Priest he purchased by his Blood and all this as he is Mediator of this Covenant of Peace That Christ may dwell in our Hearts by Faith or sway the Scepter there 5. Moreover Christ as King will exercise his Kingly Office in taking to him his great Authority and Regal Power and Reign over all the Earth For his Right is Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thy Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy Possession Thou shalt break them in pieces like a Potters Vessel The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall Reign for ever and ever And of the increase of his Government there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it and to establish it with Justice and with Judgment from henceforth and for ever All the Kingdoms under the whole Heavens shall be given unto him And he shall possess the Gates of his Enemies This will be made good more fully and visibly upon the going off of the Fourth-Monarchy and upon the passing away of the second Woe or Mahomitan Power and downfal of the Beast and Mystery Babylon which is now at the very Door when Christ will save his Church from all her Enemies III. Christ as Mediator is a Prophet A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me He as Prophet is the Minister of the New Covenant or the chief and great Ambassador of Peace the chief Shepherd of the Sheep and Bishop of our Souls His Work as a Prophet 1. Is to reveal the Will Purpose Counsel and Design of God unto his Chosen and this he did in the Days of his Flesh in his own and in his Apostles Ministration revealing That My-Mystery that was hid from Ages and Generations He was indeed a Teacher that came from God as Nichodemus saith My Doctrine saith he is not mine but the Father 's that sent me For I have not spoken of my self but the Father which sent me gave me Commandment what I should say and what I should speak denoting that he received his Mission his Doctrine and his Authority to Preach from the Father as he is Mediator As a Prophet he gives the knowledge of Salvation to his People for without his Divine Revelation Mankind could not arrive to the knowledge of it for the Light that is in Man naturally reveals nothing of the Mystery of Redemption of the Covenant of Peace and Mediation of Jesus Christ. 2. Nor can any savingly know this but as Christ reveals it by his Spirit as the great Prophet
Mission but Christ only and him Crucified 3. Not such that are Ministers of Man's making that come to their Ministry as Men come to Trades who perhaps never knew Christ themselves or were ever Converted Can such be Christ's Ministers 4. Not such that Preach the Moral Law as it is written in Mens Hearts or that call the Light or Law that is in all Men the true Christ of God no these are Deceivers and Satan in them hath transformed himself into an Angel of Light 5. Not such that deny the Godhead of Christ and his atoning Sacrifice or that Satisfaction he gave to the Law and Justice of God 6. Not such that deny his Humanity or affirm that he took not Flesh of the Virgin being neither true God of his Father's Substance nor true and real Man of the Substance of his Mother II. Affirmatively they are such that Christ hath Regenerated and graciously Qualified by giving them Grace and Ministeral Gifts and are also authorized by him to proclaim the Covenant of Peace Let me open this a little Every Ambassador must have a Regular Mission or be Authorized or Impowered before he can be imployed in that high Place and Trust And so it is here How shall they Preach except they be sent That is duly or authoritatively and to the Profit of the People And 1. They ought to be Converted Persons and also to be Members of some true Church or Churches of Jesus Christ and Baptized Persons for Christ himself till he was Baptized did not enter upon the Work of his Ministry 2. They must pass the Probation of that Church with whom they are Members and receive a Regular Call from them to Preach God's Word 3. Moreover they that are regularly called and authorized and every ways compleat and orderly Ambassadors must be Ordained by Prayer and Imposition of Hands by the Eldership III. An Ambassador is a Person of Eminency and Honour in his Prince's Sight they represent their Prince's Person so is Christ's true and faithful Minister he is one that Christ confers great Dignity and Honour upon tho many of Christ's true Ministers have but little Honour from Men nor are they accounted Honourable Ones by the World but they are notwithstanding Stars in Christ's Right Hand and are called Angels of the Churches Yet what saith Paul You see your Calling Brethren how that not many Wise Men after the Flesh not many Mighty not many Noble are called But God hath chosen the Foolish things c. and base things of the World and things despised That is Persons of no Esteem in the Eyes of the World yet they represent Christ's Person which is no small Dignity IV. Some Ambassadors are Ambassadours of Peace to perswade Enemies to accept of Terms of Peace and to lay down their Arms c. The Ministers of Christ are Ambassadors of Peace not to reconcile God to Men but Men to God Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as tho God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God Man naturally is in a State of Enmity against God and this way through the Workings of the Holy Spirit by the Word they come to be reconciled unto God V. An Ambassador of Peace is a Joyful Messenger so are the true Ministers of Jesus Christ How beautiful upon the Mountains are the Feet of him that bringeth good Tidings that publisheth Peace that bringeth good Tydings of Good that publisheth Salvation c. 1. An Ambassador is a welcome Messenger if he comes with Tidings of Peace from a formidable and powerful Prince whose Arms are irresistable or whose force is unconquerable and hath also been justly incensed enraged and stirred up to Wrath. My Brethren the Consideration of this renders the Ambassadors of Christ most Joyful and Welcome Messengers where they come and proclaim Peace because the great God is an irresistable Enemy Who is a Match for him And he is also justly incensed and stirred up to Wrath by all Ungodly Persons God is jealous and the Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take Vengeance on his Adversaries and he reserveth Wrath for his Enemies The Mountains quake at him the Hills melt and the Earth is burnt at his Presence the World and all that dwell therein Who can stand before his Indignation And who can abide the fierceness of his Anger He is an amazing Warriour he can shake the Heavens by his Voice And cause the Mountains to tremble before him with God is terrible Majesty he is the Lord mighty in Battel He causeth the Earth to fear and the Inhabitants thereof to melt away so that the Men of might cannot find their Hands He can make Emperors as Stubble to his Bow and mighty Kings as Chaff before the Whirlwind He makes Beelzebub with his Black Guards to quiver and fly into Darkness to hide themselves He cuts off the Spirit of Princes and Triumphs over the greatest and proudest Monarchs Alexander Pompey Caesar and Tamberlain have all yielded to this Invincible Conqueror and so shall in a short time the Proud and Haughty Tyrant Lewis le Grand If God shows but his Finger on the Wall he makes proud Belshazzar to quake nay he can employ Inanimate Creatures to terrifie and destroy Pharoah and his mighty Hosts O how joyful then must those Tidings be to hear that such a King such an Enemy is reconciled to us 2. An Ambassador of Peace is welcome to a People who lie under heavy Burdens or are in fearful Bondage Slavery and Misery and have no power to save or relieve themselves for such I say to hear of Liberty or of a Proclamation of Peace declaring their Freedom and that for ever who had once been a Free People but lost it this renders such an Ambassador welcome indeed Now this is the State of all Mankind What Slaves What Vassals of Sin and Satan are all Ungodly Mortals Their Eyes put out their Robes rent from them their Souls wounded and nothing but loathsome Sores from the Crown of their Head to the Sole of their Feet and fed with nothing but Ashes Chaff Husks and Gravel Stones and laid under the Sentence of Death being Cursed by God or by his Holy Law and Condemned to be Burnt alive or to lie in Everlasting Flames ever dying and yet can never die O! How welcome is the News an Ambassador of Christ brings to such a People who see this is their State and yet are by him delivered 3. An Ambassador of Peace is welcome if he comes to offer Peace from a Prince that is Faithful and true to his Word and Covenant and one that can give good Security as to what he agrees to or Covenants to perform Now the Ministers or Ambassadors of Christ come from the Faithful God of Heaven and Earth who never did nor can fail in his Covenant nor Promises to any Person or People
My Brethren observe that the Salvation 〈◊〉 by Christ was antecedent to our Faith and both were to be performed for us by our Surety that is he was as much obliged to give us Faith or by his Spirit to apply his Blood as to pour it forth upon the Cross for us tho he has ordained the Preaching of the Gospel as an Instrument in and by the Spirit to work it in our Souls Secondly This Proclamation it is an Universal Proclamation 1. Peace and glad Tidings is to be preached or proclaimed to all the World Go ye therefore into all the World and Preach the Gospel to every Creature What is this Gospel why Peace by Jesus Christ or that God is reconciled his Justice satisfied and his Wrath appeased by the Sacrifice and Obedience of his Son that being the meritorious or procuring Cause thereof and Christ requires them commandeth them to believe this Believe what Why that God in Christ through his Death was reconciled to us when we were Ungodly not that God will be reconciled and appeased if we Repent Believe are Regenerated and Baptized c. That which remains to be done which he will also begin and perform for all the Elect is the Sinners believing what Jesus Christ hath done 't is to receive the Atonement or to stretch out the Hand of Faith to receive the Pardon procured by Christ's Blood not that any Sinner can believe until the Spirit as a Vital Agent infuses Grace into him the Seed must be sown before the Fruit can appear Christ gives the Sinner Grace that he may be reconciled unto God as God in him is reconciled See Paul's Word And all things are of God who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation vers 18. to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath committed to us the Word of Reconciliation vers 19. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as tho God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled unto God God by the Blood of his Son was reconciled to us that being the Meritorious Price or Atoning Sacrifice and by the Spirit his Blood is actually applied and made effectual or efficacious unto us to our Reconciliation to God We pray you be ye reconciled c. that is we pray you to receive the Atonement Christ hath made or believe the Record God hath given of his Son i. e. believe there is Life in him that God is satisfied in him and reconciled in him if this my Brethren be not the Nature of the Gospel or of this Blessed Proclamation I profess I know not what it is II. And as Peace is Universally to be proclaimed to all Nations or in all Parts of the World whither God by his Providence is pleased to send the Gospel So also in respect to all sorts of Sins and Sinners i. e. Pardon is proclaimed of all kind of Sins and free Forgiveness and Peace in Christ is offered to all manner of Sinners Rebels and Traitors to God whatsoever they are not one Sin excepted save only the Sin against the Holy Ghost in some Proclamations or Acts of Indemnity many Crimes are excepted as Murther High-Treason Fellony and the like but it is not so here for whosoever they are tho never such horrid Blasphemers haters of God Traytors to him and Rebels against him if they come in and accept of Peace and lay hold of the King's Grace humbly believing in Jesus Christ or throwing themselves at his Feet all their Treasons Murthers Fellonies Blasphemy Adultery Drunkenness Swearing Idolatry Heresie Sodomy Incest Buggery Covetousness Lying Thieving Back-biting Cheating Backsliding or whatever else they have done all shall be forgiven forgotten and passed by for ever as I told you before yea tho they have done all the evil things as they could Will he reserve his Anger for ever will he keep it to the end behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest Tho this People had committed Adultery Idolatry and had rejected the True God and worshipped Idols and dealt most treacherously with the God of Heaven and Earth yet see what the Lord says Go and proclaim these Words towards the North and say Return thou Backsliding Israel saith the Lord That is Believe plead your Pardon in and by the Blood of my Son and I will not cause mine Anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep Anger for ever God out of Christ is a consuming Fire but in him a reconciled God only acknowledge thine Iniquity What Proclamation can be more free or universal than this is Object If Christ is to be offered to all or Peace proclaimed unto all is there then not Vniversal Redemption purchased by him 1 Answ. Redemption is a Word that denotes Persons were in Slavery or Bondage for whom a Price is paid and they therefore are set at Liberty Suppose Ten Men were Slaves in Algier and a Thousand Pound was paid down to Redeem them all and yet but four were actually Redeemed is it true to say all the Ten were Redeemed So here Is it true to say That the Redemption by Christ is Universal when the greatest part of the World were never Redeemed but remain under the Power of Sin and Satan That Redemption which is by Jesus Christ is from Sin from the Guilt Power and Punishment thereof And are all Men in the World thus Redeemed 'T is not a Redemption only from the Curse of the Law and Wrath of God but also fom all Iniquity Who gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of Good Works And are all thus Redeemed 2. If Christ laid down his Life to Redeem every Man and Woman in the World hath he his whole Purchase A Man would think himself cheated or strangely deceived that laid down a Thousand Pounds to Redeem Ten Men when he finds there are not above Three or Four indeed actually Redeemed this renders Christ's Blood spilt in vain for the greatest part for whom it was shed or whom he intended to Redeem thereby and so he is deceived or disappointed 3. There can be no Universal Redemption unless Christ were a Universal Redeemer but Christ is not a Universal Redeemer Millions of Souls are left under the Power of Sin and dominion of Satan 4. Will a Man lay down Ten Thousand Pounds to purchase such or such an Estate and will he refuse to part with Ten Pounds to take up that Estate to make it sure to himself Brethren the Gift of Christ for us i. e. his laying down his Life is far the greater Gift and will he do this and not give the Gospel to many Nations nor Faith to believe and receive him and yet died for them all See how
Jesus Christ is their Security 11. Their Union with Christ which is an undissolvable Union is their Security 12. The Inhabitation of the Holy Ghost is their Security it remains and shall remain in all true Believers for ever they have it as a Principle of eternal Life and as an Earnest Witness Pledge and Seal of Glory to come unto them APPLICATION Infer O the Wonder of Divine Goodness How amazingly doth it flow forth in this Covenant to sinful Mankind As one Notes Herein we may see the Scheme and Model of his Thoughts the Method of his Councils and Treaties of Man's Recovery Behold the Motions of his Goodness in its descent to Earth and ascent to Heaven carrying at last the Creature with it to the wearing a Crown upon its Head Here is a Medicine provided before the Disease a Pardon for Traitors before the Rebellion broke out 2. We infer from hence That the Christian Religion Revealed Religion excels all Religions in that it shews the way of Peace with God 3. What greater Demonstrations of Love of Infinite Love could God give What give himself to us What hath he more all Happiness is comprehended in God 4. Behold the Excellency of Faith as it applies Christ and takes hold of him and gives Peace to a Poor Troubled and Wounded Spirit and also see what sure footing and firm foundation there is for Faith in this Covenant 5. Moreover from hence you may see the strength and sufficiency of Christ in all the Concerns of his Mediation together with his Excellencies How precious is he who is made all in all things to us 6. Reproof But how doth this reprehend their Folly and Ignorance who affirm that Believers yea Justified Persons may finally and totally fall away and perish How are such here detected Terror It may also be for Terror to such who think they are God's People and yet are Unbelieving and Prophane Persons they glory they are Christians born of Christian Parents nay Protestants and know the Articles of their Religion and were Baptized as they call Sprinkling but are Swearers Drunkards Vnclean Persons Proud and Covetous ones c. Alas what will their Religion signifie You hear who are God's People and what kind of People they are 7. It also shews you the Necessity of Regeneration and Union with Christ and that you must renounce all for his sake that was once gain to you or you must perish for ever 8. Lastly What Comfort is here for all drooping Believers weak in Faith What in Covenant with God and yet fear What are you put into Christ's Hand and yet doubt Has God given you such Security that your Persons are accepted your Sins pardoned for ever and yet hang down your Heads All is yours whether you know it or not God is yours Christ is yours Pardon is yours Peace is yours Strength in Weakness is yours Succour in Temptation c. Life is yours Death is yours i. e. for your good Death that is so great an Evil and so dreaded by the Wicked is yours that is your great Gain yea a mighty Blessing to you Bread is yours Bread for your Souls and Bread for your Bodies even all that God sees good for you is yours SERMON XIII Shewing what a Glorious Trade is opened to Heaven for poor Sinners by the Covenant of Peace ISA. Liv. x. Neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Doct. THAT there is a Covenant of Peace made or agreed on and stands firm in the behalf of all God's Elect. I Am upon the Fourth General Head of Discourse Namely to shew you what is given granted or vouchsafed to all those that are brought into Covenant with God I have passed through an Induction of twelve Particulars upon this account Thirteenthly The last Priviledge or Blessing that is hereby procured and granted which I shall speak to now is that of a Free Trade to Heaven This you know is one of the great and chiefest Blessings that follows a Peace made between Princes and States on Earth I. War stops up or interrupteth all Trade and Commerce betwixt those Kingdoms and States that are at War one with another the sad and bitter Effects of this we in this Nation have lately felt by means of the late War which now is happily ended even so my Brethren all Spiritual Trade and Commerce betwixt God and Man was stop'd and utterly interrupted by that fearful War which was occasioned by our Sin and Rebellion against God in the first Adam The Flaming Sword that turned every way was a Token of this Poor Man could not now make any approach to God no Trading to Heaven any more for Mankind until his Peace is made or procured 1. God will not admit Sinners to receive any of his Special Spiritual Saving and Soul-inriching Commodities tho through his great Bounty and Goodness he doth give forth common Gifts or Earthly good things to his Enemies 2. Nor will God receive of Man any thing that he hath or can do or offer to him until his Peace is made and his Person accepted in his sight for Sinners Hearts being departed from God their very Prayers and all their Services are Abomination unto him and hateful in his Sight So that all ways of Blessed Intercourse betwixt God and Man were stoped up and the Streams of that River by which all Spiritual Blessings must come to them are stayed viz. the Holy Spirit besides Thieves Pyrats and Robbers were let out upon them I mean Satan and all the Powers of Darkness and thus was Mankind brought to utter Beggery for all their original Riches or Righteousness and Blessed Treasure was utterly consumed by means of that first Act of Rebellion nor was there any ways left to Mankind to get one Penny to help or relieve themselves in their Necessity But no sooner was there News brought of this Covenant of Peace or it was published to our first Parents in that Promise The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's Head But there was a Free Trade opened again for all Believers tho it was then but darkly discovered Now in speaking unto this great Grant Blessing and Priviledge I shall endeavour to do four things 1. Shew you what I mean by this Free and Open Trade to Heaven 2. Prove that this Priviledge is granted as the Effects of the Covenant of Peace 3. Shew you that this is the best Trade or Traffick in all the Earth viz. our Spiritual Trading to Heaven by Jesus Christ. 4. Apply it 1. By this Trade or Traffick to Heaven I mean our free Intercourse or Access to the Father 2. God's free and kind distribution or giving forth the best of Heaven unto us when we come or approach unto him by Jesus Christ or in this new and living way and that to the inriching of our Souls not only my Brethren barely to supply our Wants and pinching
and also a false Break it should be 2. This Oath c. p. 114. l. 5. r. which the Law c. p. 119. l. 4. blot out thus and l. 7. for win r. will and l. 13. for Creatures r. Creature p. 120 l. 26. for great r. greater p. 152. l. 15. blot out the Father p. 184. l. 29. blot out the p. 184. in the Marginal Note for 't is read this p. 189. l. 17. there is a General Head left out r. 2. In opposition to that of Works and l. 18. blot out because the next General Head is false also for Fourthly r. Thirdly and so for Fifthly r. Fourthly c. p. 287. l. 20. for his r. his Wrath Wrath is left out THE TABLE OF The Chief Heads contained in this BOOK SERMON I. I. THE Occasion of the Author 's Preaching upon this Subject p. 1 2 3 4. II. The Text divided and the Terms explained p. 5 6 7 8. III. The Doctrine raised and the General Method proposed containing Six Heads viz. 1. Eight Explanatory Propositions laid down by way of premise 2. To open all the main Covenant Transactions concerning God's Reconciliation to Man and Man's Reconciliation unto God 3. Open the Nature of the Covenant 4. To shew what is given or granted to all Believers in the Covenant 5. To open the excellent Nature of the Peace of the Covenant 6. The general Application p. 9. I. Proposit. That God foresaw from Eternity that a Breach would arise between himself and Mankind p. 9. II. Prop. That this Covenant was entered into betwixt God the Father and God the Son in behalf of the Elect p. 10. III. Prop. That the Breach God foresaw would rise would be very great opened on Man's part in 4 Particulars on God's part in 5 Particulars p. 10 11 12 13 14. IV. Prop. That the Breach was occasioned by Man's breaking the Law of his Creation or the first Covenant p. 14 15 16. V. Prop. That there was none in Heaven or Earth that could make up this Breach save Jesus Christ p. 16. VI. Prop. God not irreconcileable yet acts in a way of absolute Soveraignty p. 17 18 19. VII Prop. That this Covenant alone proceeded from the Grace of God p. 20. VIII Prop. That it also results from God's Mercy to such as were consider'd in Misery p. 21 SERM. II. Secondly The Covenant Transactions proposed to be opened in 6 general Heads I. A Treaty held between God the Father and the Son about it II. An agreement between them in Eternity III. The Mediator of the Covenant chosen viz. Jesus Christ. IV. The Ratification of the Covenant V. The Proclamation or Proclaiming this Peace VI. When this Peace did commence and who are included in it p. 23 24. Of the first of these viz. the Treaty p. 24 25 26 Christ our Covenanting-Party or Representative in this Treaty shewing why he is called the Messenger of the Covenant in 4 Respects p. 25 26. Secondly Why a Mediator was chosen and the Necessity thereof opened in 6 Particulars p. 35 36. The Son of God did actually consent to answer all those Proposals made by the Father p. 30. Christ the Mediator must be God he must be Man he must be God-man p. 38. to 42. What a Mediator signifies p. 45. And how Christ was qualified with his whole Work and Office in 9 Partic. p. 41. 55. SERM. III. Further opening Christ's Work as Mediator in 5 particulars which makes the whole 14 p. 57 58 c. The Application p. 62 63 64. The Offices of Christ King Priest and Prophet c. opened p. 66. to 74. The Baxterian Errors what and also Answered Christ paid our Debts as a Surety and not as a Priest p. 71. Mr. Clark's Errors detected a Grand Baxterian p. 77. to 84. SERM. IV. The Suretiship of Christ opened in eight Things p. 84 85. Two Grand Objections Answered p. 90. 1. What Suretiship imports p. 86. to 89. 2. Why Christ became our Surety shewed for 5 Reasons p. 92. 3. What he was to do as our Surety shewed in nine Particulars p. 93. to 102. 4. Shewing how his Suretiship differs from Suretiship among Men in three things p. 102 103 104. A grand Objection answered p. 103. Our Debts are paid and yet freely forgiven shewed in 7 Respects p. 104 105. SERM. V. The Ratification of the Covenant 1. How between the Father and the Son p. 109 110. 2. By the Death of Christ p. 111 112. Christ a Testator what a Testator signifies p. 111. Shewing why the Covenant comes under the Notion of a Testament or Christ's Last Will p. 112. A Sevenfold Vse of Christ's Death p. 113 to 116. The Use p. 117 c. 1. The Proclamation of Peace what 2. Who God hath appointed to proclaim it 3. The Nature of the Proclamation 4. The Terms upon which it is proclaimed p. 119 120. 'T is the Gospel why it may be so called opened in 10 Particulars p. 120. to 125. What a kind of Book the Gospel is shewed in 7 Particulars p. 125 126. The Use p. 128 c. SERM. VI. Who the Ambassadors of Peace are viz. 1. Christ himself the Chief shewed in 6 Particulars p. 131 132 133. Christ excellently qualified for an Ambassador shewed in 6 Particulars p. 134. 2. Christ's Ministers are Subordinate Ambassadors Six sorts of Preachers are none of Christ's Ambassadors p. 135 136. Proving Christ's Ministers are his Ambassadors and what their Work is opened in 11 Particulars p. 135. to 144. Ambassadors when welcome shewed in 4 Respects p. 137. to 140. The Application p. 146 c. SERM. VII The Nature of the Gospel or Proclamation of Peace p. 151. 1. What it declares shewed in five Particulars p 152 153. 2. What it proclaims viz. Peace and good News by Jesus Christ God in him being Reconciled p. 155. 3. To be proclaimed to all Nations p. 156. 4. Free Pardon for all Sins save that against the Holy Ghost p. 157. 5. A Universal Proclamation An Objection Did not Christ die for all largely answered p. 158 159 c. Christ no Conditional Redeemer p. 160 161 Why the Proclamation runs so Universal p. 164. 6. Shewing on what Terms Peace is offered to Sinners p. 164 165 166. The Application p. 167. SERM. VIII 1. Shewing the Date of the Covenant or when it did commence p. 170 171. 2. And who comprehended in it 3. The third general Head of Discourse viz. The Nature of the Covenant opened I. Proving it is the Covenant of Grace as well as of Redemption p. 172 173. 1. In it self 2. In opposition to the Covenant of Works p. 175 176. The difference between the Covenant of Grace and Covenant of Works opened in 9 Particulars p. 177 to 182. II. 'T is an absolute Covenant shewed in 5 Things p. 182 to 185. SERM IX III. 'T is a well ordered Covenant shewed in 5 Things p. 190 191. IV. 'T is a Glorious Covenant shewed in 6 Things p. 192 193 194. V. 'T
is a full Covenant shewed in 10 Things p. 194 to 198. VI. 'T is a seasonable Covenant shewed in 3 Things p. 198. 1. As to the time when provided before Man sinned 2. As to the first revelation of it 3. As to the time of the application of the Balm of it to a Convicted or Wounded Sinner p. 198 199. VII 'T is a sure Covenant shewed in 6 Respects p. 199 200. VIII 'T is a Cov. of Peace p. 201 to 203. SERM. X. IX 'T is a tried Covenant shewed in 4 Respects p. 206. X. It is one intire Covenant largely proving the Covenant of Redemption and Covenant of Grace essentially one and the same Covenant p. 207 to 222. The Covenant of Peace a Covenant of greatest Consolation p. 222. Also an Everlasting Covenant p. 223. SERM. XI Shewing the Gifts Grants and Priviledges in the Covenant to Believers p. 224. 1. God himself given as a Cov. Blessing p. 225. How God comes to be our God negatively shewed in 3 Respects p. 226. Affirmatively p. 227. What an amazing Gift this is shewed in 9 Particulars p. 228 to 236. First The Good in God's Communicable Atbutes given and let out to us p. 229 c. Secondly The Son is given to Believers p. 237 Thirdly The Holy Spirit is given all Grace is given other Priviledges given p. 238 239. SERM. XII Believers are God's People by virtue of the Covenant p. 240 241. 1. In what respects called God's People negatively in 3 respects p. 242 243. In the Affirmative in 7 respects p. 243 c. 2. What kind of People God's Covenant-People are shewed in 11 Partic. p. 246 to 252. 3. What a Blessing it is to be God's People in 12 Particulars p. 255 256. The Application p. 256 257. SERM. XIII This Peace opens a Free Trade to Heaven p. 259. Sin stop'd up or interrupted all Trade betwixt God and Man what this implies shewed p. 259. What meant by a Free Trade shewed in 3 Things p. 260 261. This Spiritual Trade is opened by the Peace made by Christ p. 261. We Trade by or through a River viz. the Spirit this River Christ opened p. 262. This Trade the best Trade shewed in 4 Respects 1. in the respect of the Subject these Merchandises inrich 2. In respect of the things Traded for 3. In respect of the Correspondent we Trade with p. 263 4. In respect of the Terms upon which we Trade p. 264. 1. In respect of the Subject viz the Soul shewed in 7 Things p. 265 c. 2. In respect of the Nature of the Things shewed in 8 Particulars p. 268 c. 5. In respect of Christ we Trade with shewed in 6 Things p. 271 272. 1. Christ makes great Returns p. 272. 2. Sure Returns 3. Quick Returns 4. 'T is a Free Trade without Money p. 275. The Application p. 276. All False Dealers will break and why shewed in 6 Things p. 277. Who are Rich Traders shewed in 9 Things p. 279 280. SERM. XIV A Summary Account of what is requisite to God's being at Peace with Man and Man with God p. 281 c. The Nature of this Peace opened in fourteen Particulars p. 286 to 291. The general Application p. 293. Christ the Covenant or the Sum of the Covenant of Grace shewed in eight Respects p. 293 to 296. How to know we have actual Peace with God shewed in 8 Particular p. 299. 300. A needful Caution about the Elect being Reconciled to God in Christ whilst Sinners p. 300 301. The Blessed State of Believers that possess Peace or are in a State of Peace p. 303 304. The Conclusion THE DISPLAY OF Glorious Grace OR THE Covenant of Peace Opened In Several SERMONS SERMON I. ISA. Liv. x. Latter Part. Neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath Mercy on thee I Have promised some Brethren to Enter upon the Great Subject of Peace Not to Treat of Peace with Men but Peace with GOD not National Peace but Spiritual Peace And that which partly put me upon the Thoughts hereof was To see and hear what Great Joy there is among us in this Nation and in other Kingdoms and States upon account of the Peace lately concluded betwixt the French King and the Confederate Princes I must confess National Peace is a great Blessing when it is given in Mercy and it is sanctified and well improved by those Kingdoms and People that enjoy it But whether the Present Peace may be in Mercy to the Nations or in Judgment I know not Time must discover that Alas What Peace can such expect who continue in Rebellion against the GOD of Heaven and Earth What Peace can such a People expect who are not humbled for those Sins and Abominations which caused the righteous and holy God to bring the Plague of War and Devastations upon them When the Cause is not removed what reason have we to think the Effect will cease GOD may it is true take off one Rod and yet chasten us with another if War and the Pestilence humble us not Famine may be looked for See what God speaks in Levit. 26.21 And if you walk contrary unto me and will not hearken unto me I will bring seven times more Plagues upon you according to your sins and ye shall eat the flesh of your Sons and the flesh of your Daughters shall you eat v. 29. A People may cry Peace Peace when sudden Destruction is just coming upon them I may say of the Nations of the Earth as Jehu said to Joram's Messenger What hast thou to do with Peace What Peace so long as the Whoredoms of thy Mother Jezzabel and her Witchcrafts are so many What Peace can such a Nation or People look for long to continue whilst their horrid Wickedness Prophaneness cursed Oaths Blasphemy Drunkenness Whoredom Pride Treachery Cruelty Cotousness Heresies Superstitions and all manner of abominations abound amongst them know this assuredly God's Anger is not yet turned away but his hand is lifted up still The Seven last Plagues will over a short time be poured forth and whatsoever you may think of the present Peace I fear worser things are near than what the Earth hath seen or felt yet we are not fallen in such an Age as to expect any long time of Peace No No! God hath a fearful Controversie with the Kingdoms of the Earth Babylon must fall and Sion must rise and Jesus Christ shall Reign and Possess his Visible Kingdom And tho Reverend Mr. Beverly in some respect hath acknowledged himself mistaken yet the Church of God is greatly obliged to him for his elaborate Pains in his careful searching out the Mystical Numbers so as to know the time of the end of the Beasts Reign and Tyranny and the passing away of the Second Wo. Moreover I am perswaded he hath out-done all that went before him and may be the World will see in a short space that he was not much mistaken as to the
Time Therefore it will be Wisdom in all to forbear too hard Censures of this Worthy Person Let us wait to see what will be produced by Divine Providence between this and the end of the Year 1700. No doubt but amazing Revolutions are ready to break out in the Earth God will overturn overturn overturn till he come whose right it is viz. our Lord Jesus Christ and it shall be given unto him Things look abroad as if we may expect a Religious War and such an one doubtless will be produced when God puts it into the hearts of the Ten Kings or some of them to hate the Whore So that from the whole we may expect God will yet take Peace from the Earth tho blessed be his Name we enjoy a little repose at this time But what may such Princes and People expect who having got Peace from abroad continue or raise an Open War against the Lord and his People at Home nay shew their Rage and Malice more since in persecuting them than before Oh! That all of us may be stirred up to cry to the Lord mightily for those poor People and against their Enemies as they are Foes and Opposers and make War against the Lamb and those that follow him These things tend to cause me to conclude that the Present Peace in the European World may not last long My Brethren Peace made between Kingdoms and Nations may soon be broken or removed But there is a Peace which being made shall be lasting and never be removed And this brings me to the Words of my Text For the Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee The Text containeth a most Gracious Promise in which are Five Things to be considered I. Who it is that makes this Promise II. To whom the Promise is made III. What is contained in the Promise IV. The Spring or Rise of the Promise V. The Stability of the Promise I. It is GOD the great God and Father of Mercy which makes this Promise he that made and created us see verse 5. For thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name the God of the whole Earth shall he be called A Promise of Peace from such a King is worth regard and to be prized by all to whom it is made II. This Promise is made unto the Gentile Church and therefore it wonderfully behoveth us to consider it and lay the matter to heart some of those great Promises contained in the Writings of the Prophets do peculiarly refer to the Jews the Natural Seed of Abraham but this wholly and particularly respecteth the Gentile Church as you may see if you read v. 1. Sing O barren thou that didst not bear break forth into Singing and cry aloud thou that didst not travel The Jewish People were in a Legal Covenant Married to the Lord and many among them were spiritually espoused unto him and brought forth blessed Fruit the Church of Israel had a numerous Off-spring but for a long Period of Time we poor Gentiles were passed by God espoused us not the Gentiles were not Married or taken into a Covenant Relation with God until the Times of the Gospel and it was upon the Rejection and casting off of the Jews that they were grafted in as Paul shews at large Rom. 11. Now the Reasons why the Gentile People are called or excited here to Rejoyce and Sing may be these 1. From what precedeth in the 53 d. Chapter where mention is made of the Sufferings Humiliation and Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Surely he hath born our Griefs and carried our Sorrows c. ver 4. He was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our Iniquities For our Iniquities that is for all the Iniquities of Gods Elect not only for them among the Jews but them also amongst the Gentiles Therefore Sing O Barren sing ye Poor Gentiles for Jesus Christ Dyed for you he bore your Transgressions 2. Upon the Consideration of the Promise of the Father to Jesus Christ in respect of them as well as any other Chap. 53.10 He shall see his Seed or the Travel of his Soul even them amongst the Gentiles as well as them amongst the Jews i. e. He shall see all them for whom he Died brought into a Covenant Relation with himself even Married to him and his own gracious Image stampt upon them they shall be called he shall see them Converted he shall enjoy them and imbrace them in his Arms and they shall lie in his Bosom They are called upon to Sing as I conceive in respect of that great and glorious Priviledge of there being thus Married to Jesus Christ who before had no Husband For thy Maker is thy Husband 3. From the Consideration she is delivered from the shame of being Barren see ver 4. Cry aloud thou that didst not Travel c. 4. Upon the Consideration of her numerous off-spring For more are the Children of the Desolate than the Children of the Married Wife saith the Lord verse 1. Enlarge the Place of thy Tents and let them stretch forth the Curtains c. verse 2. For thou shalt break forth on the Right Hand and on the Left This shews that there should be a Multitude of the Gentiles Converted unto Jesus Christ yea a far greater number than of the Jews which hath been made good in the Gospel Days and will yet more abundantly in Times that now draw very near when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in But O! How barren is she now that once was the Darling of Heaven and the only Church and People of God hardly one Jew to be found throughout the Earth that owns the true Messiah or is a Believer or a true Christian. 5. Because she shall never suffer shame any more though for a short Time she was forsaken and seemed not to be regarded by the Lord but being now Espoused she shall perpetually be Beloved and injoy Christs special Favour 6. From the Consideration of the Covenant that God has made with Christs for them For the Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my Kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed c. This brings me to the next Thing III. Which is that which is contained in the Promise viz. Peace Peace is a sweet Blessing Peace with Men is highly esteemed but this is Peace with God which is far better and exceeds all kind of Peace whatsoever Yea Peace by Vertue of a Covenant a Covenant made by God himself The Covenant of my Peace saith the Lord. IV. We have the Spring or Rise of this Promise or the grand Motive that moved God to enter into this Covenant of Peace or to make this Promise viz. His Love and Mercy Saith the Lord that
effect of Man's Rebellion or of his First Sin II. As this in part sets out the Nature of this fearful Breach by reason of Sin on Man's part so also hereby God is become an Enemy to Man and hence David saith The face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the Earth Some conceive by the Face of God here is meant his Anger because Anger discovers it self in the Face others think by the Face of God in this place is meant all his Attributes his Justice Wisdom Power Holiness c. are set against them 2. GOD is said to abhor the ungodly the wicked boasteth of his hearts desire and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth This is an amazing Text and enough to terrifie all greedy Worldlings or covetous Persons and such that commend and bless them True all Sinners are abhorred upon the account of Sin ' yet none more hated and abhorred than the covetous Person is Covetousness is Idolatry 3. It is said That God is angry with the wicked every day if he return not he will whet his Sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath also prepared for him the instruments of Death he hath drawn his Sword his Bow is bent and his Arrows are on the string ready to shoot Ah! Who is able to Encounter with such an Enemy or to stand before his Indignation 4. He hath laid all Mankind as considered in the First Adam under the Curse of the Law Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them yea the Elect themselves by Nature are Children of Wrath as well as others All the World is become guilty before God such is the Nature of the Breach through Man's Sin and Disobedience in breaking the Law of the First Covenant 5. The Wrath of God abides upon all them that believe not Brethren the Sentence is past upon all the whole Race of Mankind in the First Adam even the Sentence of Everlasting Death They are all condemned already tho the Sentence is not presently executed IV. Proposition That the Breach betwixt God and Man was occasioned by the violation of the First Covenant which God entered into with Adam as the Common or Publick Head and Representative of all Mankind which Covenant was a Covenant of Works I say God gave a Law or entered into a Covenant of Works with the First Adam and his Seed and in that Covenant he gave himself to be our God even upon the strict and severe condition of perfect Obedience personally to be performed by Man himself with that Divine Threatning of Death and Wrath if he broke the Covenant In the Day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Yet some may doubt as one observes whether this was a Covenant of Works because here is only a threatning of Death upon his Disobedience to this one positive Law Answ. But as he well observes Man in his First Creation was under a Natural Obligation to universal compliance to the Will of God and such was the Rectitude of his Nature it imports an exact Conformity to the Divine Will there being an inscription of the Divine Law upon Adam's heart which partly still remains or is written in the hearts of the very Gentiles tho much blur'd which is that light which is in all or that which we call The light of Nature Tho evident it is that God afterwards more clearly and formally repeated this Law of Works to the People of Israel it being written into Two Tables of Stone tho not given in that Ministration of it for Life as before it was to Adam yet as so given it is by St. Paul frequently called the Old Covenant and the Covenant of Works which required perfect Obedience of all that were under it to their Justification at God's Bar and so made Sin appear exceeding sinful and tended to aggravate Man's Guilt and Misery upon his Conscience tho the Design of God hereby was to discover unto Man how unable he was in his Fallen State to fulfil the Righteousness of God that so that Law together with the Types and Sacrifices might be a Schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. Now in that Ministration of the First Covenant given to Israel when they came out of Egypt there seemed to be a mutual Contract and Stipulation betwixt God and them God enjoin'd perfect universal and continual Obedience of them and they promised and covenanted formally so to do 2. Brethren Pray consider The First Covenant required Perfect Righteousness of Man as the condition of his Justification c. and that not enjoined by the Holy God as a simple act of his Sovereignty as some conclude but as it resulted from his Holiness and the Rectitude of his Nature It being inconsistent with the Justice Holiness or Purity of God's Nature to justifie any Man who is not perfectly righteous or wholly without sin even in Thought Word and Actions 3. That Adam before the Fall had Power to answer this Covenant of perfect righteousness and which he was obliged to do yet had no Surety to engage to God for him 4. Moreover he breaking this Covenant as you have already heard he was utterly undone and all his Off-spring in him and his Credit being lost for ever with God the Lord will not Treat with him any more nor enter into any Terms of Peace without a Surety and that too upon the Foundation of a better Covenant or not at all V. Proposition That there was none in Heaven nor Earth I mean neither Men nor Angels that could make up that Breach which Sin hath made between God and Man And as no Man nor Angel could do it so no Repentance no Tears tho Tears of Bloud no Reformation nor any Sacrifice no not a Thousand Rams nor Ten Thousand Rivers of Oil nor the fruit of the Body I say none of these could atone for the Sin of the Soul or make our Peace with God It is not enough for a Man to say he will sin no more for he hath sinned and stands obliged to God to pay Ten Thousand Talents and yet hath not one Farthing to repay neither will God forgive one Rebel or any Debter the least Mite as a simple act of Mercy but doth require a Full Satisfaction for the whole Debt Moreover Man is both a Debter and a Criminal VI. Proposition That God presenteth himself not as an unreconcilable Enemy for tho he be Just yet he is gracious Mercy and Goodness are a like glorious Attributes or Properties of his Nature as Justice Holiness c. Yet the Display of his Favour Love Mercy and Goodness ought to be considered with respect had to his absolute Sovereignty He was my Brethren No more obliged to magnifie his Mercy in a Surety and Saviour to Mankind than he was to
the Fallen Angels he had not been unjust if all Adam's Posterity had been cast into Hell and not one Soul saved as he is not unjust in throwing all the fallen Angels into Hell for ever without affording one of them any Relief Redemption or hope of Recovery neither is he obliged to save the whole Lump of Mankind either in a way of Justice or Mercy because he is pleased to save a remnant of them God was at the liberty of his Will whether he would make this World or not it was I mean the only Act of his Sovereignty its actual existence in time was according to his absolute Decree and Purpose from Everlasting and according to his absolute Sovereignty he governs and disposes of all things and may do what he will with his own All Nations tremble before him whom he would he slew and whom he would he kept alive The most High doth according to his Will in the Armies of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him what dost thou So he hath mercy upon whom he will have mercy and compassion on whom he will have compassion and whom he will he hardeneth He called Abraham and revealed himself to him and let the most of Mankind in his days remain ignorant of him as to Salvation by Jesus Christ He also entred into a Covenant with the Seed of Abraham and gave them his Laws and Ordinances he did not do so to any other Nation And in Gospel Times he called a few poor and illiterate Fishermen and such like Persons and let the Pharisees and Learned Rabbins remain under the power of Sin and Satan and all this as the act of his own absolute Sovereignty and Good Pleasure of his Will as our Lord sheweth At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight So now at this day he sends the Gospel into one Nation and not into another and then also in such Nations where the Gospel is Preached it is but here and there clearly opened Nay and many who come under the powerful Ministration of the Gospel have it only come unto them in Word that which is the savour of life unto life to some is the savour of Death unto Death to others Now from whence is all this but meerly from the Sovereignty of God or good pleasure of his Will for It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy God's special Love and Election is not from any Man 's willing or running it riseth not from Natural Powers emproved not from his Desires Good Deeds or Good Inclinations or from the fore-sight of his Faith and Obedience but from and of God's meer Mercy Sovereign Grace and Favour The Truth is to deny God to have the power of his own Free Act in dispensing his own Sovereign Bounty is to Eclipse his Glory and to render him to have less Sovereign Power than that which he hath given and alloweth to Mankind May not a Man shew his Favour and Goodness in redeeming a few Captives out of a Multitude who wilfully brought themselves into Bondage but he must redeem them all or be unjust Or cannot a Man give a bountiful Gift to One or Two poor Men in a Parish but he must bestow like Bounty to all the Poor in the said Parish Or can't a King contrive and enter into a Covenant of Peace for a few Rebels that have with a Multitude of others taken up Arms against him but he must be charged with Injustice because he did not extend like Favour in the said Covenant to them all sure no Man in his right Senses will deny him this Liberty And now Shall not GOD have like power to dispense his Sovereign Grace to whom he pleaseth who is said to do all things according to the pleasure of his own Will and eternal purpose in Jesus Christ Proposition VII And from hence it appeareth That the Covenant of Peace is the Covenant of Grace For tho the Covenant of Peace in respect had to Christ as our Mediatour Head and Surety was upon the Condition of his Merits yet as to the Design End and Purpose of it in respect of us it was only an act of Pure Grace hence said to be according to the good pleasure of his Will Ephes. 1.5 And to the praise of the glory of his Grace v. 6. 1. It was the Free Grace of God the Father to vouchsafe us a Substitute a Saviour a Mediator of this Peace and to Choose Ordain and Appoint his own Son to be the Person and to accept him in our stead Oh! What Favour is this God so loved the World c. 2. And it was the Free Grace of God the Son to engage himself to the Father to enter into this Covenant to make our Peace the Glory of Both Persons equally shine forth to the amazement of all in Heaven and Earth the Counsel of Peace was between them both 3. Nay my Brethren the Free and Rich Grace of God in this Covenant is to be adored even as to the Main and Ultimate End and Design thereof Not according to our Works but according to his own Purpose and Grace which was given to us in Christ before the World began The whole Contrivance Foundation and Rise of this Covenant of Peace is of love and Grace Neither do we receive any Grace from God in Time but as it results from the Covenant of Peace made with us in Christ before all Time But this I purpose to enlarge upon further when I come to open the nature of the Covenant Proposition VIII And as the Covenant of Peace is the Govenant of Grace so it results from God as an act of Infinite Mercy It is therefore a merciful Covenant it was not made with Man considered in his State of Innocency for Man as so considered could not be the Object of God's Mercy for tho God appeared very good and gracious to us in our First Creation and as we came out of his Hands and that many ways Yet such was our Happy State that we stood then in no need of Mercy for where Mercy is shewed it is to such that are in Misery but before Man fell he knew no Misery Pain or Sorrow but when God first cast his Eyes upon us and entered into this Covenant of Peace with his own Son for us he saw us lie in our Bloud and fallen under his Divine Wrath and Anger and this indeed the very name of the Covenant of Peace doth import There was no need of Peace had there not been a War or a fearful Breach between God and us and that this Covenant results from God's great Mercy read again
my Text Saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee God foresaw us cast out like a wretched Infant in the day of its Nativity whose Navel was not cut neither washed in Water nor salted nor swadled at all and what doth God say more None Eye pitied thee to do any of these things for thee but thou wast cast out in the open Field to the loathing of thy person in the day thou wast born This was the time of his Love and also of his Pity and tender Mercy And when I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thine own bloud ver 6. that is when he was first concerned for us in this Covenant of Peace and entered into that holy Compact with his own Son Behold thy time was a time of love and I spread my Skirt over and covered thy nakedness yea and I sware unto thee and entered into Covenant with thee saith the Lord and thou becamest mine This was the time of God's entering into Covenant with his Elect viz. it was with them in Christ and what of this is actually accomplished on us in Time in our own Persons is but the execution of all that Grace Pity and Mercy manifested to us in Christ from Eternity he then shewed his Eternal Purpose of Compassion towards his Chosen and he then said in his blessed Covenant to them live I should now proceed to the next general Head but shall say no more at this time SERMON II. ISA. Liv. x. the last part of the Verse Neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Doct. THAT there is a Covenant of Peace made and agreed on and standeth firm in behalf of all the Elect of God The last Day we spoke to those Explanatory Propositions proposed to be opened by way of premise And now to proceed to the next General Head Secondly I shall endeavour to open the main or chief transactions about the bringing in this Covenant of Peace There are my Brethren Six Things to be considered in a Covenant of Peace among Men and so also in and about this Covenant I. A Treaty or a Solemn Consultation or a Treating about the Terms of Peace II. An Agreement upon the Terms proposed III. Who the Mediator is of this Covenant of Peace together with his Work and Office IV. The Ratification of the Covenant V. The Proclamation or proclaiming the Peace VI. The Time when the Peace shall commence and who are included in it and what is required in order to their actual possession and enjoyment thereof My Brethren These are the main things that are contained in and about a Covenant of Peace among Men as the chief Covenant Transactions and my Purpose is to speak unto these Six things particularly Tho I grant there is some difference between a Covenant of Peace between Kingdoms and States among Men and this Covenant especially concerning the Work of the Glorious Mediator of this Covenant and a Mediator of Peace concluded between Earthly Princes and States As we God assisting shall make appear But to proceed I. Concerning the Treaty or Treating about this Covenant My Brethren Commonly Princes and States appoint their Extraordinary Embassadors or Plenipotentiaries to Treat about the Terms upon which they design and are willing to conclude a Peace after a ruinous and destructive War They do not Treat about it in their own Persons but the Treaty of Peace in this Covenant was only between God the Father and God the Son Sinners then had no actual Being or did not exist and therefore could not send any Plenipotentiary to agitate Matters on their behalf It is true Our Lord Jesus Christ is called The Messenger of the Covenant whom we delight in He is indeed our Delegate Messenger or Trustee but the Father alone and not we Delegated that Office and Power to him for us and on our Behalf out of his own Sovereign Grace and Goodness before the World began This Name of Messenger of the Covenant doth 1. Denote Christ's Dispensatory Employment Work and Office and his free and voluntary condescention to undertake in this Treaty according to the Design Purpose and Will of the Father as our great Trustee Embassador and Plenipotentiary And 2. He may not only be called The Messenger of the Covenant as our great Representative to Treat with the Father in Eternity upon the Terms of our Peace but also in his being sent from Heaven to Earth actually to work about and accomplish all things that were agreed on between them both concerning the making of our Peace He travelled from Heaven to Earth on this Errand and to effect this blessed Work 3. He may be so called because he is the Messenger that published the Happy News of the Peace contained in this Covenant in the clear and glorious Ministration of it Hence it is said it was first began to be spoken by the Lord. Our Lord Jesus is the great Apostle and Chief Minister and Messenger of the New Covenant a Minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not Man 4. He is the Messenger who doth interpret open and explain all those dark and obscure Mysteries contained in the Covenant of Peace that were kept secret and hid from the beginning of the World He is that Messenger one of a thousand All things saith he are delivered unto me of my Father and no Man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any Man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him No Man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him But no more as to this now 1. I shall prove that there was a Covenant between God and Christ or a blessed Treaty about our Peace before the World began see Psalm 89. v. 3. I have made a Covenant with my chosen God first chose his Son as the Representative Covenanting Head and Surety of his Elect and then Treated with him about the Terms of our Peace It is said to be made with David but no otherwise than as he was a Type of Christ. It is Jesus Christ who is the true David My Mercy will I keep for him evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him Hence our Blessed Lord it is said was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God 2. Here are the two Covenanting Parties the Covenant of Peace is between them both that is between the Lord of Host and the Man who is the Branch betwixt them it was consulted agreed to or concluded I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the Earth was that is as the Covenant-Head of all God's Elect or as Mediator and Peace-maker between God and them and this setting up that clearly implies a Covenant or holy Compact that was between them both 3. The consent of two Parties
Hypostatical Union of the two Natures in the Person of Christ we had never been able to have drawn near to God nor have been united mystically to God had not there been such an Hypostatical Union of our Nature to the Divine Nature in Christ's Person for that was the Spring I say and Foundation of our Union 2. Moreover Christ must be God-man because the Covenant of Peace was transacted with Christ not as God simply so considered but as God-man or as Mediator and as so he struck Hands with God Christ-God as one observes could not be under the Law nor represent Man and take his Law-place nor could the Godhead suffer and pay the price of Blood nor receive a Mission and Mandates Christ simply considered as God could not be a Messenger nor be sent nor as God could there be Promises made to him nor any Rewards given him but as Mediator this was done 3. Had Christ not been God-man how could there been two Parties Covenanting with each other about making of our Peace For Christ-God the second Person could not constitute a Party distinct from God considered essentially one I and my Father are one but a Mediator is not a Mediator of one but God is one Therefore the Covenant of Peace was made with Christ as God-man God in our Nature I shall now proceed to shew you what a Mediator signifies and so open the Work of Christ as Mediator 1. A Mediator properly signifies a Midler a middle Man a Reconciler or a Days Man that lays his Hands upon both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that interposeth to make up the Breach or Difference that is between disagreeing Parties Now Jesus Christ is a middle Person and fit every ways to be a Mediator betwixt God and Man he is at an equal distance and equally drawing near to and a like related unto both he being God and Man in one Person he is a meet and a proper Reconciler of God to Man and of Man to God For there is one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus and for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Covenant c. For as he is God's Son so also he is our Brother or Kinsman and so the Right of Redemption falls upon him 2. A Mediator must have a legal Call to this Office or be authorized to manage this great Trust as well as be every ways fitly qualified so to do and must be allowed to undertake herein by the Injured Party Now my Brethren Christ was Chosen Called Authorized and Anointed by the Father to be Mediator and willingly as I have shewed you he accepted of this Work and Office He did actually interpose or step in betwixt God and Man and acted and executed the Mediator's Office as a Days-man's part in this Treaty of Peace by the Appointment Call and Authority of God God accepteth him for us to make our Peace I have made my Covenant with my Chosen He was chosen Behold mine Elect Again God saith I have called thee in Righteousness and will hold thy Hand c. God did with him strike Hands with us the Stipulation on our part was made by him I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the People In Christ we were represented by mutual Agreement in those Covenant Transactions with his Father 3. A Mediator must comply with the just demands of the wronged Party and do that which he requires without which he will never make Peace Jesus Christ therefore must be Man because the shedding of his Blood is absolutely necessary in order to the making of our Peace the just Right of the offended Soveraign of Heaven and Earth must be vindicated and to this End the Son of God took our Nature upon him that he might offer up or Sacrifice that Body to the Justice of God he laid down his Life as the Father gave him Commandment for he is our Peace who hath made both one And that he might reconcile both unto God in one Body by the Cross having slain the Enmity thereby and having made Peace by the Blood of his Cross by him to reconcile all things to himself c. 4. A Mediator must be a Person that hath interest in both Parties and be one whom both Parties may trust being equally affected unto both seeking to do all just right to one and to relieve the offending Party so far as he is capable to do it Now our Lord Jesus Christ hath interest in God being his own Son and one and the same God and being Man he is nearly related unto as God therefore can trust him as his most Faithful Servant and God in Mercy and Infinite Love chose him as our Trustee knowing that he would not could not fail us therefore he committed our Interest and Concernments of our Peace to him we having no other Friend in Heaven nor Earth And this Brethren was before we had any Being or were able to dispose of our Interest or Concernments 5. A Mediator ought to be a Person that is a Well-wisher to Peace or one that loves Peace longs after it there being nothing more acceptable to him than Peace Jesus Christ is called the Prince of Peace not only a peaceable Prince but the Prince of Peace the only Person of Peace or Peace-maker Never did any Person give such clear full and undeniable Proofs and Demonstrations of his being a Well-wisher to Peace or a Lover of Peace as Jesus Christ hath done As I. Witness how freely he offered himself to the Father in our behalf to treat about and yield to the terms of and sign this Blessed Covenant of Peace II. Witness the Glory he was willing to leave in order to his actual accomplishment thereof III. Witness the long Journey he took from Heaven to Earth that he might reconcile God and Man IV. Witness his great Abasement and wonderful Condescention for being in the Forâ— of God he thought it not Robbery to be equal wiâ—â— God not equal by a delegated Power from God for in Essence he is Co-equal Co-essential and Co-eternal with the Father but made himself of 〈◊〉 Reputation and took upon him the Form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of sinful Man his Condescention was free and voluntary oâ— unconstrained unless it was by Love he suffered his Glory for a time to be eclipsed yet he did not lay down the essential Form of God no that was impossible but he assumed the Form of a Servant by taking our Nature into Union with his Divine Nature and all this to make our Peace V. Witness how desirous he was of Peace by considering what in that Body he past through from first to last that he might make Peace 1. Consider his Bloody Agony Divine Wrath touched his Soul he sweat great Drops or congealed Clots of Blood tho it was in a cold
Night he prayed he feared he cryed with strong Crying and Tears the Pangs of Hell took hold of him no Man ever felt what he felt in his Soul he poured forth his Soul to Death or came under a Spiritual Death My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 2. Consider what an Ignominious Death he suffered to be hanged on a Tree was a Death which none but Slaves and notorious Malefactors endured the Lord of Heaven and Earth suffered the Punishment of a vile and cursed Offender and all this to make our Peace 3. Consider how painful this Death was â—y Brethren it was not only a shameful and igâ—ominious Death but also a very painful and â—ingering Death for from his Scourging by Pilot to his giving up the Ghost it is observed it was six Hours all which time he was in bitter Torture and Anguish both in Soul â—nd Body too he suffered from Heaven from Earth and from Hell 4. Consider it was also a cursed Death He was made a Curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree and all this to make our Peace 5. Consider when this was done even at such a time when Multitudes were come out of the Countries round about to Jerusalem to keep the Feast who no doubt had heard of the great Fame of Christ and of his mighty Miracles and longed it is like to see him and now for them to behold this Person thus Mocked Scourged and Hanged on a Tree as a Miserable Wretch must needs wound his tender Heart but all this he bore to make our Peace which abundantly proves he was inclined to Peace willing to make our Peace and appease God's Wrath. 6. Consider his most importutate Endeavours to bring poor Sinners to accept of that Peace which he hath made 1. What Arguments doth he use 2. How long he doth wait knocking at their Doors 3. And what Repulses doth he daily meeâ— withal and sustain and what abominable Affronts doth he suffer from Unbelieving and Hard-hearted Sinners O how much is he for Peace VI. A Mediator must be of a yielding and condescending Spirit one that can comply with each Party not Self-will'd nor seeking his own Honour c. Our Lord Jesus Christ condescended in every thing to do his Father's Will nevertheless Not my Will but thy Will be done tho he was a Son yet learned he Obedience by the things which he suffered He stuck at nothing I did not withhold my Face from Shame and Spitting No Mediator ever condescended as Christ did He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own Glory but he that seeketh his Glory that sent him the same is true and there is no Vnrighteousness in him All his whole design in his working about our Redemption and Reconciliation was to advance his Father's Glory and he complied to do whatsoever was requisite in order thereto VII A Mediator ought to be cloathed with Power I mean not only with a legal Authority for that I have spoken to already but to be one that hath Ability Wisdom and Discretion to make up the Breach that is between Parties at variance every one is not in a capacity to become a Mediator were they called to that Office for want of Ability Now our Lord Jesus Christ is mighty in Power He is mighty to save 1. He is every way capable to accomplish the Work of making Peace and Reconciliation with God He is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God He is called God's Arm and the Man of his Right Hand Let thy Hand be upon the Man of thy Right Hand upon the Son of Man whom thou madest strong for thy self Let thy Hand of Justice be upon him take Satisfaction in him Beloved whatever Justice required the Holiness of God required the Veracity of God required or the Law of God required in order to our Peace Christ is able to answer all I that speak in Righteousness mighty to Save 2. Moreover whatsoever our deplorable Condition and Necessities do require in order to our Peace and Restoration he is able to answer it fully also 1. He is able to encounter and overcome Satan and as he hath done this in his own Person for us so he also doth it in us for naturally we were in Satan's Chains even Captives to the Devil the strong Man armed held us fast but Christ being cloathed with greater Power hath delivered us out of Satan's Hands He was Anointed to set at Liberty those that were bound 2. He hath overcome Sin or destroyed that Enemy This was part of his Work i. e. To make an end of Sins and to make Reconciliation for Iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousness c. That is to make an end of Sin as to the Guilt Condemning Power and Punishment thereof and at last he will make an end of the very Being of Sin also in all his People 3. To overcome the World In the World yâ—â— shall have Tribulation but be of good chear I have overcome the World As he overcame the World in all its Snares Temptations Flatteries and Frowns for us so through him we shall overcome the World also We overcome in him and shall by him or through his Aid and Assistance at last and so sit down with him on his Throne 4. He is able to open blind Eyes This he was also Anointed to do even not only to proclaim Liberty for the Captives But the recovering of Sight to the Blind for we by Nature were all born Blind and none but Christ can give us Sight or open the Eyes of our Understanding 5. He hath Power to raise the Dead The Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live You hath he quickned that were dead in Sins and Trespasses Not one Soul could receive any benefit by his Mediation unless he had been cloathed with power to raise dead Lazarus from the Grave I mean every elect Sinner dead in Sin 6. To change our Rebellious Hearts or bow and bend our stubborn Wills or to make the Unwilling Will willing which he doth in the Day of his Power And so to take away that Enmity that naturally was in our Hearts against God or remove all our Vitious Habits or that averseness that was in us to God and to the things of God or to Circumcise our Hearts to love the Lord our God which could not be done by any but by one cloathed with a creating Power for it is he that forms the Image of God again in us 7. To cloath the naked Soul by putting on the Robe of his own Righteousness upon it 8. To raise us up from the Dead at the last Day I will ransom them from the Power of the Grave I will redeem them from Death O Death I will be thy Plague O Grave I will be thy Destruction Moreover 9. He
himself What is the Lord of Heaven and Earth Born of a Woman The Ancient of Days became a Child of a Day old He that was in the Form of God found in the Form of a Servant Shall God purchase his Church with his own Blood This is amazing to think upon 4. We infer from hence also how wonderfully God hath hereby exalted and magnified Man Christ is a Man truly Man tho God as well as Man he that is God is a Man Forasmuch as the Children are made Partakers of Flesh and Blood he also himself took part of the same and by this means we are nearly related to God he is our Kinsman the nearest of Kin had under the Law the Right of Redemption to raise up Seed to the Dead Christ is our Kinsman our Brother and by this means the Inheritance even God and all he hath is setled on the whole Heavenly Family or on all his Seed or Elect What can exalt Man more than this O what greater Honour could be conferred on our Nature then for the Son of God to assume it into Personal Union with the Godhead 1. Hereby we are made near to God even nearer than the Holy Angels Verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham Angels are not the Spouse of Christ they are not Bone of his Bone and Flesh of his Flesh but Christ is flesh of our Flesh and Bone of our Bone and hereby also we have a nearer Union with God than Adam had in Innocency nay as I said nearer than the Angels have for Believers are Christ's Mystical Body Christ is the Head of the Church For both he that Sanctifieth and they who are Sanctified are all of one for which Cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren 2. Our Nature hereby as one observes is the Store-house or Treasury of all that good which God intends to dispense to Men and Angels Moreover Angels and Men Worship God in our Nature that is Jesus Christ God-man And how astonishing is this 3 Moreover God in our Nature shall be the Judge of Men and Angels the Man Christ is God's Equal God's Fellow And 4. What Dignity and Honour is it then to be espoused to such a Prince 5. This speaks great comfort to Believers Christ who is Mediator is near unto God and as near unto us the Father hath Called Chosen Anointed and Accepted of him in our behalf he can sympathize with us he knows our Infirmities and he hath always God's Ear and God's Heart and represents us and our Cause to the Father Exhortation Sinners Will not you accept of Peace 1. Shall such a Mediator make your Peace nay die to make your Peace with God and shall any refuse to accept of that Peace which he hath made 2. The Terms are not hard but easie it is to believe in him to trust in him to believe he hath made your Peace or that God in him is reconciled 't is to sue out your Pardon through Faith in his Blood Take a few Motives to stir you up thus to do 1. Consider that you cannot have Peace with God any other ways There is no other Name given under Heaven whereby you can be saved 2. That whosoever cometh to him receiveth him believeth in him resteth upon him shall not Perish but have Everlasting Life 3. Consider how able he is to save He is able to save all that come to God by him and to save them to the uttermost tho they are never such great Sinners abominable Sinners prophane Sinners 4. Consider the Necessity of the Application of his Blood or of that Atonement which he hath made He that Believeth not shall be Damned if ye believe not that I am he that is that I am the only Messiah the only Mediator the only Saviour and that I am able to save you Ye shall die in your Sins 5. Consider the woful Condition of such that reject Jesus Christ or lay not hold on his Strength or that slight his Mediation or that think to find Peace some other way some think to have Peace by the Law by the Moral Law either as it is written in the two Tables or as it is written in the Hearts of all Men or by the Light of their own Natural Conscience others by a new Law turning the Gospel into a Law and so bring in and seek to establish their own Righteousness Alas If there had been a Law as Paul shews that could have given Life then Christ is dead in vain These cast great Contempt upon the Mediation of Jesus Christ nay strive to frustrate the grand Design of God in contriving our Salvation by his Son Jesus Christ which was to magnifie his own Free Grace alone and to abase the Creature that no Man might boast or glory in himself but that all might be ashamed and confounded for ever Question What Offices doth Jesus Christ exercise as he is Mediator 1 Answ. I answer Divines generally assert That he exerciseth a threefold Office and this every one ought to know and also the Work of Christ in respect had unto each Office or what peculiarly relates to his Priestly Office and what to his Kingly Office and what to his Prophetical Office c. A little to each of these 1. He is a Priest and as a Priest he is the Propitiation for our Sins he hath satisfied Justice by a condign Price the Price of the Blood of him who is God he paid our Debts to the last Farthing as a Priest he laid down the atoning Sacrifice and thereby quenched the Flames of God's Divine Wrath and Vengeance which ootherways would have fed on us to an endless Eternity 2. And as a Priest he interceeds now in Heaven that all those for whom he died may be called and have the Merits of his Blood applied to their Souls and that all that are called and do believe may have all that Grace which they need bestowed upon them to help them to resist Temptations and to be supported under all Trials and Afflictions and be enabled to perform all Holy Duties and have all their Sins pardoned If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous he presents his Righteousness the Deserts Merits and Satisfaction of his Blood for Remission of all their Sins neither can Sin be charged at any time upon any Believer as to that Vindicative Wrath which is due to it because he pleads the Satisfaction of his own Blood as their full Discharge from the Guilt and Punishment thereof for ever for otherwise Justified Persons might again come under Condemnation which they cannot For there is now no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus c. And thus was Christ a Priest i. e. On Earth he eminently Sacrificed and Offered up himself to God How much more shall the Blood of Christ who
we say he will perform it He shall bring forth Judgment unto Victory 1. He will according to his Promise and Covenant strengthen our Faith and encrease it 2. Subdue our Iniquities He will subdue our Iniquities thou wilt cast all their Sins into the Depths of the Sea thou wilt perform thy Truth to Jacob. 3. To support and succour us under all Temptations thus he hath promised and he is Faithful therefore will do it 1. Cor. 10.13 No Temptation hath befallen you but such that is common to Men and God is Faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able c. 4. To comfort us in all our Sorrows I will not leave you Comfortless c. 5. To help us under all our Afflictions Reproaches Losses and Persecutions all these are Covenant Blessings and therefore promised to us 6. To enable us to perform acceptably all Holy Duties for without him we can do nothing 7. To make us Fruitful and so to abide unto the end I have chosen you and ordained you that you go and bring forth Fruit and that your Fruit should remain the Righteous shall flourish like a Palm-tree Those that are planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts oâ— our God they shall still bring forth Fruit in Old Age they shall be fat and flourishing And all this God hath promised to us by vertue of Christ's undertaking as our Surety for us For the Grace by which all this is done was promised first to Christ he is filled full of Grace as our Head of Influence And he hath engaged to God for us to act and influence us with that Grace which he so received which he doth perform in what measure and manner he pleaseth through or by virtue of that Union we have with him and by the constant communication of fresh Supplies from himself Therefore it is added To shew that the Lord is Vpright and that there is no Vnrighteousness in him Brethren pray consider this well that all Grace and Spiritual Blessing whatsoever which we receive is all promised to us by God the Father and made good to us through Christ's Mediation and Undertakings as our Surety For all the Promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the Glory of God the Father I say that that Mutual Covenant betwixt God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ makes all Covenant Blessings and Promises sure to us all Promises are from the Father through Christ by the Holy Spirit Christ received the Spirit without measure upon his Covenanting with the Father and he engaged to send the Spirit to be the Almighty Agent to do all things for us for as he purchased the Spirit for us so he hath asked it of the Father and still as our Surety and Advocate he intercedes with the Father for us that we may receive a Gracious Measure thereof I will pray the Father and he will give you another Comforter The Father upon Christ's Suretiship promised to him that his Spirit shall never depart from him nor his Seed As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my Words which I have put into thy Mouth shall not depart out of thy Mouth nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed nor out of the Mouth of thy Seeds Seed from henceforth and for ever 8. Christ hath engaged to confirm us to the end this he undertook as our Surety it was God's Promise to him He shall see his Seed This was promised to him upon what he was to do and suffer and Christ I say hath engaged as our Surety to confirm us Who shall confirm you to the end God is Faithful by whom ye were called unto the Fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus Christ by vertue of this Covenant was to have many Companions or fellow Heirs of Glory and God's calling us is the first Foundation Act in God of performance of this Covenant with Christ and to us in him The Father is as much bound and obliged to keep us as Christ is because of that Price he hath received for us by Christ which he accepted of in this Covenant of Peace 9. Christ was obliged as our Surety not to lose one of them which the Father gave him And this is the Father's Will that sent me That of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last Day This is as if our Lord should have said The Father's Will and Covenant made with me is That I should not lose one of his Elect. The Father as one observes promised three things to the Son in this Covenant upon what he was to do and suffer 1. His Assistance 2. That he should have a Seed which he should see 3. He promised Eternal Glory to him and to all them in him I. His Assistance The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of Wisdom and Vnderstanding the Spirit of Counsel and Might the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord. Behold my Servant that I uphold mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth I have put my Spirit upon him Well and what hath Christ engaged to do He shall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles A bruised Reed shall he not break and the smoaking Flax shall he not quench he shall bring forth Judgment unto Truth I the Lord have called thee in Righteousness and will uphold thine Hand and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the People for a Light of the Gentiles That is for the Surety of my Covenant To open Blind eyes c. He shall feed in the Strength of the Lord in the Majesty of the Name of the Lord his God Christ was to plead these Promises He shall cry unto me Thou art my Father my God and the Rock of my Salvation II. God promised him a Seed 1. A Numerous Seed As the Dew of the Morning in abundance upon the Flowers and Plants fear not for I am with thee I will bring thy Seed from the East and gather thee from the West I will say to the North Give up and to the South Keep not back Bring my Sons from afar and my Daughters from the Ends of the Earth 2. A Perpetual Seed or a Seed that shall endure for ever His Seed will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the Days of Heaven My Covenant will I not break c. III. The Father promised him great Glory and an Eternal Kingdom Ask of me I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy Possession behold my Servant he shall deal prudently he shall be exalted and extolled and made very high I will divide him a Portion with the Great and he shall divide the Spoil
with the Strong because he poured out his Soul unto Death All Power is given to me in Heaven and Earth He shall strike through Kings in the Day of his Wrath. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of Death Crowned with Glory and Honour And he shall bring all his to Glory too For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons to Glory to make the Captain of their Salvation perfect through Sufferings As this was promised by the Father to him and to us in him so he as our Surety engaged to bring it to pass or to make it good unto us Object If Jesus Christ entered into Bonds for us and that by virtue of the Sanction of the Law of Works was obliged as our Surety to suffer for our Sins doth it not follow that he was Surety of the Covenant of Works And how then is it said He was Surety of a better Covenant 1 Answ. Tho Christ was obliged as our Surety to fulfil the Covenant of Works or of perfect Obedience yet he was not Surety of the Covenant of Works because he did not undertake that we should perfectly keep the Law in our own Persons which he must have done had he been Surety of the Law of Works but that he would keep that Law for us and therefore it was another and better Covenant 2. The Covenant of Works was made betwixt God and Man without a Surety the Covenant of Grace is made betwixt God the Father and Jesus Christ as our Surety for us therefore another and better Covenant These Men plead for a Covenant of Grace made betwixt God and us distinct from the Covenant of Redemption in which Christ as our Surety engaged that we shall keep the New Law of Faith and sincere Obedience Christ having abolished the Law of perfect Obedience and merited this mild Law c. 1 Answ. Tho the Law as a Covenant of Works Do this and Live is taken away yet as a Law or Rule of perfect Obedience it remains for ever As the Reverend Mr. Cross hath fully proved 2. As to their New Law it brings in Justification by Works and such Works too that are attended with Sin or Imperfections and therefore their Doctrine is to be abhorred See Mr. Clark's New Book but more of this hereafter IV. I shall shew that Christ's Suretiship greatly differs from Suretiship among Men. 1. A Surety among Men is not of the Creditor's but of the Debtor's procurement But the Surety of the Covenant of Peace was of God's procurement who is Man's Creditor or rather offended Creator God as an Act of Infinite Wisdom Love and Mercy found him I have found a Ransom Moreover the Father Chose him Called him and Anointed him to be the Mediator and Surety of this Covenant as hath been fully proved Therefore it doth not follow that so soon as our Surety struck Hands or just when he laid down the Price all God's Elect must actually be acquited For should a Creditor find a Surety for the Debtor all must confess it is in his choice how and when the Debtor should be actually acquited Moreover 't is evident that we had no actual Existence when Christ struck Hands for us besides it was for such that he foresaw would fall under Sin Wrath and Condemnation and Christ did not become a Surety to keep the Elect from falling under Wrath and the Sentence of Death but to recover them out of that State Justification presupposeth we were once Charged and Condemned 2. A Surety and Debtor among Men both enter into the same Bond and the Debtor is look'd upon the principal Bondsman But Christ's single Bond in this Covenant is accepted for all here is a Change of Persons God leaves out our Names and puts in Christ's Name that the Debt Satisfaction and Curse might fall upon him alone See Dr. Goodwin He was made Sin for us Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us he was wounded for our Transgressions And now Jesus Christ here by puting his Name unto this Bond is become the principal Debtor and is wholly obliged to pay and satisfie for all the Sins of God's Elect his Suretiship hath swallowed up the offending Debtors Obligation to satisfie Law and Justice Object Doth it not then follow we need not be concerned to keep or fulfil the Law Answ. We are not to be concerned to keep the Law to that end Christ kept it i. e. not to be Justified by it for so it is removed but the Moral Law as a perfect Rule of Righteousness obligeth us to perpetual Obedience it being so unchangable a Law 3. Among Men when the Surety makes a full satisfaction for Debtors the said Debtors cannot be said to receive their Release or Discharge as an Act of Grace and Favour but as an Act of Justice only But Jesus Christ in the Covenant of Peace makes full Satisfaction for us and yet we receive our Release and Discharge as an Act of Grace and Favour alone 1. In that God and not we found the Surety which was an Act of his own Sovereign Grace he being wholly at Liberty whether he would save Man or not So that our Discharge through the Satisfaction of Christ must needs primarily and originally flow out of pure Grace Favour Love and Pity of God to us Had Man found the Surety it had been otherwise 2. Because the Surety being the only begotten Son of God it is a farther Demonstration of Infinite Love and Favour to us in that God should substitute him in our stead and dispence with the rigorous Action of Satisfaction from us and take it from our Surety as put in our Law-place 3. Because God that he might work about our Discharge in a way of Grace and Mercy to the Honour of his Justice c. made his own Son a Sacrifice for our Sins 4. Because that Interest we have in that Redemption Pardon Peace and Reconciliation by Christ's Undertakings is freely bestowed on us as an Act of God's Sovereign Grace and Goodness for as Christ purchased all Grace for us so as an Act of God's Favour and Christ's Purchase and Merits he gives us the Spirit and Faith in order to our actual Interest in all Covenant Blessings so that altho it all is in a way of Justice as to Christ yet it is all in a way of Mercy and Free-Grace as to us 5. In that God accepted of Christ as a Surety for us who deserved no Pity we having wilfully forefeited our vast Inheritance and were become his Vile Enemies and rebels against him 6. Because Christ became our Surety from whom he could expect no after Recompence or Satisfaction for that vast Sum he laid down for us he never expected any Recompence from us for the Debt paid 7. Because we are not only pardoned and have
have not only Crucified the Flesh or are become dead to Sin but have Crucified the World also But God forbid that I should Glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is Crucified unto me and I unto the World The World careth not for them and they care not for the World they are dead to the Honours Pleasures and Riches of the World Moses contemned all the Glory of Pharaoh's Court yea all the Pleasures of Sin and Riches of Egypt and so do all God's sincere People contemn this World If any Man love the World the love of the Father is not in him 3. They that are God's peculiar People are become dead to the Law to that cruel Husband and to all their own Righteousness accounting it but Dung or a dead Carkase or Dogs-meat in comparison of Christ Ye also are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ c. The Union with that Husband is dissolved they seek not Life and Justification by the Law or are not in love with Self-Righteousness but dead to it whilst others make an Idol of it and trust in it 4. They have renounced themselves also and confess they are not their own but that their Souls their Bodies their Substance their Graces their Gifts their Time their Strength their Lips and their Lives are all the Lord's and for him for as all that God hath which is communicable is theirs or freely imparted to them and for them so all they are and have they account it is the Lord's they being but only Stewards of all they have and do possess Shall such think that they are the Lord's who live to themselves seek themselves or only bring forth Fruit like empty Vines to themselves No they that are the Lord's People esteem all they have to be his and for his Service and are willing to render it up to him when he calls for it Nay they have given God their Hearts not their Lips only or their Tongues nor their Ears nor their Substance but their Hearts also My Son give me thy Heart God complains of some that drew near to him with their Lips and sate before him as his People sate and with their Tongues shewed much kindness but saith he their Hearts went after their Covetousness after the World these God's Soul abhors and he will not own them to be his People Some give their Hearts to Pleasures to strange Women and to Vanity and to meer Folly and others give their Hearts to Riches but God's Covenant-People give their Hearts to him not a part of the Heart but their whole Heart they love the Lord their God with all their Hearts with all their Souls and with all their Strength Others have their Hearts divided between God and the World between God and their Lusts but such that love not God with their whole Heart hate him for the lesser Love is accounted Hatred in Scripture II. They that are God's peculiar Covenant-People are Begotten and Born of God for they this way as you heard become his Children there are none my Brethren that are the Lord's People by Adoption but they are his also by Regeneration they have his Image formed in them they are like to their Father in Holiness Heavenliness in Humility Mercy Meekness Love Goodness Charity c. they partake of the Divine Nature every one resembles the Son or Daughter of a King Then said he unto Zeba and Zalmunna What manner of Men were they whom ye slew at Tabor And they answered As thou art so were they each one resembled the Children of a King They are nobly descended they have sublime Spirits Holy Hearts Desires Aims and Ends in all they do they are not meer Dunghil-Rakers like the Men of the World but far excel all others The Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour he has an excellent Spirit Life and Principles in him III. They that are God's Covenant-People Trust in him as their God as well as Love him as their God all People trust in their God tho it be a God of Gold or Silver a Worldly Man's strong Confidence is his Wealth he makes Gold his Hope So they that have God to be their God trust in him depend upon him They that know thy Name will put their Trust in thee They trust in the True and Living God God is their Hope their Confidence they rely upon his Power his Mercy his Love his Faithfulness his Covenant and on his Blessed Promises and this at all times in Afflictions Desertion Temptations c. and when called to any hard Service in Prosperity and in Adversity in times of Want and Necessities and in Times of Fulness in Life and also at the Hour of Death This tends my Brethren to the Glory of God and by this they shew what a value and esteem they put upon God How often does David say he trusted in the Lord and because God was his God O my God I trust in thee Job says Tho he slay me yet will I trust in him Tho they see not feel not or have no sensible Comfort or Relief yet can and will trust in God tho God hides his Face or they walk in Darkness and have no Light IV. God's peculiar People highly love value and prize the Lord Jesus Christ They can say with David Whom have I in Heaven but thee Neither is there any on Earth that I desire besides thee They have tasted how good the Lord is and beholding his Beauty can say He is the chiefest among Ten Thousand they live upon Christ fetch all their Comfort and Hope of Salvation from him and rejoyce in him alone Serving God in Spirit and have no Confidence in the Flesh. Moreover when they have done all things that Christ hath commanded they look upon themselves Unprofitable Servants they live in him to him and by him their living in him shews Christ is their Life their living to him shews Christ is their ultimate End their living by him shews Christ is their Strength they receive the Spirit and so live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit they bring up the bottom of their Lives to the top of their Light they do not only know what is to be done but do what they know the Darkness of Carnal Professors will be the blackest because their Light seemed to be the clearest but these are better inwardly in substance than outwardly in appearance in a word they are as much in love with the Imployment of Holiness as with the Injoyment of Happiness or to be Holy here as well as Happy hereafter or to live to God on Earth as well as with him in Heaven V. God's Covenant-People ascribe all the Glory to him and take all the Shame to themselves Both Riches and Honour come of thee the Power the Glory and the Victory is thine and of thine own have I
given thee Luther was contented to be counted a Devil so that Christ might be exalted others make their End their God but these make their God their End The Glory of God saith one should be the Golden-Butt at which all our Arrows of Duties are shot the only way to be Crown'd in Heaven is to cast our Crowns at Christ's Feet on Earth VI. God's Covenant-People can say there is nothing which they enjoy that is of any worth without God be injoyed with it Therefore they know to want God is the greatest Evil and to enjoy God is the greatest Good if God be withdrawn all their Comfort is gone 't is Day when we have him but 't is Night when we want him What is Health and no God Riches and no God Pleasures and no God Honours and no God Relations Wives Children Friends and no God A little will do with God nay if we have nothing besides him we have enough nay all but if we have all other things and no interest in God we have nothing VII They that are God's peculiar People are a Holy People a Heavenly People a Humble People To this Man will I look that is Poor and of a Contrite Heart and that trembleth at my Word God resisteth the Proud but giveth Grace to the Humble Be ye Holy for I am Holy My People shall be willing in the Day of my Power in the Beauty of Holiness c. VII They are an Obedient People they walk in God's Ways and keep his Precepts For all People will walk every one of them in the Name of his God and we will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever They yield Universal Obedience to God or do whatsoever Christ says and that too because they love him and also they are constant in their Obedience they keep God's Precepts always even to the end IX They are an Upright People a Sincere People Sincere in their Obedience Surely they are my People Children that will not lie not Children of Deceit or Falshood but Faithful and Upright in Heart They are called The Assembly of the Vpright that is Sincere Worshipers of God Israelites indeed in whom is no Guile no Falshood or no reigning Hypocrisie Moreover they are called The Generation of the Vpright Men of clean Hearts and Undefiled in the way or Perfect ones i. e. they want no Essential thing of True Christians X. God's Gospel Covenant-People are an United People being constituted or incorporated into a Church State according to the Institution of Christ in the New Testament being separated from the World in Worship and all Evil Traditions Customs c. Worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth giving themselves up one to another keeping all the Ordinances of Christ as they were once delivered to the Saints owning the Holy Scriptures to be the only Rule of their Faith and Practice having regular and ordained Officers viz. both Pastors and Deacons and walking in Love and watching over one another as becometh Saints XI Lastly The peculiar People of God love all the Children of God even such that differ from them in some things that are Circumstantials they love as Christ loves As they love him that begat so they love them also and all them that are begotten of him If God was your Father you would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God saith our Saviour he that loves the Father will love the Child so far as he resembleth the Father By this shall all Men know ye are my Disciples if you love one another He that loveth not his Brother abideth in Death And this is a sign that they are passed from Death to Life Brethren this Love is not in Word and in Tongue but in Deed and in Truth also How doth it appear you love your Wife your Children Even so let it appear you love all the People of God i. e. let nothing be too dear to part with for their sakes speak well of them and do much for them and bear them always upon your Hearts when you are at the Throne of Grace If you would approve your selves to be God's People this being so what shall we think then of him that hates any one of the Children of God or bears Malice in his Heart against him and reproaches him Thirdly I shall shew you what a great Blessing and Priviledge this is 1. Can there be a greater Priviledge than to be made God's own peculiar People For hereby God is their Father and they his Children 1. He loves them as his Children 2. He Feeds them as his Children 3. He Cloaths them as his Children 4. He Teaches them as his Children 5. He Pities them as his Children Isa. 63.9 10. 6. He Guides Leads and Protecteth them as his Children 7. He Chastens them in Love as his Children Heb. 12 5 6 7. 8. And lays up for them also as his own Children If Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joynt Heirs with Christ O! what an Honour is it to be the Sons and Daughters of God 2 Cor. 6.16 Of the Great God the King of Heaven and Earth Nay to be Begotten and Born of him Joh. 1.12 13. 2. They have the Priviledge to dwell in his House nay to dwell with God and to walk with God and to have Communion with him 1 Joh. 3. Moreover 3. Their Enemies are God's Enemies and their Friends are God's Friends the Angels that are God's Servants are their Servants and are sent to Minister unto them c. 4. They are Espoused by Jesus Christ they are the Jewels of his Heart Mal. 3.17 or his chiefest Treasure 5. God will never leave them nor forsake them And 6. All things shall work together for their good 7. And he will Crown them at last with Glory and Immortality Question What Assurance hath God given that they shall be his People for ever 1 Answ. Because his Love is Eternal or Unchangable his Love is their Security nothing can separate them from the Love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. 2. The Decree and eternal Election of God is their Security 3. Because the Mercy of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord endureth for ever 4. Because the Goodness of God indureth also for ever 5. Because his Covenant and Faithfulness can never fail in which they are made his People 6. Because he hath put his fear into their Hearts that they shall not depart from him 7. The Promise and Oath of God is their Security 8. They are Justified and Pardoned for ever 9. Christ's Suretiship is their Security they are put into his Hand and none can pluck them out These Things have been fully opened already as you have heard 10. The Death Resurrection Ascention and Intercession of
Necessities but also to the making of us very Rich and Great 3. I mean by it God's Gracious Acceptance of our Persons Duties and all our Holy and Spiritual Performances or Services which is no small Favour and Blessing but one of the greatest we can partake of for this must always be premised that God will never accept of any Man's Duties till he first accepteth of his Person for thus he first accepts of Abel that is of his Person The Lord had a Respect unto Abel and to his Offering he offered his Offering in Faith he was a Believer and God accepted of his Person in Christ and so he doth of the Persons of all True Believers Wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved in whom we are united and made Members of his Body and it is in him that God looks upon us Secondly I shall endeavour to prove that this Trade or Blessing of free Access unto God is the Effects of the Peace made by Jesus Christ. 1. The Navigable River by which we Trade to Heaven by virtue of this Peace is opened viz. the Holy Spirit is poured forth This is that River that makes glad the City of God c. and this it doth not only in that it supplies God's People or his Holy City with Water to drink which is indeed Water of Life but also in that it is by it we Trade to Heaven all our Spiritual Trade and Traffick is in and through this River Our Trade my Brethren is a Trade of Merchandise For the Merchandise of it is better than the Merchandise of Silver and the Gain thereof than fine Gold Now this River proceeds from the Throne of God and the Lamb and that this River is opened by the Sacrifice of Christ or by that Peace he hath made See Acts 2.31 This Jesus hath God raised up whereof we are all Witnesses Therefore being by the Right Hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear Vers. 32. Moreover Jesus Christ promised the Spirit to his Disciples upon his Ascention and this Promise he graciously made good Therefore saith the Apostle being Justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace c. Again he saith And came and Preached Peace to you that were a far off c. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father that is through the Mediator and Peace-maker who hath reconciled us to God We are now admitted or introduced into the presence of the Father and this with boldness In whom we have Boldness and Access with Confidence by the Faith of him And this not only in Prayer but also in all Holy Fellowship Commerce and Heavenly Communion Having therefore Brethren Boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus It was the Blood of Christ that opened this Trade or procured this Access to Heaven for us By a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Veil that is to say his Flesh. Hence our Blessed Lord saith I am the Way no Man cometh to the Father but by me Except this River had been opened we could never have Traded to Heaven and that this is done by Jesus Christ or by the Peace which he hath made I have thus fully proved Thirdly I shall shew you that this is the best Trade or there is no Trade like unto it in all the World 1. Because the Word of God declares it so to be The Merchandise hereof is better than the Merchandise of Silver and the Gain thereof than fine Gold Now what Merchandise of this World do Men account to excel that of Silver and fine Gold But Spiritual Merchandise the great God declares is better than these or whatsoever else you can think or speak of Now this I shall further indeavour to make appear in this Method following 1. In respect of the Subject these Merchandises enrich 2. In respect of the Nature of the Things Traded in or for 3. In respect of that Blessed Correspondent who manages all our Affairs in Heaven and that makes us Returns of all we venture 4. In respect of the Terms upon which we Trade 5. I shall apply the whole I shall speak briefly to each of these First The Subject that these Merchandises inrich is the Soul the Precious and Immortal Soul of Man which all other Trades and Merchandise cannot in the least degree relieve the Wants of much less inrich but these Heavenly Merchandises doth this 1. It is hereby the Soul of a Believer or a Spiritual Merchant comes to have God again God to be his God yea a God in Covenant with him and to be his Portion for ever as you have heard 'T is through Jesus Christ or by the Peace he hath made that this Blessing is obtained God is hereby our Father and Christ is our Saviour and the Spirit is our Sanctifier whosoever will venture out by Faith and Trade in these Seas or on this Voyage shall obtain a sure Interest in Christ and in God through Jesus Christ for ever 2. Because this Trade answers all the Necessities of the Soul or all its Wants My God shall supply all your need according to his Riches in Glory by Christ Jesus Graciously nay Gloriously or according to his own Fulness or rich Mercy or Riches in Glory Nay 3. Not only supply the Needs of our Souls but these Merchandises tend to inrich the Soul with Grace yea with all Grace This Trade or this Merchandise puts a Crown better than that of Gold on its Head and Chains about its Neck They shall be an Ornament of Grace unto thy Head and Chains about thy Neck This my Brethren makes the Soul amiable and honourable in the sight of God and all good Men A meek and quiet Spirit is in the sight of God of great price No other Ornaments are of any worth in the esteem of God but are hateful to him when the Creature is lifted up with Pride thereby What are the Curled Locks and Chains of Gold and Glisâ—â—â—ing Robes in the sight of God Poor Lazarus was far more lovely before his Eyes 4. Because these Merchandises inrich the Soul with Choice and Blessed Experiences Hence David saith The Law of thy Mouth is better to me than Thousands of Gold and Silver And again he saith speaking of his Experiences Thou hast put Gladness into my Heart more than in the time when their Corn and Wine encreased One Day in thy Courts is better than a Thousand And from hence it is that he cries out Whom have I in Heaven but thee Neithâ—r is there any on Earth I desire besides thee Again saith he O taste and see how good the Lord is He is
't is great gain every ways profitable at all times in all States and profitable to the Soul and Body too 7. The Things that Believers Trade in are the best Things of Heaven the best Things of God he has no better Things to bestow as you have heard all good is comprehended in these Riches and hence these Things are only given to his own People to his Beloved ones as a Pledge of his Eternal and Special Favour in Christ. What exceeds himself His Son his Spirit his Love his Grace his Peace Peace with God Peace of Conscience and Joy in the Holy Ghost and Eternal Happiness in Heaven 8. They are Eternal Things The Things that are seen are Temporal but the Things that are not seen they are Eternal These are Everlasting Wares you shall carry them out of the World with you These things have I spoken that my Joy might remain in you and that your Joy might be full O! what a Trade by this Peace is opened to Believers Thirdly This is the best Trade in respect of our Blessed Correspondent whom we Trade with or who manages all our Affairs at the Court of Heaven namely Jesus Christ. I. Consider that the Father hath put the Management of all our Affairs into Christ's Hands as our great Trustee Moreover every true Believer has committed himself and all his Concerns to Jesus Christ The Poor committeth himself unto thee II. Consider his Power he is the King of Heaven and Earth All Power is given to me in Heaven and Earth he is the Mighty God this made Paul say For I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that Day I have committed my self to him my Soul to him my Life and all I have and hope to receive to him and I doubt not of his Power and Ability to keep it III. Consider of his Faithfulness other Correspondents oftentimes deceive and prove unfaithful Stewards but Jesus Christ is Faithful he never failed any one poor Soul that truly trusted in him God is Faithful and Christ is called A Faithful High Priest c. IV. Consider of that great Price he gave for all those Things which we Trade with him for Moreover and that he bought them for us and has opened a Blessed and sure way of Conveyance of them and besides he hath obliged himself by Covenant to give them down to us as we need them V. Consider of that Relation Believers stand in to him and of his Infinite Love and Affections to them he Trades or Intercedes for his Friends for such he ransomed with his own Blood for his Spouse whom he hath betroathed to himself for ever VI. Consider what Returns he makes some venture much and that which is great in worth but hardly sometimes have returns of the full intrinsical value again but thus doth not Jesus Christ deal with us First Christ makes great and vast Returns 1. To appoint them that mourn in Sion to give them Beauty for Ashes Beauty especially Spiritual Beauty is a precious Thing but what are Ashes worth What are our Duties Our Fastings and Prayer and Humiliations Why of no more worth then a little Ashes Yet here is Beauty returned for Ashes yea Beauty on the Soul Glorious Beauty 2. And the Oyl of Joy for Mourning we mourn and weep for our Sins well and pray what are a few Tears good for Are these of any worth in themselves No certainly Yet Christ makes returns of the Oyl of Joy for this Mourning or in lieu of these Tears even the Holy Spirit which fills the Soul with Joy and Comfort 3. And the Garment of praise for the Spirit of Heaviness Christ approves of Sadness of Heart that rises from that Sense we have of that Unworthiness that is in us and of that Dishonour which is done to him But how little Worth is there in this Heaviness as in it self But he returns the Garment of praise i. e. he cloaths the Soul in Beautiful Garments all these Expressions shew that whatsoever we receive is in a way of Free Grace and that there is no Worth in our Duties and also that Christ in a way of Grace will make Blessed Returns My Brethren Rewards of meer Grace are far greater than those of Debt as I have often told you But further 4. He that gives or ventures a Cup of cold Water to a Disciple in the Name of a Disciple shall not lose his Reward This is a small thing indeed yet here is a great Return for this when given to a right Object and to a right End and if he that gives or ventures a Cup of cold Water has such Returns what shall he have that ventures his All yea his very Life 5. And every one that hath forsaken Houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father and Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my Name sake shall receive an hundred fold now at this time and in the World to come Eternal Life An hundred fold is a wonderful Return as when a Man that ventures one Pound to Sea to India or to any other place and receives a Hundred Pounds in lieu of it 't is a mighty Return but this is more in Quantity and better in Quality and that in this Life an Hundred fold here and a Crown of Glory in the Life to come Who would not Trade with such a Correspondent or not enter into such a Calling Will you not this Day become Spiritual Merchants What do you say II. He will fill our Treasures and that with Riches and Honours yea with durable Riches and Righteousness That I may cause them that love me to inherit Substance and I will fill their Treasures III. He hath promised to return Glory in Heaven for Sufferings on Earth For I reckon the Sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us Let us weigh one against the other and see what a vast difference there is For our light Afflictions that are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory But did I say these Returns are for what we venture No no not for but in venturing in keeping Christ's Precepts there is an exceeding great Reward For all Returns are in a way of Free Grace 't is a Free Trade 1. Without Money and without Price without Money or Monies worth We Trade for nothing receive nothing for what we had or give for it as you have heard 'T is true Buying denotes our parting with something that is our own that we may have that we want But what is ours which we must part with Is it of any worth We must 1. Part with all our Sins Evil Courses Evil Habits and old Companions 2. With our old Hopes of Heaven 3. Our own Righteousness in respect of