expresse Restipulation pre-required on Abrahams part We see this likewise held forth Deut. 29.1.13 where the Lord entreth into another Covenant with them in the Land of Moab besides the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb and in this Covenant he doth establish them to be a people unto himselfe as well as give himself to them to be thrir God vers 13. and as God required it of them to circumcise the outward man even the foreskin of their Children so he will also circumcise them taking possession of them and circumcising their hearts and taking away the stonynesse of them and so fit them to be a Temple for himselfe to dwell in 3 The Lord in this Covenant taketh the chiefest of Abrahams seed even the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Mediator and surety of the Covenant and unto him doe all the Promises belong so the Apostle doth expound it Gal. 3.16 and so by him are all the Promises and blessings of the Covenant conveyed unto Abraham and to his seed his faithfull seed all the world over and therefore he is called the Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 7.22 meaning of the Covenant of Grace Heb. 8.6 These three things doe containe the sum of the Covenant of Grace and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and would therefore be plainly discovered unto Christians as 1 What is the meaning of this that God gave himselfe unto Abraham 2 How doth he take Abraham and his seed and make them his people 3 How doth he take Jesus Christ and make him the Surety of the Covenant between them both for the Covenant is established and so is a sure firm and everlasting Covenant Now in this gift that God gave himself unto Abraham observe three things 1 The Blessing given 2 The Order in which it was given 3 The Manner of giving it In the Blessing given When God doth by Covenant give himself to be a God it doth imply two things 1 That God doth give Himselfe the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost the whole Nature of God and all the Persons the God-head with all the Attributes of that Nature and all the Offices of those persons for it is not a confused God that vanisheth away in a generall imagination but God distinctly considered in his Persons Attributes Properties c. Thus the Lord giveth himselfe to Abraham and to his seed I will be a father unto you 2 Cor. 6.18 and that is not spoken unto the Jewes onely but unto all the Israel of God He giveth the Son also Isa 9.6 Joh. 3.16 And for the Holy Spirit Jo. 16.7.13 Isa 59.21 This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words that I have put into thy mouth shall not depart c. And this is it which the Apostle also saith Gal. 4.6 Thus the Lord giveth himselfe unto his Servants from one Generation to another If therefore the Lord God the Father give himselfe he will not be wanting to draw his people unto the Son Jo. 6.44 and what is the chief businesse and work that the Son hath to doe about us No man can have fellowship with the Father but he must have fellowship with Jesus Christ so our Saviour himselfe saith John 14.6 No man can come unto the Father but by me This therefore the Lord Jesus Christ will doe for all the elect seed of Abraham he will open their eyes to see that the Father did not draw them to damnation or utter desolation though at first that be their greatest fear but unto salvation by him This hath he promised to doe and if it be the work of the Spirit of God to establish us both in the Father and the Son then will he convince the world of sin of righteousnesse and of judgement John 16.8 to 11. and so will establish our hearts in the comforts of the Lord our God and this is that which the Apostle prayeth for the Ephesians Chap. 3.16 Hence it cometh to passe that what the Lord would have us to doe he is present by his Spirit to teach us and to strengthen us and so to doe it for us All these things doth the Lord work for Abraham and for his Elect seed So that look what is meet for a Father to do or for a Brother to doe or for the Spirit of God to doe that will the Lord doe unto his elect ones and so he giveth all his attributes and they are even God himselfe and therefore when Moses desired to see his glory and he desired it from the grace that God had shewed him Exod. 34.6 the Lord proclaimed his Name before him Jehovah Jehovah strong mercifull and gracious c. Thus doth the Lord give himselfe and all the Persons in the God-head as they are truly called and Attributes they are no more nor no other then God himselfe 2 And as God himself is implyed so when God is given by Covenant all the Ordinances and Creatures and works of God are given also for so it was in all Covenants of old time when Jehosaphat maketh a Covenant with Ahab King of Israel 2 Kings 22.4 then I am as thou art and my people as thy people and my Horses as thy Horses and all that he hath is for Ahabs service as the King goeth so goeth his strength so thus it comes to passe that if the Lord of Hoasts be for us and give himself unto us then also he gives unto us his Eternall Election and Redemption and whatsoever he hath wrought for the salvation of his Elect He hath not so dealt with any Nation Psal 147.20 but only with the Israel of God unto them hath he given his Laws and shewed them his judgements And for his Creatures they are all given to be for his People to whom he hath given himself If God be a God unto Abraham then shall all Gods people be for him Melchisedeck shall blesse him Aner Eshcot and Mamre shall be Confederates with him the Sun Moon and Stars shall fight in their courses for the people of God the Sea shall give way to passe through it on dry ground What ailed you ye streams of Jordan to goe back Why all the Creatures of God must stoop unto the people of God wâ—… he is in Covenant with them This is that which the Lord promiseth unto his people Hos 2.18 to 22. when the Lord shall marry them to him in faithfullnesse and 1 Cor. 3.22 This is the large gift of Gods Covenant Nay and which is wonderfull and beyond all comprehension when I say all the Creatures and Ordinances of God are ours the very expression of the phrase doth imply that the Lord giveth himselfe to be the staffe and strength of them so that you shall see the presence of God in them he will not only give a man wife and children and Ordinances and providences but he will be in all these and blesse his people in the enjoyment of them all so as that
joy and comfort also which the Lord doth minister to us in a Sanctified course by his Holy Spirit so we grow up and perfect our holinesse which we have received in his name There is growth in grace this Sanctification is not bedrid Christians are not as weak now as they were seven years agoe nor doe they stand at a stay but goe forward in Christianity and hereupon the Apostle exhorteth the Ephesians Chap. 4.16 To speak the truth in love that they may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ Implying that men that enter into the wayes of holinesse ought to grow on unto perfection in the fear of God Job 17.9 And many sweet meanes the Lord hath appointed for this end the communion of Gods people tendeth hereto Prov. 13.20 He that walketh with the wise shall learn wisedome All the Ordinances of God are appointed for this end also to beget and encrease Faith and holinesse therefore a Christian in the use of all these Ordinances doth not stand at a stay but is still thriving and growing and that not in his owne strength but in the strength of Jesus Christ seeking for his acceptance and help in every duty he goeth about and this is that the Apostle doth exhort the Colossians unto Chap. 2.6,7 This ought Christians mainly to attend unto that as you see the branch the more juice it sucketh the more fruitfull it is so also it becometh the people of God to know that the more need we stand in to be fruitfull the more need we have to derive a continuall fresh supply from the Lord Jesus Christ that by his Spirit renewing grace in us we may be enlarged and carried an end in the wayes of God whereas otherwise the hearts of Christians would soon faile to goe on in those things wherein they desire to be growing up unto perfection What is the reason that so many servants of God are not so lively in their profession as they were wont to be many yeares agoe Truly wee attend upon Ordinances but it is onely upon the outward act of them and not upon Jesus Christ in them this is many times wanting in the hearts of Gods people but truly if this be our constant frame and wee doe not recover our selves then is not our sanctification such as floweth from fellowship with Jesus Christ for you shall finde this to be true that there is no gift of Christ nor no sanctification accompanying salvation but it doth knit us neerer and neerer unto Christ and the more wee are filled with true spirituall gifts the more empty wee are of our owne strength and selfe conceits and so wee ought to be otherwise we shall constantly finde this that if the Lord doe not preserve this empty frame in us the more full we are of any gift the more full shall we be of our owne strength and consequently the lesse need shall we feele of Christ and if this be our constant frame it will be a sad argument that our best sanctification will not endure but fall away unlesse we be knit unto Christ by the Spirit of his grace for by all true sanctification we are the more knit unto him so that if any man would know whether the superscription of Christ and his Image be stamped upon his sanctification this you shall ever finde to be the stampe of the grace of Christ that the more you receive from him the more you stand in need of him in so much that notwithstanding all the gifts of the Spirit there is not the ablest Minister of the New Testament but if his gifts flow from the Spirit of Christ and knit you unto Christ you will finde as great need to cleave unto Christ as ever you did the first day when you came trembling into the Pulpit If therefore wee feele our selves full so that the more we have received the more sufficient we are and goe not about the duties we have in hand in feare trembling but in selfe-confidence if this be our usuall and constant practise it is but counterfeit Christianity I doe not say that the gifts are counterfeit for they are from the Spirit of God and men may by them be very serviceable to Church and Common-weale but this is certaine that the stronger and the more your gifts are if you sit loose from Christ the emptier your hearts are of him But you will say may not a Christian be full of himselfe and depend upon the strength of his owne gifts Yes God forbid I should deny that for the best Christians have gone astray in the exercise of their best gifts and hereupon Abraham hath been wanting in faith Moses in meeknes Peter in courage and Sarah in her modesty they have been so apt to trust upon those graces of God wherein they have most abounded that they have principally failed therein but this you shall finde that if they have been overtaken once or twice as the burnt childe dreads the fire so they grow to be more sensible of their need of Christ more fearfull of departing from him more carefull to cleave unto him that they might grow up in his Name unto all well pleasing in his sight If therefore there be a sanctification that standeth at a stay in any man it is a great suspition whether the gifts thereof flow from fellowship with Christ or no if gifts be truly spirituall a man shall usually grow up in them Habenti dabitur Imploy them and multiply them but if you imploy the gifts you have received in your owne strength and you are now full of your owne sanctification truly this is but frothy work and doth not convey true nor lively nourishment and comfort but the comfort and life is to him that in his most spirituall gifts best performances is empty of himselfe and onely full of Jesus Christ to live or dye is his advantage This is the Use which I would commend unto you touching your Christian sanctification Thus we see sundry things have been cleered from this doctrine concerning the Covenant of grace There remaineth another thing to be resolved and cleered from the doctrine for if God in the Covenant of his grace doe give himselfe to be a God to Abraham and to his seede It is then to be enquired How God the Father giveth himselfe and how the Son and how the holy Ghost giveth himselfe for these are the fundamentalls of the Covenant of grace and necessary to be opened for cleering the doctrine of it Quest How God the Father doth give himselfe to be a God in Covenant to Abraham and to his seed that is to the faithfull seed of Abraham Answ All the Persons in Trinity concurre in works ad extra in works upon the Creature They give themselves by a Threefold worke or Act. 1. The first Act of God is having chosen us in his Sonne He gave forth his owne Sonne out of his bosome for the redemption of Abraham his seed
THE Covenant OF GRACE Discovering The Great Work of a Sinners Reconciliation to GOD. By JOHN COTTON Minister at Boston in New England Whereunto are added Certain Queries tending to Accommodadation between the Presbyterian and Congregationall Churches Also A Discussion of the Civill Magistrates Power in matters of Religion By the same Author LONDON Printed by M. S. for Francis Eglesfield and Iohn Allen at the Marigold and Rising Sun in Pauls Church-yard 1655. TO THE Truly Vertuous and Religious my ever honoured and much esteemed Friend M ris Catharine Hodson The Sure mercies of David IF either Religion or Civility have any virtue to oblige certainly I am much your debtor it would be but a Complement which usually derives its Pedigree from the vainest assentations to promise any adequate satisfaction for those many favours you were pleased to make me the subject of The designe of these few lines is to testifie to your selfe and the world that I am really thankefull or heartily desire to be so The following Treatise which concernes the Covenant of Grace I commend rather to your Practice then protection It 's true it is an Orphane entertaine it for the Fathers sake and I shall undertake you shall gaine no mean satisfaction for your paines The two smaller Tracts at the end are of good use to those for whom they are intended In the first the Reverend Author undertakes a good Office which is to become Vmpire betwixt dissenting Brethren Next to their not falling out the best thing is to agree I have often thought that if men did more attend to the interests of grace and were lesse particular in their ends the quarrells about the way would not be so endlesse As to that latter Tract about the Magistrates power in matters touching the first Table Of late dayes it hath fallen much under Question wise and good men who have attended to the Scripture with a single eye have looked upon the Magistrate as The Minister of God a revenger to Execute wrath upon him that doth EVILL Rom. 13.4 under the name of Evill comprehending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot Eth. 5. 13. whatsoever is committed about holy things Children are commanded obedience to their Parents in all things Col. 3.20 Felius inquit Augustinus Reges si suam potestatem ad Dei cultuuÌ„ maximè dilatandum majestati ejus famulam faciant De civit Dei 5. c. 14. All things comprehend holy things and the command of a father is lesse then that of the Supreme Magistrate That which relates in this little Book to the Covenant of Grace I commend to your speciall meditations every truth hath its value but not of equall concernment unto all Amongst all the parcells of sacred Word none more justly challengeth our serious study and affectionate inquisition then this mystery that hath been hid from ages and Generations Colos 1.26 comprehended in the Covenant or Grace which is a Constellation of great and precious Promises communicating the most beneficiall influences of rich everlasting and undeserved mercies by Jesus Christ the Mediator of the Covenant to the needs of lost heavy loaden sinners This is the City of Refuge and surest Sanctuary to which distressed soules have alwayes fled and found security when the â—…owes and the waves of temptation have beat upon them here they have successfully cast the Anchor of their hopes for The Mountaines shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the COVENANT of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Oh thou afflicted and tossed with tempests and not comforted I will c. Isai 54.10,11,12 They onely know how much sweeter then the honey and the Honey comb the Gen. 33.9,11 Esau lookes upon his substance and saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have much or abundance Jacob looks upon his portion in Jehovah saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have all things Thus it should be Translated large contents of the Covenant of Grace are who have tasted the grace of that Covenant The spirituall sense which you have of these things hath been so rightly exercised that your experience exceeds all the Arguments of knowledge that I am able to administer But this Covenant being our Grand Charter and the great reason of our hopes for another life I refer you to the perusall of the following Treatise and shall in the mean time bespeak a blessing from Heaven upon your meditations in it I Question not but still you pursue that thriving course in Religion which many are wanting to themselves in and that is to keep off from unedifying disputes and Questions which have added nothing to Christianity but discord scruple and a losse of the vitalls of Godlinesse besides the expence of precious houres which you have improved to more considerable advantages You run well let nothing hinder you Hold fast that which you have wrought that you may receive a full reward Live as much as you can to the interests of another world For the Land of IMMANUEL is an excellent soyle the purest aire is above where the Spirit breaths freely and the soule injoyes a condition proportionable to it selfe in as much as nothing can fit it but that which bears some similitude to its being Your warfare is not yet accomplished as you must wrastle with God by prayers so you must wrastle with principalities and powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de supercoelestibus Eph 6.12 vide Mat. 10.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mei causââ—… illius causa vide Mat. 26.21 All ye shall be offended because of me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aâ—OVI or because of heavenly things The nature of Satan is to tempt and we have that in our natures fitted to comply with any temptation Let him be conquerour or conquered he is restlesse He may goe away for a season till God is pleased to let out his chaine and then he comes againe Be we faithfull to the death and there is a Crowne of life provided for us Now the God of all grace 1 Pet. 5.10 who hath called us into his eternall glory by Christ Jesus after you have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you So prayes Your very much obliged Friend in the bonds of the Gospel W. RETCHFORDâ— TO THE READER IF either Author or Matter may tend to commend any Treatise I might take occasion from both these respects to speak to the high commendation of all these three ensuing Treatises the Authors of them being such as whose commendations are in the gates of all the daughters of Zion and therefore need not Epistles of Commendation from any others The Name of Mr. John Cotton the Author of the two former being like a precious Ointment powred forth and although his blessed soul be now amidst the spirits of just men made perfect in the heavenly Jerusalem that is above yet his holy works and labours left
exposit r. proposit 133 10 after 9 10. make 150 10 in the marg for Quest 3. r. Quest 8. 197 11 for a as r. as a. In the second Treatis Page Line  8 18 for as r. an 14 23 for quickly r. quietly 19 8 r. shall not he be bound 20 6 after abide make this point In the third Treatise Page Line  6  last line but one make a period after allow 10 27 r. finde 14  last line but one for at r. of 20 16 for strained r. restrained 22 26 for and r. an 32 11 for speake r. seeke 38 8 r. life making wounds and marks 52 2 after to make a comma  3 4 5 blot out all in the parenthesis 55 3 for aris'd r. ariv'd 59 24 for for acts r. of acts 63 12 for non coactive r. not coactive The NEW COVENANT OR A Treatise unfolding the order and manner of the giving and receiving of the Covenant of Grace to the Elect. As also Shewing the difference between the Legallist and the true Christian Being the substance of sundry Sermons Preached by Mr COTTON At Boston in New-England some years since and corrected by his owne hand not long before his death LONDON Printed by M. S. for Francis Eglesfield John Allen at the Marigold and Rising Sun in St. Pauls Church-yard 1654. The NEW COVENANT OR A Treatise unfolding the order and manner of the giving and receiving of the Covenant of Grace to the ELECT ACTS 7.8 And he gave him the Covenant of Circumcision THis blessed Servant of God Steven being called to account concerning what he had sayd touching Jesus Christ his destroying the Temple it is the scope of his whole discourse throout this Chapter to justifie the doctrine that he had taught that though Jesus of Nazareth should destroy that place yet in so teaching he taught not blasphemy And this he doth in way of an holy History or Narration make evident in the first place from the sweet communion which their Fathers had with God before either Temple or Tabernacle was built and if so then he would not have them look at it as unsafe for them or as an utter ruine to Religion if that both the Temple and the Ordinances of the Temple were destroyed in themselves and fulfilled in him And first the passages of Abrahams communion with God Steven doth relate and maintaine before any of Moses his Customes were knowne God did effectually call him which call he did also obey ver 2 3 4. though as yet he knew no Circumcision God giveth him a tryal of his faith wherein he found Abraham faithfull ver 5 6 7. God promised to give him the Land of Canaan for a possession but he gave him not a foots breadth He promised to give it unto his seed when as yet he had no Child and when God gave him seed yet they should sojourn in a strange Land and be in bondage 400 years God gave him the Covenant of Circumcision in the words of the Text and Abraham in the strength of the blessing of God begate Isaac and Circumcised him according to Gods direction and all this before Moses gave any Ordinances unto them to keep and before either Temple or Tabernacle was built From hence we have heard That the soule may have very spirituall and gracious communion with God before it partake in Church-fellowship or in any Seale thereof for Abrahams faith was throughly tryed before he had the Seale of Church-Covenant given him We heard also this propounded which is the words of the Text that God gave unto Abraham the Covenant of Circumcision which Doctrine doth imply in it four principall parts all of them serving to clear Stevens meaning and to prove his scope 1 The Author and manner of dispensing it God gave so it was by gift 2 The Articles of it and they are to be inquired into 3 The Confederates and they are expressed God on the one side and Abraham and his seed on the other side 4 The Seale of it Circumcision which was the Seale of Church-Covenant These four parts doe yeeld unto us so many Notes The first of them was formerly spoken unto in the last point formerly handled Now for the second and third parts to wit the Articles of the Covenant and the Confederates we comprehend them both in this one Note Doctr. That in the Covenant which God made with Abraham he gave himselfe to be a God to Abraham and to his seed and received Abraham and his seed to be a people unto himselfe and the chiefest of this seed the Lord Jesus Christ he took to be the Mediator or Surety of this Covenant between them both This is the sum of the Articles and of the Confederates What the Articles be is not here mentioned but Gen. 17.7 they be for to speak of Circumcision before a Covenant it is but a seale to a blank where the Lord expresseth himselfe thus saying I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their Generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and unto thy seed after thee As for other parts of the Covenant they were more properly unto Abraham himselfe as to be exceeding fruitfull to be the father of many Nations those things were more peculiarly proper unto Abraham though they have a morall and universall use and force in all the faithfull whom the Lord doth make fruitfull and giveth them a naile in his Tabernacle In the Covenant these three things are implyed 1 God gave himselfe to be a God unto Abraham and to his seed This is such an Argument as the strength and wisdome of men and Angels cannot unfold It is a Catechisme point and by way of Catechisme to be opened as the Lord hath revealed it I mean plainly and familiarly 2 God did receive Abraham and his seed to be his people this is implied and necessarily inferred by the Rule of Relatives for if God doe give himselfe to be a God unto Abraham and to his seed and doth not expresly prerequire it of Abraham and of his seed that they should give up themselves to be his people then it must of necessity follow that the Lord will undertake to receive them to be a people unto himselfe and prevent them in that grace and so he will performe both his owne part of the Covenant and Abrahams part also according to what we read Deut. 7.6,7,8 when as they were in a Land of Idols and the Lord lifted up his hand to have destroyed them there yet he remembred and wrought for his own Name sake so that though they were far off yet the Lord to make good his Covenant brought them out of Aegypt and so from one Covenant to another by all which things it doth appear that the Lord will keep our part of the Covenant also and this is necessarily implyed in that he promiseth to be a God unto Abraham and to his seed and there is no
of free grace without any Qualification mentioned Howbeit many of them that heard the word believed and the â—umber of the men were about five thousand about three thousand of them believed before so that here are two thousand that believe upon this Absolute Promise the Lord Christ is offered to them and they receive him by Faith The like we read also Acts 10.43,44 To him give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins And while Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the words to that the Holy Ghost giveth himselfe and they receive him in an absolute Promise and left it should be a matter of absolute doubt unto any consider thus much that whereas the Lord doth unite himselfe to the soule as a Father to a child or as an Husband to a wife it is free For did you ever know a true reall Marriage made in a Conditionall Promise Doth a man say to his wife If you prove a loving and a kind wife then I will be thine Husband Or doth a wife say to her Husband If you will take me and love and maintaine me and all the children that God shall blesse us with then I will be your wife Would not your soule rise against such a Covenant as this Now I beseech you consider whether we shall not put an unspeakable dishonour upon the Covenant of free grace to conceive and expect that if we carry our selves thus and thus then God will be ours and we his But if thus and thus then he will cast us off Hath the Lord made such a Covenant with his Elect Indeed the Lord would have the Jewes to know that though he were marryed to them yet he would not continue that Covenant but upon condition of obedience when they were disobedient the Lord gave them a bill of Divorce but in the Covenant of Grace spoken of Hos 2.19,20 the Lord giveth himselfe and you take him in an absolute Promise and now the Lord dwelleth in you and the soul yieldeth up it selfe unto God to be wholly at his disposing and doth not stint nor limit God upon this and this condition nor doth the Lord so bind us to the performance of any condition as that if it be not found the Covenant will be voyd yet he requireth many things of us as an Husband will doe of his wife as to be meek and lowly c. but if we faile the Covenant is not broken therefore believe it it doth much dishonour the Covenant of Grace to lay the weight of our interest in it upon any Condition by which we might plead our right unto it I confesse that the Lord doth usually give himselfe in a future Promise which makes us conceive that it is not so absolute a Covenant when persons give themselves one to another they give themselves absolutely and not in a future Promise and say I take thee to be my wife and I take thee to be mine Husband but all times are alike unto God that if the Lord say I will marry thee to me in tender mercies and faithfullnesse and loving kindnesse he doth that for the present which he promiseth to doe and againe it breeds in the soule a Reciprocall Union that though it know not whether the Lord hath given himselfe yet this it findeth namely a patient waiting with hope that the Lord will shew mercy at the length as when a woman hath a promise of marriage from her Husband she waiteth in hope untill he give himselfe so there is an Union or Contract when the soule doth waite upon God but when the Lord giveth himselfe more fully then he speaketh more plainly and giveth himselfe not in a future but in a present Promise and now the soule seeth that the Lord hath gracious fellowship with him for ever and ever Thus we see that promises are not vaine things but there are great use of them before our Union all promises are of excellent use in our Union the Lord giveth himselfe in an absolute promise onely but to take Christ in a Conditionall promise by vertue of the Condition is incompatible to a Covenant of Grace 3 After our union with Christ they are of more abundant use They were of use before we were in Christ for Doctrine and for Instruction and for Exhortation but now they are of more efficacy in the same kind and 1 They serve us for Doctrine to teach us that there is not onely free grace in Christ but there are gifts of grace in him and all the treasures of the good things of God are in him and all the blessings of the promises made unto Qualifications are layd up in him also 2 They serve for Instruction to direct us whither to look for Qualifications and the blessings promised unto them also namely to the Lord Jesus Christ to receive the blessing through him and the Qualification by the same hand for they are first fulfilled in him there is no good Condition but it is found in Christ no blessing thereunto but it is found in him also in him therfore they are to be sought for so that though a poor soule see himselfe wretched and blind and naked yet he hath an husband in whom all riches are laid up this he is taught to know by the promise and directed also to goe to Jesus Christ that enjoying him he may enjoy all good things in him 3 They are of use to stirre up unto Prayer for now I see that all these good things are in Christ and in him they must be enjoyed if they be enjoyed at all hereupon the soule is set a work the Holy Ghost concurring therewith to consider Is there so much grace in Christ and in him abundantly Hath the Lord made so many gratious promises unto such and such gracious Qualifications whether then should I goe either for the one or for the other but unto Christ that he may work in us a spirit of Faith of Love and of a sound mind and whatsoever else we stand in need of Give unto thy Servant a wise and an understanding heart saith Solomon when the Lord bad him ask what he should give him 1 Kings 3.9 Thus are the Servants of God stirred up by Conditionall promises to seek unto the Lord for the supply of all their wants for in him are all good things laid up and by him are they given unto his servants 4 They are of use to helpe us to Know our spirituall state and means to discern thereof All these qualifications to which the promises are made are fruits of the Spirit and will more or lesse declare unto you your sanctified state which is a marvelous blessing Upon the promises made unto such conditions the Lord stirreth up the hearts of his people to seek for such conditions to which the promises are made and when the Lord hath given them he then openeth their hearts to see what he hath
the gifts of God and if you shall aske how love and patience and all the rest of the gifts of God doe worke The holy Ghost stirreth up faith to looke unto Christ who returneth strength by his Spirit unto faith so faith worketh by love and by meeknes and by all the rest of the fruits of the Spirit thus the Spirit of God acteth according to what we read Rom. 8.14 Come to any holy duty and it is the holy Ghost that leadeth you along and acteth in you so Ezek. 36.27 2 Pet. 1 2â— it is the Spirit of God that moveth us to any good worke and that acteth the gifts of his grace in us 3. It is the same Spirit of God also that witnesseth to these gifts and sheweth what gifts he hath given us for such is the blindnes of the nature of all the sons of men and it is a wonder to see that generally Christians when the Lord first worketh these gifts in them not one of a thousand but they thinke they are in a sad and fearefull condition and so they are very uncomfortable when they have greatest cause of rejoycing But now least that we should alwayes mistake that which the Lord hath given us wee have received the Spirit of God that wee might know the things that are freely given unto us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 He indeed taketh his owne time to discover it unto us to some sooner to some later but this is his intendment that he might honour his grace upon us by all the rich and gracious gifts which he hath given us He doth also reveale unto us the duties which he helpeth us to doe â—…om 9.1 The holy Ghost that wrought in him this brotherly love beareth him witnes also that he doth not lye and that he had continuall sorrow in his heart and that he could have wished to have been accursed from Christ that they might be saved it grieved him so much that the whole Nation should be destitute of the Lord Jesus Christ Thus we see what need there is that the holy Ghost should dwell in us to keepe all the gifts of his grace in us to Act them according to his will and to discover to us what gratious gifts the Lord hath wrought in us and what duties he hath helped us to doe that we may be able to give Account of them by the holy Ghost that dwelleth in us and beareth witness with us We see there is a necessity both of the gifts of grace that we may be fit Temples for the holy Ghost to dwell in and fit instruments for him to work by there is need also the holy Ghost should dwell in us for the causes we have spoken unto And I might adde this to comfort us in all the changes that may come upon us it is a strong Scripture which we read in John 15.26 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me our Divines have no place of more cleere evidence to prove the procession of the Spirit from the Father And the same Spirit testifieth to us both what mighty redemption he hath wrought for us and what grace he hath wrought in us this the holy Ghost shall testifie even he that proceedeth from the Father and this is the comfort of Gods people Thus wee see both these poynts opened to us Quest 3. How may we then imploy and improve this sanctification which the Lord hath given us and which he keepeth and acteth in us by his Spirit and whereunto he beareth witnesse How or to what end shall we employ it seeing the Lord undertaketh to doe these things for us Answ If the Lord Jesus Christ by his Spirit giveth us these gifts it is our part then first to see that we doe not rest in any Sanctification which doth not spring from Christ conveyed unto us by his Spirit conveying us to him the Spirit knitteth us unto Christ Christ unto us he worketh Faith in us to receive whatsoever the Lord giveth unto us and by the same Faith worketh all our holinesse for us 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made unto us c. Therefore we are to see him the principall author of all these things in us and for us this is the principall comfort of all gifts Christ given in them and the glory of all our safety and so far as any of these lyeth in our Sanctification we ought to see that it be Sanctification in Jesus Christ and then it is so when the Lord giveth us to look unto the Lord Jesus in it and to it in him and as we look for our holinesse to be perfect in Jesus Christ so we look for continuall supply of it from him and this it is to make Christ our Sanctification when as whatsoever gift the Lord giveth us we goe not forth in the strength of it but in the strength of Jesus Christ There may be a change in the soule which may spring from a spirit of bondage and may captivate our consciences unto the Law that may restraine us from sin and constraine us unto duty but such holinesse springeth not alwayes from our union with Christ for there may be a conscience of duty without sense of our need of Christ as it was with the Israelites at Mount Sinai Deut. 5.27,28,29 Goe thou neer say they to Moses and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will heare it and doe it They have well said all that they have spoken saith the Lord. O that there were an heart in them that they would fear me c. This I say therefore is the first thing to be attended unto as ever ye would make a right use of your holinesse see that it be such as floweth from Jesus Christ and that there be not onely an heart awed with the Law but waiting upon Christ to be all in all in us and to us so shall we neither neglect the gifts of God in us nor Christ and his Spirit but shall give due honour unto all of them together 2 This may also Teach all Christians not to trust upon the gifts of their holinesse though they doe spring from the Holy Ghost himselfe though they be such as are unchangeable though they spring from Jesus Christ and knit our soules in union with him yet trust not in the gifts themselves the Lord layeth it down as the Apostacy of Israel Ezek. 16.14,15 Trust not therefore in any of these but let all our confidence be in Jesus Christ not in any of the gifts of his Spirit whatsoever For a little further opening of it 1 Trust not in any gifts that you have received for the performance of any duty for it is not the strongest Christian that is able to put forth a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 but our sufficiency is
that is the first and fundamentall of all the rest that God doth put forth or any other Person in Trinity for the applying of the Covenant unto the hearts of his people And God in giving his Sonne doth give himselfe Isai 9.6 Joh. 10.30 1 Joh. 2.23 Rom. 5.8 Joh. 3.16 And as God giveth us his Sonne so he giveth us all things else in his Sonne Rom. 8.32 So then this is the first and the great worke of God that he hath given his Son out of his own bosome to take our nature upon him to lead a miserable life and to dye a cursed death and in him hath given all his Attributes his mercy and power unto the sonnes of men an undoubted signe that God intendeth to give himselfe in the Covenant of grace unto his people when he giveth Jesus Christ himselfe in that Covenant as he doth expressely Isa 42.6 where wee may see that God giveth another even that God the Father giveth God the Sonne Thus it is a gift of the Covenant that God giveth his Sonne to be the foundation of the Covenant and the chiefe blessing of it And Chap. 49.8 He speaketh to the same purpose No man hath seene God at any time Joh. 1.18 nor can see him nor will God the Father have immediate fellowship with any creature but the onely begotten Sonne of the Father the Lord hath given him that he might reveale him Thus wee may perceive that the Lord is gratious and marvellous gratious in that he giveth us his Sonne his deare Sonne the second Person in Trinity and thus he saith to his Elect I will be a God unto thee and give thee my Sonne that shall redeeme thee out of all distresse and danger Thus doth the Lord for his people and it is a cleere evidence of his grace and sheweth that his love unto his people is beyond all banks and bottome for the Lord to give us his Sonne and this Sonne so soone as he was promised his people saw him a farre of Joh. 8.56 Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad For when the Lord Jesus Christ was promised unto him Gen. 17.16,17 and the Lord had said unto him I will blesse Sarah and give thee a sonne of her yea I will blesse her c. Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed he did rejoyce that the Lord would give him a Saviour out of his loynes how it could be brought to passe it may be he knew not but by a spirit of Prophecy did he discerne it no doubt This is the first worke of God in giving himselfe by Covenant and this was done long agoe before we were borne he gave him in his eternall counsell when he did elect us in him he gave him when he sent him into the world But this is more when 2. He giveth us unto his Christ by Covenant and draweth us unto him and giveth Christ unto us also And this grace of God cometh neerer us the other did leave us like lambs in a large pasture but now as He giveth us unto Christ so he giveth him unto us and both in present possession And this the Father doth Joh. 6.44 for no man saith Christ can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me Now this kinde of hearing and learning of the Father is a strange kinde of learning which the Lord Teacheth the soule by when he draweth him unto Christ an effectuall Teaching and powerfull 1 Cor. 1.9 This is your effectuall calling and this is the Lords giving us unto his Sonne John 6.37 All this is properly the worke of the Father Men are said to be well given when they give themselves to their bookes to their works and businesse but this we may well say that we are indeed well given when the Lord giveth us unto his Sonne for otherwise we are but in all ill state which way soever we are given Quest If you shall aske How the Father giveth us and calleth us and draweth us into fellowship with his Sonne for they are Scripture-phrases and all of them of like value in Scripture-sense Answ In a word The Lord draweth us unto his Sonne by his Spirit and calleth us as by his word so by his Spirit also and giveth us by his word and Spirit unto Jesus Christ In this thing I shall speake no more unto you than what you have often heard and I suppose long agoe received As that the Lord calleth his people out of their sinnes by the light of the Law and by the Spirit of bondage he setteth home the Law effectually unto the soule and thereby draweth us from sin and from the world in some measure that we have now no minde to those things which before we were full of delight in whether they be sinnes against the Law or sinnes against the Gospell it is the Lords usuall dealing by his Spirit to set home sinnes against both in so much that thereby we come to be afflicted with some kinde of trembling and feare and torment about our spirituall estate And thus it was with Saul who afterwards was Paul Acts 9.3,4,5,6 when Christ called unto him out of heaven and challenged and convinced him of sinne he all trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to doe So it was with the Jaylor Acts 16.29 After the Lord had shaken his heart with an earth-quake which is a sanction of the Law and a ratification of it as all Gods judgements are he called for a light and sprang in and came trembling to Paul and Silas Thus the Lord draweth men out of themselves and their finfull wayes by a spirit of bondage whereby they are convinced of sinne and desert of Gods wrath are greatly and deeply afflicted with feare concerning which the Apostle Paul saith 2 Tim. 1.7 God hath not given us the Spirit of feare or bondage but of power of love and of a sound mind c. Such feare also the Apostle John speaketh of 1 Joh. 4.18 when he saith Perfect love casteth out feare for feare hath torment which commeth from the sense of a mans estate whereby he is forced to cry out many times and to say woe worth my soule that ever I was borne for the Lord causeth the to possesse all my sinnes and presseth me downe to the nethermost hell This is one worke of the Spirit of bondage by which the Lord draweth the soule out of it selfe and sinnes though of it selfe the spirit of feare goeth no further than to shake a mans carnall confidence which is accompanyed with Anguish and Torment 1 Joh. 4.18 Rev. 9.3 11.10 Besides this Spirit of Bondage the Lord hath another work which is called a Spirit of Burning Mal 4.1 The day cometh c. This is a Spirit of burning let us speak unto it a little the Prophet saith I shall leave them neither root nor branch
duty as Prayer or Conference or the like for I will not limit the Holy One of Israel yet usually it is done in the Ministry of the Gospel and though the Lord doth not limit himselfe yet he doth limit us to attend upon the means which he usually worketh by but whatsoever the way be this is the manner of Gods working he doth universally come into the soul in some word or other of his grace as for instance that in 2 Cor. 5.19 or that in 1 Tim. 1.15 In some such word of his grace he cometh and putteth life into the soule and maketh it somwhat quies and causeth it to see that there is hope in Israel and the Lord is able and there is riches enough in Christ to save me By such kind of work it is that the Lord bringeth the soules of his servants effectually to Christ and now hath God the Father given us unto him and untill now thou never camest unto him savingly This is the second Act whereby God the Father giveth himselfe unto the soule The third act or work followeth both these as soone as ever the Lord hath given this selfe-denying spirit unto the soule and hath made it like unto a bruised Reed or like a Traveller that is out of his way and willing to take any man by the hand that will lead him into his way againe when the soule is in such a frame the Lord cometh with a third act of Reconcilement The first work was of Conviction the second of Prostration the third of Reconciliation This is the third work of the Father though there is in all these works a concurrence of the whole Trinity yet some are more proper unto each Person as our Catechismes teach us and we are not wont to scruple such expressions in them God the Father created us and we cannot expound it but as God the Father created us at the first so he doth again create you or else if we acknowledg it in the one and not in the other we do wrong unto God even to the Father Well he is then reconciled unto us having given unto us the Spirit of his Son now he doth pronounce us reconciled unto him this is the work which is spoken of Rom. 5.10 and this is the work of God the Father according to that was before alledged 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world c. Now there are two acts of God as fruits that follow hereupon and both of them done at once upon the soule 1 The first is Adoption whereby he maketh us his Children as Gal. 4.4,5,6 John 1.12 So that now we are the Brethren of Christ and the Sons of the Eternall God Adoption is properly the work of the Father but Christ being the naturall Son of God we must be knit unto him before we can be accounted Sons 2 The second is Justification Rom. 8.33,34 This is the Fathers work and it is principally attributed unto him to forgive our iniquities and to make reconciliation in Christ Jesus And look as it is in our naturall Being so soon as ever we have received naturall life from Adam we become the Sons of Adam and his sin is imputed unto us so it is in the new birth as soon as ever the life of Christ is shed abroad into our hearts so soon are we Heires of Christ and the righteousness of the second Adam is imputed unto us now to our Justification as the sin of Adam before was to our Condemnation Vse 1. The Doctrine it selfe is but an Use but I desire that we may all of us apply it unto our selves It will be a help to us for our Instruction to Teach us how we came to saving fellowship with God in Jesus Christ and wherein lieth our spirituall union with Christ and how it is wrought and obtained and this is necessary for as it hath been observed by others so we may now gather it from what we have heard that there be 4 sorts of men that fall short of this union with Christ 1 You have some that blesse themselves in their naturall estate it may be they are rich and honourable among men well they blesse themselves in that estate and will never goe any further 2 There is another sort that are convinced of the danger of their naturall estate they dare not rest there and hereupon they fall upon Reformations and so to duties of Humiliation and such like wherein they find as they conceive such a blessed change and so much comfort as doth satisfie them And indeed God doth comfort men in their Reformations for God will have no man lose by him Mat. 6.2,5 Hypocrices have their reward for their Aime and for their Prayers Herod when he heard John reformed many things and heard him gladly Mark 6.20 Here was a great change and doubtlesse much comfort in that gladnesse yet these men never had the work of God the Father to burn up all that they had received by any strength of their owne 3. A third sort goe a step beyond these they have been convinced that they went forth â—o Reformation in their owne strength they plainly see it and discerne it and therefore they know that it is impossible to be saved by the righteousnesse of the Law and that it is not of works neither of one kind nor of another they are convinced that Faith onely must doe the deed and upon this ground they will take up Faith to believe in Christ for salvation and that Faith which formerly they have pitched upon their good duties they will now pitch upon Christ but still it is the same Faith for the root is not yet burnt up the old corruption still remaineth in them and so here is your old faith still translated from one object to another it was fastned before upon your duties and reformations and now upon Christ though by creature-strength and now a man is ready to plead and say If God had not loved me he would never have set me upon such reformations nor have enlarged me with such comforts if he had not been well pleased with me in Jesus Christ And though I have been sometimes burnt up touching my hope in reformation yet I have translated my Faith to Jesus Christ but how came you to doe that Why I saw my hopes in my owne reformation would not serve my turne and therefore I believed in Jesus Christ and now shall nothing draw me from him nor pull me from my confidence for I have built upon some word of God and some Promise of his made unto such reformation as I have set upon and is not this true Faith in Jesus Christ This is far from true Faith it is no other but a strong fallacy whereby the Devil doth cheat men and in truth this Faith is but a Faith of a mans owne making that I may so speak it is no more than a spirit of Burning at the best that hath burnt up his confidence in