art the Lord our God When He sayes as he did to them returne ye backsliding children and I will heal your backslidings turn it over to him and say Behold we come unto thee Thirdly Are ye not content with your selves or with something in your selves Do ye indeed think and say that it is a good bargain and that the terms are very reasonable and easie and we have nothing to say against them but we have alas much to say of and against our selves The bargain pleaseth us wondrous well and so do the terms but we are not at all pleased with our selves I answer 1. May ye not then the better quit and deny your selves and take Christ in the room and place of self 2. I Ans Christ makes no such objection He bids the most Prophane the most Ignorant and Graceless wretch the most Hypocriticall dissembler that never knew what it was to be honest come and assures them that they shall be welcome if they will come indeed Object But I can do nothing I cannot keep a word word that I say to Christ I Answer Engage and consent to close with Christ on his own terms and doing and keeping shall follow to give thy consent is that which thou art now called to and he engages to help thee to perform Object But shall I take on an engagement presently to break it again I Answer If indeed thou consent thou mayest â—ail and break but the covenant will never be utterly broken nor dissolved yea thou shalt have surety for thy keeping of it Forasmuch as saith the Apostle Heb. 7.22 Jesus was made Suretie of a better Testament If ye Object and say that ye have much sin that ye are Lothsome and Abominable Subscribe this Contract and bargain and ye have a free and full discharge of all your debt I will sayeth the Lord Hosea 2 19 Betroth thee unto me in loving kindness and mercies He will pardon your iniquities There is no exact or severe seeking and searching out of the debt here where it 's ingenuously taken with but rather a covering of it He will also cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your Idols But it may be thou wilt Object And say I will rather purpose then engage because I fear I shall break it Answer But is it likely that thou wilt make good such a purpose who darest not engage Or will purposes and resolutions do the business without performing Purposes of Marriage make not the Marriage It is actuall consent and engaging which doth that But thou wilt Object And say alace I am not in a right frame I am very confused all things are wrong with me Answer What is this thou sayest Will your frame be amended without Christ will those swarms of Corruptions be beat out before thou take in the King of Glory who is strong and mighty in Battel But thou wilt Object I am not clear as to my interest Ans Wilt thou not consent till thou be clear that is as much as to say thou art doubting but that thou wilt not put it out of doubt if thou be unclear as to thy Subscription rather Subscribe write thy name over again if ye have not at all Subscribed take now the pen and do it say Lord Jesus I come to thee and will be thine Object Alace fain would I come to the wedding but I cannot come it will not do with me I would fain believe but my Faith is not Prompt and ready I Answer Is not the Covenant provided with an answer to that also It calls for nothing but for your Subscribing and if ye say ye cannot look well that it be not a shift it comes to this yea or nay and if ye say ye cannot say Yea in Faith which yet thou wouldest fain be at is there not a promise of Grace that though your hand be as it were withered if ye mint and essay you shall be enabled to stretch it forth Faith may come in the very essaying to grip him only essay it and it shall go with you Object I have essayed it often and it hath not gone with me Ans Essay it again and cast a new knot If your evidence be not clear Subscribe over again Object But it goes not with me when all is done I cannot believe I would Subscribe but I cannot writ as it were I cannot distinctly act Faith Ans What is that Our Lord stands not on that though you cannot write well do as ye can It 's strange to see how somes Subscription is almost like a scratching with Crow-toes yet it 's a valid Subscription some again will write down their mark in place of their name and that also where it is well known is admitted as valid if you cannot as it were write your name in fair and legible Letters set down some Mark if it were but two scores or lines in any form or figure If ye cannot act Faith so distinctly come on as you may if ye cannot to your satisfaction say Yea with the heart say it with the mouth striving and longing to have thy heart brought up force thy self If I may speak so to believing If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe with thy heart that God raised Him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 10.9 Endeavour to make thy Mouth engage thine heart bind thy self fast to Christ even in a manner whether thou wilt or not act Faith with the understanding labouring honestly to bring up thy Will and affections and though ye win not now to a Faith that is distinct it shall come in a due time essay to set open the door and it shall go with you Object But my heart says all these are but fair words Ans Away with that blasphemy They are the truths of God essay then O! essay Seriously this way of Believing and ye shall find power meeting you The Pen is as it were lying by you and albeit ye cannot write well and be distinct take the Pen and Christ shall as it were lead your hand and guide it to write so as it shall Pass in Heaven for a Subscribed consent set your selves to give him a welcome and he shall account it to be a welcome Say now what more ye have to say lay out your scruples this word all things are ready will answer them all the garment is ready to be put on yea Jesus Christ is your Wedding Garment take and put him on He is the cure for all your diseases apply him for the cure of them all ye cannot certainly be clothed before you put on the garment neither can ye be Healed before ye apply the cure ye cannot by any means be rich till ye marry him But beside all these there are several other needlesly disquieting scruples there are many other shifts and alace that there should be such triffling if I may call it so such whining as it were and standing on Ceremonies to speak so
a thing on such terms and conditions the other partie accepting on those terms and Conditions On which the offer is made as we see in a contract of Marriage the man engageth to be the Womans on condition that she be his and she engageth to be his wife as he engageth to be her husband and each engageth to perform suitable duties to the other And we make use of this the rather that the Scripture alludeth to it in this matter Secondly We are to consider Covenanting as it is betwixt God and a sinner for we are not now speaking of the Covenant of works betwixt God and Adam wherein there was made an offer and Promise of life upon condition of Perfect Obedience So that if he did that which was Commanded him he should live but we are now speaking of Gods Covenanting with a sinner for that is the Covenant spoken of here It is indeed a great wonder that ever there should have been a Covenant betwixt God and a Creature But a greater wonder that there should be a Covenant betwixt him and a sinfull creature whatever is spoken in Scripture of the Covenant of Grace belongs to this Covenant First The Parties in this Covenant are God and the sinner Gods Creature but a sinfull creature It 's the Lord Jehovah and we the house of Israel and we the house of Judah Secondly The terms of the Covenant are not Do this and live though the Promise be the same for it's life that is offered yet it 's not on the same terms for though the life be as good as that which was promised to Adam yet the terms are far better The substance of this Covenant we have set down Jer. 30.31 32 33. and cited Heb. 8.10 11 12. unto which this same invitation doth here relate I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers But this shall be it I will write my law in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People c. And Come say they here and let us join in it His engagement is to be their God and their engagement is to be his people and the terms follow which are on Gods part free forgiveness of sins through the Righteousness of Christ imputed to them thorow whom they are accepted as if there had never been a quarrel And on their Part by faith to take hold of him and of the Pardon of sin which separated betwixt him and them through Jesus Christ as he offered to them Therefore Rom. 10.6 It 's calleâ— the Righteousness of Faith opposed to the Righteousneâ—â— of the Law spoken of befo e and what saith it saith not who shall go up to Heaven nor who shall dâ—scend into the depth But the word is nigh thee even iâ— thy mouth and in thy heart that is the righteousness Faith which we preach that if thou shalt confesse wiâ—â— thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy hearâ— that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saveâ— That is if ye make suitable use of Christ for your Feaâ— with God and give up your selves to him to be 〈◊〉 Servants ye shall get peace and Pardon of sin here aâ—â— Eâ—ernal life and Salvation hereafter These in short aâ— the terms on which God offereth himself to sinneâ— Thirdly The Ground of this and how it comes to paâ—â— thaâ— such a Covenant is accessible is the Mediators iâ—terposing in a Covenant of Redemption with the fathâ— concerning elect sinners wherein he hath procured thâ— Covenant of Grace betwixt God and sinners by 〈◊〉 Performing the condition required of him in that Câ—venant for this Covenant of Grace and Reconciliatiâ—â— is nothing else but the result of the Covenant of Râ—demption and the execution thereof we had never 〈◊〉 ground to say that there is a way laid down for 〈◊〉 peace with God except there had been a Covenanâ— Redemption betwixt him and the Mediator wherâ— the Mediator undertook to satisfie Justice for the sins the Elect by bearing their iniquities and hath the Pâ—â—mise of being Satisfied for the travel of his Soul by seeing of a seed and by his Justifieing many thorow Faâ—â— in him as it is Isaiah 53.11 This gives the rise to tâ— Covenant of Grace betwixt God and sinners and theâ—â—fore these two are put together Isaiah 55.3 Inoâ—â— your ear come unto me hear and your Souls shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David That is the sure mercies of the Messiah the assignation whereof even of the Purchase of Redemption made by him is by Covenant made over to the Believer in him and therefore when we speak of this Covenant it alwayes supposeth implieth Christ who Isaiah 42 6. Is called the Covenant because he is given for the ground of Covenanting betwixt God and sinners it being by him and in him that God and sinners meet there being a gulf as it were betwixt sinners and God he hath made himself the bridge on which sinners may come over and meet with God and the Covenant brings us to Christ as under the Law Christ was typed out by the Mercy seat and the Arke wherein the law was put to shew the linking together of Christ and the Covenant the efficacie of the Covenant flowing from Christ and the Covenant giving us a title to Christ and making Christ accessible to us It layes as it were a Bridge to us to step on and makes an open door to us to enter in by on Christ and by Christ to the Holie of Holies thorow the vail which is his flesh Thirdly As for the Form of this Covenanting it is as in other Contracts God making the offer and the person accepting it Gods offer is in the word of the Gospel wherein he saith Come and I will made a Covenant with you as the Apostle hath it Rom. 10. The word is near thee even in thy Heart and in thy mouth and the Sum of it is If ye Believe in Jesus Christ ye shall be saved the proposing whereof in the Gospel is the laying of Gods offer before you and it 's as really Gods offer as if audibly he were speaking to you from Heaven as he once spake the Law on Mount Sinai It being his Authority by which Ministers are sent treat close this Covenant with you As it is 2 Câ— 5. We are ambassadors for Christ as if God were beseecâ—ing you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye recoâ—ciled to God That is be friends with him by enteriâ—â— in Covenant with him and he sheweth us the grouâ—â— of it For he who knew no sin was made sin for us tâ— we might be made the Righteousness of God in him Goâ— offer is I am Conâ—ent to be thy God and to make 〈◊〉 that is mine forthcoming to thee for thy good upoâ— condition thou quit thy
is ready the fatlings are prepared the Promises are filled with every necessary good thing there is bread enough in the Prodigals fathers house and to spare the contract is ready and an offer of it made on the Bridegrooms side the terms are drawn up and put in Form and all things agreed upon and ready even to the Subscription and there is no more required but that the hearers of this Gospel heartilly consent to take him and submit to his righteousness and dominion which if they do all things shall be theirs even life eternal and all things that may fit them for it Promises for this life and that which is to come and Christ engaged to keep the bargain and this is it that is preached every day to you though alace unsuitably so that it 's not now Who shall go up to Heaven and bring down Christ from above or Who shall descend unto the deep and bring him up from the dead That we may get him to Marry but the righteousness of faith saith the word is near thee even in thy mouth c. Christs consent is not to be asked or brought from afar for he hath declared it in his word and the terms of the contract are if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe with thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 10.8 9. Engage therefore honestly with Christ and keep to him deny your selves and close wiâ—h him give uâ— your selves to him and ye shall be saved and that is all one with this to be married to him yea the day of the Marriage is set and that iâ— the day of the Gospel the Bridegroom is come to the Church the Table is covered and the Ministers the Bridegrooms friends are waiting on to espouse you â—o him and to make up the Marriage so that all thinâ—s meet and requisit for making peace betwixâ— God and sinners are ready The Fifth Observation was that Christ the Bridegroom his Father are very willing to have the match made up and the marriage compleated therefore doth he send forth his servants with a strict commission not only to tell sinners that all things ready but to bid them come to the Marriage yea he not only wills them to tell that all things are ready and to invite but to Compel them as Luke hath it Chap. 14.23 to come in to stirr them up and press them to it to threaten them if they come not and to accept no refusal or naâ—-say the evidences of his willingness are many which I will not now insist upon as that he hath made the feast and such a feast and prepared so for it and given himself to bring it about and keeps up the offer and Proclamation of the Marriage even after it is slighted all these and many moe tell plainly that the Father and Son are most heartily willing therefore they expostulat when this Marriage is refused O! Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered you but you would not Matth. 23. O! Jerusalem Jerusalem if thou even thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace Luk 19. All these sad complaints that Israel would not hearken to his voice and his people would have n ne of him Psal 81 7. That he came to his own and his own received him not Joh. 1.11 And that they will not come to him that they might have life Joh. 5.40 make out his willingness abundantly and undenyably The Sixth Observation was That the great work of the Mâ—nisters of the Gospel iâ— to invite unto and to endeavâ—ur to bring this Marriage betwixt Christ aâ—d Souls to a close the Servants are sent out for this very end to conclude the bargain Though he be Lord of all yet he would not imploy in this work Angels neither would he speak immediatly by his own voice from Heaven for by reaâ—â—n of his greatness we could not have endured that way of wooing but sayeth on the matter to men subject to the like passions and infirmities go tell that the King haâ—h such a Son and that ye are sent out to wâ—o in his Name and make not only offer of Marriage but request intreat perswade pray and obtest yea command and compell them to come to the Marriage by holding forth the curse which comes on them that will not come and hence are those denounced woes and shaking of the dust off â—heir feet for a Testimony against them that will not come The Seventh Observation was that iâ— is the duty of all to whom the good news of this marriage come to come to it and when theâ— aâ—e invited to it Presently without all delay to yeeld Needs there any proof of this do not the Masters sending and the seâ—vanâ—s coming call for it do not his preparing of all things his inviting to the Marriage and his expostulating wâ—â—h them that come not and our own great necessitie urgently require it The Eighth and last Observation was that all they that come may expect a very good and heartsome welcome none need to fear that they shal not be made welcome seeing they are come not uncalled they shall not sit unserved The Lord will not look down on such as come nay he is waiting on to welcome them and to meet them as it were Mid-way as we see in the Parable of the Prodigal Luke 15. His father stayes not till his son come to him but seeing him afar-off coming he runs with speed to meet him and then most affectionatly embraced him and falls on his neck and kisses him and if the poor child should say I am not worthy to be called a Son He answers that not suffering him to speak out all that he had resolved to say Even when the debaucht runagate had spent all by riotous living and would fain have told out the sad and shameful story of his grosse miscarriages and great unworthiness he interrupts him and says in a manner Son hold thy peace as to that I know well it is grievous to thee go quickly and put on the robe the Ring and the shoes that are provided for thee I come now in the Third place to make application of all and is it possible to speak or hear of this Subject as becomes who is sufficient for these things to speak suitably in the name of the Lord and to lay before you this contract of marriage with such a Bridegroom Beloved hearers are ye in a suitable Posture to tryst with him Do ye think that ye are for this Marriage is it your serious purpose to close the bargain with him If so Pray the Lord to give us to speak and you to hear the word in such manner as it may be a marriage-day indeed there are very good news here and blessed eternally be God that ever we heard them or had them to speak of and that ye have them yet to hear they should make your very
World that we should be for him Now we know somewhat of the terms which may all come in under these three there are many conditions on his side and but few on ours Fourthly ye would consider the Peremptoriness of this call to accept of and to Marrie our Lord Jesus Christ on these terms it 's not an ordinary complement but purposed by the King the Father and by the Kings Son the Bridgroom He sends out his Servants who are come to call you Peremptorily and there are three Peremptories that this offer and call hath with it all which three we carry in our commission and crave of you to Subscribe to them The 1. Whereof is that ye take no other husband but this Bridegroom there is no latitude left to you in this ye must by no means engage with any other It 's only for Jesus Christ that we woo and we seek of you that ye would give him your souls your hearts and affections that ye may be devoted to him and to no other and therefore we intimat to you that are Married and Joyned to Idols that ye must be divorced from those and betake you to him alone The Second Is the Peremptoriness of the terms we speak of we cannot and ye must not alter one jote or title Ye must deny your selves ye must be content to be divorced from your lusts and Idols ye must renounce your own righteousness and give up with the law your first husband considered as a Covenant of works and run out from the curses thereof to him which ye will never do till ye see your own righteousness to be as filthy rags and reject it as Part of your enditement that ever ye trusted to it Ye must forget your fathers house 2. As you must deny your selves so you must close with Christ and embrace him for your husband and Lord do not think that ye will or can dwel beside him that ye can sit and hear him if ye Marrie him not 3. Ye must be devoted to him in your conversation he must needs be your King as well as your Priest Ye must forsake Father and Mother and all your kindred and betake you to him and ye must take up and keep house with him you must dwel with him and study to be answerable to the Marriage tye and obligation put upon you we dare dispense with none of the Three The Third Peremptory is this as ye must engage with no other and as ye must not alter the terms so ye must not delay to come and close the bargain ye must not put off till to morrow nay not an hour All things are ready Just now Now is the accepted time Here stands the blested Bridgroom here are the conditions and terms on which he will marry you and we as the Bridegrooms friends stand ready to espouse you to him We dare not be answerable to our Master nor can we be answerable to our trust and commission if we shuffle by or thrust out any of you if ye do not thrust out your selves nor may we admite of an excuse from any of you and therefore let me again say to you that here is not only a marriage and of all marriages the most excellent but let me beseech and obtest you to come to the wedding either come or give a reason why ye will not or cannot as you can assigne no relevant reason for your not coming we dare not accept of any Irrelevant reason nor admit of any answer but this that ye will take him we dare admit of no excuse ye must not shift nor delay ye would think that those who were bidden Luke 14. might have come when they had seen their Farme and proved their Oxen but that would not be with them So I say it will not be with you to shift this offer He is here waiting on to see who will consent and say even so I take him Say it O say it seriously and abide by it Q Are there any here now looking up to him Are there any here that would fain have it a closed bargain Are there any here that believe these things as the truths of God Then we pray you let them sink down into your hearts and come And to press this a little further let me ask what can hinder the making of this bargain is it the want of notice or timeous intimation of it That cannot he ye are clearly convinced of the contrary Is it because ye will or can be happy without him Wo to that happiness is it any difficulty standing in the way That shall be removed yea as to him it is removed already and shall be as to you on your closing with him Pose and put your own hearts to it then Is there any of you that dare or can find in your heaâ—ts to refuse the Lord is waiting on his faithfulness is engaged to make out what he offereth He stretcheth out his hand and sayeth Even so I take you if ye will take me are ye content to stretch forth your hand and to say Even so I take thee blessed Lord Jesus or if this be not win at to Satisfaction are there any rouzing and stretching themselves to essay how it will go with them what are ye doing Is it a bargain or not ye must say yea or nay and that even now We suppose ye will not say down right nay though more then probably many will delay but this must not be the Table may be drawn other guests may be called in and ye removed we cannot allow you an hours time to advise especially from indifferency yea if ye begin to take advisement for shifting a present closure Christs call and invitation and your consenting will readily cool upon your hand Paul sayes that he consulted not with flesh and blood So must not ye consult with flesh and blood in this matter ye must cast away the beggars cloak be content to deny your self quite your lusts and close with him presently or ye may never have the like opportunity There is a necessity imposed on you from the command to come from the curse and prejudice that abides you and will certainly overtake you if you come not ye will be eternalie miserable without him there is no happiness but in him The King is on his Throne the Table is set and covered the day is fixed his Servants invite in his name come therefore come without further lingering dallying shifting or delay alace there are too many dayes put by already ye must put by no moe Now let me speak a word further to this purpose what can marr the matter what can obstruct its being a bargain certainly it must be one of three Either first because ye are not content with the Bridegroom Or Secondly because ye are not content with the terms Or Thirdly because ye are not content with your selves or with some thing in your selves As for the First I suppose ye can say nothing against the
therefore we put you to it peremptorily as to these Three 1 As to the thing that when he invites ye come when he offers ye receive and give thâ— Lord your answer not a nay say but a yea as ye wiâ— be answerable and upon your saying Yea to this Covâ—nant on his Terms we declare in his Name that 〈◊〉 says Yea in taking in the sinner that fleeth unto him 2. As to the whole of the thing for ye must not half Gods Covenant but as ye accept of God to be yours so ye must give up your selves to him to be his and as ye take Christ for paying of your debt So also ye must take him to help you to do your duâ—ie take all therefore and submit your selves intirely to him in this Covenant 3. As to the time ye must do all this presently for the Lord doth not allow us to give you an hour or to promise to treat with you one hour after this It 's now come and let us join our selves to the Lord It 's no difficult thing that ye are called to It 's to believe with the heart and to confess with the mouth our Lord Jesus Christ as it is Rom. 10.9 The Object is Christ the Condition is Faith whereby he is griped and taken hold of and which goeth out towards him in the word And so ye have no more ado but when the offer and Promise comes out to accept and subscribe and to say I am the Lords I will be his to be saved by his Righteousness and made Holy by his Grace both which are contained in the Covenant I am content to be beholden to him both for Holiness and happiness and it shall be a bargain The Lord himself perswade you to do so and that presently without delaying dallying or shifting and off putting Now it may be that some think this to be a good bargain but they know not how to make it sure and siker so as it may hold for ever And therefore this is the last thing that in the 4th Place we would speak a litle to viz. How shall a person Covenant with God and know that he hath done so in very deed for the Directions how to Covenant are so many evidences of Covenanting when performed For Directions then in this matter we would in generall in the First Place have ground to suppose and take it for granted that ye know what ye are even sinners and that Sin hath laid the Foundation of a quarrell betwixt God and you and that ye know what he is a designing and doing by this Preached Gospel even to bring sinners into this Covenant and to have an union made up betwixt him and them but ye will belike say I know not how to make it sure there is no answer to this but be doing till ye get it made suâ—e for your unsureness must flow either from something on Gods side or from something on your side ye dare not I suppose say that it flowes from any thing on Gods side or if ye should this is the way to make him sure to speak so and if it flow from something on your side he bids you return back sliding Children and he will heal your back slidings and make it sure But in the Next Place and more particularly consider 1. Your end and designe what yeâ— would be at ye may have some generall aim at something that is good in it self but that is not enough iâ— must be something more Particular and peculiar Is 〈◊〉 to get God to be your God Doth that fill your eyeâ— Is it to get your back slidings healed as well as pardoned That is right if your aim be to have God and Spâ—rituall good I mention this the rather because somâ— may love God and the Covenant for some temporaâ— good whereas others love him and his Covenaâ—â— mainly for a Spirituall good and think themselves weâ— come to and made up thereby Wherein lyes the dâ—ference will ye say I answer in a word to love Gâ—â— and the Covenant only or mainly for temporall meâ—cies is ill aod selfish but to love God and his Covâ—nant to be made thereby really happy in the enjoymeâ—â— of him and to be made conform to him in Holinesâ— is good and desirable and neither selfish nor servile aâ—â— mercenary as it is no unkindlie-like token in a wife to love her Husband to be delighted in him and to like well to enjoy his company so it is a kindly like Mark for a soul to love God on the account of the happiness and Holiness that are to be had in him and from him Love to God shoulders not out all regard and love to our selves simply but it shoulders out love to lusts and all inordinat love to self and to every Idol nay it 's inconsistent with true love to God not to care whether we be happy in the enjoyment of him or not 2. Consider how and by what means and on what terms ye seek to come at that end are ye secure and sensless of your sin misery without God It 's very like that ye make but a blind bargain whereof ye will have no reall advantage but have ye any kindly touch of your sin and misery and of your need of a Saviour and have ye recourse to him as one Able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God thorow him and who lives for ever to make intercession for them Ye may know somewhat of your sincerity in Covenanting with God by the way that ye come to him 3. What use make ye of the Mediator when ye are come to him Is your peace with God and your hope of holding by the bargain grounded on him Do ye lay the weight of all the good ye expect on his mediation on his Satisfaction and intercession on his purchase Do ye hold all thorow him That 's a good token 4. Are ye content to give to God as well as to take from him To devote your selves to him for Service as well as to enjoy him and Happiness in him This also is a good token as well as a direction 5. Are ye in much Holy fear and Jealousie of back-sliding and is it in your eye and aim purposely to Article this with the Lord to put his fear in your heart that ye may not depart from him many persons will sometimes in a warm fit or in a good mood as we use to speak come far on as Agrippa did but quickly fall off and return to their wonted byass câ—ldness and indifferency therefore in your Covenanting with God there would be much Holy fear lest it be not sound lest it bold not let your Soul say now I am absolutely and unreservedly given away to God not by Morgage or Wodset only to speak so but without reversion even for ever 6. Ye wouâ—d come to close actually with God himself in Covenant many come to the word and Sacramenâ— to get as they think some good but come
Consolations of God being dilated Capacitated Elevated and enlarged for that very end Fourthly This Communion is uninterrupted there shall be nothing to mar it no Cross no Sin no Temptation to sin For no unclean thing enters within the Gates of the new Jerusalem no Curse no Cry in those Streets no weeping no Sorrow no sighing for any thing past nor Horrour nor fear from the apprehension of any evil coming nor any the least mis-turning of the Lambs Song of Praise the heart shall to speak so be so stringed and bended as it shall never again slack in its bent but be stil keeped at its highest note our Harps shall never hang any more on the Willows but we shall keep them still in our hand chanting the Praises of the Redeemer to that new Heavenly Tune never heard on earth with Psalmes of victory in our hands and Crowns of Glory on our heads following the Lamb whithersoever He goes Fifthly It is an Eternall communion we shall drink for ever with him and be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house and made Holily drunk with the River of his pleasures with whom is the Fountain of Life and in whose light we shall eminently see light whose Well of life is always running in Whose presence is fulness of joys and at his right hand Pleasures for evermore though through all Eternity thousands and Millions will be drinking of this new Wine yet it shall never be the less but is and shall be still fresh and flowing Now for Application Let me ask you do ye believe this that there is such a day coming and that these are the true and Faithfull sayings of God O! If ye all that hear me this day did indeed believe it the belief of it sure is very suitable and would make a very sweet life ye will never be Holy ye will never aright fear nor love God ye will never hate sin nor be heartsome in his Service neither will ye be truly thankful till ye really Believe it I am afraid if Atheists Earthly Wretches drunkards Tipplers Cursers Swearers Hypocrites c. Were singled out and Separated from among us they would be found to be but a smal number who Believe this Do ye or can ye Believe it that have your Portion in this life and seek no more Nay believers if ye indeed Believe it why are ye so heartless Why envy ye the poor prosperity of the men of the world Why do ye not press after this mark and Prize If ye believed it suitably your hearts would laugh within you your Spirits would rejoice your faces would some way shine and what is spoken of this day would have a Divine splendor and lustre in your eyes If you believe it why is it not your work and business to live so as ye may hope to drink of this cup of this new Wine with Christ in Heaven Though ye should drink water all your days this Wine will abundantly compense that though now the bread of some of you be but brown this feast of truly Royal dainties is before you our Christian friends that are gone are feeding sweetly on it Long O Believers to be with them and take it not ill though ye be here somewhat straitned and kept scarce and have but a litle portion a small pittance and scant measure of the things of this world when others fare well and Sumptuously live high are Gorgiously apparelled Your Feast and Royal Robes are before you The Rich and great men of this world whose portion is in this life care litle for Poor bodies that seek Gâ—d care ye as litle for their portion as they care for yours they shall not a litle hence get a drink nay not a drop of cold water when ye shall drink this new Wine this Royal wine in abundance Christs Servants shall eat when they shall be hungry his servants shall drink when they shall be thirsty they shall sing for joy of heart when the others shall mourn and howl for vexation of spirit as it is Isaiah 65.13 O seek after clearness of interest in him that ye may throughly Believe Love and long for this life This heartsome Communion with Christ in Heaven is reserved for them that keep Communion with him here on earth and to them it is here promised I will not say that none can get Heaven but those who get the Sacrament but this I dare boldly say that those who have not Communion with Christ here shall never get Commvnion with him hereafter and whoever Communicat honestly here shall have Communion with Christ in Glory be ye comforted who believe in Christ who Covenant honestly with him and who hope in his mercy For He and ye together shall have a compleatly full immediat uninterrupted and eternal Communion in Heaven that shall new end Need ye to be confirmed in the truth of this hiâ— word may serve you and ye have the Sacrament besidâ— he hath left his word to hearten poor Believers undâ— all their inward and outward troubles under their Spâ—ritual maladies and bodily sicknesses and infirmities aâ— to assure them for their comfort that there is a goâ—â— life coming and be hath given the Sacrament as a pledgâ— of it will ye then consider seriously whether this woâ—â— belong to you and if ye may with his allowance heaâ—ten your selves from it that there is a day coming thâ— ye shall get Communion with Christ in Heaven Hâ— doth not mean that all that get the Sacrament get thâ— Communion For Judas who not unprobably got thâ— Sacrament is excluded Would ye know then whâ— have been honest Communicants to day that may expect this Heavenly Communion And me thinks thaâ— every one of you that hath any serious concern for yoâ— Souls will be roused here and greedily longing foâ— marks and evidences of that But if any of you woulâ— be at evidences to make you secure I declare I havâ— none such to give you But I shall hint at Two or Three which may be as directions in duty to you who minâ— honestly The First whereof is Luke 22.29 Ye arâ— they that have continued with me in my Temptation anâ— I appoint unto you a Kingdom here it is clear that theâ— Two go together viz. Continuing with Christ in hiâ— temptations and Coming to his Kingdom In a worâ— it is not to be religious for the fashion but in earnest is not to be Religious for a day or two or in somâ— trials only but to continue in it and with him in hâ—â— Temptations what ever they be Not only to be Râ—ligious when religion is countenanced but when it discountenanced and persecution is met with for it sake and when there are many snares and temptations to draw you away 't is a stedfast abiding with Christ in trying times Summer and Winter so to say If a blast of triall and temptation come and ye grow giddy and wavering in the truth Or if a spirit of Profanity come and look for
is to difference it from otheâ— things and in this respect a â—hing is said to be discerneâ— comparatively as 1 Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to diffeâ— from another Thus to discerne this Sacrament anâ— Christ in it is to difference it from other things considering thaâ— it was once common Bread and Wine buâ— that now it is not so It is to put a difference betwixt thâ— Sacrament and common bread and wine and betwixâ— the Sacrament and the Word and Covenant yet with respect to the Covenant as the Seal differs from the Charter and to difference this Sacrament from other Sacraments In respect that it looks to a dieing Saviour and Communicats him and his benefits that way 3. To discern a thing is to have a high esteem of it such aâ— was the discerning of Meats dayes and Places So to discern Christ in this Ordinance is to have a deep impression and high estimation of Jesus Christ of his death and of his maâ—chless love shining therein To have much Spiritualitie Holy fear awe and reverence in reference to him Such a fear and reverence as mean men will have before a King or a great man who when they carrie not suitably before such a great person we wil say to them know ye where ye are So the right discerning and uptaking of Christ here is to have a high estâ—mation of him 4. There is a complex discerning of a thing in reference to its use and end or we may call it a Relative discerning which is Practicall when a man conforms himself Suiâ—ably to his diâ—cerning of the thing the want whereof ouâ— Lord reproves in the Jews Hypocâ—its sayes he Ye can diâ—cern the face of the Sky but ye cannot diâ—cern the signes of the times and in this respâ—ct also whâ—n a man carries unsuitably before a Magistrat it 's said to him by discerning Persons know ye where ye are And this being the main thiâ—g here implied we shall speak a litle more to it wherâ—in these two things are supposed 1. Some distinct up taking of our selves of our need and of our hazard 2. The right pâ—taking of Christ in this Ordinance as to the supply of those necessities and preventing of that hazard and this Doctrinal discerning goâ—th before that which is Practicall which is a mans suitable use-making of Christ or suitablâ— exercising himself in reference to his need and that ordinance appointed for supply of his need by Jesus Christ which is with a reflex look sometimes on himself sometimes on Christ And there are in this these five steps which follow one of them upon another 1. It consists in a suitable frame of heart as becomes such a poor sinful unworthy and needy person in the presence of so Holy a Lord going about such a Holy action another frame then is called for at our dinner or Supper or at ordinary hearing the word or at Prayer A holy humble cheerfull serious Heavenly and hungry frame Holy awe and respect to God making humble Faith of Gods goodness and rich Grace in Christ shining in this Ordinance making cheerful The conviction of need making Sober and yet very serious and eager in what he is about It 's a frame made up as it were of contrarieties ardent love and zeal and yet a calme and composed Spirit to hear what God sayes To take what he gives and to behold what he manifests 2. It consists in an exercise of the mind in meditation both in reference to our selves and to Christ Meditation in reference to our own sinfulness and misery and meditation on Christs love calling to mind all that he hath done thinking with delight on Christs suffering and on the end of it and again reflecting a look on our selves to keep life in this meditation what was I when he suffered and did all this for me and what am I now when he is offering this to me To have the picture of a loving Husband hanging by a wife to what purpose is it and for what use doth it serve if she never look on it to mind him whom it represents 3. It consists in an exercise of Graces It 's even as it is laid in the Song a making of all the Spices to cast forth their smell and the putting of all things in good order and studying to have them in good case It 's to have love warm to the giver and closing with the gift of a dieing Saviour and to have love warm to others of his people for his sake and because he hath taken us in with others to partake of the benefits of his love shining in his Death for love to the head and members go together It 's to have repentance lively stirred up sin made heart-pricking and Godly sorrow to flow the heart made to loath it and the mind exercised in forming hearty resolutions Purposes vows and engagements against it but it 's especially to have faith stirred up and in exercise and to have all the senses of Faith to speak so set a going as when the word comes out and sayes Take ye Eat ye this is my Body which is broken for you Faith beholds and gets as clear and satisfieing a view of Christs Suffering and dieing as if the man saw him with his Bodily eyes when the hand is stretched out to take Faith acts Proportionably in stretching out it's hand to take Christ and not only grips him but in this Ordinance and according to the end of it takes it as a pledge of Christ performing what he hath promised making use of him for the end appointed when the eye looks on what is done Faith is considering and taking a view of Christ and of the covenant and of the benefits purchased by him and sees another thing then the elements even the wakened up sword of the Fathers justice pursueing the mediator as the elects cautioner when the eye looks on the distribution Faith it sees Christ made as it were believers Common-good given among them and to every one of them when the hand puts the bread and wine to the mouth Faith hath a way of opening it's mouth and as it were chewing and feeding upon Jesus Christ and of strengthening refreshing and cheering it self in him counting it self well come to with him and secure in him and fastening it's engagements to him all which strengthen our Spirituall life as eating and drinking doth the natural life and then when it comes to the taste Christ relisheth most sweetly to the Believer so that no Wine doth cheer the natural heart so much as Christ in the Sacrament considered in his love and Covenant and in the benefits that come by him do the Soul of the believer Faith here considers Christ not only as communicable but as actually communicated The fourth thing wherein this discerning consists is a reflecting exercise when we have received the Sacrament we are to reflect and consider what we have done and what we are doing are we indeed feeding upon Christ What
souls in a manner flighter within you and make you to rouze up your selves to welcome them with gladness of heart And therefore First we would exhort you all to believe this report there are alace but few who doe indeed believe that the Eternal God hath this design of a marriage betwixt him and sinners Therefore let not your hearts be straitned only believe that this is the good word of God that these are the faithful true sayings of him that cannot lie and that he is waiting on to ratifie them to all who give them Credit It 's somewhat hard to deliver or receive a word of threatning in faith but in some respect more hard to believe a word of Promise and of consolation It is Proportionably hard to look upon this as Gods own offering of a marriage with his Son as if he himself were by vive voice speaking it out of Heaven and to believe that this offer is really his and therefore as I desire as his Servant to speak to you so I would again and again Obtest you to be rouzed up and to rouze up your selves to believe it Secondly Rouze stretch and enlarge your understandings and your hearts and affections for beholding conceiving and embracing this rich bargain of Grace O! consider seriously from whom it is For what end it is how it is brought about and doth come to you the height and Depth the Length and breadth whereof is inconceivable be Holily amazed and wonder that the offer of this marriage comes to you and that he is content to marry you Thirdly In a word would you know what we have to do with you or what is our commission to you this day This is even it to tell you that the King hath made a marriage for his Son and hath prepared and made all things ready for reuniting you to himself yea this same King that hath made this wedding ready and hath carved out this way of throughing his designe by speaking to you in his Word by his servants speaks to you by us and we speak to you in his name and tell you thaâ— our blessed Lord Jesus is wooing you we declare publish and proclaim it O! take notice of it our Lord Jesus is not far to seek he is here waiting on to close â—he bargain wâ—th you This is our errand to proclaim these glad tâ—dings to you and what glader tydings could yoâ— wish then to have it told you thaâ—â—e may be happy and easily happy and that if ye be content â—o be so theâ—e is noâ—hing that might marâ—â—his happiness but it is â—emove and taken ouâ— of the way Is not the Faâ—â—eâ— ready He hath given his consent is noâ— the Bridegroom ready when he hath done so much and is waiting on your consent the Feast is ready and the Garments are ready and there is nâ— more to do but t take and put them on aâ—d faâ—â—h exeâ—cised on him wâ—â—l 〈◊〉 both the Conâ—ract is ready and there is nothing â—o 〈◊〉 changed oâ— altered in it and He is ready to accepâ— oâ— you if ye will accept oâ— him our blessed Lord Jesus says he is câ—nâ—eâ—â—â—o marry you and there is no more to do but to subscâ—ibe your name to the contract iâ— you want clothes he will give them to you â—f ye want a house if ye want meat or drink he will provide for you what ever it be that you really stand in need of for Soul or body in time oâ— eternity ye shall have 〈◊〉 from him The promises aâ—e filled with all things thaâ— pâ—â—â—ain to life and godliness to hâ—s life and to thaâ— which is to come there is in effect n thing wanting but your consent and let not tha be wantng I beseech you Iâ— prosecuting this purpose I shall speak a litle 1. Tâ— those to whom the offer is made or to those whâ—â— a e called 2. To whaâ— they aâ—e called â—o 3. To the terms on which they are called 4. To the manner how ye should come 5. To the Peremptoriness of the call and to the necessitie of coming And 6. If it be Possible to win at it a word to some motives whereby ye may be Pressed to come and not to neglect the opportunity of such a Precious Season of Grace For the First it is not one or two or some few that are called not the great only nor the Smal only not the holy only nor the Profane only but ye are all bidden the call comes to all and every one of you in Particular Poor and rich high and low holy and prophane Ho Proclaimeth the Lord as it were with an Oyas Isa 55.1 Every one that thirsts come and he that hath no money Let him come whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 Our blessed Lord Jesus is not straitned in his call and we may humbly say in some measure that we are not straitened in our bowels in his name we invite all of you and make offer of Jesus Christ to be your Husband that ye may have a room among them that stand by and be with him for ever I say we make this offer to all of you to you that are Atheists to you that are Graceless to you that are Ignorant to you that are Hypocrits to you that are Lazie and Luk-warm to the Civil and to the Prophane We pray We beseech We obtest you all to come to the wedding Call sayeth the Lord the blind the maimed the halt c. Bid them all come Yea compel them to come in Grace can do moe greater wonders then to call such it cannot only make the offer of the Marriage to them but it can make up the Match effectually betwixt Christ and them We will not we dare not say that all of you will get Christ for a Husband but we do most really offer him to you all and it shall be your own fault if ye want him and go without him And therefore before we proceed any further we do Solemnly Protest and before God his Son Jesus Christ take instruments this day that this offer is made to you and that it is told to you in his name that the Lord Jesus is willing to match with you even the profanest and most graceless of you if ye be willing to match with him and he earnestly invites you to come to the wedding if you can touch at any thing on his side that is not ready or at any thing on your side but it may through grace be made ready if ye will come you may but its impossible for the Covenant is well oâ—dered and sure and that in all things and these words are not the words of men but the Words of the true and faithful witness which ye must count and reckon for when we are dead and gone He hath killed his Oxen and Fatlings and prepared his dinner and bid his guests all things are ready in the due order
not of you who have come under some private engagements to the Lord I take it for granted if ye have not been scorning God in your humiliation and in your Communicating I take it I say for granted that severals of you have come under particular and personall engagements to God If so ye would beware of loosing those tyes and of violating those so Solemn engagements and the rather that it is to be feared if ye keep not promise to God now ye may never get a Communion again to renew it 4. I would have some of you remembering of those particular obligations ye came under and promises that you made to us when you received your tokens to amend those faults whereof ye were well known to be guilty most certainly those Promises especially so expliciâ—ly made will bear witness against you if those evils be continued in or relapsed into and we shall bear witness for Christ against you if ye shall not be answerable to your engagements for the Lords sake put us not to it Essay in good earnest and set about the study of this Gospel-becoming Conversation I shall forbear to speak of encouragements to this It will be one good encouragment to consider seriously that it is a walk becoming the Gospel and Christ in it that it hath such promises made to it and such a suretie for every promise that the certification of the Law is not at it that ye have paâ—don of sin promised to you on your Repentance and furniture at hand for every thing called for from you Take it in short what ever your calling station or relation be Only let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ and remember the tyes and obligations that ye are under whether more generall or more Particular Otherwise they shall be remembred to and against you Now the Lord himself enable you by His al-sufficient Grace to suit all your obligations to pay all your Vowes and to make all your honest resolutions Practicable relating to this Conversation becoming the Gospel of CHRIST A very Heavenly SERMON Preached if not after the Communion yet very pertinent for such an occasion however it is subjoined to the immediatly preceeding because of the affinity of purposes On Philip. 3.20 For our Conversation is in Heaven THE Life and work of a Christian is a far otheâ— thing then for the most part it is taken to be and no question were we often thinking on and studying the qualifications and extent of a Christian conversation to which believers are called we would walk with stopped mouths in the deep sense of our great short-coming and there would not be such delusion under the conceit of self-righteousness But the ignorance of this makes carnall men think themselves to be something and makes even believers themselves that they walk not so humbly nor press so seriously towards the mark neither do they Propose to themselves as they ought a just and perfect pattern to follow Amongst other qualifications of a Christian-walk and conversation This is one and a very considerable one that our Conversation should be in Heaven A thing we fear the most part of the Christians of this age scarcely believe much less endeavour that they should live with their hearts above in Heaven in the lively expectation of the Saviours coming That they should converse in Heaven among the spirits of just men made perfect before they come thither The Scope of these words is plain The Apostle Paul hath to do with the Christian Philippians who were much tempted and no doubt in some hazard to be led aside both from the faith and from the Practise of Religion And the way that he takes to keep them right as to both is by proposing His own example to them as if he had said ye will readily think that I should be well acquainted with the way to Heaven Now the way that I take for my Justification Before God is not to seek after Righteousness by the works of the Law but to be found in Christ covered with his righteousness taken hold of by Faith And if ye would know what I do in reference to Sanctification this is it I forget those things that are behind and reach forth unto those things that are before pressing towards the Mark for the Prize being constantly as it were on the spur that I may attain that which I have not as yet come at even that perfection of Holiness that accompanies the resurrection from the dead And having laid this before them as a fair copy and pattern He improves it by exhorting them thus Brethren be ye followers together of me take the way that I take both in the matter of Faith and of Practise And he gives two reasons why he would have them to do so The First whereof is taken from the danger that was in following those false teachers Vers 18.19 Many of whom walk so as they are Enemies to the Cross of Christ That is enemies to the doctrine of faith in Christ and to the exercise of it on him and to the Doctrine of his Cross and also to a truly spiritual walk Whose end is distruction and whose God is their Belly The Second Reason is subjoyned in the Text drawn from the great advantage which they should have by following him For saith He Our conversation is in Heaven This is the spiritual Heavenly and divine walk wherein he holds forth himself and his fellow-Apostles as a pattern to be imitated by them and so teacheth them their duty We are not as if he had said like those false â—eachers But our Conveâ—sation is in Heaven Therefore follow us and he gives an instance of this in the latter part of the Verse From whence saith he We look for the Saviour He is like a person on the Watch tower that is looking and longing for the coming of a friend Plainly insinuating thereby that he looks not for much satisfaction in this world but was earnestly longing for and in continuall expectation of Christs coming to which all his hope and expectation of compleat happiness and of full satisfaction to his soul was closely confined So then the great thing that he aimes at here is to commend a heavenly conversation to these Christian Philippians to all that should hear the Gospel and this excellent piece of it amongst the rest There are only Two things shortly to be cleared before we proceed further The First is What is meaned by Conversation here And the reason of the question is because the word is so very significant in the Original that hardly can we get a word in our language to express it by to the life It 's taken from that which signifies a Town-ship corporation-ship to speak so or Burges-ship and it implyes these two things First a title to such and such priviledges as those who were Romans or born Citizens of Rome whoever were made Burgesses of it had such and such Priviledges attending their
are the means or steps by which we may win in and ascend to this heavenliness of Conversation which is indeed a very suitable and necessary question and would God we were serious in proposing of it and were convinced of the necessity of it However let such as would fain be at it know First That they must be much mortified and denyed to Creature-Comforts therefore Col. 3. These two are opposed Seek those things which are above set your affections on things in heaven and not on things of the earth to go both up and down at once is impossible if ye would be heavenly in your Conversation seek to have the world litle and low in your estimation to be not only free from the sinfull intanglements of it but to be Mortified to things lawfull I press you not to negligence in your honest and lawfull callings far less to lay them aside but to a heavenly mindedness and holy denyedness in your diligence Use the things of this world as not abusing them as not being taken with them nor glued to them the minding of earthly things too much clogs and keeps mens hearts that they do not mount up to heaven It 's impossible while the heart is surfeited with the cares of this life that it can thus sore aloft And therefore Secondly Those that would be heavenly in their conversation must lay up their treasure in heaven For where the Treasure is there will the heart be also were ye under the deep and due conviction of the vanity of earthly things and of the excellencie of heaven and heavenly things and laying your reckoning soberly and seriously that heaven ye must have it would be much more easie to Scrue up your affections to it as where mens stock and treasure is there is their heart even so were your great stock and treasure in heaven your heart would certainly be there your hope your love and delight would be there But your seeking after contentment and satisfaction in earthly vanities where it cannot be found keeps your heart out of heaven Thirdly Be much in the duty of meditation and contemplation of heavenly things this is as it were the great wheel and first mover of the Clock to have the mind heavenly often conversing in heaven and often thinking of it and often recounting the blessed advantages the glorious and great happiness that are there even till your meditation of God be made sweet and till your delight in him thereby stirred up and strengthened make a heavenly conversation for litle such meditation makes litle heavenly-mindedness and when the mind is not on heaven something that 's worse comes in the place of it ye that know the bent and inclination of your own minds to be naturally downward and how natively to speak so it runs on vanities and how difficult it is to keep it but alongst two or three sentences fixed on heavenly things and how preternatural a motion it is as it were to make it ascend and mount upward will easily assent to the truth of this It is an excellent word that David hath Psal 139. When I awake I am still with thee Fourthly We commend this to you hinted at before that ye would be much in trading and Trafficking with Heaven to be often and serious in Prayer frequently sending up desires thither and bringing thence returns of prayer in gâ—eat measures of Grace catching hold of and griping at somewhat above you whereby ye may be helped up that high and Holy hill It transforms into the same Image from Glory to Glory to be keeping love to Christ fresh to have hope as an anchor cast within the vaile In a word love to Christ and delight in him being as a considerable part so also the result of Holiness There must be a study of Holiness in all the Parts of it of Holiness in all manner of Conversation and a Heavenly frame aimed at and endeavoured in all duties and in all the steps of our walk and conversation in order to the keeping in cherishing and increasing of love to and delight in him and often thinking on that which helps to it viz. Let thy will be done on earth as it is done in Heaven A word often in the mouths of many but litle in their hearts And Q how lamentably unlike are the practises of many of you to it We may indeed blush and think shame to speak and you may think shame to hear of having a Conversation in heaven there being so litle of it amongst us But we must speak of it and ye must hear it spoken of since it is a part and a great part of our duty and will be a part and a great part of our reckoning and we lay and leave it upon you from the Lord to be studied by you Do not think that ye shall ever have your Conversation in Heaven afterward who have not your Conversation in Heaven here many of you that have a fair Profession of Religion and seem to come near to that harbour of rest and yet never enter into it are like to a ship that comes as it were with up-sails very near the Port and is unexpectedly blowen back to the Sea again whereas the Believer who has his Anchor cast on firm and sure ground within the vail is enabled to endure tossing being like a tight ship that is able to ride out the storme and to stem the Port His Treasure is in Heaven and there is a sure and indissoluble knot cast betwixt Heaven where his treasure is and his heart Now from all this judge what a mighty prejudice it is to be earthly minded and to slight this walk with God and Conversation in heaven and who are they that dare offer or presume to come before God the righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth in whose sight the very Heavens are not pure to abide his tryall who have been puddling all their dayes in the world never once seriously and suitably minding a Conversation in Heaven O let the consideration of eternal Happiness on the one hand and of Eternal miserie on the other provoke you and necessitat you all to study in good earnest to have your conversation in Heaven and ye believers in Christ and Children of light walk in the light suitably to your Heavenly Father and to the hope of your Heavenly inheritance O! be more conversant in Heaven before ye come to it and where ye shall be by and by for evermore A Preparation SERMON for the Communion On ISAIAH 55.1 2 3. I will make an Everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David IT is hard to conceive or express whether the things which the Gospel offereth be the most large or the terms on which they are offered be the most free There is that no doubt in both together which may make the beholder stay and wonder Among many excellent offers of the Gospel that which is here is one very full and free would to God we
to the Market and that few or none should buy that Christ should to speak so open his paâ—k and sell no wares Therefore let me say a few words to you for perswading you readily and presently to embrace the Offer of this richest Bargain And in the First Plaâ—e we pray you believe this truth Alace there is litle or no faith given to it Souls come straitned not throughly believing that God is putting Christ Grace and Glory Heaven and Happiness and all to Sale These are dayes of The Son of man in a special manner wherein Christs fleet to speak so with Reverence is come home the Shops are now well furnished with Rich Commodities all his Stands are set out and full of Grace Secondly Wonder that God hath condescended to make offer of such a bargain to us that that which cost Christ so very dear is offered so exceeding cheap to us Thirdly We exhort and obtest you that while these choisest wares are set to sale ye receive not this offer in vain Are there any Merchants here for such wares Here is the Market the wares are good and sufficient and the terms very easie and the Price wondrously low even so low that it comes to no Money no Price can ye Possibly wish a better bargain or more easie terms Are there any chap men that want Money any that are Thirsty then Come yea be the frame and disposition of your heart what it may be if you would have it righted come there is here that which will make you Rich Happie here and hereafter are there none of you that will seriously ask what the Lord will say what Christ will take as it were for these wares or what are his terms with a sincere resolution to take them on these very terms Will ye not be Prevailed with to make experimental tryal what it is to have Christ Made of God to you wisdome Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Are there none among you all that have sins to be pardoned wants to be supplied strong and stirring Corruptions to be subdued and mortified Is it Possible that so many are come hither for the fashion Are there none living at distance from God nor under his curse really or to their own apprehension that would have the distance and curse removed Are there no weak Graces to be strengthened If there be any such merchants that have a mind and heart to the wares I say to them from the Lord as his Herauld Ho every one that Thirsts and he that hath no money come This is the scope of the Gospel and the preparation for Christ and also for the Communion that it calleth for from poor Souls that would fain close the bargain and set their Seal to it and would have Gods Seal set to it to morrow by taking the Sacrament Speak what say ye Pose and put your hearts to it to declare if they be indeed willing and well content to make and hold the bargain on his own terms if they be so as there is all the reason in the world they should then I say ye have a good bargain I say again speak pose your hearts if ye will make and hold the bargain on these terms or not There are these things that do singularly commend this bargain First the excellencie of it ye will go through all the Markets in the World ere ye get such riâ—h Mercies of so rare a kind so sure and so cheap ye would belike think much to have so much land gold or money but what are those to this bargain Those will evanish and turn to ashes when this will endure and abide with you for ever What are ye doing Who are like so many Horse-leaches sucking up and glutting your selves with the world or living securely and carelesly or puâ—ching up your own righteousness is there any of those bargains like this we appeal to your own consciences and nothing doubt but they will one day bear witness against you that ye heard of such a bargain and had it in your offer and yet wilfully refused to accept of it Secondly Is there any bargain more suitable for you who have your peace to make with God for you who have corruption lively in you then to have a King Captain and conqueror to bring it down and to trample on it after he hath as a Priest reconciled you to God Is there any more suitable bargain for you who have your own pinches and straits and your Comforts at a very low ebb for you who have wants which cannot be numbred and who cannot of your selves command one stayed spirituall thought If ye were perfectly righteous and fairly landed in Eternity ye might possibly think the less of it though even Glorified Saints put a great value on it and glorious Angels admire it but that sinners dwelling on earth in cottages of clay whose habitation is in the dust should think litle of it it 's strange and even stupendious Is there or can there be a more suitable bargain for you that want money Is it not exactly calculated for your case and shapen out for you so as in every thing it may meet with your wants difficulties and Objections Thirdly Are not the terms most reasonable No great thing is sought for from you if a Lordship or a Kingdom were offered to a poor man for a Penny that hath no money at all it would signifie nothing at all to him But behold here peace and Pardon Grace and Glory even all good things are offered to you freely Fourthly Is not your necessity such that ye cannot be well without it For tho ye should spend your money and bestow much labour and even wear out your very eyes with weeping and your hearts with grief and sorrow if ye take not this course all will only have this Moto written thereon Vanity of vanities all is but vanity and vexation of spirit when ye come to feed on it ye will find it to be but wind if peace with God if God and Christ if grace and Glory be necessary then this bargain is necessary but if ye will continue lazie indifferent Luk-warme and unconcerned in the matter ye shall find that ye have sitten in your own light greatly and suffered the opportunity of the Market to slip which ye will never possibly recover And therefore for the Lords sake let neither legall weeping carnal fear or sorrow hypocrisie self-conceit nor mistakes of Christ and of free Grace divert you from making this bargain but seek Grace come over these and all other obstructions and while the Market lasts Come and buy without money and without Price It is hard to know how long your day shall last There are many Countriesides and Cities in the streets whereof these Packs to say so of rich wares were opened up Laid forth and exposed to sale that now for many years yea for several ages have not heard of them nor the Gospel preached what at least in Purity and Power
the best to please where there is sincerity and willingness to live honestly he pities and spares all up right hearted servants As a Father pitieth his Children and a man spareth his son that serveth him And if any think they find it otherwise it 's most certainly their owâ— fault Therefore I beseech you study First To be iâ— case to take Graces wares home with you Repentance Faith Hope Love Mortification Meekness Patience c. These things are in the Covenant betwixâ— Christ and you and set to Sale in the Market 2. Be making ready for the Market is ready many shops as it were are opened and much precious ware laid out bring empty vessels and not a few that ye may carry them away full that ye may take a Rich loading home with you though you take up never so much of this ware it will never be missed nor grow the less and indeed it is a part and a considerable part of our preparation for the Communion to be rooted in the Faith of these great things and to get our affections stretched dilated and widened to receive them To get the everlasting doores cast up that the King of Glory may come in That when he calls for entrie the doors may be opened at the very first knock 3. If so be your desires be stirred up and your appetites quickened in any measure there is nothing that will more effectually and powerfully stir them up provoke and sharpen them then grace believingly looked to and improved longing to see his Power and Glory as they have been seen by his people in the Sanctuary would notably make way for him pleading and working with your own hearts alone will not do the business but grace imployed and made use of will do it effectually and to purpose and the more Grace you draw forth out of Christs fulness and drink so much the better It will be to speak so no forestalling of the market neither will the sweet savour of the perfume be the weaker or less to morrow that ye break the Box of this Precious oyntment to night Now God himself who proclaimes the Fair sets the Market and exposeth the Rich ware to sale give you wisdom to Prove wise merchants to your Eternal advantage and up making A SERMON Preached after the Communion On Psal 85.8 He will speak Peace to his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly IT is hard to know in Spiritual exercises whether it be more difficult to attain some good frame or to keep maintain it when it is attained whether more seriousness is required for making peace with God or for keeping of it when made whether more diligence should be in preparing for a Communion or more watchfulness after it sure both are required and it was our Blessed Lords word Matth. 26.41 after the first celebration of this his Supper Watch and pray thâ—t ye enter not into Temptation Here that saying holds eminently non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri No lesse vertue and valour is requisit to maintain then â—o make a purchase or Conquest In the words to leave the introduction and scope There is first a great mercy promised from the Lord to his People viz. He will speak peace to them 2. A speciall caveat and advertisment given them poin ing at their hazard But let them not turn again to follie That is Let not his People and Saints to whom He hath spoken peace return to sin Let them beware of bounding and dallying with Gods mercy and of turning his Grace into wantonness of cooling in their affections to him of slipping back to their old way and of embracing their old lovers and Idols For that is folly even in folio to speak so We shall first propose Six Observations from the words and then apply them First then Observe that Sin against God iâ— an exceeding great folly It 's the fooliâ—h h st and maddest thing in the world Therefore it is here called Folly to wit in an eminent way and degree It 's that which doth most ye that which doth in effect Only marre and interrupt Saints peace that which Vers 2. Is called iniquity which he so graciously pardoned is here called Folly because of the follie and madness that is in sin and iâ— is on this ground and account that the sinner is so often called a Fool and Simple in the Book of Proverbs and Ephes 5. The Apostle exhorts Christians to walk not as Fools but as wise and Luk. 15. The Prodigal is said when converted to come to himself as if he had been in a distraction and beside himself all the while he was going on in his sinful way This may be further clear if we look First To the vanity of the matter wherein men sin is it not follie for a man to sit tippling and debauching away his time to be given to Harlotrie and filthiness to neglect Prayer to Curse and Swear to let his mind rove upon things that never were nor will be and wherein there is no profit There is a great vanity in the matter of sin Secondly If we look to the sad effects and bitter fruits of sin and to the great prejudice that comes by it It will be found to be desperat Madness and dear bought pleasure which is but fancied and Imaginary and no reall Pleasure It marres the life of Grace of peace with God and treasures up Wrath against the day of Wrath See this verified eminently in Ahithophel that Prodigy of profound Policie Whose counsel in those dayes with David and Absalom was as if one had enquired at the Oracle of God The upshot of whose deep wit was rank follie when he went and hanged himself See it also convincingly made good in the rich Man in the Gospel To whom it's sadly and surprisingly said Thou fool this night thy soul shall be taken from thee and whose then shall those things be And what advantage or wisdom is it I pray for a man to gain the whole World if he lose his own Soul O Madly foolish bargain Thirdly If we look to sin with a Spirituall eye we will see folly in the very appearance and manner of it a wicked man in sinning is foolish-like or looks as like a fool as David did when he played the Mad-man before the King of Gath Scrabled on the doors and let his spittle fall on his Beard Is it not folly to see a man Labouring in the fire for very vanity loading himself with thick clay pursuing the East-wind He is just like a man in a frenzie who imagines himself to be a King and to be riding in great State and Triumph when in the mean time he is a Poor naked Pitifull and despicable creature in the eyes of all that behold him Fourthly If we look to the spring fountain and cause of it There can be no just nor relevant reason given for sin It 's therefore no doubt folly Is
there or can there be any thing that evidenceth mens folly so much as their coming in tops with God their walking in the way of death their loving simplicity as it is Prov. 1. And their quiting the way of Life Now the word of God is true wisdome and the way of life is therein clearly holden forth and God as our pattern and is there any thing more reasonable then that we should live like and be conform to the word of God and to him of whom we ought to be followers But sin thwarts with the whole word of God and with God himself Take this passing word of Use Study to be established in the Faith of this truth That Sin whether in doing that which is evil or in the Omission of duty is the greatest folly such of you as will not be convinced of it now in time within a few dayes or years ye shall be convinced of it to purpose to your eternall prejudice The most blockish shall then see it to be follie a highly hurtfull prejudiciall Shamefull folly and desperat Madness The rich Glutton and Ahithophel and thousands more of worldly-wise-men find it to be so to their Cost in Hell Therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 6.21 What profit have ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed And had we Spirituall eyes to discern the Condition of the most part of men and Women who evidently ly still in black Nature unrenewed who slight the offers of Grace and who will not receive Jesuâ— Christ the veriest idiot in the world would not be a sadder spectacle to us nor affect our hearts with more pity compassion then the Lamentable case of the Souls of such persons would because they forsake their own Mercie The sure Mercies of David and follow after lying vanities and wearie themselves with a vain pursuit after that which cannot profit them Alace for this follie Secondly Observe That notwithstanding the greatness of this follie Gods people and Saints were sometime deep yea even drowned in it and are yet in part taken with it Needs this any proof Ah! sinful Nation saith the Lord to his professing people Isaiah 1.4 A people laden with iniquitie a seed of evill doers The Ox knoweth his owner the asse his Masters crib but my people doth not know O beastly Israel inferior to the very brutes thorow the folly of sinning against God and saith he Jer. 2. Be astonished O Heavens and horribly afraid for my People have committed two great evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and digged to themselves broken Cisterns that can hold no water Q egregious follie and demented choice how many professours of religion are there who are foolish Virgins And how many foolish practices are there among the Godly themselves Let it not then be thought strange as a word of Use from it that not only among externall professours but even among reall Saints there be found many acts of follie though I grant it to be both sad and stumbling when it is which should therefore so much the more make them guard against the same Thirdly Observe God will sometimes speak peace to them that are given to follie or are often found playing the Fool. Of the truth whereof as many as ever heard the Gospel and did partake of the Grace of it and are before the Throne and hope to be there are as so many proofs witnesses and living monuments I shall clear what this speaking of peace is in Three Steps He speaks peace to them 1. In his offering of peace to them and by his meeting and treating with them in and by that offer in his intreating or inviting them earnestly to come to him who have wearied themselves and spent their labour on that which profits not pressing them to return and assuring them that he will heal their backslidings Isai 55. Jer. 3. Hos 14. And preaching peace through Christ Jesus Eph. 2. counselling them to come and buy eye salve of him c. and by his knocking and waiting at their Door for admittance and entry Rom. 3. Are not these words of peace to a foolish Church 2. In making peace with some when as it is 2 Cor. 5.20 He not only Prayes and requests them to be Reconciled but really reconcileth them to himself and saith Peace be to you Pardoneth sin taketh away the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against them giveth them a discharge of their debt that when their sin is sought for it is not to be found because He hath pardoned it and Hos 2. This is called an alluring or as the word is a speaking to the heart 3. In his not only taking away the Controversie and making peace but in his intimating that peace Saying to the pardoned sinner Thy sinnes are forgiven thee go in peace I am thy Salvation and then the promise John 14.21.23 Is fulfilled when Christ breaks open doors and comes in and Sups and dwels his Father and he and one main dish that is set on the Table to say so is Peace as Vers 27. Peace I leave with you My peace I give unto you It 's peace from God the Father Son and Holy Ghost There are some speciall times wherein God speaks Peace such as Solemn treating times and Communion dayes and other special occasions are when there hath been more then ordinary diligence in prayer more then ordinary Sorrow for Sin peace is readily spoken on the back of it as also trying and sadly exercising times are usually times of the intimation of peace In a word when and where this Gospel comes and is made lively Peace followes on it and this is your time O! thaâ— peace may be found to have been spoken to many at this occasion Fourthly Observe That In and about those times when God hath spoken or very urgently offered to speak Peace there is often some restraint on People as to the prevailing of their follie Some stop to the current of Iniquity in it's wonted manner and measure in some more and in some less some more aw of God readily being on people then Many will have a sort of Righteousness like a Morning cloud and early dew that soon passeth away Some tickling of their affections that quickly evanisheth as the Lord saith of many of the Jews that were hearers of John Who was a burning and a shining light that they rejoyced in his light for a season So Psal 106.12 Then believed they his words they sang his Praise but they soon forgat his works they waited not for his Counsell and Psal 78.34 When he slew them then they sought him Nevertheless they flattered him with their lips and lied to him with their Tongues for their hearts were not right with God neither were theâ— stedfast in his Covenant And something of this was also even in Christs hearers and in the Galatians who at first would have plucked out their eyes and given them to Paul So in the parable of the Sower some
Lord hath been offering peace to them treating with them saying Behold me Behold me intreating and requesting them to be reconciled And hath there not been some tickling of the affections of many If so will ye be such fools as to fall back and to wear out the sense of that peace and warmness that any of you have win to And ye with whom God hath been meeting and treating about the pardon of sin what a folly will it be in place of getting a discharge to increase and multiply your debt 4 Are there not some engagements on you Or what ever be reall is there not a profession of coming under engagements Are not the vowes of God on some of you Is there not some sin that hath stared you in the face which ye have resolved to abstain from And hath there not been some stirring and stickling of desires to perform what ye have resolved and engaged to And will ye break all these bands Will ye repent and rue that ever ye ingaged to God If so as ye notably play the fools So the Lord will be about with you and even spew you out of his Mouth that ye may puddle your fill in the mire of sin 5. Is there not a great bentness and propension in all naturally to turn again to follie Is there not an evil heart of unbelief ready to depart from the living God I have so much Charity for you as that you will grant this and when the Lord hath said Watch and tells that He is at hand that betrayes you will ye go securely and not take warning O! What desperat folly would this be 6. Consider what will come of it if ye shall fall back if ye slacken your bent and growing cold turn again to folly ye will wear out any bit of good frame that ye have attained ye will blur and sully the reall or supposed clearness of your interest marr your Peace and become in a manner more beastly and swinish in your sinfull way then before At the very thoughts whereof your hearts should scare Nauseat and even grow sick And what will be the upshot thereof Either ye will repent or never repent If ye say ye will repent are ye sure that God will give you Repentance If ye shall hazard on some sin Are not many given up to hardness of heart who never come to Repentance Know ye what Repentance is have ye not been already essaying and doing somewhat at Repentance and have ye not found it difficult and hard to come by And if ye shall sin yet more will not Repentance be yet a greater more difficult and hard work and suppose ye should get Repentance ye shall know the truth of that saying Jer. 2. That it was an evil and a bitter thing to depart from the Living God and that his fear was not before your eyes O! what shame and confusion of face will it bring with it to remember that we had so Many warnings from the word without and so manie Convictions and challenges from our conscience within and that yet we went over them and with a high hand went on in our folly will those things be litle think ye what pleasure or profit can ye have in those things whereof ye will be ashamed Yea suppose ye come to repentance and a hundred to one if ever ye come to it ye shall weep and mourn bitterly that ever ye hazarded so on sin over your light and convictions and over the belly of your Conscience If ye get not repentance as I am afraid many never shall what will come of it Convictions and challenges will wear out the heart will grow harder you will go on Laughing at reproofs mocking at exhortations to Repentance and Reformation and regardlesly treading on what might reclaim you you will be angrie at them who brought you under any engagements ye will become very Atheists in your hearts and as so many profaine Heathens in your carriage and when you have lived thus for a time and the Lord knows how long will ye not come to die will not your moneth come on you will not your bed take you or ye take your bed and then the Conscience will eiâ—her awake or be silent if it awake will not this be your language which is the language of many a poor wretched creature Wo is me I have mispent my time and have been gluâ—ting my self with the World and sinfull pleasures Oh vaine world O bewitching and beguiling world Alace that ever I was so much taken up with it And if the Conscience be quiet what will come of it Will that fin ly on and not be sought account of know ye not consider ye not that word Gal. 6 Be not deceived God will not be Mocked As men sow so they shall reap Think ye that God will be inferior to the Creature will not your Governor or Land-Lord seek account of you according to your engagement And shall not the Lord call you to a reckoning Yea certainly and the Conscience will then awake and roar on you then the curse Wo and damnation will seize upon and take hold of your Soul in death and devils shall carrie it thither where Hypocrites are untill the Judgement of the great day and then ye will say turning again to sin was the greatest folly and madness And thus whether God have a purpose of repentance to you or not ye shall one day rue it at all the veines of your heart to speak so and shall find the follie of it and that to your everlasting prejudice and loss if ye repent not And therefore let me press this Use upon you and earâ—estly exhort you to let these Considerations sink down â—nto your ears and hearts Beloved We are jealous over you and would God it were with a suitable Godly jealâ—usie We are afraid that many ere we be aware be â—own in their former puddle that ignorance and Proâ—anity be as rife as ever there have been so many fits â—nd good appearances and of so short continuance hereâ—ofore and now ye have been making some mint but what will come of it if ye fall back If these ordinances shall do you no good we know not what will do it 〈◊〉 think ye were never nearer to some great Crise to a â—ick of being lost or gained we have you as it were 〈◊〉 the very place of the breaking forth of Children So â—hat now you must be either safely and fairly delivered â—r prove abortives Ah! are our fasts and Communions â—o no purpose Are all your Purposes and resolutions â—our engagements and seeming willingness to engage 〈◊〉 vain and to no effect If ye shall fall back after this â—nd turn again to folly I do not much expect that any â—â—dinances or future engagements shall do you much â—ood we must either look for better and more fruit â—r there will be more barrenness and stubbornness â—ither ye shall be more Holy or more of that old sin of Malignity
pray can such as ye do at a fast or humiliation for sin when this is your great sin and ye cannot by any means be brought to take with it though you take with other sins but can come boldly to the Table of the Lord as Believers and such as have no just reason to doubt of the soundness of your Faith while in the mean time all the Faith that ye have is but rotten presumption This is a most fearfull condition for so long as ye think that ye have Faith ye cannot think your selves to be lost neither can ye cast your selves down with a stopped mouth before God nor is there access for any word from him to do you good A 2d Conviction or challenge is of or for the want of a new nature were ye ever convinced of this not only of this and that and the other particular sin but that ye were in a sinfull and unrenewed state Nicodemus John 3. comes to Christ and speaks him fair but the Lord lets him know that fair words a great Profession and some yea much knowledge will not do the turn he must necessarily have somewhat else even a new nature He must be born again else he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven He is very unwilling and loth to digest that Doctrine but the Lord tells him that that which is born of the flesh is flesh It were good that many of you had that word from your heart in your Mouth which is Jere. 31.18 Turn thou me and I shal be turned Convictions of a naturall state Alace are very rare If any of you have had such Convictions try what became of them and what followed on them A Third Conviction or challenge is of or for former breaches of Covenant For Gospel sins and the sin of dealing unfaithfully in Gods Covenant and can any of you shift this Challenge considering what ye were tyed to in Baptisme and by other vows and engagements which ye have come under since that time especially at the Lords Supper How few of those have been kept or rather have they not been as so many ropes of Sand And who are suitably challenged for and convinced of such breaches as it is implyed here that these People are A Fourth Conviction is of want of Gods presence insinuated in their Going to seek the Lord which imports an absence of God and that sinfully procured by them for which they weep and are kindly affected the absence of God simply considered is no ground of challenge it being an act of Soveraignty but absence procured through our sin is a great ground of challenge Alace the most part know not neither are acquainted with any such Challenge they think God is always with them However the Lord is absent and it would well become us to search out diligently that which hath procured his absence for whatever may be Gods end in it there is abundant ground of Just challenge that we may get against our selves in it A Fifth Ground of challenge is in respect of their own stupidity and ignorance which have incapacitated them to take up the way how to come to God for making up the breach therefore They ask the way to Zion And this may be another sad challenge to many who though their ignorance senslesness and stupidity have utterly indisposed and unfitted themselves to make their peace with God and are without knowledge of the way how to vent their desires to him A Sixth Challenge implied is the want of love to one another and a Challenge for seen distance betwixt God and them helps to bear in on them this Challenge for distance betwixt one another Therefore now they say Come and let us join our selves this is another challenge which we should not shift it is too evident what ever our professions be that we are much cooled and fallen behind in our Love to one another A Seventh Challenge is lying long under a seen evil condition without being suitably affected with it therefore these People go now with the more tenderness about the work of turning to God and of their renewing Covenant with him that they were so long a falling to it I suppose many of you who never knew what Repentance was and others also who have been more serious then now they are may have this challenge It is no Strange nor uncouth thing that is called for from us to fit and prepare us for Fasts and Communions it is even seriousness in these most plain Common and Obvious things and if ye can hold up your faces and say that these concern you not nor the Present occasion ye may wave and lay them aside but if they be such things as your Consciences convince you of it is most necessarie that ye take time to think upon them and lay them to Heart and that ye study through Grace to be Humbled for them before the Lord. But the Observation that we intended mainly to speak a word to at this time is this that There is no amending or righting of an ill condition but by making sure and fast the Covenant betwixt God and us What is the remedie of this Peoples ill condition here when they find themselves so far wrong Come say they and let us join our selves to the Lord in a Perpetuall Covenant never to be forgotten when I speak here of Covenanting as that on which the quieting of our Consciences and the remedie of things wrong in our Condition doth so much depend It is not to be understood of a bare Promise only to right and amend things that are wrong and amiss but it is to be understood of a reall Covenanting with God of a reall and cordiall accepting of the offer of Jesus Christ made to us in the Gospel whereby an union betwixt God and us through him as Mediator is made up wherein there is Gods offer and Promise on the one side and our Faith accepting of and submitting to the terms and Conditions on which the offer is made on the other side whereupon there followeth a mutuall closed bargain betwixt God and us or the very bargain is thus made up And so whatever way we look upon and consider our condition as evil or sad whether in respect of challenges for and convictions of sin and of wrongs done to God or in respect of darkness uncleanness confusion or in respect of Crosses and afflictions this is the way to win at the remedy thereof thus David 2 Sam. 23 5. When he is drawing near to Death and hath many challenges for things that had been wrong in his Personall walk and in his house which had brought on it much affliction and trouble and when he finds himself very infirm and under the want of much of that lively sense he had won to have he betakes himself to this Though saith he My house be not so with God yet he hath made with mâ— an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sureâ— and this is
sin should have this for their aim designe and endeavour as we see in these spoken of here who when they come to any sense of their sin this is clearly their great designe and work verie seriously and closely pursued by them To clear and Confirm it take these Three words Consider First What state and Condition man naturally is in Secondly What God is to man in reference to that estate And Thirdly What Covenanting with God is and we will find that there is nothing which he should more seriously designe and seek after First Man is naturally an enemy to God and in respect of his malicious desperat inclination given to thwart with God whereby God stands as an enemy to him he is liable to the curse of God and God is as an armed man against him as Job speaks and he like an unarmed Child runing on the bosses of his Buckler Secondly Consider that God is not only an enemy but stands stated as such with his Curse against sinners according to that word Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them and this Curse is like the flaming Sword in the hand of the Cherubims which with terrour separats betwixt God and the sinner So that there is no access for him to God and if he have any thoughts of God he is troubled with them and all the Creatures are armed against him So that he can expect nothing but enmity from every stone of the field Thirdâ— Consider that Covenanting with God is that wheâ— by a man who is naturally at enmity with God coâ—eth to be in friendship with him and hath the faâ— of every thing altered the meditation of God sweet to him the creatures are in league with hiâ— The Angels become Ministring Spirits to him a Gods dispensations become lovely and do work tâ—gether for his good even those that are in themselves most terrible Death and the Grave becomâ— servants to him and being in Covenant with Goâ— he can triumph over them and all troubles and peâ—secutions and say that he is More then Conqueror 〈◊〉 them all as it is Rom. 8. and saith the Apostle tâ— such 1 Cor. 3. All things are yours whether Pauâ— or Apollo or Cephas or Life or Death things presenâ— or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs Is it any wonder then that at Poor Soul toucheâ— with the sense of sin be desirous and Solicitous to bâ— in Covenant with God And therefore whetheâ— we look upon it as a dutie or as an evidence of 〈◊〉 person truly humbled for sin it is very desirable anâ— should be seriously sought after The Use Serves to show That the great Scope which ye should now have before you is to have a broken Covenant made up with God It should be your main designe to put this grand business to a point that there may be no war but a standing League betwixt God and you And therefore whâ— ever they be that satisfie themselves with going about the Ordinances misken this they certainly mistake the mark The great matter is not to come to the Communion neither is it to win at somewhat of heart softness or to a little sense which are good but it 's really to be in Covenant with God to be able to say on good ground The Lord is my God My beloved 〈◊〉 mine and I am his And when he saith Return backsliding Children to be in case to answer with the heart â—ehold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God â—his is indeed a desirable thing and he is an unhappie man that doth not that will not heartily desire and seek after it Secondly From their very great Seriousness in going and weeping in going to seek the Lord asking the way to Zion and from their encouraging one another to Join in Covenant with the Lord Observe that where there is any Sincerity or begun work of Grace it shews 〈◊〉 self in nothing sooner then in an impulse to be at Covenanting with God and to have some clearness therein For only to be in Covenant and not to have the knowledge of it cannot give that peace and comfort which a present sad exercise calleth for therefore say they while they are going and weeping Come and let us join our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shal not be forgotten So then we say that a sincere and gracious work of God appears in nothing sooner then in this impulse to have the Covenant of God fixed and put out of doubt to have this at a Point is their great designe here and they are very serious in it So Isaiah 44. where vers 3. There is a Promise of the work of the Spirit in Sanctifieng and how is this work of the Spirit proved or wherein doth it appear Even thus vers 5. One shal say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the Name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and sur-name himself by the name of Israel the work of Gods Spirit whâ— he comes to Sanctifie and save is such as makes a maâ— run and devote himself to God with hand heart aâ— mouth ye never saw people more quickly and wiâ— better will come to the Church at the most Solemâ— occasion then when this work is begun or there any kindly exercise about it serious Souls will 〈◊〉 ready to run with their heart to Subscribe to Gods Câ—venant when the Terms of it are laid out before theâ— Only advert to these Two things in this Observatioâ— First When I speak of entering in Covenant with Goâ— I mean of the hearts closing with him by Fai h according as he offers himself in this Gospel when he saitâ— quit and renounce your own righteousness and taâ— mine quit and abandon your lusts and Idols and giâ—â— your selves to me and I will be your God and be fortâ— coming to you in all things that concern your happineâ— here and hereafter the heart yeelds and says conteâ— Lord the offer is good and I accept of it and 〈◊〉 wives were wont as it is yet the custom to surnaâ— themselves by their husbands so doth the Soul upâ— the matter in this Covenant Subscribe I am Godâ— This is called a yeelding to God or the giving of tâ— hand to him 2 Chron. 30.8 and Rom. 10.3 It 〈◊〉 called A submitting to the righteousness of God Seconâ—ly When we speak of this impulse towards or desiâ— of Covenanting with God It 's noâ— to be understood 〈◊〉 every raw wish such as Balaam bad to be in Heaven but it is a seriously urging impulse an earnest hungâ— and thirst and an ardent longing to have this at a point It 's such a thirsting desire as all the world beside wâ— not be able to quench It makes the Soul eager in tâ— pursuit of the thing even to meet and close with Goâ— in the Covenant It 's in effect that which Matth. 5.6 is called
a these in the Prodigal who when he came to himselâ— reckons thus with himself 1. I perish for hunger thiâ— Points at the sense of his need 2. There is Bread enougâ— in my Fathers house and to spare which shews his Believing esteem of the fulness of God for a supply of hiâ— need and for making him a Poor Miserable Perishing wretch compleatly happy 3. His resolution is I will go and say Father c. This holds out his actuall purpose of Covenanting with God which hath always faith in it It is the same on the matter with this Come and let us join our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant The Use of it serveth to shew what a serious or well qualified desire after Covenanting with God is and wherein it consists and those things that are marks of it may also serve for Directions how to go about it aright First This Well qualified or serious desire of Covenanting with God floweth from a two fold Conviction 1. From a conviction of Peoples sin and breach of Covenant formerly and of their distance from God whereof we spake somewhat the Last day we are afraid that many of you think you desire when yet ye never knew aâ—ight your guilt in breaking Covenant nor took up aright the distance betwixt God and you It 's one sort of desire that a whole man hath to speak with the Phâ—sitian and another which a sick man hath it is of the latter that we mean here Secondly From a Conviction of the want of Gods Company These here know now though they be Abrahams seed that yet they are nevertheless naturally enemies to God and Christ and without both and therefore they seek him and to make a Covenant with him There are some that pretend to be seeking God and Christ and yet they have him they think always in their hearts But speak soberly did ye ever want or miss him It may be at the one word ye will say we hope not and at the next word Perhaps too often and it is still but a guessing at the best when the Prodigall came to himself he saw that he had been to speak so in the wrong close Secondly This well qualified desire hath a kindly heart softness with it which is a good though a very rare thing They go here weeping and when they are a saying these words Come and let us join to the Lord in Covenant their tears are trickling down It 's a good and hopeful desire which is expressed with the tear in the eye proceeding from a suitably affected heart There are Alace many of our desires that do not kindly affect neither do they make any change the heart remaineth dead stiff and hard under them Thirdly This well qualified desire puts on to diligence and is not like the sluggards desire therefore they go and seek the Lord they are eager and earnest in the matter and are taken up with it This desire will make the man sometimes forget to eat his bread and it may be to Pray seven times a day what if I had said twice seven times and very oft to with draw from all company at least that is not edifieing and profitable and to retire to the fields or to the Chamber quietly to lay as it were a chase by the pursuit of Faith to the finding out of Gods Company It will make him and her go to the poorest body in all the town or village that is gracious to ask the way to Zion this is also a very rare thing ye all know the way to Heaven as ye think and this makes you foolishly confident till ye run your selves into the mire and into the pit at last if Grace by making a saving change pâ—event not Fourthly This well qualified desire is a humbling desire there is no pleading here with God of the priviledge of their Relation they have â—o Abraham and to the Covenant made with him they cannot find in their hearts nor have they confidence to do that they Judge themselves to be very unlike him and they carry humbly towards one another glad to ask the way at and to get some knowledge of it from one another how they may win forward they are like the Spouse who saith to the Daughters of Jerusalem Cant. 5. If ye see my Beloved tell him that I am sick of Love take my Commendations as if she had said to him and lay out my case before him such serious and humble Souls will be glad to take help in the way from any body that can give it which saith that they are diligent and Painfull Fifthly This desire as it may is always setting forward they are going and asking the way and though they have a strong tide as it were against them yet the wind of their own desire and impulse steereth them through and maketh them Stem the Port and though they make but flow progress yet it is always towards Zion Sixthly This desire is a Peremptory and to say so an illimited desire and that in a twofold respect 1. In respect of coming at God It must have him and will not submit to the want of him Communion with him it must have 2. In this respect that it maketh no Conditions with God of its own but is heartily well content to take him on his own terms This indeed is a notably good mark of a well qualified desire when a Soul desires not so much to be at Heaven as to be at God and when it is as I Just now said content to take him on his own terms many will desire God and Heaven but with some such secret reservation as this that they get leave to brook their lusts and Idols that they may have liberty to tipple and triffle away their time to take their fill of the World to be in credit and reputation and to pursue after some one thing or other in the World or at least they must be allowed to go about the establishing of their own righteousness but this desire is waited with the abandoning of all Idols without any allowed exception or reservation and with the renouncing of self-righteousness also in the Point of Justification and therefore it 's called Submitting to the Righteousness of God It says not a word against the terms of the Covenant but holds all these things were good to be seriously thought on and sought after in our approaching to the Table of the Lord to renew our Covenant with him and where they are not in some measure our desires will not be found to be of the light kind it were therefore very suitable for you to think how ye may get your hearts quickened and warmed with vehement and unquenchable desires after this covenanting with God and after the water of life O! know ye any thing of this There are some who have found it in experience and who can represent it better to themselves then we can expâ—ess it ye who have had your hearts Panting for God
for the living God as David saith his heart did Psal 42. Can tell what raw wishes were before and thaâ— the Grace of God works such desires as have another sort of edge on them and have a holily disquieting and restless hunger for the breasts of Gods Covenant and cannot rest nor be satisfied yea no not live without them Fourthly Observe That A people or person may have some sincere desires after Covenanting with God and yet have much weakness many infirmities and fears in the accomplishing of that their designe Many poor puzzled and perplexed souls may have this honest desire and yet not know well how to put the thing in Practice even like unto these mentioned here who are going toward Zion to join themselves to the Lord in Covenant and yet are asking the way they have covenanting with God in their eye as their great scope but are ignorant in a Considerable measure of the way yet they sit not still till they get the way as it were described on a Card to them but they rise and make forward as they may I nothing doubt the truth of this Doctrine is known in experience by some Serious though much tossed and puzzled Souls who have some honest and earnest longings after him and after Covenanting with him who yet know not well how to win at him or how to make this Covenanting Practicable thus the honest well meaning Daughters of Jerusalâ—m ask the Spouse Cant. 6. Whither is thy beloved gone that we may see him with thee There was a sincere desire after him and a fixed Purpose to be at him and to decline no Labour nor pains in order to coming by him yet they know not well whither to go for finding of him even like honest Mary who John 21. would fain have Christ and comes to the grave to seek him and missing him weeps and when the Angels speak to her to comfort her that will not do it She continues still weeping and tells the cause They have taken away my Lord and I know not wheâ—e they have laid him It was an evidence of the honesty of her desire that though she knew not where he was yet she could not be diverted by any thing from a mournfull restless and diligent Pursuit after his presence This may Proceed Partly in the First Place from believers their infirmity and their not being thorough in the knowledge of Gospel Mysteries from their ignorance of the Parties and conditions of the Covenant of the nature Properties and promises of it If they knew how kind and condescending the Lord is how near he brings his Word How litle he will take of their hand how solid the Covenant is how sure the cautioner is and how their Part of the Covenant is undertaken for as well as Gods they would not have such doubts and fears hence Rom. 14. They who are weak in knowledge are said to be weak in faith Because through their Ignorance they have many doubts This makes me to think that if many of you had sincerity and seriousness in the great concern of your Salvation ye would be much and almost inextricably Puzzled how to Rid your selves in many things ye would meet with in your condition because of the abunding of your ignorance ye cannot Alas tell what Repentance is what closing with Christ in the Covenant is what Christs offices are and what use should be made of them and therefore if ye were put inâ—o any strait or Dump through the sense of sin it needed be no great wonder that ye should be in much confusion and did not know what to do to get out of it It were good therefore that ye studied the knowledge of God and of the Covenant that if ever God do you good ye may have some clearness and distinctness in the way of the Remedy of your evils and of extricating you out of your difficulties But that which keeps many quiet is Alace their own Presumption grown to a great height and the devils rocking them fast asleep in the cradle of Securitie it 's a wonder to see so many very confident of Peace with God who yet know not how it is come at when God touches your Conscience ye will be put to cry what shall we do Because of your ignorance Secondly It proceeds partly from want of experience hence though some it may be have light and knowledge yet wanting experience of the thing they are at a stand and know not what to do in this or that case Just as if a man were to go to London and were informed of all the Towns and Posts in the way yet when he comes to advance in his Journey not having gone the way before he is often in doubt whether he be right So it is with many who from literall knowledge can tell what faith and Repentance is but when their Spirits are Jumbled to speak so confused and put through other the matter looks far otherwise upon them and they are like a man who coming to a shallow and safe foord of a River that is mudded yet fears to take it because he hath not ridden it before whereas another that hath gone thorow it can confidently hazard on it and indeed it is no Marvell to see much of this even amongst Believers A Third cause or ground whence this may proceed is prejudices at the way of God and of persons at themselves men have naturally a sort of Gospel of their own that they cannot go by till someway they be constrained and when God puts them to it they are at a stand as for instance there is this Prejudice in some that they think none can go and warrantably take hold of Gods Covenant till they be so and so humbled that they cannot go with Convictions Challenges till they get some more deep heart-work or be in a better and more tender frame Hence Peter saith to Christ Luke 5. very unreasonably Depart from me for I am a sinfull man O Lord whereas David reasoned otherwise and much more Pertinently Psal 25. when he saith Pardon my iniquity for it is great and hence the question ariseth what shall we do and when they are bidden believe they Object Ah! we are sinners and have evil and hard hearts and are unhumbled look what Passed betwixt Peter and his heaters Acts. 2. He layeth out before them their horrid guilt in crucificing Christ they are Pricked in their hearts and cry what shall we do He bids them Repent and be Baptized which takes in Faith and vers 41. It 's said that such as were kindly touched Gladly received the Word Now I pray what if they had objected can we that have even now or a very liâ—le since had our wicked hands embrewed in the precious blood of Christ Believe on him Come away saith he on the matter for there is no other way to Pardon and Peace with God there was much of this in the Primitive times amongst the Christian Romans Corinthians
Galatians and Hebrews many Prejudices at and wrong conceptions of the Gospel and Covenant of Grace and therefore they would have patched up a Gospel of Grace of works they would have brought in the Ceremonies of the Law and established a self-righteousness and this in particular is one great Prejudice that the devil Laboureth deeply to possess the minds of wakened sinners with even to make them think that it's Presumption for them though they would fain do it to come to Christ and by Faith to close with him unless they be so and so qualified as long as they are secure he makes them take their Presumption for Faith but the next day when they are wakened and exhorted to betake themselves to Christ by Faith he calls that also Presumption and indeed as it is Satans manner to drive Sinners on extremes So it is our way to run into extrems that which made us call our Presumption Faith is the same which makes us call our Faith presumption because we lay it for a ground that it is our honestie or good disposition and so and so qualified frame that must commend us to God and therefore while we conceive that we have that it 's the ground of our presumption and when the Conscience is wakened and we find that we want that we cannot believe A Fourth Cause or ground whence this in some may proceed who would fain believe is not so much their darkness and ignorance of the way as the backwardness frowardness and deceit of their heart that will not for them come up to it such are puzzled and perplexed what to do because they cannot get it well done as they would such are like a good Archer that can shoot well but hath a deceitfull bow which when he hath put his Arrow on the string and hath drawn it to the very head starts aside and makes him quite misse his mark the fault and defect is not in the mans skill but in the Bow we the rather make use of this Comparison that the Holy Ghost doth so in the Scripture resembling our heart to a deceitfull bow that turns aside So that they who are acquainted with their own hearts know not what to do with them how to guide them and bring them up unto or bold them at any thing that is good and though it may be they could to good purpose give directions to others in such a case yet they find their own hearts very untractable to admit of them as if they did not suit or meet with their own case This is indeed a very puzzling difficultie yet to such perplexed Souls there is no new direction to be given but the renewed exercise of faith and to put the directions which they know in practice and when one shot to speak so misgives to essay another not to seek as it were a new string but to cast a new knot on it and if two knots should slip to cast a third improving more that Grace of â—he Covenant to make them hold better Therefore Acts 2 When those pricked in their hearts ask what they shall do Peter bids them Repent they were begun to do so and he bids them be doing and go on ye then that are indeed serious and to whom your short comings are really your Souls burden would not think it any uncouth strange or extraordinary thing to find desire and affection running far before your light and practise though ye would endeavour to have them foot-side a Christians desire may be a dayes Journey as it were before himself as to his attainment and indeed in some respect it would not be good if it were otherwise for it is no good signe of progress in Gods way when the desires of Persons go no further length then their Practise or when they their Practice falls nothing short of their desires both in that case are to be much suspected for even eminently Holy Paul sees himself to be behind Philip. 3. when he saith I think not my self perfect but one thing I do forgetting things that are behind and reaching forth to those things that are before I press towards the mark Where he came one Post in his attainment His desire was ten in a manner before him and so is it with those people here spoken of Come say they Let us Join our selves to the Lord they find themselves to be behind and endeavour to work themselves up and to draw themselves and one another forward we must now draw to a close and shall therefore but touch the following Observations and pass them in a word Fifthly Observe that in Peoples covenanting with God their desires and designes will be much sooner Proposed and laid down then they will be got accomplished and put inexecution or then they will win to satisfie themselves therein although an Union be betwixt Christ and them yet they are not satisfied till they be some-what clear and distinct about it they are like the Prodigal who being in another and strange Countrey saith first I will go then he ariseth and I will say to my Father before he actually speak to his Father himself calling him Father Some reall acting of Faith Preceeds his more distinct ct satisfieing acting of it there is a faith in resolving to believe before there be a resting of Faith or stayed believing and yet it 's Faith that begets that same resolution if the Prodigal had not had some Faith of enough in his Fathers house and of his Fathers affection he would not have resolved to go home and these people mentioned here would not have set their faces towards Zion if they had not had some begun stirrings of Faith Sixthly Observe That it is a good token to be asking seriously the way to Heaven though the askers be not so clear in it there is some ground to think that such Persons are in the way and if they hold on and fo low the directions of the word they may come thither It is far better to be dissatisfied and to ask the Way then not to ask and yet to be satisfied with our own knowledge of the way Seventhly Observe that Persons may fall very far short of their desire and have much infirmitie and may meet with many puzzling difficulties how to accomplish what they would be at yet where a serious and longing desire is wakened after Covenanting with God they should go forward and follow it forth This people are short of what they desired and yet they go and they know not as it were where to set down the next fooâ— till they ask the way yet they go on still asking there is no disputing here but forward we should go I suppose these here spoken of might have had severall difficulties started and severall obstructions laid in their way yet on they go as First This that they were Covenant breakers yet they taking seriously with it step over that and say notwithstanding Come let us join our selves to the Lord in a
Covenant Secondly they might have thought that it was a very long Journey and that they would never be able to go thorow to the end of it besides that they were under the dominion of strange Kings who were Heathens So it may be said on the matter and is often said to serious Souls that would fain believe can ye believe It will not be with you are ye not under the feet of many Tyrannous lusts And how will ye win free from them yet they resolve and must yea dare not but resolve to go forward and the reason is because they resolve to take with their guilt and to make use of the Covenant for answering and silencing of challenges and they resolve also if the Journey be long to make use of the Covenant for strength to make them hold on and hold out in it The weak Believer when such doubts are started should make use of the Promises of the Covenant such as these Faithfull is he who hath called you who also will do it 1 Thess 5.24 Return back sliding Children and I will heal your back-slidings saith the Lord and then follows Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Jer. 3.22 They yeeld themselves to the Lord. A Third Difficultie is their ignorance they might have said we know not the way and how can we think to come where we desire and designe to be as some will be ready to say we can tell some words of the Catechisme but Alace We know not what it is to believe yet they sit not still for all this but as one Remedy of their ignorance they ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward And if ye Ask here how can their faces be thitherward when they are a king the way And at whom do they ask the way The Gentiles amongst whom they live know it not and they have no other to ask at I answer they are hanging on God and taking their Marks and meaths of the way as he gives them from his word and there is a most sweet word for such Isaiah 35.8 where the Lord speaking of this way and calling it the way of Holiness he saith The way faring man though a fool shall not erre therein It 's the heartsomest way that can be O! but it be safe for the way-faring sinner for the seriously seeking Soul to have the face toward God for making up of Peace with him upon the one hand the Lord hedges up such persons their way with thorns that they shal not find their lovers and upon the other he constrains them to go right forward He leads the blind in a way they know not and makes darkness light before them are there not severals of you brought far thorow this day and ye know not well how He brought you to Faith very insensibly and trained you on peece and peece and yet ye cannot tell well how but ye know certainly that it was He that did it and in this Case O! but it be good singly to be given up to Gods leading and guiding who leads his flock like a shepherd who gathers his Lambs with his arm and carries them in his bosom and gentlie leads them that are with young as it is Isaiah 40.11 The Lambs would run wild and ruine themselves if left on the Hills but they are under the good Shepherds oversight and tutorie to speak so who brings home the lost sheep on his Shoulders as it was even now said gathers the Lambs with his Arm and gently leads them that are with Young which not only saith that he drives not hard lest they cast the young but that as the Nurse leads the litle Child otherwise then Ladies use to be led by a gentle touch of their hand or arm by the arm holes or by the tugs when the Child knows not how to go and cannot stand on its own feet even so leadeth he such I taught saith the Lord Hosea 11. Ephraim also to go taking them by their arms when a poor Body hath Christ a forming in the heart he will gently lead such an one and deal wonderfully tenderly with the person ye who come honestly to him may confidently yeeld and give up your selves to be his and guided by him though ye be both weak and know not the way well if ye can but cast a look to him to speak so or be sweetly silent before him allowing him to be doing and to take his oâ— way with you if you lay your selves humbly in 〈◊〉 dust and wait what he will do to you he will accoâ— that Believing The Lord is good to them that wait him to the soul that seeks him saith Jeremiah Lamâ— 25. To wait on Gods leasure is a saying much abuâ— but it is very good and commendable here It is gâ— that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the Sâ—â—vation of the Lord. Be not afraid sincere and exercâ— Souls I say be not afraid when he is as it weâ— pouring you from vessel to vessel and putting youâ— his own holy and wise ends in some confusion so ye know not well what to do or to what hand to you he is wondrous tender of you in that Case will have a speciall care that ye Mis-carry not Thâ— a very sweet Subject if we could speak suitably 〈◊〉 Himself bless it to you Jeremiah 50. Vers 4.5 Going and weeping they shall go seek the Lord their God Vers 5. They shall ask the way to Zion with faces thither-ward saying Come and let us our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covâ—nant shall not be forgotten SERMON III. IT is like that at the first reading of these Words will approve both the designe that this People haâ—â— engaging themselves to God in Covenant and 〈◊〉 endeavour to have their engagement so solid and sure as it may not be broken any more but may hold for ever we take it for granted also that ye will Judge that the disposition and frame of Soul wherein they are while about this great Business is very becoming and â—uitable for such as have dealt unfaithfully and foully in â—he Covenant of God and are from the Conviction â—ereof stirred and put upon Resolutions to engage with â—â—m of new and to enter again into a Covenant with â—â—m we Heartily wish that it were a peece of our Exercise this night before our approaching the Table of the Lord the next day to compare the frame and Sett of our hearts with what these words hold forth this Peoples frame and disposition to be We need not now speak to the Scope of the words it being so clear and having been touched at before There is here a People Prophesied of who are to be brought to Repentance and Covenanting with God in the Latter dayes whose Spiritually good and desirable frame is described They shall go weeping and seeking the Lord each of them stirring up another having this for their designe and the Language of their hearts Come and
Depart from me I never knew you Yea suppose there were not such great ground of fear as to that as indeed there is can ye promise to your selves Gods hearing any of your Prayers the performance of any Promise or the accepting of any duty off your hand as service to him till ye be in Covenant with the Lord And think ye nothing or but litle of this Secondly Consider the great prejudice that follows on not Covenanting with God and that will attend many in the visible Church Many saith the Lord Luke 13. Will seek to enter who shall not be able The solid Faith of this would make many Congregations to tremble for it 's not only many profane persons but many of them that countenance Ordinances yea many of them that have preached and prayed to the Edification of others and many of them who have heard Christ preach in their streets and who have countenanced faithfull Ministers and furthered the work of God and who have had indignation at others that did not so who will not be able to enter this word with that other which we have Psal 78.34 where there is such a seeming seriousness and personating of many Graces of the Spirit and yet nevertheless it is but a flattering of God with the mouth and a lying to him with the tongue which is a very rife and common thing amongst professos amongst such as profess Covenanting with God should put us in fear And Thirdly Consider this â—hat ye have naturally such hearts as others have that aâ—e ready to beguile you and to back slide and slip ouâ— from God and are not those beguiles and disappointments of others written for our warning and advertisments And if any of you should say we hope there is no such ground of fear as to us That 's but a bewraying of your Ignorance and senselesness for those who are best acquainted with their own hearts will tell you thaâ— it is a ticklish and diâ—ficult business to deal truly and throughly with God Do ye not know that many take a counterfeit for grace And were ye noâ— heaâ—ing lately that many Hypocrites have personated almost if there be need to say almost every Grace surely many oâ— you will find it true one day that the heart is deceitfull above all things and desperatly wicked and that ye havâ— etred and played the fools egregiously and in nothing moâ—e then in trusting your own hearts for saith the wise man He that trusts his own heart is a fool Fourthly Consider that it is now come to a Nick and pincâ— with you that either ye must close the Covenant wiâ—h God or put your selves farther under his Curse and eat and driâ—k damnation to your selves because ye have mis-kent Gods Covenant and slighâ—ed Covenanting with him and so have come as enemies to his Table without making your friend-ship with him we declare to you that eâ—e the morrow at this time many of yoâ— will eiâ—her have a bit or a Miss of the greatest bargain a d of the greatest concernment that ever was made betwixt parties and although ye should not eternally incapacitate your selves for Covenanting with God which many may do and bring themselves under such a sad sentence that they shall never hencefoâ—th be quickened nor awaked any more yet ye may make your bands stronger and may make the business of your Covenanting with God far more difficult to your selves then now it might be The Second general Observation is this that a soft tender and melting heart is a good and suitable frame for Covenanting with God would ye then know what is a fit frame for Covenanting with God It 's even this a heart melting frame they shall go weeping as they go they have much seriousness inward stir and warmness of heart and that makes it to meâ—t and as iâ— were flow down before the Lord this is according to what we have Zech. 12.10 I will saith the Lord Pour upon the house of David and on the inhabitance of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and supplications and they shall look to him whom they have pierced and shall mourn and be in bitterness as one is for hâ—s first born even when they are coming home and asking the way to Zion with their faces thither ward and about to enter in Covenant they are mourning Hence Isaiah 44.3 4 5. And elsewhere even almost where ever entring into or renewing of the Covenant with God is spoken of the out-pouring of the Spirit is spoken of also a pouring water on him that is thirstie and flouds of the dry ground bringing Rivers out of Rocks c. for preparing a People for the Lord. And this will be the more clear if we consider that softness and melting of heart gives a man a right impâ—ession of himself and a right impression of God and of his free Grace and goodness and it makes the man to become folding tractable Pliant and yeelding to God and also makes way for much Spiritual sense and comfort and for Gods refâ—eshfull manifesting of himself to the Soul that is so pliable and tender thus the Lord saith Hos 2.14 I will allure her and bring her to the wilderness and speak comfortably to her or to her heart as the word is Alluring speaks pliableness that hath Gods Comfortable speaking to the heart following on it The First Use of this point serves to give you another Mark for Triall if things be right and in good case with you for Covenanting with God and as the upshot of all to commend such a desirable frame as thiâ— to you would ye know theâ— further what is a right frame for Covenanting with God Here it is even to have a heart melting within to have a soft tender and mournfull disposition of Soul and would ye know what this is We think that from the words it may be gathered to consist in these five or six things that concurre to it First There are some pricking challenges for sin and wrongs done to God they humbly acknowledge take with and are made sensible of these Secondly There is some missing and sensibleness of the want of Gods presence and of the want of Communion and Fellowship with him â—hey know not well where he is but they are a king after him Thirdly There is an ardent affection and serious desire to be at him and in Covenant with him a heart filled with love to God whereby it is softened and made to flow down as wax by the fire is melted and the hardest iron made soft Fourthly There is a Holy fear and carefulness whereby the heart is kept from growing cold and indifferent as to this condition and from settling and sitting down in it such a fear and trembling as old Eli had 1 Sam. 4. for the Ark whereby he was kept in a fright here is going and weeping with a Holy fear lest the Covenant be again broken Fifthly There is a self loathing kindly humiliation exercise of Repentance
which especially appears in this weeping when serious looking into the persons own Condition so affects the heart as it flâ—ws either in tears without and in sighs and groans within or in the latter without the former There is a Holy indifferencie as to their externall lot and an absolute submissiveness to the will of God to be dealt with and disposed upon as himself thinks fit If so be they be admitted into a Covenant with him they are sweetly Submissive to the terms let God do with them what he will they know it will be well if they get once within the bond of his Covenant and that it will never be well with them if they be without it Though this be somewhat general yet it will be found to be a near yea a narrow tryall If soâ—tness of heart bespeak a good frame and fit for Covenanting with God Ah! where is it The little heart-softness that is amongst us is one oâ— the neck-breaks of Religion and marrs our growth exceedingly what shall we say or think of our condition when we call to remembrance the seekers of God of old who watered their couches with tears and made their beds to swim who mingled their drink with tears and their meat with weeping O! what is become of that now or what Religion is this that we have in these dayes in comparison of that which they had who were so serious and so much affected and heart-wrought with their Religion when we are so chil-cold and frozen when our hearts are scarce kindly warmed much less softened and melted It is no wonder there be much lamenting for the want of sense and life when there is so much heart-hardness the contrarie of this heart melting softness But it may be Asked here How comes it to pass that the People of God are now so unlike that which Gods People were wont to be so litle softned contriâ— and melted I speak not of externall weeping and shedding of tears for there may be much of that where the heart is but litle softned though not ordinarily often when the heart is inwardly melted externall weeping in some Measure follows though the one of these may be and is some times without the other neither do I speak of that softness which is peculiarly requisit for the Communion but of that which is called for in our ordinary walk to make us folding yeelding and pliable to God ready to receive any impression that he will please to stamp on us what I say can be the causes of the want of this Or that we are not in it as Gods people were wont to be I answer First It may be that Professors now have much more conceit of their Profession and content themselves better with the form and with the Gospels being clearer now then it was in former days and God resists the proud yea even pride in the Godly Trembling such other evidences of tenderness in severall of those Saints mentioned in the Scripture are not much to be found with us we are Alace very unlike them a sharp word from God would have made the strongest of them to tremble nay the Godly are several times in the old Testament descriâ—ed to be tremblers at the Word but we very generally are bolstered up in a manner with much stout-heartedness and self conceit as if we were abâ—ve challenges fears doubtings and puzzling cases of Conscience David Job Paul and others of the Saints who had not such ground for that sort of exercise as most of us have may I not say as all of us have yet were more in it then we Whence this comes were worthy of our serious enquiâ—y It 's probable that Pride and Self conceit have much influence upon it Secondly We fear that Christians now a dayes have much betaken themselves to the external deckings and adornings of religion with neglect in part at least and to the Prejudice of Religion it self of the soul and substance of it The Godly of old were single and Plain in Religion as Jacob is called a plain Man and taken up with the power of Godliness but many now are so much taken with gifts and are so fond of them that a Covenant interest self-denyal Mortificatiâ—n and the like take them up the less Many of you are at more labour and Pain to hold up a Name then to mortifie such a lust as is a Self-seeking humour or to have matters tho ough and clear betwixt God and you Thirdly They made moâ—e and greater account of Communion with God then we do seeking after it as a thing they were taken up with which now Alace is much neglected bâ—cau e we bear that our Salvation doth not depend simply on intimaâ— and familiar fellowship with God we are the less carefull and solicitous about it whereas of old the want of it made them Sick of Love as the Spouse is Cant. 5 And what longing fainting and out-crying is there for it Psal 42 It was a Prison to them to be in a Palace wanting Gods Company This is a main thing that softens peoples hearts even to have the Lord manifesting himself to have the light of his Countenance lifted up and the beams of his love and good will shining warm on us too much seeking of great things for our selves foâ— g andure or greatness in the world in makinâ— godliness some way to be gain and counting gain as it were to be Godliness Alace it is not much our care to have victory over the World and that it may have liâ—le of our heart and Christ much of it It 's not the designe that we drive with suitable vigour even to be Heavenly minded and to brook a soft heart Love not the World saith the Apostle 1 John 2.15 Nor the things of the World for whoso loveth the world the love of the Father is not in him They so far overcame the world that they suffered joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing in themselves they had a better and an enduring substance in heaven as it is Heb. 10.34 But the wicked and men of the world having what heart can wish even waters of a full cup are wrung out to them Gods People turn in thither and will needs essay and try the comforts of a present world what satisfaction they can yeeld them as we may see Solomon did to his great pâ—ejudice for the things of the world in a great measure got the upper hand of him and that after the Lord had appeared to him twice It were good and much to be wished that many of you did espy this evil in your selves the Scripture insists much in it as that which mens hearts are mainly carried out after and yet we can get none almost convinced of it Men will be got convinced of gross out-breaking evils but of this evil the most earthly minded wormes cannot be gotten convinced nay even good people are hardly got convinced of it but ye are not in the less hazard of
Covenant The grossest sins of Pagans are in some respect as no sins in comparison of this John 15.22 2. There will be much shame before God even shame and confusion of Face everlasting shame they shall rise from the dead to shame and everlasting contempt Dan. 12. Sinners will have much shame ere all be done for every sin But such as have wickedly betrayed their trust to God and after they had made Profession of entring in Covenant with him have dealt Perfidiously and falsly in it will be in a manner hissed at amongst devils and reprobat Pagans who never had such offers neither made such Professions and their condemnation will be acknowledged to carry eminent and conspicuous desert in it Because such had a good bargain and dealt treacherously with God and quite maried it to themselves they have often also much shame amongst men even here The man saith Christ That hears my sayings and does them not is like unto a foolish builder that built his house one the sand and elsewhere he resembles rash engagers in profest Covenanting with him to men who sit not down to count the cost that begin to build and not being able to finish expose themselves to the Mockage Scorn and Derision of all that pass by Such and such a man will some be ready to say was a great Professor but now behold what is become of him take him up yonder he seemed once to have some tenderness but now he is quite turned aside and become gross and loose Men of any Morall honesty and ingenuity will be ashamed to break their word to violat their engagements one to another in worldly matters how much greater shame is it to break to God and to deal falsly in his Covenant 3. It hath deep reflections upon God for the Covenant-breaker saith on the matter that it repents him that ever he made it for he hath never gotten good of it and that God hath not been faithfull in keeping to him and that therefore he thought himself loosed from all its Obligation Now will any of you dare to say that the Covenant is not a good bargain or that God is not a good responsall and faithfull party to deal with What iniquity have yâ—ur Fathers found in me saith the Lord to his Professing people Jer. 2. that they are gone so far from me Come saith he Micah 6. Before the Mountains and let the Hils hear my Controversy with you what iniquity have ye found in me wherein have I wearied you testifie against me Sure all that depart from God rub reproach on Gods Covenant as a bad bargain and on God as a bad and unfaithfull party to deal with O high and horrid practical Atheisme and Blasphemy Doubtless such will find that they have played the fools egregiously in Committing these two great evils in forsaking God the Fountain of living waters and in digging to themselves Cisterns even broken Cisterns that could hold no water O! If ye could Imagine what ye will think of it ere long when ye will not get a drop of watter to cool your tongue because ye said by your practice that God was not worth the having And to the Almighty depart from us we will have none of thee neithâ—r will we have the knowledge of thy ways 4. Much want of peace and much anxietie will follow upon it even the penitent and converting People of God Jer. 3.20 21. have much bitterness on this account of Treacherous dealing in Gods Covenant a voice of weeping and Lamentation is heard on the mountains the Children of Israel saying we have perverted our way we have forsaken the Lord our God how much more bitterness of another nature how much more Smart vexation Anguish Agony and gnawing of Conscience shall impenitent sinners have on account of their false and Perfidious dealing in Gods Covenant This will make the hearts of many to quake and tremble for terror If ye get Repentance it will be a heart-break to you and if ye get not repentance much heart less heart-break and crushing is abiding you in the end for evermore and O what trembling of heart failing of eyes and sorrow of mind may be betwixt and that 5 Much wrath will follow on it in the day of the Lord if it be continued in and judge ye withâ—n your selves if there be so many aggravations of or so many threatnings against any sin as of and against unfaithfull and false dealing in Gods Covenant this sin hath made the Jews to lye these Sixteen hundred years and above Scattered among all Nations as a curse Therefore make it your great designe and business â—ow to be Faithful to God and to have the Covenant with him A perpetual Covenant never to be forgotten As for the Third viz. Some motives and encouragements to excite you to be Faithful in Gods Covenant and to study to have it A perpetuall Covenant never to be forgotten consider in the First place that it is a singularly good and none-such bargain to them that keep Covenant there is no bargain more lovely to them that keep touches with God It 's saith dying David 2 Sam. 23. all my Salvation and all my desire It hath all things in it that my heart can wish we make a pitifull and poor life to our selves thorow our undervaluing Gods Covenant the Believer by improving of it might have as we use to speak a Lords life yea a Kings life yea a life infinitly preferable to the life of all the great men and Monarchs on earth having all things though Possessing nothing as it is 2 Cor. 6.10 and saith the Apostle Philip. 4. I have all I abound and have no lack while in the mean time he was living on a litle Charity from others we might have a good liâ—e here and hereafter doâ—h it not exceedingly Commend Gods Covenant that neither Sickness Poverty Reproach Contempt Persecution nor Death it self though violent and Bloody can marr this excellent life when the Covenanter comes to Judgement Who can lay any thing to his Charge It is God that Justifieth who shall condemn him He hath a friend before him Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and is in good-terms with God The great advantage of it in this life and in that which is to come for godliness is great gain having the promise of both may abundantly commend the Covenant and Faithfulness in it I am perswaded there is no suiter or wooer to court and put in for the sinners heart affection that can possibly out-bid Gods Covenant can the Lust of the eye the Lust of the flesh or the Pride of life can Profit Pleasure or Preferment make such Proffers Is there such advantage to be had in serving them as there is to be had in serving God By the one Ye bring forth fruit unto Holiness and in the end reap Eternal Life but by the other Ye sow to the flesh and shall of the flesh reap Corruption a poor and hungry
wine of Heaven and to Drink it new with Christ even to share in his Glory to have one feast and Glory with him And truly if there were no more to be said we may most confidently say that these are wonderful glad tidings which our blessed Lord Jesus hath left to be the great subject of the Doctrine of the Gospel and the Scope of the Sacraments We shall 1. Open up the words a litle 2. We shall draw some Doctrines from them And then 3. Insist in the Application First Then for Explication From the 26. vers is set down the Institution of the Supper of the Lord wherein we have First What Christ did Secondly What he Commands the Disciples and us in them to do Thirdly He Explicats in these words what he hath been doing and Commande to be done This is my Blood saith he of the Neâ— Testament c. As if he had said would you knoâ— what it is that I am doing There was a Covenaâ— made long since betwixt my Father and me coâ—cerning the elect wherein I condescended anâ— transacted to take on mans nature and in that natuâ—â— to suffer and satisfie Divine Justice for their sinâ— this is the Commemoration of my Satisfactioâ— according to that Covenant and the exhibiting anâ— giving to you a confirmation of your interest in aâ— the blessings of that Covenant whereof Remissiâ—â— of sins is one and a main one He needed as wouâ—â— seem to have said no more but that he was goiâ— to suffer and to suffer for this cause Even to puâ—chase Redemption to sinners but he will furthâ—â— shew his Disciples and in them all Believers in hiâ— That this came not to pass by guess but accordiâ—â— to an old Covenant and Eternall transaction thâ— past betwixt Jehovah and Him and so adds the Sâ—crament to be a Commemoration and a more fâ— Confirmation thereof to Believers of all that purchased by it and Promised in it In the 29. veâ— He hath two words further one of warning anothâ—â— of encouragement 1. One of warning I say uâ— you henceforth I will not drink of the Fâ—uit of tâ— Vine As if he had said take heed what ye are dâ—ing make this Communion very welcome and 〈◊〉 it confirm and strengthen you against the tryals thâ— are coming for I will have no moe Communioâ— with you after this manner in this World 2. word of encouragement and consolation becauâ—e they might think and say Alace Lord what will become of us if we shall have no moe Communions with thee Be not saith he to them on the matter discouraged We shall yet have more and more intimat Communion then ever we had here on earth There is a day coming when we shall have a sweet Communion in the Kingdom of Heaven together when we shall drink it new when we shal have the thing signified Even Communion without the intervention of Ordinances in the full Harvest of joy in God in his Kingdon Then vers 30. As if he were going to a Triumph He and they sing a Hymn or Psalm Partly thereby to teach us to be chearfull and partly to shew that singing of Psalmes is not unsuitable for this action To make the former words and what we are to say on them a litle more clear We would in this Sacrament which here the Lord Explicats Consider Three or Four things First Christs Offer Wherein there are Two things viz. The outward and visible signes the Elements and the inward invisible thing signified by them Which is Christs Body Blood In the Offer then in short We have not only the Element or signe but the thing signified and represented by it Even as in the word of the Gospel there are these Two viz So many words made up of Letters and Syllables and the matter Contained in them Secondly Consider the receiving of Christs offer wherein there are Two things 1. The act of receiving the Element by the hand 2. The hearts receiving what is offered in and by the Elements Even as in hearing the word There is the giving or lending of the ear to the voice of words that they may be understandingly heard and there is the receiving what is spoken by Faith in the heart As Christ holds forth both in his offer so the Believer would both wayes receive by the hand the Element should be received and by Faith the thing signified should be received Thirdly Ye would consider this Application of the thing signified in a twofold respect 1. As it holds out the entering of us into the Covenant in order to the receiving of the Pardon of sin when the Sacrament is Considered complexly with the word 2. As it Applyeth Christ and the benefits that come by him for our consolation Christ is to be received in the former respect before he can be received in the Letter we must needs receive Christ in his offer ere we can receive any benefit that comes by him Therefore the word goes along with the Sacrament that we may get a gripe and catch hold of Christ by the Covenant for they that are without the Covenant are without Christ and all saving benefit by him But where Christ is received and Faith closeth with him as he is offered The Soul may warrantably make Application of him Not only for Pardon of sin The Particular benefit here expresly mentioned but for all the other benefits of the Covenant Whereas they who have not faith have nothing and receive nothing but are deeply guilty thorow their not receiving but rather rejecting and despising of Christ and his benefits Fourthly Ye would consider this Sacrament as it seals directly our warrant to receive Christ and his benefiâ—s or as it seals our Application of Christ and his benefits for it may be usefull for both and is actually so to believers In the First respect we offer to you a good security for your Salvation on condition of your receiving Christ But in the Second Respect the security is sealed simply as baving Gods seal appended to it to all who have received him Thus the tree of life was a seal of the Covenant of life by works to Adam if be stood but it was not a confirmation that he should have life by the Covenant except he fulfilled that which was called for in it So Circumcision was a Seal of the righteousness of Faith to Ishmael and other visible Church Members as well as to Isaac in the First Sense that is that the security was good But to Isaac and Believers It was not only a Seal or a Confirmation that the security was good and sufficient in it self but a Seal of Confirmation that it should be good to them Therefore in coming to partake of the Sacrament We would premit alway our closing with Christ And then we have not only Gods word and Oath but also the Sacrament for his Seal of Confirmation of the Covenant In a word Christ doth offer here to all a Pledge that he will make
Life may be made sure to lost Sinners that came to Christ Why I pray was the Covenant made was it not for this end As it is Heb. 8. This is my Covenant saith the Lord that I will make with the house of Israel I will be Merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and Iniquities will I remember no more no more O sweet sound What is the designe of the Mediator in his Sufferings Is it not this So John 10.10 I am come that they might have Life and have it more abundantly and John 17. For their sakes I Sanctifie my self that they also may be Sanctified and here the new Covenant in his Blood is for the Remission of the sins of many and this being the mean for attaining the end It is Impossible that it can misgive or fail Thirdly Consider the Contrivance of the Covenant and ye will see that it is impossible it can fall Heaven and Earth shall sooner fail then one Title of this sworn and confirmed Covenant It cannot fail on the Mediators side for he hath Payed the price already Neither can it fail on Jehovahs side He will not fail to make Application of Grace to sinners nor be unfaithful to the Faithfull Mediator And since upon the one side Justice had access to exact of Christ the full price even to the least farthing by vertue of the Covenant of Redemption when he became surety will not the same Covenant on the other side make it out that Grace shall have as good access to Pardon the sinner for whom be undertook For he saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him If the Covenant which is one hath had the designed effect in and on the Mediator as to his fulfilling all that was undertaken by him therein shall not the Promises made to him as namely these Isaiah 53.10.11 He shall see his seed the Pleasure of the Lord shall Prosper in his hand by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many take effect and be fulfilled Doubtless they will most certainly and infrustrably Fourthly Consider the great experience which the Saints have had of the truth of this in all ages are there any this day before the Throne Blessing the Lamb and him that sits thereon or any that are on their way thither ward But they are so many wiâ—nesses of this Truth that closing with Christ hath good Security for Remission of sins and for Eternal life There shall never be one who shall have it to say I trusted to this security and it failed me and hereupon riseth the sweet Song Worthy is the Lamb to receive Power and Riches and Wisdome and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing Revel 5.12 Nay even those in the Pit shall bear witness to this truth for saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 2.15 We are unto God a sweet Savour in them that are saved and in them that Perish to the one we are the Savour of Death unto death and to the other the Savour of Life unto life And in the preceeding words he saith Thanks be to God which alwayes causeth us to triumph in Christ He maketh the Triumph of the Faithfull Ministers of the Gospel some way to be in them that are damned by his taking Vengeance on them for despising His Grace offered and they are made to see that it was a sure bargain to them that through Grace embraced it And it this be so Good a bargain to them that embrace it and so very siker and sure What I pray are we seeking But that this good bargain and the sufficient security thereof may be taken hold on as it is proposed alter not the terms of it and indeed it would be very unreasonable to presume to do so or so much as to desire an alteration of them for though we had them at our own contriving We could never by very fat contrive them so well Nay let me say if Angels were Preaching to you they would think it a Priviledge to have access to mention His precious Name Now seeing it is the Great designe of the Gospel to have sinners closing with Christ on his own Terms O do not frustrat the Grace of God And seeing Grace makes offer of Life Life and of Remission of sins to sinners to save them freely let Grace get such sinners to save as it 's seeking and it shall be a bargain Thirdly To prosecute this yet a litle further ye would consider that as there is a good bargain to be had thorow Christ and by Faith in him and as there is good security for it so it is our Lords delight and good Pleasure and he is very desirous that sinners should make Application of it by Faith receive and rest on him and his righteousness for making themselves eternally Happy We are not speaking of such a Happiness and security that the Lord will be angry at you if ye take hold of it but of a happiness and security that he is seriously willing ye should receive And he doth most earnestly beseech you to take hold of this Covenant on these Sweet and easy terms that ye be Heartily content and well Pleased with it O sensible sinners do ye indeed believe this when we Preach to you that our Lord Jesus is as desirous to have you saved as ye are and that his righteousness be closed with as ye are to have it Nay more that there was never a Soul more hungry and greedy when with a heart chock-full of desires after it to Communicat then he is seriously willing to admit such a Soul to Commonion with him Then as ye would do him a Pleasure and it 's all that ye can do keep not a distance but step to and take what he Offers not only the Sacrament but himself in it for your head Husband and Lord and that ye may not Scare-stand nor halt to do so Consider that there is not only a warrant to come but that he calleth you to come and is ready heartily to welcome you come on his call and his call is no less broad then the call of the Gospel there is a warrant given you on your hearing of the Gospel and quiting of your own righteousness to receive Christ and his Righteousness and to admit of him to the exercise of his offices about you according to the Covenant And indeed we know not a truth of the Gospel that hath mo confirmations then this hath viz. That Christ the Mediator is very willing and desirous that sinners close with him and get the good of his Purchase For the making out of which take these following Considerations First what is the great designe of the Covenant but this As we have it Isaiah 61 1 2 3. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because he hath anointed me to Preach good tidings to the meek He hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to
Proclaim liberty to the Captives to give to them that mourn beauty for Ashes the Oyl of joy for Mourning and the Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness and this is called the Proclaiming of the acceptable year of the Lord Wherein all the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity concurr as is clear vers 1. Consider Secondly All his Offices and ye will find that they Preach and Proclaim the same thing his Name is Jesus because He saves his People from their sins He is King Priest and Prophet for this end and what saith his Preaching and Corrospondent Prayer John 17. Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me but that he would fain have them there And what shall I say Is there any proof of it that can be given beyond His Death I lay down my life saith he for my sheep The Salvation of lost Elect sinners went very near his heart Therefore when none in Heaven nor on earth can help then saith he Lo I come to do thy will O my God Thirdly Consider with what Pleasure and delight he went about the work of Redemption As is very clear in that 40th Psalm where he heartsomly saith Lo I come I delight to do thy will I even hasten to undertake it And when he is come he saith John 4.34 It is my meat to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work and what work was that Even to lay down his Life to gather the lost sheep of the house of Israel to take away the seud that was betwixt God and them and to Reconcile them to him and when it cometh to the very push of actuall laying down his life He will not open his month to divert it though he might have commanded more then twelve Legions of Angels yet he would not do it for this cause saith he Came I into this World Fourthely Consider the end of all the Ordinances wherefore are they instituted what saith the word but that Thorow this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins What say Ministers but that We are Ambassadours in Christ stead beseching you to be Reconciled unto God Which evidenceth Plainly that Christ would fain to speak so have peace made betwixt God and sinners and them saved and what saith the Sacrament but even the words of the Text This is the new Covenant in my Blood shed for the Remission of the sins of many And can we think on the end of these Ordinances but we must also think on Christs willingness that sinners should make Application of him and of his Purchase Fifthly Consider further How he esteems of a sinners coming to him There is saith he Joy in Heaven at the Conversion of a sinner We may say that it is the gladness of his heart when any sinner cometh home to him Therefore it is said that the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand and he shall see of the travel of his soul and be Satisfied Isaiah 53.10 11. It is Satisfaction to him for all the Travel of his Soul to see sinners coming in and getting good of him and in the Song He is said to feed in the Gardens and to be gathering lilies Yea that the day of Souls being espoused to him is the day of the gladness of his heart Sixthly Consider how weighted to speak so with reverence to him our Lord is when sinners will not make use of him it 's accounted by him as it were an affronting of him Even a troading of the Blood of the Covenant under foot and an accounting of it to be an unholy thing a sort and degree of doing despight to the Spirit of Grace He who could look sometimes on the wrath of God and not shed a tear yet when he came to Jerusalem weeped over it And upon the other hand O! what complacency hath he in a sinners coming home to him which makes him sweetly smile and rejoice Seventhly Consider his exceeding great forbearance toward sinners while they are straying and his exceeding heartie welcoming of them when they return Let an inquest to say so be led on his Procedure with all the hearers of the Gospel that are here on earth and with all that are in Heaven and hell and all of them will be constrained to subscribe to the truth of this that he is full of long-suffering Doth he not spare even the vessels of wrath fitted to distruction And doth He not only spare his own but Pity them as a Father pitieth his Children And that wonderfull wescom of the Father to his Prodigal Son is nothing to Christs welcoming of a repenting sinner being but a dark Resemblance of it He casts not up to him his bygone faults Neither sayes what is this you have done miserable wretch No such word but This is my Son that was dead and is alive that was lost and now is found Believe it O Believe it which is the very scope of the Parable Our Lord Jesus is as glad in a Holy way at a sinners coming home Eightly Consider how easie our Lord is to be pleased with any honest mint or essay that is made of returning to him He is so very willing that a sinner make Application of his Righteousness that where there is reality he will as it were take half a Faith for Faith were it even but like a Smoking flax or bruised Reed or a grain of mustard seed He will take a sincere resolution to confess for the confession of sin which is clear Psalm 32. I said saith David I will confess my Transgression and thou forgavâ—st the Iniquity of my sin If he had proposed the offer of life on such terms as would have wearied us all our dayes we ought to have Judged him willing that we should partake of it for it cost him very dear But when it is not Abrahams Faith only but any Faith how weak so ever if sound that he graciously accepts How doth it set forth his great willingness Him that cometh to me saith he I will in no wise cast out The word is doubled in the Original I will not Not to shew the holy passionatness of our Lords desire and his exceeding great willingness to have sinners closing with him So Isaiah 45. Salvation is promised even to a Look look unto me all the ends of the Earth and be Saved and if sinners cannot well look think but honestly and let their heart yeeld and it shall be a bargain He that is athirst let him come Revel 22. And if there be scarce the pain of Hunger or Thirst The Spirit and the Bride say come and whosoever will let him come and take of the Water of Life freely And this willingness is nothing else but the thought and desire of an heart consenting to accept of his offer Or if this be not litle enough there is less yet Psalm 37.7 Rest in the Lord the word as it is on the Margent and Psal 62.1 is be
silent to the Lord If the heart cannot so well and distinctly say Amen to the bargain Let it as it were hold its tongue or hold its peace let it be silent say nothing against it or give a silent quiet answer or by way 〈◊〉 Approbation and Acceptation keep silence and 〈◊〉 shall be accepâ—ed O wonderfull stooping Doth nâ— this declare and manifestly Preach the exceeding greâ—â— willingness that our sweet Lord Jesus hath to Communicat and apply his purchase to sinners Ninthlâ— Consider the Persons on whom he confers the offer aâ—â— the manner how he Prosecuts it and it may yet furthâ—â— hold forth how seriously willing he is that sinne should welcome it and be made up by it who 〈◊〉 pray are called Luke 14 21 It 's the Poor the Blinâ— the Maimed the Halt the Lame c. And are the any that can say they are worse If thou say I can 〈◊〉 nothing I am Maimed and cannot come The Gospâ—â— bids call the Cripple and provides Him a Chariot of 〈◊〉 wood of Lebanon Paved with love and having 〈◊〉 speak so all the Seats and cushions of it of love Caâ—â— 3.10 And giveth stilts or crutches of Grace to undeâ— prop and Eagles wings to carry them If thou be 〈◊〉 confused body and worst not what to do it bids caâ— the Blind If thou be Poor Blind Miserable Wretâ—ed and Naked and yet having conceited and faâ—ciâ—â— that thou wast Rich Thou art not excluded for all that 〈◊〉 for Revel 3.18 Laodicea consists of a Hypocritie Pack and company of Luke-warm Professours wâ—â— are so loathsome to Christ that He threatens to speâ—â— them out of his mouth And yet to such even to sucâ—â— he saith I counsell thee to buy of me c. And if the be invited who can exempt or exclude themselvâ— from the offer or bargain Do not these things moâ—â— Convincingly and Irrefragably demonstrat his willinâ—ness When there is not a sinner that is either Pooâ— proud vain Hypocritical c. But he is included 〈◊〉 the call of the Gospel Tenthly Consider his urgenâ— and pressingnâ—ss in making and bearing home the offer O how long-suffering is He And with what Patience doth he wait on It 's not an Ambassage that 's broken up if it be not presently closed with as a hastie-man doth but All the day have I stretcheâ— out my hands to again-saying people Isaiah 65. Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thee c. Matth. 23. How doth wisdom stand and press her invitation Prov. 1 20. and 8.1 2. c. Ezek. 18.31.32 Turn you at my Rebuke why wâ—ll ye die Luke 14.23 Go to the high wayes and compell them to come in 1 John 3.23 This is his Comâ—andment that ye believe on the Name of the Son of God It 's not left as an indifferent thing at sinners option to do or not do but the same Authority that enjoines keeping the Sabbath and that forbids Cursing and Swearing doth lay on this Command of Believing Come to the Wedding Beleve man and woman and be saved and what is all this to the bowels of Mercy Grace and Love that are in him His Belly is like Ivory overlaid with Saphirs His face is white and Ruddy a part whereof this is and yet it 's nothing to speak so to the principall copie which is his heart that 's a great depth even the very Center and Element as it were of love God is love saith John as if he were nothing else but love and what a love must it be where he is to speak so turned into love in the person of Christ Angels cannot to the full consider of it nor conceive it Your hearts cannot reach it sure there is much wonderfully much ground here to lay it for an undoubted truth that our Lord Jesus is exceedingly desirous of the Salvation of sinners and of many sinners and is in a great readiness to make his Righteousness forth-coming to them and heartily to welcom all that come to him The Second use is of Exhortation and ye may at first blush see whither it runs Even to stir us up to accept of and embrace these good news with glad hearts is there here a good bargain and a sure way through Faith to make use of it And is Christ so willing to Communicat it What shall I say to you Is it not a pity to miss it Nay would ye do Christ a pleasure then lay weight on his Righteousness and give him sinfull Souls to be saved by him if we sought great or hard things from you to please him would you not judge your selves oblidged to grant them But when he saith on the matter give me your Souls to be saved and I shal account that Satisfaction to me for all the travell of my Soul O How unspeakably great is your Obligation readily and cheerfully to grant so loving and reasonable a request l If such a gracious offer had never been made It would have been Men and Brethren what shall we do And there would have been a mighty great scaring and trembling to draw neer but when it is not to the Mount that cannot be touched not to Moses that we are called to come but to a Saviour whom ye cannot please better then Nay not at all but by receiving of him and whom in some respect ye cannot displease at all if ye receive him let me beseech and obtest you as ye would not be found guilty of treading this blood of thâ— Covenant under foot and as ye would not for evâ—r debar your selves from Remission of sins with him make use O make use of this Propitiation for sin and for procuring your Pardon and peace would to God this were the fruit of such a days work for indeed it 's our great work and the very scope of all our Preaching And behold I Proclaim to you that Remission of sins is to be had thorow his Blood and that there shall not be any upbraiding of you nor casting up of bygones if ye will indeed receive him and close with him on his own sweet easy and very reasonable terms O then sit not this urgent Call and the day of your merciful Visitation And to press this Exhortation a litle Consider that Grace hath a Throne and shall triumph in this Gospel either in your gâ—ining or in being avenged upon you for your despising of its richest and freest offers Let us I Pray reason the matter with you a litle And First Are there not sinners here There is not a designe in this Gospel to save any others but sinners and if so to you is this Salvation set who by Nature are sinners enemies and at feud with God The Doctrine of this Gospel carries in its bosom Remission of sins would to God ye were suitably affected with sin and Judging your selves that so ye might be in some Capacity to receive it Sâ—condly Tell me what is it that ye would be at Is it Remission of sins It 's here
would ye have the Covenant and Promises here they are Is it Christ himself that ye would have because ye dare not trust to a promise without a Cautioner Here he is or would ye have Heaven and be Eternally happy It 's also here Consider then I beseech you what is in your Offer dare you say that the security is not valid good and sufficient And if ye should there are many witnesses in Heaven against you and also the Sacrament on Earth which now is offered to confirm you This bargain therefore and its security must be receiv'dr else wo unto you for ever This word which we now Preach Nay these stones shall bear witness against you that our Lord Jesus was willing to save you and every one of you and ye would not And therefore your Blood shall be required at your own hand and He found without any the least Culpable accession to it Thirdly Ye are either to Communicat to day or ye are only to be hearers and Spectators whether the one or the other Is there not a necessity that ye close this bargain If ye be to Communicat will ye take the Bread and wine and misken and slight Christ If so ye will eat and drink your own Damnation would you have the Character of a right Communicant This is it that ye renounce your own and trust to his Righteousness and take the Sacrament for a confirmation of your interest in it If ye come thus ye shal be welcome for this Ordinance is appointed for this very end if ye be not to Communicat this word of the Gospel comes to you though ye have secluded your selves from the Sacrament either thorow Ignorance or scandal It might be a sweet Communion to you If yet Christ get a welcome and it should I assure you in his Name make way to a new communion here or in Heaven But Fourthly I would a litle mote particularly beseech you to consider that ye must either give Christ a welcome or not a yea or a naysay a grant or a denyal for there is no mean or middle This day shall not pass and go by without a hit or a miss to speak so Christ will not knock at your door and nothing follow or be done It will either be that Christ was at such a time ruzed or commended and made offer of and his People would have none of him or that the heart opened as the heart of Lydia unto the Lord and that Salvation came to the Soul as it did to Zacheus his house your time is but short and uncertain Ye know not if ye shall come another Sabbath to hear some that now speak to you and some that hear are dayly removed And this bids you make haste to creep in to him quickly without longer delay while his armes are stretched out to receive and embrace you There are several sorts among you that keep at a distance from Christ but I would have all of you soberly to think whether ye will say Yea or Nay There is here what may silence and satisfy any Soul that thwarts with the call of God Can ye say that there is any better bargain any better security or any heartier call and invitation Let us come and reason together saith the Lord Isaiah 1.18 19 Though your sins be as Crimson they shall be as white as Snow though they be red as Scarlet they shal be as Wooll if ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land but if ye refuse and rebel ye shall be destroyed Our Lords Blood is of that efficacy that it can make Crimson and Scarlet-coloured sins white white as Snow and Wooll Why do ye then linger stick stand or halt Ye will it may be Object and say First I would fain come if I durst but Consider I pray you that it 's Christ and the Covenant and Grace on the Throne that call you and this is their voice Thou hast spoken and done evil as thou couldest yet return unto me and therefore fear and tremble yet come fear and bring your sins with you to the Fountain to be washen and to a skirt of his love to be covered thereby and you shall on your coming be cleansed and covered But it may be ye will Next Object and say I would fain come but I cannot come for Answer Let me ask you Is there a Soul in hell this day that can say I would fain have come and could not come That which we seek of you is to make no long tedious or toilsome Voyage if there be honesty it 's only that when Christ is come to you ye will be willing to receive him and if ye thus come ye are Believers Do not I beseech you mistake in thinking and thereby obstructing your own coming that persons must first be Believers and then come to Christ No but first ye must come with the litle glimmering that ye have and â—ame as ye are and it will go with you his Chariot is waiting for you and the very Cripplest of you that cannot come of your selves to Christ if ye be willing to close with him on his own terms He shall come to you But it 's like some will in the Third place Object and say Alace I am very indisposed to come For Answer I shall grant it may indeed be true but yet consider who are invited it 's the Poor Blind Halt Maimed Wretched and Miserable O what unfitness have such and yet none of them are excepted against I would have none to be presumptuous and vain but if indeed ye would fain come ye cannot come so indisposed as the bargain will on that account be cast It will not be the want of a Disposition that shall cast it else the Cripple and Blind and Luke warm Laodiceans had never been invited whether is a suitable disposition of your own making or of Christs Sure it 's of his and can ye expect ought from him without coming to him or Believing in him But Fourthly Some will Object and say Alace I have often come and broken away again How can I then Believe that I am invited For Answer I would desire you to Consider whether that Objection tends Even to question the truth of the Gospel our Lord Jesus saith He came to save sinners and ye say I would fain know if that be true or not if ye be Poor Blind Miserable Naked c. And have need He commands us to invite and call such and it 's the way of unbelief to make them scare at Christ and stand furthest a back from him who have most need to draw near to him if ye have come and broken afterward Come again and where a knot hath not holden cast a new one But alace There is a sort of Careless Atheists and secure Hypocrits whom this Gospel strikes dead and carnall worldlings who have no serious thoughts of what is coming I would pose such and ask you Care ye for your Souls
let us Join our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant never to be forgotten That which we would now speak a litle to is Two Generals very much becoming a people who designe â—â—end to Covenant firmly with God and seeing it is â—t this time in a more especial manner our professed designe to close the bargain with him and in evidence â—hereof are if the Lord will to partake of the Signe and Seal of the Covenant as supposing it to be indeed a closed bargain or at least that it is seriously desired â—â—y us that it may be so they will not be unsuitable for â—ou to hear and make use of them The First Generall then is this that Covenanting witâ— God when People are in earnest in it will be a very up taking exercising and weighty business This is cleaâ— here if ye consider how these People go about thâ— work they aâ—e in very good earnest and there aâ—â— several evidences of it they are weeping and going theâ— are seeking the Lord asking the way to Zion with theâ— faces thitherward and every one of them Sâ—irring uâ— another to renew the Covenant and to cast the knot 〈◊〉 firmly that it may be A perpetual Covenant never 〈◊〉 be forgotten and such as may never loose or be brokeâ— again whence the generall is clear viz. that wheâ— People mind in earnest the making up of a breach betwixt God and them which is done by Covenantinâ— with him it will be an exercising and uptaking buâ—ness to them Ye may consider some Scriptures foâ— confirmation of this which will also hold out what it is and namely Matth. 11.12 The Kingdom of Heavâ—â— suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Thâ— Lord is speaking there of mens making Peace with Gâ— thorow himself the Mediator by which they are brougâ—â— to Heaven and he tells that it is a most serious buâ—â—ness that will abide them brangling to speak so aâ— using of violence Luke 13 25. strive to enter in at 〈◊〉 strait gate for many will seek and shall not be able is a narrow gate and there must be thronging and thrâ—ing to win in at it men will be put to a sort of Agoâ—â— as the word signifies consider also Pauls word 1 Câ—â— 9.24 So run as ye may obtain insinuating that the is a sort of running wherein men are not in earnest 〈◊〉 indifferent whether they get the Prize or not aâ— therefore he would have them making earnest of it as he Proposeth his own practise as an example and a Câ—pie to them I therefore run not as uncertainly so fighâ— not as one that beateth the Air but I keep under my Body and bring it into subjection lest that by any me nâ— when I have Preaâ—hed to others I my self sâ—oâ—ld be a cast away these are the expressions of a man who is in good earnest in this business and his seriousness therein is Proposed to you for a Pattern what way ye should run and fight the like word we have Philip. 3.13 This one thing I do it 's an up-taking work to me Forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth to those things which are befo e I press towards the mark for the Prâ—ze of the high ca ling of God in Christ Jesus and vers 11. If by any means saith he I might attain unto the Resurrection of the dead every word hath it's own weight to make it out that it is so his one thing that he cares not what it cost him so be he may obtain it That which we would say further on this point shall be a word of Application in these Two or Three Uses The First whereof serves for Instruction would ye know what is required of you as a direction to dutie at this time And would ye know if things be right in your preparation for the Communion This maybe a Mark to discern and a direction on the matter even to be serious and to make it an uptaking business your One thing to be about it as such an occasion and work calls you to be And if ye shall ask wherein consists this Seriousness and uptaking exercise in Covenanting with God I shall Sum it up to you in these Four which comprehend it First The man is taken up in respect of exercise in his Conscience convictions become fresh Challenges are put home he is pricked less or more at the very heart there is something within him that gives him a Conscience-alarm that puts in his hand a Libell and assures him of an appearance before Gods Tribunal and indeed unless some thing of this be men will not be in earnest and it is clearly implied in the Text For there are here sharp Challenges that make this People weep and that extort tears from their eyes Secondly There is a seriousness in respect of the work that it hath on Peoples hearts and affections there will be a kindling of desires to have Covenanting with God at a point with a holy fear lest they miscarry in the doing of it and these put together do much take up the man and make him seek after thorow acquaintance with his own Spirit which he finds to be so fickle inconstant and back-sliding and thus apprehending the work to be great and difficult he is put in Holy fear and Jealousie over himself lest he marr the matter and make it worse with himself as it is said of Godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7.11 What carefulness what fear what indignation what vehement desire what zeal what revenge it wrought in them Now when these are tumbling to speak so thorow other in the man and he hath an inward wrestling to have the work secured and is afraid lest it miscarry Is it Possible but he will be serious and much taken up and this is also implied in the words Come say they And let us join to the Lord in a Perpetuall Covenant There is a desire to have the Covenant at a point and they fear it slip while they are casting the knot therefore they say let it be a Perpetuall Covenant never to be forgotten It 's good to fear in the very time Thirdly This seriousness is in respect of Peoples dutie It makes them pray that never prayed before to Purpose It makes them examine themselves Meditat Read and conferr that never knew before what it was to be taken up with those duties Therefore we find this People going and seeking the Lord and exciting one another they are put to their feet and to reaching forward so that they leave nothing undone whereby they may attain the end Fourthly This Seriousness appears in the manner of their going about duties there is another edge then was wont to be on their prayers Self-Judging and wrestling with God they are much like to Jacob they will not let the Lord go till he bless them they will still wrestle though it should be all the night they cannot find in their heart to part with him on any terms and