If a man put away his wife and she go from him and become another mans shall he return unto her again Surely if a woman commit adultery it is a meer act of favour if her husband accepts of her again We brake the Covenant of our God and therefore the Lord might have given us a bill of divorce for that transgression but instead thereof to offer termes of life and love oh this was this very mercy and this very grace 3. Nay more than this when we had thus sinned and injured God and Yet God gives us a better estate upon better termes forfeited all deserving nothing but rejection and curse then for God to draw a Covenant which continued a better estate for us and upon better termes for us what is mercy and what is grace if this be not SECT I. 3. THis Covenant of grace is such a compact wherein God promiseth That In this Covenant God promiseth to be our God and that we shall be his people It is a Covenant of promise he will be our God and that we shall be his people Here are three things observable 1. That this Covenant is a Covenant of promise altogether of promise God therein promiseth all that doth concern himself or us There are many things in it which do concern himself and many things which do concern us and they are all of them under promise The rewards if I may so call them on his part of life and mercy and grace and salvation they are all promised and the services qualities duties on our part in reference unto him as our God are also promised by him What he will performe and what we are to performe although they be different things yet in this Covenant both of them are promised He promiseth to love us and he promiseth that we shall love him He promiseth that he will forgive our sinnes and he promiseth that we shall repent of our sinnes He promiseth that he will help us and he promiseth that we shall walk in his Satutes He promiseth that he will save us and he promiseth that we shall believe to the saving of our souls In the other Covenant of works there God promiseth life and man promiseth obedience God was to perform his part and man was to perform his part and mans performance depended upon his own strength But in this Covenant God promiseth all and he undertakes all He undertakes to give all that he promiseth and promiseth to give all that he requireth I will give a new heart I will cause you to passe into the band of the Covenant I will cause you to know me to trust in my Name to love me to feate me to walk in my Statutes and to do them He will subdue our iniquities c. 2. In this Covenant he promiseth that he will be our God I will establish He promiseth to be our God my Covenant betwixt me and thee and thy seed after thee to be God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Gen. 17. 7. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel c. I will be their God c. Jer. 31. 33. And I will be their God 〈◊〉 11. 20. They shall say The Lord is my God Zachariah 13. 9. This one thing which God promiseth I will be your God it is as one Paraeus in Gen. 17. rightly speaks Anima foederis the very soul of all the Covenant It is summa Foederis the excellency the very quintessence of it It is farre more than that I will pardon you than that I will help you I will blesse you or that I will save you As Christ spake concerning that command of loving the Lord with all thy heart this is the great Commandment So may we say of this part of the Covenant of this promise I will be your God it is the great part of the Covenant it is the great promise of the Covenant of grace Indeed it is the summe of all All is contained in it and therefore David said Happy is that people whose God is the Lord Psal 144. 15. Quest But some may demand What great matter is comprehended in this What is comprehended under it when God saith in the Covenant I will be your God I will be a God to you Is he not the God of the whole world Is he not a God to all the people of the earth Sol. I answer That he is so he is the God of the whole earth and there is no God besides him He is a God to all the creatures in respect of their production they were all made and formed by him they are the work of his hands And in respect of preservation In him we live and move and have our being Act. 17. 28. There is a Relation betwixt him and all creatures But this is inconsiderable in comparison of this Covenant-relation unto his people wherein he saith I will be a God to you or your God This relation is of all other the highest and nearest as when a man promiseth unto a woman I will be a husband unto you this takes in love and nearnesse and care and maintenance There are four things comprehended in this Four things comprehended in it Reconciliatiō 1. Reconciliation unto you I will be your God i. e. I will be reconciled to you I will never be an enemy to you All enmity betwixt you and me is at an end I accept of you into a state of love my love is towards you you have found grace in my sight I will marry you unto my self in loving kindnesses my love shall rest upon you 2. Donation of himself I will be your God i. e. I will bestow my self upon Donation of himself you you shall have a propriety in me I am God even thy God Psal 50. 7. This God is our God Psal 48. 14. He gives himself as it were into your possession into your hands As when the Indenture is drawn and sealed the land falls into your pocket and therefore whensoever you find him covenanting you find him as it were giving away himself granting a right unto himself and a possession and enjoyment of himself After the Lord had made a Covenant with Abraham he thereupon stiles himself the God of Abraham and so the God of Isaac and of Jacob and of Israel and thus making a Covenant with all the faithful he thereupon is theirs their God and their Father They have as much right unto him and propriety in him as the wife in and to the husband who becomes hers by a Covenant of Marriage My Beloved is mine and I am his This is a wonderful truth that God in the Covenant of grace gives himself Consider God 1. Either Essentially in his eternal self-sufficient holy blessed infinite glorious Being and Attributes as thus considered he is yours makes all over unto you really 2. Or Personally as a Father He is your Father John 20. 17. I am a Father to Israel Jer. 31. 9. As the Sonne as God manifested in the flesh he is your Christ Christ gives himself to be yours And as the holy Ghost so
the end for which all other things are desired and it is the full possession of all that we have longed and waited for Now God is the most desirable good He is so in himself for he is goodnesse God is the most desirable good it self and he is desirable for himself alone and so is no other good And he is so in the hearts of his people Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73. 25. And God is the most delightful good there cannot be any object whatsoever which can so please and so take and so affect and glad and rejoyce the heart as God doth His manifestations are a very Paradise and a very heaven in the hearts of his people they make them to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 2. What that is in and from God which makes up our blessedness or a blessedness What that is in and from God which is a blessedness unto us Propriety unto us There are four things which do it 1. Propriety Though God be an infinite blessedness in and to himself whether we have any interest and propriety in him or not yet he is not our blessedness without propriety he must be our God if he be our blessedness Propriety in blessedness is our blessedness He is rich who hath riches and he is great who hath greatness the seeing of lands makes no estate unto us but the possession of them and propriety in them this doth it 2. Conformity as our unhappinesse consists in dissimilitude the more unlike Conformity any man is to God the more unhappy is that man where nothing of God appears there nothing of happinesse appears for there can be nothing but darknesse where there is nothing of light So on the contrary our happinesse depends upon similitude with God The more like we are to him the more blessed are we The Apostle delivers this as our very blessednesse that when he appears we shall be like him 1 Joh. 3. 2. Hence it is that holy persons are stiled blessed persons Blessed are the pure in heart Matth. 5. 8. and holinesse is happinesse Imperfect holinesse is imperfect happinesse and perfect holinesse is perfect happinesse The more holy you are the more like to God you are and the more like you are to him the more blessed you are The more you partake of the Divine Nature which is the only blessed Nature the more do you partake of blessednesse for God is now the more yours 3. Vnion As dissimilitude with God hinders God from being our blessedness Union so likewise doth distance from God this must necessarily be so for if God be blessedness then a distance from God is likewise a distance from blessedness of necessity there must be a nearness yea such a nearness as makes a union which must make up a blessednesse unto us and indeed here lies our blessedness that God unites himself unto us and we are united to him He unites God unites himself to us By way of donation himself unto us 1. By way of donation in that he gives himself unto us even as an husband gives himself unto the wife Hos 2. 19. 2. By way of inhabitation in that he dwells in us by his Spirit 1 John 3. 24. By way of Inhabitation We know that he dwells in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will dwell in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people 3. By way of affection for as we are united to Christ by Faith so God is By way of affection united to us by love when he loves us he joynes himself to us union being an immediate effect of love and where he unites himself there he is a blessedness 4. Communion This Communion of God with us is our great happiness on earth and shall be our everlasting happiness in heaven and it doth consist Communion in Gods gracious opening and manifesting of himself unto the soul not simply in his loving of us but especially in the manifesting that love unto us not simply in his delight but especially in manifesting that delight of his in us towards us and in the imparting of his goodness to us and verily in this communion doth our blessedness consist namely that God doth manifest himself in love and grace and glory to us 3. That every one who hath God for his God in Covenant doth enjoy every Everyone who hath God for his God doth enjoy all these things He hath an interest in God one of these things which makes up blessedness This so clear that I shall not need to insist upon it 1. He hath an interest in God yea such an interest that includes propriety he can say This God is my God and this God is my portion Psal 118. 28. Thou art my God and I will praise thee Thou art my God and I will exalt thee Psal 119. 57. Thou art my portion O Lord. Psal 73. 26. God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Bernard saith Lord whatsoever we give thee unlesse we give our selves unto thee it doth not satisfie thee So we must say Lord whatsoever thou givest to us it cannot satisfie us It is somewhat to say This house is mine and these lands are mine and these parents and friends are mine but it is infinitely more to say This God is mine this God is my portion The greater that God is above all others the greater is the comfort and the blessedness that he is mine 2. He hath a conformity unto God for he now is made partaker of the He hath a conformity unto God Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. and is changed into the same image 2 Cor. 3. 18. He carries the very marks and characters of the holy merciful good patient wise loving God in his soul 3. He hath union with God and God with him therefore he is said to be He hath union with God married to the Lord. Thy Maker is thy husband Isa 54. 5. And to be joyned to the Lord 1 Cor. 6. 17. God is in him and dwells in him His heart is the Temple of the Holy Ghost And the Father loves him John 14. 23. If any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him 4. He hath communion with God Our fellowship is with the Father and He hath communion with God with his Sonne Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1. 3. The Communion of the holy Ghost be with you 2 Cor. 13. 14. Oh what happiness is this If all that God the Father will impart or if all that God the Sonne will impart or if all that God the holy Ghost will imparâ— can make you blessed you have it all God hath communion with you and you have communion with him he loves you I will marry you
He will forgive you though not others There are six excellent comforts unto you who have God to be your merciful God 1. That he will forgive you Though the sinnes of others are sealed up and stand upon record against their souls yet your sinnes shall be forgiven The sinnes of others are written and stand upon record but yours are blotted out He will forgive your great sins 2. That he will forgive your great sinnes as well as your small sinnes From all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I clâ—anse you Ezek. 36. 3. That he will forgive all your sinnes though they have been many though He will forgive all your sinnes there hath been a multitude of them Your God who is rich in mercy and hath riches of mercy and multitude of mercies will abundantly pardon them Isa 55. 7. 4. That he will freely forgive them I am he that blotteth out thy He will freely forgive them transgressions for mine own sake and I will not remember thy sinnes Isa 43. 25. and Luke 7. 42. He will everlastingly forgive 5. That he will everlastingly forgive your sinnes so forgive them as never to mention them more All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Ezek. 18. 22. Though they be sought for there shall be none and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve Jer. 50. 20. 6. That your God will certainly do this I will surely have mercy upon him He will certainly do this God is holiness Jer. 31. 20. 3. God is holinesse He is an holy God Joshua 24. 19. I am the Lord your God ye shall be holy for I am holy Levit. 11. 44. Holy holy Lord God Almighty Rev. 4. 8. Glorious in holinesse Exod. 15. 11. Gods holinesse is his infinitely purenesse without all sinne yea hating of it Being also the cause of all the holinesse and purity in the creature This is one of the great excellencies and the glories of God He were not God if he were not holy and the more that any one partakes of holinesse the more excellent is he Six things affirmed of holiness It is a glory attributed to every person in the Trinity Unto the Father Unto the Son Unto the Spirit There are six things which we can affirm of holiness 1. It is a glory attributed unto every person of the Trinity It is attributed Vnto the Father Holy Father keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me John 17. 11. Unto the Sonne that holy child Jesus Acts 4. 27. These things saith he that is holy Rev. 3. 7. Unto the Spirit who is called the Holy Ghost Matth. 3. 11. and the holy Spirit Eph. 4. 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God 2. It is a glory attributed unto all creatures and persons and things of excellency It is attributed to all creatures and things of excellency The holy Angels Matth. 25. 31. The holy Prophets Luke 1. 70. The holy Scriptures Rom. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 3. 15 The great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God Rev. 21. 10. Holy men of God 2 Pet. 1. 21. And indeed holinesse is our glory and therefore the Spirit of grace is called the Spirit of glory Heb. 10. 29. 1 Pet. 4. 14. And they who are stiled holy Isa 4. 3. are stiled the glory ver 5. 3. It is necessary unto glory unto that glory which shall be revealed unto It is necessary unto glory the exceedingly exceeding weight of glory unto that eternal glory that heavenly happiness as a means is necessary to an end as a lower step to arise unto an higher Heb. 12. 14. Follow holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. 1 John 3. 3. Every man that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure 4. It is necessary unto your present communion with God He cannot take delight in you nor will he be neare you nor impart himself unto you unless It is necessary to our present communion with God you be holy What fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darknesse 2 Cor. 6. 14. You read in the Law that all was holy which had a respect unto God the Altar was holy and the Temple was holy and the offerings were holy and the persons who offered them were holy To intimate unto us that there could or might not be any communion with the holy God without holinesse 5. It is the pawn and pledge of future glory the first-fruits of the Spirit It is the pawn and pledge of future glory Rom. 8. 23. The earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1. 22. The sealing of the holy Spirit is stiled the earnest of our purchased possession Eph. 1. 13 14. 6. It is the distinguishing character of the Covenant No people are an holy people but the people of the Covenant and all those people are holy It is the distinguishing character of the Covenant 1 Pet. 2. 5. Ye are a spiritual house an holy Priest-hood Ver. 9. Ye are an holy Nation a peculiar people Isa 4. 3. He that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem 1 Cor. 3. 17. The Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are Now if God be your God He is and will be your holy God He will Comforts from this that God will be a holy God to you He will make you holy be an holy God unto you and that affords you many comforts 1. He will make you holy They shall call them the holy people the Redeemed of the Lord Isa 62. 12. He will give his holy Spirit unto you Luke 11. 13. Where is he that put his holy Spirit within him Isa 63. 11. As you read of Joshuah the High Priest The Lord said Take away his filthy garments from him Behold I have caused thine iniquity to passe from thee and I will cloath thee with change of rayment Zach. 3. 4. So the Lord deals with every person unto whom he is a God in Covenant He cleanseth them from all their filthinesses I will cleanse them from all their iniquities Jer. 33. 8. I will sprinkle cleane water upon you and you shall be cleane Ezek. 36. 25. So Ezek. 37. 23. They shall not desile themselves any more with their Idels but I will cleanse them so shall they be my people and I will be their God 2. He will encrease your holinesse He will sanctifie you throughout 1 Thes He will encrease your holiness 5. 23. He will give more grace James 4. 6. He will strengthen what he hath wrought Psal 68. 28. Holinesse is like the waters of the Sanctuary in Ezek. 47. â— 4 5. To the ancles to the knees and then a river that could not be passed over It is the field which the Lord will bless and prosper It is
of mercy and forgivenesse but it is the Spirit c. It is the peculiar office of the Spirit to make all the Gospel effectual and effectual to the elect of God to the people of God There is not one part or branch of the Gospel but the Spirit is virtute officii to make it effectual to you He is to give you sufficiency of strength for all Evangelical obedience and he is to open and apply unto you all the good in Chrâ—st and all the comforts in the attributes of God and promises of God and he is to make out unto you all the mercy and blessings and happinesse sealed in Baptisme and the Lords Supper And as Christ never failed in any Office which he undertook so the Spirit will not fail but perform and accomplish all and every thing that belongs to his Office and therefore you shall have all the good intended to you in any Gospel-Ordinance whatsoever 2. Another is To witnesse unto us our present standing in grace and relation To witness our present standing in grace unto God you read this plainly in Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God 1 John 5. 8. Thâ—re are three â—hat bear witnesse in earth the Spirit and the Water and the Bloâ—d A Witnesse is one who gives in a Testimony against a man or for a man and he is of use in all doubtful and litigious cases in all suits and trials Satan puts it many times in debate by his accusations Thou art not right thou art not the child of God thou presumest thou deeceivest thy self In this or such like cases there are two Witnesses for the Christian 1. One is his own Spirit 2. The other is Gods Spâ—râ—t Saith conscience this is the spirit of man I know that his heart is â—ight and that he belongs to God And saith the Spirit of God who searcheth the heart aâ—d knows me and all which himself hath wrought in the heart and I know that he is born again for I regenerated him and I know that he is a child of God for he hath received the Spirit of Adoption whereby he cryeth Abba-Father Aâ—d verily a greater Testimony and surer witnesse cannot be had then the Testimony and Witnesse of the Spirit of God who knows all â—hings and is truth 3. A third Office of the Spirit is to seal us in respect of our future happinesse To seal us in respect of our future happiness and this also the Scriptures expresly deliver Eph. 1. 13. In whom after ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Verse 14. Which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession Eph. 4. 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption The sealing of the Spirit is that assuring confirmation unto the hearts of believers that the heavenly inheritance purchased by the blood of Christ is theirs and that they when this day of full Redemption comes shall assuredly possess and enjoy it Beloved what can be said more to expresse the happinesse and comfort of the people of God in having God to be their God the Father is theirs the Sonne of God is theirs and the Spirit of God is theirs theirs in his graces theirs in his comforts theirs in Offices witnessing their present condition in grace and assuring them of their future inheritance in glory what more happinesse can be enjoyed on earth than this 7. Lastly The Spirit is yours in respect of his presence Joh. 14. 17. The Spirit He is ours in respect of his presence of truth dwelleth with you Rom. 8. 11. By his Spirit that dwelleth in you 2 Tim. 1. 14. By the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us It is observable concerning the presence of the Trinity that every one of the persons is said to dwell in believers God the Father doth dwell in them 2 Cor. 6. 16. The Sonne doth dwell in them Christ dwells in our hearts by faith Eph. 2. 17. The holy Ghost likewise dwells in us O happy soul who art made such a Temple wherein God the Father and God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost dwells what canst thou want what dost thou enjoy how great is thy excellency how perfect is thy beauty how full is thy glory Dwelling notes a special presence and it notes a constant and permanent presence and truly such is the dwelling of the Spirit of God in the children of God it is a gracious residence and it is an abiding residence he never leaves you John 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Can you reach this comfort of the perpetual presence of the Spirit in you and with you Let me tell you The bodily presence of Christ is not comfortable without the presence of the Spirit The absence of Christ is made up by the presence of the Spirit The presence of the Spirit makes all to be present with us You are safe and sure with whom the Spirit is 1. The presence of Christ I mean his bodily presence only was not comfortable without the presence of the Spirit It is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing so Christ Joh. 6. 63. 2. The absence of Christ now in heaven is made up unto us by the presence of his Spirit now within us here on earth The Spirit only supplies his absence and makes our condition as good and as happy as if Christ himself were present with us 3. The presence of the Spirit makes all to be present with us all are present by the presence of the Spirit God comes to be present and Christ comes to be present and joy and salvation come to be present by the presence of the Spirit 4. And are you not safe and sure with whom the Spirit of God is and will be alwayâ—s present He is present with your souls with your faith with your graces and he can give you present strength and present help and present victory and present comforts SECT X. 5. A Fifth singular comfort unto you who have God to be your God in Covenant There is a conjunction of the whole Trinity in all the businesses of our eternal blessedness is this viz. A common conjunction of the whole Trinity in all the businâ—sses of yoâ—r etâ—rnal blessedness This is an exceeding high point and of exceeding comfort unto you that there is an union in the Trinity of persons in their gracious respects unto your salvation There is an union or common conjunction of the persons of the Trinity First In respect of love Secondly In respect of consent and in respect of A conjunction of the three persons purpose Thirdly In respect of operation Fourthly In respect of Relation Fifthly In respect of engagement Sixthly In respect of Communion 1. In respect of love what is that That is every
the Trinity be in their respective subsistences so different that the Father neither is nor can be the Son nor the Son the Father nor the holy Ghost either yet it is as true that every one of them is the same Deity and had the same will in and for mans salvation that some should be elected of God and finde mercy and have salvation there was a mutual will and consent twixt the three persons in the Trinity That Jesus Christ the Son of God should have these bestowed upon him and he be charged to procure their salvation by being incarnated and by being humbled to the death even to the death of the Cross as to this also there was a mutual will and consent in the Trinity I will give and send you saith the Father Lo I come I will give my self saith the Son and I will anoint and sanctifie you for this saith the Spirit that the holy Ghost should be sent to open and apply the salvation of God unto the Elect of God the Father and to the redeemed by Christ the Son this also fell into their common will and consent and purpose in respect werereof the holy Ghost is said to be sent and given from the Father and from the Son Joh. 14. 26. The Comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things c. Joh. 15. 26. But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father he shall testifie of me I will not enlarge my self in this discourse at this time because it will fall in more fully when I come to speak of the parties interested in the Covenant only let me tell you who are in Covenant with God that your comforts are exceeding great even from this That there was and is a mutual will consent agreement and purpose of the whole Trinity concerning you and your salvation for this will concerning you and your salvation 1. It is the gracious will of Gods decree 2. It is a fixed and invariable will 3. It is an effectual and infallible will 4. And I if may not be mistaken it is the binding will or argument of all the persons unto which every one of them as it were sets his seal and in which they are all of them bound up and according unto which every one of them doth act or expresse himself for our salvation O what infinite love and goodnesse and wisdom is this that our salvation should be thus contrived and ordered and distinctly undertaken and agreed upon with one common consent of will and purpose by the whole Trinity of persons every one of them contributing his whole self and heart and power towards it Surely your salvation must be precious and excellent and sure and we our selves as sure in our enjoyment of it 3. There is a conjunctivenesse of operation every person of the Trinity doth act There is a conjunctivenesse of operation or work for the good and salvation as will and intend it Joh. 5. 17. My Father worketh hitherto and I work verse 19. whatsoever things he doth these also doth the Sonne likewise John 14. 31. as the Father gave me commandement so do I. The Mission and Donation of Christ to save us this is the work of the Father The giving of himself for our Redemption and Reconciliation this is the work of the Sonne The calling of us and Renewing and Regenerating of us this is the work of the holy Ghost Indeed there is such an excellent co-operation of the whole Trinity in the businesse of our salvation that the greatest works conducing thereunto are promiscuously attributed to every one of them as our Vocation and Justification and Adoption and Sanctification and Glorification all these are sometimes attributed to the Father and sometimes to the Son and sometimes to the holy Ghost Sanctification is thus promiscuously attributed unto them 1. To the Father Jude ver 1. Sanctified by God the Father 2. To the Son 1 Cor. 1. 2. That are sanctified in Christ Jesus 3. To the holy Ghost Rom. 15. 16. Being sanctified by the holy Ghost Justification is also thus attributed to them 1. To the Father Rom. 8. 33. It is God that justifieth 2. To the Son Rom. 9. 5. Being now justified by his blood 3. To the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 11. But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus by the Spirit of our God Vocation likewise is thus attributed unto them 1. To the Father 1 Pet. 1. 15. As he who hath called you is holy c. 2. To the Sonne Rom. 1. 6. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ 3. To the holy Ghost whose mighty power it is which brings us into Christ The like you may read of Adoption ascribed unto the Father Ephes 1. 5 unto the Son Gal. 4. 6. and unto the holy Ghost Rom. 8. 15. We have a rule that opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa although the modus operandi and the Terminus actionis may be distinct and questionlesse as all the Attributes of God are affirmed of every person so all the operations proper to God are common also unto them Now what a glory and comfort is this that every one of the Divine persons hath a hand in every thing which concerns our salvation As they do all of them consent unto it and resolve upon it so every one of them doth work towards it We look upon that passage as of great weight and stay and comfort unto us in Rom. 8. 28. All things viz. here below in common contingencies work together for good to them that love God! How much more is this for our support and comfort that all the Trinity that every person in the Trinity is working together for our salvation that God the Father is working and God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost As they say about the Incarnation of Christ that every one of the Persons in the Trinity had a hand in it though the second person only was Incarnated as three may weave a garment which one of them only wears thus may we say of our salvation that every person of the Trinity acts and works towards it and will still so work untill they have come to the last work untill they have finished that work in our eternall glorification 4. There is a common union also of Relation and Interest of all the persons in every There is a common union of Relation and Interest of all the persons in every Believer and of every Believer to them believer and of every believer to them Every one of the persons hath an interest in you and relation to you 1. The Father hath an interest in you 2 Cor. 6. 18. I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters 2. The â—on hath an interest in you
on mans part or by way of promise on Gods part And well he may do so inrespect of that Infinite Goodnesse and Wisdome in God who knows much better how to lay the frame of a Covenant betwixt himself and man than man can know how to draw a Covenant betwixt himself and God SECT II. 2. THat there is a Covenant which God makes betwixt himself and believers There is such a Covenant So you have it often expressed in Scripture Gen. 17. 2. I will make my Covenant betwixt me and thee verse 7. I will establish my Covenant betwixt me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations after thee to be good unto thee and to thy seed after thee Deut. 4. 23. Take heed unto your selves lest you forget the Covenant of the Lord your God which he made with you 2 Sam. 23. 5. He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure Psal 50. 5. Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice Jer. 31. 31. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah which is repeated by the Apostle Heb. 8. 8. all which places do manifestly prove that there is a Covenant betwixt God and Believers Against this a great objection will lie There are some who argue that there Sect. 2. Obj. The Covenant is only betwixt God and Christ is no Covenant made betwixt God and us there is only a Covenant betwixt God and Christ by vertue of which all Good is derived unto us The ground of this opinion is drawn from Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made he saith not And to seeds as of many but as of one And to thy seed which is Christ Whence they inferre there is no Covenant at all made to us but only with Christ or to Christ Sol. I desire not to make rents but where I find them I would willingly make them up againe but of necessity I must consider this present opinion for if This opinion considered and cleared in three particulars this were true how can this Text I am now upon be true which saith I will make an everlasting Covenant not only for you but with you For the better stating and clearing of this doubt and difficulty I will deliver my self in these Propositions 1. That there is a Covenant made betwixt God the Father and his Sonne Jesus Christ 2. That there is a Covenant made betwixt God and every believing person 3. That the place alledged doth not infringe this truth 1. That there is a Covenant made betwixt God the Father and his Son Jesus There is a Covenant betwixt God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ Christ touching the whole businesse of mans salvation Hence it is that Christ is called the Covenant I will give thee for a Covenant of the people saith the Lord speaking of Christ Isa 49. 8. In hope of eternal life which God who cannot lye promised before the world began Tit. 1. 2. This promise which was ante tempora seculorum was made to Christ I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest them me Joh. 17. 6. All that makes up a Covenant passed betwixt the Father and the Son On the Father part He dâ—signed Christ to the office of Mediatour 1. On the Fathers part 1. He designed his Sonne unto the office of Mediatour him hath God the Father sealed John 6. 27. Set apart marked out for that work and the Apostle Peter speaking of our Redemption by the precious blood of Christ saith that Christ was fore-ordained thereunto before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1. 20. And hereunto did Christ consent and agree Heb. 10. 7. Then said I lo I come in the volum of thy book it is written of me to do thy will O God and againe ver 9. lo I come to do thy will O God 2. He promised to give him the Spirit in abundant measure The Spirit of the He promised to give him the Spirit in abundant measure Lord shall rest upon him Isa 11. 2. I have put my Spirit upon him he shall bring forth judgement to the Genetiles Isa 42. 1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me Isa 61. 1. God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him Joh. 3. 34. 3. He promised to assist him in that great work I the Lord have called thee And to assist him in that great work in Righteousnesse and will hold thy hand and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles Isa 42. 6. What is that holding of Christ by the hand but his effectual supporting and strengthening of him to finish the work which he agreed to undertake 4. He promised a blessed successe to this undertaking he shall see his seed And a blessed successe to his undertaking and he shall see the travaile of his soul Isa 53. 10. Nations that know thee not shall run unto thee Isa 55. 5. 5. He promised him Dominion and Soveraignty His arme shall rule for him And dominion and soveraignty Isa 40. 10. He shall sit in judgement in the earth and the Iles shall wait for his Law Isa 42. 4. He shall judge amongst many Nations Mic. 4. 3. 6. He promised to glorifie him after all Joh. 17. 5. Now Father glorifie thou And to glorifie him after all me 2. Christ an his part consents to the Father undertakes the will and work of On Christs part He consents to him undertakes his work Depends on him dischargeth it and expects the glory promised There is a Covenant with Christ personally and mystically considered his Father Depends on his Father Trusts on him for help The Lord will help me Isa 50. 7 9. My God shall be my strength Isa 49. 5. And he dischargeth all the work agreed on for the Redemption and salvation of the elect I have finished the work thou gavest me to do And expects the glory promised by the Father I would be tedious to speak all that might be said concerning this high Covenant betwixt God the Father and Christ touching the elect and all that concerns them I might adde that as there is a Covenant betwixt God and Christ personally considered so also betwixt God and Christ mystically considered Take him as the Head of the Church his body the Covenant principally looks at Christ I will be your God this principally looks at Christ and I will be your Father this principally looks at Christ and so the maine promises as those of Life of Grace of Justification so they principally look at Christ As there was a respect to the people of God in the Covenant betwixt the Father and Jesus Christ so there was a respect to Christ in the Covenant
also he is yours Oh what a Covenant is this wherein the covenanted have such a propriety The eternal God is my God The All-sufficient God is my God The holy Ghost is my God The merciful God is my God The omnipotent loving gracious God is my God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is my Father and Jesus Christ God the Sonne is my God and God the holy Ghost is mine I have an interest in him and them and I have a communion and fellowship with them 3. Engagement of himself with all that he hath and all that he can do What Engagement of himself a God can be or can do for your good Thus farre doth God engage unto his people when he makes a Covenant with them to be their God he makes over himself and all by bond unto you what I am I am to you and for you and what I have or can do it shall be for you I am the holy God I will be Holinesse to you I am the merciful God I will be merciful to your transgressions I am the gracious God I will shew favour to you and will freely love and blesse you I am the All-sufficient God and I will be a Sunne and a Shield unto you I am the Omnipotent God I will up old you by the right hand of my power I am All and will be All in All unto you I am God blessed for ever and I will be Blessednesse to you for my Covenant with you is the engagement of my self and of all good unto you 4. Perpetuity I will be a God unto you or I will be your God in a Covenant of Grace it is as if he should say I will be a God unto you as long as I am God Perpetuity I am God for ever and I will be your God for ever This God is our God for ever and ever Psal 48. 14. I will love you and blesse you for ever Did I not say aright when I told you that Gods engaging of himself to be our God in the Covenant was the soul the life the summe of the Covenant what can we have more or desire more A God to be our God a merciful gracious blessed blessing God to be our merciful gracious our blessed our blessing God and all this as long as he is God for ever and for ever 3. In this Covenant he promiseth that we shall be his people Jer. 31. 33. I will be their God and they shall be my people So Ezek. 11. 20. They shall be He promiseth we shall be his people my people and I will be their God Zach. 13 9. I will say It is my people and they shall say The Lord is my God This is the Covenant This mutual engagement on either side is it I will be your God and you shall be my people This is a Marriage I will be your Husband and you shall be my wife I take you to to be my Husband and I take you to be my wife This Reciprocal consent and this Reciprocal agreement Thou shalt be mine and I will be thine Thou shalt be for me and I will be for thee Hos 3. 3. this makes the marriage So the Reciprocal acceptance consent and agreement betwixt God and us makes up the Covenant between us in the very formal and vital nature of it Here are two questions unto which I would speak a few things Quest 1 What this expression of the Covenant imports you shall be my people or what it is to be a people in Covenant with God What it is to be a pâ—ople in Covenant As there is some singular thing in that Covenant expression I will be your God or I will be a God to you So there is some special thing in that Covenant expression likewise you shall be my people or you shall be to me for a people And if I mistake not there are three things in it Sol. 1. A Separation you shall not be any others nor for any other but for my self Three things in it A separation and this is expressey declared Deut. 29. 12 13. That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself and chap. 7. 6. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a spâ—cial people unto himself and chap. 16. 6. The Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Come out from amongst them and be ye seperate saith the Lord And I will be a Father unto you and you shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty 2. A dediâ—ation of our selves to God A kinde of consecration wherein we choose him to be our God and binde our selves to him to be his A willing A dedication of our selves to God choyce Deut. 26. 17. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God verse 18. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people Isa 63. 19. We are thine thou never barest rule over them they were not called by thy name Isa 64. 9. Behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people Psal 116. 16. Oh Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant Psal 119. 94. I am thine save me c. 3. An obligation to hearken unto him to obey him and to walk with him An obligation to obey him Deut. 27. 9 10. Take heed and hearken O Israel this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God Thou shalt therfore obey the voyce of the Lord thy God and do his câ—mmandments and his statutes which I command thee this day Jos 24. 22. Ye are witnesses against your selves that you have chosen the Lord to serve him and they said we are witnesses Quest 2 How we come to be his people whether by any voluntary act of our own or How we come to be Gods people in Covenant by the sole effect of his grace because he saith ye shall be my people For the resolution of this know that the Covenant may be considered two ways Sol. 1. As to the Platforme of its constitution which shews of what forme the contracting is when God declares that he as a God makes over himself unto his The Covenant may be considered As to the Platforme of its constitution As to the real execution of it people and his people make over themselves unto him 2. As to the real and effectual execution of this in an actual and mutual acceptation of each other and obligation of themselves to each other Thus considered you must distinguish betwixt the act of voluntary consent in the people or persons covenanting with God and betwixt the cause of that willing consent election and estimation There is a voluntary consent in
all the people of the Covenant They do take the Lord to be their God and they do resigne surrender up and give themselves to be his people and agree to walk with him But then this ariseth not from their own power and ability but only from the love and power of the Grace of God who in effectual vocation doth not only say You shall be my people but also makes them so to be They become his people but he makes them willing to be so They agree to all that he requires but it is because he enables them so to do Before I passe from this I shall make some Use of it Use 1. Is this the New Covenant That God is to us a God and that we are to him a people That he promiseth that he will be our God and we promise that we will be his people and is this the vital and chief part of the Covenant that This is matter of admiration God is and will be our God Oh then what matter of admiration is this What wonders of love and kindnesse are manifested in this Judas not Iscariot wondred at the peculiar manifestations of Christ unto the Disciples John 14. 22. What is the cause that thou wilt shew thy self to us and not unto the world And David wondred at Gods Promise to establish his house and throne for ever before him 2 Sam. 7. 16. Then went King David and sate before the Lord and he said Who am I O Lord God! and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto verse 18. And this was yet a small thing in thy sight Oh Lord God but â—hou hast spoken of thy servants house for a great while to â—ome and is this the manner of man Oh Lord God! verse 19. And Moses wondred at the great work of Providence in the deliverance of Israel and drowning of Pharâ—oh Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the gods who is like thee Glorious in holinesse fearful in praises doing wonders Exod. 15. 11. All these things and many more there are which afford wonder and admiration to us But this one thing that God is our God and that he promiseth in the Covenant to be our God and that we shall be his people is of all other the most amazing truth and the most wonderful goodnesse Behold what manner of love the Father hath And is most wonderful bestowed upon us that we should be called the sonnes of God 1 John 3. 1. This is most wonderful whether you consider 1. God himself 2. Or our selves Or Whether we consider 3ly The comprehensive efficacy of this Or 4ly Other things in comparison with this Or 5ly The fulnesse of it 1. If you consider God himself In himself he is the Almighty God the God himself great possessor of heaven and earth the eternal God infinite in holinesse and wisdome and power there is no end of his greatnesse He is the Lord the Lord merciâ—ul gracious long-suffering abundant in goodnesse â—nd truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne a God high above all gods Now what wonder is it that this God will so farre abase himself as to become our God to give himself and to bestow himself upon us and to own us for his people his peculiar his choyce treasure 2. If you consider us in our selves What is man that thou art mindful of Us in our selves him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him saith David Psalme 8. 4. Much more wonderful is it to say What is sinful man that thou regardest him or what is fallen man that thou shouldest enter into Covenant with him It was much that the great God should make a Covenant with man in the state of innocency it is much more that he should renew a Covenant with him in the state of enmity for the righteous God to covenant with righteous man is not so wonderful as for the holy God to make a Covenant with unholy man To be a friend unto a friend is much lesse than to be a friend unto an enemy To shew favour to one who never deserved wrath is inferiour to this viz. to shew the greatest kindnesse to one who deserves the greatest wrath and utter rejection As to requite evil for good is the greatest ingratitude so to return good for evil is the greatest kindnesse 3. If you consider the comprehensive efficacy of this that God is to us a God The comprehensive efficacy of this in Covenant This comprehends in it all good all love all mercy all blessings whatsoever If God be our God all good must be our good heaven and earth are setled upon you all is given unto you when God gives himself unto you He is your Sunne and your Shield He will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold How wonderful is this that God should be our God in a Covenant of grace We wonder at Adams interests and possessions But the interests and enjoyments of the sinner being brought into this Covenant with God as they are more certaine and stable so they are more high and full You are now interessed in such mercies and in such fruitions which Adam never did or could taste of in his original state of righteousnesse All other gifts in comparison with this 4. If you consider all other gifts in comparison with this gift I will be your God The gifts which God bestows upon his people are very many and very rich yet none of them is comparable unto this gift of himself in Covenant None of his earthly and temporal gifts these are lower than his spiritual and eternal gifts they are farre short of them and therefore farre short of God The least spiritual gift transcends all earthly and temporal gifts And none of his spiritual gifts I say none of these is to be matched or compared with himself Grace is not such a gift as the God of grace Mercy is not such a gift as the God of mercy Peace is not such a gift as the God of peace Nor holinesse as is the God of holinesse Nor happinesse as is the God of happinesse No nor Christ himself for the end of giving of Christ is to bring us unto God to the enjoyment of him and surely the end for which any thing is given is above the means for which it is given 5. If you consider the fulnesse of this That God gives himself unto us to be our God It is the uppermost and it is the utmost of all Donations As there is nothing better so there is nothing more to be given God cannot give you a greater nor a better nor any more good when he hath given unto you himself It is as much as you must and as much as you can expect and desire you cannot have more on earth and you cannot have more in heaven The enjoyment of God himself for our God is All. And now tell me whether this be not-wonderful and amazing that
to my self in loving kindnesse Hos 2. 19. and you love him We love him because he loved us first 1 John 4. 19. He delights in you Thou shalt be called Hephzibah for the Lord delighteth in thee Isa 62. 4. and you take delight in God God is manifesting himself and communicating his love and goodness to you to all eternity 2. Thus have you the comfort in the general from this that God is your Comforts in particular God I shall now proceed to handle the comforts in particular which belong unto you and they are these If God be your God 1. Then you are the particular objects of the eternal love of God and of all his gracious unchangeable and infallible purposes intentions and thoughts 2. Then all the glorious Attributes of God are engaged unto you for good for your good for all your good altogether for all your good 3. Then Jesus Christ and all the Offices of Christ and all the works and all the sweet fruits of his Redemption Intercession and Mediatourship are yours and for your good 4. Then the Holy Ghost and all the excellent and choyce works of the Spirit his graces assistance guidance refreshings joyes comforts sealings are your portion and assured possession 5. Then there is a communion and conjunction of the whole Trinity in all the businesses of your eternal blessedness 6. Then all the promises of God are yours 7. Then all the priviledges and immunities annexed to the Covenant of grace are yours 8. Then all is yours Greater and better comforts than these neither men nor Angels can possibly present unto you And I desire the rather to discourse of them that you who are the people of God and have chosen him to be your God and find him to be so may know your blessedness even in this alone that God is your God And that others who as yet are out of Covenant hearing the surpassing happiness of being in Covenant with God and Gods being in Covenant with us may be awakened excited and allured to come off from their sins and sinful wayes and may strive earnestly to enjoy this God for their God and that they may become his people SECT VI. 1. IF God be your God then you are the particular objects of his eternal love If God be our God we are the objects of Gods eternal love and of all his gracious purposes and of all his gracious and unchangeable and infallible purposes intentions and thoughts and so you may safely conclude that you are the vessels of mercy on whom God will make known the riches of his glory Rom. 9. 23. The Apostle in that Chapter discourseth of the eternal love and grace of God in election which he calls The purpose of God according to election ver 11. and his love ver 13. and his having mercy on whom he will have mercy ver 15. 18 and those persons whom he hath thus loved and elected he calls vessels of mercy afore prepared unto glory ver 23. Now the question might be how we may know whether we be in that number whether we be the persons on whom that love and that election was fixed This he resolves by our interest in the Covenant ver 24. Even us whom he hath called Ver. 25. As he saith also in Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved Ver. 26. And it shall come to passe that in that place where it was said unto you you are not my people where they shall be called the children of the living God as if he had said we know that God hath loved us and that he hath had mercy on us and that he hath elected us for he hath called us out of our sinful condition and brought us into Covenant with himself he is our God and we are his people he is our Father and we are his children we are the children of the living God Now what an unspeakable comfort is this namely a certain knowledge of the love of God and of the election of God that our names are written in heaven in the book of life out of which they shall never be blotted 1 John 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sonnes of God! as if he had said no love like unto this love This was wonderful love that he should be out Father and we should be his children 2 Thes 2. 13. We are bound to give thanks alwayes to God for you brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation Mark the Apostle judgeth their election to be a just obligation of continual thanks that God should be blessed for that every day of our lives for ever and ever because he hath chosen us and ordained us to salvation Luke 10. 20. Rather rejoyce because your names are written in heaven Oh to be interessed in that love of God out of which Christ comes and mercy comes and all our good comes To be interessed in that love which is so free so liberal so invariable To be interessed in that election which passeth by others but clasps us which intends for us no less than eternal glory which will infallibly bring into us all that will bring us unto glory To be interessed in that election which begins in choycest love and ends in fullest blessednesse Certainly these are grounds of highest comfort and of sweetest joy and in these are all such interessed who have God to be their God and who are his people in Covenant These and noen but they are the beloved and chosen o God SECT VII 2. IF God be your God then all the glorious Attributes of God are engagâ—d All the glorious Attributes of God are engaged for their good unto you for your good for when God is our God then himself as considered in his essence and as considered in his attributes or glories he thus is ours God and all that belongs to a God are for us and for our good As when the Covenant of Marriage is finished betwixt the Husband and the wife now the Husband is hers and all that belongs unto the Husband is hers she shall be the better for his riches and for his honours and for his wisdome and for his power and for his kindness So when God is our God in Covenant he is ours and all that he hath is ours ours though not for Denomination as if he made us Gods or made us omnipotent and infinite and eternal yet ours for fruition himself and all his attributes we do and shall enjoy for our good and benefit I will mention some of those attributes of God and will shew you your good of and by them and will demonstrate it that they and all their good are engaged to all the people to whom God is a God in Covenant 1. God is al-sufficiency I am God Almighty or al-sufficient saith God to Abraham
which because he is your God he is engaged unto you I thought to have added unto all this another discourse of Gods engagement in his Attributes unto his people viz. That his Attributes were engaged unto you conjunctively and that conjunctive engagement was 1. Vniversal not this or that Attribute of God but this and that every one of his Attributes 2. Special as his al-sufficiency and faithfulness his goodness and graciousness his power and wisdome his mercifulness and unchangeableness his omnipresence and kindness his Sovereignty and eternity But then I fear I should be too tedious unto you therefore let what hath been spoken be sufficient to give you a taste of that happiness which the people of God enjoy by having God to be their God upon this account that their God is engaged unto them in all his Attributes for their good SECT VIII 3. NOw follows a third singular comfort unto all who have God to be their If God be your God then Christ is your Christ God in Covenant which is this If God be your God then Christ is your Christ To whom God is a God unto them Christ is a Christ if God be your God then Jesus Christ is yours as Christ spake unto his Father All mine are thine and thine are mine John 17. 10. All that have an interest in me have an interest in thee and all that have a relation to thee have also a relation to me We may so safely say All who have propriety in God have propriety in Christ If God saith unto you I am your Father Christ saith unto you I am your Saviour whom the Father owns he doth own whom the Father loves he loves This is certain that God the Father hath not one sort of people and Christ another sort of people that there are some to whom God hath relation and there are others to whom Christ hath relation No but what relation God hath to any and what propriety God hath in any the same hath Christ and what relation and propriety any have in God the same have they unto Christ I and my Father are one Then if you be Gods then you are Christs and if God be yours then Christ is yours he is given to you and you are given to him Vnto us a Sonne is given Esay 9. 6. Thine they were and thou gavest them me John 17. 6. Now if God be your God Then Christ is yours in these respects 1. He is yours as to his person He himself is yours not yours only in the respect Christ is yours as to his person of his graces and works but yours also in respect of his person as it was his person who gave himself for you Christ hath given himself for us Ephes 5. 2. so it is the person of Christ who gives himself unto you my beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 2. 16. The union and relation 'twixt you and Christ is as real as that between the husband and the wife as that between the head and the body as that between the Vine and the branches as the husband can say This woman is my wife and the wife can say This man is my husband so truly doth Christ say This believer is mine so can the believer say This Christ is mine that Christ who is the Sonne of God the brightnesse of his Fathers glory who is immortal God with us who is God blessed for ever who is the Lord of glory whose Name is Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace The Saviour of sinners the Redeemer the Light and Life of the world the desire of all Nations who is altogether lovely and most excellent and precious in comparison of whom Paul counted all things but losse and dung this Christ is your Christ this Christ in whom is life and without whom there is no life this Christ in whom is salvation and without whom there is no salvation this Christ in whom is blessednesse and without whom there is nothing but curse and misery this Christ in whom is hope and without whom there is no hope this Christ is your Christ But let us a little more distinctly consider our happinesse and comfort that Christ Comfort from this that the person of Christ is ours It is more to enjoy Christ himself than to enjoy all things without him the person of Christ is ours 1. It is more to enjoy Jesus Christ himself than to enjoy any or all other things without himself Could you enjoy every good and every comfort which every creature in the whole world doth contain as all these are nothing in comparison of Christ what is the Candle to the Sunne what is the glory of the grasse to the glory of the only begotten of the Father what is the chaffe unto the wheat the soul of man is above all these much more is Christ so they are nothing in a separation from Christ unlesse the figure stands before all that follows are but empty ciphres which signifie nothing so unlesse you have Christ your greatnesse is but a cipher your riches are but a cipher they are neither a blessednesse unto you nor yet a blessing nor yet a way to the one or to the other Christ alone hath more worth in him more wealth in him more delight in him more greatnesse in him than can be possibly found in all the creatures although dividedly or conjunctively considered and therefore Moses preferred even the reproaches of Christ before aâ—l thâ— treasures in Egypt Heb. 11. Take me the greatest man on earth if he be a Christlesse man he is but a cursed man and all that he hath is but a curse unto him and take me the meanest man on earth if Christ be his he is a blessed man and all that he hath is a blessing unto him 2. It is mâ—re to enjoy Jesus Christ himself than to enjoy any or all the benefits It is more to enjoy Christ himself than to enjoy all benefits depending on him depending on Christ The benefits I say from the enjoyment of Christ are very precious how precious is the peace which flowes out of his blood and the joy which comes in by his Spirit and the graces and the gifts from him yet Christ himself is more precious more sweet more lovely and more desirable If the Image be so precious much more the pattern it self if the tokens and gifts be so precious much more is the giver himself if the words of his mouth and the kisses of his lips are so sweet much more sweet is the enjoyment of Christ himself therefore Paul rejoyceth especially in this that Christ lovâ—d him and gave himself for him Gal. 2. 20. And above all things desires to be foâ—nd in him Phil. 3. 9. No not the knowledge of Christ though it were the excellency of knowledge could suffice him it was Christ himself after whom he principally looked and in whom he would be found 3. All is enjoyed by
faithfulnesse of God yea which sets every person of the Trinity a working for you It is the love of the Father which did put him upon the thoughts and upon the gift of Christ It is the love of the Son which did put him upon the giving of himself upon dying for you And it is the love of the Spirit which did put him upon the giving of himself unto you and working all his works for you 3. This love is the reason of their delight in you you are made neer by it and become This love is the reason of their delight in you exceeding dear unto every one of them the Father takes pleasure in you and so doth the Son and so doth the Spirit they take delight in your persons and in your graces and in your services and every one of them manifests himself unto you and makes known their relations unto you 4. This love is at cost and charges for you and it makes all easie and joyful there is not a person of the Trinity but is glad if I may so expresse it with all his heart This love is at cost and charges for you to do you good it is no burden to the Father to promise nor to the Son to purchase nor to the holy Ghost to apply the riches of Grace and Glory unto you This love is that which makes them restlesse untill they have done you good the Father waits to be gracious and to shew mercy How do I long untill it be accomplished said Christ of his sufferings for us c. and unweariable in the doing of us good 5. This love of their is that which makes them so dreadful and heavy unto your enemies This love makes them so dreadful to your enmies so high in the wayes of your defence and so high in the works of vengeance on your Adversaries enemies to your enemies and friend unto your friends God by his Spirit fills their hearts with terrours and puts them into streights and drives your enemies to their feet and Christ rides conquering bathing his sword in blood 6. This love of theirs is the reason why they do all of them bear with all your infirmaties yea and cover the multitude of your sins that they deale so gently with This love is the reason why they all bear with your infirmities Five comforts from this you and accept of your weakest performances and defires and tears and sighs and greans and passe by all your failings c. Thus have you heard of the common union of the Trinity in their love unto you which I think is a clear ground of wonderful contentment for being interested in this their common love of you 1. All fears and doubts are silenced in all your approaches unto God The Father All fears and doubts are silenced in all your approaches unto God You cannot but speed very well in prayer unto whom you pray he loves you the Son by whom you pray he loves you the Spirit who helps you to pray he also loves you If you have the love of every one of them there is no just cause of any distrustful fears 2. Nay how can it be but that you must speed very well Love gives the kindest and fullest and easiest and sweetest answers and helps what will not the loving God and Father the loving Christ and Saviour the loving Spirit and Comforter what will they not do for you 3. Whatsoever God is in his greatnesse the better it is for all you who are thus beloved of him I do confesse that the greater God is if he loves us not the Whatsoever God is in his greatnesse the better it is for you more dreadful is our apprehension of him but the greater that he is if he loves us this is the more comfortable unto us The greatnesse of his power who loves us The greatnsse of his Alsufficiency who loves us The greatnesse of his Mercifulnesse Wisdom Knowledge Faithfulnesse c. who loves us can you have a greater encouragement then this that God who knows all things who hath all things who can do all things who will perform all things this God loves me unquestionably therefore I shall be the better for that power c. 4. The common love of the Trinity assures you against damnation and perishing This common love assu es you against damnation and of salvation and of salvation and blessednesse Love preserves but destroyes not love brings us near but rejects and forsakes not for how can it possibly be that any man should perish and be lost who is interested in the highest and dearest and unchangable love of God who hath the ordaining love of the Father unto salvation and the meriting love of Christ to purchase salvation and the applying love of the Spirit effectually undertaking to guide and lead him unto salvation I confesse that if God did not love you there could be no salvation for you â—or were the love of the Trinity divided and parted so that though the Father loved you intending your salvation but the Son would not undertake it with his love to die for you to procure salvation or if the Son and Father would consent in their love but the holy Ghost would not love you so far as to bring you into Christ to be partakers of him and of salvation then there would be a manifest uncertainty of your salvation or if all of them did love you with a changeable love 5. Lastly it cannot be that you should want any necessary good If that argument It cannot be that you should want any necessary good of Christs be strong against the fear of wants Matth. 6. For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things surely this is stronger Your Father loves you therefore you shall not want them 2. There is a conjunctive union as in the love of the Trinity so in the will and There is a conjunctive union in the will and purpose of the Trinity in the matters of our salvation consent and purpose of the Trinity in the matters of your salvation There was one mutual will between them from eternity and there is one and the same mutual will between them unto eternity what the Father did will the Son did will and the same did the Holy Ghost will and what the Father did propose for your salvation for the matter and manner unto all of that did the Sonne and holy Ghost consent and agree and what the Father did intend and purpose with respect unto the salvation of the Elect that same did the Son and the holy Ghost intend and purpose also As the will of the Father was not nor could be hid from the other persons every one of them being one and the same God so there was a mutual will and liking and determination in every one of them as to all the matter appertaining unto our salvation Though it be most true that the persons of
Christ in us Col. 1. 27. 3. And the holy Ghost hath an interest in you he dwells in us and abides in us 2 Tim. 1. 14. and you also have an interest in every one of the persons 1. You are in the Father the Church that is in God the Father 1 Thes 1. 1. 2. You are in the Son Of him are ye in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1. 30. 3. You are in the Spirit He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. I also have the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 7. 40. Now this common relation and interest of every person in the Trinity as to you and the mutual relation and interest again as to them is a matter of such infinite consequence and full happinesse as indeed I am not able to unfold it I will only touch at a few things in relation to one of these persons and that is God the Father If God be your God in Covenant then he is your Father and you are his Consider this in relation to God the Father children the Apostle admires at this in 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath shewed us that we should be called the sons of God the dignity is most high that we should be the sons of the most High But let us view the comforts of it There are six comforts from this that our God is our Father 1. Your Father is the Father of mercies Blessed be God even the Father of our Your Father is the Father of mercies Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1. 3. God is the Father 1. Of Christ 2ly Of every believer 3ly And of mercies All mercies are in the Father and from the Father And shall you want mercies who are in so near a Relation to the Father of Mercies 2. Your Father doth love you exceedingly Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant Your Father doth love you exceedingly childe Jer. 31. 20. love is frequently given to God the Father Joh. 14. 23. 1 Joh. 2. 15. Cap. 3. 1 c. his Jewels Mal. 3. 3. Though you have offended him yet if you mournfully return unto him he will Though you have offended him yet if you returne he will be gracious Your Father hath enough to help you You may easily prevaile with your Father for all necessary good You shall be heirs who are children of this Father There is a common engagement of the whole Trinity unto you be very gracious unto you and receive you kindly When the Prodigal childe came back to his Father his Father faw him yet a great way off and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Luke 15. 20. 4. Your Father hath enough to help you and he will take care of you In my Fathers house there is bread enough and to spare Luke 15. 17. Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things Matth. 6. 32. 5. You may easily prevail with your Father for any necessary good If you being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask him Matth. 7. 11. 6. You shall be heirs who are children of this Father If Sons then Heirs Rom. 8. 17. Heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ Luke 12. 23. It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdom Matth. 25. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world 5 There is a common engagement of the whole Trinity unto you every one of the persons is engaged to you The Father is engaged to you to do all that a God and Father can and will do for his children The Sonne is engaged to you to do all that a Christ and Mediatour and a Redeemer and Saviour can and will do for his Members The Holy Ghost is engaged to you to do all that a Spirit of truth knowledge faith comfort can do for those who do come to the Father and the Son 6. Lastly There is a communion twixt you and every person of the Trinity 1 Joh. 1. 3. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 13. 14. Thereis a communion but wixt you and every person of the Trinity The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Communions with a Father with a Sayiour with a Comforter And verily these communions are most gracious and heavenly in respect of every one of them when the Father manifests himself unto you in the Relation and Testimonies of your loving God and Father And whom Christ discovers himself unto as your Head and as your Lord as your Saviour in your interests in him and his in you and when the Holy Ghost opens himself unto you in the strengthning of your graces in his comforts and evidences and assurances and fealings why These things are as life to the dead and as raine to the thirsty land they are an exceeding refreshing unto you they are a most heavenly tranquillity and joy and satisfaction unto your hearts And thus have you heard of the happinesse of those people who have God to be their God in Covenant in respect of his Attributes and in respect of Christ and in respect of the Spirit and in respect of every person of the Trinity and in their conjunctive relation and operations I will proceed a little further to some of the rest of the comforts depending upon Gods being your God which I mentioned at the first SECT XI 6. IF God be your God in Covenant and you be his people then all the promises If God be ours then all the promises are ours of God are also yours As you are the children of God so you are the children of promise and as you are the heirs of God so you are the heirs of promise and as your title is clear unto you so your possession is sure you shall certainly inherit all the good comprehended in them I have discoursed largely of the promises in general and shall God willing in the prosecution of this discourse of the Covenant speak more of the promises in particular and therefore I shall at this time only touch at two things viz. 1. The real statings of the promises upon all who have God to be their God in Covenant 2. Their singular happinesse thereby that all the promises of God are theirs 1. The promises do belong to all who are in Covenant with God They The promises do belong to all who are in Covenant with God are stated and settled upon them They are the heritage of the servants of the Lord the childrens bread Vnto us are given exceeding great and precious promises 2 Pet. 1. 4. The very nature and constitution of the Covenant do evince this which is a very cluster of promises I will be merciful to
the good which we do enjoy or can enjoy or shall ever enjoy all our springs are in it 4. Sometimes that is stiled New which is diverse from what it was before It is diverse from the Covenant of works and from it self 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature that is he is not such a creature as he was before he is renewed he is changed into the image of the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. In this respect also is the Covenant stiled New not only because it is diverse from the Covenant of works in the foundation and condition and qualifications of the persons in Covenant but also because it is diverse from it self in respect of the administration of it after that Christ was manifested in the flesh and died and rose again from the different administration it is called Old and New Now it appears with open face without any vaile of legal Shadows and Ceremonies at all God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself and God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne and whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life It is now like a new Lease fairely written over with a new hand and new seals and new witnesses Though this Covenant be the same for substance in Abrahams and Moses time yet upon the coming of Christ it is new for the manner of administration it hath not those seals of Circumcision and the Passeover nor Sacrifices nor Ceremonies nor Types and Legal Figures which formerly it had it hath now the Mediator himself to deliver it and his new seals of Baptisme and the Supper and is established after a new manner even by the blood of Christ and hath many new institutions and adjuncts c. This is the Covenant which God makes with us even a New Covenant a Covenant of life upon new termes a Covenant which hath a new foundation a Covenant which hath new promises a Covenant which hath a new original and spring a Covenant which hath a new way of claime and title a Covenant which gives new hopes and a Covenant which hath new seals and confirmations Vse 1 Surely there is infinite reason for us poor and miserable sinners to bless the Lord even for this that he hath made all things New and especially for making a new Blesse God for this New Covenant Covenant had the Lord utterly left us when we left him had he held us to that first Covenant of works and proceeded against us for the breach of that Covenant we had every one of us for ever been condemned and lost but he was pleased to make a new Covenant with us where mercy is to be found for sinners and a Redeemer for transgressors and a Mediator 'twixt himself and us and our lives may yet be found in his grace and love and Christ and all this springing from his own grace and love What should oblige our hearts and raise our thankfulnesse if this doth not 2. Then there is no reason for distressed sinners to sink and despair although they have been Covenant-breakers and are never able to recompense God nor There is no reason for sinners to despair to raise up themselves for this new Covenant is made for the refuge and support of such sinners And herein God reveals himself to be a God forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne and to receive satisfaction for a sinner though not from the sinner I say for a sinner by a Mediator who hath likewise purchased reconciliation and favour and mercy and salvation for us 3. Not to refuse this Covenant this new Covenant for as it is said of Christ Refuse not this Covenant That there is no other Name given to us by which we must be saved Acts 4. 12. so there is no Covenant but this new Covenant which can relieve and save a sinner as it was with men in the time of the Deluge and the Ark all that got into the Ark were saved and all who entred not into the Ark were lost so all who get into this new Covenant they live and are saved and all who enter not into this New Covenant shall dye in their sinnes and perish SECT II. 2. A Second propriety of the Covenant is this it is a very perfect plentiful It is a perfect and plentiful Covenant and rich Covenant And this will appear weâ—her you will consider 1. The Author of this Covenant 2. Or the Mediator of this Covenant 3. Or the Covenant it self It appears by The Author of this Covenant 1. The Author of this Covenant who therein sets out all his gracious fulness here you shall finde him full of love and therefore the Apostle calls his love a great love Ephes 2. 4. and an exalted love God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 5. 8. And Saint John calls it a wonderful love Behold what manner of love the Father haâ—h bestowed upon us that we should be called the sonnes of God! 1 John 3. 1. Nay Christ himself calls it an unexpressible love God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne c. John 3. 16. And the Apostle repeats the love of God as the character and pattern of all love Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for us In mercy in relation to this Covenant he is said to be rich in mercy Ephes 2. 4. God who is rich in mercy nay to have riches of mercy Ephes 3. 16. According to the riches â—f his glory nay to shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus Ephes 2. 7. nay to be exceeding abundant 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant abundant mercy 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope where sinne abounded grace did much more abound Rom. 5. 20. Sinne doth exceedingly abound by way of extension and by way of intension in practice in degrees and in deserts but the mercy or grace of God it doth over-abound it is more than enough for the pardoning of the greatest sinners yea of all the sinnes of all his people his mercy is like himself infinite and unsearchable And therefore the Church cryes out Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage c. In goodnesse not only full of an essential goodnesse which is his own eternal and infinite perfection but also full of a Covenant goodnesse O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that trust in thee before the sonnes of men Psal 31. 19. He is great in goodnesse Nehem. 9. 35. He is abundant in goodnesse Exod.
to form it in himself Indeed God doth require faith in Christ but God doth not require of the sinner to create this faith in his own heart 2. Though faith be the condition of the Covenant yet it is such a condition God himself doth promise to give it which God himself doth promise to give unto the sinner As it is a condition on our part so it is a gift on Gods part we are to have it but God is to give it according to his promise and undertakes to work it in us according to his power 3. Though faith be the condition yet it is such a condition that God affords all And affords means for the working of it the means for tâ—e working and deriving of it unto the sinner There is no sinner in all the world upon whom God calls for faith in Christ but unto that sinner God affords the Gospel which is the meanes as you have heard designed by God to work faith 4. As God affords the means unto sinners by which faith is wrought so his And his Spirit doth assiâ—â— those meâ—â—â—â— Spirit upon whose operation faith depends doth ordinarily accompany and assist and blesse those meanes to make them to be the power of God to the production of faith in the hearts of sinners so that the Gospel is never sent unto any people but there are some of them effectually called so as to believe through grace 5. And fifthly as there is no sinner unto whom the Gospel of Faith is sent who can No sinner to whom the Gospel is preached can conclude that God never intended to give him faith nay every sinner is some time or other invited properly conclude that God never intends to give him this faith so every sinner may and doth some time or other finde that the Spirit doth by the Gospel earnestly deal with his heart to believe and receive Christ The Spirit by the Gospel doth let in so much light of conviction and doth so far act upon his heart by motions and arguments and perswasions to receive Christ that if yet he continue unbelieving this fault cannot be charged on God who doth work so wonderfully with him to believe but only on himself who slights those means and quenches those motions of the Spirit and wilfully opposeth and resisteth the Spirit in this working Hence it is that you never read of an impossibility on Gods part for with him all things are possible nor yet of an impotency on the sinners part why he believes not though that be true that the sinner in himself considered is insufficient but still the charge lies against the sinner for his wilfulnesse and unwillingnesse ye would not and ye will not come unto me that ye might have life and we will not have this man to reign over us Because God puts forth so much of power by his Spirit in the Gospel as may satisfie us that believing is a pâ—ssible work and that our unbelief sticks unto us not only from a want of power but only from the presence and redundancy of perversenesse in our wills 6. Let me add one conclusion more That this faith which is the condition admitting God will never deny faith to them that cordially ask it into the Covenant is such a condition as God never did nor will deny tâ— any sinner seriously and cordially asking it of him even in this it holds true also aske and it shall be given unto you If God sometimes gives this faith to them that do not ask will he deny it unto them to whom he gives an heart to ask Especially seeing that he therefore gives us an heart to ask because it is his purpose to give us this faith which we do ask See now you have the comfort in the general from this that faith is the condition of the Covenant of grace namely that then a sinner is capable and hopeful of being brought into the Covenant notwithstanding all his former sinfulness and present unrighâ—eousnesse and unworthinesse none of which do hinder faith from inteâ—esting of us in Christ And this Faith also is such a condition as God himself doth promise to give and set apart peculiar meanes to work it in us aâ—â—pon our serious asking of him will give unto us 2. I shall now speak of the particular comforts which do belong unto Believers Comforts to believers who stand possessed of this faith which unites to Christ and is the condition of the Covenant of Grace I grant that distinction of weak believers and of strong believers and that by reason of this gradual diversity there is therefore a different apprehension and perception of your comforts But if your faith be such as indeed brings you into union with Christ be that faith weak or strong then I confidently assure you that your condition is very comfortable and blessed Quest But what are those comforts and what is that blessednesse for all who What those comforts are are by faith united with Christ Sol. I will mention some of them unto you If you be by faith united to Christ so that he is yours and you are his Then 1. Vnquestionably God is your God for union with Christ infallibly takes in union Unquestionably God is your God with God if Christ be yours then God is yours Ye are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3. 23. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sâ—nne Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1. 3. Beloved this is a truth that you can never have union with one Person of the Trinity alone as the union of those persons is common and mutual between themselves the Father hath union with the Son and the Holy Ghost and the Son hath union with the Father and the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost hath union with them both so is our union with them If we be united to Christ we are united to God the Father of Christ and to the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Christ If Christ be yours then God the Father is yours and if Christ be yours then God the Holy Ghost is yours As Christ is in you of a truth so God is in you of a truth and the Spirit of Christ is in you also And as you are in the Son so are you in the Father and so are you in the Spirit And as the Son is in you so the Father is in you and the Holy Ghost is in you And because this one thing is the Caput the summe and heighth and depth of all our comfort and blessednesse I shall therefore crave the favour to speak some few words unto it 1. First then our union with Christ draws in with it our union with God so that Our union with Christ draws in with it our union with God we and God himself are no longer enemies by way of difference nor strangers by way of distance but we are made nigh bâ— Christ not only nigh in a way of pacification by removal of
Joh. 14. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come and make our abode with him Ver. 16. The Father shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever The Father dwells in us 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will dwell in them The Son dwells in us Ephes 3. 17. Christ dwells in your hearts by Faith The Spirit dwells in us Rom. 8. 11. Fourthly That all the people of God have the Spirit of God may plainly appear by the works â—f the Spirit which are to be found in every one of them 1. They are sanctified by the Spirit Ye are sanctified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 11. 2. They are led by the Spirit As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God Rom. 8. 14. 3. They are upheld and strengthened by the Spirit Psal 51. 12. Vphold me with thy free Spirit Ephes 3. 16. To be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man 4. They are partakers of the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8. 23. Our selves have the first fruits of the Spirit 5. They are helped by the Spirit Rom. 8. 26 The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities and the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered 6. They are taught by the Spirit Joh. 14. 26. The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things 7. They are comforted by the Spirit Acts 9. 31. They walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 8. They are sealed by the Spirit Ephes 1. 13. In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Quest 3. Why doth the Lord put his Spirit within every one of his Reasons of it people Sol. There may be assigned six Reasons for it viz. 1. Necessity 2ly Congruity 3ly Conformity 4ly Excellency 5ly The love of God 6ly The purchase of Christ First Necessity The presence and enjoyment of the Spirit is necessary for The necessity of it them in many respects 1. For applying of Christ unto them and for the applying of them unto Christ For applying Christ that there is a conjunction or union between Christ the Head and his Mystical body the Church is an unquestionable truth And how Christ who locally in heaven should be joyned or united to his Church here on earth this cannot be done but by the Spirit who doth knit or joyn Christ to us and us to Christ as really as the head is joyned to the body and as the body is joyned to the head But take the instance in any particular believer that Christ is his and he is Christs it is certain but how comes Christ to be his what is that on Christs part which makes this union it is the Spirit and none but the Spirit and what is it on our part which makes this union it is faith and it is caused by the Spirit So that the Spirit is necessary to this union on either part on Christs part to apply or unite him to us and on our part in causing faith which applyes and unites us to Christ And unto this reciprocal union the Spirit is such a necessary agent that without him there cannot possibly be any union at all No man can be united to Christ but by the Spirit neither can Christ I speak it with reverence unite himself to us but by his Spirit 2. For conveying of spiritual life into them or a new being into their souls For conveying of spiritual life Naturally all men are dead in trespasses and sins and every faculty in them is totally defiled and polluted and corrupted and is deprived of the glory of God nor can any man help himself in this case nor can any creature do it None can raise him from his death but that Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead Therefore is the Spirit called the Spirit of life and the Spirit of grace forasmuch as he is the authour of both unto our souls it is the Spirit who quickens them by infusing the life of Christ into them and who renews them by changing of them into the image of Christ 3. For all the actings of grace Take me any Christian though endowed with For all the actings of grace all the principles of grace and great measures thereof now put him upon any particular acting put him upon believing put him upon repenting upon mourning upon any acts of obedience why looâ—â—s no member of the body can move or strive but from an influence from the head no more can we act any grace we have but by an influence from the Spirit of Christ our Head Joh. 15. 5. And we find it in experience that it is with our souls Simile as with a ship which stirs not if the wind stirs not and it stirs more or less as the wind is greater or lesser so if the Spirit of God stirs not in us our graces stir not c. For all our receptions 4. For all our Receptions Would you know any truth of God you cannot know it unless the Spirit of God give you his light to know it 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. would you be acquainted with the love of God you can never perceive it unless the Spirit shed abroad that love in your hearts Rom. 5. 5. would you be clear and satisfied in your relation of sonship unto God as your Father all the men in the world cannot perswade and satisfie as to that unlesse and untill the Sperit beareth witness with your Spirits that you are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. Secondly Congruity It is meet and fit that the people of God should have the Spirit of God For Congruity 1. They are his children and is it not meet that the children of God should have the Spirit of God should they not bear his image if they were led by the same spirit by which the children of this world are led had they not another Spirit they could not be his children 2. They are his servants and therefore they have much to do for him and they have much to suffer for him Is it not meet that the Lord should help his servants The services of the people of God which they are to do for him and to suffer for him are above all their own strength and therefore God will give them his Spirit to enable them for all their services whether active or passive the Spirit can supply them for every work 3. They are his Heirs and intended for eternal glory and is it not fit that they should have the Spirit of grace who must have the Spirit of glory Heirs of God Rom. 8. 17. Before a person comes to heaven it is fit that he should be fitted for heaven be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. And who
betwixt God and his people 2. Neverthelesse though there be such a Covenant betwixt God the Father Yet there is a Covenant betwixt God and his people Proved and his Son Jesus Christ yet there is a Covenant made betwixt God and his people The places above mentioned do expresly prove it when God saith I will be their God and they shall be my people I will marry you unto my self and I will bring you into the bond of my Covenant 〈◊〉 20. 37. and we are said to enter into Covenant with the Lord Deut. 29. 12. These expressions plainly prove a Covenant betwixt God and us And truly unanswerable Arguments evince this Truth 1. Christ is said to be the Mediatour of this Covenant Heb. 9. 15. Now he could not be the Mediatour of this Covenant betwixt God and himself but of the Covenant Because Christ is the Mediatour of it betwixt God and us 2. To whom the seales of the Covenant are given with them is the Covenant made the seales of the Covenant and the Covenant go to the same persons The seals of the Covenant are given unto his people but the seales of the Covenant are for and to believers Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seal of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4. 11. 3. How can we plead the Covenant betwixt God and us if there were no such Gods people plead this Covenant Covenant Remember thy Covenant Oh how can God be said to remember his Covenant and to do us good for and according to his Covenant with us if there were not a Covenant betwixt God and us Lastly How is God said to be faithful in Covenant with us and how are we God is faithful in his Covenant with us and we are faithful with God Gal. 3. 16. opened and cleared said to be faithful in Covenant with God and why are we exhorted to be so and how can there be such a sinne as breach of Covenant for which God will be avenged if there were no Covenant betwixt God and us 3. The place mentioned in Gal. 3. 16. doth not contradict this truth where it is said The promises are made to Abraham and to his seed not seeds as speaking of many but seed as of one and to thy seed which is Christ This place surely will not carry it out that there is no Covenant with us but with Christ For 1. How do you read in this place of Promises made to Abraham the promises were made to Abraham if there were no promises but to Christ or how can the promises be made only to Christ and yet to Abraham 2. The promises were made to Abraham and then to his seed which is Christ if Christ here should be understood personally the order here mentioned could not hold for then Christ should come to claim the promises in Abrahams right and not Abraham in his 3. By Christ in this place is not meant Christ personally but Christ mystically considered the Church of Christ the company of believers and those are the seed of Abraham who is stiled The father of the faithful And truly I know not why men do so wrest this Text which the Apostle only mentions to prove that all that are justified are justified not by works but by faith forasmuch as the promise of Grace to this purpose was made to Abraham and his seed to all Believers as ver 29. If ye be Christs then are you Abrahams seed and Heirs according to the Promise SECT III. 4. BEfore I passe from the general consideration of a Covenant made betwixt Why God makes a Covenant betwixt himself and his people To put an honour upon his people Dut. 26 18 19. God and us it may be demanded why the Lord is pleased to make a Covenant betwixt himself and his people The causes thereof amongst many others may be these 1. To put an honour upon his people Some do derive the word Berith which signifies the Covenant from a root which signifies to purifie and to separate and to select and verily the Lord when he makes a Covenant with any he doth separate them from others looks on them takes them and ownes them for his peculiar people and agrees with them as the chosen and choycest of all others The first staffe in Zach. 11. 10. is called beauty and this was the Covenant And indeed it is a high honour to be in Covenant with God there is a fourfould honour to us in this 1. One in that God in this becomes ours and we are made nigh unto him A fourfold honour in this 2. A second in that God is ours and we his in a very peculiar way of relation 3. In that God in Covenant opens his love and all his treasures to us tells us of his special grace and love and great intentions of good to us 4. In that he obligeth himself to us in his faithfulnesse to performe all his Covenant In all this there is a great favour done unto and a great honour put upon us Hence when the Lord told Abraham that he would make a Covenant with him Abraham fell upon his face Gen. 17. 2 3. he was amazed at so great a love and honour and why It is a special favour for God to make a Covenant with us hence that of David Who am I O Lord c. 2 Sam. 7. 18. 2. That we might know what to expect from God and upon what termes for the That we might know what to expect from God Covenant as it is a Declaration of all the good which God will bestow upon us so it is also a Rule or Direction what we are to be and to do here you may see all that we need and all that God requires 3. That we might be encouraged in our whole course of obedience there being sufficiency promised and security enough given by God in this Covenant for all To encourage us in obedience good unto all such who are faithful in Covenant with him Walk before me and be thou perfect and I will be a God al-sufficient unto thee Gen. 17. 1. All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that keep his Covenant Psal 25. 10. 4. That we might be bound fast unto himself the Covenant binds fast on both parts God binds himself to us and we also are bound by it to him Jer. 13. 11. To bind us fast to God As the girdle cleaveth to the loynes of a man so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah saith the Lord that they might be unto me for a people and for a name and for a praise and for a glory Thus you have heard in the general what a Covenant is and that there is such a Covenant betwixt God and believers and Reasons also in the General why God makes a Covenant with them CHAP. II. Of the Covenant in special I Shall now descend to something
the hearts of men they shall pity you and help you in your wants if he saith to one Go and comfort such a Christian go and counsel him go and deliver him be a friend unto him he shall come unto thee and be this unto thee The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof 3. What shall I say more seeing Sovereignty and Dominion belong to your Then all the Ordinances of grace are at his command God Therefore all the Ordinances of grace and life are at his command and they shall yield out their strength and drop down their fatnesse at his will and pleasure he can open them and he can let out all their joyes and revivings and consolations they shall be effectual means of all-saving good unto you upon his command 12. He is and will be a good God unto you The Lord is good Psal 136. He will be a good God unto you Ten things concerning the goodness of God to his people He intends them good He will bring unto them the good promised He delights in doing good He accounts this his honour 1. Thou Lord art Good Psal 86. 5. And truly God is good to Israel Psal 73. 1. O how great is thy goodnâ—sse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Psal 31. 19. There are ten things concerning the goodness of God unto his people 1. He intends them good I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an un exâ—ected end Jer. 29. 11. 2. He will bring upon them all the good which he hath promised them Jer. 32. 42. 3. He delights in doing good unto them I will rejoyce over them to do them good Jer. 32. 41. 4. He looks upon his doing good unto his people as his honour and praise it shall be to me a name of joy a praise and an hâ—nour before all the Nations of the earth which shall hear all thâ— good that I do unto them Jer. 33. 9. 5. He thinks no good too good for them he will give grace and glory and He thinks no good too good for them He will never cease from doing good He will do them good every day He prevents us with goodness He doth more good than they seek for He reserves the best good to the last no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Psal 84. 11. 6. He will never cease from doing them good Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life Psal 23. 6. See also Jer. 32. 40. 7. He will do them good every day his mercy is nâ—w every morning Lam. 3. 23. Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits Psal 68. 19. 8. He is so ready to do you good that he oftentimes prevents you with his goodnesse before they call I will â—â—swer Isa 65. 14. 9. He doth them more good than they look for Thou didst terrible things which we looked not for Isa 64. 3. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion we were like them that dream Psal 1 26. 1. 10. He reserves the best good to the last For besides all the good which he doth for his people in this life there is also an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for them 1 Pet. 1. 4. Eye hath not seen nor the eare heard c. 1 Cor. 2. 9. 13. He is a very kind God unto his people Thou art a God of great kindnesse He is a very kind God unto hiâ— people This contains foure things in it Nehem. 9. 17. He hath shewed me his loving kindnesse Psal 31. 21. His merciful kindnesse is great towards us Psal 117. 2. The kindnesse of God contains foure things in it 1. The sweetnesse of his loving nature unto his people without the least disdain of them and harshnesse towards them he will not bruise the bruised reed nor The sweetnesse of his nature despise the day of small things 2. The easinesse of the communication of himself and goodnesse unto them The easiness of his communications His favourable encouragings as waters flow out from a full fountain 3. His favourable encouragings and acceptance of them in their persons and addresses unto him as the father ran and embraced the returning childe and fell on his neck and kissed him 4. His respectful tenders helpful forwardnesse of dealing with his people His respectful tenders in all gentlenesse and elemency And therefore he is said to pity and spare his people as a father pities his childe Psal 103. 13. and spares his childe that serves him Mal. 3. 17. and to draw his people with loving kindnesse Jer. 31. 3. and to draw them with bands of love Hosea 11. 4. and to take them by the armes Hosea 11. 3. and gently to lead them and to carry them in his bosome Isa 40. 11. and to dandle them upon his knees Isa 66. 12. and to speak comfortably unto them Hosea 2. 14. In the Old Testament he would commune with his people and give out all his answers at the Mercyseat And in the New Testament he gives them audience at the Throne of grace and mercy and would have them in all their petitions to look upon him as their Father Our Father c. Though the distance be infinite 'twixt him and us yet he represents himself unto us altogether as a kinde God and Father and makes kinde promises unto us and gives us his own Twelve things may assure you God will be kind to his people His relations to them His love is exceeding great unto them His tender apprehensions of any unkindness offered unto you His daily passing by your failings Sonne to be our Mediatour that so we may still finde favour in his eyes There are twelve things which may assure you that your God is and will be a kind God unto you 1. His relations to you Thy Maker is thy husband Isa 54. 5. I will marry thee unto my self in loving kindnesse Hosea 2. 19. 2. His love is exceeding great unto you he loves you above all the people in the world and his choice delight is in you you are his Hephzibahs and Benlahs because the Lord delights in you Isa 62. 4. 3. His tender apprehension of any unkind and harsh injuries offered unto you he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye 4. His daily passing by the many failings and weaknesses he pities them and will not mark them nor insist upon them 5. His easie reception of you into favour if he sees but a tear in your eyes he His easie reception of you into favour will be gracious to the voice of your tears I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself I will surely have mercy on him 6. His sympathy with you in your distresses and afflictions in all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them His sympathy
your good he seeks your wel-fare and happinesse speaks kindly to you hears your groans answers your complaints and pleads for the poor and needy 7. He is a King for Protâ—ction He will protect and secure you against all your Enemies Divels Sins Men the worst and greatest and will subdue them and trample them under his feet His enemies shall be his foot-stoole 8. He hath great rewards an infinite treasure to bestow on all his people he will accept He hath great rewards for you of their service and reward every one of them with a crown of life O how happy are the people who have the Lord to be their God! and who have therefore Christ to be their Christ a Christ who is such a Prophet such a Priest and such a King I will not stay you any longer in this one part of your Covenant-happiness viz. That Christ is yours only I think it fit to summe up in a few particulars the general comforts which I have mentioned or insinuated already in the Person and Offices of Christ Thus then if Christ be yours Then 1. Life is yours Christ is your life and he that hath the Son hath life Col. 3. 4. 1 Joh. 5. 12. 2. Love is yours Christ loves all his with a love of Kindnesse and tendernesse and benevolence and benificence 3. All that Christ did or suffered in order to mans salvation all is yours your good and for your good 4. His Redemption is yours he hath Redeemed you from wrath and curse and sin and Satan and death and hell 5. You are certainly partakers of the forgivenesse of all your sins 6. You are perfectly reconciled unto God who is now your God and your Father 7. You are accepted and approved with God in the Righteousness of Christ which is now yours as Christ himself is yours 8. You now receive the adoption of sons as you are the brethren of Christ so are you with him in the same relation of sons unto God 9. You are cloathed with the same Spirit wherewith Christ himself was anointed the self same Spirit which is in Christ as your Head is in you as his Members 10. He is your Apology against all Satans accusations and your own sins and fears There is no condemnation unto them that are in Christ Jesus for it is Christ that died 11. He is the living Root and foundation of all your graces and comforts 12. All his victories shall extend to you over Satan the world your sinnes and death 13. You are no more strangers nor Forreiners but are made nigh by the blood of Christ 14. You have all the sights of God in his glory as he is the Lord gracious and merciful long-suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth 15. You enjoy liberty of Accesse by his blood to the throne of grace 16. You shall assuredly speed well in all your suites be heard and answered upon his account 17. He will take special care of you and will own and help and succour and supply you as long as you have a day to live on earth 18. He is your Defence as he is exceedingly sensible of all your Injuries so he will certaâ—nly judge all your enemies 19 By him you are heires of the same glory and Kingdom which the Father hath bestowed on him and which he hath prepared for you 20. He will never part with you nor forsake you but will love and keep you to the end 21. He will entertain you with sweet communions in the day of your pilgrimage and as you are walking and travelling through the vale of tears many a kind word many a good look many a feast all you have where he will sup with you and you shall sup with him many refreshings and joyes and revivings of your spirits 22. You shall infallibly possâ—sse and enjoy all the grace and comfort and blessing and blessednesse which he hath purchased for you in this life and in the life to come even to all eternity he is ever with you whilst you are on earth and you shall for ever be with him when you dye and come to Heaven SECT IX 4. A Fourth singular comfort unto you who have God to be your God is this The Spirit of God is yours then the Spirit of God is yours He also is given unto you for this is one part of the Covenant Ezek. 36. 27. I will put my Spirit within you 1 Thes 4. 8. He hath given unto us his holy Spirit 1 Joh. 4. 13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit Nehem. 9. 20. Thou gavest them also thy good Spirit Acts 5. 32. The holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him The Spirit of God may be considered seven wayes and as to every one of them The spirit is ours in respect of his Titles and Attributes The Spirit of God of Christ of Glory he is yours In respect 1 Of his â—itles or Attributes 2. Of his gifts and fruits 3 Of his works or operations 4. Of his helps or vertues 5. Of his joyes and comforts 6. Of his Office or Function 7. Of his presence or abode 1. The Spirit is yours in respect of his Titles and Attributes he is called sometimes 1. The Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. 11. and the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9. and the Spirit of glory 1 Pet. 4. 14. This very Spirit is given unto you who have God to be your God we have received the Spirit which is of God 1 Cor. 2. 12 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Gal. 4. 6. O what a glory is this what a dignity what a comfort that the same Spirit which is in Christ is also in you that you have Christ and you have the Spirit of Christ 2. The holy Spirit Grieve not the holy Spirit of God Ephess 4. 30. sealed with The holy Spirit that holy Spirit of promise Ephes 1. 13. above eighty times is the Spirit of God stiled the holy Ghost or Spirit in the Scripture And under this notion also is he given unto you as we are said in Heb. 3. 14. to be partakers of Christ so are we said in Heb. 6. 4. to be partakers of the holy Ghost and as Christ is said to be given unto us Isa 9. 6. so the Holy Ghost is said to be given unto us Acts 5. 32. 1 Thes 4. 8. This is the excellency of the Spirit of God that he is holy and this is our excellency that we are holy and the holy Spirit is given unto us for this end to make us holy like unto the Father and the Son and himself hence it is that we are said to be sanctified by the Holy Ghost Rom. 15. 16. 2 Thes 2. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 2. 3. The free Spirit so he is called Psal 51. 12. Vphold me with thy free Spirit The free Spirit He is a free Spirit on a two fold account
one of the persons doth love In respect of love you John 16. 27. The Father himseâ—f loveth you Ephes 3. 19. To know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Rom. 15. 30. The love of the Spirit There is a twofold love in the persons of the Trinity 1. A natural and necessary love so they love each other The Father and the Sonne and the Spirit do so love one another as that they cannot but love one another 2. A voluntary and gracious love with this love all who are in Covenant with God are loved of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Spirit This love of the Trinity may be considered both in respect of the properties of This love may be considered In respect of the properties of it It is the highest of all love it and in respect of the fruits and vertues of it 1. In respect of the properties of it 1. It is the highest of all loves Nothing which is in the creature can possibly be of that height as that which is in God Holinesse in the creature is not so high as holinesse in God goodnesse in the creature is not so high as goodnesse in God mercy in the creature is not so high as mercy in God love in the creature is â—ot so high as love in God Love in God is purest love there is no mixture in that love love in God is perfect love there is no defect or want in that love The love of Parents to their children and the love of husband and wife they are but weak shadowes of the unutterable and unconceivable love of God unto his people As the essence of the Trinity is the highest essence so the love of the Trinity is the highest love you cannot be loved by any that is higher than the Trinity nor can there be any love higher or equal to their love 2. It is a most special love not only in this respect that no other people besides your selves ate dignified with this kind of love but also in this respect that It is a most special love the love of the persons even unto your selves is most choice and wonderful and this you do read concerning the love Of the Father which is in the same Meridian unto you who are the children of the Covenant as it is uâ—to Jesus Christ John 17. 23. That the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me And ver 26. That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them What love the Father hath to Jesus Christ such a love hath the Father unto you who are Christs and this doth appear in four particulars 1. When he elected Christ he did then elect you 2. When he did purpose to give Christ to you he did then purpose to give you to Christ 3. That you are of the same relation unto him with Christ and therefore Christ is not ashamed to call you brethren 4. That you are heires of the same Kingdome and glory with Christ Of the Sonne who loved you to the utmost heighth and depth and expression of love Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends Joh. 15. 13. Ye are my friends ver 14. so Ephes 5. 2. Christ loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God And so for the Spirit He loves you so that he layes out the utmost of his power and the choicest of his gifts and graces upon your souls 3. It is the sweetest of all loves There is no love whatsoever which affords more delight contentment and satisfaction unto the hearts of men Thy love is better It is the sweetest of all loves than wine so the Church speaks of Christ Cant. 1. 2. Thy loving kindnesse is better than life so speaks David of the love of God Psal 63. 3. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us 1 Joh. 3. 1. so sweet is the love of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Spirit that in the apprehension and enjoyment thereof the soule is satisfied as with marrow It is a kinde of heaven unto us every faculty of the soul is affected with it and by it is filled with joyes and praises and love again to God 4. It is a most tender love the Fathers love unto you is so and the Sons love unto It is a most tender love you is so and the love of the Spirit is so unto you The love of every oâ—â— is tender in a marvellous sensiblenesse of your persons and conditions and in as marvellous a readinesse to help and blesse you There is not any one want upon you not any one distresse but every one of the persons in Trinity is apprehensive of it and looks on it with tender bowels of compassion I pitty them saith the Father I wil help him saith Christ the Son I will support and comfort him in this condition saith the holy Ghost 5. It is a most free love every one of the persons loves you with a love which ariseth It is most free love only from love not from any thing in your selves nor for any benefit which can arise from you unto your selves but only because they will love you and are so pleased to love you the love of the Father doth not finde you but make you children the love of Christ doth not finde you but make you righteous the love of the Spirit doth not finde you but make you holy It is a communicating love all the favour which you have and all the good which you have you have it wholly upon the meere account of the freenesse and goodnesse of their love 6. It is a most permanent love There is no change of it nor end unto it see Rom. It is a most permanent love 8. 35. to the end God is your eternal Father and Christ your eternal Priest and the Spirit is your eternal Comforter there is no end of themselves and there is no end of their love unto your selâ—es Secondly In respect of the fruits and vertues of it The fruits and vertues of the love of the Trinity unto you are high and glorious In respect of the fruits and vertues of this love This love is the foundation of all the good of heaven and earth I will mention some of them 1. This love is the foundation of all the building the springs of all the streames all that future glory in heaven and all the possible enjoyments on earth in reference unto that glory they all flow from this love all the kinde thoughts of God and purposes and Counsels and Acts are built upon this foundation of love 2. This love is the moving wheele it is that which sets all the Attributes of God This love is the moving wheel a working for you the Wisdom and Power and Goodness and Mercifulnesse and Graciousnesse and
having God to be your God in Covenant There are divers rights and possessions and liberties and priviledges which you do enjoy and none but you who are the people of God and have him to be your God And I will propound these 1. In the general Where be you pleased to take notice of five things In general 1. Whatsoever priviledges believers have those are yours who are the people of God The priviledges of faith are yours all that faith can pretend unto from a Whatsoever priviledges believers have are yours right in Christ and a title by Christ as Mediator in respect of suffering of satisfying of purchasing of victorious conquest of interceding they are all of them yours whatsoever advantage a soul may get by Christ and whatsoever advantage Christ is to a believing soul that is yours 2. Whatsoever priviledges belong to the friends of God they do belong unto you All the people of God are stiled the friends of God James â— 23. and the friends What priviedges belong to the friends of God are yours of Christ John 15. 14 15. Cant. 5. 1. Friends as friends have free accesse courteous welcome and entertainment liberty of speaking familiarity of converse delightful communion confident imparting and openings of their hearts one to another chearful counsel and helps of one another thâ—se in a spiritual way do you enjoy with your God and from your God who because you are the people of God are therefore the friends of God 3. Whatsoever priviledges do belong to the sonnes and children of God these also do belong to you for you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus The priviledges of the children of God are yours Gal. 3. 26. I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters 2 Cor. 6. 18. You are the children of the Lord your God Deut. 14. 1. Children have the priviledges of nearnesse of residence in their fathers house of dependance on their father of presence of confidence c. 4. Whatsoever are the priviledges of the Kingdome of God those are yours who are the people of God It is a Kingdome of righteousnesse of peace of joy of The priviledges of the Kingdome of God are yours The priviledges of the heirs of this Kingdome are yours In special You have twelve priviledges Liberty of appeal safety of blessing of honour of immortality c. 5. Whatsoever are the priviledges of the heires of this Kingdome those also do belong to you Forasmuch as if you be children you are then 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 17. All the Charter and conveyances and assurances and hopes and at length possessions of the heavenly inheritance are yours 2. In special you have twelve excellent priviledges which I will touch upon a little 1. You have liberty of appeal and that appeal is accepted and ratified you have the liberty to appeal 1. From the Judgment-seat to the Mercy-seat 2. From the merits of sinne to the merits of Christ 3. From a condemning conscience to an acquiting God 4. From the Law to the Gospel 5. From your own unworthinesse to Christs righteousnesse 6. From your own feeling unto Gods promises When you see your selves cast at the barre of justice you may decline the sentence by flying unto the Throne of mercy O Lord justice condemns me but let mercy succour and save me when your hearts are overwhelmed in the apprehension and consideration of your many sinnes and the great guilt of them you may then appeal to the infinitely precious and surpassing merits of Christ whâ—re sinne abounded grace did much more abound and as sinne hath reigned unto death even so doth grace reigne through righteousnesse unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. 20 21. When your conscience condemns you for sinnes past then may you appeal unto your God for mercy to pardon you God be merciful unto me a sinner saith the Publican Pardon my sinne O Lord for it is great saith David When the Law indites and pursues you as guilty then may you appeal to the Gospel as the Sanctuary to receive and secure your distressed souls when your hearts faile you because of your own unworthinesse then may you appeal to the righteousnesse of Christ and so be justified in the sight of God When you feel your selves as to your own sense utterly destitute left lost forsaken then may you appeal to the ptomises of God and there finde your selves still owned and loved and plentifully and graciously assured 2. You have this priviledge that all your communions with God are by a Your communions with God are by a Meditour Mediaâ—or and Advocate and Intercessor Or you pray not in your own names but in the Name of your Christ and Mediator and you plead not in your own names but in the Name of your Christ and you speed not in your own name but in the Name of your Christ nay you believe and hope not in your own names but in the Name of Christ There are two sad things for any man 1. To be left alone unto himself so as to have no part in Christ 2. To go alone in his approaches to God without a Christ to plead for him to have no Christ to own him to step in for him to undertake for him But this is your priviledge and this is your comfort who are the people of God that you never deal with your God but by a Mediator when you appear before your God Jesus Christ appears with you and he appears for you when you do invocare then he doth advocare when you put up your petitions then doth he make intercession he is your Advocate with the Father and he ever lives to make intercession for you 3. You have this priviledge that you trade altogether at the mercy-seat and You trade altogether at the mercy-seat at the Throne of grace God deals with you in no other Court but that of mercy and answers you from no other Throne but that of grace and you deal with God at that Seat and that Throne only When you have any sinnes to be pardoned you may go to your merciful God and to your gracious God and your merciful God will pardon them and your gracious God will freely pardon them When you would have any kinde of good and help you may go to your good and kinde God and he will give it and to your gracious God and he will freely give it 4. You have this priviledge that you may go to your God when you will You may go to your God when you will There is no space of time whatsoever but the door is open to you and your God is at leisure to speak with you You have liberty of accesse and that liberty is never restrained let your occasions be never so urgent never so many you may freely speak with your Father yea though there be ten thousand Petitioners before him yet you may put in your
the life of your comforts it is your Paradise and your Heaven here on earth 5. Maintain and justifie your Covenant-relation when once it is made manifest Maintain and justifie your Covenant-relation Four things we should alwayes maintain The unchangeableness of out Covenant-relation unto you against all the suggestions of Satan and against all the risings and oppositions of your own unbelief I here are four things especially which you should still maintain and make good for at them doth Satan most strike at 1. The unchangeablenesse of the Covenant-relation This God is our God for ever and ever He will be our Guide even unto death Psal 48. 14. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You are many times under Spiritual sâ—â—ences God seems not to regard your prayers and many times under Spiritual delaies God puts you off from day to day and many times under Spiritual desertions God hides his face from you and Satan in such cases puts it upon you to question and disown your Covenant-relation If God were your God it would not be thus But notwithstanding all these or any other trials of your selves yet God still maintains his interest in you and your relation to himself God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew saith the Apostle Rom. 11. 2. I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3. 6. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the housâ— of Jacob and will look for him Isa 8. 17. But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb Yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me So Hosea 2 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever and Heb. 13. 5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee 2. The tendernesse of your Covenant-relation The tendernesse of Gods love The tenderness of your Covenant-relation unto you and the tendernesse of Gods care over you Do not suffer Satan to raise jealousies and do not you nourish any jealousies about these if you do so you dishonour your God by them and make your soules to serve him with bitterness your God loves you with as tender love as ever Father loved his dearest child Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant childe my bowels are troubled for him Jer. 31. 20. His love is set upon you Deut. 7. 7. And he doth rest in his love Zeph. 3. 17. He loves you with an everlasting love and therefore draws you with loving kindnesse Jer. 31. 3. And your God hath a most tender care over you as a man hath over his jewels which are his chiefest treasures I will make up my jewels Mal. 3. 17. and as a man hath over the apple of his eye he led him about he instructed him he kept him as the apple of his eye Deut. 32. 10. And as an Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young spreads abroad her wings taketh them beareth them on her wings verse 11. So the Lord c. 3. The goodnesse of the Covenant relation that God still is and will be The goodnesse of the Covenant relation good unto you that he prepares of his goodnesse for and he prepares mercy and truth for you and layes up exceeding goodnesse for you reserves it for you and is never weary nor will ever turn away from you from doing of you good 4. The graciousnesse of your God in Covenant that as at the first when he took The graciousnesse of your God in Covenant you into the Covenant this was the work of his own grace so all along in the dispensations of the Covenant the Lord still acts in a way of grace towards you alwayes and altogether upon free termes he freely loved you and he freely chose you and he freely called you and still he freely blesseth you and doth good unto you and upon gracious termes he deals with you all the dayes of your life in all things for which you have to deal with him 6. Walk and live like a people who have such a God to be your God in Covenant Walk and live like a people in Covenant with God as your relation is different from all other peoples relation so your conversation should be different from the conversation of all other people as your condition is now higher than the condition of other people for God exalts you by making you to be his people so the word avouching signifies in Deut. 26. 18. so your walking must be better than that of other people and as your enjoyments and hopes transcendently exceed all other mens so your returns must be in some proportion answerable unto your great interest in so good a God and as God by becoming your God makes you high above all Nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honour Deut. 26. 19. so hath he formed you for himself that you should shew forth his praise Esay 43. 21. You are a chosen Generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that ye should shew forth the praise of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvelous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. Which in time past were not a people â—ut are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy verse 10. Quest If any of you demand how that people should live and walk who have How a people in Covenant should walk God to be their God in Covenant Sol. I answer Such a people should walk 1. By faith in a continual dependance upon their living and giving God 2. In a singular love and delight in their good and merciful God 3. With holinesse before their Holy and Omnipresent God 4. With uprightnesse before their Omniscient and All-sufficient God 5. Without inordinate cares before their Faithful and Never-failing God 6. Without inordinate fears before their Almighty God 7. Without offence or grieving of their Loving God 8. With all contentednesse and well-pleasednesse of Spirit before their Wise and gracious God 9. With all humility before their Great and Merciful God 10. With all cheerfulnesse and gladnesse of heart before their Blessing and Blessed God 11. In all constancy of obedience before their Eternal God 12. In all the kinds of zeal for the honour of that God who hath so much honoured them as to be their God 1. You who are the people of God and have God to be your God in Covenant Live and walk by faith in dependance upon the living God you should live and walk by faith in a continual
with your whole hearts O God I cannot be satisfied untill thou art pleased to become my God c. the Lord would certainly answer the desires of your hearts 2. If you would have God to be your God in Covenant you must then break Break your Covenant with sinne your Covenant with sinne There are two Covenants which are inconsistent with this Covenant of grace 1. One is the Covenant of good works 2. The other is the Covenant with bad works If one will set up his confidence on his own good works he makes void the Covenant of grace and if one will set his heart upon his sinne saying I will not leave my sinnes I love them I will not forsake them This man disables himself he doth debarre and exclude himself God will not be his God he will not make a Covenant with him and indeed this sinner will not make a Covenant with God There are three things which God stands upon if we will have him to be ours in Covenant 1. He insists upon your wills you must be willing to be mine saith God to be married unto me to take me for your Husband 2. He insists upon your hearts you must love me I must have your heart your love must be mine 3. He insists upon your service you must be willing to obey and serve me I must be your Lord and you must be my servants But â— one of these will be if you keep up a Covenant with sinne you will never be willing to be his if you resolve to keep your sinnes and you cannot love the Lord if you love your sinnes neither can you serve him if you will obey sinne as your Lord There is an absolute incompatibility for this both on Gods part and on your part and on the Covenants part 1. On Gods part for he cannot nor will not make any agreement with unrighteousnesse nor hold communion with any who will hold communion with darknesse he is of purer eyes than to behold sinne much more than to agree with sinne it is contrary to his nature it were dishonourable for him so to do to admit a competition with that which he so much threatens and which his soul doth hate and abhorre 2. On our part your hearts cannot be brought to hold up a Covenant with God and yet to hold up a Covenant with your sinnes you cannot love God and that which is contrary to God you cannot love sinne and that which is contrary to sinne at the same time for if you love the Lord you will hate sinne and if you love sinne you will hate the Lord. 3. On the Covenants part the Covenant of God is to change the sinful heart it is to subdue iniquity it is to cleanse us from all our uncleanesses it is to make us an holy people â—nto the Lord so that of necessity you must resolve on it to break off your Covenant with sin if you will have God to be your God in Covenant 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come one from among them and be ye separated saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you ver 18. and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty Mark this place it shews expressely the way of coming into the Covenant you must not make agreement with darknesse nor with Idols you must separate from them you must have nothing to do with any uncleanesse that is you must resolve never to joyne your selves to any sinne never to love or serve it and then saith God I will receive you what 's that that is then I will be your God I will take you into Covenant I will own you for mine I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters Are you sure that you will be so yea for thus saith the Lord Almighty Ezek. 11. 18. They shall come thither and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof verse 19. And I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within them c. verse 20. That they may walk in my Statutes and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God Therefore examine your hearts what sinne lies there which makes a breach which keeps up enmity 'twixt you and God and put it farre away c. 3. If you would have the Lord to be your God in Covenant then judge your Judge your selves for your breach of Covenant with God selves for your ancient breach of the first Covenant with him and for your sins since that and confesse your absolute unworthinesse to be admitted and received into another Covenant with him O when a soul comes to be afflicted for sinnes and to acknowledge it self unworthy of mercies this soul is in a right posture for mercies God made a Covenant with us in Adam and stated life upon us in case of obedience but we presently brake Covenant with him and proved unfaithful and dealt treacherously with him fell off from him for a thing of naught and all the dayes of our lives have we been sinning and dishonouring and provoking of him so that had we our desert so farre might God be from accepting of us into a new Covenant that he might justly condemn us for our transgressing of the old Covenant if we did seriously and sadly review these things till our hearts were humbled within us and that we saw our life to be the free gift of God again and that we stood at his mercy only to spare us and pity us and accept of us and in this posture come to God and cry out O save me for thy mercies sake Lord I have undone my self I have left thee I have lost thee I have dealt unfaithfully with thee I have sinned exceedingly against thee I have gone farre from thee yet I come back to thee I hear thou art a merciful God though I am a sinful wretch I hear that thou art a gracious God though I am an unworthy sinner I hear that thou hast made a new Covenant to relieve and succour them who have violated the first Covenant I hear that this Covenant is full of grace and mercy and pity and help and happinesse I come to thee to make peace with thee to be reconciled unto me to shew me favour I perish if thou reject me I live if thou accept of me I can bring nothing I can challenge nothing only thou sayst That thou wilt have mercy on whom thou wilt have mercy and may not a poor miserable unworthy sinner be made capable of thy mercy may he not be received unto mercy why else didst thou give Christ why else didst thou set up a Covenant of grace O Lord receive me graciously and love me freely and for thine own sake become my God and make me to be one of thy people Verily this is a moving way and this is a taking way for
of regeneration and the Lords Supper seals a further communion with Christ in his graces in his life and in his death in his death and in his resurrection what shall I say every Covenant Ordinance is instituted either for the begetting or for the increasing and perfecting of holinesse Nay let me adde one thing more every dealing of God with his people in Covenant it is to further holinesse his dealing in the way of promises is that by them that we might be made partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. His dealing with them in his calling of them to Christ is that they might be new creatures 2 Cor. 5. 17. His dealing with them by his Spirit is that they might be born again John 3. 3. His dealing with them by afflictions is that their sinnes might be purged away Isa 27. 9. and that they may be partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12. 10. 7. The Covenant is very strict against all unholinesse against external unholinesse It is very strict against all unholinesse in Conversation and against internal unholinesse in affection or heart 2 Cor. 6. 17. Be ye separate and touch no unclean thing Jude ver 23. Hating even the garment spotted by the flesh 1 Thes 5. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil Rom. 8. 9. Abhorre that which is evil Psal 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil Titus 3. 11. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men ver 12. Teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Quest Now if you should demand why God makes a Covenant which is thus Why it must be a holy Covenant Because it must be sutable to his nature holy Sol. I answer first because his Covenant must be sutable to his own nature the which it were not if it were not holy His nature is holinesse it self and he will never set up a Covenant to make us unlike himself 2. He sets up a Covenant to shew and communicate his love unto us and Else he could not communicate his love to us therefore it must be a holy Covenant to purge away our sinfulnesse which he is of purer eyes than to behold and which his soul hates 3. He makes a Covenant with us that he and we might have a communion Else we cannot have communion with him together that we might have fellowship with the Father and the Sonne but what communion can there be 'twixt light and darknesse 4. He makes this Covenant to restore us again and to repaire his own The Covenant is to repaire Gods image in us image in us and to conforme us unto himself but our conforming unto him is by the transforming of our mindes by changing us into his own image from glory to glory by making us holy as he is holy 5. It would be infinite dishonour to God if his Covenant were not a holy Covenant Else it would be unworthy of him it would not be worthy of him God intended in making this Covenant to magnifie himself in praise and glory but he should lose all praise and glory if he had made a Covenant which were not holy ot which would dispense with holinesse unholinesse being the only dishonour to God and the pulling down of his glory God in this Covenant promiseth riches of mercy and grace and glory to his people but how absurd and dishonourable were it thus to do if his people should continue a vile and profane and sinful and sensual people if there were no difference 'twixt the precious and the vile 6. He makes a Covenant and brings people into it that so they may be Else not meet to be partakers of glory made meet to be partakers of the glory that is prepared and shall be revealed unlesse the Covenant were holy and did work holinesse we could never be fitted and prepared nor made meet for a glorious enjoyment of God and communion with him seeing that every one who hath that hope purifieth himself as he is pure 1 John 3. 3. And without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. And except a man he born again he cannot see the Kingdome of God John 3. 3. Vse 1 If the Covenant be a holy Covenant then no unholy person hath as yet an interest in the Covenant You are pleased in the having of all that mercy and of Then no unholy person hath as yet an interest in â—he Covenant all that goodnesse and of all that graciousnesse of all that happinesse in this Covenant O but you have no portion in God nor in any of these if you be unholy persons for all unholy persons are out of this holy Covenant I do not say that an unholy person is simply excluded from hopes of being brought into the Covenant but this I say if a person still remain unholy he is still out of the Covenant because all actually in Covenant with God are made holy they have a new heart given unto them There are two things shew persons are not in Covenant 1. Privative unholinesse 2. Counterfeit holinesse 1. Visible unholinesse shuts men out of this Covenant Now there are seven things which do shew that a man is as yet absolutely He is absolutely unholy unholy 1. When his heart doth secretly loath the Majesty and presence of holiness he Whose heart doth secretly loath the presence of holinesse Who loaths the generation of the Saints Who can reproach the beauties of holinesse Who will venture the losse of Gods favour rather than forsake his lusts Who opposeth the Ordinances because they presse holinesse Who counts it a disgrace to be holy Who lives in open profaness looks on holinesse as his enemy that would rent off his heart from sinful lusts which he doth infinitely prize and favour 2. When he loaths the generation of the Saints utterly declines their fellowship and can by no means agree with persons of holinesse even upon this account only because they are so but opposeth disgraceth reproacheth them and is glad if he can make them odious 3. Who can reproach the beauties of holinesse and offer despite to the Spirit of grace making holinesse the peculiar object of his scoffs and mocks and derision these are the Saints the holy ones c. 4. Who will rather venture the loss of Gods favour and mercy and the promises of salvation than that he will forsake his sinful lusâ—s and unholy wayes hates to be instructed and reproved and reformed 5. Who therefore opposeth and would subvert and supplant all the Ordinances of Christ because they press and urge holinesse and because they discover and reprove unholinesse and will not suffer him to go on quietly and desperately
in pathes of profanesse and ungodlinesse resists the Holy Spirit in his motions 6. Who counts it a disgrace for him to be holy or to be esteemed so 7. Who lives in open profanesse Sabbath-breaking drunkennesse perjury lying c. 2. Nay not only visible and open profanesse discovers men to be out of the holy Covenant but also formal and pretended and counterfeit holinesse for the Formal and counterfeit holinesse Covenant is really holy and all persons in the Covenant are really holy and the Covenant promiseth and worketh in them not a seeming not a counterfeit but a real and solid holinesse Now there are six signs of a man who hath not real holinesse but only a counterfeit holinesse Signs of counterfeit holiness Though he may do some holy duties yet he is not humbled for former unholy doings Though in outward profession he seems to be holy yet there is no renewing work of grace upon his heart 1. Though he be taken up with the performance of some holy duties yet his heart was never throughly humbled for his former unholy â—â—doings His unholinesse either in the long want of holinesse or in the long opposition of holinesse or in the long practices of unholinesse never was a burden to his soul nor lay heavy never wrought trouble nor shame in him 2. Though in his outward profession he seem to be holy yet there is no renewing work of grace upon his heart his heart is not renewed nor changed but hath the same old lusts still and the same old love unto them and delight in them There is no difference 'twixt himself and himself no warre at all but all is at peace within him which shews that he never had holinesse in truth true holinesse will displace the affections and change your souls and make a separation and an opposition c. 3. Though the man seems to be holy yet he will not be more holy he hath got into his circle from whence you shall not stirre him he hath put on his forme of holiness Though he seems to be holy yet he will not be more holy which his wise fore-fathers left him and who so is short of that he counts him naught and who so exceeds that he counts him precise and vain-glorious that man was never holy who strives not to be more holy 4. Though the man seems to be holy yet he doth not cordially delight in holy Though he seems to be holy yet he doth not cordially delight in holy persons He allows himself in some way of wickednesse persons his companions if they be not profane yet they are vain and empty fruitlesse and helplesse to his soul If a person be godly and holy indeed then to except against this and finde fault with that in him shews his ungodlinesse is unpleasing to him and he is as weary of him as the Israelites were of Manna 5. Though he seems to be holy yet he allows himself in some way of wickednesse inpride or covetousnesse or in uncleannesse or some other sinful way he holds it fast and will not forsake it 6. Who cannot sit quietly under a soul-searching Ministry which strikes at superstition and formality and hypocrisie but would raise his heart to higher He cannot bear a soul-searching Ministry principles and better affections and a more spiritual way of serving God than a meer opus operatum O now this persons soul is stung and have I not all this while known how to serve God and must I now learn a new way to heaven Well think of these things both sorts of you for neither the one nor the other are interested in this Covenant of grace which is an holy Covenant but you are yet an unholy people Vse 2 Is the Covenant a holy Covenant then behold the parting way behold the reason why so few men are perswaded to hearken and to enter into Covenant See the reason why so few enter into Covenant with God with God we stand wondring what the reason is or may be that a company of sinners hearing of that infinite happinesse to be enjoyed in the Covenant of grace and hearing of the manifold blessings comprized in it of the joy unspeakable therein of the peace that passeth all understanding of the full forgivenesse of sinnes and of the sweet manifestations of the love of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Spirit and of the assurings of eternal salvation unto all the persons who enter into this Covenant I say we wonder that after all this there are so few who enquire the way or embrace the way of entring into such a Covenant where God makes over himself in such a gracious and glorious manner to his people but here lies the stick here lies the barre here lies the great exception against the Covenant viz. it is an holy Covenant Demand of persons and if it were fit of every person here this day Would you not be the people of Gods love would you have God to love your souls yes we would and would you not be the people of Gods mercies would you not have God mercifully to pardon all your sinnes and all your transgressions O by all means and would you not be the people of Gods blessings would you not have God to give you his love freely and his mercy freely and his Christ freely and salvation freely that we would What is that which hinders then why verily nothing but this holinesse O but God will give this holinesse as freely as he gives his mercy but we care not for it O but God will give you riches of mercy with it but we care not for it O but it is the means to bring you to glory but we care not for it O but God himself is a holy God and his people must be holy as he is holy yet we care not for it O but you shall never have God to be your God nor mercy to be your mercy nor Christ to be your Saviour nor heaven to be your inheritance unlesse you are willing to be holy but we will not be holy Quest It is a very considerable question why of all the termes that God stands for in respect of the Covenant this of holinesse is disliked and of all the Why is the holinesse of the Covenant so much disliked good things which God doth promise in his Covenant this of holinesse only is excepted against and of all the Attributes wherein God manifests himself to men though they seem content and willing to imitate God in many of them as in love and mercy and goodnesse c. yet they are so averse to the holinesse of God which if it be lawful to make comparison is one of the highest glories of God Sol. Surely there are choice reasons to be given for this peculiar opposition and exception against holinesse 1. One reason may be this the nature of the sinner he loves sinne his Because of the nature of the sinner
Scripture Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life ye shall not perish if you do believe and ye shall have everlasting life if ye do believe Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Isa 55. 3. Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant Exod. 24. 7. He took the book of the Covenant and read in the audience of the people and they said All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient verse 8. and Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins Chap. 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out c. Chap. 13. 18. Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins verse 39. And by him all that believe are justified c 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you Verse 8. and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 3. Every condition annexed unto a Covenant doth not make that Covenant to be a Every condition doth nor make the Covenant to be a Covenant of Works except it be the same condition The Covenant of grace Covenant of Works unless you do put the self same condition into that other Covenant which is placed in the Covenant of works But thus it is not in the Covenant of grace which 1. Puts not the same condition but another condition of a quite different nature from that condition in the Covenant of work There it is Do this and live Here it is Believe and you shall be saved 2. Puts such a condition which is compatible with the grace of God Indeed works that is a self perfect and absolute obedience is incompatible and inconsistent with salvation by grace but a saving by faith is not inconsistent with Requires another condition And a condition compatible with the grace of God grace Of which if any doth doubt let him but read the Apostle in Ephes 2. 5. By grace are ye saved verse 8. By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Rom. 4. 16. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace What can be can spoken more expresly to shew the consistence twixt grace and faith grace saves and yet faith saves ye are saved by grace through faith Now from all which hath been discovered it doth appear that the Covenant of grace can admit of a condition namely such a condition which is graciously given and such a condition which will in the nature and use of it exalt all the grace of God And truely this condition is Faith and no other thing for This condition is faith Faith 1. Is the gift of God Ephes 2. 8. and Phil. 1. 29. It doth not at all flow from our selves Therefore believers are said Joh. 1. 13. to be born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God 2. And it is such a gift of God as is compleatly adopted to the Covenant of Grace To no Covenant but that and to that it is For that Covenant on Gods part is all in offers and promises and givings and faith is all in receiving and is depending and acknowledging and magnifying the grace of God And that Faith is the condition annexed to this Covenant I shall present unto Demonstrations of it you a few Arguments besides the Scriptures above mentioned to demonstrate it 1. That without which God is not our God nor are we his people And upon Without faith God is not our God nor we his people which God is our God and we do become his people and children This is a condition of the Covenant But faith is that without which God is not our God nor are we his people and upon faith God is our God and we are his people and children See it in the particulars 1. Without Faith there is no Relation by way of Covenant twixt God and us 1. For God and unbelievers are not in Covenant 2. Refusers of the Covenant are not in Covenant 3. Persons under wrath and condemnation are not in Covenant He that believes not is condemned and he shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him Joh. 3. 18. Ephes 2. 11. Remember that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh c. verse 12. That at that time ye were without Christ being aliens from the common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world This was their condition before they were quickned from the dead and had obtained faith 1 Pet. 2. 10. Which in times past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy 2. Upon faith God becomes our God in Covenant and we become his people and children He upon believing becomes our God in Covenant Isa 55. 3. Incline your ear and come unto me Hear and your soule shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you And Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father And that spirit of Adoption presupposeth faith None are sons but by faith And we upon believing do become his people and children Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus 2. That which gives you an interest in Christ the same thing gives you an interest in Faith gives an interest in Christ the Covenant of Grace For this is a sure truth that according to your interest in Christ so is your interest in God and in the Covenant Out of Christ you shall finde no God to be your God But Faith is necessary to give you an interest in Christ forasmuch as Christ becomes ours by faith By faith we are planted into Christ and built upon Christ and married unto Christ he is ours and we are his 3. If all the good of the Covenant comes unto us upon believing Then Faith is All the good of the Covenant comes to us upon believing the condition annexed unto the Covenant you can have none of the good of it but upon believing unbelief cuts you off from all title and all fruition but all the good of the Covenant comes to be setled upon you by believing If you believe you shall be saved If you believe you shall be justified and pardoned you have the
relation to us Tit. 1. 2. In hope of eternal life which God promised before the world began To whom did he promise that eternal life for us but unto Christ with whom he did Covenant for us and in whom with us Isa 42. 6. I will give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles The same you read in Isa 49. 8. Jesus Christ is not only the Messenger of the Covenant Mal. 3. 1. nor only the surety of the Covenant Heb. 7. 22. nor only the Mediatour of the Covenant as standing twixt God and us Heb. 12. 24. but he is the principal confederate in the Covenant Christ stands as a publick person in the Covenant and when God made a Covenant with him he made it with him for himself and all his with all that should be brought in unto him As Adam stood in the Covenant of works not as a private person but as a publick person and that Covenant was made with him and with all his posterity so the Covenant which God made with Christ it was made with Christ as a publick person as the Head of all the Church with him and all his And therefore as soon as you are brought in by faith to Christ you are immediately brought into the Covenant 2. In Christ and by Christ God is our God and our Father and therefore if by faith you are brought into Christ you are brought into the Covenant Let God In and by Christ God is our God look on us as out of Christ he must look on us as enemies and not as children and if we look on God out of Christ we must behold him as our Judge but not as our Father But consider us as brought into Christ now we are reconciled to God and now in what relation God stands to Christ in the same he stands to us and in what relation Christ stands to God in the same do we stand to God And what priviledge Christ enjoyes the same do we enjoy by Christ he is a God to Christ and a Father to Christ Psal 89. 26. He shall cry unto me Thou art my Father my God c. And thus we being in Christ he is to us Joh. 20. 17. I ascend to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God and Christ is the Son of God and so are we the sons of God 1 Joh. 3. 1. Christ is the Heir of God and so are we heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ Rom. 8. 17. 3. When you are by faith brought into union with Christ so that you are his Being by faith united to Christ we enjoy all blessings you now enjoy life and promises and all blessings 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life 1 Cor. 3. 22. All are yours verse 23. and you are Christs and Christ is Gods 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises and you may plead them all for they are yea and in Christ Amen Ephes 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ 4. This union with Christ directly stands in opposition to a sinners being cut off Our union with Christ brings us into a state of favour from God and brings him again into a state of favour The soule can no more receive ought from God till it be one with him by Christ than Christ could merit any thing for us till the Deity and the flesh were fully united and no more than the soul can impart any thing to the body till they be one Thus have you heard what faith that is which is the condition of the Covenant viz. A faith of union a faith which brings us into Christ and unites us with Christ I now proceed unto the second question SECT II. 2. Quest WHether Faith only be the Condition of the Covenant Is Whether faith only be the condition of the Covenant not Holinesse required Is not Repentance Is not new obedience Sol. For answer unto this we must distinguish 1. Between the Covenant and persons in the Covenant If you speak of persons Distinguish betwixt the Covenant and the persons in the Covenant in the Covenant certainly holiness is required of them ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy and be ye holy for I am holy and holiness is promised to all the people in Covenant And holinesse is wrought in all the people of the Covenant All the people of God are a holy people but though holiness be in the Covenanted yet it is not in the condition of the Covenant God doth not say If you be holy then I will be your God and accept of you but if you believe when you are brought into the Covenant then you are made holy but that which brings you into the Covenant that which God insists with you for so as to be your God is faith Receive my Christ believe on him and I will be your God 2. Though Faith be the only condition as to entrance in the Cvenant yet this faith will Though faith be the only condition yet it brings us to holiness bring you to holiness as a fruit of the Covenant For this faith brings you to Christ to union with him and communion with him in holiness As soon as faith brings you into union with Christ Christ makes you partakers of that unction of holiness wherewith he himself is anointed 3. There is a difference 'twixt the persons to whom promises are made and the There is a difference betwixt the persons to whom the promises are made and the condition upon which they are performed New obedience is a consequent effect and not an antecedent condition condition upon which those promises are performed Indeed you read of many promises made to broken-hearted and penitent persons but the application of them all is only by Faith The forgiveness of sin cannot be applyed by any hand but that of faith which seed the promise of it and seeks the performance of it by and for Christ 4. For newness of obedience this is a consequent effect and not an Autecedent condition for it is impossible to see fruits till you finde life And besides this that faith which lets you into Covenant is a very fruitful Faith it graffs you into such a root which can enable you and will do so for fruits of life as the first Adam doth his Branches for fruits of death So then it is faith and faith only which is the condition of the Covenant yet it is such a faith which though it takes no graces or works with it as competitors in the nature of a condition with it yet it doth inferre and draw after it all these Graces and all good works as Austin said Bona opera sequuntur justificatum licèt non praecedunt justificandum c. SECT III. 3. Quest VVHy is
withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned A branch may be in a tree two wayes One is by a meer corporeal adherence by cleaving and sticking to the body of the tree and so every dead branch is in the tree as well as those that live such branches have no union they are dead and cut off and cast away into the fire Another is by a real participation of the life sap and influence of the root That which makes us to be in Christ any kind of way is Faith and according to the differences of faith are those differences of being in Christ You may read in Scripture of a dead faith James 2. 26. This dead faith takes in an external profession of Christ and a self aiming dependance on Christ to keep us from Hell and get us to Heaven But for all this there is no real union with Christ And we read too of a lively and unfeigned faith of a faith which joynes us and Christ in one Spirit which graffs us indeed into Christ and makes us partakers of the life and grace of Christ O where is this faith this living faith this ingraffing faith this uniting faith is the only precious faith and the only faith which brings us into the Covenant and the only faith which can look on God as our God and promising mercy and salvation unto us If you have not this faith you have no interest in Christ and if you have no interest in Christ you have no interest in God nor in the Covenant of God You cannot own God for yours nor can you own the promises of God as yours as made unto you But here now occurre two serious questions 1. One is How we may know whether our faith be a faith of union which unites Two serious Questions us to Christ 2. The second is How we may attain unto the faith of union which only brings us into the Covenant SECT V. 1. Quest HOw we may know whether our Faith be a Faith of real union with How we may know whether our faith be a faith of union Christ a faith which unites us to Christ indeed Sol. This is a most pertinent question because our real interest in the Covenant of grace depends upon it all depends upon it out of Christ and out of Covenant in Christ and in Covenant And if your faith be an uniting faith then Christ is yours and God is yours and all the good of the Covenant is yours Now there are five things which are to be considered about the faith of union or the faith which indeed unites us to Christ Five things about the faith of union 1. The manner 〈◊〉 it is wrought in the heart 2. The peculiar operations of it upon the soule in relation to this union 3. The very act or acts by which and upon which the soule is indeed brought into union 4. The qualities of this union by faith 5. The choice influences or effects which do alwayes attend that union with Christ by faith 1. If your faith be a faith which unites you to Christ Then it is the work and The manner how it is wrought in the heart It is the work of the Spirit of Christ fruit of the spirit and it is wrought by the Spirit in an uniting way 1. It is the work of the Spirit of Christ None doth or can raise and produce this faith but the very Spirit of God Col. 2. 12. Ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead His mighty power is put forth to produce it Ephes 1. 19. 1 Cor. 2. 5. Your faith stands not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God 2 Cor. 4. 13. We having the same Spirit of Faith In all these places the Apostle speaks of that faith which interests your persons in Christ This faith he calls the Demonstration of the Spirit and of power 1 Cor. 2. 4. and the power of God and the operation of God and the Spirit of Faith and in Isa 53. 1. The revealing of the Arm of God Consider this Faith in all the parts and degrees of it you shall finde that every one of them comes from the Spirit of God Faith is sometimes stiled knowledge and believing knowing why the right knowledge of Christ is a fruit or work of the Spirit of God Matth. 11. 25. Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Faith is sometimes stiled acknowledgment Col. 2. 2. The acknowledgement of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ And no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. Faith or believing is sometimes stiled a coming unto Christ and saith Christ himself No man can come to me except the Father draw him Joh. 6. 44. It is called a receiving of Christ Joh. 1. 12. which ability to receive Christ depends only on the will of God verse 13. Well then uniting faith is the sole work of the Spirit of God if any man be brought into Christ and joyned unto Christ this work is wrought by the Spirit of Christ 2. The spirit works this uniting Faith in an uniting way or manner how is that The Spirit works this in a uniting way will you say Thus it is when the Spirit doth work this faith in us he doth it in a Gospel manner the Gospel way is the uniting way accompanying it all along 1. By Evangelical light 2. By Evangelical offers 3. By Evangelical promises 4. By Evangelical efficacy 1. He lets in such a Gospel-light into the soule of a broken and troubled sinner that The Spirit lets in a Gospel light into the soule be is now able to see and to discern the wonderful grace of God in Christ even the glories of Christ the sealing and anointing oâ— him to be the Mediator and Redeemer and Saviour of sinners and the life of the world the Prince of peace the only help and hope of them that are lost Joh. 3. 16. The Gospel saith so and the Spirit makes him to see it so The people that walked in darkness have seen great lâ—ght Isa 9 2. Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2. When he hath let in such a light that the sinner is convinced of the infinite Enables the soule to apprehend the singular kindness of God in the offers of Christ mercy and grace of God in Christ Then he further enables the sinner to apprehend the singular kindnâ—ss of God in the offers of this Christ unto him unto you is the word of this salvation sent Acts 13. 26. and verse 38. Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins And the â—pirit accompanies the Gospel in this offer As the Gospel outwardly offers Christ to sinners so doth the Spirit
a distance so that they cannot close that same hinders union Now there are four things which keep the soule and Christ at a distance Christ and we cannot close whiles they continue and faith breaks them all down 1. A proud conceit of our own fulnesse Righteousness sufficiency I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance said Christ And the whâ—le need From a proud conceit of our own fulnesse no physitian but the sick And the Son of man is câ—me to seek and to save that which was lost Now faith that unites to Christ breaks this partition wall and levels this mountain it empties the sinner of himself it takes away all confidence in himself and will by no means suffer him to rest upon or to be found in his own righteousnesse Phil. 3. 3. We rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh verse 9. And be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ 2. A love of sin This is likewise an absolute hindrance of union with Christ From a love of sin That heart cannot close with Christ which closeth with sin and Christ will not close with that heart which is joyned to sin Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Hosea 4. 17. as if he should say his heart loves Idols and therefore I will have nothing to do with him So Joh. 3. 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light Christ is that light and he presented and offered himself to sinners but they loved thier sins and would not part with them to joyne with Christ Now faith which brings a soule to Christ hath parted that soule and sin it hath given a bill of divorce unto sin it takes off the heart from sin what shall I prefer hell before heaven shall I prefer damnation before salvation shall I for this sinful lusts-sake deny Christ my heart refuse to marry him who is the Son of God the Lord of glory the Prince of Peace the Saviour of sinners What have I to do any more with Idols said Ephraim Hosea 14. 8. Get thee hence said they in Isa 30. 22. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Rom. 6. 2. 3. A love of the world He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not From a love of the world worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me Matth 10. 37. If a man saith I will have my ease and I will have my liberty and I will have my pleasures and I will have my profits and I will have my friends and I will have my honours and I will not have Christ with any losse or crosse this man loves the world and this hinders union with Christ The young man lost Christ upon this very account Luke 18. 22 23. But if Faith indeed be wrought in the heart all this language is removed out of the way Faith overcomes the world 1 Joh. 5. 4. The Merchants sold all for to buy the pearle of great price and Moses in Heb. 11. 24 25 26. We have forsaken all and followed thee said the Disciples When a man hath faith he can be content to be Fatherlesse and Motherlesse to be friendlesse and landlesse to part with all rather than he will be Christlesse Faith sees enough in Christ though he should enjoy no more but Christ Faith will enable us to trample upon the world so that we may enjoy Christ it will enable us to break off with all and to breake down all to possesse him who is better than all 4. Vnbelief This locks and shuts up the heart that it cannot move at all to From unbelief Christ cannot see Christ nor hear Christ nor desire Christ nor give consent to Christ But faith breakes down unbelief breaks open the prison and breaks asunder all the shackles and fetters of unbelief answers all exceptions reasonings cavils delayes fears doubts and sets the soule at liberty and works in the whole soule to Christ O beloved try your hearts by what I have spoken in this particular you think that you have this uniting faith But what hath that faith wrought upon you and within you to bring you and Christ together It is not so easie a work to match Christ and the soule together nothing can do that but faith and no faith can do that but such a faith which presents Christ in that height of goodness and beauty and excellency that the soul is drawn out with that strength and vehemency of desire after Christ as to part with all to enjoy Christ c. And who hath found it thus Is there not yet something or other which stand between Christ and our hearts c. 3. Thirdly you may know whether your faith be indeed a faith of union by The acts by which the soul is brought into union those acts or workings in the soule immediately and necessarily to make up an union between a soule and Christ unto which when the soule attains then Christ is ours and we are Christs For as there are some acts which are immediate to constitute a conjugal union twixt person and person without which there is no conjugal relation between them and upon which the relation is immediately made so there are some acts of the soul immediate to the being of the Spiritual union twixt a person and Christ without which there is no relation and upon which there is an immediate relation twixt him and Christ There are two acts upon the soule when the union is made between Christ and us 1. One is an act or work of the Spirit on the behalf of Christ testifying unto our An act of the Spirit testifying that Christ is willing to be ours hearts and perswading our hearts that Jesus Christ is contented is very willing to become ours to be an Husband to us to be our Head to be our Saviour Jesus Christ doth outwardly expresse his consent in the Gospel but he inwardly delivers it unto us by his Spirit As by the spirit he becomes ours If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8. 9. So by the Spirit he testifies his willingness and consent to be ours yea and that he is ours Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 Joh. 3. 24. 2. The other is the act or effect of faith on our behalf For the Spirit in testifying unto us the willingnesse and consent of Christ to be ours doth at the same An act of faith in a Reciprocal câ—nsent from us to Christ time work faith in our hearts which draws out a reciprocal consent from us to Châ—ist And therefore as Christ is said to abide in us by his Spirit so he is said to dwell in us by faith These
the Gospel this is clear in Ephes 1. 13. In whom you also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation So Rom. The Gospel is the means of faith 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God The Gospel is therefore called the door of Faith Acts 14. 27. and the word of faith Rom. 10. 8. and the power of God Rom. 1. 16. and the word of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 19. The Gospel is the meanes of faith in three respects 1. In that it is set apart and ordained by God himself for that end and purpose to call sinners to Christ It is set apart for that end As it is blessed of God with the presence of his Spirit 2. In that it is blessed of God with the presence of his Spirit to work and implant faith There God reveales his arm and puts forth his power Some men do fancy wayes of their own to get faith And why not another way as well as by the Gospel I will tell you why Because God hath not ordained and sanctified any other way but this When the Lord commanded the brasen Serpent to be set up for the healing of the people and that they should look on it and be healed they might as well demand and why a Brasen Serpent and why not another brasen Serpent as well as this to heal us No none but this for this only was ordained of God and sanctified for that purpose So the Gospel that and that only is the means ordained and sanctified by God and which hath his promise of presence and blessing to go along with it to beget faith in our hearts 3. In that it is the most apt of all ministrations whatsoever to raise and perswade It is the most apt of all ministrations for this end the heart to believe For there only is the relation of the grace of God and love of God and kindness of God and of the mercy of God in Christ and therein is Christ made known and the righteousnesse of Christ and a sinners salvation in and by Christ and therein are held forth all the encouragements to winne the heart to Christ and all the answers and resolves to whatsoever may breed fears and doubts and discouragements in the heart from coming to Christ and all promises by which this faith is raised 3. Consider what concerns your selves in reference unto God who only gives faith Câ—nsider what concerns us in reâ—erence to God and the Gospel and in reference to the Gospel which is the only meanes by which this faith is wrought Supposing only three things already formed in you viz. 1. An apprehension that you are lost and separated from God by sin 2. A conviction that you stand in extream need of Christ 3. An earnest desire at least to enjoy Christ I would propound four things for you to do that so at length you may Four things to be done attain unto this uniting faith 1. Diligent application of your selves to the hearing of the Gospel joyning Diligent application of our selves to the hearing of the Gospel for this end thereunto a serious and reverent attention come and hear and come and hear for this very end if peradventure God will give you this faith if peradventure his Spirit will accompany the Gospel with power unto your hearts that so you may be able to believe Come as the impotent man came to the poole to be healed Lydia took this course and her heart was opened to believe Acts 16. 14. So did they in Acts 2. 37. 41. Act. 13. 48. When the Gentiles heard this they glorified the word of the Lord And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed 2. Serious meditation upon first the relation of the Gospel 2ly The offers Serious meditation of the Gospel 3ly The terms of the Gospel 4ly The promises of the Gospel 5ly The instances or examples in the Gospel 1. The Gospel Revelations of Jesus Christ given sent sealed set forth by God Of the revelations of the Gospel to be a Redeemer a Saviour a Mediatour a Peace a Propitiation a Reconciliation a life for sinners Now seriously meditate on all this you whose hearts are broken with the sense of your sins The Gospel in the Word of truth what it reveals and declares unto us that same is certain and infallibâ—e and the Gospel is the Word of Salvation whatsoever concerns our salvation that same is manifested unto us by the Gospel And this Gospel doth reveal and declare unto us the exceeding love of God the Father in that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life It doth also declare unto us hiâ— Son Jesus Christ who was God and in time was made man that so he might reconcile and unite man to God And it doth declare him in the union of his Natures and excellencies of his Person and in the glories of his Offices and in the accomplishment of all the work of Redemption and salvation for sinners and willingnesse to save them So that from the very Gospel-revelation of Jesus Christ a distressed sinner may gain thus much 1. As not to despaire 2. As to have some hope 3. As to have some desires O here is a Christ for sinners A Christ given by God the Father to save sinneâ—s why should I then despaire and here is a Christ such a Christ of such infinite worth and merit given to make satisfaction and peace and why should not I hope Am I excluded At least his Person and Offices and Works may serve thus far to beget hope and to work a desire that I may enjoy him in whom alone salvation is to be found and who came into the world to save sinners 2. The Gospel offers this Christ to distressed and poor sinners Acts 13. 26. Vnto Of the offers of the Gospel you is the Word of this Salvation sent verse 38. Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of your sins This Evangelical offer of Christ it is The Evangelical offer is A good offer 1. A good Offer It is an offer of a Saviour of Mercy Peace Life and of Salvation itself This day is Salvation come to thy house 2. It is a serious Offer Heb 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speak th A seâ—â—ous offer 2 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Hearken unto me and your soules shall live Isa 55. 3. Believe and thou shalt be saved Acts 16. 31. These are serious offers and commands 3. It is a personal Offer the Lord Jesus means you in particular You I say A personal offer who are heavy-laden you who are poor you who hunger and thirst unto you is the word of this salvation offered and sent 4. It is a very tender Offer 2 Cor. 5. 20. As though God did beseech you by us A
enmitie God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself But which is more we are by Christ made nigh to God in a way of relation so that he is now become our God As by reason of this union Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren Heb. 2. 11. So God is not ashamed to be called our God Heb. 11. 16. Yea and as the Apostle tells us that Christ is ours Ephes 1. 3. Our Lord Jesus Christ so Christ himself tells us that God is ours I ascend to my God and to your God And by the way observe it that Christ doth not say only or first I ascend to your God yet this had been a special comfort to the Disciples that God was their God but he saith I ascend to my God and to your God and why to my God and next to your God But to inform us that God becomes our God by vertue of our union with Christ what Christ calls mine that you may call yours My God and your God and because my God therefore your God So then our union with Christ infers with it our union with God our relation to Christ infers with it our relation to God and our propriety in Christ our propriety also in God and our fruition of Christ to be ours a fruition of God himself to be ours than which a more high and blessed fruition no creature is capable of 2. Secondly our union with Christ takes in with it our union with the Father the Our union with the Father first Person in the Trinity that as God is the Father of Christ and Christ is the Son of God so now in Christ God is also our Father and we are his children Joh. 20. 17. My Father and your Father Ephes 1. 3. God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 2. Thes 2. 16. and God even our Father Here you see that God is Father to Christ and he is also a Father to all them that are Christs And as Christ is the Son of God so are we the sons of God and how come we to be the sons of God see Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus and Joh. 1. 12. As many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe in his Name why As this is an unspeakable dignity for us to be raised unto 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God So it is a most comfortable relation none the like It concludes within it all the love of God and goodnesse and mercy and care and help and compassion and tendernesse and blessings of God as a Father 3. Thirdly our union with Christ takes in with it also our union with the Holy Our union with the Holy Ghost Ghost in which respect he that is joyned to the Lord is said to be one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. and the Spirit of Christ is said to be given us 1. Joh. 3. 24. and he is in us and dwells in us Rom. 8. 9. and hath communion with us 2 Cor. 13. 14. The communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all and we have fellowship with the Spirit Phil. 2. 1. in the participation of his 1. Graces 2. Help 3. Comforts O Christians These are glorious things indeed who would not strive after union with Christ which brings such an union with it and who cannot but rejoyce and triumph in Christ by union with whom he is thus united to the whole Trinity 2. If you be by faith united unto Christ here is yet another comfort for you Our union with Christ confers upon us an interest in every good of the Covenant We are Sons Heirs That as this union infers with it a relation to every Person in the Trinity so it doth assuredly confer upon you an interest in every good of the Covenant for by vertue of this union we are made both Sons and Heirs Sonnes Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Heirs Gal. 3. 29. And if ye be Christs then are you Abrahams Seed and Heirs according to the promise Some read it if ye be one with Christ Si unus estis in Christo vid. Beza Here you do expresly finde our Heirship to flow from our union with Christ for certainly our heirship thence ariseth from whence our sonship doth arise and that is from union with Christ Well then Believers are Christs and being Christs they are Children and if Children then Heires and Heires according to promise Quest Heirs whose Heirs and of what estate Whose Heirs Sol. An Heir strictly is the childe either Natural or adopted who upon the death of the Father succeeds into his possessions In this strict acceptation neither Christ who is the Natural Son and Heir nor Believers who are sons and heires by grace are Gods Heires for God never dies and we do not take any possession of his estate upon such a vacancy and cessation But Theologically he is an heire who is accepted and admitted into the possession promised and set forth and given by God who yet lives for ever to be our God and Father and indeed our inheritance and inheriting is neverthelesse because our Father lives but it is therefore our setled and blessed inheritance because our God and Father lives for ever Now that of which we are Heires by vertue of union with Christ Heirs of what is 1. God himself Rom. 8. 17. If children then heirs heirs of God As your children Of God are your heirs so Gods chidren are his heirs he hath never a childe but he is an heir and an heir of God There is an estate of inheritance set out for him what God possesseth of that according to his capacity and proportion shall he be possessed of holinesse glory happinesse 2. All the inheritance which Christ hath purchased and God hath intailed or setled or passed over unto you in his Covenant of no less then all this are believers Of all the inheritance which Christ hath purchased heirs This is the inheritance and the estate of which you are heirs namely all the good set out for you in the Covenant by God the Father and confirmed and sealed unto you by the blood of Christ the Mediatour of that Covenant Therefore Believers are in Scripture stiled Heirs of the promise Heb. 6. 12. of the grace of life 1 Pet. 3. 7. of the righteousnesse which is by faith Heb. 11. 7. of salvation Heb. 1. 14. of the kingdom promised to them that love him Jam. 2. 5. All the good in it for them of all things Revel 21. 7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things There is Haereditas gratiae which contains all the blessings designed for enjoyment in this life And there is Haereditas gloriae which contains all the blessednesse reserved for enjoyment in that other life
Vnto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders his Name shall be called wonderfull Counsellâ—r the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace He is by God set forth to be a propitiation Rom. 3. â—5 And he is made of God unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. â—0 And God hath made him to be sin for us that we may be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. And he is given to be a Redeemer a Saviour a Light a Salvation As to all these respects you may confidently depend upon your God that Jesus Christ shall be unto you a Redeemer 2. So far as Christ hath purchased for his Members as far as his purchase extends so far your dependance on your God may extend whatsoever good or As far as his purchase extends blessing he hath laid down a price for and bought by his blood and death for all that believe on hâ—m for all that may you by faith depend upon your God in time to settle upon you whether it be remission of sin or reconciliation with God or grace or peace in conscience or acceptance or assistance or joyes of the Holy Ghost or perseverance or eternal glory for all of it are you to depend upon your God to settle upon you in their order and measure 3. So far as the promises of God do extend so far may and should your dependance So far as the promises extend on your God extend whatsoever he undertakes to give you in his Covenant for all that may and should you depend upon him for according to his Covenant His Covenant is full of promises and those promises are full of good for soule for body for both for this life for the next life for grace for glory why All these promises are the childrens bread and the believers portion and as where God hath a mouth to speak to us in the way of Precepts there we should have an eare to hear him in the way of obedience so where God is pleased to abound in promises unto us we are bound to enlarge our Faith in a dependance upon him for all that promised good unbelief displeaseth and dishonoureth God in his promisâ—s as disobedience doth dishonour and displease him in respect of his commands 4. So far as the real exigences of our soules and bodies do extend so far may and should our faith of dependance extend upon our God Though the childe hath no So far as the real exigences of our souls and bodies do extend reason to depend upon his father to supply him of his vanities yet he hath warrant enough to rely upon him to relieve all his necessities If the childe wants bread and rayment or Physick the childe may come and the Father will help and this holds 'twixt God our Father and his children How much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask him Matth. 7. 11. If it be a want indeed an exigence indeed a strait indeed you may go to your God and trust on him and he will not faile you Psal 84. 11. No good thing will he with-hold Psal 34. 10. They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Isai 41. 17. When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear I the God of Israel will will not forsake them Let your want or exigence be temporal or spiritual if it be indeed an exigence by reason of temptation from Satan or from the insolent opâ—rations of sinfull corruptions or from the greatnesse of afflictions or heavâ—nesse of misery or distresse of poverty or any other pressure I say if it be a reall exigence that you know not what to do in every such case your eyes should be upon your God you should trust on him and stay upon his Name 5. So far as your prayers may extend for your selves so far may and should So far as our Prayers may extend your dependance on your God extend I do not say every mans asking and faith of dependance are co-extensive Nor do I say that every good mans asking and faith of dependance are to be paralleld But this I say that so far as you may pray so far you may and ought to believe to depend on your God 1 Joh. 5. 14. This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Joh. 14. 13. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son you may pray for whatsoever God hath commanded you to pray and you may pray for whatsoever God hath encouraged his people to pray you may pray for whatsoever God hath promised to hear and and answer Prayer and for whatsoever Christ may be looked upon as an Intercessor And for all these may you depend upon your God Nay you should do so for as your God would have you thus to pray unto him so he would have you to pray in faith to ask in Faith believing that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him 6. Lastly Match but conditions and circumstances whatsoever good and in So far as any childe of God hath extended his faith in like condition whatsoever like case any Child of God or servant of Christ hath extended his faith of dependance upon his God for all that good may you being now in the same relation and condition exercise your faith of dependance upon your God If you be in the same strait that Jehoshaphat was or in the same distresse that Hezekiah was or in the same calamity that Job was or in the same dejection desertion that David was or in the same spiritual conflicts and temptation that Paul was or in the same trouble and terror of conscience that Heman was c. whatsoever mercy or grace help or comfort or goodness they might look up unto God for as their God in Covenant for the very same may you look up to God and depend upon God for as your God Whatsoever any one hath pleaded for with God and trusted upon God for because he was their God upon the same account in the same condition may every Child of God plead with him and depend upon him for because God is also his God Parallel but conditions and circumstances and then the same Covenant will unquestionably afford unto you the same ground for confidence and dependance 3. These things being so let us advance now into the third place viz. What Encouragements to depend upon God encouragements there are for all who are by faith united unto Christ chearfully and confidently to depend upon their God for whatsoever good he hath stated out for them in his Coenvant Sol. If any people in the world have grounds of encouragement to depend on God for the
good of his Covenant then certainly you have who are by faith united unto Christ and you have these three choice encouragements viz. 1. Relation 2. Promises 3. The Name and Office of Christ 1. There is a very near relation between God and you so near that there is a mutual propriety between you Zech. 1â— 9. I will say It is my people and they shall There is a near relation 'twixt God and you say The Lord is my God 2 Cor. 6. 18. I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty Isa 54. 5. Thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name and thy Redeemer c. Can there be any Relation greater or nearer than these Relations My God and my people our Father and my Sons and Daughters my Husband and my Wife Surely these are the nearest Relations for union and they are the tenderest Relations for affection and they are the strongest Relations for obligation The Father himself loves you said Christ to his Disciples I will marry thee to my self in loving kindnesse said God to his Church Love will do much especially love set in a near relation Why are our hands so open to our Wives and Children and Friends but because our hearts are enlarged in love towards them And why do any of these repair unto us and not to others for help but because of their neer relation unto us they are our Children and we are their Fathers they are our Wives and we are their Husbands There is near relation and there is love and there is readinesse and there is special obligation and therefore they come to us and depend upon us and we do help them Do you finde encouragement to depend upon your friend because he is your friend and loves you and have you not a greater encouragement to depend upon your God because he is your God and loves you Can the Childe finde encouragements enough by vertue of his relation to go to his Father and rely on him and cannot you who are by faith the children of God discern greater encouragements to go to your Father and depend on him your Relation is higher and your love is infinitely purer and stronger 2. If the nearness of Relation be not satisfactory then remember there is also You have the Bond of the Promises the bound of promises To you are the promises made and given which are the very bonds of God and your names are in those bonds God will not be at liberty he knows how incredulous we are we must have his Word to tell us how he stands affected towards us nay and we must have his word of promise binding and engaging his honour as God to do us good and not to faile us Nay perhaps his word of promise will not suffice us but besides that we must have his Oath which yet we never put any man on earth unto and unto whom we come for help but God comes off with all this to encourage us to come unto him and to depend on him He is ours in Affection he becomes ours in Relation and he tells us how good a God he intends to be unto us and then engageth himself in promises for all that good and moreover he takes his Oath swears by himself that he will not faile us nor forsake us and that in blessing he will blesse us Beloved what would you have more to encourage to assure you to give you confidence that you may draw near to your God and depend and trust upon him saith God you have my Word and you have my Oath and I am yours I have no greater security to make unto you 3. Well and besides this you have another encouragement to come and You have the name and Office of Christ to encourage you depend upon your God and that is the Name of Christ and the Office of Christ Object True will you say we can desire no more on Gods part but something makes us to fear and doubt on our part He is good but we are unworthy and he is willing to do us good but how shall we plead with him Sol. I answer Jesus Christ is yours and in his name you may go to the Father and as you may plead with the Father in his Name so doth he plead for you with the Father in his own Name Joh 16. 23. Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you As if he should say I grant that you of your selves are unworthy and you cannot prevaile upon your own account of worthiness this will not carry it with the Father therefore when you come unto him use my Name plead my worthinss entreat him to do you good for my sake and I assure you that will prevaile with him Heb. 9. 24. Christ is entred into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 7. 25. He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him Seeing he ever liveth to make intercession You see in these places that Jesus Christ appears in the presence of God for you when you appear before God in prayer Christ also appears in the presence of God for you and makes intercession for you he owns your persons and he owns your petititions you plead and Christ pleads you make requests and Christ makes intercession Father These are they whom thou hast given to me Thine they were and they are mine for them I dyed and for them I purchasâ—d all the good which thou didst promise unto me that they should have if I would lay down my life for them Now therefore let them enjoy what thou hast promised and what I have purchased for them Thus have you the first duty belonging unto them who are by faith united to Christ and brought thereby into Covenant with God Now follows the second 2. Being united by Faith unto Christ and so let into the Covenant Improve your Faith to an observance or keeping Covenant with your God And indeed Faith is Improve your faith to a keeping Covenant with God given unto you also for this end that you may be able to keep and hold fast the Covenant made between you and your God that you may obey his will walk in his Statutes and wayes be sincere and upright and remain faithfull and stedfast with him to the end Quest But can faith do this Is it in the power of our faith thus to enable us How doth faith enable us to keep Covenant with God How can or doth faith enable us to keep Covenant with our God Sol. This is an excellent question and I would resolve it thus Faith doth enable us to keep our Covenant with God six wayes 1. By pleading the Covenant by enabling us to go unto and rest upon our God in Covenant to let out that strength and sufficiency of that grace which
unto it in holinesse of conversation The condition in which sinners lie whiles under the Law and the curse thereof and without Christ is set forth in the 18 19 20 21. verses I will give you the The Words opened summe of it They have to do with God as a terrible Judge sitting on the Throne of his Justice This is represented by Mount Sinai that burned with fire and where theâ—e was blackness and darkness and tempest verse 18. All which shew unto us that dreadful and burning wrath of God against sinners and when he manifests himself unto them as their offended Judge then they are filled with confusion and perplexity and horror They can neither fly from this God nor yet abide his dreadful presence this is set out in verse 19. 20. as if nothing but death were to be expected and present destruction And truely the manifestations of God were then so terrible that Moses himself said I exceedingly fear and quake ver 21. No not the most righteous person is able to stand before God as a â—udge But now let us consider the other estate unto which Believers in Christ are brought by the Gospel This is set forth in verse 22 23 24. But ye are come unto Mount Sion the heavenly Jerusalem instead of Mount Sinai which was the seat of wrath ye are come to Mount Sion which is the throne of Grace And unto the City of the living God ye are not now in a wilderness condition but brought into a resting place into the heavenly Jerusalem which is the vision of peace where being reconciled by Christ you do abide and enjoy the living God for your God And to Myriades or innumerable company of Angels even the Angels are fellow-Citizens with you in the heavenly Jerusalem and in this life your fellow-servants and Ministers To the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in heaven Through Christ ye are made members of the true Catholick Church of the Elect and of all Believers whose names are inrolled in heaven written in the book of life predestinated unto grace and glory And unto God the judge of all who will condemn and punish his adversaries and absolve comfort and reward and save his people according to his faithfull promises And to the Spirits of just men made perfect To the Church triumphant in heaven which is freed from all sin and misery and partakes of perfect holiness and happiness to which you have now a present right and of which are long you shall by Christ have a sure enjoyment with them that are already entred into that Possession And to Jesus the Mediatour of the new Covenant Ye are under a Covenant of grace which proclaimes remission of sin and of which Christ himself is Mediatour and Surety by whom God is satisfied and reconciled And to the blood of sprinkling to the partaking of this blood which was shed for the remission of sins and to cleanse us from sin so that you are now justified and sanctified by him which speaketh better things than that of Abel The blood of Abel spake and cryed out against Cain for curse and vengeance but the blood of Jesus Christ speaks to God for mercy and pardon of sin and peace and life and is effectual for these Thus you see into what a surpassing condition the Gospel brings believers in Christ and of what efficacy the Apostles exhortation of them to holiness should therefore be CHAP. VII The Covenant of Grace considered in relation to Christ the Mediatour THIS last verse I have purposely chosen to carry on farher the discourse of the Covenant of Grace in relation to Christ Jesus as Mediatour The Covenant of Grace considered â—n relation to Christ as Mediatour thereof And let me tell you that herein lies the strongest hopes and the sweetest comforts and the surest grounds that we sinners have that as there is a New Covenant a Covenant of Grace so that Jesus Christ is the Mediatour thereof For set Jesus Christ aside as Mediatour in this Covenant there would be no admission of sinners into it nor any participation of the good things in it nor any ability of our standing or abiding in it I finde in Scripture a seven-fold relation that Jesus Christ hath to the Covenant Christ hath a seven-fold relation to the Covenant He is the substance of the Covenant The principal confederate party 1. He is the substance of the Covenant even the Covenant itself Isa 42. 6. I will give thee for a Covenant of the people Isa 49. 8. He is our very peace and our very life and our very salvation and if I may not be mistaken he it is that fulfils and makes the Covenant good on both sides 2. He is the principal confederate party As Adam was in that Covenant of works standing for himself and all his posterity so Jesus Christ in this Covenant of Grace for himself and all that believe on him Heb. 1. 5. I will be to him a Father and be shall be to me a Son 1 Joh. 20. 17. I ascend to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God 3. He is the Messenger of the Covenant Mal. 3. 1. The Messenger of the Covenant The Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in He it is who opens and reports unto us the good will of his Father and the gracious love of the Father and what hath past and hath been agreed on 'twixt the Father and him touching our salvation he reveals this Covenant and treats with sinners about it and shews them the way how to come in and prevailes with them by his Spirit 4. He is the Witness of the Covenant Isa 55. 4. Behold I have given him The Witness of the Covenant for a Witness to the people Rev. 1. 5. From Jesus Christ the faithful witness c. He testifies to the Covenant by word and deed and oath and his testimony is true 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy all acceptation that Jesus Christ is come into the world to save sinners He is the Yea and Amen to every word of promise and grace that God hath spoken concerning us that it is good and true that God hath said it and that he will performe it 5. He is the Surety of the Covenant Heb. 7. 22. Jesus was made a Surety of The Surety of the Covenant a better Testament and Covenant As God is in some respect a Surety for Christ Isa 52 13. Behold my servant shall deale prudently so Christ is a Surety for God undertaking that his Father shall perform what he hath promised Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out verse 38. For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me verse 39. And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all
which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day And a Surety for us He did enter into Bond for us to pay our ransome To become sin for us that we may be made the righteousness of God in him 6. He is the Testator of the Covenant and he died to confirm the Covenant The Testator of tâ—â— Covenant His death sealed it so that we may challenge and plead the good of the Covenant as children do their Estates left unto them in a Testament sealed Heb. 9. 16 17. Where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead 7. He is the Mediatour of the Covenant Thus is he stiled in the Text the The Mediatour of the Covenant Mediatour of the New Covenant Thus in Heb. 8. 6. The Mediatour of a better Covenant Thus in Heb. 9. 15. The Mediatour of the New Testament He is that dayes-man 'twixt God and us that layes his hand upon us both such a one as Job wished for Job 9. 33. He takes up all differences answered all demands payed the ransome and reconciled us There is 1. Internuncius A Messenger between two parties 2. Arbiter An Umpire an indifferent man chosen to judge between two A litigantibus eligitur habet totius rei potestatem 3. Intercessor who useth entreaty for another 4. Advocatus who defendeth or soliciteth another mans cause 5. Mediator ut supra and there is a Mediator per modum Annuntiationis or Revelationis as Mâ—ses who stood between God and the people Indicans illis verbum Dei Deut. 5. 5. I stood between the Lord and you at that time to shew unto you the Word of the Lord per modum reconciliationis So Jesus Christ who by his death or sacrifice appeased God and reconciled us unto God 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God and one Mediatour between God and men the man Jesus Christ verse 6. Who gave himself a ransome for all But what is a Mediatour He is 1. Qui medius est inter duos parum inter se congruentes aut etiam sibi invicem What is a Mediatour hostes he is a middle Person a third Person between two who are either jarring and quarrelling or else who plainly fallâ— out and becomes enemies he is one who steps in 'twixt the offending and offended person 2. Qui mediat inter partes He is one who mediates between those parties that is who undertakes to take up their differences and to atone and reconcile them and make them one in love and friendship again and for that purpose engageth himself to give such a satisfaction to the offended party whereby all grounds of injury and displeasure being removed he and the offending party comes to stand in the terms of affection peace and amity as if no difference ever had been between them 3. Qui promovet he is one who doth so attend and personate the reconciling of parties that he gives not over that work or enterprise untill he hath accorded them and drawn them into a state of love and reconcilement untill he hath indeed made them friends 4. Qui utriusque nomine He is one who transacts this work between the parties in the name of the both parties dealing with the offending party in the name of the offended and with the offended party in the name of the offeding party so to satisfie the one and so to relieve and help the other In all these respects is Christ a Mediatour 'twixt God and us sinners Christ is such a Mediator 1. God the Father he is that one party and the sinner is the other party betwixt both of them Jesus Christ the Son of God comes in as a middle or third party 2. And mediates takes it upon him to set them at one again who by reason of sin â—e are at variance and enmity and this he doth by undertaking to give satisfaction to God offended and provoked by sin 3. And so prosecutes this work that he refuseth not any thing required and insisted upon by the offended God necessary to make him reconciled but willingly yeilds to do and suffer all and did so to make up a peace twixt him and sinners 4. In the transacting of all this He acted in the name of them both with the one and with the other For the opening of this excellent and useful Point I shall touch briefly upon seven particulars 1 The necessity of a Mediatour between God and us sinners 2. That Jesus Christ is the Mediatour and he only 3. How Jesus Christ is to be considered as standing under the Name and Office of a Mediatour 4. According to what Nature in Christ he is our Mediatour whether according to his Divine nature only or Humane Nature onely or both 5. What did concern Christ to do or suffer for us as Mediatour 6. What the merits efficacies vertues and benefits are depending on him as Mediatour and flowing from his mediation 7. What Christ still doth in the behalf of the people in Covenant for whom he is a Mediatour SECT I. THat there is a necessity of a Mediatour between God and us Man may be There is a necessity of a Mediatour betwixt God and us considered two wayes Either as a righteous Creature so made by God in which respect there is no necessity of a Mediatour for him for as so he was in an estate of friendship with his God and no difference nor provocation therefore requiring a Mediatour Or as a sinning offending and guilty Creature By reason whereof friendship is broken off 'twixt him and God God is infinitely offended and provoked and sinful man lies under his heavy wrath and curse for sinning voluntarily against him all which was threatned in case of sinfull transgression and disobedience For And thus he stands in need of a Mediatour For 1. God is righteous and must establish his Law against sin by the punishing of God is righteous sin he will certainly be repaired either in the sinners eternal destruction or in a Mediatours perfect satisfaction He will be satisfied or else never reconciled 2. There is an absolute impotency in the sinner to make his own peace with God either to satisfie the offended God or to repaire his lost self he hath nothing There is an absolute impotency in the sinner to satisfie either proportionable or available that way So then if God cannot in honour suffer sin to passe unpunished and man cannot in any kind of obedience make a compensation and satisfaction unto God of necessity a Mediatour must be found who must step in between both these parties on whom the curse due to sin may be laid and God by his obedience may be satisfied he undertaking and laying down the same for the offendingand sinning party unto the offended and prowoked party 3. It had utterly been in vain be it spoken with reverence
for God to have There cannot be a New Covenant without a Mediatour set up a Covenant a New Covenant if he had not set forth a Mediatour for that Covenant Because neither can a sinner come into a New Covenant without a Mediatour the sinners accesse to God and union with him requires one Nor can there be any acceptance of the person or of the services of any sinner without a Mediatour who must bear his name before God and take away the iniquity of his holy offerings Nor can he continue in that Covenant without the presence and help of a Mediatour For if Adam who had a perfect righteousness suitable to his created condition could not make good the Covenant with him much lesse can the sinner by his own strength either perform the duties or persevere in the performance of them against so many inward oppositions of his own sinful nature and so many outward temptations of Satan without the power and sufficiency of a Mediatour SECT II. 2. THat Jesus Christ is the Mediatour and he only There are two Branches Jesus Christ and he only is the Mediatour Jesus Christ is tâ—e Mediatour proved by the 〈…〉 God in this Assertion 1. One that Jesus Christ is the Mediatour which will appear to be a truth whether you consider six things 1. The counsel and purpose of God to save sinners by Christ as Mediatour Ye were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1. 19 20. Whose names are written in the book of Life of the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world Rev. 13. 8. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and for eknowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain Acts 2. 23. 2. The voluntary consent and compact between God the Father and Christ The The voluntary consent and compact betwixt God and Christ Father was willing to give Christ his Son to be the Head and to be the Ransome of the Elect and Christ the Son of God presented himself most willing to procure that salvation for them The Father agreed with him for an obedience even to the death to bring this about and promised him a Spiritual Kingdom and seed upon the performance And the Son came up to this Then said I Loe I come in the volume of thy Book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart 3. The promise of this unto Adam Gen. 3. 15. It shall bruise thy head and thou The promise of this to Adam shalt bruise his heele This is directly meant of Christ who as our Mediatour should suffer death for us c. And unto Abraham in Gen. 18. 18. In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed 4. The Legal figures and shadows in Sacrifices and Offerings all which Typified The Legal figures and shadows of it Jesus Christ the Mediatour who offered himself shed his blood took away sinne and made peace as in the Hebrews is a bundantly expressed 5. The actual exhibition and presentation of Christ unto the world and for this The actual exhibition of Christ purpose to be a Mediatour Gal. 4. 4. When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law verse 5. To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons 6. The real executing of that Office of Mediatour in fulfilling all Righteousness The real execution of that Office and in giving himself for a Ramsome and by his blood reconciling and making Peace 2. And as Christ is that Mediatour so he only is that Mediatour 1 Tim. 2. 5. Christ only is that Mediatour There is one God and one Mediatour between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus but one God and but one Mediatour Acts 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other Name under heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved None was ever called to that Office but Christ and none was ever fitted for that Office but Christ and none were ever able to discharge that Office but Christ Him the Father sent and gave and sealed and on him was laid our iniquities c. Read you of Man or Angel called by God to be a Mediatour 'twixt him and sinners Was ever any so fitted for that work but Christ He who is a Mediatour at least three conditions must lie upon him 1. He must not be of the number of those who are to be reconciled Therefore Three conditions in a Mediator agree only to Christ no simple man can be a Mediatour 2. He must partake of the nature of them who are to be redeemed and reconciled He must be of the same seed with them Heb. 2. 16. and therefore no Angel can be a Mediatour 3. He must be more than a meere Creature For a meere creature cannot satisfie nor can his righteousness be imputed to any but himself and he must be able to overcome sin and death and raise himself which no creature can do therefore neither men nor Angels can be Mediatours SECT III. 3. NOw let me speak unto the third particular viz. How Jesus Christ is to How Christ is to be considered as being-Mediatour As God Man be considered or look't upon as being a Mediatour I answer not as God only not as the second Person in the Trinity only not as man only but as Theanthropos as God-Man As God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. As the Word made flesh which dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory as the only begotten of the Father Joh. 1. 14. As the second Person of the Trinity incarnated as Immanuel God with us A Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son and thou shalt call his Name Immanuel Isa 7. 14. with Matth. 1. 23. and so the Angel to Mary in Luke 1. 31. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Son and shalt call his Name Jesus verse 32. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David verse 33. And he shall raign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end So Gal. 4. 4. When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman c. to redeem them that were under the Law And Christ is said to bear our sins in his own body 1 Pet. 2. 24. And to make his soule an offering for sin Isa 53. And by his death and blood to reconcile us Rom. 5. 9. Col. 2. 22. As Christ was God from all eternity so in time he was made Man True God he was Joh. 1. 1. The Word was God and true Man also be was
Christ is Man who is the Mediatour but it doth not say that he is Mediatour only as Man yea and the next verse may satisfie us that he must be considered as God as well as Man being Mediatour For it followeth in verse 6. who gave himsel a Ramsome for all c. Now Christ giving himself a Ransome was was not Man only but God also therefore the same Apostle saith that God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself 2 Cor. 5. 19. and that by his own blood he purchased the Church Acts 20. Ob. But it is there said The Man Christ Jesus and why is it said the Man but to shew that only as Man he is Mediatour So Bellarmine Sol. 1. By the same reason we may argue that Christ only as Man doth forgive sins Because it is said in Matth. 9. 6. The Sonne of Man hath power to forgive sins 2. But the reason why he saith the Man Christ Jesus is not that as so only he was Mediatour but that he might teach Believers not to despaire oâ— any sorts of men for whom he before wills them to pray Because Christ was made Man and sustained the person of all sorts of men 3. As it is there said the Man so it is said the Man Christ Jesus That Man is the Mediatour who is Christ the Annointed of God and Jesus who is so called because he saves his people from their sins But as meere man he cannot do so it is no meer Man but God who is the God of salvation And although Christ might die meerely as man yet as a Medâ—atour he must also conquer death which he could not do but as he was God Object But the Apostle distinguisheth the Mediatour there from God saying one God and one Mediatour thus Bellarmine argues Sol. And so the Apostle in another place distinguisheth Christ from man Gal. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle not of man nor by man but by Jesus Christ yet hence it will not follow that Christ only according to his Divine Nature did call Paul to be an Apostle no more doth it here because he distinguisheth God and the Mediatour that therefore the Mediatour is not God But now to return to the proof of the Assertion that Christ is a Mediatour in respect of both his Natures as he was God and Man not as God only nor as Man only but as God Man many Arguments there are to evidence it Arguments to prove it Christ layed down his life and raised it again according to both Natures He is our Priest Prophet and King according to both Natures 1. According to what Nature Christ did lay down his life and raised it again according to that Nature is Christ a Mediatour this cannot be denyed because Christ as Mediatour died and rose again for us but to lay down his life and raise it again was an act of his Divine Nature as well as of his Humane Ergo. for he died as man and raised himself as God 2. If Christ in respect of both his Natures be our Priest and Prophet and King Then according to both his Natures he is a Mediatour But c Ergo. 1. He is a Priest as to both his Natures This will appear if you consider Psal 110. 4. Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedeck Heb. 7. 2. This Melchizedeck was King of Righteousness and King of Peace and verse 3. Without Father and without Mother without descent having neither beginning of dayes nor end of life but was like the Son of God and abideth a Priest for ever Why here is a clear Type of the Person of Christ as out Priest and Mediatour unto which Christ doth perfectly answer and if as thus considered he answer to Melchizedek then he must be as Melchizdeck was without Father and without Mother And indeed so Christ was in a different respect to both his Natures For as to his Humane Nature he was without Father and as to his Divine Nature he was without Mother And moreover as such a Priest he must be without beginning of dayes and end of life which cannot be affirmed of him but as God Again Melchizedeck as Priest is said to be like the Son of God if so then Christ as the Son of God is a Priest but as the Son of God he is God Ergo. as God he is our Mediatour Jesus Christ as a Priest must have not only a Sacrifice to offer but an altar on which that sacrifice must be offered The Sacrifice was himself in respect of his Humane Nature the Altar to sanctifie that Sacrifice was his Divine Nature and himself offering and sacrificing was the Priest consisting of both those Natures 2. He is a Prophet in respect of both Natures for in both his Natures he reveales the will of his Father unto us In respect of his Humane Nature he doth so Heb. 1. 2. God in these last dayes hath spoken unto us by his Son and in respect of his Divine Nature it is said Joh. 1. 9. That was the true light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world and certainly to open the heart and mind as Christ did Acts 16. 14 Luke 24. 32 45. is the work only of God 3. He is also a King in respect of both his Natures nor can his Divine Nature be secluded in this for to call out a people to himself and to renew their hearts and to subdue their sins and to rule in their hearts by his Spirit belongs to Christ as King but these cannot be erected by Christ but as God Ergo SECT V. 5. I Now proceed unto the fifth particular viz. What did concern Christ to do and What did concern Christ to do and suffer for us as a Mediatour Whatsoever we were bound to do and suffer that did Christ do and suffer for us suffer for us as our Mediatour The answer is this That whatsoever we are bound to do or to suffer by the Law of God all that did Christ do and suffer for us as being our Surety and Mediatour Now the Law of God hath a double challenge or demand upon us One is of Active Obedience in fulfilling what it requires The other is of passive obedience in suffering that punishment which lies upon us for the transgression of it in doing what it forbids For as we were created by God we did owe unto him all obedience which he required and as we sinned against God we did owe unto him a suffering of all that punishment which he threatned And we being fallen by transgression can neither pay the one debt nor yet the other We cannot do all that the Law requires nay of our selves we can do nothing neither can we so suffer as to satisfie God in his Justice wronged by us or to recover our selves into life and favour again And therefore Jesus Christ who was God made Man did become our Surety and stood in our stead or room and he did perform what we should but
That though a satisfaction for sin were necessary yet there was some kind of Relaxation in exacting of that satisfaction 4. That Jesus Christ did really make a satisfaction 5. That his satisfaction was not only for our good but also in our stead and therefore it was in our stead that it might be for our good 1. That God could not Salvo jure passe over the sin of man so as absolutely God could not let sin go unpunished to let it go unpunished It being against his Justice and against his Truth Every sinner is worthy of death They which commit such things are worthy of death Rom 1. 32. Now God is just and Righteous It is a righteous thing wiâ—h God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 2 Thes 1. 6. yea and God did therefore set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3. 25. To declare his Righteousness that he might be just verse 26. If God be a Just and Righteous God then sin cannot absolutely escape unpunished for it is just with God to punish the sinner who is worthy of punishment And truly God must deny himself if he will not be just But God cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2. 13. And besides this as God cannot but be just and therefore sinne cannot escape unpunished so God cannot but be true and if he cannot but be true then what he hath threatned against sin that must be performed But he hath threatned punishment for sin In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death and the soule which sins shall die Object And whereas some do object That it is lawful for any man de jure suo remittere quantum velit To abate of his right as much as he pleaseth and therefore God may do so Sol. I answer 1. That is not a true Rule absolutely amongst men A Magistrate cannot dispence with any so that the Lawes may be violated and Justice be overthrown Nor a father with the wickednesse of his Children so that they shall go wholly unpunished David did so indeed about Absolom and Eli about his sons but they paid dear for it Only it holds in some cases which are not in fraudem tertij or salvo jure tertij 2. And as for God it holds not for although God may be pleased so far cedere de jure as to admit of a Surety yet he cannot so far yield as to abrogate his own Law and quietly to sit down with injury and losse to his own justice himself having established a Law c. 2. That God will not let sin go unpunished Exod. 34. 7. He will by no meanes God will not let sin go unpunished clear the guilty He is unchangable Ezek. 18. 20. The soule that sinneth it shall die And the wickednesse of the wicked shall be upon him Rom. 2. 6. He will render to every man according to his deeds Look on sin in any Creature whatsoever God would not let it pass unpunished 1. In the Angels that fell Jude verse 6. The Angels that kept not their fiâ—st estate but lost their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains of dâ—rknesse unto the judgement of the great day 2. In Men whether Reprobate or Elect. If Reprobate and unbelievers then they must bear their own punishment of sin for ever If Elect and Believers yet Christ must bear their punishment for God will not suffer sin to passe unpunished he doth perfectly hate and abhor it his wrath is sealed against it he will give no encouragement for any to sin but would utterly deter men from it and his Righteous Law must and shall be maintained 3. That though a satisfaction for sin be necessary yet there is some kind of Relaxation Though a satisfaction was necessary yet there was a relaxation in exacting that satisfaction and mitigation in the exacting of that satisfaction for although God as just must and will punish sin yet it is not against Justice for to exact the punishment or that the satisfaction of it may be joyned with some mitigation therefore we distinguish of Justitia Rigida Temperata Indeed in Justitia vindicante per modum rigoris which we call summum jus there is no mitigation at all neither of the substance of punishment nor of the circumstances of it but in Justitia temperara where there is a mitigation of levying the punishment this is not contrary to justice And with this kind of justice did God prosecuâ—e the sinnes of his Elect for which though he would be satisfied yet it was with a moderation which I call a mitigation of justice For whereas in Rigour of Justice God might 1. Have insisted strictly with sinners as to their own person to have suffered for their sins yet he did not so but allowed of a Surety on their behalf to bear their sins and to suffer for them 2. Might have refused what another offered for them although in it self sufficient to satisfie his Justice yet he did accept thereof 3. Might have challenged an eternal duration of punishment which he had threatned and the nature of sin did deserve yet he did repute the dignity of the person who did suffer and die for their sins as Aequivalent unto an eternal duration of suffering and dying and the suffering of such a Person it did vertually amount thereunto and in all these respects there was a temperature or moderation of Justice in the exacting of satisfaction for the sinnes of the Elect. 4. That Jesus Christ by his death and sufferings did really and truly make satisfaction For whether you take satisfaction for punishment endured Christ by his death and sufferings did really make satisfaction equal to the fault committed or for so much done and suffered and ipso facto as de jure did solvere debitum discharge the debt to be paid so that God in justice cannot Renew the suite against us but ought to acquit us having Received a full Payment In both these respects did Christ make satisfaction 1. Jesus Christ did endure punishment equal to the fault What our sinnes He endured punishment equal to the fault did deserve and what justice might lay upon us for those sins all that did Christ suffer or bear and therefore certainly Christ did make satisfaction If you will admit of any satisfaction at all in criminal cases for sinnes and offences it must of necessity lie in the commensuration of the punishment with the fault when so much punishent is sustained for sin as justice requires for the guilt of that sin Now Jesus Christ did so suffer for our sinnes as that his sufferings were fully answerable unto the demerit of our sinnes And I think I may safely deliver it That God in justice for the satisfying of it could not in genere poenarum require any more or lay on any one more punishment than Jesus Christ did suffer for our sinnes And my Reason is this because Christ
the effect and fruit of Christs sufferings and satisfaction for us Then you see whether to go under the sense of the guilt of your sins and See whether to go under the sense of sin and what to trust to what to trust unto when the Law of God sets upon you and Satan gives in against you and your own wounded consciences charge on you the guilt of great and many sins O it is a dreadful time indeed with you what shall I do and what will become of me whether shall I flie who can give me ease I cannot satisfie justice and I cannot escape justice and I cannot bear the strokes of justice I would do any thing I would suffer any thing for a time But O distressed sinner these will not and these cannot help thee Why then my condition is desperate So it is for ought that thou canst do but is there not a God in Israel so say I to thee is there not a Mediatour hath not he suffered hath not he died hath not he shed his blood for the Remission of sins In him we have Redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins And If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins And herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins And therefore in your agonies of Conscience in the troubles of your soules under the guilt of your sins look up to Jesus Christ whose blood was shed for the Remission of sins and offer him up and hâ—s blood up to God See O Lord this is thy Christ who appeared once to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself and who was once offered to bear the sins of many Here is my satisfaction and here is the price laid down for my sins and here is the blood without shedding of which there is no remission O Lord pardon O Lord forgive my sins all my sins for his Name sake c. 3. I now proceed unto the third Effect or Benefit flowing from and depending upon the sufferings of Christ our Mediatour and that is Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 19. Reconciliation God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself Whereas formerly we lay under the wrath of God deserved by sin we are now by Christ delivered from that wrath God is appeased and we are received into favour and friendship with him Rom. 5. 10. When we were sinners we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Ephes 2. 14. He is our Peace Isa 53. 5. The chastisement of our peace was upon him The Socinians deny all this they deny that God was ever angry or displeased with us or that any of us did lie under his wrath or that ever Christ did appease pacifie remove the wrath of God or wrought Reconciliation 'twixt God and us Against which Opinion of theirs I shall lay down these Conclusions Conclusions layed down against the Socinians There was a real breach betwixt God and Man by sin 1. That there was a real breach or difference or enmity made between God and Man by reason of sin and we were under his wrath for it The Scripture is clear for this calling sin an enmity Ephes 2. 16. Having slain the enmity thereby Rom. 8. 7. The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God It is not subject to the Law of God c. Sinners enemies It when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5. 10. Those whom he calls Sinners verse 8. he calls Enemies verse 10. Col. 1. 21. You that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mindes by wicked works yet now he hath reconciled Here you see that by reason of sin we are alienated and we are enemies Alienated in respect of the near union and conjunction which once we had with God and enemies in respect of that hostility which did arise 'twixt us and God by reason of sin Sinners do hate God as their enemy and God doth hate them as his enemies and their wayes are an abomination unto him Prov. 15. 9. And truely because sin is in its own nature the greatest dissimilitude with and repugnancy unto the nature of God as it therefore breaks up all friendship so it likewise raises up the strongest alienation and hostility But besides this the Scripture doth as clearly hold out the wrath of God under which men lie by reason of sin Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth not the Son the wrath of God abideth on him He saith not Non veniet super eum sed manet Jamdudum enim involvit omnes Adami filios illis supe incumbet donec removeatur per Christum Mediatorem saith Austin Rom. 1. 18. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men who hold the truth in unrighteousnesse Doth God reveal and threaten and inflict wrath upon sinners and yet is he not wrath with sin or with sinners Eph. 2 3. And were by nature the children of wrath as well as others How often do we read of the provocation of God by sin and of Gods abhorring of people for sin and of casting them out of his sight and of the separation which sin makes and of his forsaking and punishing and damning of sinners certainly then sin makes a real breach and enmity 'twixt God and us 2. That Jesus Christ as our Mediatour did step in between God and us and Jesus Christ did step in betwixt God and us to make up the breach He did appease the wrath of God made up the breach and slew the enmity and reconciled us again Now here observe two things 1. Jesus Christ did appease the wrath of God against us He did pacifie him and took off all provocation on our part and displeasure therefore on Gods part All the peace-offerings in the Old Testament upon which his wrath fell off and ceased were but Types of Christ who was the real and true Peace-offering by whom God is appeased and pacified with us Hence is that of the Prophet Isa 53. 5. The chastisement of our peace was upon him It was Christ who made peace for us and as Christ is called our Peace and Peace-maker so he is called our Appeasor or Appeasement Rom. 3. 25. whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiatory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 2. 2. And he is the Propitiation for our sinnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 placamen not placationis testimonium but placamen effectivum Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is placare to appease a person and so to appease him that wrath and displeasure in him is removed or taken off God be mercifull to me a sinner said the Publican Luke 18. 13. Be merciful to me the word signifies Be propitious be appeased be pacified And truely upon the account of this part of Reconciliation by Christ we are
the year of Jubile was come and he might have Accept of the Redemption by Christ gone free yet he chose rather to be a servant So when Christ hath wrought Redemption for us and offers that plenteous redemption unto us now to refuse it and not accept of it But to say I had rather serve my sins still and I like my bondage better why If you will not be perswaded to accept of deliverance and redemption by Christ but your Spiritual slavery and captivity doth better please you then remain as you are But woe unto you if you do so for within a few years or weeks or dayes when God and Conscience and Death and Hell fall upon for your sins you would give ten thousand worlds if you could command them that you had accepted of of your Redemption by Christ but then it is too late 5. Then you who take your selves to be Christ's and to be the Redeemed of Carry your selves like Redeemed ones the Lord Carry your selves like redeemed Persons and walk worthy of the Redemption which you have by Christ 1. Give way unto your Redeemer suffer him to rule youâ— hearts and to order Let your Redeemer rule you your wayes for you are his by a right of Redemption As the men of Israel spake to Gideon Judg. 8. 22. Rule thou over us for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midean So say you to Christ Lord Jesus Rule thou over us for thou hast redeemed us from the hands of all our enemies Thou hast bought us with a price and we are not our own but thine 2. Give not way to any works of bondage retuâ—n not to Egypt again but walk Give no wâ—y to any works of bondage on strait in the way to Heaven and abound in all good works Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works 3. Spend not your dayes in vanity neither fashion your selves unto the present Spend not your dayes in in vanity course of the world why so will you say because Christ hath redeemed you Why is this contrary to our redemption by Christ it is so whatsoever you you may think 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. You were redeemed from your vain conversations with the precious blood of Christ Not only iniquities but vanities fall under our Redemption by Christ Gal. 1 4. Who gave himself for our sinnes that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God 6. Long for the day of your full and perfect Redemption by Christ Be not so Long for the day of your full Redemption afraid of death nor of the coming of Christ to judgement Death will nothing disadvantage you nor will the coming of Christ to judgement any thing prejudice you No no that is the day of perfect Redemption both in point of deliverance and in point of possession Then shall your bodies also be wholly ransomed from the grave and in soule and body shall you be glorified for ever with the Lord your Redeemer Be thankful 7. Be â—xceeding thankful if you be brought into Christ and do partake of Redemption by him O sirs what mercy is this Redemption think a little of it what a mercy it is that your sins shall never damn you that the curse of the Law shall never fall on you that the wrath of God is taken off that your sinful lusts which you formerly served and which ruled you are broken down and you will serve them no more nor shall Satan command you as heretofore c. that you are brought into a state of Spiritual liberty He that lies in bondage and would be Redeemed let him by faith look up to Jesus Christ 8. If any poor soul lying in bondage and groaning for deliverance would be redeemed then let him by faith look up to Jesus Christ for he only is the Redeemer Do so For 1. Whatsoever your bondage may be Jesus Christ is a suitable Redemption Perhaps your bondage is under sin pehaps it is under Satans temptation perhaps it is under slavish fear of wrath and death but Christ is perfect Redemption and full and plenteous Redemption 2. He is made of us unto God Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. God hath set him up and raised him up to be your Deliverer 5. A fifth singular benefit depending upon the sufferings of Christ as our Mediatour is his Meritorious purchase or Acquisition His Meritorious purchase The sufferings of Christ had a double aspect 1. One unto the Evils under which we lay and to which we were obnoxious In which respect his sufferings were a satisfaction 2. Another unto the good which we did need and would enjoy and in this respect his sufferings were a purchase Jesus Christ did suffer not only to deliver us from an evill and miserable condition but also did restore us into a good and happy condition And his sufferings were not only a price of payment to get off our debts but they were also a price of purchase to procure and that Meritoriously all blessedness for us Where sin abounded Grace did abound much more Rom. 5. Ephes 1. 11. In whom we have obtained an inheritance There are six things which Jesus Christ our Mediatour hath purchased Christ hath purchased by his death 1. All the Elect They are his by way of Donation Thine they were and thou All the Elect. gavest them me Joh. 17. 6. And they are his by way of purchase The Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Acts 20. 28. 2. Everlasting life which is called the purchased possession Ephes 1. 14. And Everlasting life the gift of God through Jesus Christ Rom. 6. 23. The blood of whom is worth Heaven it self We have no right unto the heavenly and glorious inheritance nor any hope thereof but by Jesus Christ Grace reigns through Righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. 22. 3. Nearnesse of Relation Adoption of Sons we who were in bondage Nearness of Relation who were strangers who were enemies are now made nigh by the blood of Christ Ephes 2. 13. and do by him receive the adoption of Sons Gal. 4. 5. To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sonnes 4. The Holy Ghost In his graces assistances and comforts Not one grace nor The Holy Ghost comfort nor answer which you have but it is the fruit of Christs purchase Jesus Christ hath purchased and obtained this Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever verse 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he is made unto us sanctification 1 Cor. 30. 5. The forgivenesse of our sins Your sins are forgiven you for his Name-sake 1 Joh.
if Jesus Christ appear for us he can answer all and silence all 4. A Restauration in case of sinning and falling and offending that yet the Restauration in case of offending breach may be made up 1 Joh. 2. 1. My little children these things I write unto you that you sin not and if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous ver 2. And he is the Propitiation for our sins As if he should say You that have fellowship with the Father and with the Son take heed of sinning O but do what we can we many times do sin and this is a sore grief and fear unto our souls but yet do not despair saith the Apostle this breach may be made up again for if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ c. He can plead your pardon and put away your sins and make your peace again As Jesus Christ made our peace by being our Redeemer so he keepes the peace by being our Intercessor the purchasing of our peace belongs to his blood and the conserving of our peace belongs to his Intercession 5. A pledge of sufficient help and of all good be it never so great never so A pledge of sufficient help much it will come it shall be had because Jesus Christ makes Intercession Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost perfectly that come unto God by him seeing he ever lives to make Intercession for them Christs Intercession is grounded on his Merits which have bought and purchased all for us and Christs Intercession is the Application of his Merits for the giving out of all the goodness he purchased it is able to carry any suit for you 6. A certainty of perseverance and duration in the state of grace Why will you Ceâ—tainty and perseverance say Because Christ makes Intercession for that in particular and Christs Intercession is alwayes effectual It cannot be denied if God will hear us and grant us what we do ask in the Name of Christ as he saith he will surely then he will never deny the Petition of Christ himself But Jesus Christ did make particular Intercession for the perseverance of his people unto the end Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Joh. 17. 11. Holy Father keep through thy Name those that thou hast given me ver 15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil Luke 22. 32. I have prayed for thee that thy Faith faile not 7. Assurance of salvation Joh. 17. 24. I will that they also whom thou hast Assurance of sâ—lvation given me be with me where I am that they may behold the glory which thou hast given me As he is gone to Heaven to prepare a place for them so his Intercession will set them in that place 8. A clear certainty of enjoyment What shall I say more as Christ makes Certainty of enjoyment Intercession for us so he hath an Authority to confer and bestow upon us whatsoever he prayes for c. One sayes well Praestat cum patre quod postulat à patre quia Mediator est Creator Mediator est ut poscat Creator est ut tribuat whatsoever Christ prayes to his Father for to give you that same he himself also can with the Father give unto you Vse 1 I shall now make some useful Application from this Doctrine of Christs Intercession for us First it discovers unto us the Erroneous Doctrine of the Papists who set up The Popish Doctrine of other Intercessors confuted other Intercessors with Christ in Heaven Although they seem to hold but one Mediatour of Redemption yet they do expresly maintain many Mediators of Intercession and though Bellarmine confesseth one onely Mediatour of Intercession which is Christ yet he extreamly contends for many mediate Mediators of Intercession as are the Saints now in Heaven who though they do not implere grant what we do pray for yet they do impetrare by their Merits for us and accordingly we may pray unto them to pray for us unto God But this Popish Opinion is 1. Most injurious to Christ who alone is designed by God and hath that Priestly Office for Redemption and Intercession who is the Angel that offers up the It is most injurious to Christ Prayers of the Saints our Advocate with the Father and ever lives to make Intercession for us And for us to assign Mediators whom God never assigned and to joyn them in Commission with Christ for our help to God whom God never joyned as this is a most daring presumption so is it a plain derogation to Jesus Christ as if he were either insufficient alone unto that work or else unwilling and backward to hear and help us 2. It is impious or at least superstitious for we have not one word of Command in It is Impious all the Bible to look up to glorified Saints as Intercessors nor any one Word of Promise that God will hear them for us or us using their names 3. It is needlesse for Christ saith Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name It is needlesse I will do it Joh. 14. 13. 4. It is an Opinion among themselves of wonderful uncertainty for they cannot assure us that if we do pray unto them that they do hear our Prayers and in Themselves are very uncertain this they do extreamly puzzle themselves especially about Mental Prayers which are only cognoscible of God himself some of them say that those glorified soules Mira quadam celeritate quodammodo ubique per se audiunt preces supplicantium a most silly unrational fancy Others that they know Ex Relatione Angelorum every man having his Angel Guardian who go away to Heaven with our Prayers But what then of the Prayers in the mean time made and what Scripture have they for this Others that In Deo vident omnia à principio suae Beatitudinis qua adipsos pertinent ideo Orationes Others deny that and say that our Prayers are then revealed unto them by God when we are making of them but how know they that It must be so or no way Object Remember Abraham Isaac and Jacob so prayes Moses Ergo. Sol. 1. To whom prayed he so 2ly The Covenant he means that God made with them not their present prayers in heaven 3ly For according to their Opinion Not at that time in Heaven Object Unto which of the Saints wilt thou turn thee said he in Jâ—b Sol. 1. Means he of them in heaven 2ly Not unto any one Object Dives in hell prayed to Abraham Sol. But who on earth Is it safe to imitate the damned Quando Pater à filio Quando Deus à Christo 5. It is Ridiculous to whistle thus to Saints for they must thereupon
assertion and I do not know any modest and understanding Writer who doth gainsay it Matth. 1. 21. Thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins His people are all the Elect given unto him and all Believers who receive him Ephes 5. 23. Christ is the Head of the Church and the Saviour of the body To whom he is a Head of them he is a Saviour but he is the Head of the Church and they are Believers Ergo. verse 25. Husbands love your Wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins It was shed for many which is the same with Which was given for you for you that believe on me for as Luther saith well Fides facit haeredes it is faith which makes us heirs of all the good in Christs Testament Joh. 17. 19 For their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also may be sanctified through the truth Joh. 10 15. I lay down my life for the sheep The sheep are believers verse 26. Ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep verse 27. My sheep hear my voice and they follow me verse 28. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish Joh. 15. 13 14. Greater love hath no man than this that be lay down his life for his friend Ye are my friends c. Besides these general testimonies for the death of Christ in relation to the Elect and Believers you shall finde a particular application of the vertues of the death of Christ unto all believers 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us of God Wisdom Righteâ—usnesse Sanctification and Redemption Rom. 13. 22. The Righteousnesse of God is manifestea which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe This Justitia quâ Justi censemur ad universos per fidem pervenit fide Allata Justi omnes redduntur Juâ—aei simul Craeci Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his Theophilact in loc blood the forgiveness of our sins Rom. 4. 25. Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification Acts 1â— 39. By him all that believe are justified Col. 1. 13. who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son Rom. 5. 1. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the attonement Ephes 2. 14. He is our peace 1 Joh. 2. 1. We have an Advocate with the Father Heb. 5. 9. And being made perfect he became the Author of salvation unto all that obey him Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life 1 Tim 4. 10 Who is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe Other men enjoy a common salvation but Believers an eternal salvation by him Here are most of the chief benefits resulting from the death of Christ and all of them setled upon and enjoyed by all Believers And verily this must needs be so whether you consider 1. The intention of Gods love in giving of Christ which was this That whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. 2. The intention of Christ in his suretiship and deaâ—â— for whom he became bound and for what end viz. that he might see a 〈◊〉 and the travel of his soul and that they who were called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Heb. 9 15. 3. The joynt application of all the good by Christ unto persons upon union with Christ for when persons are united unto Christ which certainly they are when they do believe then doth God apply all the benefits of Christ unto them justifies them imputes the righteousnesse of Christ unto them forgives their sins gives his Spirit to sanctifie them c. and then believers apply and lay hold on all the promises of God unto them in Christ 4. Iesus Christ is the mediatour of the New Covenant and therefore unquestionably all who are interested in that Covenant do and shall partake of the benefits inserted theâ—ein by promise and sealed therein by the blood of Christ and There is such a sufficiency in the death of Christ that if any will come â—n to Christ be shall partake of redemption by him such are all believers 2. That there is such a sufficiency and dignity and fulnesse in the death of Christ that if any sinner will come in unto him he shall partake of Redemption and salvation by him effectually I do purposely lay down these Conclusions for two Reasons One is to stop the clamours of evil-minded men who give out that if Redemption by Christ be not universal then we shut the door against sinners and discourage them from coming unto Christ Another is to encourage the hearts of all broken-hearted sinners to draw near to Christ though all men are not effectually redeemed by him I would concerning this Point clear unto you these two positions 1. That though effectual Redemption by Christ be not universal but particular yet this is not in the nature of it a Doctrine to discourage any sinner from coming unto Christ We have familiar Similies to illustrate this as that of a Race wherein though but one shall certainly enjoy the prize or Lawrel yet this doth not discourage any one from running the Race And as if any place be void in a Society though only a few can be chosen and possessed of those places yet this doth not discourage many from standing for those places So although effectual Redemption by the death of Christ be particular yet this discourageth none from looking after Christ or coming by faith unto him For 1. No sinner knows any particular exclusion of himself No sinner at least unto whom the Gospel comes can say I am sure that Christ never died for me and I am sure that though I should cometo Christ I shall never receive any good by him Though the effectuall Redemption be particular yet no sinner knowes that he is in particular excluded from the benefit of it 2. The Gospel gives encouragement unto every particular sinner to come to Christ Come for all things are ready Luke 14. It calls upon him Come and hearken and your soul shall live Isa 55. 2. And saith that whosoever believes shall be saved Mar. 16. 16. And him that comes to me I will in no wise reject Joh 6 37. 1. The Gospel puts no conditions of Ante-grace 2. Or worthinesse but offers freely 3. All former things passed by 4. Complaines of unbelief The way which the Gospel useth to bring men in to Christ is proper to work on any sinner though the benefit be peculiar to some though the Gospel doth not say that all shall be saved by Christ yet the Gospel saith that all who believe shall
be saved and all who believe not shall be damned Ergo. It discourageth none from coming to Christ 3. The Gospel holds out enough for any particular sinner to lay hold on It holds out a sufficiency in Christ for any and offers Christ indefinitely A willingness in Christ to receive any that come unto him 4. It offers Jesus Christ to any sinner yea to the vilest and most wretched To the persecuting Paul to the adulterous Magdalen to the Sodomitical Corinthians c. 1 Tim. 1. 13. 1 Cor. 6. 19. 5. Any sinner may accept the offer without any sin for it is worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15. 2. Let any sinner whatsoever come in by faith unto Christ and he shall effectually partake of Redemption and salvation by Christ Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the doore and knock if any man hear my voice and open the doore I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Rev. 22. 17. Let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely John 7. 23. If any man thirst let him come to mâ— and drink Joh. 3. 16. Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish You see here many promises to assure any sinner of an effectual interest in the benefits of Christ if that he doth hearken and believe and come in by faith unto Christ 1. Doe but consider as faith is the condition required on our part so it is the only condition there is no more no other thing required to bring you in to Christ nor to bring you into communion or fellowship or participation of himself nor of the benefits of his death but faith If you do believe Christ is youâ—s and if you do believe you are justified and if you do believe you shall be saved and if you do believe you have an immediate certain and full interest in Christ and his merits 2. Again where the Gospel is revealed unto a people the reason why any of them miss of salvation and are damned is because they believe not Joh. 3. 8. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God ver 36. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Now if this be so that unbelief cuts the sinner off that it hinders him of life by Christ that it is his condemnation that it seals the wrath of God on him then certainly faith in Christ in any man whatsoever will bring him to life to all good in and by Jesus Christ 3. That the death of Christ as Mediatour was not effectual for all it was not an The death of Christ was not effectual for all universal effectual Redemption Expiation Reconciliation and Salvation for all sinners and for every particular sinner There are three things which I would offer unto you about this Conclusion 1. Proofs from Scripture as to the Assertion in general 2. Proofs in particular that the Death and Redemption and Reconciliation c. by Christ was not universally effectual either 1. In God the Fathers intention nor in Christs intention 2. In the real Impetration of Christ 3. In the Application of it in time unto all the sons of Adam 3. Answers to some of the chief and speclous Arguments which are insisted on to the contrary 1. I shall endeavour in the general to prove this Negative truth that the death In the general Proofs from Scripture of Christ as Mediatour was not effectual for all and every man for Reprobates as well as Elect for unbelievers as well as believers for the damned as well as the saved Joh. 10. 15. I lay down my life for the sheep Those for whom Christ did dye were his sheep But all and every man are not his sheep Ergo he did not die for every As from John 10 15. man The first Proposition Jesus Christ delivers in this Scripture I lay down my life for the sheep The second Proposition Christ himself also delivers in verse 26. But ye believed not because ye are not of my sheep Quest. If the question be put But who are Christs sheep Sol. Why Christ also resolves that Question and so resolves it that he plainly demonstrates all are not his sheep See verse 27. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me verse 28. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish The sheep are described by their own property and by Christs bounty and care They are Christs sheep who do hear Christs voice and so hear his voice that they follow him But all and every man doth not the one nor the other again Christ sayes I give unto my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish Doth Christ give unto every one in the world eternal life and shall not any one in all the worldperish why then doth the Scripture say He that believeth not shall be damned Mar. 16. 16. And we are not of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul Heb. 10. 39. Now what can be replied unto this Christ died for his sheep Eâ—go all and every man are not his sheep There are two shifts which are made instead of answers unto this Scripture 1. One is that of Haberus That all men are sheep he must mean the sheep of Christ or else he answers nothing But this Christ himself as â—e have heard of from verse 26. expresly opposeth saying to the unbelieving Pharisees and Jews ye are not my sheep There are but two respects upon which men may be called the sheep of God or of Christ One is in respect of vâ—cation whether external only or internal also The other is in respect of Predestination because God hath Chosen them and designed them for Christ and in neither of these respects can all and every man be called the sheep of Christ Neither in respect of Predestination for few are chosen Nor in respect of Vocation for though many be called yet not all called no not with an External Vocation which yet is the more general 2. Another is that of the Remonstrants who said that Christ did lay down his life for the sheep but it is not said for the sheep only for them alone Paul saith Chriâ—â— gave himself for me It will not hence follow that Christ gave himself for Paul only and for none else nay we read that Christ died fur the ungodly Rom. 5. 6. and therefore not for his sheep only Sol. This is a shift much like that of the Papists who when we presse the Scripture for justification only by faith they say the word only by faith is not expressed unto whom we reply that vertually it is for the Scripture opposeth Justification by faith unto justification by works and denying it unto works therefore it
said to be the Head but he is the Head only of his Church 2. Those for whom Christ gave himself of those he is the Saviour but he is the Saviour of the Church which is his Body 3. Those for whom Christ here gave himself He is said to sanctifie and wash that he might present it unto himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinckle and those are only his Church none but his Church are sanctified and fitted for a glorious Church Ergo c. 3. A Third Scripture which I would make use of against the Universal efficacy of Christs death for all and every man shall be that in Rom. 8. 32 33 34. Verse 33. He that spared not his own Sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also give us all things Verse 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Verse 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us Verse 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ This place affords unto us many considerable passages 1. A delivering up of Christ to death for all the Elect and Called of God Pro Nobis omnibus not simply for all but for us all 2. A certainty of enjoyment of all things of all the good things which God the Father hath promised and God the Son hath purchased for all them for whose sake Jesus Christ was delivered up How shall he not with him also give us all things As if he had said God having given his Christ for you will certainly give you all other things with Christ if he gives the greater he will not stand with you for the less whatsoever good you need you shall assuredly possess and enjoy it 3. That the death of Christ is effectual for the absolution of all those for whom Christ was delivered up It is effectual against any thing that can be brought in against them who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth And it is effectual against all condemnation there is none to condemn them if any one it must be God but he hath justified them if for any thing it must be for sinne But saith the Apostle It is Christ that died who by his Death hath satisfied the justice of God and hath put away sinne Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that Died. 4. There is a Connexion 'twixt the Death of Christ and the Resurrection of Christ and the Session of Christ at the right hand of God and the Intercession of Christ those for whom Christ did Dye for them he did rise and those for whom he died and rose for them that is for their good He now sits at the right hand of God for them also he makes Intercession And one thing more from the love of Christ shall none of those be separated for whom he dyed and rose again and ascended and makes Intercession Now how all this can be affirmed of all and every man in the world that ever was is or shall be is a conceit beyond any solid reason of man or faith of a Christian to reach 1. Can all and every man be assured or assure himself because Christ was delivered to death therefore God will unquestionably deliver or give him all things 2. Is there no condemnation to any man in the world notwithstanding Christ hath died Nay saith John He that believes not is condemned already and thâ—s is the condemnation That light is come into the world but men love darkness rather than light 3. Is every man justified by God so that nothing can henceforth be laid to his charge seeing that God is the justifier only of all them that believe and they only that believe do receive the Remission of their sinnes If ye believe not that I am He you shall dye in your Sinnes said Christ 4. That Jesus who died here on earth and rose and ascended to heaven and there presents himself before his Father and makes Intercession that all this should be for all and every man the Arminians themselves are afraid and dare not to affirme for though they say that Mortuus est Christus Adaequate pro pecâ—atoribus yet they say also that Resurrexit intercedit cum salvandi intentione adaequate pro fidelibus But you see first that the Apostle knits and joynes all these together the Death and Resurrection and Intercession of Christ And secondly how miserably they delude poor ignorant people with the flash of an universal Redemption by the Death of Christ when yet notwithstanding this death and universal Redemption there is not any one saving good that ever shall befall them unlesse they do believe in Christ which will amount to no more than what we do maintaine that Christ died not effectually for all and every one but only for all and every Believer 2. Thus have I in the General brought some places of Scripture against the Opinion of Universal Redemption by the death of Christ I shall now discourse of it in a more particular way Where I shall endeavour to clear 1. That God the Father never did intend or purpose such an effectually Universal In particular Redemption of all and every one by Christ 2. That Jesus Christ the Son of God did never intend it 3. That Jesus Christ never obtained or impetrated the same no not in the sense of the Universalâ—sts themselves 4. That an Universal Application of this as it never shall be In Rerum natura so never was it In Dei aut Christi proposito God the Father did never intend this latitude of Redemption when he sent Christ into the world Proved 1. That God the Father did never intend this latitude of Redemption and Reconciliation and Salvation when he gave Christ and sent him into the world 'T is true that he had the Salvation of sinners and their Redemption and Reconciliation in his design of giving of Christ But I say this was not his design for all and every man whatsoever which I shall demonstrate in foure Arguments 1. What God intended that he Willed and Decreed this I think no rational Christian will or can deny but God never willed a General Redemption and Reconciliation and Salvation by the death of Christ which I prove thus If he did will and decree it then that Decree was either absolute or conditional if it were an absolute Decree or Will then it is effecual for no man hath resisted that Will which is an infallible cause of all which it doth will and then all and every man shall actually partake of Salvation by Christ which assertion as the Scriptures do manifestly contradict so the Arminians and their followers professedly deny If it be a Conditional Will in God as they say it is in case of believing on Christ then it is but
Apostle saith that Faith is the gift of God Ephes 2. 8 If God will give a man faith he shall have it for there is no gift which God will give but he hath power to make it his to whom he will give it Object But men will not receive it though God will give it Sol. God doth not give faith upon that condition if man will have it this is an offer not a gift But God saith the Apostle Phil. 2. 13. worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure To give us a will to believe and come to Christ this is Gods work and therefore if God will work towards faith as much as concerns him he must remove our unwillingness and make us willing 2. The giving of faith is commensurable with the election of God so saith the Apostle Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed and indeed it is the fruit and effect thereof and therefore it is called the faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1. 1. and stands as a necessary means in the way of participation of all our saving good unto which we are elected and which was purchased for us by Christ 3. A third Argument that God did not intend such an universal Redemption and Salvation by Christ is this If God had intended such an universal work and benefit for all men by Christ Then he would have given all men to Christ for such an end and purpose as their Redemption and salvation by him for if God wold never give them to Christ we may well suspect that he never intended to save them by Christ if they must not belong to the Saviour and Redeemer then Redemption and salvation shall never belong to them But God did not give all and every nan to Christ neither ex parte tituli so that he should acknowledge them as given unto him by the Father nor ex parte debiti nor ex parte Rei that he should stand charged and bound fot their Redemption and Salvation Ergo. That all were not discriminatim given by God the Father unto Christ ratione tituli is manifest in Joh. 17. 6. I have manifested thy Name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy word And verse 10. All mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them Nor ex parte Rei Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me Here you see 1. That those who were given unto Christ they were given out of the world not all the world but some out of it 2. That they who were given unto Christ God the Father had first a particular interest in them thine they were and thou gavest them me but all men whatsoever never had such a particular Relation to God nor God to them as that it can be said Thine they were 3. Those that were given to Christ he saith of them they have kept thy word verse 6. and have received thy words verse 8. and they have believed that thou didst send me Can this be said of all and every man Nor doth Christ acknowledge or own all men whatsoever as given to him verse 9. I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them whom thou hast given me for they are thine and verse 10. All mine are thine and mine are thine Neither were all given to Christ ratione debiti that he should stand charged and bound for their Redemption and salvation Joh. 17. 2. Thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Here is the extent of his Commission and Charge which he is bound to make good and that is to give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him i. effectually to save all them c. 4. I will add but one Argument more to prove that God intended not an universal Redemption and Salvation by the death of Christ and that shall be taken out of Rom. 9. 13. Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated ver 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion verse 22. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction verse 23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory The Apostle in this place doth purposely handle the doctrine of Election and Preterition that election he proves to be particular and not universal this he doth by instance and by Reason The instance is given in Jacob and Esau God loved Jacob but he hated Esau ver 13. The reason of this speciality of love in Election he presents in verse 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and verse 18. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth That God should love one and hate another chuse one and passe by another shew mercy to some and leave others to be hardned the reason of this is his own will he will love whom he we will love and elect whom he will elect and shew mercy to whom he will shew mercy Object Now whereas some murmuringly reply against God for such a particular love and election and purpose of mercy as if God dealt not fairly in it thus differently to deal with his Creatures verse 19. c. Sol. The Apostle defends this proceeding of God in the authority which he hath for it ver 21. Hath not the Potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel of wrath fitted for destruction verse 22. and to magnifie the riches of his glory of his grace on the vessels of mercy afore prepared unto glory verse 23. By all which it manifestly appears that there are some whom God never loved but hated whom he never elected but passed by whom he intended not to shew mercy unto but to leave them to be hardned that he would not make them vessels to honour but to dishonour that were vessels not of mercy aforehand prepared to glory but vessels of wrath fitted to destruction which if it be so and so the Apostle saith it is then undoubtedly God did never intend an universal Redemption and universal purchase of peace and mercy and salvation by Christ for all and every man For by Pauls Doctrine he doth not intend to shew mercy to the vessels of wrath and yet by the Arminian Doctrine he doth intend to shew mercy to all 2. I now proceed to the second Conclusion As God the Father never intended Christ did not intend such a latitude for all by his death an universal Redemption and Jubile by the death of Christ So neither did Jesus Christ the Son of God who did die to save sinners intend such a
the 11. verse 4. Fourthly Jesus Christ doth professedly disown some as being such that he never had any affection or respect unto did he ever intend to dye for these and to do as much for their salvation as for the salvation of others Matth. 7. 22. Many shall say in that day Lord Lord have we not Prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out Divels and in thy Name done many wonderful works verse 23. And then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity Many shall say and yet Christ will say to those many I never knew He doth not say I do not now know or own you or I did once know you but I never knew you Christ is said to know his sheep Joh. 10. 14. for whom he laid down his life verse 15. But there are many to whom Christ will say I never knew you never acknowledged you never loved you never liked you no not when they Prophecied and wrought miracles in his Name Christ will not then know them because they rejected him and were wicked workers yet I never knew you There you see that this universal redemption cannot finde foundation either in the intention of God the Father or in the intention of God the Son and as Christ who wrought Redemption for sinners 3. I shall now advance to a third Conclusion that there was not an universal impetration of reconciliation and remission of sins and of eternal life by the death of Christ This is that thing upon which the Controversie about the universality of the death of Christ doth principally depend concerning which the Arminians unanimously deliver themselves thus Christus ex patris sua intentione omnibus singulis hominibus indiscriminatiâ—â— â—â—m pereâ—â—tibus quam servandis impetravit Reconciliationem cum doo â— Remissionem peccatorum vitam ateriam Christ according to the intention of his Father and his own did obtain for all men and for every man indifferently as well for them that shall perish as for them that shall be saved Reconciliation with God Remission of sinnes and life eternal Before I present you some Arguments against this Opinion I shall crave your favour that I may spread the whole summe and frame of it as it is by the Arminians themselves set forth in their writings they teach I. That upon the fall of mankind in Adam there was a gracious affection in God by which he was yet mercifully affected to love all and every man alike so as seriously to desire the salvation of all men and of every particular man Vt nullus omnino homo sit cujus salutem non velit so that there was not any one man whose salvation God did not will II. That for the extending of this favour unto all and every man Jesus Christ was sent into the word to dye that by his dâ—ath God justice might be satisfied for all the sins of all men and that thereupon Godâ— might without any prejudice to his justice Plenario voluntatis proposito velle salvare with a full purpose will salvation III. That Jesus Christ did come into the world and by his death did satisfie the justice of God and so opened a door of grace for a possible salvation for all and every sinner Mercy now being set at liberty which before was bowed up IV. That all and every sinner hath a liberty of freedom to enter into that door of grace and besides that there is so much sufficiency of help afforded unto them that if their free-will be pleased to make use of it they may accept of it if they will and if they will not it is their own fault V. That neverthelesse you must distinguish of the death of Christ according to a two-fold decree of God as they say there is One Decree which is according to his affection or will desiring to save all and in respect of this the death of Christ was an universal impetration i. e. it did work so far in relation to God that he might without any injury to himself will an universal salvation to all men and accordingly he did will and decree it Christ having impetrated it Another Decree of God by which he intended the actual bestowing giving and communicating of this salvation universally purchased by the death of Christ which they and we do call the Application of the death of Christ and this they say is Solis fidelibus only to Believers who by faith do receive Christ So that if you demand of the Patrons of universal Redemption Did God indeed desire and will the salvation of all lost sinners they answer he did But did God seriously will this yes he did And was Christ sent for this end he was And did Christ by his death procure and obtain this for all yes he did But did God ever decree or will that all and every man should have benefit by this No verily but only Believers only such as suffer themselves to believe and repent these actually are reconciled pardoned and saved Nevertheless Jesus Christ did by his death obtain this for all Universal Reconciliation universal Remission universal Salvation are purchased by the blood of Christ although some only shall partake of it All have a right in the salvation purchased though only Believers have the benefit nay though no man should ever believe yet there was an universal salvation purchased by Christ for all men Though that Assertion that all Believers and they only partake of actual Reconciliation and Remission and Salvation by Christ be a truth which we all agree in yet that there is such an universal Reconciliation Remission and Salvation purchased by the death of Christ for all men whatsoever is an opinion unto which we cannot subscribe but must reject as opposite unto Scripture and religious Reasons I shall let passe some Arguments which some make use of against this Opinion Arguments against this Opinion verse 9. 1. Some were in Hell when Jesus Christ died Did Christ obtain Reconciliation and Remission of sins and Eternal life for them If not for them how then for all and every man But did God ever intend it for them or accepted of the death of Christ for them those for whom Christ laid down his life he saith of them that they shall never perish Joh. 10. 15 28. Do not they perish who are in hell 2. How comes it to passe that many misse of heaven who yet never refused or rejected Christ If Christ obtained salvation for all and theirs it is if they refuse it not how come they to misse of that obtained salvation Misse they shall not lay the Arminians unlesse and untill they refuse but refuse say we they cannot unless it be offered and offered it is not but by the Gospel and the Gospel offers it not where it comes not but in all timâ—s and ages of men it comes not to all and every man yea that there were any inhabitants in America was
Sun at Noon-day there is such an iâ—lustrious evidence of our relation unto and propriety in Christ that there is not only no fear or doubts but also an abundant assurance and satisfaction that Christ is ours Now I dare not affirme this latter of every one for whom Christ dyed a triumphant assurance ordinarily is the portion of those who have been extraordinarily humbled and who are pick't out for gâ—eat seâ—vices or who are sufferers for Christ yet the former some time or other is the portion of every Believer Again there is an assurance 1. More fixed and permanent which abides and dwells with the soul for a long space of time 2. More quick and transient which I would call a saluting assurance Jesus Christ doth give an hint by the Spirit of his love and of his relation sometimes in our mournings sometimes in our praying sometimes in our meditations sometimes in our hearings Be of good comfort Thy sins are forgiven thee And this revives the soul but it doth not last long upon the soul Though every Believer for whom Christ dyed perhaps attains not unto the permanent assurance yet I humbly conceive that some time or other he doth to the transient assurance Once more there is an assurance 1. Mediate by way of Argument which is a conclusion from unquestionable premises as thus He that believes shall be saved and he that repents shall be pardoned Now a person throughly searching and weighing his condition by the Word and conscience finds full grounds that he believes and that he repents and therefore by an Argumentative faith and conscience concludes certainly that his sins are pardoned and that his soul shall be saved 2. Immediate by way of Illumination when the Spirit of Christ lets in such a brightnesse of light that we do plainly see all his workmanship of faith and grace in our hearts and all our titles and relations to Christ Simile all appears in that perfect evidence as the several colours do when the perfect light attends them I would be understood in the former sense and not in the latter so then this is the summe of my answer that every true believer some time or other of his life doth attain unto some real assurance though perhaps but weak and transient and argumentative and late Reasons The reasons inducing me to this opinion are these viz. First Some assurance is necessary though not to the absolute being of a Christian yet unto his comfortable being and unto the honour of the believing condition the soul would faint and fail if it should walk under perpetual silence and darknesse but God will not suffer that therefore some time or other he comforts the soul and that comfort lies in this assurance of inteâ—est in Christ and in the benefits of his death Secondly The earnest groans of the Spirit and requests causally made by it are not in vain for he makes requests according to the will of God Rom. 8. 27. 1 Joh. 5. 14. which request does certainly speed first or last but every Believer earnestly prays for assurance yea Christ himself saith John 16. 23. Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you ver 24. Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Whence I infer If the Father will give whatsoever we ask in the Name of Christ then he will give us assurance If we shall upon asking receive such an answer that our joy shall be full then some time or other we shall receive this assurance for upon this depends our joy and fulnesse of joy Thirdly Some time or other in this life every believer attains unto true peace of conscience for 1. That is one portion bought for us by the blood of Christ to be enjoyed in this life 2. That is expressely and often promised unto the people of God he will speak peace unto them and will create the fruits of the lips peace unto them 3. Otherwise the renewed conscience would be of as little comfort as the evil conscience but that peace of conscience flows from some evidence that God is satisfied and reconciled unto us in Christ and hath pardoned our sins and will save us for if these things be not done and if we in some measure know them not to be done conscience cannot speak peace unto us Fourthly God will not be wanting to any of his people in any means which may serve to draw out their love and praises That God who expects our praises and delights in our love certainly will present unto us the best means for our love and praises Now of all means whatsoever for the quickning and drawing forth of these none is comparable unto the assurance or certain knowledge that Christ is ours and God is reconciled unto us in Christ and hath for his sake forgiven us our sins Fifthly The sealing Ordinance of the Lords Supper is purposely instituted for to bring the believer in Christ to an assurance of his interest in the benefits of the death of Christ and shall this never take effect in the believer for whose sake it is instituted and who is told in particular This is my body which was broken for you 1 Cor. 11. 24. and given for you Luke 22. 19. and This cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you ver 20. Sixthly Nay it would be very strange that any Believer should be interested in such a choice love of God and Christ and be brought into so near an union with Christ as to be married unto him Hosea 2. 19. and yet Christ should never tell or assure him that he loves him it is the nature of love to manifest it self and also into so gracious a communion with the Father and the Son as to have fellowship with them 1 Joh. 1. 3. every day to converse with them and yet never know their love unto him Moreover that God the Father and Christ his Son should come unto him and make their abode with him Joh. 14. 23. and that Christ should promise He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him ver 21. and yet that this believing person should never in all his life have any knowledge of this especially Christ assuring all that I have known of the Father I have made known unto you Joh. 15. 15. Seventhly Let me adde one thing more that a Believer should have all the helps and causes apt and able to give him an assurance v. g. all the promises faith a renewed conscience and the very Spirit of Christ and yet all these should lie dormant all his life long and not give one word of assurance that he is Christs or that Christ is his and that God is reconciled to him surely this doth not seem to be probable especially seeing the Believer is particularly concerned in all the transactions of Christ and all those transactions have a peculiar respect unto him Nor do I
support and encourage you against all the temptations of Satan and fears of your own spirits God himself is your God and God himself for whom nothing is too hard and who is faithful in Covenant he it is who undertakes to find out and give out unto you every mercy for soul and body which you do or shall need Vse 2 Do not only believe this truth but also make use of it i. e. in the sense of all your wants whether spiritual or temporal Go unto God with boldnesse unto Make use of this truth his Throne of grace that ye may finde grace and mercy to help in time of need Remember that of the Apostle in Phil. 4. 6. Be careful in nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God Do not vainly perplex your selves O it is impossible ever to get this sinful heart changed and this hard heart broken and those sins pardoned but â—â—nsider seriously 1. What is that which you finde promised in the Covenant Do you not expresly find the renewing of the heart promised there and the taking away of the hard heart promised there and the forgivenesse of all sins promised there 2. Who is it that undertakes to give these things promised Is it not God himself who can do it because he is Almighty and will do it because he is faithful it is not what strength and power you have for these things but what the sufficiency and fidelity of God is who undertakes to give them Object But he expects great matters from us before he will give them unto us Sol. 1. I will tell you what he expects from you he expects three things from you 1. That you acknowledge your own unworthinesse and his graciousnesse 2. That you come and pray unto him and intreat him to do these things for you 3. That you trust upon him as able and willing to help you according to his Word 2. And this which he expects from you if he hitherto hath not given them unto you yet he promiseth to give them unto you for praying Zach. 12. 10. I will poure upon them the Spirit of supplication for trusting Zephany 3. 12. I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. Object But we must bring something or other and undertake something else God will not do all for us Sol. 1. What would ye bring to a Covenant of Grace or what should you bring but your hearts to receive what is promised in the Covenant of Grace to be given 2. All the finding and giving work belongs to God that is it which himself undertakes forgivenesse righteousnesse holinesse love joy and peace and these himself undertakes to give unto us The fountain is full and runs freely take your care only for a Vessel to receive and take in the waters which flow out of it Vse 3 Doth God himself undertake to give all the blessings of the Covenant to his people What a comfort is this unto all his people this God himself is your God Comfort to the people of God and your Father and he loves you above all the people in the world and binds himself by promise and oath unto you that in blessing he will blesse you If you were to make your choice of one to undertake your good in whose hands you would have your all to lie you would pitch on one 1. Who loves you as a friend as a father and as a near relation 2. Who is sufficient and able 3. Who is mindful and faithful 4. Who is knowing and wise 5. Who is like to live long Now First Doth not God love his people I have loved thee with an everlasting love God loves his people Jer. 31. 3. I am a Father to Israel and Israel is my first born Ver. 9. Is Ephraim my dear son I remember him still my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him Ver. 20. Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Isa 49. 15. Secondly Is he not able to do you good he is the All-sufficient and Almighty God is able to do you good God nothing is too hard for him he is able to do above all that we are able to ask or think and can do whatsoever he pleaseth in heaven and in earth is it not be who stretcheth out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth Abraham was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able to performe Rom. 4. 21. Thirdly He knows all your distresses and wants your groans are not hid from He knows all your distresses him and all your tears are in his bottle he is mindful of his people Psal 115. 12. The Lord hath been mindful of us he will blesse us he is mindful of 〈◊〉 Covenant Psal 111. 5. He hath given meat to them that fear him he will be mindful of his Covenant Psal 105. 8. He hath remembred his Covenant for ever Fourthly He is the faithful God Deut. 7. 9. Know that the Lord thy God He is the faithful God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his Covenant to thousands of generations Heb. 10. 23. He is faithful that promised Fifthly He is the wise God God only wise Rom. 16. 27. Wise in heart Job He is the wise God 9. 4. And therefore will proportion and season out proper and peculiar mercies unto his servants Sixthly He is the unchangeable God there is not so much as the shaddow of Change in him Jam. 1. 17. The living God Jer. 10. 10. The Lord is the true He is the unchangeable God God he is the living God and an everlasting King Dan. 12. 7. liveth for ever 〈◊〉 If I do understand this Assertion aright it may suffice to take off all your fears and to draw on all your hearts to come unto your God with confidence who himself undertakes to give unto you all the good of his Covevant Can more be desired or can any thing else conduce further or better to your salvation Object We confess that here is enough in respect of God but that which makes us to fear is something in respect o ourselves our unworthiness against which God may take exception and for which he may deny to give unto us the good things which he hath promised Sol. This is the greatest doubt which still sticks with us and it is the strongest exception of our unbelieving hearts and unto which I shall endeavour to give a full resolution in the last General Proposition which now comes to be handled viz. SECT IV. Doct. 4. THat all these blessings which God doth promise to give unto his people All the blessings which God promiseth to his
of sin maketh formally no change in the person forgiven for it is a work without him indeed there is a relative change upon forgiveness the person forgiven is in a state of life and not of death but there is no inherent change of qualities in the person by it no more than there is in a Malefactor pardoned or a Debtor forgiven both of them may be diseased notwithstanding their pardon but this could not be if remission of sin consisted in the extinction or deletion of the stain of sin It is true that when God forgives the sin he doth likewise change the heart of the sinner nevertheless the forgiving of sin is one thing and the giving of a new heart is another thing c. Fourthly If remission of sin consist in the outward deletion of sin Then the troubled conscience could never come to rest and peace in the assurance of pardon of sin why because in this life the person shall never find in himself such an utter deletion of sin and consequently no remission of sins and if no remission of sin then no rest nor peace because from the knowledge and assurance of that doth the rest and peace of conscience come and flow 2. Forgiveness of sins hath a peculiar respect to the guilt of sin and removal It hath a peculiar respect to the guilt of sin of that when the Lord forgives a man he doth discharge him of that obligation by which he was bound over to wrath and condemnation Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Ver. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Ver. 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed Beloved the Lord is a holy and just God and he reveals his wrath from heaven against all unrighteousnesse and there is a curse threatned to every transgression of the Law and when any man sinneth he is obnoxious unto the curse and God may inflict the same upon him but when God forgives sins he therein doth interpose as it were between the sin and the curse and between the obligation and the condemnation q. d. by reason of your sinning you are now fallen into my hands of justice and for your sinning I may according to my righteous Law condemn and curse you for ever for by your sinning you are worthy of death Rom. 1. 32. but such is my mercy to you in Christ that for his sake I will spare you and that curse and condemnation which you have deserved it shall never light upon you I will deliver and free your souls from going down into the pit Object But may some say Is not guilt inseparable from sin can sin be without guilt and can guilt be without the desert of wrath and condemnation Sol. I answer there is a two-fold guilt there is reatus simplex and reatus efficax absolute guilt hath in it a worthiness or desert of condemnation and this can never be separated from sin for though sin be pardoned and condemnation removed from the sinner yet his sin is worthy of condemnation but when God pardons sin he doth it not by making the sin not to be worthy of condemnation but this is it which God doth he doth remove that condemnation that it shall never effectually or actually fall upon the sinner although he for his sinning be worthy thereof e. g. When a thief or murderer is pardoned amongst us this pardon doth not make the theft or murder no sin or in themselves not worthy of death by the Law but it relieves the pardoned persons thus far that the death deserved by these sins is taken off and shall never be inflicted on the offenders 3. Forgiveness of sin takes off all punishments properly so called for sin there It takes off all punishment properly so called belongs unto us temporal punishment and eternal punishment you do not consider what a depth of merit there is in sin what plagues and curses it can pull down in this life and what an hell hereafter but when God forgives sins you are then released and for ever acquitted from any after-reckonings with the justice of God Divine justice hath no more to say or do against you for remissa culpa remittitur poena if the fault be forgiven then also is the punishment forgiven nay let me speak with an humble reverence God cannot in his justice punish when he hath pardoned Why will you say First He forgives upon a satisfaction made to his justice already by Christ so that he cannot in justice punish us again for satisfaction Secondly When he forgives he releases the guilt and the fault and the sin in now by this act of his merciful grace as if it had never been committed so that the proper cause and reason of punishing being utterly removed there can no punishment issue out from Divine justice against you Object But will some say are not justified and pardoned persons many times punished in this life Was not David punished for his sin were not the Corinthians punished for their unworthy receiving of the Lords Supper Sol. I answer that word Punishment may be taken either 1. Largely for any affliction or chastisement which doth befall us from God as a Father in this sense I grant punishment incident to justified or pardoned persons for Hebr. 12. 6. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth And Ver. 7. If you endure chastisement God dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom the Father chastneth not 2. Strictly for those miserable evils issuing out from the Court of justice and falling upon us from God as a wrathful Judge and as yet unsatisfied and unreconciled these kinds of punishing are wholly and utterly removed from justified or pardoned persons by the blood of Christ and Gods gracious forgiveness 5. A fifth thing considered in the description of forgiveness of sins is this It is Gods act of oblivion that forgiveness of sins is if I may so express it Gods act of oblivion and as it were an eternal cancelling of all our sinful bonds and debts so that there is now a full end of all controversies between God and us Object We many times are possessed with fears like Josephs Brethren that notwithstanding the peace and assurance which he gave them of passing by their injurious dealing with him yet at length they feared that he would remember them and be avenged of them such thoughts have we of God also sometimes we do perceive his great love and rich mercy towards us in the forgiveness of our sins yet at other times we have fears lest God will call us unto account for all our sinful offences and question us and judge us as if the granting of pardoning mercy might be revoked and called back by the Writ of Error and the old suit be prosecuted again by Divine justice which seemeth to be taken off and silenced
by Divine mercy Sol. But Beloved there is no such matter and no such dealing of God with us the sinner may provocare he may appeal from the Court of justice unto the Throne of Gods mercy and of this he may rest assured that the definitive sentence in the Court of mercy about the forgiveness of sins is like the Laws of the Medes and Persians which stood fast for ever and remains unchangeable And as Isaac spake of his blessing of Jacob I have blessed him and he shall be blessed that may we affirme of Gods forgiving any sinner he hath forgiven him and he shall for ever continue forgiven and the Scriptures give full testimony unto this which I now deliver unto you Jer. 50. 20. The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be sound for I will pardon them whom I reserve Ezek. 18. 22. All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him q. d. I will never speak of them any more Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more And besides these places there are three other which though metaphorically yet do notably express the eternal passing over sin in Gods forgiveness of it viz. Isa 43. 25. I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake Here our sins are compared to debts written in a book and Gods forgiving of them is compared to the blotting of them out of the book if a debt-book be crossed this would much satisfie us for that supposeth a discharge but if the debt be blotted out now it can never be read against us any more it is utterly defaced and nothing of a debt can be made to appear Micah 7. 19. Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the Sea If a man be cast upon the Sea or into the Sea yet he may recover again but if he be cast into the depths of the Sea into the very profundum of it he is drowned and gone the meaning of the place is that when God forgives the sins of his people they shall never rise up and appear before him again you have a phrase for the effect of this concerning Babylon Rev. 18. 21. A mighty Angel took up a stone and cast it into the Sea saying thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down and shall never be found no more at all And in this respect often God is said to cast our sins into the depths of the Sea his meaning is they shall be like men that lie drowned and buried in the bottome of the Sea and Ephes 2. 16. Having slain the enmity thereby the enmity here principally meant is sin but this by the blood of Christ is slain Mark he doth not say it is imprisoned nor it is wounded but it is slain killed out right thus when God in the blood of Christ forgives our sins they are as it were slain they dye and cease to be and can never raise a quarrel or variance more between God and us 6. What shall I say more when God forgives any man his sins all displeasure Upon forgivenesse all displeasure ceaseth ceaseth the forgiven party is now looked upon and received with that love and favour as if he had never offended God and as if God had never been offended by him Object You will say this is incredible Sol. It is a very truth and worthy to be believed and received with all thankful acceptation Hosea 14. 4. I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him in ver 2. Israel prays for the forgiveness of sin take away iniquity and receive us graciously this petition God heard and granted and now observe in what a posture God appears toward them not of displeasure or anger mine anger is turned away from him but of kindness and favour and tender love I will love him freely Isa 54. 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Ver. 9. For this is as the water of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I would not be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee Luk 15. 21. And the son said unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy son Ver. 22. But the Father said unto his servants bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shooes on his feet Ver. 23. And bring hither the fatted Calf and kill and let us eat and be merry Here the sins of the Prodigal are pardoned and his father receives him with such expressions of love and bounty and familiarity as if he had never sinned against him Hence it is that you read of such sweet kind tender loving comforting expressions of God towards those whose sins he hath pardoned Jer. 31. 16. Refrain thy voice from weeping and thine eyes from tears Ver. 20. Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child Matth. 9. 2. Son Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee Thus you see what forgiveness of sins is which God promiseth unto his people Some scruples arising from this description removed in Covenant and before I proceed any further I judge it convenient to remove some scruples which may arise upon this description of the forgiveness of sins now delivered unto you Four Quaeries 1. If our sins be thus removed covered blotted out and made to pass away in forgiveness of them whether then that assertion be not true God sees not sin in the justified 2. If God upon the forgiveness of sins be not longer displeased and will proceed against them no more how is it that we read of his anger and displeasure with his people and sharp correcting of them 3. If sins be thus blotted out and the parties forgiven be received into special love and favour with God whether then have pardoned persons any reason to mourn for their sins and repent of them 4. Whether persons justified may charge sin on themselves Whether God sees no sin in justified persons Quest 1. Whether the removing and covering and blotting out of sins in forgiveness doth not strongly hold out that assertion that God sees no sin at all in persons justified Answered Sin doth remain in them Proved Sol. For answer unto this Quaery I shall lay down these conclusions viz. First That sin doth remain even in justified and forgiven persons and four things do infallibly demonstrate it so to be 1. By Scripture 1 Joh. 1. 8. If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 Kings 8. 46. There is no man that sinneth not Eccles 7. 20. There is not a just man
they have been made the people of Gods Covenant their sins have been forgiven Mary Magdalen had her sins forgiven and Paul had his sins forgiven c. Again of the people of God some are weaker and some are stronger and both of them have their sins forgiven Acts 10. 43. Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins 1 Joh. 2. 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for his Names sake Once more of the people of God some have clear and fuller apprehensions of pardoning mercy others have more dark and doubtful disputes about it the strong believer who hath assurance and the weak believer who is troubled with doubts both of them are forgiven all of them may say with Paul Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Arguments to demonstrate it Ver. 34. Who is be that condemneth it is Christ that dyed And there are four Arguments which demonstâ—ate this truth unto us First All who are in Christ have their sins forgiven them but all the people who are in Covenant with God are in Christ my reason for that is this because only in and by Christ God becomes our God there our relation riseth Ergo. For the first Proposition that is a clear truth viz. That all who are in Christ have their sins forgiven them for Christ himself saith This is my blood which is shed for many for remission of sins Matth. 26. 28. and Matth. 1. 21. He shall save his people from their sins and the Apostle saith there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. And he hath delivered us from wrath to come 1 Thes 1. 10. And that we joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement Rom. 5. 11. Now mark if Christ saves his people from their sins and if he shed his blood for the remission of their sins if by Christ they are freed from condemnation and from wrath and God is reconciled unto them and through him they have good reason to joy in God then unquestionably all who are in Christ have their sins forgiven them for else how could they joy in God c. this is one Argument to demonstrate that God forgives all his people in Covenant Secondly All penitent and believing persons have the forgiveness of sins but all the people whom God brings into Covenant with himself are penitent and believing persons Ergo. The first of these Propositions is so clear and open in many places of Scripture that it is needless to quote any plâ—ce you may at leisure peruse all those promises of forgiveness unto repenting and believing persons mentioned before And the second Proposition is as clear for repentance and faith are Covenant gifts and given unto such whom God owns for his people and to none but such for God owns none for his people in a Covenant way who are impenitent and unbelieving Thirdly There are no enemies in the Covenant of Grace none who hate God and none whom God hates none who set themselves against him and none against whom he sets himself but the Covenant of Grace is a Covenant of life and of love and of peace Deut. 30. 6. Hos 14. 4. Cant. 2. 3. Isa 62. 4. 2 Cor. 6. 18. Rom. 5. 1. Ezek. 16. 61. All in this Covenant love God and God loves them they delight in God and God delights in them they walk with God and God is said to dwell in them and to walk in them they have peace with God and God is at peace with them he is their Father and they are his sons and daughters if this be so and so it is if we do believe the Scriptures which say so expresly then assuredly all who are in Covenant have their sins pardoned for such mutual love and such mutual delight and such mutual dwelling and such mutual peace and such mutual relation there cannot possibly be unless sins were forgiven and all enmity slain Fourthly There is no damnation that ever was yet to be found in the Covenant of Grace salvation you find there but damnation was never read of there He that believes shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 15 16. there is damnation for refusing not for entring sinners who before they were in Covenant were obnoxious to damnation for their sins are now delivered from it by coming into the Covenant never was or shall any person be damned who is in Covenant and hath God for his God for they are blessed who have the Lord to be their God But if their sins were not forgiven they were not blessed for blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven Rom 4 7. Neither should they be saved but must perish for ever and dye in their sins And thus you see this part of the Proposition of forgiveness of sins cleared also viz. That it is promised to all the people of God in Covenant SECT IV. 4. NOW follows the fourth and the last part of the Proposition namely It is first promised by God unto his people That forgiveness of sins is one of the mercies first promised by God unto his people as here in this place it hath the heart-guard of the Covenant gifts it takes the right hand and the first place of the spiritual mercies promised In this Scripture there is mention of three spiritual gifts which are like Davids three Worthies but this of Justification this of remission of sins is the first of them Beloved you must distinguish between the Covenant it self and the gifts thereof the Covenant it self lies in this I will be your God and you shall be my people this closure and this relation makes the Covenant and when we are thus closed with God in Covenant then come out the gifts of the Covenant which God deals and gives forth unto his people and amongst these first we have a promise mentioned to forgive sins Some may think the reason of this priority to be this because Justification goes before Sanctification I confess that these are distinct works but yet I doubt whether there be a priority of time between them so that a person is first justified and after that he is sanctified For under favour it cannot well be made out that there falls any space or pause of time between those and my reason is this because 1. When a man is once in Christ Christ is at the same time made of God unto him Sanctification as well as righteousness therefore the same Apostle saith If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. 2. It cannot well be admitted that there should be a true union with Christ consisting with a partial communion in benefits absolutely necessary to constitute a Christian and such a one is Sanctification 3. There is such an immediate influence of life and grace upon believing as raiseth a consimilitude and conformity But to
platted a Crown of thorns they put it on his head and a Reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying Hail King of the Jews so Acts 2. 13. Others mocking said these men are full of new wine And they are said in Hebr. 10. 29. to tread under foot the Son of God and to count his blood an unholy thing How amazing is this reproach and thus is it with all who sin the sin against the Holy Ghost the precious blood of Christ his holiness his truth his commands his ways his servants are the objects of their mockings and scorns and reproaches Thirdly This opposition is made against Christ and the Gospel after and against the clear Convictions of the Holy Ghost They who sinne this sin 1. Have had such a light in them as to know Jesus Christ Joh. 9. 41. Jesus said unto them If ye were blinde ye should have no sin but now ye say we see therefore your sin remaineth Joh. 7. 28. Ye both know me and whence I am Hebr. 6. 4. who were once inlightened They that sin this sin do know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Redeemer and that there is salvation in him and in no Name but his and that the way which he prescribes for salvation is the true way of life and after all this they crucifie the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame 2. The Holy Ghost hath not only illuminated their minds but hath also raised them to a kind of approbation of Christ and his truths and his ways so that they have taken upon them the profession of Christianity and side with the Gospel for a time 3. By the operation of the Holy Ghost they have attained unto some spiritual taste and experience as you may see Hebr. 6. 4. Have tasted of the heavenly gift Ver. 5. And have tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come Fourthly And yet after all this they fall away Hebr. 6. 6. Reject Christ and his truths and ways and will go on in the ways of their sinful and worldly lusts This is that sin which shall never be forgiven not only because God is pleased to shut the door of mercy against it but also because persons guilty of this sin do thrust themselves into such a desperate hardness of heart and they reject Christ in whom alone pardon is to be had that as the Apostle speaks Hebr. 6. 6. It is impossible to renew them again unto Repentance 2. Secondly They do put themselves out of a capacity of the forgiveness of their sins who will not repent of their sins i. e. who will not forsake them They who will not repent of their sins but will still persist and continue in them though they be convinced though they be reproved though they be threatned though they be assured of the inconsistence of forgiveness with impenitency This point will manifestly appear upon a threefold consideration 1. Of Gods professed resolution contrary to the presumption of mercy in the impenitent sinner indeed this sinner presumes to promise mercy unto himself though he goes on in his sins but the Lord protests that he shall have none Deut. 29. 18. Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormewood Ver. 19. And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkenness to thirst Ver. 20. The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven Ver. 21. And the Lord shall separate him to evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in this book of the Law So Psal 50. 21. These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Ver. 22. Consider this ye that forget lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver 2. Of Gods restriction of his promise of forgiveness only upon condition of repentance only to such as forsake their sins where do you find it otherwise in the whole Bible Isa 1. 16. Wash ye make you clean put away the evil of your doings cease to do evil learn to do well Ver. 18. Come now let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 3. Of Gods peremptory sentence in case of impenitency Exod 34. 7. that will by no means clear the guilty i. e. the impenitent in absolving he will not absolve i. e. whosoever finds mercy they shall not Ezek. 18. 21. Cast away from you all your transgressions for why will ye dye O house of Israel Psal 63. 21. God will wound the head of such an one as goes on still in his wickednesse Luk. 13. 3. Except ye repent ye shall perish Jer. 13. 10. This evil people which refuse to hear my words which walk in the imagination of their hearts Ver. 14. I will dash them one against another even the father and the son together saith the Lord I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy but destroy them Eccles 8. 13. It shall not be well with the wicked Isa 65. 20. The sinner dying an hundred years old shall be cursed then certainly not forgiven O think of this you who still go on in the hatred of holiness in profaning of the Sabbath in drunkenness in whoredom in pride in lying in any ungodly course who mock at reproof and despise instruction who flatter your selves with hopes of forgiving mercy Be not deceived for God is not to be mocked for whatsoever a man sowes that shall he also reap Gal. 6. 7. and Rom. 2. 6. God will render to every man according to his deeds Ver. 8. Indignation and wrath Ver. 9. tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil Thirdly They do put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness of their sins who do delay and defer their work of repentance When some sinners are convinced They who delay theâ—r repentance of the inconsistence of mercy with impenitency and of the necessary presence of repentance for forgiveness then seeing it must be so and mercy cannot be otherwise had
19. Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Ver 20. Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Luk. 7. 38. And she stood at his feet behind him weeping and began to wash his feet with tears and did wipe them with the hairs of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with oyntment Ver. 47. Wherefore I say her sins which were many are forgiven c. v. 15. 18. I will arise and go to my Father and will say to him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Ver. 19. and am no more worthy to be called thy son c. Ver. 20. and he arose and came to his Father but when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him Quest But here some may reply It is granted that all who do truely repent are within the compass of the promise of forgiveness of sins and many do think How one may know he doth truely repent that they do truely repent of their sins but how may one know that he doth truely repent that so he may safely conclude the forgiveness of his sins Sol. I thank you for the propounding of this doubt for the clear resolution whereof I shall thus deliver my self 1. I shall shew unto you the integral part of Repentance i. e. those particular Branches of which true Repentance doth consist and unto all which forgiveness of sins is promised 2. I shall shew unto you the right qualifications of those particular parts of Repentance that so you may know whether you do truely Repent or no. First For the first of these you do know as I suppose that there are three The integral parts of repentance Contrition parts of Repentance viz. 1. Contrition or grief of heart for sins committed which is called sometimes godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 10. and sometimes a contrite spirit Isa â—6 2. and a broken and contrite heart Psal 51. 17. and sometimes the afflicting of our soules Levit. 16. 29. and sometimes the humbling of the heart 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people shall humble themselves c. Lam. 3. 20. My soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled within me and sometimes a mourning Zach. 12. 10. And they shall mourn as c. and sometimes a weeping Mar. 14. 72. And when he thought thereon he wept First There is no man a penitent sinner but he is a mourning sinner his soul is No man is a penitent sinner but a mourning sinner grieved his heart is displeased and humbled for his sins If the heart be hardned it is impenitent if thy sins which have grieved and troubled God do not trouble and grieve thy soul thou art an impenitent and hardened sinner much more art thou so if thy sins be the matter of thy delight and rejoycing And on the contrary all penitent persons are mourning persons Judg. 2. 4. The children of Israel repented and the people lift up their voice and wept 1 Sam. 7. 6. They repented and drew water and poured it out before the Lord. Psal 6. 6. David repented and watered his Couch with his tears 2 Chro. 32. 26. Hezekiah Repented 2 Chron. 33. 12. and humbled himself for the pride of his heart Manasses as some think repented and he humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers Jer. 31. 18 19. Ephraim repented and Ephraim bemoaned himself and smote upon his thigh and is even confounded Luke 7. 38. Mary Magdalen repented and she wept and washed the feet of Christ with tears Luk. 22. 62. Peter repented and he went out and wept bitterly 2 Cor. 7. 9. The Corinthians repented and they were made sorry after a godly manner Secondly Thus you see that all truely penitent persons are broken-hearted Mourning persons for sin are in a capacity of pardon persons and mourning persons for their sins and now ye shall find that all these persons are within the capacity of the promise of forgivenesse of sins Zach. 12. 11. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo Zach. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleannesse Jer. 31. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself c. Ver. 20. I will surely have mercy upon him Mark the place Ephraims heart is troubled for sinning and Gods bowels so are his mercies stiled are troubled for Ephraim Ephraim like a penitent Childe falls a weeping and God like an indulgent Father falls a bemoaning of him I am grieved and troubled and ashamed at my very heart that I have thus sinned against thee saith Ephraim O peace refrain thine eyes from tears saith God to Ephraim I cannot refrain my mercies from thee Lo this is thy pardon for thy sins Psal 51. 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and why is a broken spirit called sacrifices of God Is it not for the acceptableness of it unto God and is it not because as upon sacrifices sins were put away so upon contrition of heart for sins there comes out the forgiveness of sins Isa 57. 15. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones And can the contrite heart be revived without forgiveness of sins Matth. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Surely this is spoken of spiritual mourning of mourning for sin for can you say of any other mourning besides these that they are blessed and their blessedness lies in this that they shall be comforted and what comfort is that which a mourning sinner looks upon as blessedness why none buâ— that in Isa 40. 1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her iniquitie is pardoned Confession of sins 2. The second part of Repentance is confession of sinnes which flows out of a contrite heart I speak not of a formal verbal empty confession we are all sinners God help us c. but of such a confession of sin as ariseth from a true and full sense of sin when the tongue speaks out of the abundance of a troubled spirit ingenuously and humbly acknowledging iniquities and transgressions and judging himself worthy of wrath and unworthy of mercy c. This confession you shall find in Repenting sinners and those persons so confessing under the capacity of the promise of the forgivenesse of their
sinnes Repenting sinners confesse their sins First You shall find Repenting sinners confessing their sins Ezra 9 6. O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens Ver. 10. And now O our God What shall we say after this for we have forsaken thy Commandments c. Psal 51. 3. I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me Ver. 4. Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Dan. 9. 4. I prayed unto the Lord my God and made my confession and said O Lord the great and dreadful God c. Ver. 5. We have sinned and committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements c. Ver. 8. O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day Luk. 15. 18. I will arise and go to my Father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Ver. 19. and am no more worthy to be called thy Son c. Secondly Now these penitently confessing sinners you shall expresly find And are under the promise of forgiveness to be under the promise of the forgiveness of sins I Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins Psal 32. 5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne Selah 3. The third and last part of Repentance is conversion or turning from Conversion from sin to God sin unto God Ezek. 33. 11. Turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes Repenting in Scripture is to this purpose styled a putting away of sins Isa 1. 16. and a casting away of our sins Ezek. 18. 31. and a forsaking of our sins Prov. 28. 13. and a departing from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. and a turning to repent of sin and to continue in sin are a contradiction as if you should say that a man leaves his sins when yet he holds them fast and will not let them go Two things you also read of this part of Repentance 1. One That truly penitent persons do forsake their sins they turn from Penitent persons forsake their sins them they put them away Isa 30. 22. Ye shall defile the covering of thy graven images of silver and the ornaments of thy molten images of gold Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth Thou shall say unto it Get thee hence Hos 14. 8. Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols Judg. 10. 15. And the children of Israel said unto the Lord We have sinned Do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee Ver. 16. And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the Lord. Job 34. 31. Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more Ver. 32. That which I see not Teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Jonah 3. 8. Let them every one turn from his evil way Ver. 10. And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way 2. The other That they who do penitentially turn from their sins are They who turn frâ—m sin are under the promise of pardon under the promise of forgiveness of sin Prov. 28. 13. Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy Many men confess their sins who yet do still love to keep their sins and therefore shall miss of mercy but the way for mercy is to forsake their sin as well as to confess sin Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and let the unrighteous forsake his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Thus have I opened unto you the integral parts of Repentance which doth certainly bring us within the capacity of the promise of forgiveness of sins Secondly I shall now proceed to handle the Qualifications of every one of The right qualifications of those parts of Repentance these parts of Repentance by which you may know that you do in truth act every one of them and consequently are under the promise c. And the rather do I insist on this because many persons do think that they are sorry for their sins and do think that they do rightly confess their sins and do think that they forsake their sins and thereupon do presume upon forgiving mercy whereas really they are still under the love and power and service of their sins and do not repent at all all which you shall find in every part which I have mentioned clearly instanced in Scripture First For mourning and weeping and afflicting the soul persons have acted something in this way and yet have not repented in truth and therefore have missed of forgiveness Mal. 2. 13. This have ye done again covering the Altar of the Lord with tears with weeping and with crying insomuch that ye regarded not the offering any more All this was but hypocrisie for notwithstanding all these tears they dealt treacherously every one against his brother Ver. 10. And profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved and married the daughter of a strange god Ver. 11. Isa 58. 3. Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our souls and thou takest no knowledge Ver. 5. Is it such a Fast as I have chosen a day for a man to afflict his soul c. Secondly For confession of sins some have done this and yet they have not rightly and penitentially done this Exod. 9. 27. Pharaoh said I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked see what a confession is here but then see Ver 34. when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder were ceased he sinned yet more and hardened his heart he and his servants Thirdly For turning from sin some have pretended thus far and yet have not truly acted therein Psal 78. 34. When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God Ver. 35 36. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongues Ver. 37. For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Jer. 2. 20. Of old time I have broken thy yoke and burst thy hands and thou saidst I will not transgress when upon every high hill and under every green Tree thou wanderedst playing the harlot Thus you see that some have pretended to all the parts of Repentance and yet have not acted up to any one part in truth Therefore I will now deliver unto you the right qualifications of all
these two great Gifts of holiness and forgiveness to sanctifie his people as well as to justifie them There Reasons why God doth sanctifie as well as justifie Both have a necessary respect to our salvation may be these Reasons for their Connexion First Both of them have a necessary respect to the salvation of the people of God A man must be justified if he will be saved and a man must be sanctified if he will be saved he cannot be saved without both he cannot be saved unless he be justified Rom. 8. 30. Whom he called them also he justified and whom he justified them he also glorified None are justified but such as are called and none are glorified but such as are justified Mar. 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned He cannot be saved unless he be sanctified Joh. 3. 5. Jesus answered Verily very I say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God Heb. 12. 14. And holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Here you see a necessity of both of them in reference to salvation we many times think that if our sins are pardoned there needed no more to save us but we are deceived for as forgiveness is necessary so is holiness necessary to our salvation as no unpardoned person so no unsanctified person shall be saved Secondly The people of God do stand in need of them both neither can they be Gods people stand in need of both restored or repaired without both for the sinnes which are in them are 1. Guilty obligations they bind them over to wrath and curse 2. Filthy pollutions they do stain and defile them and make them odious in the eyes of God Under the first notion they are a debt and under the other notion they are a disease and under both they render us needy of mercy and of grace Pardoning mercy alone doth not answer the sinful condition of man for that is a remedy only against the guilt of sin sanctifying mercy is also required to be a recovery from the filthy pollution of sin As if one be a sick Malefactor this man hath a double need he needs a pardon as he is a Malefactor and he needs a healing medicine and plaister as he is sick Now the Covenant of grace is a full remedy to the sinner and it is a full recovery Ergo God promiseth to sanctifie as well as to justifie Thirdly God doth intend an everlasting communion twixt his people and himself God intends an everlasting communion betwixt him aâ—d his people in the Covenant a communion in this life and a communion in the other life and indeed the people of God their fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1. 3. They are made nigh by the blood of Christ and have accesse unto him But they must be sanctified as well as justified for the enjoying of that communion because two things are opposite to our communion with God 1. One is enmity 2. The other is inconformity Whiles God and we are enemies how can there be communion between us Therefore in justification that enmity is removed and slain by the blood of Christ and whiles God is holy and we remain unholy there is such a dissimilitude and inconformity of our natures that there can be no communion neither and therefore God doth sanctifie our hearts by his Spirit that we partaking of the Divine Nature by way of similitude may have fellowship and communion with him Pardon of sins only makes not sufficient way for this communion for notwithstanding that pardoning mercy the heart of man is so sinfull that God cannot endure us being of purer eyes than to behold sin Put away your iniquities from before mine eyes and then come and let us reason together c. Isa 1. Fourthly We cannot glorifie God unlesse he sanctifie us Beloved the people of God are formed by him to shew forth his praise they are the only people We cannot glorifie God without sanctification that do glorifie him and honour him But this cannot be unless he were pleased to sanctifie them God indeed can glorifie himself towards us though we be not holy but we cannot glorifie him untill we are made holy we cannot glorifie him in our hearts for what glory can God have by an unbelieving impenitent hardened sensual ignorant proud ungodly heart Nor in our actions for they are as our hearts are the fruit is as the tree is c. What can a dead or a sick man do for service Fifthly we should have small comfort and peace if the Lord did not sanctifie as well as justifie us to have sinfull lusts still raigning and ruling and breaking out this would make our life uncomfortable Sixthly Are not the people of the Covenant his children and would you have the holy Father to be the Father of unholy children is this to be born of the Spirit Whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh and whatsoever is born of the Spirit is Spirit Joh. 3. Vse 1. This serves to reprove those men who divide those things which God Reproof oâ— those who do divide these hath joâ—ned together who are altogether for Justification but nothing at all for Sanctification They exalt the Righteousness of Christ but they cry down the holiness of Christ They would have men to be believers of Christ but they would not have men to be holy and why not holiness as well as Faith because say they holiness cannot justifie us But this is both an Erroneous and Ridiculous Opinion as if Christians had nothing to look after but Justification and as if the gracious works of the Spirit must therefore be rejected because they are not able to justifie us Luther arguing upon this Point saith that we must give In Gal. 3 p. 356. unto every thing that which is proper unto it would you saith he conclude that because your monie and lands and eyes and hands do not justifie you therefore you must reject all these So because holiness doth not justifie you will you conclude that you must reject it As the Righteousness of Christ hath its proper excellency to justifie us so hath holiness its proper excellency to renew us to conform us unto Christ and to make us to walk as becometh men in Christ Besides would God have made Christ to be our Sanctification as well as our Righteousness if holiness did not concern us as well as faith and would he have joyned Remission of sinnes with the sanctifying of our hearts if that alone were all that concerned us Nay Faith is said to sanctifie us as well as to justifie us Vse 2. It also reproves the general presumption of men who think of nothing Reproof of the general presumption of men in order to their salvation but Gods mercy they talk much of mercy and sometimes seem affectionate
joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth Luke 15. 10. I call it an eminent and great change because it surpasseth all other changes which may be found in men who yet have no newness of heart There may be a change 1. From rudeness of life to civility of conversation 2. From profaneness of walking to formality in Religion 3. From ignorance and blindness of mind to knowledge 4. From the practice of sin to a forbearance of sin 5. From quietness of Conscience to perplexity and trouble of Conscience and yet no newness of heart The change which constitutes a new heart is a very deep change it makes man to be a new creature it doth quite alter the frame and estate of a mans heart and Spirit It is a change in the soul Thirdly When the heart is made new there is a change made in the soul and in the whole soul 1. It is a change in the soule Simile It is one thing to plaister an old house and it is another thing to build a new house It is one thing to adorn a dead man and it is another thing to inform or enliven a dead man Newness of life doth principally respect the root and spring The work of renewing grace begins where sin begins it begins the Reformation where sin begins the deformation it begins to change and cleanse where sin begins to corrupt and defile and that is in the soul Outward Reformation is one thing and inward Reformation is another thing The Pharisees made clean the outside of the cup and they were painted Sepulchres which within were full of rotten bones Hypocrisie can make a new garbe of visible actions but it can never make an new heart it never changes and alters the soul that still remains under the love and power of sin But when the heart is made new there is some inward work of grace by which the soul is changed from death to life from unholiness to holiness 2. It is a change in the whole soul when the heart is made new all the soul In the whole soule is divinely changed Therefore this newness or Renewingness is compared to the light which disperseth itself into the whole body of the Aire so that there is not any one part of the Aire which is not enlightned To the oyntment which fills the whole room with sweet Odour To leaven which diffuseth itself over the whole lump As it is with Original sin it is an universal defilement it infects all the soul there is not one faculty of the soul but it is defiled by it So it is with Renewing grace or newness of heart it is an universal alteration or change it alters all the soul and all the faculties of the soul when a new heart is given there is a change made 1. In the minde or understanding which now is freed from darkness and enjoys an heavenly light to know the things of God and to discern things that are excellent and the mysteries of Christ and salvation appear in their glory We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord c. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2. In the Judgement which is now freed from mistakes and Errors and high imaginations and carnal reasonings and disputes and is now captivated to the Truth and approves of what is good and condemneth what is evil It counts sin the gâ—eatest evil and Christ the most incomparable happiness and the enjoyment of God the only portion I count all things but drosse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ said Paul Phil. 3. 8. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee saith David Psal 73. 25. Thirdly In the Will which was proud and stubborn and unwilling and averse and perverse nothing would perswade it to hearken to Christ to yield to receive to obey all the arguments of mercy and glory would not â—ffect and take it Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life Joh. 5. 40. But when the heart is made new the Will also is changed now it falls down before Christ Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. Draw me and I will run after thee Cant. 1. 4. In all the affections of the soul Never was there such a change such a newness how they fall out with one another Grief falls out with Love and Love with hatred nay they seem to be changed one into another Joy into Grief and Love into Hatred and Hatred into Love what a man did love he now hates and what a man did hate he now loves and what a man desired he now fears and what a man delighted in he now grieves at it Nay look on them distinctly in their several motion The desires were Who will shew us any good Now the desires are What shall we do to be saved The delights were in sin in sensualities in vanities in vain societies now they are in the favour of God in Christ in pardoning mercy in holy and heavenly society in doing the will of God The like may be said for love for grief for fear c. Fourthly This change which constitutes newness of heart is wrought by the Spirit of Christ Therefore our Sanctification which is the same with the giving A change wrought by the Spirit of Christ of a new heart is called the Sanctification of the Spirit 1. Pet. 1. 2. And our change into the image of glory from glory to glory is by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. And the newness of heart is the work of the Spirit of Christ no man changeth or renews his own heart but the Spirit doth all And therefore he is called the Spirit 1. Of Knowledge because he illuminates and gives knowledge and light 1 Cor. 12. 8. 2. Of Grace and holiness because he makes us holy Ephes 4. 30. 3. Of Faith because he causeth our hearts to believe 2 Cor. 4. 13. 4. Of Love and joy because he worketh these in our hearts All saving good comes from the Father as the Fountain and through the Son as the Mediator and is wrought in us by the Spirit As in the Creation the Spirit moved upon the waters and so did as it were brood and frame all the Creatures To in Regeneration the Spirit descends upon the hearts and by his vigour doth forme all the newness and spiritual change in it This change is wrought by infusing a new Principle Fifthly The Spirit works this change in the heart by infusing a new Principle or quality of grace A new Principle is necessary to make a new heart there must be something put into the heart to change the heart in all alterations thus it is Simile If you would have the cold removed from the water heat must come in and if you would have darkness removed from the Aire the light must come in and if you would have sickness
for ye are bought with a price 1 Cor. 19. 20. 2. Of all the Services of the Elect He hath delivered us out of the hands of our enemies that we might serve him in holiness and righteousness Luk. 1. 74 75. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. 3. Of all Graces for the Elect the donation of the Spirit as to all the effects of grace is the fruit of his death and purchase not only eternal glory but renewing grace is purchased by Jesus Christ Thirdly The Lord doth put several duties and services upon his people which God hath several services for his people are impossible for them to perform unless he did give them a new heart an heart changed and renewed by grace They must deny themselves they must love the Lord their God with all their soul and all their might They must hate every evil way They must walk uprightly They must be contented in all conditions They must resist temptations and wrestle against principalities and against Rulers of the darkness of this world and against spiritual wickedness in high places They must overcome evil with good They must love their enemies bless them that curse them and do good to them that hate them They must be ready to do every good work They must take up the Cross and suffer reproaches and losses they must persevere to the end It is impossible for a natural heart to perform these Is there not then a necessity of renewing grace to enable the heart for these Fourthly Again The people in Covenant they have a new and choice relation They have a new relation and must have natures sutable to it No people have such a relation as they and unless they were renewed by grace they could never hold that relation God is their God and their Father and they are his children they are his sons and daughters 2 Cor. 2. 18. I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty and Ver. 16. Ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people this is their relation but then mark what he infers from this in Ver. 17. Wherefore come from among them and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you q. d. Holiness is necessary for this relation you must be separate you must be renewed you must have no communion with sin you must be another kind of people you cannot hold communion with me nor will I own you for my people and children if you do so c. And Christ is their head and they are his body this is another relation Colos 1. 18. He is the head of the body the Church Now is Christ the head of profane and ungodly men Is he the head of the dead or of the living Do not the head and the body agree in the same kind of nature and life Are not they who are joyned to the Lord one spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. Certainly as all who come from the first Adam do bear his image so all who are of the second Adam do bear his image Ergo. They must be a redeemed and sanctified people Fifthly I will adde one reason more why God will give unto all his people The congruity of it as to their Conversation a new heart and it is this The congruity of it for that conversation which they are to have amongst men both good and bad First For good men they are to have society and communion with them With good men in all holy things and in all holy duties their hearts should be knit unto them in love their delight should be in them as in the excellent of the earth and you know the mutual comfortings and edifyings and strengthnings and spiritual supportings which believers should be to one another But this requires a new heart untill that be given there can never be that love that delight c. Secondly For wicked men the people of God are to shine amongst them as With wicked men lights Phil. 2. 15. and to win them by their godly walking at least to stop their mouths and make them ashamed that falsly accuse their good Conversation in Christ they are to convince them and reprove them c. But all these things would fail they could not be if God did not renue and change the heart of his people by grace c. SECT II. Vse 1. Doth God promise to give unto all his people a new heart and a new Then many are not Gods people they have their old hearts still spirit here it follows that many people are not the people of God in Covenant because they have not a new heart given unto them but they have still their old hearts and old spirits their old corrupt lusts which they obey and serve and which they will hold fast and will not forsake For the managing of this Use I will briefly shew you two things 1. The infallible Characters of an old and unclean heart 2. The woful miseries of people still retaining those old hearts 1. The Characters of an old or unrenewed heart Characters of an old heart The Scripture gives us five Characters of an old heart i. e. of an heart never yet changed or renewed by grace First Ignorance generally the sinful estate is set out by ignorance 1 Pet. 1. 14. Not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance Ignorance Eph. 4. 18. Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them Acts 17. 30. The times of this ignorance God winked at There are three things of which if a man be ignorant he is unquestionably in an old sinful estate 1. Himself if he knows not what a wicked wretched vile and miserable heart is within him and how accursed he is by reason of it 2. Jesus Christ and the mystery of salvation in and by Christ 3. The excellency and necessity of the new creature of Regeneration and renewing grace this man is still in his sins he is in the gall of bitterness he is dead c. The first work of the Spirit is to open the eyes and to turn men from darkness to light Acts 26. 18. And to give knowledge of salvation Luk. 1. 77. To enlighten the understanding Eph 1. 18. There begins the first change and dawning of Christ and grace therefore if that be not done the old heart remains Secondly Carnal security and quietness a perpetual silence and rest Luk. Carnal security 11. 21. When a strong man armed keepeth his Palace his goods are in peace where sin reigneth and still keeps possâ—ssion all is quâ—et the man feels not his burden nor wounds not wants nor
ways of worldly advancements and advantages But the rule which a renewed heart sets up to guide and prescribe him is none other but that which God himself sets up for his people to walk by and that is his written Word Psal 119. 105. Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Ver. 133. Order my steps in thy Word This rule he sets up for all matters of faith and for all matters of fact this I must believe because God reveals it and commands me to believe it this I receive for truth because God delivers it for truth and that I reject as erroneous because the Word of God condemns it as contrary to the truth And this work I do and that way I walk in because God sets it out in his Word for me and that I do not do and so and so I dare not walk for I have no Word of God for it nay the Word of God is against it why mans heart is right indeed it is renewed by grace but if a man will walk contrary to this rule if he will not speak and live according to this Word it is because there is no light in him Isa 8. 20. SECT V. Vse 4. DOth God promise to give unto all his people in Covenant with him a new heart and a new spirit then there is comfort and joy to Comfort to those that have a new heart all those who finde the new heart given unto them it is true that when the Lord doth renew the heart of any by his grace and separate them from the world unto himself that 1. They shall meet with many troubles and scoffs and reproaches and persecutions from the world All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions 2 Tim. 3. 2. They shall meet with many temptations and oppositions from Satan if he cannot hinder grace and conquer grace yet he will molest and disquiet grace 3. They shall meet with many conflicts and warrings within their own hearts and with many weaknesses and failings and tryals nevertheless their condition is a very happy and comfortable condition and there are eight Eight comforts proper to them choice comforts which are proper to every renewed person and which may cheer up his heart all his days v. g. 1. Newness of heart is a sure and infallible testimony of the best and of the greatest matters which can concern the soul 2. This newness of heart is an unquestionable effect of our union with Christ 3. It is the noblest and highest elevation of the soul here on earth and the clear evidence of the presence of the Spirit of Christ 4. It enables you for all heavenly communion and serviceableness to Divine glory 5. God will own and accept of it and the fruits of it though but little and weak 6. He will strengthen and uphold and perfect it unto the day of Christ 7. He will poure upon every person who enjoys it all necessary blessings for this life and will take special notice of him and care for him in the days of adversity 8. Renewing grace shall without all doubt bring us at the last to eternal happiness First Newness of heart is a sure and infallible testimony of the best and of It is a clear testimony of the greatest matters which can concern the soul the greatest matters which can concern the soul There are six things which do concern the soul as nearly I think as any can and of every one of them is renewing grace a sure testimony 1. The love of God 2. The election of God 3. A relation to God 4. A change from death to life 5. The pardon of sin 6. The hope of glory 1. Of the love of God that the Lord doth indeed set his special love A testimony of the love of God his very heart upon a person 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God Psal 146. 8. The Lord loveth the righteous for any to be made the sons of God this is an effect or fruit of the love of God now all the sons of God are new born they are born again of the Spirit Joh. 3. 5. Ephes 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us Ver. 5. even when we were dead in sins and trespasses hath quicked us together with Christ As it is one of the greatest testimonies of Gods hatred and wrath for any to be left to his old sinful heart and lusts and ways so it is one of the greatest testimonies of Gods love when he pities them in their sinful condition and delivers them out of it and gives his Spirit to enliven and renew them by grace 2. Of the Election of God for this see two places 1 Thes 1. 4. Knowing Of election Brethren Beloved your Election of God Ver. 5. For our Gospel came unto you not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost Eph. 1. 4. He hath chosen us in him that we should be holy Holiness or renewing grace it is as one speaketh the counterpane of Gods decree of Election God by his own eternal prescience knows whom he intends for salvation and we by that work of renewing grace in our hearts come to know that eternal purpose of his grace concerning us it being given unto us an effect flowing from his Election and in order unto that happiness unto which he hath chosen us 3. Of our Relation to God as our God and our Father as none but his Of our relation to God people and children are holy so all his people and his children are holy Isa 63. 18. The people of thy holiness they are 1 Pet. 2. 9. an holy Nation and a peculiar people 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come out from among them and be ye separate and touch no unclean thing Ver. 18. And I will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 4. Of our translation from life to death See Isa 4. 3. He that is left in Of our translation from death to life Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Luk. 15. 32. This my son was dead and is alive again Rom 6. 11. Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God Renewing grace is one of the strictest differences between men of death and men of life not any man hath it but he who is made alive by Christ and is in the state of life no profane person hath it nor doth any hypocrite partake of it 5. Of the pardon of our sins if any
the testimonies of Gods reconciled favour O how doth the tender heart take on and judge and condemn it self if at any time it fall into sin O what a fool what a beast and why have I dealt thus with my God! why did I deal so unkindly with my kind God is this my love unto him is this my fear of him is this my tenderness of his glory O my soul what hast thou done why hast thou broken the bonds of friendship what hath the Lord been to thee that thou hast thus sinned against him And now the man falls a weeping and lamenting as if his heart would break and after some respite he thinks of his father again but he is ashamed to come to him and yet he will go to him and return with weeping and supplications O I cannot live thus I will home again to my fathers house and say I have sinned and am no more worthy to be called thy son Luke 15. Though shame and confusions belong to me yet mercies and forgiveness to him Dan. 9. O Lord heal my backslidings and forgive my backsldings and reoeive me graciously Hose 14. 2. And return again in mercy and make thy face to shine upon thy servant for the Lords sake Thus have I opened unto you the first Character or evidence of a heart spiritually soft and tender it is a heart filled with shame for sin and with grief for sin and with fear to sin and with zeal against sin and with care to be kept from sin and with restlestness till it can find God mercifully pardoning sin O that such tenderness and that such fruits of tenderness might be found in all our hearts Secondly A second Character by which we may know that we have the true The activity and life and power in conscience spiritual softness and tenderness of heart is the activity and life and power in conscience when God gives any one a soft and tender heart he gives him a conscience arrayed and enabled with other qualities and powers than in times past The Conscience heretofore was asleep but now it is awakned heretofore it was blind but now it sees heretofore it was silent but now it speaks heretofore it was loose and large but now it is strict and narrow heretofore it was dull and weak but now it is quick and powerful heretofore it was stupid and senceless but now it is apprehensive and active But I must not speak of all things about this that which I will pitch on is this the speciall Activities of Conscience where the heart is indeed tender 1. Concerning the good estate and welbeing of our souls 2. Concerning particular facts as to our doing or walking First Where the heart is tender there Conscience becomes active to clear out The conscience is active to clear our state the good and safe estate and well-being of our souls It will not suffer the poor soul to delude and deceive itself in matters of life and death to lay no grounds nor to venture all upon false bottoms and grounds of salvation and damnation of favour and wrath O saith Conscience thy soul is immortal and is for eternity and there are wayes to that eternity of Gods making and of mens making there is a reall relation to Christ and there is a seeming relation to Christ there is the power of godliness and there is the form of godliness there were virgins with oyle and there were virgins with lamps only there are some which believe and are saved and there are some that believe but for a time and perish If a man mistake himself he is undone for ever hereupon it is that Conscience in tender hearts dares not take up the estate of the soul upon trust and proud confidence and vain pretences or common grounds or every appearance but puts them on and makes them to study the Word of God and to prove what is the good and acceptable will of God and what indeed are the marks which do accompany salvation what are the infallible tokens of life of union with Christ of the new creature of a child of God born of the Spirit it causeth us to search our hearts and try our wayes to prove and examine our selves whether Christ be in us of a truth to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling it will not suffer us to be careless sluggish dallying delaying c. Conscience takes those saving promises of the â—ord as unquestionable that a man must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that will be saved and that he must repent that will have his sins pardoned and that he must be regenerated and born again who will enter into the kingdom of heaven And hereupon Conscience puts us on if our hearts be tender exceedingly to make clear and evident the assumption I do truely believe I do truely repent I am born again and my sins are pardoned and my soul shall be saved A tender heart would be sure that it is in a state of life and favour Secondly Where the heart is tender there conscience is alive in respect of the particular facts of our lives whether good or evil For good actions which concern us in our places and callings Conscience puts us upon the careful and sincere practice of them will not suffer us to omit and neglect them but enclines and hearkens unto them although danger and trouble be incident unto us for the performance of them Act. 4. 19. But Peter and John answered and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye ver 20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Act. 21. 13. Then Paul answered What mean you to weep and break mine heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Josh 24. 25. If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. For evil actions Conscience puts forth itself against them partly by warning It is evil if thou do it not partly by threatning It will be bitter unto thee it wlll deceive thee and break thy peace and confidences partly in striving with us and presenting argument upon argument consideration upon consideration Gods favour on the one hand and Gods displeasure on the other hand the happiness of walking uprightly the shortness of sins deceitful pleasures c. and all to keep us from sinning which if they prevail not then Conscience begins to be unquiet and it smites for sinning and accuses and condems and The respectiveness of our hearts to the Word of God troubles and vexes and
reveales him who will be merciful to the penitent and will by no meanes cleare the guilty 2. Of union and complyance to bring us into Christ and to make us one with him and to give us fellowship with him and to make us one Spirit with him and to change us into the glory of his image if we had this faith the work were done Now we should be made like unto him in meekness and humbleness and tenderness of heart 3. Of dependence and reliance upon Gods Promises believing that what he hath promised he will also perform that all his promises are Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him that he is mindful of his Word and remembers his Covenant and will not suffer his faithfulness to faile and therefore he will give unto us humbly seeking and waiting upon him this soft and tender heart which he hath promised How quickly and easily would such a faith prevail with and obtain from such a Father and God! Fifthly If we would compass soft and tenderness of heart we must then Get hearts to love the Lord. get hearts to love the Lord Did we love him we would be tender of his glory and tender of his love tender to please him tender not to displease him tender to obey him and tender to honour him Joh. 14. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words ver 24. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings Love you know is of all affections the most tender most watchful to observe the most carefull to please and the most fearful to offend If we did love the Lord we would not we could not grieve him Beseech therefore the Lord to circumcise your hearts that you may love him and consider the exceeding greatness of his love to you that you may love him again We love him because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4. 19. And this love would raise a tenderness of heart in us in all the effects of tenderness which you have heard Sixthly What shall I say more if you would have softness and tenderness of heart indeed and to some purpose Then get the assurance of Gods Get the assurance of Gods love love and mercy and favour sealed unto your consciences by the testimony of his Spirit this would melt c. Ezek. 36. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them THese Words are one gold link more of the precious chain of Promises in the Covenant of grace They do contain in them another excellent promise unto the people of God wherein you have 1. The matter promised I will put my spirit within you 2. The vertue or benefit of this promise which is twofold 1. Obedience and cause you to walk in my statutes 2. Perseverance and ye shall keep my judgements and do them I begin at this time with the matter promised I will put my Spirit within you CHAP. XII Doct. 1. THat all the people of God have the Spirit of God or that God will put his Spirit within his people I will put my Spirit within God will put his spirit within his people you Psal 51. 11. Take not thy holy Spirit from me Zech. 12. 10. I will poure upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given of God 1 Cor. 7. 40. I think also that I have the Spirit of God 1 Thes 4. 8. Who hath given unto us his holy Spirit 1 Joh. 3. 24. Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us Chap. 4. 13. Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit For the opening of this excellent Point I will speak unto these particulars 1. In what sense the Spirit is given or put within the people of God 2. How it may be demonstrated that the people of God every one of them have the Spirit of God 3. Why the Spirit is put within every one of the people of God 4. Whether all the people of God do in the same measure partake of the Spirit SECT I. Quest 1. IN what sense the Spirit is given or put within the people of God Sol. There is a fore fold opinion concerning this In what sense the Spirit is said to be put within us Not to make us one person with himself First Some have held that the Spirit is so given unto the people of God as to make them one person with himself and to communicate unto them his very personal propriety so that they in their own persons are that person in the Trinity which is called the Holy Ghost This was the desperate opinion of Montanus the Heretick and I fear some wild persons amongst us are of the same wicked opinion But this cannot possibly be because 1. No Creature is capable to be God which yet he should be if he could be the person of the Holy Ghost for the person of the Holy Ghost is God 1 Joh. 5. 7. There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one 2. If any man were the person of the Spirit and the very Holy Ghost then 1. He is eternal for the Spirit is the eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14. Who through the eternal Spirit offered himself c. And 2ly He is Omnipresent in every place for the Spirit is so Psal 139. 7. Whether shall I go from thy Spirit And 3ly He is Omnipotent for the Spirit is so Who raised Jesus Christ from the dead Rom. 1. 4. And quickens and changeth the hearts of sinners Joh. 6. 36. 2 Cor. 3. 18. And 4ly He is Omniscient for so is the Spirit Who searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. And lastly then he might be adored and worshipped with Divine Worship be prayed unto be trusted on c. Secondly Some do hold that although the Spirit be not so given as to make us one person with himself yet he is given personally unto the people of God i. e. Some say he is personally given he is personally in them not only his gifts and graces are in them but also his very person is in them and they do alledge several places of Scripture to make good this their Opinion Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Ver. 17. Even the Spirit of truth Ver. 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach
you all things Joh. 15. 26. But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father c. Whence it is thus argued That Comforter which proceedeth from the Father and the Son is the person of the Holy Ghost but that Comforter dwelleth and abideth in us Ergo the person of the Holy Ghost doth dwell in us 2 Tim. 1. 14. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us Hence it is also argued the Holy Ghost that keepeth the good gift or gifts in us dwelleth in us but the Holy Ghost which keepeth these gifts is not the gifts but the person of the Holy Ghost distinguished from them Ergo it is the person of the Holy Ghost and not his gifts only that dwelleth in us Rom. 8. 11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Hence also 't is thus argued the Spirit that dwells in us is the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead and shall likewise quicken our mortal bodies But it is not the gifts and graces of the Spirit but the person of the Spirit himself that raised up Christ from the dead and that shall quicken our mortal bodies Ergo the person of the Spirit himself dwelleth in us Thirdly Some do hold that the putting of the Spirit within the heart of the Some say it denotes only the gifts and graces of the spirit given to us people of God denotes only the donation of the gifts and the graces of the Spirit And so is the Spirit often taken in Scripture by a Metonymie of the Cause for the Effect Luke 1. 15. He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his Mothers womb Act. 6. 3. Look you out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and of wisdom Ver. 5. And they chose Stephen a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost 1 Thes 5. 19. Quench not the Spirit i. e. the gifts or graces of the Spirit for the Spirit in himself either Essentially or Personally considered is not capable of being quenched there is no abating or remission or vacation possibly incident unto him Fourthly Some do hold that the giving of the Spirit unto the people of God is only the letting in of his vigour and assistance for the works which they are to do Some for the letting in of the vigour and assistance of the spirit and not any Inherent presence of the Spirit in the people of God either as to his person or as to his graces But as a Bowle moves from that power and strength which the hand lends unto it so do the people of God act and move from the vigorous influence which the Spirit of God puts into them and not from any inherent principle of grace which they deny to be in them But this Opinion is not sound for the people of God do possess the Spirit not only in way of assurance to do good but also in way of inward influence to make them good Therefore they are said to be born of the Spirit Joh 5. 6. And to be washed and renewed Tit. 3. 5. And sanctified by the Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 11. which notes an inward change made by the Spirit and not a bare assistance only And besides here in the Text the Lord saith that he will put his Spirit within us which certainly is something more than external assistance Again They who do hold the donation of the Spirit as to assistance only hold likewise free-will to supernatural good that there is in the will of man such a power unto the same that it needs not any renovation by the Spirit but only the assistance of the Spirit to that purpose c. which is a dangerous Error Well then the meaning of this expression I will put my Spirit within you is principally to be understood of the person of the Spirit It is principally meant of the person of the spirit And there are three Reasons which incline me thus to think 1. One is because the graces of the Spirit were promised before in the 26. ver A new heart will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you which unquestionably takes in the renewing graces of the Spirit and if in this 27. vers by putting his Spirit within us should be meant only the graces of the Spirit then one and the same thing only should be promised But this is no way probable or congruous to affirm q. d. I will give you the graces of my Spirit and I will give you the graces of my Spirit c. 2. Another is because the Spirit here in this verse promised is that Spirit which doth cause us to walk in the Statutes of God and to keep them which cause of such walking cannot well be attributed to any but the Spirit himself 3. Unto which I may add a third viz The usual way of tryal and evidencing whether we have the Spirit here promised namely by the graces of the Spirit which were very improper if by the Spirit in the place were meant the graces of the Spirit q. d. you may know that you have the graces of the Spirit if you do find in you the graces of the Spirit How it may be demonstrated Quest 2. How may this be demonstrated that all the people of God in Covenant have the Spirit of God within them Sol. Besides these Scriptures already produced which do bear witness unto this truth it may be further demonstrated thus First All that are Christs have the Spirit of Christ for saith the Apostle Rom. 8 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And 1 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit But all who are in Covenant are Christs because all that are in Covenant are believers and all believers are Christs Ergo all that are in Covevant have the Spirit Secondly All that are in Covenant are the Sons of God God is their Father and they are his sons and daughters 2 Cor. 6. 18. Now saith the same Apostle in Gal. 4. 6 Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Nay Thirdly all the people of God have a fellowship and communion with every person of the Trinity and so high is that fellowship that every person of the Trinity doth as it were take up his mansion and make his abode and dwelling in them They have a fellowship with every person of the Trinity 1 Joh. 1. 3. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Phil. 2. 1. If there be any fellowship of the Spirit c. Every person of the Trinity dwells and abides in them
Causally in us c. 3. Without faith no salvation He that believes not shall be damned Mark 16. 16. But without the spirit there can be no faith because that grace is the fruit and effect of his Almighty power So now you see plainly the infinite misery of being destitute of the Spirit of God Quest But how may we know whether the Lord hath put his own Spirit within How to knw that we have the Spirit of God us that the spirit of God is given to us indeed Sol. This may be known 1. By the works of the spirit 2ly By the qualities of the spirit 3ly By the properties of such who have the spirit in relation unto the spirit 1. By the works of the spirit The spirit of God is a vigorous and active and operative spirit and By the works of the Spirit when he is indeed put within any mans heart there he works in order unto the salvation of that man for unto that do all the works of God the Father as our Father tend and unto that do all the works of Christ the Son of God as our Redeemer tend and unto that do all the works of the spirit of God within us tend What are the works of Gods Spirit in them that shall be saved Now the works of the spirit in them which shall be saved are these .. Conviction 1. Conviction Joh. 16. 8. And when he is come that is the spirit whom Christ calls the Comforter ver 7. he will reprove the world he will convince the world of sinne Simile As when the light of the sun shines in a room this opens and discovers all the nastiness and sluttishness in the room so when the spirit of God comes into the heart he doth by his own light clearly discover and represent the sinful foulness that lies therein Here now I will briefly speak unto two Questions Quest 1. How the spirit convinceth a person of sin Sol. He doth convince of sin 1. By opening the Law of God unto us partly in the spiritualness of it as How the Spirit convinceth of sin reaching not only to our outward words and actions but also to our inward thoughts and affections both in the commands of it and likewise in the prohibitions of it that God doth not only command of us a Righteousness and holiness of conversation but also a righteousness and holiness of heart and nature not only that we do good but also that we be good not only that we hear him but also that we know and love and fear and trust upon him not only that we draw near unto him with our lips and bodies but also that we draw near unto him with our hearts and serve him in spirit and in truth That God in his Law doth not only forbid and condemn sinful words and deeds but also sinful desires and delights and motions not only murder in the hand but murder also in the heart not only adultery in the act but adultery also in the heart as Christ assures us himself in Matth. 5 28. Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Perfection of it that it is so precise and exact that it expects from us not this or that particular duty but an universal obedience and full conformity unto all and every particular which is required and not for some little space of our life but constantly and invariably as to all the time of our lives and if we fail either in the fulness or in the continuance of obedience at any time in any particular presently the Law pronounceth a sentence of curse against us Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all these things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Secondly By opening our sins the transgression of the Law unto us Rom. By opening our sins to us 7. 9. When the Commandement came sin revived and I died i. e. when the Law came accompanied with the Spirit of God now sinne revived now it appeared now I saw what a sinful creature and what a miserable creature I was This is certain that when the spirit of God doth convince any one of sinne he then doth by an invincible evidence or lâ—ght so set out a mans sinful life and heart that he cannot but confess and acknowledge the same and withall himself to lye under the curse of God as long as by unbelief he remains in his sinful estate Quest 2. Whether a wicked person may not be convinced of sin and if he may how then can this work of conviction be any distinguishing character that we have the spirit Sol. To this I answer First I do not make every work flowing from the Spirit a character of his What are not characters of the presence of Gods Spirit gracious presence not illumination not conviction solitarily considered by themselves alone but as concomitantly considered with other more powerful and effectual works of the spirit following them 2. But secondly there is a difference between that conviction of sin in wicked The difference between the convictions of the wicked and the godly men and that in the people of God and the difference lies thus First The conviction in wicked men is ordinarily levis mollis it is such an evidencing of their sins as doth not much afflict and distress them indeed they cannot deny but that they are sinners yet they hope to escape well enough for all this c. Secondly The conviction in wicked men is ordinarily semiplena imperfecta it is of some outward gross sins as swearing lying adultery drunkenness but for all these they think their hearts are as good as the best they are seldom convinced their sinful hearts and natures and that original sin which is the fountain of all sins and which pollutes the whole soul Thirdly The conviction in wicked men if it be full and strong it is but Judicialis it is not Remedialis it is not in salutem but proves only in perniciem for when they are so convinced either they sin more desperately against the convincing light of the Spirit or else they fall into despair as Cain and Judas and Spira crying out that their sinnes are greater than can or shall be forgiven But now the conviction of sin by the Spirit in the people of God is another kind of conviction For 1. It is deep and powerful it makes discovery of the very root and foundation What is the conviction of the Spirit in Gods children of all sins even of that corruption and vileness in the heart In sinne did my Mother conceive me said David Psal 51. 5. And I see another Law in my members said Paul Rom. 7. 23. And Ecce cor meum Deus meus ecce cor meum said Austin Ah Lord what a wicked heart had I c. 2. It is graciously effectual this work of conviction works graciously upon
and powerful Spirit and he puts forth a wonderful power in all them unto whom he is given e. g. First he raiseth every one of them from the dead what the Lord spake of the people of Israel touching their civil estate Ezek. 3â— 13 14. I have opened your graves O my people and brought you up out of your graves and will put my Spirit within you and you shall live That is true in a spiritual sense of all the people of God unto whom the Spirit of God is given Though before the donation of the Spirit they were dead in trespâ—sses and sinnes yet when the spirit is given unto them they are by the operation of that spirit quickned made alive and raised from that dead estate Ephes 2. 1. You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins they have the life of God and Christ in them O what a power is put forth in the raising of a dead man and yet there is a greater power of the spirit put forth in the raising of a dead sinner Secondly He enables them both to perceive and also to receive the things of God to perceive the glory and excellency of them and to receive the goodness and sweetness of them 1. To perceive them Mat. 13. 11. It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God but to them it is not given And 1 Cor. 2. 6. We speak wisdom amongst them that are perfect Ver. 7. The wisdom of God in a mystery Ver. 8. Which none of the Princes of this world know Ver. 14. Which are foolishnesse unto the natural man and which he cannot know q. they are spiritually discerned Compare these places together and you shall find two differences 'twixt them who have the Spirit and them that have not the Spirit concerning the things of God viz To the one they are wisdom yea and wisdom of God but to the other they Who have and have not the Spirit are foolishness When we preach Jesus Christ and the things of salvation the new creature self-denial living by faith in Christ promised c. and make offers of him unto a people some make light of him and regard not the offer at all they see no beauty at all in him that they should desire him Yet others see in him the glory as of the only begotten of the Father and do admire at that infinite mercy and goodness and love and life in and by him the reason is because the one knows him not but to the other it is given to know him and to discern the mystery of salvation in him 2. To receive hiâ— Joh. 1. 11. He came amongst his own and his own received him not Ver. 12. But as many as received him c. And who were these that received him See Ver. 13. Such as were born not of blood nor of the will of the the flesh nor of the will of man but of God So Acts 2. 41. They that gladly received the Word were baptized But 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God If Christ be offered the natural man will not receive him If Christ saith He that is my Disciple must deny himself This is a hard saying who can bear it Joh. 6. 60. And take up his cross and follow me the natural man will not receive this If the Word saith Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Acts 3. 19. The natural man will not receive this nor will he receive that truth in Matth. 7. 41. Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life c. But every one who hath the Spirit of God as he hath a power given to perceive or discern the mysteries of the Kingdom of God and all the wayes and rules belonging thereunto so he hath also an heart given to close with the Kingdom of Christ and with every part and path of it Thirdly The Spirit enables them to pray and under the sense of their wants and troubles to come unto God as their Father and to open their conditions unto him with judgement affection and confidence Rom. 8. 15. We have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Ver. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Here you see that they who have the Spirit of Adoption have received the Spirit of supplication every son of God is able to call God Father and to cry unto him as his Father and that the Spirit of God is in this work of Prayer by making intercession for them appears 1. By enabling them to make requests for themselves with groanings which cannot be uttered 2. With fervency and earnestness of heart Object But will some reply This cannot be a distinguishing sign that we have the Spirit because many wicked men do pray and so do many hypocrites Isa 26. Whether the Spirit of Prayer be a sure sign of a child of God 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee they have poured out a Prayer when thy chastening was upon them Ergo c. Sol. I answer First By way of Concession granting three things unto wicked men and hypocrites viz. 1. They may and do in their distresses put forth natural desires for help as the very beasts do under their burdens and wants 2. They may and generally do satisfie themselves with a form of Prayer which they read or hear read unto them which is another thing from the Spirit of Prayer 3. They may have the gift of Prayer or an ability to pray by the strength of gifts and parts and upon hearing of others to gather up some good expressions and fragments and â—utter them as if they did pray Secondly By way of Negation Notwithstanding those three Concessions I deny that any man hath the spirit of supplication who hath not the Spirit of grace because the spirit of supplication is given with the spirit of adoption which is proper to the sons of God Every one who hath the Spirit of Prayer he can come unto God and call him Father which none can do but such as are in Christ in whom he becomes our reconciled God and Father To pray with the Spirit of Prayer is to pray with a special My soule is sore troubled Psal 6. feeling of our wants and of our I am not worthy to be called thy sonne unworthiness and the desires of our soul c. with my whole heart and my soul follows hard after thee with affectionate earnestness of heart and with I believe therefore I have spoken confidence towards God in the name of Christ that he will give unto us the good things which he hath promised to us in his Covenant 2 Sam. 7. 27. Thou hast revealed unto thy servant saying I will build thee an house therefore thy servant
seed and living which shall never be cut off Thirdly In their graduaâ— measures and quick operations herein there may be a decay and quickning Rev. 2. 4. I have somewhat against thee because thou In their gradual measures hast left thy first love Ver. 5. Remember from whence thou art fallen and dâ— thy first works Rev. 3. 2. Strengthen the things which remain and are ready to die Fourthly In their sensible and comfortable manifestations and here likewise they may be extinguished at least for a time Psal 51. 12. Restore unto me In their sensible manifestations the joy of thy salvation He had lost it by his sinning c. Now the people of God who have received the spirit they should be careful not to quench him at all no not in the measures no not in any degree of grace not in any one lively operation of grace not in any one comfortable fruit or effect of grace O sirs 1. It is an exceeding soily to weaken may I so express it the hands of the Spirit to shake your foundation to wound your selves so near the heart The Spirit is the Spirit of your life and power 2. It is an exceeding folly to loose any of your precious treasures why a degree or measure of grace one dram of it is more than all the world for value 3. It is an exceeding folly to bereave your selves of your best comforts and only joyes to turn your day into night your peace inâ—o trouble your hope into fear your confidence into doubts 4. It is an exceeding injury unto that good spirit and unto your own happiness c. Secondly Grieve not the Spirit This duty you have from the Apostle Eph. 4. 30 Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God by whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption Grieve not the spirit Do nothing which may offend and displease him or make his abode in you uncomfortable and undelightful The Spirit hath been the Comforter unto you you have tasted of his comforts and joyes do not grieve and offend and displease him who hath comforted and rejoyced your soul Quest What will grieve the Spirit that so we may take heed of grieving him Sol. There are 〈◊〉 wayes by which the Spirit is grieved First When we do not hearken to his motions and counsels and commands What grieves the spirit Not to hearken to his motions This doth grieve a Father and a friend when his counsels are disregarded and despised So when the Spirit of God puts us upon holy wayes and workes and we regard not his motions and directions this doth grieve and offend him Psal 95. 10. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation and what was that which grieved hâ—m they would not hearken unto his voice they erred in their hearts they would not know his wayes 2. Secondly When we do hearken to the voice motions and counsels of Satan or our own corrupt hearts which are contrary to him and his suggestions When we hearken to Satan as Christ spake in Joh 5 43. I am come in my Fathers Name and ye receive me not if another should come in his own name him ye will receive This grieved Jesus Christ that the Jews would not receive him coming in his Fathers Name and yet they would receive another coming in his own name Simile In like manner it cannot but displease and offend the spirit of God to see his holy and heavenly counsels motions commands neglected and at the same time the motions and lusts of of our hearts regarded embraced and followed Why this doth more displease a parent or friend that the enticements and seducemennts of base fellows prevail and take more then his grave and sound and loving advice c. as Esau went and married the daughter of the Hittites against the mind of his Parents Gross sins Thirdly When we do any notorious sinful work which is unworthy of men enjoying the Spirit of God and causeth dishonour and reproach unto him Simile As when a child doth any thing unbecomming his relations and dishonourable unto his Father Ye have troubled me said Jacob to his sons Simeon and Levi to make me to stink amongst the inhabitants of the land amongst the Canaanites and the Perizzites c. Gen. 34. 30. So when men professing the Spirit do yet walk contrary to the nature and rule of the spirit they do now trouble and grieve the Spirit e. g. The Spirit of God is a Spirit of truth and if we pretending Spirit embrace or countenance doctrines of lyes and falshoods â—he Spirit of God is a Spirit of holiness and if we pretending that Spirit follow and countenance practices of unholiness and profaneness The Spirit of God is a Spirit of love and meekness and peace and if we pretending that Spirit yet live in discord and wrath and contention these things are a grief and trouble unto the Spirit of God 2 Tim. 2. 19. Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity So say I let every one that nameth the Spirit of Christ let every one that pretends to his presence depart from iniquity Fourthly Especiall do we grieve the spirit when we do sin against the present When we sin against the spirits workings works and workings of the spirit As 1. The present illumination of the spirit which at such a time actually shines upon that work we intend to do 〈◊〉 discovers it plainly to be evil and offensive and yet we do it 2. The strange motions and operations of the spirit striving to with-hold us from our purpose by arguing and reasoning with our souls propounding argument upon argument not to do so wickedly As when a man lyes or swears or commits uncleanness or steals against the particular light and present strivings of the spirit sinful actions thus substantiated do not only grieve but do also wound the spirit these are bitter provocations Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly Hose 12. 14. and these are presumptuous sinnings which will cost us bitter desertions and bitter throws in Conscience and bitter lamentations and bitter afflictions perhaps all our dayes and bitter fears and disputes and questionings in our hearts Thirdly Neglect not the spirit As Paul to Timothy neglect not the gift that is in thee 1 Tim. 4. 14. So say I neglect not the Spirit himself that is When we neglect the spirit in thee And there are two things of the Spirit which we should not neglect 1. His movings 2ly His removings First Neglect not the movings or motions of the Spirit but take hold of them observe and follow them You have many times suddain and secret excitations to draw you off more from the world to prepare for death to make sure work for your souls to trust more on God to walk more evenly and profitably to redeem the time to pray and seek the face of God to do more good in your places c. Now do
inconsistent nor are they to be dijoyned Secondly If the Lord Jesus himself hath instituted some men particularly for his service and the benefit of his Church and hath committed the dispensation of Evangelical Ordinances unto them then no man under pretence that he hath the Spirit may slight and neglect the Ordinances but Christ hath instituted some persons in the Church for Ministerial service c. Ephes 4. 11. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers Ver. 12. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ c. Ver. 13. till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ What need of these if the presence of the Spirit without these be sufficient 1 Cor. 12. 28. God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secundarily Prophets thirdly Teachers Ver. 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers To these and not to all hath he committed the dispensation of the Evangelical Ordinances 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God Matth. 28. 19. Go ye and teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself c. and hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation What are all these Ordinances instruted and fixed and that by the will of Christ and yet useless for men that have the Spirit of Christ Thirdly What mean those several passages in the Scriptures Jam. 1. 19. Be swift to hear 1 Per. 2 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby 1 Thes 5. 19. Quench not the Spirit Ver. 20. Despise not Prephesying Luke 10. 16. He that despiseth you despiseth me c. Isa 59. 21. This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit that is upon them and my Spirit which I have put within thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord hence forth for ever Fourthly If the Spirit be given unto us to make the Ordinances effectual unto us then his presence should not take us off from Ordinances but the Spirit is given to make the Ordinances effectual they are so farre life unto us as the Spirit gives life unto them 2 Cor. 3. 16. The Spirit giveth life Secondly Having spoken these things I shall now look upon those forementioned Scriptures and see whether they conclude the needlesness of Ordinances after the reception of the Spirit Object Jer. 31. 34. They shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me c. Hence the Anabaptists do conclude that there is no need of Teachers nor Anabaptists answered Learning Sol. First I would fain know Whether these people have among them a Church of Christ yea or no if they have then I would know Whether they have any The Scriptures opened Teachers of the Word and Labourers in the Word and Doctrine any teaching publickly in their Churches Secondly But to the place of the Prophet who sets out the difference between the Old Testament and the New 1. In respect of efficacy this he layes down in ver 33. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after these dayes saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts c. 2ly In respect of Clarity that in the times of the new Covenant there should be a more clear and plentiful effusion of knowledge than in the old Covenant for when Christ came then did the Sun of Righteousness arise the light of which was sevensold to what the light was before his coming they before his coming had but a dark knowledge those after his coming had a more clear and full knowledge Object True and they had so much knowledge that they needed not to be taught they shall no more teach Sol. That expression is not to be taken litterally and absolutely as if those that live under the Gospel should need no teaching at all for we read an express promise relating unto Gospel-times to the contrary Isa 2. 3. Many people shall go and say Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall go out the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem But the words are to be taken Restrictively and Comparatively therefore if you observe them it is not said only they shall no more teach every one his neighbour but they shall no more teach every man his neighbour saying know the Lord So that God doth promise under the Gospel such a measure of knowledge as that his people now shall not be Alphabetarii any more need to be taught the first Principles of the Doctrine of Faith any more these they should all of them clearly know and much more clearly than many or most living under the old Covenant or Testament Object 1 Joh. 2. 27. You need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things c. Sol. The Apostle having in the former words delivered many excellent and comfortable truths he concludes with a perswasion of their knowledge of and assent unto them q. d. you are the people of God you have received his Spirit you know these things to be true I write them unto you not as to the ignorant but knowing Christian you know them assuredly the Spirit given unto you hath enabled you to know and to acknowledge them so that no man needs to teach you them c. Object 2. Pet. 1. 19. Vnto which you do well to take heed as unto a light that shineth in darknesse untill the day dawn and the day starâ—e arise in your hearts Sol. Untill the day dawn i. e. Pleniori apertiori cognitione quà m sub legis umbris fuerit 1. He commends the Jews for regarding the Prophetical writings 2. He prefers the Apostolical Writings which had more light in them 3. Vntil is gradual and not exclusive Fourthly lastly the Spirit is injured when any do Father upon him their odd Opinions and wild fancies and delusions and sometimes their abominable blasphemies which are not to be named amongst Christians but with detestation The Spirit of God is the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of holiness and to entitle him unto any errors or wickedness it is no less then to blaspheme and reproach him Fifthly The fifth Caution which I would
Covenant with me by Sacrifice 2. The other is that they keep Covenant Psal 103. 18. To such as keep They keep Covenant with God his Covenant and this he expounds in the following words to those that remember his Commandements to do them When we enter into Covenant with God what is it that we do I suppose if we do understand our selves that we do then take him to be our God 1. In his Gracious Mercy 2ly In his Righteous Society that he and he alone shall be our Lord our King to Rule and guide and prescribe us laws and we will be his people to hearken unto him to be at his command to obey his voice and will Is any man so wild to make such a Covenant with God or to think that God will make such a Covenant as this with him I will have mercy and blessing from God but I will not obey him he shall be none of my Lord nor King or that God will yield to these termes I will be yours for all blessings but live as you list do what you please walk how you will serve your lusts regard not my Law Did God ever make such a Covenant as this Saith God to Abraham Gen. 15. 1. I am tby shield and thy exceeding great reward And Chap. 17. 1. I am the Almighty God I am able to do thee good and will do so but then he addes walk before mee and be thou perfect q. d. I will be a God to you for blessing and also a God over you for Ruling I expect that you should walk uprightly before me i. e. observe my wayes my Commandements and act them with sincerity of heart not willingly disobey and prevaricate So Exod. 19. 5. If ye will obey my voice in doing and keeping my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people And Verse 6. Ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and an holy Nation But a little more to demonstrate this truth unto you be pleased to consider these five particulars First Those several Relations which fall upon all people who come to be in The relations betwixt God and his people in Covenant require obedience Covenant with God and they are all such as lay obligations upon them to obedience to walking in his Statutes They are the children of God and have God to be their Father Now saith God to them that pretend to stand in this Relation but walk disobediently A son honoureth his Father Mal. 1. 6. And if I be a father where is mine honour They are the servants of God and God is their Lord and Master Now saith he in the same place a servant honoureth his Master And if I be a Master where is my fear should not a Lord and Master be feared and what is it to fear God but to have an awful respect to his Commandements and a tender care to do his will They are his subjects and he is their King he is the Lord that Reigneth over them gives Laws unto them and are not his Subjects a willing people in the day of his power Do not his Saints humble themselves sit down at his feet and receive of his words doth not the fiery Law proceed from his right hand for them whom he calls his Saints Deut. 33. 2 3. Secondly The Covenant mercies and blessings as their scope is to express the Rich bounty of God to his people so likewise the end of them is to quicken constrain And so do the Covenant mercies and indear them unto duty and obedience Psal 86 12. I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart I will glorifie thy Name for evermore Ver. 13. for great is thy mercy towards me Psal 130. 4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Deut. 10. 12. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in his wayes and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Luke 1. 74. That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear Ver. 75. In holiness and righteousness Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrificâ— holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service Nothing more usual in the Scripture than to press the people in Covenant to obedience by and from the mercies of the Covenant The full and clear Revelation of the New Covenant takes in with it an express institution of obedience Tit. 2. 11. The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Ver. 12. Teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world The full and clearest Revelation of the new Covenant was when Jesus Christ himâ—elf appeared in the world and taught and dyed and rose again and ascended into heaven and even thence is obedience chiefly urged the Gospel all along pressing duties upon the people of God to love the Lord their God and to love their neighbour and to walk as children of the light Ephes 5. And to be obedient children 1 Pet. 1. 14. And to be holy in all manner of conversation Ver. 15. And to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called with all lowliness and meekness Ephes 4. 1 2. And to put off concerning the former conversation which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts Ver. 22. And to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Ver. 24. And to walk circumspectly Ephes 5. 15. or exactly unto the highest pitch of holiness and obedience Fourthly The Mediatour of the Covenant concerning whom you And the Mediatour of the Covenant finde 1. That he professeth that he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it 2. That he explicated the Law in the true and spiritual sense of it vindicating it from the false glosses of the Pharisees and pressing it in many branches upon us as you may see in Matth. 5. from ver 21. to the end 3. Himself to be under the Law and making special use of it in several parts aginst the temptations of Satan It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Matth. 4. 7. And it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve ver 10. 4. That he makes obedience the discovery of our real love unto him Joh. 14. 15. If you love me keep my Commandements Ver. 21. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me Ver. 24. If a man love me he will keep my words 5. That it was one end of the giving of himself to deth for us Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good
obedience is still accepted that which God principally looks at in our services of him is our Sincerity is ever accepted heart My son give me thy heart Prov. 23. 26. and the uprightness of our hearts his eyes are upon the truth and he is a God that takes pleasure in uprightness 1 Chron. 23. 19. A man is sincere in obedience when 1. He intends the glorifying of God Who are sincere in obedience in what he doth 2ly When he serves God with a willing heart 3ly When he puts out all the present strength and might of his soule in doing the will of God Now although this person falls very short of perfection in his works of obedience and many failings accompany his duties yet God passes by them and God is the Father of such as are upright takes no notice of them will not reject but will accept of them and of his weak services And there are three Demonstrations of this 1. God whom he serves with his spirit is his Father and of a very merciful and gracious nature Psal 103. 13. Like as a Father pities his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Mal. 3. 17. I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him 2. He hath made many indulgent promises to him Isa 30. 19. He will be God hath made many promises to such very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he will answer thee Chap. 56. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer their burnt-offerings and their sacrifice shall be accepted upon mine Altar c. 3. Jesus Christ bears away all the iniquities of our holy offerings and by his Christ bears away all the iniquities of such merits procures the acceptance of all our services Rev. 8. 3. He is that Angel that stood at the Altar having a golden censer who had much incense given unto him that he should offer it with prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which is before the Throne Ver. 4. And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand Now this is a singular Encouragement unto us to hold on stedfast in our walking in Gods statutes never to be weary in well doing For our labour is not in vain in the Lord not any work of obedience is lost not a Prayer not a tear not any one work performed with sincerity of heart but it is graciously accepted Fifthly There is no safety in going back from walking in Gods stautes and there is no hazard in going forward and holding on unto No safety in going back â—â—e end First There is no safety in going back from walking in Gods statutes For â—â—â—s only is the path of life and the path of salvation he that turns from it â—â—â—iseth his own soul he is lost he is out of protection out of blessings out 〈◊〉 promised good and shall be sure to meet with curse and wrath and â—â—â—â—ction â—â—condly There is no hazard in going forward and holding out un to the 〈◊〉 end You cannot hazard 1. Your souls by it for he that keepeth the Commandement keepeth No hazard in going forward his soule 2. The recompence you expect by it for he that continues to the end shall be saved 3. Your safety by it for God is a Sun and a Shield unto them that walk uprightly Psal 84. 11. The Lord is with you whiles you are with him 2 Chron. 15. 2. 4. Your honour by it Those that honour me I will honour 1 Sam. 2. 30. 5. Any outwardly blessing by it For Prov. 3. 23. The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked but he blesseth the habitation of the just Prov. 28. 10. The upright shall have good things in possession And ver 20. A faithful man shall abound with blessings There is no death but life no curse but blessing no danger but safety no loss but gain in walking in c. Sixthly Though we meet with many oppositions in the stedfast walking Many higher encouragements yet you have higher and greater encouragements to the certainty of that way There are four things which do shew that the walking on in Gods statutes is the true way to heaven 1. The holiness of it 2. The warrantableness of it 3. The aim of the traveller 4. The universal opposition made against it by Satan by all ungodly men and by the remaining corruptions in every mans heart it is the opposed and discouraged way Nevertheless you have higher and greater Encouragements to hold on your walking in the way of Gods statutes e. g. 1. The excellency of the way itself it is the way of God and the way It s an excellent way of life and the way of holinesse the way of Christ the way of peace and rest 2. The company of travellers The best men that ever were upon earth did The company of travellers chuse this way to walk in Enoch walked with God so did Noah and so did Abraham and so did all the excellent Kings mentioned in Scripture David Jehoshaphat Hezekiah Josiah and so did all the faithful Prophets of God and so did Christ and all the faithful Disciples and so do all the Saints of God who are the excellent on earth and so did all the souls which are now glorified in heaven should not this encourage you to hold on your course in walking in Gods statutes all that are now in heaven have gone on in this course and all that shall come to heaven do so It is the path of the just still the living walk in it The delight of God 3. The delight of God The Lord himself loves you and owns you and takes pleasure in you approves of you and commends you there was no King like Josiah c. Seest thou my servant job c. Psal 147. 11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him And 149 4. The Lord taketh pleasure in his people And Prov 11. 20. Such as are uprigh in their way are his delight 4. The promise of God O how many and how choice and how sweet The promise of God Isa 41. 10. Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismaid for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Ver. 11. Behold all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded they shall be as nothing and they that strive with thee shall perish Rev. 3. 8. Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word Ver. 9. Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee 5. The actual comforts encouragings and refreshings from the Lord Acts Actual
my song he also is become my salvation Isa 25. 4. Thou hast been a Experience proves it so strength to the poor a strength unto the needy in his distress God is your God and he is your strength and you have found him to be so when being sensible of your own weakness you have cast your selves upon him How did his strength beat down strength before you and how did his power make it self manifest in your weakness O Christians you have experience on all sides 1. When you have trusted upon your selves how barren and dead have your hearts been like Sampson c. 2. When you have trusted on your God how able how full quick and enlarged hath your heart been and with what life and alacrity hath the work of God prospered in your hands It s our priviledge Fourthly Priviledge It is not only your duty to go to God and to trust on him to help and enable you to walk in his Statutes and to do them but it is also your priviledge which you enjoy by vertue of the Covenant Is it not a priviledge which a Son enjoys and which a Wife enjoys that the one may confidently go to his Father and the other may confidently go to her Husband to help them in their necessities Why you who are in Covenant with God you are the Sons of God 2 Cor. 6. He is your Father you are married unto him Thy Maker is thy Husband Isa 54. 5. you may therefore go unto him and rely on him 1. Your God knew long ago all your necessities and self-weaknesses or insufficiencies and therefore at the very first he engaged himself to be yours in love and mercy and help and strength 2. It is no more than he is resolved for he is resolved and willing and ready to help you and do you good with all his heart and with all his soul 3. And it concerns his glory to cause you to walk in his Statutes and to do them Quest 2. When especially the People of God should by faith depend upon God for his gracious help and strength to cause them c. Sol. There is no duty or work which we are to do upon Gods Command at any time but we should by faith depend upon God for his strength to enable and cause us to do it Nevertheless we should in eight Cases express a more special care to depend upon him for his assisting and supplying strength e. g. 1. When we are most apt to think that we stand in least need of his strength In what cases we should depend upon him and presence 2. When we find the greatest strength of opposition to the performing of any work 3. When we are most sensible of our own indisposition and inability to the doing of such good works 4. When any work we are called to perform hath a greater Concernment and Respect to Gods Glory his Churches good and our own salvation 5. When the Work is extraordinary and universal 6. When near great and sudden Changes do befall us 7. When we have made solemn vows to God in the days of our distress for Reformation or better walking 8. When it is such a work wherein we have miscarried and have longer stuck at it and cannot get it forward 1. When we are most apt to think that we stand in least need of his strength and presence That our mountain is strong that we are increased that we can go alone and are now sufficient Object But will some of you say When are we thus apt to think c Sol. In three Cases 1. When the works or duties seem unto us little and common and easie not In what cases we are apt to think well of our selves needing any singular presence of Gods Grace As the Israelites thought about the taking of Ai it was but a small City and a few men would serve the turn and there was no need to trouble all the host But they found it otherwise c. so when any duty seems but ordinary a small work and we need not call in for the help of God it is but to meditate it is but to pray it is but to read the Word but to hear a Sermon but to resist a temptation but to deny a very light occasion of sinning but to bear an ordinary Cross or affliction Now we are apt to think we can do these ordinary works and we can pass these ordinary crosses and are not very importunate with God to assist and enable us But what comes of this why either we can do nothing at all or else what we do is but superficial and cold or that little temptation or occasion of sin is too hard for us and that little Cross filâ— us with impatience and vexation and discontent c. Therefore I beseech you who are the people of God Learn to go out of your selves Learn to depend on Gods strength even for the least Duty that you are to perform there is in the least duty whether Active or Passive enough to exercise your Faith Though the greatest work be not above Gods strength yet the least is above your strength If you can do nothing without Christ then you cannot do the least good work without him If the Apostles were not sufficient of themselves to think any thing much less are we able of our selves do any thing Nay and you may observe it That the failings of the people of God are usually about ordinary duties They do carry on their difficult works better than they do their ordinary works what is the Reason of this because in them they look up more to God but in these they look more at themselves Secondly When we have found more than ordinarie enlargments in Communion with God that our hearts have melted in the confession of our sins and that our hearts have wrestled with God in Prayer and our resolutions have been exceedingly strengthened and sharpned O now beware of thy self and now have a special care to make God alone thy strength why because now thou shalt through subtiltie of temptation be inclined to think too highly of thy self and of thine own strength and that this may last long and theâ—eupon thâ—â—â— wilt slack that earnestness of Communion and thou wilt be venturing and hazarding upon the account of thy own strength and God will leave thee and humble thee Thirdly When we have tasted of the wonderful goodness of God in high and rich experiences nay in the very healings and assurances of his own spirit that we have heard the voice of joy all is pardoned God is reconciled Hereupon our hearts ar exceedingly raised to God in blessing and praising and saying What shall I do for this good God O but remember to raise your hearts in a careful and watchful depending on Gods strength and sufficiencie still to enable you to walk with him and to do for him You think you can do much more and I do verily believe you would
accounts before God without a Mediatour to answer for you you alone must answer God for all your sins and for all your abominations Fourthly That God will magnifie the power of his wrath and justice upon you for despising of him and of his grace and of his mercy and of all his glory c. of all sinners you will fall under the heaviest condemnation 3. Unto such who fain would be the people of God but are afraid that God will never Such as would fain be in Covenant but fear God will not admit them Should consider It is possible for them to be the people of God admit of them into Covenant that he will never be a God unto them To these I have six things to present which I would desire them carefully to remember 1. Do not despaire though as yet you find not your selves to be the people of Gods Covenant it is possible for you to be his people And there are three grounds to keep you from despaire 1. One because God hath made them to be his people which were not his people which in time past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but have now obtained mercy 1 Pet. 2. 10. 2. A second because God hath looked mercifully upon as grievous sinners as ye have been and hath brought them into the Covenant Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live verse 8. Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness yea I sware unto thee and enâ—red into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine 3. Because you have an expresse promise that God will make you to be his people which were not his people Hosea 2. 23. I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy and I will say to them which were not my people Thou art my people and they shall say Thou art my God 2. Great sinners are not absolutely excluded from coming into this Covenant of Great sinners are not absolutely excluded grace O Sirs this Covenant is only for sinners and this Covenant contains an infinite Mediator and super-abundant riches of grace and mercy so that the Lord gets him a Name and a praise and an honour amongst all the Nations of the earth and God in this Covenant doth promise to pardon abundantly to forgive iniquity transgression and sinne to cleanse from all filthinesse and from all Idols and to pardon all iniquities whereby we have sinned and have transgressed against him Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities and made me to serve with thy sinnes yet I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and I will not remember thy sinnes Thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest she is gone upon every high Mountain and under every green Tree and there hath played the harlot and I said after she had done all these things Turn thou unto me So that it is not the greatnesse of former sinnes which make you utterly uncapable of being received into this Covenant Though a mans sinnes have been high in their guilt and multiplyed in the practice and stretched out by many aggravating circumstances yet if now his soul doth mourn ovet them and lament if now he is willing to give a bill of Divorce unto them if he sees his former abominations and loaths them I dare assure him that God will take him into this Covenant the Covenant of grace and mercy is set open for him Come in saith God I will be merciful unto your Transgressions and I will receive you graciously your sinnes shall be mentioned no more 3. Though a sinner hath no deservingnesse in him no worthinesse at all yet he may be received into this Covenant of grace When a poor sinner hears of A sinner that hath no worthinesse at all may be taken into Covenant all that goodnesse which God is and which God will extend to such as will enter into Covenant with him and of all those mercies and blessings c. O saith he I shall never have this God and I shall never enjoy these blessings what am I but a very sinful creature worthy to be excluded and to be denyed but unworthy to enjoy such a God and to pâ—â—â—ake of such mercies sinnes I have enough for which God may loath me but worthinesse have I none to give me favour and acceptance in the eyes of God Sâ—l Let me give answer to remove this fear and this vexation out of the heart of the troubled and doubting sinner 1. A personal worthiness is not expected nor imposed by God for admission into A personal worthinesse is not expected for admission into this Covenant this Covenant he never said to any sinner If you be worthy of mercy then I will shew you mercy and if you be worthy to enjoy me then I will be your God Never did this come into the thoughts of God to make a new Covenant upon termes of worthinesse on our part nor in any one place of Scripture hath God let fall such a passage or such a heavy condition upon the sinner for then no sinner could ever have had any hope of coming into this Covenant sinfulnesse and unworthinesse being necessarily inseparable 2. A personal worthinesse is inconsistent with a Covenant of grace for a A personal worthinesse is inconsistent with the Covenant of grace Covenant of grace is a giving Covenant and it is a freely giving Covenant God loves you here freely and he here forgives you freely I will love them freely Hosea 14. 4. I am he that blotteth out thy sinnes for mine own sake Esay 43. 25. This were a strange thing indeed that God should make a Covenant of grace to relieve the sinner against the Covenant of works and yet should make our works the foundation and reason of his grace No saith the Apostle There is a remnant according to the election of grace And if by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then it is no more grace otherwise works is no more works God admits not into this Covenant upon the reason and account of works nor doth he let out the good of this Covenant upon any such account this were not to advance his grace but to destory his grace 3. The acknowledging of our unworthinesse is more proper and answerable to The acknowledging of our unworthinesse is more proper to this Covenant than a pleading out worthinesse this Covenant than a pleading or a fancying of our worthiness I will go home to my Father and say Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee I am not
worthy to be called thy sonne Mark he comes home confessing his sinnes and acknowledging his unworthinesse and he was accepted and pitied and embraced and received c. O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us do thou it for thy Names sake for our back-slidings are many we have sinned against thee so they plead This indeed is the right posture for one who would be admitted into this Covenar not to come like a proud Pharisee but like an humble Publican God be merciful to me a sinner not to come as the Jewes did for one to Christ he is worthy but as the Centurion did unto Christ I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under the roof of my house O Lord I have been a wretched sinner and the greatest of sinners I deserve nothing but wrath and hell I beseech thee to look on me in mercy for mercies sake pity me for mercies sake own me for mercies sake be my God and make me one of thy people c. Merita mea misericordia tua saith Bernard my merits are only thy mercies Thou art the Lord meriful and gracious O save me freely accept of me freely c. 4. It is not unworthinesse which hinders any from this Covenant but unwillingnesse It is not unwoâ—thinesse but unwillingnesse which hinders from the Covenant Not the want of deserts but the want of an heart for this covenanting is not a bargain but a match where willingnesse of consent is only insisted upon My son saith God give me thy heart and hearken unto me and your souls shall live and if you be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of â—he Land If a mighty Prince should offer himself to match with a poor maid alas it is not worthinesse that he intends or expects nothing doth he require of her but to be willing to take him so when the Lord treats with sinners to come into Covenant with him it is not their worthinesse which he articles about all that he requires is to be willing to take him for their God and to be willing to become his people 4. Though a sinner finds in himself a wanâ—â—f holy qualities and many vile A sinner may come and be accepted into Covenant though he find in himself a want of holy qualitâ—es and many vile corruptions corruptions not yet mortified yet he may come and be accepted into Covenant with God If a poor sinner be willing to have his heart changed though as yet he findes not that change and if he be willing to have his sinnes mortified and subdued though as yet he doth not finde them so this sinner may come and desire to be admitted into Covenant and God doth not except against him Objection When we are perswading sinners to come into his Covenant O no say they they are afraid and dare not come as yet but could they once finde some change wrought in their hearts and some power over their sinnes and some strength to walk better before God then they would hearken and come Solution But do you indeed understand your selves or this Covenant of grace that you thus argue and dispute your selves out of an interest in the Covenant I pray you whence doth grace come out of what Spring doth it arise would you be Gods unto your selves before you take God to be your God is your healing and salvation in your selves or of your selves In me is thy strength saith God Is it possible for the dead to quicken themselves is not our change only from the Spirit of the Lord and is not the new heart and new spirit undertaken and promised in the Covenant will you presume to give your selves that which God only undertakes to give unto you Neverthelesse a few words for your relief For 1. The first gift which God gives unto sinners is himself in Christ He doth The first gift which God gives to sinners is himself in Christ not first give you grace and strength against sinne and then become your God but first he becomes your God and being so he promiseth to give grace and glory to you as communion with Christ is not precedent unto but a subsequent of union with him yâ—â— have not the righteousnesse of Christ and the redemption of Christ first and after them the enjoyment of Christ himself but first you have Christ and after that you enjoy communion in all his benefits So first God is your God and then comes in all the graces of the Spirit and power against sin and strength for new obedience 2. God doth not expect that you should bring but receive not bring holinesse to him and power to him but receive holinesse from him and power from God doth not expect that you should bring but receive him Doth the Physician expect that his Patient should bring physick to him or receive physick from him Do we bring water to the fountain no but we do fetch it from the fountain The Lord doth not impose this on you that you should first make your selves holy and then come into Covenant but this is it which he saith Take me to be your God and I will make you holy and I will subdue your iniquities the giving changing strengthening working part belongs to God the craving the willing the receiving part belongs to you God is willing to give these and if you be willing to receive these This is enough for admission into Covenant 3. To say all The qualities of grace are not the necessary anâ—ecedents for entrance The qualities of grace and the fruits and consequents of the Covenant into but they are the gracious fruits and consequents of the Covenant When you are brought into Covenant then are all graces brought into your hearts then if you seek unto your God and trust on him he will send forth his Spirit into your hearts 5. The knowledge of God to be our God in Covenant iâ— not prerequired before The knowledg of God to be our God in we take God to be our God in Covenant I confesse some knowledge of God is prerequired as this That God is willing to take a sinner into Covenant till Covenant is not prerequired before we take him to be our God this be laid in the sinner will never close with God but to know that this God is my God this is neither prerequired not is it possiblâ— for any sinner to attain unto this before he doth take God to be his God in Covenant Yâ—t is this an ordinary perplexity and hinderance with many broken-hearted sinners O if we could but be assured that God were our God then we would venture to come into Covenant with him and did we know our selves to be his people then we would close with him Beloved For 1. It is impossible to begin the Covenant with a reflexive act Can any woman It is impossible to begin the Covenant with a reflexive act know such a man to be her husband untill she