gift of God and none can come to Christ except the Father draw him Joh. 6.44 Alas it is as impossible to believe in Christ as to keep the Moral Law from principles of corrupted nature our state had been sad and forlorn still if God had not undertaken to work the faith which he requireth Duce Dâ—o venitur ad deum 't is only the arm of omnipotency that can draw the soul to Christ Jesus is the only Author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 Eph. 1.19 there is an exceeding greatness of his power to all them that believe put forth to create an act of saving faith all they that have felt it can testifie that this is a rich mercy and this is one of the mercies of the Covenant More particularly there are four choice dispositions promised in the Covenant of Grace which are Covenant-mercies 1. Saving illumination Jer. 31.34 they shall all know me saith the Lord by nature we are blind and blockish creatures but the new Covenant brings light and sight to the ignorant erring sinner and Oh what a mercy is it to know God and Christ and sin and misery and duty and felicity to know Scripture-truths and Gospel-mysteries our own hearts and the sweetness of Grace heaven and the way thither certainly such saving knowledge is worth a world truly such light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eye of the soul to behold the Sun of Righteousness and the beauty of Heaven what blind Bartimeus would not own it as a rich mercy to have his eyes opened and is it not a blessed thing to be translated out of Aegyptian darkness into this marvelous light Oh happy are the eyes that are annointed with the new-covenant eye-salve and behold Coelestial objects through this Divine optick of faith and become faithful guides to the feet of an holy life 2. Sound humiliation this is another Covenant-mercy Ezek. 11.19 I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh a broken heart is instead of many Sacrifices an hard heart is the greatest judgement and a soft heart the greatest mercy repentance is Gods gift bound up in the Covenant of Grace our sweet and blessed Redeemer is exalted as well to be a Prince that he may give Repentance as to be a Saviour to give unto us remission of sins Oh what a mercy is the spirit of Repentance they that have this Godly sorrow shall never need to sorrow for it such a Repentance needs not to be repented of blessed are they that mourn for sin for they shall rejoyce happy such as sow in tears for they shall â—eap in joy certainly a Converted sinner looks upon a repenting heart as a rich mercy one penitent tear is an orient pearl of more worth than the whole Creation a bleeding soul is a blessed sight in the eyes of God and man it layes the Christian under the promise of the Covenant and qualifies it for remission and the sweetest consolation 3. Another Covenant-mercy with respect to the condition is heart-sanctification Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean this is the mercy that David is so importunate for create in me a clean heart no less than creation will effect it a putting off the old man and putting on the new in a sound Regeneration is a miraculous mercy Oh what would a poor soul give for dominion over some special corruptions and power to resist temptations why here it is this mercy of mortification which is also a Christians duty is infolded in this blessed Gospel-Covenant so that sin shall not have Dominion over them that are under this Covenant of Grace a Christian can do more to mortifie sin and Crucifie the flesh than another man every word of God hath a cleansing vertue now you are clean saith Christ through the word that I have spoken to you but the promises of the Covenant have a direct and immediate tendency to cleansing 2 Cor. 7.1 having these promises i. e. the fore-mentioned Covenant let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit it is only the Gospel Covenant that can make Evangelically holy and holiness is the image of God the beauty of a soul the duty of a Christian and the mercy of the Covenant 4. A spiritual conversation this is also included in the Covenant Ezek. 36.27 I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my Commandments and do them Oh what a blessed thing is it to have a heart to love and fear and serve the Lord Oh what a mercy to be inabled to perform holy duties to walk with God in all wayes of well-pleasing Jer. 31.33 to have the Law of God written in the heart and transcribed in the life yea to keep Gods commands with ease alacrity and complacency not to have them grievous but pleasant to the soul and thus it is when the Christian acts from an innate principle of Grace and Holiness well this is the promised and purchased condition of the New Covenant God undertakes to put a new habit into the soul his fear which is the beginning of Wisdom and principle of obedience God gives the spirit of prayer the spirit of power love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1.9 he promiseth to give them one heart and one way that they may fear him for ever Jer. 32.39 Oh what rich mercies of the New Covenant are these 4. Yet the great mercies of the Covenant are behind under the next head for a Covenant contract conveyance contains the Habendum or grant reflecting advantage to the party Covenanting and that in these words I will be thy God this is repeated fifteen or sixteen times in the Scriptures this this is the mercy of the New Covenant the mercy of mercies the flower cream and quintescence of all mercies God gives himself to the soul by Covenant and what greater or better gift can he bestow if he should give us all the world and deny himself we are miserable beggars if he give himself and nothing of the world we are truly rich if we have God we have all things if we want God we want all things Deus mâ—us est omnia Ben scripsisti Thoma qâ—id pet Resp nil nisi â—ipsum Domine my God is my All saith one 't is recorded of Thomas Aquinas the great School-man that a voice from Heaven spake thus to him thou hast well written Thomas what desirest thou and that he answer thus nothing O Lord but thy self this certainly is the Language of a gracious soul Lord put me not off with any thing below or besides thy self what mortal Creature durst have presumed to beg of God such a boon if God had not graciously promised himself in the New Covenant what can the creature desire more what can it now want when it hath an infinite God all
be the teacher he makes apt and able nimble and notable Scholars Oh Christians see and try your learning enquire who is your master 2. Another disposition like this or indeed a fruit of the former is God's writing his Law in our hearts Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 10.16 he promiseth to put his Law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts so that as Talley answers to Talley Indenture to Indenture Face to Face so the heart shall eccho and answer to the Word of God and feel something within his own bosome that joynes issue with the word without so that a gracious soul can now say with Paul Rom. 7.12 16. I consent to the Law that it is good whatever I be the commandment is holy just and good a carnal heart riseth up in Rebellion against the word and secretly loaths a spiritual command and could wish it even razed out of the Bible that it might sin more freely but a gracious soul loves that word best that restrains corruption most and binds it closest in new obedience hence saith David thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loves it Psal 119.140 Praestâ—a â—i cor tuum molle tractabile custodi figuram quae te figuravit Artifex habens in semetipso humorem ne induratus amittas vestigia digitorum ejus Iraen advers Haer. lib. 4. prop. fin the stricter the Word is the better I love it I would have the Law of God restrain the exorbitancies of my heart and life it doth me good to be kept in for I have a wild and wayward heart Oh how glad am I of a word that searcheth curbeth and cutteth off my extravagant branches I willingly fall under it and bless God for it as one of the greatest mercies of my life can you say thus when there is a controversie betwixt a pinching word and a repining lust whether do you vote for which do you give your voice for and plead on the behalf of can you not take God's part and the words part against a naughty deceitful heart or do you pick quarrels with the statutes of Heaven when you should obey it Ah sirs try your selves in this and if you find that you have a counterpane of Gods Word within you a transcript of this blessed Copy in your hearts then are you within the Covenant 3. God promiseth to give his people in Covenant with him one heart and one way Jer. 32.39 this imports both an oneness of heart within it self and also an oneness of heart with other Saints before Conversion the heart was divided and distracted betwixt various objects God must have part Satan part sin part and the world another part of the heart but now the soul gives it self wholly to God as I have opened hence David prays unite my heart to fear thy name Psal 86.11 or make my heart one a real Saint is fully intirely universally given up to God but of this before likewise the Covenant of Grace makes Christians unanimous hence it is that as soon as souls have given up themselves to God they essay to joyn themselves to their fraternity Act. 9.26 and unite with the Society of sincere believers hence the primitive Saints were together with one accord Act. 2.46 cap. 4.32 yea they were of one heart and of one soul as the Curtains of the Tabernacle were coupled with loops so were Christians with love hence you hear so often mention made of fellowship in the Gospel Phil. 1.5 Eph. 2.21 and Gods Children are compared to a building fitly framed together by the cement of the Spirit yea to members of the body with relation to the head Col. 2.19 from whom i.e. Christ the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted Ephes 4.16 Well then sirs are you united and become one with the rest of the Saints though you cannot attain to a oneness in judgement in every lesser truth about Discipline c. yet are you one with them in heart and affection Yea of one judgement and way with them in main material points of doctrine and practice having one Lord Eph. 4.3 4 5. one faith one Baptism endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace cannot you say to others come let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant Jer. 50.4 5. that shall not be forgotten are not your hearts glad when you see any come in and Worship the Lord how stand your â—earts affected towards such as fear God â—re you of one heart with them can you â—heerfully walk in one way with them as â—our sweetest companions is your chief â—ontent in these truly excellent ones then â—ou are in Covenant 4. The fear of God is a gracious disposition promised to new-covenant Converts Jer. 32.40 I will saith God Job 28 28. put my fear â—n their hearts that they shall not depart from â—e this fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and 't is often put for all Religion it is a holy reverential awefulness wrought in a believers heart whereby through a serious sense of Gods glorious Majesty and tender mercy the soul is afraid â—o offend God and careful to please him as â— Child is his Father by a conscientious obedience to all Gods commands I cannot stand to open this fully but bring you to the â—est Christians doth the fear of God posâ—ess and seize upon your spirits doth it make you men of truth hating covetousness Exod. 28.21 Heb. 12.28 doth it ingage your souls to serve him with reverence and godly fear doth it make you afraid of his threatnings Prov. 3 7. Psaâ— 5.7 fearful to offend him careful to please him do you worship him in his fear Prov. 14.26 Prov. 23.17 Mat. 10 28. Phil. 2.12 Isa 66.2 Isa 50.11 doth it make you run to him as your hope and confidence are your souls in the fear of the Lord all the day long doth the fear of God cast out the slavish fear of men doth it make you work out your salvation with fear and trembling doth it make you tremble at his word and willing to obey the voice of his servants doth it keep you humble self-denying from being proud high-minded Rom. 11.20 Rev. 14.7 Act 10.35 Prov. 14.16 do you fear God and give glory to him in seeing his works in a word do you fear God and work righteousness fear God and hate wickedness is it thus with your souls lay your hand upon your heart and seriously answer these questions I know you 'l all say you have the fear of God but whether hath it these Prophecies and one word more whence springs this fear of God doth it flow not only from the apprehension of God's Majesty and strict justice but from the sence of his free-grace and goodness so God saith in Hos 3.5 they shall fear the Lord and his goodness so saith David Psal 130.4 there is mercy with thee that thou
my face doth your heart readily eccho thy face Lord will I seek do your souls tremble under sence of threatnings and judgements do the apprehensions of Gods loving-kindness melt and attract your heart doth this strongly lead and draw you to repentance ask your own souls such questions as these whereby you may know whether you have this condition and disposition of the Gospel-Covenant 8. The last disposition that is promised in the New Covenant as a singular mercy is holy practice spiritual obedience so Ezek. Si ergo talis fucrit vita nostra ita omnibus membris quaâ—rata composita ut universi motus nostri secundum Dei Leges agantur vere testamentum Dei erit super carnem nostram Orig. Hom. 3. in cap. 17. gen 36.27 I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them this is an holy watchful chearful faithful fruitful obedience to Divine precepts and commands so then let me pose you thus do you run the ways of Gods commandments with enlarged hearts do you follow God fully and walk with God uprightly do you delight to do Gods will and in all things mind your rule doth the mind of God move you more than the customes and traditions of men though you cannot say you do exactly keep yet cannot you say you have respect to all Gods commandments are you like the Centurion's servants ready to go or come at Gods biding doth the Authority of a divine command more awe your conscience to obedience than the examples of most or best of men do you with Zechariah and Elizabeth walk in all the ways of Gods commandments blameless do you take heed to your ways that you offend not with tongue or hand or foot do you worship God in the beauty of holiness do you make it your business to ingage your hearts in your approaches to God do you lift up your hearts in Gods ways that God and you may meet do you worship God in the spirit rejoyce in Christ Jesus not having any confidence in the flesh in a word do you gladly follow Christs example study conformity to him and communion with him is faith working by love and doth that love ingage you to keep Gods commands and render them not grievous but pleasant do you account Christs yoke easie his burden light and his service perfect freedom and are you constant and permanent in holy walking all your days and though you may stumble and fall or turn aside or stand still or turn back yet you dare not quit and forsake Gods ways or chuse the ways of sin to go aside with the workers of iniquity but you lament your miscarriages are restless till you get into Gods ways again plead hard for pardon are more jealous over your hearts make more haste God-wards and so through grace keep faithful to death that you may receive a Crown of life Thus I have gleaned up the conditions or dispositions of Gods Children which are promised by God purchased by Christ and effectually wrought by the blessed spirit in the hearts of the elect and these are the mercies of the Covenant by which you may try whether you be interested in the Covenant for if you find these new-Covenant-mercies in you you may conclude you have an interest in new Covenant-priviledges Another way of tryal which I shall but briefly hint at is to discover the properties and effects of new Covenant-mercies upon the souls of such as partake of them i. e. those benefits and priviledges of the Covenant as Reconciliation Adoption Remission of sin imputation of Christs Righteousness and the rest before-mentioned leave gracious effects upon the hearts of such as partake thereof Take a taste 1. They are transforming conforming mercies they change heart and life as before yea and they make the soul argue from mercy to duty that soul that partakes of these mercies dare not sin that Grace may abound nor argue from mercy to sinful liberty much less make Christian liberty a cloak of lasciviousness oh no that 's the devils Logick a Child of God thinks and thus reasons did Christ dye for me and shall not I dye unto sin and live unto him that dyed for me shall my dear Saviour shed his blood for me and shall I think any thing too dear for him shall he forgive much to me and shall not I give all I have to him shall not I love him much pray much obey much O my soul how canst thou chuse but live in new obedience doth not the love of Christ constrain thee hath he reconciled thee to God and God to thee and wilt not thou be reconciled to thy offending brother hath he forgiven thee ten thousand Talents gratis and wilt not thou forgive such as offend thee a few farthings for Christs sake hath God given thee himself and dost thou withhold any part of thy poor silly sorry self from him nay here I am let him work in me and do with me as seems good in his eyes 2. They are chearing comforting and refreshing mercies these mercies of the Covenant will answer all objections clear all scores and put the soul out of doubt concerning its state Let the Devil and an unbelieving heart conspire together to torment the Conscience yet one word of the blessed Covenant will baffle all their arguings and stop their mouths and still the soul let God speak out and say I am thy God in Covenant who then can cause trouble this was all Davids Salvation Desire and Consolation One drop of this holy Oyle of the Covenant will sweeten a whole Fountain and Sea of the bitter Waters of the sharpest afflictions a taste of the Covenant will turn Water into Wine this is the Tree cast into the bitter Waters of Marah Isa 33.24 that makes them sweet sense of pardon takes away the sense of the pain if a particular promise can so comfort a soul as it may be called a cordial Oh what comfort will the Covenant afford which is a cluster and constellation of Evangelical promises the good things of the new Covenant keep head above Water and heart above terrour in all conditions these steel the soul with courage in difficulties comfort in Adversity and an Antidote in prosperity 3. These mercies of the Covenant are raising reviving elevating mercies they lift the heart above the World and advance it to Divine Coelestial objects and Conceptions Rev. 12.1 Col. 3.1 Phil. 3.8 9. a Christian thus cloathed with the Sun hath the Moon under his feet and all Sublunary enjoyments at his heels Christ and things above lye next his heart other things are dross and dung in comparison thereof a Covenanted Christians Treasure is in Heaven and his heart is there he preferrs a grain of Grace to all the comforts of the World common mercies will not content his heart or quiet his Conscience he opens his Heaven-born soul to Heavenly influences he
in reading the Word of God Oh of what use would this be there you may find what God commands how Saints have obeyed by what means they have cleared up their integrity and interest in Christ here you may find what are the conditions of the Covenant and upon what terms the mercies thereof may be enjoyed and what are the infallible Characters of such as have received benefit thereby here you may find Christ the main and choicest mercy of the Covenant yea for this end was the Scripture written that we might have comfort in God and by consequence also assurance of our interest in him Rom. 15.4 for this cause did both Christ speak Joh. 15.11.1 Joh. 1.4 and John write Divine truths that are upon record that his joy might be in us yea that our joy might be full an express Text you have in 1 Joh. 5.13 these things have I written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God that ye may know ye have eternal life the more you study the Scriptures the more clearly you may read your names in the Book of Life your hearts if sincere will eccho to the word you read because the Law of God is written in your hearts therefore read and study this blessed Book these words are Charters of your heavenly inheritance food for your hungry appetites glasses in which you may discern the face of your souls Oh Christians neglect not the Scriptures look up for a right understanding and due application of every passage therein and then comfort your selves and one another with these words 1 Thes 4. ult 2. Attend upon a quickning Ministry here the terms of the Gospel are propounded the mercies of the Covenant are displayed true believers discovered and characterized here you may meet with a Barnabas as well as with a Boanerges yea it may be the hand that wounded may heal you God usually makes the fruit of the lips to be peace Isa 57.19 and many times sends some choice Interpreter to declare unto a man his righteousness and clear up his integrity Job 33.23 and therefore is it that God directs all such as walk in darkness to obey the voice of his servants Isa 50 10. or rather gives this as their character that they do so Isa 40.1 2.2 Cor. 1.4 and God gives Ministers a charge to comfort his people and lays up comforts in their Breasts to this end that they may comfort such as are cast down Oh the reviving words you may hear in the Ministry of the Word here you may hear doubts resolved cases of Conscience propounded answered and hearts opened anatomized here the spirit of God is often conveyed which seals up the believing soul to the day of redemption Isa 59.21 Gal. 3.2 3. Mat. 28. â—0 the presence of God accompanies his institution so that what the Minister declares in the name and by the Authority of Christ Isa 44 26. Mat. 18.18 according to the word he will ratifie back and confirm it in Heaven and how many drooping heirs of promise hath God erected satisfied encouraged about their title to Covenant-mercies by this Ordinance Oh the advantage that many have got thereby therefore wait on God in this Ordinance Oh look not upon it as weak and beggarly Elements as some ignorantly and blasphemously call all Ordinances make them not a matter of Ceremony and Formality but prepare for them and use them conscientiously and you shall see the sweet effect thereof 3. Improve the seals of the Covenant both Baptism and the Lords Supper Rom 4.11 Circumcision is called the seal of the righteousness of faith because that sweet Evangelical priviledge or marrow of the Gospel-covenant is signified sealed and exhibited in that Ordinance Oh Christians understand and improve that sweet Ordinance of Baptism it would be a spring of sweetness and satisfaction to your doubting fainting spirits 1 Cor. 10.16 c. 11.24 and then for the Lords Supper herein Christs Body and Blood are particularly applyed to us to become our own yea verily and really though not corporally but spiritually exhibited to every worthy receiver and hence resulteth spiritual joy solace and satisfaction as in the Passeover in Hezekiahs days 2 Chron. 30.21 26. they kept the feast with gladness and there was joy in Jerusalem But be sure you examine your selves prepare your hearts excite your Graces understand the Covenant apply these blessed mysteries to your own souls open your hearts by Meditation that the King of glory may come in stir up your souls to draw near to God and he will draw near to you Gal. 3.1 you 'l see Christ Crucified before you you 'l enjoy a blessed feast of fat things that will nourish and comfort your pining souls here you 'l feel pleasant Apples and sweet flagons of the Wine of his special love to stay you up and support your hearts in the day of your affliction and sad desertion and if you cannot enjoy that refreshing Ordinance yet reflect upon your former enjoyments and meditate upon your Crucified Redeemer and represent his bruised body and effused blood to your selves and in due time you 'l cry out with Thomas my Lord and my God 4. Ply the Throne of Grace in Prayer say as David Psal 35.3 O Lord say unto my soul I am thy salvation Isa 56.7 God hath promised to make his people joyful in the house or duty of Prayer Saints have found by experience the sweet and satisfying fruit of a serious wrestling with God thus David Psal 31.16 make thy face to shine upon thy servant and ver 21. he breaks out in thankfulness for an answer Blessed be the Lord for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong City Yea Christ himself commands us to ask that we may receive that our joy may be full Joh. 16.24 and is not a clear evidence of our interest in the Covenant and the mercies of it worth asking therefore plead with God tell him thou preferrest Covenant-mercies above worldly enjoyments and that thou wouldst rather have these mercies made sure to thee than to have a lease of thy life for his loving-kindness is better than life Psal 63.3 tell him the joy of the Lord is thy strength and how much it will tend to thy furtherance in his service if he will lift up the light of his Countenance on thy soul tell him he hath granted comfortable assurance to many souls and thou needest it as well as they thou art an humble suitor at the Gates of mercy and art resolved not to let him go except he bless thee yet once again tell him it is no more then he hath promised in his word and Christ hath purchased by his blood and therefore it is no arrogancy for thee to crave or expect and when thou hast been pleading conclude with that poor man Mark 9 24. Mat. 9.29 Lord I believe help thou my unbelief and he will say according
Luk. 1.3 4.2 Tim. 3.14 and Paul his Timothy Oh sirs get well assured of these things let your faith and perswasion have its full dimensions let it be deeply rooted and high built take not things upon trust let every truth have its full emphasis and efficacy upon your hearts and Consciences especially the main momentous Gospel-truths that you must venture your souls upon and live and dye by you had need consider what ground you stand upon and be fully perswaded in your own minds But so much for the second Use CHAP. VIII III. THe third Vse is of Examination to try us whether we have a real interest in these sure mercies of the Covenant it is one of the greatest questions that we can be asked whether we have a right title to Covenant-mercies alas we have forfeited our title to God or to any good thing from him by our breach of the Old Covenant and now we have nothing to do with God except only to endure the severe strokes of his sin-revenging justice Oh what need have we to try our selves by an impartial scrutiny For our better assistance in this great and weighty business I shall a little open what it is to enter into Covenant in general and then enquire what conditions of the new Covenant we can find in our hearts and then shew a little of the nature and effects of these Covenant-mercies where they are For the first to enter into Covenant with God is to own God as our God and to give up our selves wholly to him as his expressed in these words in Scripture I will be thy God and thou shalt be my people this this is the Marrow of the Covenant for God to be our God it is a comprehensive word it is substantia faederis as Funius calls it anima faederis as Pareus calls it eaput foederis as Musail the substance-soul and head of the Covenant the life of Religion is in this as one saith sweetly the goodness of duties lyes in Adverbs and the sweetness of the Covenant lyes in possessives Well then the contracting of this Covenant betwixt God and a soul consists chiefly in a mutual reddition or giving up themselves each to other expressed in Scripture by a Matrimonial contract when God gives up himself to the soul and accepts of him and the soul accepts of God as his God and gives up himself to him now we are not to enquire after the act of God for 't is fully expressed in the Scriptures and it is certainly supposed God accepts the sinner when the sinner accepts of God for these are relatives nor is this any change in God the change is only in the sinner who is now put into a new state and relation it is certain by the free offers of the Gospel that God doth consent and the main thing to be enquired into is whether the soul do consent or no for if it cordially do the match is made God and the soul are marryed which is a thing of the greatest importance in the whole World I shall purposely wave controversies in this business wherein this consent lyes whether it be only an assent See Mr. Baxt. Saints Rest Part 1. p. 177 178. an act of the understanding or it be a choice an act of the Will c. I conceive 't is an act of the whole soul whereby a poor troubled sinner discovering its forlorn estate by its breach of the Old Covenant and sad consequences thereof and discerning a possibility of a recovery and the way of reconciliation by a new Covenant contrived and contracted betwixt God and fallen man sealed and confirmed by the blood of a Mediator God-man doth freely cordially and constantly accept of God as his chiefest good and ultimate end and give up himself to him resolvedly unreservedly and universally to be the Lords to be and do what the Lord pleaseth to obey divine commands be at God's dispose in life and death and thus to continue even to the end of his days This is for a soul to enter into Covenant with the Lord the tryal will lye in these two things 1. Whether we have accepted of God as our God 2. Whether we have given up our selves to him to be at his dispose yea or no a little of both these 1. Whether have you taken the Lord to be yours or no. We are all naturally Idolaters and have our hearts glued to the Creature or something else besides God we are of those many that cry out who will shew us any good and trace the whole Creation to find satisfaction till we are weary and sit down despairing of obtaining what we seek for all the creatures are forced to eccho this unanimous vote happiness is not in me thus like Hagar we wander in this howling wilderness Gen. 21.15 16 17 18 19. till the Water of hope be spent in the bottle and our souls like Ishmael be ready to perish under the shrubs of guilt and wrath and then we sit down in sorrow ready to pine away in our iniquities loth to see or think of our own damnation lifting up our voice with bitter weeping and despair God hears and asks the troubled soul what it ailes and under these confusions he creates a blessed spring of hope in this desert-state opens the eyes ravisheth the heart with the glory of Gospel-grace draws Water of life out of the well of salvation and satisfieth the hungry soul with good things makes the ransomed sinner own that God that thus owns him in a time of need and to cry out as repenting Israel once O Lord our God other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us but by thee only will we make mention of thy name Isa 26.13 or as David Psal 73.25 whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever ver 26. as if the poor soul should say I have been long seeking contentment here below but I see by sad experience all things fail there 's vanity and vexation writ upon the sweetest comforts under the Moon I have laid out much labour for that which profits not I am weary with my disappointments I will return to my first Husband return unto thy rest O my soul God alone is the most yea the only suitable and satisfying rest of my wandring and bewildred soul let others go a whoring from God to creature-props 't is good for me to draw nigh to God I am undone without him I am sick of love for him woe is me what shall I do if my soul get not an interest in God I faint I dye I am damned Lord put me not off without thy self let nothing take up my heart besides thee let all the pleasures profits honours of the World go whither they will so I may have my God I can set one God against them all if God
I am only thine and wholly thine take me as thine and make me less mine own and that will be my happiness and I shall be fitter for thy service I dare not part stakes betwixt thy self and any other for I see I cannot serve two contrary Masters I will not give my faculties or members any more as instruments of unrighteousness chain my soul to thee unite my heart to fear 〈◊〉 name This or such like is the language 〈◊〉 a Covenanting-soul and there can be no Covenant without this intireness and compleat resignation hence are those multitudes of expressions that call for a seeking God with the whole heart Deut. 4 29. c. 65. and a loving God with all the heart soul c. and serving God with all the heart yea this is the summ of all that God requires of us Deut. 10.12 O try then hath the spirit of God beat down every strong hold and vain imagination and brought over your hearts wholly to the Lord what say you is every nook and creek of your hearts delivered up to this great and mighty Conquerour is there no Creature-comfort or sensual pleasure that hath stollen away your hearts from your dearly beloved deal faithfully with your souls on this behalf there is no dallying with the searcher of your hearts 2 Have you given up your hearts and selves irrevocably irreversibly finally there 's no playing fast and loose with the great God you must not give and take again that 's fools play but you must be for ever the Lords all your days devote your selves to keep his commandments unto the end not like some servants that will keep to their Masters as long as they like or while they please them but this is a boaring through the ear to be the Lord's servants for ever it 's a marriage that lasts for term of life I will call upon him saith David as long as I live Psal 116.2 it is the hollow-hearted Hypocrite that ends his Religion before he have ended his days that puts his hand to the Plow and looks back that falls off when tribulation comes but a Covenanting spirit is a constant spirit whose house are we saith the Apostle if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firmly unto the end Heb. 3.6 it is the end that crowns the action Solomon saith the end of a thing is better than the beginning Christ saith if ye continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed Col. 1.23.1 Tim. 4.16 Jam. 1.25 Joh. 8.31 and many Scriptures make this a condition without which no salvation and though the end is not yet come yet is it the desire and design of your souls to pray and read and serve God all your days you do not you dare not set bounds limits to your obedience but say as David Psal 71.14 I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more q. d. I am so far from casting away my hope and faith that I will continue yea and increase in the exercises of Religion do you resolve with David to keep Gods Law continually yea for ever and ever Psal 119.44 and praying still for supporting Grace v. 117. using all the rest of God's appointed means for your perseverance to the end Thus I have dispatcht this part of the tryal which is general to try whether we be entred into Covenant with God by these reciprocal acts of giving and receiving whether you have taken God for your God and given up your selves to him as Covenanted souls are wont to do give me leave for a close of this head to summ up the most that I have said in the Divine Poem of that incomparable sweet Singer of our Israel Mr. George Herbert in the Clasping of hands pag. 151. Lord thou art mine and I am thine If mine I am and thine much more Then I or ought or can be mine Yet to be thine doth me restore So that again I now am mine And with advantage mine the more Since this being mine brings with it thine And thou with me dost thee restore If I without thee would be mine I neither should be mine nor thine Lord I am thine and thou art mine So mine thou art that something more I may presume thee mine then thine For thou didst suffer to restore Not thee but me and to be mine And with advantage mine the more Since thou in death wast none of thine Yet thee as mine didst me restore O be mine still still make me thine Or rather make no Thine and Mine More particularly I intreat you to enquire into the conditions of the new Covenant or the graces and dispositions promised therein and lay your hand on your heart and enquire whether they be really in you such as these 1. I told you saving illumination is one great Covenant-condition Jer. 31.33 hath the Lord discovered to you the great and good things of his Gospel opened to you his blessed treasury and annointed your eyes to behold all things in their lively colours have you got a clear discovery of the nature of sin duty misery mercy the creatures vanity Christ's beauty and excellency have you with an Eagle-eye pierced into deep Gospel-mysteries this is not a brain-knowledge consisting in notion but an experimental spiritual acquaintance with the things of God weighting the soul with the sense thereof and leading it into the life and soul of Scripture-truths so that a Christian now sees Divine things after another manner than ever before and is led into all truth by the blessed Spirit God promiseth that all the Churches Children shall be taught of God Isa 54.13 which Scripture our Saviour doth cite and interpret Joh. 6.45 of believing or coming to God every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me Ah Christians have you learned this choice Gospel-lesson of going out of your selves and closing with a naked Christ upon pure Gospel-terms this is the great lesson of the Gospel have you learned it you are dunces and deserve to be kickt out of Christ's school unless you have learned this great and sweet lesson Besides God teacheth many other lessons as to hate sin love God and holiness and to love God's Children Hence saith blessed Paul 1 Thes 4.9 as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another this divine nature prompteth souls to this they cannot do otherwise except they put off their very nature for a Christian may find his heart secretly and sensibly carryed out to all things and persons that have the stamp and image of God as the very name and the common nature of a Brother is potent and prevalent to attract the affections Cathedram habet in Coelis qui corda docet Quando deus est maâ—ister qâ—à m cito do itur quod doâ—itur Aug. the truth is he hath his Chair in Heaven that thus teacheth hearts and if God
heal your backsliding will not cause his anger to fall upon you because he is marryed to you and he hates putting away the mercies of the Covenant depend not on your mutable wills but upon everlasting love your souls are carryed to Heaven in the Chariot of the Covenant which moves upon the solid Axle-tree of free-grace which as it was not procured so is it not continued by your merits or goodness 't is true if you had carryed the matter so towards men as you have done to God you might expect an heavy sentence but these are the sure mercies of an infinite God the Covenant is made in Christ and made good by Christ the Alpha and Omega the Amen the faithful and true witness is the Surety and Mediator of this blessed Covenant Oh Christians lay your stress here there 's help laid upon one that is mighty to save he can save to the uttermost pinch he is good at this soul-saving work do not fear he that begun this good work in your hearts will perfect it you may be confident of it 1 Pet. 1.5 Rom. 14 4. Jer. 32. you shall be kept by the power of God through faith to salvation though you be very weak yet he is able to make you stand you shall not depart from him omnipotency is engaged for you act faith therefore upon the numerous and gracious promises of perseverance though you have many fightings without and fears within though you feel averseness to good and a tendency to sin wants and weaknesses burdens and breaches snares and sadness yet lift up your hearts you stand upon better terms with God than Adam in innocency or the Angels in glory who were not confirmed in their integrity but are fallen by a dreadful apostacy it were sad for poor believers if their happiness did depend upon their mutable nature or strongest resolutions or if God should revoke his mercies as often as they provoke his justice but blessed be God for Jesus Christ and the rest of the sure mercies of David triumph in this O ye Children of the promise the Covenant wherein your souls are wrapped is ordered in all things and sure Heaven it self is engaged for you the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against you none can pluck you out of his hands who is the rock of Ages in whom is everlasting strength you may confidently make bold and blessed Paul's victorious challenge who shall separate us from the Love of God Rom. 8.35 ad finem though your internal motions be often like Ezekiel's wheel 〈◊〉 16 〈◊〉 intricate confused and perplexed as a wheel in a wheel grace sweying one way and flesh another yet if you be joyned to the living Creatures and united to Christ in the bond of the Covenant you shall go streight on with constancy and uniformity till your souls arrive at glory these mercies are not for a day or week or month or year but they run parallel with the life of God and line of eternity for with everlasting mercies he will have compassion on thee Isa 54.7 8. 6. In case of desertions and Gods withdrawings from him the soul may and must improve these sure mercies of David now desertions are ordinarily distinguisht into Gods withdrawing 1. His quickning 2. His comforting presence from the soul in both these cases the soul may improve them 1. In case God suspend the gracious influences of his spirit and the heart be shut up under deadness hardness unbelief distractions and the poor Christian cannot feel those lively springings of the graces of the Covenant in his heart then let him have recourse to the promise wherein God hath engaged himself to give a soft heart a new spirit faith love repentance the spirit of prayer c. all habits of grace the lively exercise of grace assisting grace quickning enlarging moving melting manifestations are bound up in this Gospel-covenant hence it is that when David â—inds his heart dull and out of frame he runs to God and cryes out my soul cleaveth to the dust ver 107. quicken me according to thy word Psal 119.25 and he goes often over with that phrase which imports that David lay under the sense of some promise that God had made for the quickning of his heart when it was out of frame and accordingly he recounts the gracious influences of Gods spirit and professeth that he will never forget his precepts because by them he had quickned him ver 93. thus let dead hearts lay themselves at Christs feet and plead in this manner Lord my heart is exceeding dull and distracted I feel not those enlarging melting influences which thy Saints have met with but are they not main material mercies of the Covenant dost thou not promise a spirit of illumination conviction humiliation is not holiness of heart and life a main branch of it dost thou not promise therein to write thy Law in my heart to give me oneness of heart to put thy fear within me to subdue my corruptions to help my infirmities in prayer now Lord these are the mercies my soul wants and waits for fill my soul with these warming influences revive thy work of grace in my soul draw out my heart towards thee inlarge my affections to thee repair thine image draw out grace into lively exercise doth not that sweet word intend such a mercy when thou saist Ezek. 36.26 thou wilt not only give a new heart but put a new spirit within me to make my soul lively active and spiritual in duties and motions dear Lord am not I a Covenanted soul and are not these Covenant-mercies why then my God dost thou thus harden my heart from thy fear why dost thou leave me in all this deadness and distraction remember thy word unto thy servant in which thou hast caused me to hope and in which thou hast helped me to plead oh quicken my dull heart according to thy word thus improve these mercies in case of deadness 2. In case of sadness and disconsolateness and the hidings of Gods face from a troubled drooping spirit Oh then make much use of these Covenant-mercies both as they are mercies and as they are sure mercies they are as free and as firm as ever if you see nothing but wickedness and wretchedness in your selves remember mercy prevents you if you see nothing but justice and frowns in Gods face remember his faithfulness ingageth him he is faithful he cannot deny himself would he love thee so as to make thee his and will he not now love thee as his Child consider the Covenant is certain though there be a present suspension thy union to Christ is secured though actual Communion be intercepted yea real unnecessary Communion is continued though sensible manifestations be obscured for observe it the soul holds Communion with Christ by that which desertions cannot hinder salvation may be there though the joy of that salvation be gone Covenant-relation may continue without comfortable satisfaction why bast
â—est The principle of Grace and these merâ—ies themselves are of a durable nature Grace â—s an immortal seed a never-dying root â—rincipium continuativum Joh. 7.38 He that â—elieveth in me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water though Grace is loseable in its own nature yet not in event because God upholds it the house built on the rock shall stand immovable Prov. 10.25 1 Jâ—h 2.17 the righteous is an everlasting foundation he that doth the will of God abides for ever yea he hath eternal life abiding in him But may not they depart from God no not totally and finally for God hath put his fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 they may sin and provoke God to withdraw the sense of his love they may lose their standing comforts and some degrees of Grace but never be stripped naked wholly of these sure mercies of David God hath secret hold of them and they have more hold of him than others have they are restless and dissatisfied till they enjoy God and these mercies be clear to them this Golden Chain stretcheth it self from everlasting it begins in free Election and ends in final salvation whom he predestinates them he calls justifies glorifies Rom. 8.29 30. it is horrid sacriledge to pluck one link from this golden Chain God is the finisher as well as the Author of faith it is not within the compass of any finite being to rob a gracious soul of the love of God or stop the channel of his Free-Grace to the Covenanted soul Paul can make a bold and brave challengeâ— Rom. 8.35 38 39. Who shall separate us from the love of God and he makes a sufficient enumeration of all things that were likely to conquer the believing soul and yet concludes that in all these things we are more than conquerours through Christ there are in the word sweet promises that may answer all Arminian Cavils and unbelieving fears concerning perseverance which many choice champions have produced and managed with dexterity and success See Mr. Prins Treat of Perseverance Dr. Prid. Lect. 7. De persevsanct Dr. Ames Coron Artic. 5. De perseverantiâ CHAP. IV. 3. THE third Head to be opened is more particularly to shew what is the way of making sure these Covenant-mercies how God doth it Now there are several steps of making a thing sure amongst men and God hath used the same means and some degrees more to make these mercies sure to the Children of men 1. Men are wont to pass their word When they promise any thing upon the word of an honest man they expect credit and among men this is current and the God of Heaven is worthy to be believed upon his bare word if I may so speak for he is a God that cannot lye nor deny himself yea let God be true and every man a lyar even a Balaam is convinced of it and must profess it Numb 23.19 God is not a man that he should ly hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good the unchangeable God hath ingaged his Word in the New Covenant the Patriarchs of old gave credit to all that God spake by dreams visions and revelations as Abraham Isaac and Jacob. 2. Hence Neâ— 9 38. We make a sure Covenant and write it Men use to give greater evidence by subscribing their hand and putting their mind and promise into Writing hence the expression and practice of giving Letters of credence and we use to say men are mortal give it me under your hand that will abide for litera scripta manet well our gracious God hath condescended to subscribe his promises under his own hand the hand of his blessed Spirit the word of God is upon record therefore whatsoever was written it is for our learning I may add satisfaction that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15.4 he hath given assurance to us of these things in the word of truth for this cause was the Gospel written that we may know the certainty of these things Luk. 1.4 and that we might believe Joh. 20.31 who dare now dispute or doubt of the truth and sureness of Gospel-promises since Heaven and Earth may pass away but one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled Mat. 5.18 3. Men use to call in Witnesses for further confirmation some important businesses require several witnesses Deut. 19.15 it s a standing rule at the mouth of two or three witnesses shall the matter be established well the God of Heaven hath confirmed his Gospel to us by three and three witnesses there 's three in Heaven the glorious persons of the Blessed Trinity the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one one in essence though three persons 1 Job 5.7 these bear Record of Christs God-head and there are three that bear witness in earth ver 8. these testifie of Christs manhood the Spirit i. e. say some his breathing out his soul and spirit in his giving up the Ghost and water and blood that came out of his side when it was pierced with a spear that shew he was real man and that he did really dye Hanc sequor sententiam hoc loco nec puto aliam posse adduci veriorem Aretius in loc See Mar'orate in loc Aretius interprets these three latter of the spirit in the Ministry of the Word the Water of Baptism and the Blood of the Lords Supper representing Christs meritorious Blood-shed and still this interpretation further confirms the Gospel-Covenant and consequently the mercies of it 4. Men use to give assurance to others by setting to their seal hence the practice amongst us of setting a seal to bills bonds leases purchases letters patents and this seal hath usually persons cognizance or Coat of Armes or some impression upon it and leaves the impression upon the Wax the God of Heaven adds his seal there is the broad seal of the new Covenant Baptism and the Lords Supper given and appointed purposely for the confirmation of our faith and asâ—uring of our hearts of the truth of the proâ—mises as Circumcision is called a seal of the Righteousness of faith Rom. 4.11 for by â—ese seals both the Grace of God is confirmed to us and holy impressions wrought in thâ— hearts of the elect there are also privy seals the seal of this blessed spirit in our hearts Ephes Eph. 4.30.2 Cor. 1 22. 1.13 sealed with that holy spirâ— of promise hereby Gods Children are distiâ—guished from wicked men and confirmed iâ— the truth of the Gospel yea it beareth witness with their spirit that they are the Chiâ—dren of God Rom. 8.16 this is an elegant simâ—litude for all civil Charters and Testamenâ— become authentick by the addition of a seaâ— and the seal in â—ormer times was the note iâ— Letters by which
Gods glorious attributes are all seconds one to another mercy imploys power power backs truth truth seconds justice and they do all imploy wisdom and wisdom doth order all to his glory if there had not been a first Covenant there had not been a tryal of man's obedience if it had been kept Gods wisdom had not appeared in repairing the breach nor his love in sending his Son nor his justice and power in triumphing over Satans malice or making advantage thereby besides if there had been no first Covenant violated there could not have been such a glorious displaying of Free-grace in the reconciliation betwixt God and man which implyes both a Covenant and a breach Oh the mercy of God in Christ 't is wonderful stupendious mercy that God was willing to hold any correspondence with man in a Covenant-way that had broken with him before Yet free-grace would not trust sorry man with a stock any more in his own hands that had been a bankrupt Yea God stayed not till man sought out for this surety but prevented him with Free-grace we read that when Augustus made a Proclamation that whoever would bring him the head of Carocotta the Spanish Pirate should have a rich reward Carocotta hearing of it came and presented his head to the Emperour and challengeth the reward but when man had fallen he runs away endeavours to hide himself love pursues and overtakes him and contracts with guilty Adam a better and unthought of unsought for Covenant Parmenio's large Letter to Alexander against Olimpia was all answered with one tear of a Mother but where is any one tear to bewail or make amends for mans horrid crime no not a word to procure this favour Free-grace did all to bring Traitors into a League God's heart was full he could not hold but call he must and seek and run to fetch home apostate man that profligate Rebel that durst not shew his face or ask forgiveness but the Lord of life and glory the King of Heaven is ready to forgive and to give the glorious things of Heaven to them that enquired not after them 2. Here behold such a piece of wisdom as never eye beheld ear heard or heart conceived the Apostle calls it the manifold wisdom of God I cannot here stand to open all the parts thereof that fall within the reach of a finite view I shall only endeavour to unfold one branch thereof by clearing this strange Paradox viz. How it could be possible since God himself is immutable the Moral Law irrevocable which is an obligation of the Creature to obedience and man having now broken it and death and wrath threatened thereupon I say whence it comes to pass that the malediction and condemnation is not executed no nor perfect obedience exacted as the nature of the Law requires the direct and proper force of the Law is obedience the secondary and conditional effect of it is a binding over to the curse upon supposition of disobedience yet we see the Law doth neither and yet the Scripture testifies of the Word Psal 119.89 Psal 111.78 Luk. 16 17. that it 's setled for ever in Heaven the comforts are sure and stand fast for ever and ever that one tittle of the Law cannot fade How comes it to pass then that the Law is neither throughly obeyed nor executed obeyed it is not Rom. 3.20 23. Rom. 8.1 Gal. 3.13 for all have sinned and by the deeds of the Law is no flesh justified executed it is not for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and they are delivered from the curse of the Law abrogated or extinguished it is not for then there were no sin nor duty reward or punishment no nor it is not moderated nor favourably interpreted by rules of equity to abate the rigour of it for it is inflexible and the Text saith Gal. 3.10 cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them therefore there is no way but one that is that the Law should so far be dispensed with as that a surety be accepted instead of the malefactor this is the blessed design of the Gospel God is willing to allow and accept a surety Jesus Christ is willing to undertake and perform this office and the believer is willing to embrace this blessed Mediator and thus the match is made and the Covenant is renewed and the Law is established yea by this Gospel-way of saving souls he doth magnifie the Law and make it honourable the obligations of the Law are reconciled in Christ by the second Covenant our surety hath fulfilled its duties by his active undergone its curses by his passive obedience and both better by Christ then ever it was possible for man to satisfie Adam in innocency and the Angelical nature could not have obeyed the Law so perfectly at least so meritoriously as our surety hath done and if we had lyen for ever in Hell we could not have satisfied justice so as our Saviour did by his short yet infinite sufferings satisfie for our woful breach of divine commands Rom 3.31.8.2 3 4. thus it is often said is the Law established Christ was delivered to the Law and we are delivered from it and now believing souls are marryed to Christ Rom. 7.4 6. and are no more under the malediction of it God's grace numbreth the Saints as Christ's seed bindeth all in the same lump and accepteth Man and Wife as one in a Law-sence Uxor sulget radiis mariti so that the Wife shines in the rayes of her Husbands beauty Divines illustrate it by the similitude of a Wall that is green either by the colour inhaerent or else by the same colour in some diaphanous transparent body as glass through which the Sun shining doth affect it with that colour so Christs righteousness presents us in his own colour to the Father so that word is to be understood Mat. 3.17 this is my beloved Son in whom not in whom as with his person only but in whom I am well-pleased that is through his Merits and Mediation I accept of delight in all that believe and come unto me by him Oh stupendious contrivance of Free-grace we cannot well conceive nor sufficiently admire the wisdom of God in laying this blessed plot and platform of our Redemption rich Grace and profound Wisdom seem to outvye each other in this glorious fabrick if every man saith one were as wise as an Angel and every Angel a Seraphim a flame of Coelestial light of knowledge and heat of love they could never have found out such an expedient to reconcile God and Man the Law and it self 1 Pet. 1.12 Eph. 3.10 the very Angels themselves admire it and would willingly become Schollars to the Church to understand more of the height and depth of this glorious Mysterie but this shall never be rightly understood till souls see him face to face who devised and
be the portion of mine inheritance I can say truly the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places Psal 16.5 6. I have a goodly heritage I can bid defiance to all the world to make me miserable when all the World looks black about me and all my comforts forsake me when seeming friends scorn me and real enemies pursue me with cruel hatred I can then incourage my self in the Lord my God Yea rejoyce in the Lord yea when the whole Creation cracks about my ears and the Earth trembles the Heavens are rolled together as a scroll I know that my Redeemer lives and I shall live with him in bliss and blessedness for ever these or the like are the musings of the Covenanted soul and though it cannot say the Lord is his yet he can say through grace that it is the desire of his soul to have the Lord for his God he looks upon that as the happiest estate that a Creature is capable of and if God should say this House or Land or Goods or this Kingdom or this world is thine except he say withall I am thine the soul goes away disconsolate and looks on all those as nothing worth Christians try your selves hath it been thus with you or hath it not what settled prevailing account hath the God of Heaven in your hearts do you look upon all the bravery and delights of the World but as straw and dirt under your feet in comparison of your God do your hearts pant after the living God do your souls desire him in the night can you boast of your God and challenge all the world and say there 's none like unto our God can you depend upon him and cast all your care on him do you in all things give him the preheminence are your hearts endeared to and inamoured with this glorious gracious God 2. But I proceed whether have you given up your selves to him 1 Cor. 6.19 for if you be the Lords you are not your own you have wholly resigned up your selves to him you have given him the Keys of your hearts and delivered him possession of your souls as the only rightful owner thereof just as the Wife gives up her all to her husband 1 Cor. 7.4 so that she hath not power of her own body but her Husband so doth the soul surrender it self unto its spiritual Husband so that now it hath nothing to dispose of without its husbands leave house land money estates relations name time gifts of mind members of body faculties of soul life it self and all things he is hath doth are at Gods dispose and he lays them all at his Husbands feet and dare not dispose of one penny in his purse or minute of his time or cast of his eye or thought of his heart by his good will without his Husbands leave hence you shall hear a Covenanted soul inquiring after sin and duty and making Conscience of complyance with the Lords will and pleasure the Scripture calls this a giving our selves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8.5 yea there are several outward symbols to evidence it Isa 44.5 one shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand to the Lord and sirname himself by the name of Israel Profession Subscription Denomination nay though it be to endure the scorn of a reproachful nick-name any thing would he do so he might be ranked amongst real Saints and be indeed the Lords And there are four properties of the souls self-delivery to God A Covenanting soul gives up it self to God these four ways viz. 1. Really 2. Readily 3. Resolvedly 4. Unreservedly 1. Really Truly Sincerely without the ordinary counterfeiting and complementing that is in the World 't is as easie as it is common for men to Court others with that empty Ceremony Your servant Sir when they never think as they speak this by the way is to be ranked at least among idle words of which I fear many have a sad account to give let professours learn better manners and language than to conform herein to the world well but a Saints giving up himself to the Lord is not complemental but real here holy David you shall find him in good earnest Psal 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the Son of thine hand-maid thou hast loosed my bonds Here 's 1. An Asseveration truly 2. An affirmation I am thine 3. A duplication I am and I am thy servant 4. A confirmation by two Arguments 1. He was his servant by his birth being born in his house for if a Woman was servant in an house all the Children she bore there were servants to the master of that house hence saith David the son of thy hand-maid 2. David was God's by Redemption thou hast loosed my bonds for such as delivered any from captivity had them to be their servants for ever thus every gracious soul really professeth himself to be the Lords See Exod. 21.4 5 6. he is God's bought and bored Servant he doth as the servant of old plainly say I love my master I will not go out and so is brought to the door-post and hath his ear bored through with an Aule he receives an ear-mark being board by the blessed spirit of God and so made willing and obedient to the Lord's calls this ingageth him to be much in desiring to know the Lord's will with a resolution to do it he stops not his ear hides not his eyes from his Master's commands but prays as David Psal 119.125 I am thy servant give me understanding that I may know thy testimonies a good soul would not be ignorant of any part of its work because he is a real servant and makes Conscience of upright obedience Ah sirs what say your hearts to this are you in good earnest do you indeed speak as you think and will you do accordingly it's no jesting trifling matter Israel gave God good words so that God saith they have well spoken when they promised to be the Lords and to obey him but God adds O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me c. Deut. 5.28 29. Alas persons may say fair in a flush of affection but enquire you into the frame of your spirits and actions whether you be real 2. This self-delivery to God is ready free willing and chearful not with grumbling and by compulsion when persons do it because they cannot help it when they see they must dye and can serve the Devil no longer or under the rod only they will be for a fit and start religious but it is full fore against their wills for they would rather choose to be slaves to lust but they are taken off by violence or constraint or else they lye under such terrours and convictions that for present they are over-awed and dare not but profess to be the Lords it is strangers that yield feigned
or forced obedience to our David Psal 18.44 See Marg. But the Lord 's true hearted subjects shall be a willing people in the day of his power Psal 110.3 voluntarinesses or liberalities so the word signifies they are all volunteers and look upon it as their priviledge honour and happiness to be the Lord's servants as the good Emperour Theodosius that accounted it greater honour to be the subject of Christ than to be Emperour of the World Judg. 5.9 Real Christians are like the Governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the People these have God's heart since the Lord hath their heart those in Act. 2.41 gladly received the Word and so were Baptized every Child of God is a free-will offering Rom. 12.1 and presents his soul and body as a living sacrifice or Holocaust and this is acceptable to God Oh the account that God makes of these they are called Princes of the people Psal 47.9 the Marg. hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the voluntary of the people volunteers are Princes as indeed all Gods Saints are Kings Psal 45.16 and the Church hath her Princes in all the Earth because they have power over their base stubborn wills which is more than to rule over millions of men these are persons of most noble generous and ingenuous spirits others are of a low base sordid degenerate spirit that have not subjected themselves to God but are slaves to their lusts Well sirs how is it with you do you voluntarily and cheerfully surrender your selves to the Lord as a Maid doth in Marriage to the person she loves are your hearts so gone after the Lord as to look upon it as your greatest preferment to be joyned to so sweet an Husband have you seriously deliberated things in your breasts and upon mature thoughts concluded that this is the best match you can make Cant. 6.12 doth your soul make you like the Chariots of Amminadab or a willing people and the longer you serve this Master the better do you like this service You do not repent that you gave up your names to him if it were to do again you would do it though you knew of ten thousand times more troubles in your way than yet you have met with nay you thank God heartily that he will accept of your persons and services and you look upon his service as perfect freedom is it thus with you bless God he hath brought you into Covenant 3. The Covenanted soul delivers up it self to God resolvedly there are some that halt between two opinions that are off and on one while they will be for God another while they are staggering like the Samaritans when the Jews were in prosperity they would profess to be of their stock when in adversity they disowned relation to them these are a Cake half-baked the one side baked for God the other side dough so that one cannot tell what to make of them God likes not these unfixt unresolved spirits but a real Saint will have God whatever it cost him like a Woman that will have such a Man though she beg with him friends may set their hearts at rest there 's no disswading her for her affections are placed all bonds cannot hold her just thus is it with a poor soul Act. 11.23 Psal 119. it cleaves to the Lord with full purpose of heart it hath devoted it self to God's fear there 's no revocation carnal friends say nothing that go about to hinder the souls match he will strike this blessed bargain in spite of all opposition all the Devils in Hell and Men on Earth shall not obstruct his course and motion to the Lord if my Father hang'd about my neck saith an Ancient my Wife and Children stood in my way to my dearly beloved I would fling off my Father throw down my Wife trample on my Children that I may enjoy my Lord God offer a resolved soul House Lands Pleasures Treasures they all signifie nothing if they be to hire him from Christ let their money perish with them said that noble Marquess that esteem all the money in the World worth one hours Communion with Jesus Christ consider Moses and Paul the first forsook the pleasures of Pharaohs Court for Christ Heb. 11.24 25. Act. 20.24 the latter accounted not his life dear in the cause of Christ and indeed this is the great condition upon which we can only have an interest in him Luk. 14.26 if any man come to me and hate not his father mother wife children brethren sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my disciple i. e. when these stand in competition with Christ or when he cannot keep both if he will not be willing to part with these rather than want Christ he is not worthy of him Mat. 10.37 as another Evangelist hath it Ah sirs how is it with you are you at a point do you hang no longer in suspence will you have Christ upon his own proposed terms and will you have him now and not delay a moment longer do you say that upon due considering your ways Psal 119.59 60. Eph. 6.15 you make haste and will not delay to give up your selves to the Lord are your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace i. e. with an holy resolution to go through sharpest paths to your beloved you care not what befalls you so that this dreadful evil do not befall you to be without God in the World and many waters of opposition cannot quench this flaming love to your dearest Lord try your selves by this note 4. A gracious soul delivers up it self to God unreservedly entirely and universally and that both with reference to the subject and the season the whole soul and that for ever 1. Totally 2. Finally 1. The whole soul is given up to God in this Covenant-match here do hypocrites dodge and article and make reserves and come not off fair but leave some sort of the heart for a lust and are not willing to give up themselves entirely now God will have all the heart or none at all he will not brook a corrival or competitour my son give me thy heart and indeed the whole soul is a present little enough for the God of Heaven it is a whorish heart that 's for dividing a gracious soul faith let him have all as it cannot be content with half a Saviour so it knows God will not be content with half a soul and therefore cryes out Lord here I am poor worm I have polluted my self with sin and deserve not that ever thou shouldst own such a wretch as I am yet such as I am I here offer my self wholly to thee alas I am but a poor and sorry present for so great a King yet I freely give my self to thee intreating thee to make me better I cannot bestow my self on one that either hath more right to me or can do more for me here I am Lord
can easily wink all the bravery of this lower World into blackness and deformity and pitty the sottish sensless sons of men that take up their rest below and neglect the main concernments of Eternity Ah thinks the gracious soul what fools are these that chase these guilded vanities and pant after the dust of the Earth would to God they did but see with these enlightned eyes that Gods spirit hath helpt me to Oh that they did but taste the sweetness of that Grace that my soul is enamoured with they would thirst after the World no more but long for God yea this living loving God and never be content till they come to appear before God How blessed are they that have their sins pardoned hearts purged souls reconciled that have God for their portion and Heaven for their inheritance and eternal mansion 4. The mercies of the Covenant are enlarging and encreasing mercies the Christian that hath them is like the house of David that grows stronger and stronger these are tending to perfection and make the soul strive and thrive in holiness Prov. 4.18 going from step to step from strength to strength pressing towards the mark rising as the Sun unto Noon-day or as the water to the spring yea this water shall still be springing up to eternal life Joh. 4.14 Grace makes the soul long after means of growth and so increase with all increase of God till it be a perfect man in Christ the soul is insatiable and never saith it hath enough till it have arrived to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Ephes 4.13 yea till it have attained to the resurrection of the dead Phil. 3.11 Oh sirs examine your hearts herein how do you come on and increase in Religion do you grow in grace in knowledge faith love humility repentance self-denyal and heavenly-mindedness where 's your proficiency have you found grace like a grain of Mustard-seed have these mercies ripened into the blade and full ear of deliberate and proportionable fruit-bearing a right Christian will never say he is good enough while he sojourns in this lower Region nor yet happy enough till he be with God in Heaven Thus much for the third Use which was an Use of Examination CHAP. IX IV. THE fourth Use is of Conviction Redargation and Reprehension and this falls heavy on the heads 1. Of Sinners 2. Of Saints 1. If the mercies of the Covenant be sure mercies as we have cleared fully Oh what folly are those souls guilty of that are Christless graceless careless souls that have no interest in these mercies and never trouble themselves about ensuring these Covenant-mercies to their own souls how many in the World are destitute of these mercies there is a Generation of Men and Women that live within the pale of the visible Church that may be called Lo-Ruhamah for they have not yet obtained mercy nay in the state they are in there is no mercy for them because they are not yet in Christ through whom these Covenant-mercies flow unconverted souls are unconcerned persons in these mercies these dogs have nothing to do with this Childrens Bread and yet who so apt to catch and snatch these precious dainties they love to hear the glorious priviledges of believers laid open as Justification Reconciliation Adoption and eternal life and yet we must sadly say they have nothing to do with these if they hear Discourses of Gods mercy how are they pleased tickled and even ravished and they make no question but they shall be saved as well as others and they think surely God that made them will not damn them but ask these poor souls whether they be savingly converted renewed ingrafted into Christ by faith alas they know not what this means they never asked their own souls the question nay they are ready to think that is a very needless enquiry or impossible to know however this never lay upon their Hearts and Consciences as necessary in order to clearing up this great case whether they have obtained mercy But let all ignorant sots know that he that made them will not have mercy on them Isa 27.11 let all prophane Rebels against the King of Heaven know that God will not be merciful to any wicked Transgressor Psal 59.5 Gods Attributes are all Analogal and Correspondent he will not cease to be just and holy that he may be merciful he will be merciful in his own way Mercy and Covenant shall go hand in hand 't is a ridiculous folly for men to conceit they shall have the Mercies of the Covenant that are not within the Covenant this is that fallacy that Logicians call fallacia dividendi conjungenda of dividing things to be conjoyned 't is most dangerous and damnable in Divinity when souls dream of having peace without grace happiness without holiness but let men know there 's no mercy but in the Covenant where no ark of the Covenant no seat of mercy where there 's no work of Grace there 's no Covenant of Grace where Christ is a Saviour he will be a Soveraign Act. 5.31 Act. 3.26 where he gives remission of sins he will give repentance his way of blessing is a turning persons from their iniquities God will not shew mercy to any but in his own way such must obtain mercy in converting Grace as obtain mercy in the enjoyment of pardoning Grace sanctification goeth along with Justification Paul obtained mercy by forsaking his own old courses 1 Tim. 1.13 God saveth us according to his mercy how why by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Titus 3.5 they are saved from sin that are saved from wrath and Hell 't is a self-deceiving soul-damning contradiction to dream of pardoning without purging grace thousands in the World fancy a God to themselves made up all of mercy and let them do what they please they can bolster up themselves with this conceit God is merciful and so as God himself saith Psal 50.21 these things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtst that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thee q. d. think not to make me a Patron of thy wickedness 't is true I spare thee and suffer thee to live quietly but forbearance is no acquittance think not I love thee because I afford thee outward mercies which thou abusest to licentiousness but I am resolved to take vengeance on thee I have justice as well as mercy and I have a season wherein I shall pour out the Vials of â—ny wrath upon Vessels of wrath that are â—itted to destruction a time is coming when â— shall tear you in pieces and there shall be â—one to deliver Oh sirs the condition of graceless unconverted souls is sad for 1. They are under a sure and sad sentence of condemnation for as the mercies â—f the new Covenant are sure to believers â—o the curses of the old Covenant are as
use of God's al-sufficiency you can blame none but your selves if you be defective or discouraged a Woman truly Godly for the main having buried a Child and sitting alone in sadness did yet chear up her heart with this expression God lives and having parted with another still she redoubled Comforts dye but God lives at last her dear Husband dyes and she sate oppressed and almost overwhelmed with sorrow a little Child she had yet surviving having observed what before she spoke to comfort her self comes to her and saith is God dead Mother is God dead this reacht her heart and by Gods blessing recovered her former confidence in her God who is a living God thus do you chide your selves ask your fainting spirits under pressing outward sorrows is not God alive and why then doth not thy soul revive why doth thy heart dye within thee when comforts dye cannot a living God support thy dying hopes thus Christians argue down your discouraged and disquieted spirits as David did Psal 42.5 But so much for that 4. As Christians do not live upon so they do not live up to these Sure Mercies of David and that in their Walking so 1. Unholily 2. Unsteadily 3. Uncomfortably 4. Unfruitfully 1. Many of Gods Children walk unsuitably i. e. unholily unspiritually untenderly not with that conscientiousness exactness and closeness they ought to do if Gods Children lived up to their mercies and priviledges oh how holy should they be seeing that these things shall be dissolved and seeing we look for such things nay seeing we see and feel such things mystically already even a new Heaven and new Earth after a sort in this new Covenant-dispensation what manner of persons ought we to be and oh how diligent should we be that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless 2 Pet. 3 11-13 14. But Oh Christians how short are we yea how inconsistent are our lives with our liberties how incongruous are our duties to our mercies yea how opposite are our spirits to our comforts What sirs Heavenly mercies and carnal hearts flat duties earthly conversations Oh shame your selves before the Lord blush tremble to think of your unsuitableness to Covenant-mercies How far are you below these enjoyments doth not your unanswerable walking give just ground of suspicion whether you have interest in these yea or no what sirs are you Saints and yet muck-worms are you partakers of an Heavenly calling and yet walk so like the men of the World is it fit to see Eagles in a dirty dunghill or Heaven-born souls in acts of filthiness either be better or quit your claim you dishonour God and discredit religion more than others Alas friends God will not be beholden to you for the meer title of being Religious unless you be really such mercies inferr duty and licentiousness is inconsistent with the nature and ends of Covenant-mercies Qui bâ—onus est justus mundus immaculatus neque malum aliquid neque injustum neque abominandâ—â— in suo sponst thalamo sustinebit Iraen adv Heb. lib. 4 You grieve Gods Spirit cross his designes wrong your own souls sadden the hearts of the righteous and open the mouths of wicked men you little know what hurt you do by one act of sinning Consider that as the priviledges of the Covenant bespeak holiness so the conditions of the Covenant include holiness and how then came heirs of promise to be so unlike their Heavenly Father what do the Children of light tampering with works of darkness 2. Gods Children walk very unsteadily i. e. they are off and on inconstant have good moods and motions but they wear off and decay they quickly lose their lively impressions and are constant in inconstancy they are zealous and forward for God one while at other times they are backward and froward Ah sirs is this a living up to these Sure mercies of David these constant unchangeable invariable mercies this Covenant is ordered in all things and sure and so are the mercies of it how comes it to pass then that Covenanters are so often discomposed disordered and unsettled sometimes they are for God and sometimes not they are halting betwixt two opinions like drunken men they are leaning sometimes to the right hand at other times to the left like Reuben Gen. 49.4 Hos 7.8 chap. 6.4 they are unstable as water and so shall not excel like Ephraim a Cake half-baked hot and hard on one side cold and doughy on the other or like the same Ephraims goodness like a Morning-cloud or early Dew that tarryes not long but is quickly scattered by the strong storms of persecutions or dryed up by the warm beams of prosperity James 1.6 Jud◠〈…〉 13. Eph. 4.14 these unstable Christians are like Jame's waves of the Sea like Jude's wandring Starrs or flying clouds carryed about of Winds or like Paul's Children tossed to and fro they are like Locusts that move to and again like Grass-hoppers that are still up and down in variable motions the hearts of such are as a Cart-wheel saith one and their thoughts as a rolling Axel-tree I know the best of Gods Children are incident to liftings up and castings down in point of quicknings and inlargements and this may be the effect of Gods affording or suspending the influences of his grace but I speak this of a Christians remissness and his inconstancy through neglect and carelesness and want of stirring up in his soul the Graces of Gods spirit and so losing the liveliness his soul feels sometimes and afterwards is warmed melted but returns into folly this is the Christians round and how unsuitable is this for a sincere soul these stars are to be fixed in the firmament of the Church and are not to be wandring Starrs or Meteors these Trees of the Lords planting should be strongly rooted and not like Reeds tossed with every wind they should be Pillars in the House of God Non vacillantes sed tetragonoi and not Feathers or Weather-cocks upon House-tops these living stones should not â—e round and rolling but square and fixed still settled upon the Center 1 Cor. 1.6 if the Testimony of Christ be confirmed in us we should hold fast our confidence firm unto the end and pray hard for a more constant spirit as David did Psal 51.10 that we may be like Jachin and Boaz stability and strength for if we be stable we shall be strong and so answerable to these Sure Mercies of David 3. It is a sad thing to see the Heirs of this Covenant walk uncomfortably what are you partakers and possessours of Mercies and yet sad have you interest in sweet and sure Mercies and yet are you dejected what will lift you up if mercy will not and what can interrupt your peace when mercy waits on you to chear you up thou losest Estate Health Good-Name Relations Liberty yea thy life is in continual hazzard but as long as these Mercies of the Covenant are sure
with them whatever they partake of a curse meets them in it whoever they are with a curse attends them Oh fearful state it was sad to be under the curse of a mortal man C ham found his Father Noah's curse heavy but oh how heavy is the curse of Almighty God who with a word can send the soul into Hell and follow his stroke into another World dear friends who would live in this cursed state another hour on the contrary whosoever hath these mercies of the Covenant hath all blessings blessed yea and also crosses and in a sort curses are turned into blessings who would not be covetous of such a state But to hasten 3. Without these Covenant-mercies the soul is not accepted in its choicest duties neither person nor performance is owned by God it is only upon a Covenant-account that any are accepted indeed in the Covenant of works the person was accepted for the works sake but in the Covenant of Grace God accepts the person first then the work if the man be in Christ then the offering is taken in good part though it be but a Turtle-dove or young Pigeon though but a sigh or groan God takes a Posie of Flowers of sweet-smelling Graces though mixed with stinking Weeds and pricking Bryars of vanity and corruption gathered by a Child and perfumed by Christs Mediation and is better pleased therewith than with the most odoriferous gifts of uncoverted souls where the heart is destitute of Covenant graces Prov. 15.8 alas the prayer of the wicked is abomination to God the great and jealous God challengeth the wicked man that hath not Covenant-mercies in his heart for taking Covenant-promises into his mouth Psal 50.16 17. What hast thou to do saith God q. d. thou poor graceless sinner thou profanest my holy name and provokest the eyes of my glory in the works and worship by which thou thinkest thou dost most honour and pleasest me in the state wherein thou art I cannot endure to look towards thee I abhorr thy person and performance thy costly incense is a smoak in my nose I can see through thy painted beauty at thy rotten inside thy guilded Eloquence and Rhetorical Flourishes are no more to me than the roaring of Bears or howling of Doggs get out of my sight thou sorry whining hypocrite all thy duties are as Cyphers and signifie nothing except the Mediatour as the principal and only figure be set before them and the spirit of God write and indite them which are two of the greatest mercies of the new Covenant Ah sirs God doth despise the most melodious Tunes of wicked men Psal 51.17 but a broken and contrite heart he despiseth not that 's sweet Musick in his blessed â—ears for a broaken heart is a Covenant-mercy these mercies are brave Ornaments â—o believing souls and render them lovely and amiable in the sight of God every penitent Tear is a rich Pearl every Prayer pierceth Heaven and fetcheth down abundant incomes from the Throne of Grace Oh what a difference do these mercies make â—n persons performances and acceptance with God 4. Without these mercies you have no solid ground of peace comfort or satisfaction for without these you are not only under the sentence of condemnation but â—ou have no real ground to hope that the sentence shall not be executed this very â—our 't is a wonder to think that graceless â—ouls should be so merry that are hanging over the pit of Hell but by the rotten â—read of a mortal life Oh how suddenly â—ay this brittle glass be broken and they â—e gone for ever for ought they know â—hen they go to bed God may say as â—ce he did to one as rich and secure as â—ese sensual sots this night shall thy soul 〈◊〉 required from thee 't is a wonder to me â—ow souls can rest quietly that are conscious to themselves or groundedly suspect they are not in Covenant with God and so know not that they shall be another moment out of Everlasting torments Redâ—e praevaricatores ad cor inhaerete ei qui sacit vos state cum to stabâ—tis requiescite in eo qâ—ieâ—i eritis Quo itis in aspectu qâ—o itis bonum quod amatis ab illo est sed quantum est illum bonom est ad suave Vid Aug. conf lib. 4. c. 12. but God leaves them to seared Consciences and Satan and the World joyn with their deceitful lusts to lull them asleep till God awake them by true repentance or eternal vengeance but God hath â— time to shake the foundations of this bastard-peace and set the soul upon the sure bottom of Covenant-relation and interest in Jesus Christ which only brings true content and comfort peace that passeth understanding joy in the Holy Ghost and a sweet Sabbath of refreshment to the tossed soul here the noble soul may as iâ— were terminate its desires and expatiate its largest faculties upon its only portion God in Covenant and thence will resulâ— continual ground of triumph and exaltation for these mercies are suitable and adaequate to the immortal soul and will support iâ— under greatest outward pressures and iâ— the hour of death therefore I may conclude this Exhortation with ver 2. of this Chapter Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not hearken diligently unto me and cat ye that which is good anâ— let your soul delight it self in fatness 5. These mercies of the Covenant will render your condition safe whatever befalls you we little know what may befall us betwixt this and the grave who knows what a day may bring forth man is born to trouble a Saint is born again to more bad news may come as Jobs Messengers treading in each others steps losses and crosses may put us on sad discouragements Oh but now to have a Covenanted God a Christ and all the fore-mentioned Covenant-mercies to solace the soul what mercy will this be when the true Christian can say I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine my flesh and heart fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever let the Sea roare Men rage Heavens look black and Earth tremble I lye at Anchor in a sure Port I trust in God Psal 112.7 Psal 46.1 2. and fear no evil tidings from below God is my refuge and help yea my present help in time of trouble evils shall either miss me or mend me all winds blow my soul nearer my Haven all dispensations hitch me a step nearer Heaven for all things work together for my good my Covenanted God will teach me to profit by Word Rod by Mercys Crosses Ordinances Providences God is my Sun and Shield to enlighten me in times of darkness to protect me in times of danger he will command a guard of Angels to attend me yea his wings shall cover me his comforts shall refresh my soul he will guide me here
express particular perswasions of some mercy as those blessed Patriarchs Gen. 48 21. chap 50.24 Behold I dye but God shall be with you and bring you again to the Land of your Fathers Yea cannot you that are Children bear your Testimony for God that he hath been and done according to your Parents faith and hope Solomon could say after Davids death thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my Father great mercy or bounty but that 's not all and thou hast kept saith he for him this great kindness that thou hast given him a Son to sit upon his Throne 1 King 3.6 and I question not but many of you can say as much for God that God hath had respect to you in Temporals because you were the seed of such as were dear to him Oh follow their steps and you shall fare as they fared 2. Yet further you that are the Children of Godly Parents Isa 44.3.59.21 Exod. 20.6 See 2 Sam. 23 1-5 Act. 3.25 you lye directly under the influences of these sure mercies the promise is made to believers and to their seed Gen. 17.7 Act. 2.38 39. such promises bear up the hearts of Gods poor expiring servants concerning their surviving Children Well then let Children claim their interest plead this grant none of you will lose your inheritance for want of looking after it if your Landlord promise you a Lease of your Tenement after your Father's decease if you sue to him for it and pay the accustomed fine will you be so mad as to be turned out of your Farm and the Heritage left by your Fathers than own your just and loving Landlord according to the Laws of the Land no man is so fond in Temporals and why should you be so foolish in Spirituals Ah Christians look after your Patrimony despise not your Birth-right is it nothing to you to be born of believing Parents remember your Parents Prayers and Tears their Hopes and fears Oh consider how it comforted their hearts upon their death-bed that they left you under a good Covenant and bequeathed to you a goodly heritage and why should your Parents be deceived in their hopes and meet you strangers at the great day to God and Christ to be set with filthy Goats upon the left hand for ever why will you embezzle or sin away this fair estate why will you not sue out this blessed Charter for your own souls in the Court of Heaven God is as willing to make it over to you as ever he was to bestow it on your Parents he is loath to cut off his kindness from their seed he looks after you in your soul-destroying practices and saith as once to Israel that did so wofully degenerate Jer. 22.5 q. d. I remember the kindness that in former times there was betwixt thy ancestors and me Oh their zeal in running after me the holy services they did perform to me thy Father or Grand-father and some former Generations maintained entercourse with me and I with them there was love of espousals betwixt us and I am sure I was not wanting to them I lookt carefully to them all that sought to devour them were my enemies they did offend me and I brought evil upon them I pleaded their cause while they lived and I took them seasonably to Heaven and if thou that art their off-spring wouldest have put me to 't I would have done as much for thee if thou hadst but laid hold of that Covenant those very Covenant-mercies should have been thine but thou art gone back thou wilt have none of me but walk after new upstart vanities thou wilt not vouchsafe so much as to enquire after the God of thy Fathers that was so faithful to them and did so much for them but let me ask thee A like Expostulation see in Miâ— 6.3 4. since thou wilt needs leave me what iniquity have either thy Fathers or thou found in me produce thy reasons testifie against me did I ever do thee any wrong have I not always done thee good Oh soul whithersoever thou goest from me thou missest of such a God as thy Fathers served God seems in that Scripture to speak after this manner Oh hearken to the eternal God if you will not heed the dying words of your mortal Parents that dyed in the Lord though one would think those should move and melt your hearts into tears of Gospel sorrow why should your dear deceased Parents rise up in judgement against you at the day of judgement when it shall be enquired whether they did their duty they must needs answer according to truth that they did instruct correct counsel admonish their wandring Prodigal Children they brought them to Ordinances prayed for them wept and travelled again for them and yet could not prevail and now must come in to bear witness against them and must rejoyce in Gods just vengeance upon them Oh what a sad case will these rebellious Children be in 't is no pleading priviledges by means of believing Parents at that day the higher you were advanced therein the lower will you be cast down to Hell Matth. 11.23 oh how terrible will it be to see godly Parents in Heaven and themselves cast into utter darkness yea to see strangers or the Converted Children of Heathenish Parents come from East and West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven but the Children of these Kingdoms posterity of Covenanted Parents cast out into utter darkness See Mat. 8.11 12. Let me therefore perswade all graceless Children to look about them do you above all others take heed of miscarrying greater expectations are from you than others the surviving friends of your Religious Ancestors look after you and enquire what you do oh rejoyce their hearts by walking in the steps of your predecessours I shall bespeak you yea charge you in the words of Reverend Mr. Bolton upon his death-bed that none of you will dare to meet us at the great Tribunal in an unregenerate state let every Child of Godly Parents plead for Covenant-mercies as once Solomon did 2 Chron. 1.8 9. thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my Father now O Lord God let thy promise unto David my Father be established thus do you plead with God and say Lord my Parents embraced the Covenant it was thy free-grace to choose them and set thy heart upon them and is that Grace weary canst thou not own me with Covenant-mercy nay dost thou not call that mercy to Abraham by the surer name of truth unto Jacob am not I a Child of the promise Lord cut not off the entail of Covenant-mercies from me or mine for ever But I must hasten let all souls seek after a share in Covenant-mercies you that are afar off and you that are near Children of the good and of the bad draw near hither take hold of this Covenant here 's mercy for you all these mercies are attainable let the wicked forsake his way and the
for God humility and self-denyal and hereby shall you clear up your own souls and others that these mercies of the Covenant belong to you for so saith the Apostle the Lord make you to increase and abound in love to the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God 1 Thes 3.12 13. if you have more Grace you may probably have more comfort 9. Lay the stress of your souls upon free-grace the more you mix any conceits of your own righteousness the more you 'l stagger and be disconsolate let free-grace be your foundation and build upon nothing in your selves for your best graces duties excellencies are imperfect and can afford you little solid satisfaction Let Jesus Christ be all in all to you be you nothing at all in your selves Oh God loves to see a poor trembling soul despairing o◠any thing in it self accounting the World as loss and dross flying into the out-stretched arms of free-grace casting it self down a◠his feet and resolving to venture all upon an all-sufficient Saviour and though at present it walk in darkness yet it will cas◠Anchor in the dark Isa 50.10 and trust in the name of the Lord you shall see in due time the mists shall be dispelled and the souls state cleared and the troubled heart fully satisfied 〈◊〉 thus David made account to recover the light of Gods countenance See Psal 33.20 22. and banish disquieting thoughts even by trusting in God Psal 45.5 12. mercy will answer all your doubts and scruples mercy will suit your necessity mercy will revive and rejoyce troubled spirits therefore poor doubting soul though thou canst find no goodness in thy self therefore lookest on thy self as utterly unworthy yea uncapable of interest in Covenant-mercies yet hope in Gods mercy let no mud of thy duties mix with the pure stream of free undeserved mercy and as that will carry thy soul apace to the Ocean of glory so it will bring many sweet refreshing streams of joy and peace into thy heart we have instances of many in the word that judged themselves most unworthy of good as in themselves yet expected and received Mat. 8.8.15.27 both mercy and assurance thereof for mercies sake as Centurion Woman of Canaan and others because as mercy is free so these Covenant-mercies are purchased and ensured by Jesus Christ the Mediator of the Covenant and therefore though there be no goodness in the poor soul to procure these mercies yet there is enough in their surety and as their sins are made over to him so what good is in Christ is made over to the believing soul 1 Cor. 1.30 here is the marrow of the Gospel Yea farther the less goodness an humbled sinner finds in himself the greater evidence hath he that these mercies belong to him Isa 55.1 Mat. 5.3 Rom. 4.5 because he finds even such very persons invited and received yea humility self-denyal and poverty of spirit are mercies of the Covenant and do evidence interest 10. Be much in the duties of thankfulness and chearfulness give God praise and God will give you more grounds of praise bury not his mercies in the grave of forgetfulness especially bless him for Covenant-mercies Alas saith the soul if I were sure I had an interest in these Covenant-mercies then I could sing to Gods praise and be very thankful but how can I praise God for that which I question whether it belong to me yea or no I Answer thou must bless God that there are such mercies in store for poor sinners and that any poor souls have obtained an interest therein and are carryed to Heaven thereby bless God that you are under a call and capacity to enjoy these Covenant-mercies that God hath not excluded but included you in the universal tender of it yea consider if you have not cause to bless God that he hath been dealing with your hearts in such a manner as he is wont to do with such souls as he brings into Covenant with himself hath he not humbled broken brought your souls off your own bottoms let you see a vanity in the World the excellency and necessity of Christ caused longings and pantings in your souls after these mercies and doth not all this deserve your thankfulness but know further that thankfulness for what you have is a most effectual way to clear up your title and to beget assurance praise raiseth the souls faculties to an high pitch of joy and comfort it is like David's harp to banish away the evil spirit of disquietness or discouragement your praise should wait for God Psal 65.1 Isa 30.18 and you 'l find God waiting to be gracious to you usually a thankful heart is a chearful heart you may sing your selves out of your sorrows as David did frequently he made a song of these mercies of the Covenant even then when he could find little comfort in or benefit by these Covenant-mercies in many regards See Psal 89.1 with ver 38. ad finem thus do you Christians sing your selves into this blessed sleep and soul tranquility 't is the fault of doubting souls that they pore all upon their sins and forget their mercies they think they can never be sufficiently bathed in the tears of repentance and torment their hearts with doubtful thoughts but consider not that a thankful commemoration of mercies is as well their duty as mourning and humiliation yea 't is a sweet heart-chearing God-pleasing duty therefore let Christians be much in this duty as a means of assurance I shall add a word or two to all of us to press after a particular assurance of our interest in these mercies of the Covenant 1. Christians may be assured of their interest we are commanded to make it sure many good souls have arrived to a Plerophory or full assurance 2 Pet. 1.10 experience proves the truth of this Joh. 16.24 Eph. 1.13 Rom. 15 4. 'T is promised See Isa 60.16 Saints have attained to it Job 19.25 Psal 63.1 Gal. 2.20 1 Joh. 3.14 5.19 Cant. 2.16 Isa 45.24 25. God himself hath promised joy and comfort to such as ask it 't is the great office of the spirit to seal up souls to the day of redemption Yea the Scriptures were written to promote our comfort and assurance seals of the Covenant instituted Ordinances and Ministers appointed for this very end and shall we slight this infinite Condescention of God who is so forward to help us shall we use no means or endeavours to ensure these mercies to our souls Oh ingrateful wretches if it were a thing unattainable we might be daunted but how many gracious souls do we see 〈◊〉 hear of that do walk in the light of Gods Countenance and triumph over all opposition in the sense of Gods love and one great Reason why many of us are so full of doubts is our neglect of Gods appointed means for the obtaining of assurance for if it be attainable in the use of ordinary means we
sin exceedingly against God and our own souls in neglecting those means of assurance 2. You cannot evidence your truth of grace or title to Covenant-mercies unless you use Gods appointed means to obtain assurance it 's an ill sign of a graceless heart to nourish doubtings and distrusts and then to come in with such pleas as these true faith is accompanied with doubtings he that doubts not doth not believe a doubting faith is a good faith let me have doubts and fears I dare not be too confident lest I presume But I must tell thee soul a doubting faith is but a weak faith and a Christian ought to be strong in faith Rom. 4.20 and make a progress to a full degree and proficiency in grace and endeavour to arrive to a plerophory and full assurance for this is the nature of grace to be pressing after perfection Rom. 1.17 and go from faith to faith even from a faith of adherence to a faith of evidence and assurance yea let such know this that slight means of assurance you live in a constant neglect of a known duty in disobedience to a flat command Heb. 6.11 and we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end q. d. if your faith and hope be of the right stamp as it may seem to be it will be working off all doubtings anxious thoughts and distrusting fears and move to a further degree of confidence and assurance else you may suspect the truth of it 3. You cannot assure your selves of creature enjoyments a day to an end nor yet of immunity from crosses and if you have not assurance of these sure mercies what have you to bear up your hearts in an evil day we little know what shaking times may come that may pluck from you whatever you account dear and if you have not something above oh the sad confusions that will seize upon you but assurance of an interest in the God of Heaven and the good things of the Covenant will be a guard to free your hearts from those numerous Armies of tormenting fears that will beset you this will be a cordial to drive away sick and swooning qualmes from your troubled spirits assurance of Gods love will fortifie your hearts against the fierce assaults of men and devils Psal 27.1 the Lord is my light and salvation whom shall I fear Exod. 12.23 Ezek. 9.6 destroying Angels shall not come near any persons that are sprinkled with Christs blood and have the mourners mark a day of danger horrour confusion may overtake us in the Nation in which we may be stript naked of all our enjoyments surely then assurance of our interest in the best riches in the World will stand us in stead and when all things else fail these will abide with us But 4. Consider the great advantages of assurance I can but name them 1. It will assure us that we shall want nothing that 's good for us if he have given us Christ then will he give us all good things Rom. 8.32 2. It gives a sweet relish to every comfort of life delight in Gods great goodness Neh. 9.25.3 It will sweeten the bitterest cup of affliction Mat. 9.2 4. It gives boldness to the Throne of Grace Heb. 10.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. with a liberty to say what we list if according to his will and he will hear us 5. Assurance helps the soul to despise the World he that knows he is cloathed with the Sun can trample the Moon under his feet 1 Pet. 4.14 16. see Heb. 10.34.6 It strengthens against the censures and reproaches of men no matter what men say when God acquits Rom. 8.33 34. our Conscience tells us we are not the men we are represented to be 7. It sweetens the reading of the Word and receiving of the Sacraments these promises seals blood of the Covenant are mine precepts threatnings all things his 1 Cor. 3.21 22.8 It enlargeth the soul in praise and thanksgiving hence those Hallelujahs in Heaven the more assurance the more thankfulness Psal 103.1 2 3. 9. It commendeth Religion to others makes Gods ways lovely Oh taste and see come and I will shew you what he what he hath done for my soul ingageth many Psal 142.7.10 It helpeth on repentance makes Godly sorrow more kindly Evangelical a love-look from Christ melts Peters heart this Sun dissolves frozen souls Ezek. 16.63.11 It engageth a soul against sin appearances of God are cords of love which are strongest to an ingenuous spirit Rom. 6.1 2.12 Assurance animates our performances and obedience is any thing too much to do for God yea my God deserves all I am have his command 's are not grievous 1 Joh. 3.5.13 It deadens the heart to needless disputes and Controversies it settles the heart in the truth and fortifies it against the subtilties of seducing spirits for Gods Law is in their hearts Heb. 13.9.14 It representeth the glory of Heaven is some blessed embleme of a souls bathing it self in these Rivers of pleasure that are at Gods right hand divine embraces a corner of Heaven a Pisgah-sight of Canaan 15. It sweeteneth the King of terrours and plucks out the sting of death so that a gracious soul assured of Gods love can triumph with Paul over this conquered enemy 1 Cor. 15.55 and indeed none but an assured Christian can look death in the face without horrour and amazement ruffling gallants may be prodigal of their lives who are far from any capacity of obtaining assurance but those are liker Bruits than men that are guided by sence not by reason and consider not that their souls are immortal and that they are entring into Eternity at death but these have drowned themselves in sensuality and consider not what they do but 't is only the Christian that's upon good grounds assured of his good estate that can in cold blood adventure upon death yea be willing to dye yea desire to be dissolved and be with Christ I have but hinted at these things because 't is an ordinary subject wherein many have done worthily to promote endeavours to obtain assurance Sirs what say you to these things is not assurance of interest in Covenant-mercies worth labouring for can you let these things lye without clearing your title doth not the new creature breathe after it doth not a rational soul desire it do not all wicked men catch after a certainty and frame to themselves some kind of certainty do not worldlings take care to secure their Lands Goods Estates shall they require Bonds Seals Oaths Sureties and yet account all this too little and shall we account any thing too much to secure these sweet mercies whithout which we are undone for ever Oh let nothing hinder your endeavours this way let no objections make you delay or be discouraged let not Satan deter you or the Worlds conceits make you slight it as unattainable nor a slothful unbelieving heart
Lord hath taken to assure thee of these mercies so that unbelief is the most unreasonable sin in the World Joh. 3.19 this is the great damning sin say not with Cain thy sins are greater than can be forgiven for thou lyest in saying so is not the mercy of an infinite God beyond the demerits of a finite creature nay further thou givest God the lye who is truth it self he saith there 's life for dead condemned sinners in his Son 1 Joh. 5.10 11. thou saist no but I have been to seek and I want life but there 's none for me yes yes soul there 's life enough for thee grace abounds and you may have this life in abundance only shut not out your selves by unbelief but come to him and he will in no wise cast you off for he is ready to forgive your iniquities and give you these sure mercies 3. In case of persecutions afflictions temptation from Satan the World or any other ways you may then improve these Covenant-mercies and find abundance of sweetness solace and satisfaction therein were it not for these the soul of a child of God would sink under his pressures how often doth David profess that he had perished in his affliction Psal 119. did not Gods word of promise support him a Covenant-word will lift up the soul from the lowest depth a Covenanted God will incourage a Saint in the greatest straits there is a Divine art in a Christians improving this â—tock to his best advantage and affliction â—s a proper season to make use thereof as suppose a man be in poverty there 's enough â—n the Covenant to make him rich if in disgrace Covenant-mercies make him honourable if sick one Covenant-mercy even pardon of sin will make him sound Isa 33. Dei hominem cultoâ—em Dei subnixum spei veritate fidei stabilitate fundatum â—gat mandi buâ—us seâ—uli in testatioâ—ibus commoveri vid. Cypr. tractaâ— cont Demetr p. 273. 〈◊〉 in Prison Covenant-mercies set him at â—iberty if hungry or thirsty why Covenant-mercies are meat and drink to him if derived of relations still Covenant-mercy makes up that loss and lets the soul see â—etter relations in Heaven Oh Christians our case can never be forlorn as long as â—u have such rich mercies of the Covenant to support and supply you let all the â—en of earth set themselves against you â—ey can but storm the out-works they can â—ver surprize your main Fort or rob you 〈◊〉 your best goods these mercies of the Covenant which are made sure to you by a Covenant of salt oh hug and embrace these mercies in such a time as this when trade decays your stock is safe in a plundering time none can pluck away your treasure and estate you have something that all the Devils in Hell and Men on Earth cannot deprive you of troubles will but knock these mercies into your breasts more firmly and feelingly then deprive you of them or render you suspicious of your interest in them for these are seasons wherein God communicates most of himself to the soul Gen. 28.13 Jacob's sad and solitary journey was attended with the choicest heart-reviving discoveries Heaven was opened and God shined upon blessed Stephen's soul through a showr of Stones Act. 7.55 Oh Christians 't is worth a World to have interest in God in the day of affliction and 't is your great work in such a day to bear up your hearts with what you have in the Covenant of grace take heed of discontented murmurings under any tryals since you have a God that can and will be all in all to your souls in the want of all comforts and over-flowing of sorrows 4. You may improve these Covenant mercies in a day of spiritual dearth in thâ— famine of the Word which is the sad desâ— judgement when Means Ordinances failâ— and the soul is in great danger of pining then 't is both safe and sweet to suck growtâ— and strength from the spring-head eveâ— from God in a Covenant-way these mercies nourish the languishing soul in a famishing season Isa 41.17 18. when the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them I will open Rivers in high places and Fountains in the midst of the Valleys I will make the Wilderness a Pool of water and streams in the Desart and dry Land springs of Water Oh blessed are Covenanted souls they have meat to eat others know not of hidden Manna God hath ways to convey Marrow and Fatness into their souls when their ordinary provision is kept from them I Read of a man that was condemned to starve to death in Prison his Daughter getting leave to visit him once a day yet not permitted to bring food notwithstanding preserved his life a long time by the Milk which he sucked out of her Breasts Oh how doth God preserve the souls of his Children in Prisons by that good nourishment they suck from God in the breasts of the Promises he keeps them alive in famine bread shall be given them their waters shall be sure Isa 33.16 yea he makes affliction and adversity both bread and water wholesome food therefore called in Scripture Isa 30.20 the bread of adversity and water of affliction because souls are bravely nourished thereby Ordinances may for a season be removed but influences of grace are still conveyed grace is supported the soul supplyed as long as the spring remains free for a Christians access he shall be provided for though the Chanel be stopt streams cut off and outward means much obstructed therefore Christians when the word of the Lord is precious and there is little open vision make your addresses immediately to God see what he will speak to your souls own him in Covenant-relation lay your souls at his feet and tell him that you are cast in a thirsty Wilderness your graces are withering and hearts failing tell him you can scarce meet with an instrument to receive a word of council or comfort from but ask him if he cannot supply without as well as by the means tell him he sometimes stops the Conduit that he may convince us where our refreshment lyes and whither we must have recourse for fresh supplys tell him when you enjoyed the means they could not work without him and now you want them he can work without them though he hath tyed us to the means yet he hath not tyed himself to them tell him once again that the more immediate his Conveyances are the more evidential they are and the sweeter emblems of Heaven 5. In your backslidings and fears of apostacy then oh then improve these mercies of the new Covenant you fall and miscarry and lose your hold of God but God hath hold of you you dare not venture to approach to him again Jer. 3.12 13. but he calls and tells you he will
thou forsaken me saith Christ and David his Type yet my God still Psal 51.8 Christians you are not to trust to present feelings David doth not say make me to feel but hear joy and gladness saith one because sense and feeling is of no worth of it self except first we hear it in a promise that 's a fancy that 's felt and not heard from God and we are to build upon a word of promise even when we want the feeling of comfort and 't is not safealtoger the to lean upon former experiences only though these are good secondary helps yet our primary and Principal foundation is God in a Promise as our God in Covenant let a dark and troubled spirit read study and practise that choice instruction Isa 50.10 trust in the name of the Lord there 's enough in Gods name to answer allâ—d ubts read it Exod. 34.5 6 mercy there answers to our misery grace to our undeserving long-suffering to our continued apostacy goodness answers our vileness truth and faithfulness answers to our Covenant-breach and falshood God keeps Covenant though we break it yea God keeps Covenant with us though we are apt to think he breaks it David thought Gods mercy was clean gone and that his Promise failed for evermore but he is convinced at last that that apprehension was his infirmity Psal 77.8 9 10. therefore let a clouded soul in its blackest desertions lift up his eyes and heart to these sure mercies and ponder thus 't is true my soul is dark and God withdraws it is a night of great affliction but was it never day with thee O my soul hath not the blessed day-star of grace risen in thy heart hath not God united thee to Jesus Christ did he never give thee the earnest of his Spirit didst thou never feel the stirrings of its graces or the stealing of its comforts reflect upon thy former state or rather study the freeness and the fulness of Gospel-grace what though I be without any sensible feelings of Gods grace or shinings of his face is not my life sometimes hid with Christ in God even from mine own eyes as well as from others may not the Sun be under a Cloud shall I say my Father doth not love me because he doth not always dandle me upon his knee and evidence his love to me in sweet embraces I am resolved to cleave unto him though he kill me and to believe in him though I cannot see him I will venture my weary soul upon his free-grace in Christ the Covenant is firm its mercies are sure there 's hope in the God of Israel it may be he will cast a propitious aspect on a weary â—oul however I am resolved to lye at his â—eet and act affiance and dependance on his â—mmutable promise whether he ever shine upon my soul or no this will bring a good issue 7. The last case wherein a Christian is to improve these sure mercies of David is in the hour and power of death when that grim Serjeant looks upon us with its ghastly face and arrests us with its cold hand then mercy will stand us in stead and sure mercies will be our sweetest Cordial these mercies pluck out the sting of death perfume the grave make way for the gracious soul to take its flight to glory so that death is now become the Christians friend and servant rest and interest conquest and Crown the Apostle doth therefore reckon up death as one part of the Saints Inventory 1 Cor. 3.21 22. all things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephâ—s or the World or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours this is the fullest longest surest title here 's a sufficient enumeration nothing can be wanting either in the mercies ensured or manner of ensuring or the duration it 's to all Eternity and it 's the best and clearest Tenure in capite in the head Christ and 't is both by Purchase and by Conquest nothing is wanting to make these mercies sure for ever for death which dissolves all other bonds of relation doth more firmly and closely joyn God and the gracious soul 't is as a Porter to let them into their Fathers house a divine Limbeck to purifie and prepare them for glory and that voice which calls to the believer saying come up hither in this life souls are but espoused to Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 after death they are presented to him and the marriage is consummated 2 Cor. 5.6 8. ver 1 2. Phil. 1.21 here we are absent from our husband while present in the body but 't is more desirable to be absent from the body and present with the Lord and this is done by a dissolving of the earthly house of this Tabernacle so that hereby death becomes a gain and brings believers to their proper home and why should we be afraid of a stingless Serpent or helpful servant that doth us the greatest kindness why are believers afraid to dye why do they not rather say with that good man egredere anima egredere go forth my soul go forth and meet thy dearly beloved But we need go no further to prove either the immortality of the soul or the commodities of death than the subject we are upon even these sure mercies of David for they continue to David even when he is laid in the grave therefore our Saviour proves the Resurrection from the Covenant with Abraham Numb 18.19 Mat. 32.31 Isaac and Jacob because it is a perpetual Covenant a Covenant of Salt and thus runs the argument God is the God of the living and not of the dead therefore these Patriarchs are living and have an existence because he hath made a Covenant with them otherwise if these arise not then must the Covenant of necessity cease but the Covenant endures for ever therefore those with whom he makes the Covenant must live for ever since God calls himself their God Exod. 3.6 even after they are laid in their graves therefore let Christians rest in hope when they are laying down their heads in the grave for the Scripture saith the righteous have hope in their death the Covenant abides firm still the mercies thereof dye not when the body dyes the Heathens themselves saw this Socrates saith the Swan was Dedicated to Apollo because she sung sweetly before her death and the Romans when their great men dyed and when their bodies were burnt to ashes they caused an Eagle to fly and mount on high to signifie that the soul was immortal and shall not the Children of Promise sing chearfully when their souls are ready to mount up to eternal mansions I confess I am really ashamed when I read Cicero Cicero Tusc Quest lib. 1. De contemnâ—adâ morte Maximum argumentum est naturam ipfam de immo talite animorum tacitam judicare quod omnibus curae sâ—nt maxime quidem quae post mortem futura sâ—nt Serit arbores
they are dear to Jesus Christ but free to us they are purchased with the warmest blood in the veins of the Son of God yea he thought his dearest heart-blood well bestowed to purchase these sure mercies he sees of the Travel of his soul and is well satisfied the fruits of his purchase are the joy of his heart he thinks these worth all his pains pain and dolours God the father is well pleased and accounts these mercies a valuable fruit of his Sons purchase and shall not we be thankful 3. They are Deep mercies Aquae quo sunt profundiores eo sunt puriores quoniam crassa terrea materia in profundum depressa est hinc profunditatem a quarum bibea Ezek. 34.18 high and broad and have all the dimensions of greatness Psal 36.5 6. these mercies can fetch up a drooping despairing soul out of the grave yea out of Hell be the soul sunk as low as sin can make it in this World these mercies can fetch it up and raise it out of the grave and pit of silence and save to the uttermost Oh what a long arm of mercy hath been reached forth unto your troubled hearts in your low estate and doth not this deserve thankfulness 4. They are Designed mercies purposely designed aimed and intended to set forth riches of grace the infinite contrivance of the blessed God to magnifie riches of love to sinners 't is true God intended to set off his power wisdom justice truth but he hath magnified his mercy above all the rest of his name it 's beyond the rest of his works the attributes of God are set very high but mercy sits in the chiefest Throne he declares to Angels and Saints what he can do for sorry man oh advance free-grace 5. They are Dignifying mercies such honour have all his Saints oh what an height doth God raise his Covenant-Children to he deals bountifully with them by these Covenant-mercies was David raised up on high 2 Sam. 23.1 and therefore confesseth that God regarded him according to the estate of a man of high degree 1 Chron. 17.17 and truly it is the highest preferment in the World to partake of these sure mercies and therefore we have great cause of thankfulness 6. They are Sanctifying mercies they season all other mercies and make common mercies to become Covenant-mercies yea they make crosses mercies they perfume the most offensive griefs and are like Moses's Tree that sweetens the Waters of Marah if you poure a paile of Water on the floor it seems a little Sea but pour it into the Ocean it 's swallowed up and seems nothing so afflictions out of the Covenant are intollerable but as in Covenant-love they are inconsiderable the depth of mercies drowns the depth of miseries and is not this ground of thankfulness 7. They are Separating mercies hereby are Gods Children distinguished from all the people that are upon the face of the Earth Exod. 33.16 19. even in their finding grace in Gods sight and his presence with them and making his goodness pass before them if there be any discriminating mercies for any of the Children of men as protection provision direction these Covenant-mercies usher them in and sort them out to the heirs of Promise and if they be good for them they shall partake thereof then bless God 8. They are Sealing mercies they signifie exhibit and represent Gods love to the soul where-ever these mercies are laid up in the breast of a sinner that soul is the Jedidiah or beloved of Gods soul they testifie such a souls relation to God and Gods affection to it wicked men are strangers to Covenant-love Gods people are the proper subjects of these endeared thoughts of Gods heart and are you of that number oh give God the glory of this mercy 9. They are Extensive mercies they are exceeding broad they have wide arms and embrace all the heirs of Promise not a gracious soul though never so poor is left out yea they are largely extended to every Christians state case exigency and necessity let doubts be what they will let â—ears falls faults be sad and soul-astonishing yet these sure mercies will answer all they are commensurate and proportionated to all conditions of soul body estate relations oh bless God for them 10. They are Comprehensive mercies they contain all the good that God promiseth or a soul needeth grace and glory holiness and happiness peace and pardon all our fresh springs are herein the good things of this life and of a better and there are many precious things put forth by this Sun of righteousness in a Covenant-way Oh what cause have we to bless God and admire free-grace that hath not only given us the spiritual good things of his Kingdom righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost but temporal good things by a sure and sweet tenure so that these sure mercies of the Covenant insure unto us the corporal mercies that are good for us and and after another and better manner than any uncovenanted persons though never so great can enjoy them for in a Covenant-way believers do enjoy common-mercies 1. More refinedly taken off the dregs oâ— cares and sorrows Prov. 10.22 a Saints bread Psal 81.16 though never so course is of the finest of the wheat and he is satisfied with honey out of the rock Luk. 8.18 Psal 39. yea they come 2. More really other comforts are but seeming comforts as man walketh in a vain shew so what he enjoys is but a dream but outward comforts coming through the blood of Christ are solid substantial refreshments again they come more 3. Sweetly have not those prickles and stings that worldly things have to natural men Oh the peace and quietness that a Christian enjoys with outward comforts and further comforts come to a Child of God more 4. Serviceably the creature doth homage to its Maker and Masters Children so that what they have is for their good and doth them good and comforts also come more 5. Satisfyingly a Godly man is more contented with his little than the men of the world can be with abundance a little that the righteous hath is better than the riches of many wicked Psal 37.16 and then a Child of God enjoys his comforts in a Covenant-way more safely he needs not fear want bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure Isai 33.16 God is the Christians purse-bearer and it 's in safer hands than in his own and they are here more 7. Lastingly we shall have corporal mercies as long as we need them and when we need them not they shall be swallowed in eternal enjoyments O therefore let the Saints of God be truly thankful let the high praises of God be in their mouths this is the chief rent and reasonable Tribute that God expects for these sure mercies sacrifice these sacrifices of thanksgiving take this Cup of salvation and give God the praise that 's due unto his name Begin that work here in time which shall be fully managed by the ransomed of the Lord to all Eternity this this shall be the burden of the Saints triumphant Song in Heavenly Mansions that glorious pallace shall ring and eccho with the blessed note of mercy mercy free-grace laid the foundation and grace grace only lays the top-stone of Saints glory Oh how will God be admired by and in all that believe at that day well sirs begin those Hosanna's here that will be seconded with Hallelujahs hereafter speak well of your gracious God admire this new-Covenant design and let him have all the glory of this blessed contrivance so shall you accomplish Gods end and evidence your Covenant-interest in these sure mercies of David Thus though these Divine graces which adorn the Temple of a Christians breast do sometimes disappear and sin costs the soul some tears yet the gracious soul hath abundant ground of thankfulness for the whole transaction take it in Divine Herbert's Poem of Church-floor Mark you the floor that square and speckled ston which looks so firm and strong is Patience And th' other black and grave wherewith eacâ— on is checker'd all along Humility The gentle rising which on either hand leads to the Quire above is Confidence But the sweet Cement which in one sure band tyes the whole frame is Love and Charity Hither sometimes sin steals and stains the Marbles neat and curious veins But all is cleansed when the Marble weeps Sometimes death puffing at the door blows all the dust about the floor But while he thinks to spoil the room he sweeps Blest be the Architect whose art could build so strong in a weak heart FINIS