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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61699	New-Englands true interest not to lie, or, A treatise declaring from the word of truth the terms on which we stand, and the tenure by which we hold our hitherto-continued precious and pleasant things shewing what the blessing God expecteth from his people, and what they may rationally look for from him / delivered in a sermon preached in Boston in New-England, April 29, 1668, being the day of election there, by Mr. W. Stoughton ...	Stoughton, William, 1632-1701.	1670 (1670)	Wing S5765; ESTC R9808	34,209	43

or man What the Lord expects from us hath been laid down before I shall not enlarge upon those several Particulars again That which I have in my aim is not any thing of doubtful disputation not meerly Civils or Prudentials but the sure and certain the often acknowledged and stated common Interest of the people of God and of you the Lords People in special The Interest of Practical Piety and Holiness so much reproached at this day The Interest of unmixed spiritual Gospel-worship and of the sincere and open profession and owning of the truths and wayes of Christ though persecuted and trampled on at this day in the world The Interest of Unity and Peace in the wayes of Reformation and of expecting and waiting for the issue of all those great and Astonishing Providences that are working every where The Interest of these things and of just and Righteous Liberties in order hereunto is all that which I intend The times are come and hastning more and more wherein faithfulness to God in all these things will be the most glorious Crown that can be worn upon Earth A Crown upon which it shall be graven Here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints This then Rev. 13. 1● 14 1● is the word of the Lord unto his New-England Churches and People this day Let no man take this your Crown from you No Temptations no Corruptions no Insinuations no Threatnings no Fears no Adversaries If God had betrusted us here but with a little yet he that is Luk 16 1● Mat. 25 21. 23. unfaithful in a little would be so in much and he that is faithful in a little shall be made ruler over much But the Lord hath betrusted us with much with a very choice and considerable part of the Interest of his Name and Glory and that too in the view of the world and upon manifold Advantages in our upholding and cleaving to the same God hath thrust down his people from their Advantages in other places we have sinned against ours but the Lord yet continues them as the Liberty and Priviledge of this day doth testifie aloud to us New-England hath yet its Advantages as well as its Engagements in this great matter of Owning the Cause of God and standing their ground for God and Christ and the Gospel And this we must know that this is the time wherein he that is not with Christ is against M●● 12. ●● him the reason is because the Controversie comes now to be stated more openly and to be avouched more professedly in the world Antichrist is now displaying his Colours setting up his Standard and so is the Lord Jesus Christ the Anointed King and Priest and Prophet the Fathers Heir of all things The field is large whereinto the Forces on both sides are drawing but the fight will be very close and the quarrel in the issue finally decided there can be no neutralizing therefore in this day He that gathereth not with Christ scattereth abroad we must declare for whom we are and choose our side there will be no other Remedy We indeed of these ends of the Earth have long since made our choice we have given up our selves to the Lord Jesus as to our Spiritual King and Law-giver to be his portion and inheritance Now that which the Lord expects is that we stick to this our choice that we give not back a whit so as to become Liars unto that God who unto us hath not been as waters that fail A poor man saith Solomon is better then a liar Prov. 19. 22. to be called Poor New-England this may seem to be a Reproach but in truth is not for he that mocketh the poor reproacheth P●●v 1● ● his maker but to be called False and lying New-England this shall be a blot and a reproach never to be wiped away As Satan said concerning Job when God boasted as it were to him of his integrity Chap. 1. 11. Put forth thine hand and touch all that he hath and he will curse thee to thy face and so again Chap. 2. 5. So it may be Satan and his Instruments may be tempting and saying concerning us Let that people of so much Profession in the Wilderness be but thus or thus proved and tried let but this or that happen to them this or that Affrightment this or that Allurement Let but such and such be once removed by death or otherwayes and then it shall be seen what they will come to It will then appear how they will entertain the wayes of the world and give up Gospel and Ordinances and Liberties as well as others selling their Birthright-even for a mess of pottage But shall it ever be thus indeed God forbid We have been listed in the number of those followers of the Lamb who are called and chosen and faithful let us in the fear Rev. 1● 14. of God continue still to be of them Special marks of favour the Lord hath been pleased from time to time to set upon those faithful undertakings of his Servants in this Wilderness wherein keeping close to God in matters Civil and Ecclesiastical hath been the design in truth and in sincerity now the Lord evermore keep us from bringing the marks of infamy upon our selves in any contrary way of walking If the Lord hath named us his Witnesses and hath produced us as such unto the world we should be now sinfully silent or withdraw or alter our Testimony as to any truth or way or work of his O what a provocation would this be It is a day wherein the Lord hath been Riding Circuit and making proof of all Ranks and degrees of men and he hath found them Liars Mean men have been vanity Psal 62. 9. and men of high degree a lie they have professed for Reformation and to be for the interest of Holiness and Gospel-worship and for the just Liberties of the Lords people but in an hour of temptation he hath found them Liars Now what doth New-England say Will ye also go away Let such a question tend to establish your hearts the more as it was the issue thereof upon the Disciples Joh. 6. 67 68 69. It will be a woful day indeed when the Lord shall take up those words of witness against us Isa 1. 2 3. It will be a doleful thing to be of a broken credit with God and for the Lord to pronounce us B●nkrupts If we frustrate the Lords Expectations he will cut off ours The one contains in it the greatest aggravations of sin and the other of punishment We cannot make God miserable by the one for of these stones he can raise up children unto Abraham but we shall be miserable with a witness in the execution of the other upon us It hath been the glory and the glorying of the Lords people that they have made no defection from him no not in the saddest times Psal 44. 17 18 19. Let the same thing be our glory and our glorying

resolves to undertake and doth actually engage himself in the whole work of their Salvation Proving them and trying them under a singular dispensation and long continued series of mercy which began with their Redemption out of Egypt and so was carried on through the Wilderness unto Canaan as in the Verses following the Text is more fully declared God is here spoken of after the manner of men as giving to himself the grounds and reasons of his own great undertaking And therefore the expressions of the Text do no whit impeach the fore-knowledge of God whereby he knew from the beginning what the rebellions and backslidings of this people would be even as in v. 10. we find it but the Lord speaks as one of us judging of matters and taking up his hopes according to the visible and apparent just grounds and reasons of things even as a prudent and wise man would in the like case have done for who is there that would not have promised to himself great things from a people so engaged and circumstanced in case so great mercy and salvation were shewn to them Now that which the Lord promiseth to himself and expects from them is That they would prove Children that would not lie To lie in the sense of the Text takes in deeds as well as words yea matters of fact more especially The Spirit of God means hereby all Vnfoundness Perfidiousness Prevarication with the Lord whereby we go contrary to our Engagements and prove unfaithful to him The word is translated in other places to deal falsly as Gen. 21. 23. and to fail Psal 89. 33. It is to be referred unto the matters of the Lords Covenant with his people God expects and promiseth to himself that in these things his people will keep touch with him and not shrink Thus the Church asserts her uprightness by removing the Lie far from her self Psal 44. 17. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee nor dealt falsly in thy Covenant the word is the same with that in the Text We have not lied unto thee in thy Covenant This is the plain meaning of the words They will be perfect upright faithful to me and with me in all the concernments of my Covenant with them I have this good perswasion of them and I will try them with mercy and salvation to see how they will answer and make good my expectations of them From this 8th Verse as relating unto the next foregoing we may briefly take up this Note The fountain and fulness of all the Blessings of the people of Observ God it is contained in this to have the Lord Jehovah to be their Saviour All the loving kindnesses all the Lords bestowings all his great goodness and merci●s mentioned in ver 7. they are summ'd up in and made to flow from this one thing in ver 8. He became their Saviour Reas 1. From the Comprehensiveness of Salvation It contains in it all the good and blessedness of sinners whether temporal or spiritual and that in a way of glorious Redemption from c●nquest and triumph over and destruction of whatsoever can be found in opposition whether by way of demerit or as an adverse working power Of Salvation may every poor believing Soul or People say and that in their worst and most distressed estate All my well-springs are in thee Reas 2. From the ●●finite Sufficiency of the Vndertaker when the Lord Jehovah is the Saviour or undertakes to become the Saviour Isa 43. 11. Vse 1. Learn we then that we are to take notice of divine Salvation or of God as a Saviour in all that which the Lord hath graciously bestowed upon us his poor people in this Wilderness Our Churches our Ordinances our Liberties and Privileages our Mercies this day and unto this day from the beginning they are streams issuing from this one Fountain-head and lines meeting in this Centre Divine Salvation We have enjoyed them and do yet enjoy them in a way of Salvation Our Liberties and Priviledges they are Redeemed Ransomed Mercies malign them who will The Price and Power and Intercession of a Mediator and of many precious Saints have given and continued them unto us Many a time have the Archers shot at them Sins and Enemies Satan and his Instruments have stood in opposition but the Salvation of God hath prevailed and doth yet prevail so that we may make our entrance this day with that triumph of holy Mary Luke 1. 46 47. Our souls do magnifie the Lord and our spirits do rejoice in God our Saviour Vse 2. Then let us continue to draw all our waters out of Isaiah ●● ● th●se well● of Salvation the Redeeming grace and power and pity and faithfulness of the Lord our God as a Saviour to us and with us They are men of use indeed that have good buckets of Faith and Prayer to let down here Of such precious ones let the Governours of Judah say in their hearts that these Zech. ●2 5. shall be their strength in the Lord of Hosts their God You that can draw hence spare no labour nor pains The Well indeed is deep but the Spirit of God is with you and these waters drawn out by a lively constant acting of Faith will abundantly recompence all our labour By these shall the inheritance of the Lord be refreshed when it is weary yea in due time they shall ●low forth to be unto us a place of broad ●●vers and streams wherein shall go no galley with oa●s nor gallant ship shall pass thereby even waters of plenty and security to the Lords people Isa 33. 21. But there are two other Observations from the words which I mainly intend unto which let me speak severally in the Doctrinal part of them and so joyn them both together in the Application I. Observ There is a time and season wherein the Lord tries and proves a people with mercies or with salvation under his just and righteous Expectations of them and the promises which he hath made unto himself concerning them This is a speaking of God after the manner of men and in this way we utter matter of truth concerning him we speak of him things that are right though in a way of imperfection as to our manner As God is said sometimes to will a thing but not according to his Omnipotency for then it should be most certainly effected so he is said also to expect and look for some things and to make a promise of them to himself but not according to his infinite unerring Prescience Thus the Lord saith that he looked for grapes from his vineyard Isa 5. 2 4. and ver 7. He looked for judgement but behold oppression for righteousness but behold a cry So Zeph. 3. 7. I said Surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive instruction and in that Parable Matth. 21. 37. They will reverence my son In this Doctrine there are three things to be spoken to First The grounds and foundations

of these Expectations of God upon which or according unto which he raiseth his hopes and confidences concerning any people so as to say of them Surely they will be thus or do thus as I would have them to be or do Now here there are these five particulars briefly as the grounds of the Lords Expectations 1. The special Relation of a people unto God or that Covenant-relation whereinto the Lord brings a people that they may be His Surely they are My people and then it follows Children that will not lie The Lord founds his whole Law in the giving of it to Israel upon a Preface of Interest in them Exod. 20. 2. I am the Lord thy God A Parent expects more from a Childe then from any other because of the Relation Jer. 2. 14. if Israel had been no more then a servant or a home-born slave the Lord had not expected so great things from him but now being a son yea a first-born Exod. 4. 22. this makes the Judgements of God executed upon him for rebellions and backslidings to be though more strange and astonishing yet most just and righteous 2. The Extraction of a people or their descent from such and such Parents and Progenitors when they do not onely stand in relation to God but are born and grow up into Covenant with him as the seed and posterity of the Lords faithful ones This is implied in that expression of Children in the Text it notes not onely their Relation unto God as a Father but unto pious and religious Parents the Lords faithful Covenanting Servants Religious Parentage and Descent is of great moment with the Lord hence he calls and names his people so often in Scripture from their pious Ancestors Thus the whole Race is called Jacob and Israel the seed of Jacob and of Israel Psal 22. 23. Isa 45. 19. the Posterity of Abraham c. Covenanting holy Parents they are a holy Root unto their Seed and the Lord may well expect that the Branches should be answerable unto the Root Hence Rom. 11. 16. the Lord solemnly calls upon his people to look to the Rock whence they were hewen and to the hole of the Pit whence they were digged to look unto Abraham their father and to Sarah that bare them Isa 51. 1 2. 3. The solemn actual Restipulations of a people unto God whereby they do more explicitly binde themselves and come under voluntary deliberate Engagements unto God When God hath the Vows and Promises the Hands and Seals the solemn Covenant-Deeds of a people now he may well expect that from such a time they will never fail him more but abide faithful and constant Thus it was with Israel Jer. 2. 20. Deut. 26. 17. Josh 24. 21 22. 4. The Advantages and Priviledges of a people A people in Covenant are a people of many Advantages and the Lord builds his Expectations upon these Rom. 3. 1 2. 9. 4 5. God looked for grapes from his vineyard Isa 5. because he had fenced it and gathered out the stones and built a tower in the midst thereof and made a wine-press therein ver 1 2. When the rain cometh oft upon the ground the Husbandman expecteth meet fruit and good reason because of this advantage fruitful seasons afforded make us to expect a plentiful Harvest If God be not wanting in Ordinances in sending Messengers one after another in setting up Lights in the Candlesticks in holding for●h the Rule unto a people and discovering the Pattern of his house to them c. he will certainly expect and require singular things from them for unto whom much is given from them shall much be required Luk. 12. 48. Psal 147. 19. 20. Mat. 11. 20 21 c. 5. The primitive Constitution of a people and their first wayes of walking with God according unto such a Constitution When God made man at first he made him upright when God doth in a more then ordinary way of Providence form a people and settle them to be a people to himself there is ever that which is eminent in the primitive frame of things amongst them which God expects that they should keep to and never make defection from Thus God speaks of his Vineyard Isa 5. 2. it was planted with the choic●st vine So Jer. 2. 21. Yet I planted thee a noble vine wholly a right seed Thus also God speaks of Judges as at the first and Counsellors as at the beginning Isa 1. 26. David had his first wayes 2 Chron. 17. 3. and so Churches have their first wayes when they newly come out of the forming hand of God Now the Lord expresseth not onely great disappointment when these first wayes are neglected or quite altered and cast off as Jer. 2. 21. How then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me but great displeasure also and threats of punishment Rev. 2. 4 5. hence are those cutting Interrogatories Gal. 3. 1 2 3 4. Secondly A second thing in this Doctrine is The nature and tenour of this dispensation of God to try and prove a people with Mercies and Salvation under his just Expectations of them and promises concerning them This we may take in three particulars 1. When the Lord enters into Covenant with any people this Covenant of his is a Covenant with Conditions Foedus est promiss●● sub certâ conditione Hence there are the Laws as well as the Promises of the Covenant As the Lord obligeth himself to us so he requires something from us and thus the Commandments Statutes of God are frequently called his Covenant Exod. 34. Psal 25. 10. ●103 18. 28. Deut. 4. 13. The Lord doth not binde himself but upon terms to any people In the purely spiritual Covenant establish'd with Believers onely as there are the Laws of it 1 Cor 9. 21. so there is a sufficiency of grace provided and absolutely engaged that there may be a performance and obedience unto the end and so that Covenant can never be made void or disannulled to any that are ever brought into the bond thereof Jer. 31. 31 32 33 34. 32. 20. But as to that external political Covenant which takes in A Body of People here there is no such engagement of grace sufficient infallibly to be bestowed for the keeping of the same and therefore it may be and is most frequently broken and made void God threatens to remove the Candlestick Rev. 2. 5. and often hath he done it Israel and Judah were in the issue cast off for breaking the Lords Covenant 2. God never is nor can he be the first that fails in his Covenant with a people Their desertion or dereliction never begins with God but themselves Hos 13. 9. You know the common and stated Rule in this case Acts of pure Dominion and Soveraignty they begin with God proceed wholly from him Rom. 9. 11 12 13. but acts of Justice must have the demerit of the creature to be founded upon such is

ranks of men amongst us above any Nation or people in the world and this hath been and is a time and season of eminent trial to us If I should say that the very world or common ordinary Professors expect great things from us at this day there is a great deal of weight in it If I say that the faithful precious suffering Saints of God in all other places that have heard of the Lords Providences towards us do expect and promise great things from us this is farre more But to mention the Lords own Expectations this is most of all these are certainly most solemn and awfull Every Expectation of God is most just and righteous Are not my wayes equal saith God Ezek. 18. 29. Yes most equal blessed God Bountiful and Rich hast thou been in all thy free Bestowings equal and just art thou in all thy greatest Expectations If we do but run over the forementioned grounds of divine Expectation it will be sufficient to commit the judgement of this case even to our selves as Isa 5. 3. As for special Relation unto God whom hath the Lord more signally exalted then his people in this Wilderness The Name and Interest of God and Covenant-relation to him it hath been written upon us in Capital Letters from the beginning God had his Creatures in this Wilderness before we came and his Rational Creatures too a multitude of them but as to Sons and Children that are Covenant-born unto God Are not we the first in such a Relation in this respect we are surely the Lords first-born in this Wilderness Of the poor Natives before we came we may say as Isa ●3 19. They were not called by the Lords Name he bear not Rule over them But we have been from the beginning and we are the Lords As for Extraction and ●●●ent if we be considered as a Posterity O what Parents and Predecessors may we the most of us look back unto through whose Loins the Lord hath stretched forth the line of his Covenant measuring of us out and taking us in to be a peculiar Portion to himself As for Restipulations and Engagements back again to God what awfull publick Transactions of this kinde have there been amongst us Hath not the eye of the Lord beheld us laying Covenant-Engagements upon our selves hath not his ear heard us solemnly Avouching him and him alone to be our God and Saviour Hath not a great part of the world been a witness of these things even of our explicite ownings of and Covenantings with the Lord as our God laying this as a foundation-stone in our Building and of this we may say It hath been a special Exasperation unto Adversaries and Ill-willers that despised New-England hath laid claim to and publickly avouched and challenged a special Interest in God above others As for our Advantages and Priviledges in a Covenant-state here time and strength would fail to reckon up what we have enjoyed of this kinde if any people in the world have been lifted up to heaven as to Advantages and Priviledges we are the people Name what you will under this Head and we have had it We have had Moses and Aaron to lead us we have had Teachings and Instructions line upon line and precept upon precept we have had Ordinances and Gospel-dispensations the choicest of them we have had Peace and Plenty we have had Afflictions and Chastisements in measure we have had the Hearts and Prayers and Blessing of the Lords people every where we have had the Eye and Hand of God watching and working every way for our good our Adversaries have had their Rebukes we have had our Encouragements and a wall of fire round about us What could have been done more for us then hath been done And then in the last place as to New-Englands first wayes what glorious things might here be spoken unto the praise of free-grace and to justifie the Lords Expectations upon this ground Surely God hath often spoke concerning His Churches here as in Jer. 2. 2. I remember the kindness of thy youth c. O what were the open Professions of the Lords people that first entred this Wilderness How did our fathers entertain the Gospel and all the pure Institutions thereof and those Liberties which they brought over What was their Communion and Fellowship in the Administrations of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ What was the pitch of their Brotherly love of their Zeal for God and his Wayes and against wayes destructive of Truth and Holiness What was their Humility their Mortification their Exemplariness How much of Holiness to the Lord was written upon all their wayes and transactions God sifted a whole Nation that he might send choice Grain over into this Wilderness Thus it hath been with us as to grounds of Divine Expectation And therefore let us in the fear of God learn this great truth to day and receive the instruction thereof sealed up unto all our souls That the great God hath taken up great Expectations of us and made great Promises to himself concerning us and this hath been and is New-Englands day and season of Probation Vse 2. Of Examination and Conviction as to the Returns that we have made to God our Saviour and that proof which he hath had of us under such and so long a trial How have we kept our selves from being lying Children Here is solemn matter of Examination How the Lord hath carried it towards us cannot but be manifest Jer. 2. 31. O generation see the word of the Lord c. How we have carried it towards God as it cannot lye in the dark so it ought to abide under the most serious and practical reflections of all Ranks and degrees amongst us and of every soul of us in special Let it not be thought unseasonable to call upon you as a Representative Assembly to look heedfully into the glass of the Truth delivered that we may view the present face of things amongst us even the face of this our present time and generation not as natural men to forget the Jam. 1. 23 24. same immediately but as spiritual men to retain and judge of things and as gracious ones to lament and intercede with the Lord. O what a sad Metamorphosis hath there of later years passed upon us in these Churches and Plantations What a fruitful production of Lies hath there been in the midst of us of Lies in Profession and Practice in Doctrine and in Conversation Certainly the father of Lies hath been bringing in his lies apace the lying spirit begins to have a large walk amongst us venting and discovering it self even to the very face of the God of Truth and engaging the Lord deeply in the quarrel of his Covenant Children there are many in this Wilderness A numerous Offspring hath the Lord your God given unto you But what are we the Generation Risen and Rising up Are we Children that will not lie would to God it were so Are we not rather a