second in Trinity hereby laying a ground of a firm Mediation between God and us for Jesus Christ being of Gods Nature therefore he will be faithful unto God and being of our Nature therefore he will be compassionate towards us And here is the root of all the life and power of this Mediation to wit this Personal Union of the Son of man with the second Person in Trinity which is a firm and everlasting Union 2. By Gods giving him to be a Covenant Isa 42.6 I will give thee for a Covenant of the People for a Light of the Gentiles What is meant hereby the Lord meaneth that he giveth him to be a Mediator of this Covenant 1. To receive from God all the promises and gracious gifts whatsoever is requisite for him to be King Priest and Prophet and all these things he receiveth from the hand of the Father Col. 1.19 for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell thus he becometh a plentiful Redeemer And as the Lord gave him to be a Covenant so he giveth him also to work all things needful for our Redemption partly by his passion and obedience unto the Death of the Cross Phil. 2.8 and partly by fulfilling all the righteousness of the Law Mat. 3.15 The Lord Jesus Christ did fully accomplish whatsoever was requisite for him to accomplish in his own Person 2. He doth perform all things needful for the Application of this Redemption unto our souls Isa 26.12 And to this end he it is that sheadeth abroad his Spirit into our hearts Joh. 15.26 16.7 and when this blessed Spirit cometh he applieth unto the soul all this gracious Redemption of Jesus Christ by giving Jesus Christ and all the Fruits of his redemption and by working all those blessed works that the souls of his people come to be partakers of and so performeth all those conditions that are required on our parts if it be needful for us to have Faith he will work it in us if it be needful for us to live a life of Faith he will help us so to live for it is not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.9 Thus hath the Lord made him a compleat Mediator of this holy Covenant and whatsoever we receive we receive from him for unto him first as the head of the Church are all blessings given and unto us all promises in him are Yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 for though Christ be not a sinner in his own Person yet in respect of his Members he is many times lost in them though not in himself and poor in them though not in himself for us therefore he receiveth the Promises of God and that is the great security of them that they are laid up safe in him and belong unto us if we have union with the Head and in him we perform whatsoever God requireth whether we pray or preach or hear we do all in the Name of Jesus Christ going forth in his strength and power Col. 3.17 Thus is the Lord Jesus Christ a firm surety of this better Covenant stablished upon better Promises Heb. 8.6 In the first place Use 1 This may teach us a broad difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace In the Covenant of Works The Lord offereth Himself as a Father Diff. 1 his Son as a Redeemer his Spirit as a Sanctifier but this is still upon a condition of obedience if they shall keep his Laws and obey his voice then they shall be a peculiar treasure unto him above all people Exod. 19.5 6. This also they undertake to do Deut. 5.27 All that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee we will hear it and do it but O saith God that there was such an heart in them vers 29. When they rebelled he did not pardon them graciously but the Angel whom he sendeth with them he biddeth them beware of him and obey his voice and provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my Name is in him In the Covenant of Grace he will but not in this here is indeed a conditional Redeemer and Saviour and so it is expressed Isa 63.8 9 10. He was their Saviour in all their affliction he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love c. But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them with many of them God was not well pleased almost with none of them but overthrew them in the wilderness Thus in the Covenant of Works all is given upon condition of obedience The Lord giving himself Diff. 2 his Son and Spirit upon condition though it be but to Works yet he is pleased to receive them into some kinde of Relative Vnion expressed Jer. 32.32 Which my Covenant they brake although I was an Husband to them He was married unto them in Church-Covenant this was some kinde of union He was their God and they were his peculiar people and yet the Lord cast them off a generation of his wrath from this Marriage-Covenant between them and him from this union there springeth a kinde of Faith by which the soul cleaveth unto the Lord in some measure else there could not be this Marriage-Union and this Faith is that of which you read Psal 106.12 13. They beleeved his words they sang his praise they soon forgat his works they waited not for his counsel So also Exod. 14.31 it is said They beleeved the Lord and his servant Moses this is that Faith which men may receive and yet may Apostate from it spoken of Heb. 6.3 to 6. For a while some do beleeve and in time of temptation fall away Luk. 8.13 But all that Faith was never grounded upon any free promise of Grace but all was built upon Ordinances and Duties and upon no higher ground In the 2 Chron. 13.8 to 12. marvellously strong are the expressions of Abijah when Jeroboam came against him You think to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hand of David c. Have not you cast out the Priests of the Lord saith he c. But as for us the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him and the Priests which minister unto the Lord are the Sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business and they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening Burat-sacrifices and sweet Incense the Shew-bread also they set in order upon the pure Table and the Candlestick of gold with the Lamps thereof to burn every evening for we keep the charge of the Lord our God but ye have forsaken him And behold God himself is with us for our Captain and his Priests with sounding Trumpets to cry Alarm against you O ye children of Israel fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers for you shall not prosper Thus we see what Faith he did express and hereupon vers 18. the children of Israel
of the Law of God they would neither have faith nor sence of Gods fatherly displeasure when they negligently break these laws neither would they be sensible of Gods acceptance of their conformity thereunto but we know what the Apostle Paul saith 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. and truly the Lord doth often bear witness unto the integrity of his servants against the oppositions of men so he did to Abraham to David to Paul and to sundry of the Saints of God though the servants of God are not wonted thereupon to build their safe estate yet this kind of Gods acceptance of their waies and obedience they do discern yet in their best obedience which they do perform they see the need they have to go unto God for justifying grace because if they have failed in any one circumstance their best righteousness is polluted therefore they have need of Jesus Christ to cover the failings of their most strict performances This Nehemiah was sensible of when he had been very faithful in reforming the abuses of the Sabbath and of many other Ordinances of God and though the Lord had helped him to undertake the reformation with much dexterity and success yet for all this he runneth unto Christ for acceptance and pardon Nehem. 13.22 Remember me O my God concerning this and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy and what would he have done if he had been conscious of some gross sin He would then much more have run to the Lord Jesus Thus the Law is established by faith for there is no justified person but he is very apprehensive of his sins and so of his continual need of Christ whose blood cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 and who is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness vers 9. who is an Advocate if any man sin and a propitiation for our sins Chap. 2.1 2. and what do all these things argue but that a Christian being under the Covenant of the Grace of God doth submit himself unto this yoak of God Thus far then a Christian is under the Law to Christ so far as the Law is under Christ he is under the commandment of Christ and under the power of Christ and under the displeasure of Christ if he negligently sin against the Law and unto Christ he runneth for pardon and cleansing and unto Christ he cometh for acceptance of his obedience so that he hath no use of the Law but unto Christ and in and under Jesus Christ But how is a Christian not under the Law So far forth as the Law is not under Christ I mean so far as it is without Christ freely justifying of us by his grace so far a Christian is freed from under the Law In one word a Christian man under a Covenant of Grace is not under a Covenant of Works Rom. 6.14 You are not under the Law but under Grace he meaneth not under the Covenant of the Law nor under the power and authority of the Law as of their husband Rom. 7.1 2 3 4. The husbandly Jurisdiction of the Law is taken away The Law is not made for a righteous man 1 Tim. 1.9 that is not the Covenant of the Law for else we are under the Commandments of the Law to Christ but the Jewish Teachers taught more to wit the Covenant of the Law unto salvation not but that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully he meaneth the Covenant of the Law but how shall a man use it lawfully for it is not given unto a righteous man but he reckoneth up the breakers of every commandment and unto them it is given to the lawless and disobedient to the ungodly and sinners to the unholy and profane to murtherers of fathers and murtherers of mothers to man-slayers and whoremongers and to them that defile themselves with man-kind to men-stealers to lyars to perjured persons and if there be any other things that are contrary to sound Doctrine the Covenant of the Law is given unto such and unto none but such to convince them of their sins against the Law to humble them to the death and to drive them out of themselves and considence in themselves But how doth it appear that the Covenant of the Law is not given to the children of God from hence it is manifest 1. Because a Christian man neither looketh for Justification and Salvation from his Obedience to the Law nor feareth Condemnation though he fail in his Obedience and this is a fruit of his exemption from under the Covevenant of the Law for if a man should look for Life by his Obedience to the Law and fear condemnation by the breach of it this would bring a man under the Covenant of the Law for the sanctification of the Covenant of the Law is life to them that obey and to them that disobey death and the curse But a Christian looketh not for Life by his Obedience and that is plain Psal 143.2 Enter not into Judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified so Rom. 3.20 By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified for by the Law is the knowledge of sin therefore no hope of salvation from our Obedience to the Law But methinkes you will say a Christian may fear his condemnation because of his Disobedience to the Law Truly this is a great snare and this Doctrine will be scandalous to many a poor soul but without cause Indeed if God give a man to be under the Covenant of Grace and not to see it then he may fear but if a man know himself to be under the Covenant of Grace then he doth not fear condemnation from his disobedience notable to this purpose is the considence of David Psal 49.5 where the Prophet calleth upon all People in the world to take notice of it Both men of high degree and men of low degree Wherefore should I fear in the dayes so of evil when the iniquities of my heels shall compass me about wherefore truly if there be any fear in the world one would think this might procure it what should a man fear if not this David professeth it and would have all to know it that there is no cause therein why a Christian man should fear Wherefore should I fear c. though it should follow you to the stocks or to prison yet there is no cause why it should make you fear Men that trust themselves in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a ransom for him that he should live for ever and not see corruption had David had nothing but the wealth of his Kingdom he might
Lord giveth unto his Elect Pag. 39 Answ Christ is first given and with him faith to receive him ibid Quest Doth not the Lord give saving preparations before Jesus Christ ib. Resp negatively and the Reason thereof ib. 2. Quest In what order doth the Lord give the covenant and the Blessings of it whether faith before them or those blessings before faith to apply them Pag. 40 Answ He doth give himself to work faith before faith can be there and then faith doth receive the blessings of the Covenant as adoption and justification Pag. 41 3. Quest Whether do we receive Christ in an absolute or conditional Promise ib. Answ 'T is alwaies in an absolute Promise Pag. 42 4. Quest Whether a man may evidence his union with Christ from his sanctification Pag. 43 Answ In four Propositions 1. Prop. That sanctification which may be found in a Covenant of works is no evidence of union with Christ ib. The difference between the Sanctification which floweth from the Law Pag. 44 Gospel Pag. 44 1. In the Root in which it springs which is hard to discern Pag. 47 2. In the Rule whereby they are guided viz. the word of God Pag. 49 Yet the difference here is not easily to be discerned Pag. 50 No not by professing universal obedience to all Gods Commandments Pag. 51 3. In the end and scope which they aim at that also is difficult Pag. 52 Yea though they may suffer Persecution Pag. 53 2. Prop. True sanctification is many times dark to a Christian Pag. 55 3. Prop. True-sanctification is not discerned neither is it discernable until justisying faith be first discerned ib. 4. Prop. Though the resemblance be neer between the Legal and Evangelical holiness yet there is a real difference which is discernable by the Spirit of God Pag. 57 Viz. both in the Root which is faith Pag. 58 Rule by which they walk Pag. 60 Scope and end which they aim at Pag. 61 5. Quest Of what use are Promises if not to bring us unto Christ which it seems they do not if Christ must first be given Pag. 63 Answ There is a threefold use of Promises ibid 1. Before union with Christ Viz. for Doctrine to teach what things are laid up in Christ ib. Instruction shewing whither to look for life and salvation Pag. 64 Exhortation inviting and perswading to come to Jesus Christ Pag. 65 They have also a threefold effect in some of all sorts good and bad Viz. of Illumination Pag. 66 Taste of Christ so as to be affect-with him ib. Conviction so as to leave inexcusable if despised ibid 2. In union with Christ for the Lord giveth himself to the soul in a Promise Pag. 67 3. After union with Christ more efficacious still Pag. 68 Viz. for Doctrine to teach us what gifts of grace are in Christ ib. Instruction to direct us whither to look for qualifications Pag. 69 Prayer ibid To know our spiritual state and means to discern it ibid To work all the qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised Pag. 70 To stir up to such duties to which the blessings are promised Pag. 71 To strengthen faith ibid 6. Quest To what use serveth the Law if God giveth himself to his people without respect to any work Pag. 75 Resp 'T is of use both unto them that are Carnal Pag. 75 Spiritual Pag. 75 1. To carnal both to Elect to aggravate their sins Pag. 77 Not elect in regard of Disobedience Pag. 78 Obedience Pag. 79 2. To them that are spiritual and under a Covenant of grace Pag. 81 Viz. as they are under the Law to Christ which is explained Pag. 82 There are two effects of Gods people being under the Law Pag. 85 Viz. 1. The sense of Gods Fatherly displeasure when they transgress ibid 2. The sense of Gods gracious acceptance of their obedience Pag. 86 Yet a Christian is not under the Law i.e. the Covenant of it Pag. 89 So as neither to Look for justification and salvation from obedience Pag. 90 Fear condemnation by his disobedience Pag. 92 Look for conjugal comfort from his obedience Pag. 94 Nor fear conjugal divorce from his disobedience Pag. 94 Claim his right unto any conditional promise by his performance of the condition Pag. 96 Application by way of use it serveth to shew Viz. 1. The Doctrine of the Covenant is free from Antinomianism Pag. 97 2. How far Gods servants are freed from the Law Pag. 99 3. Men some discontentment of their spirits and state ibid 4. How to build our faith and hope Pag. 100 7. Quest If the Lord giveth himself and his holy Spirit what need is there of any gifts of holiness to work and act by He can do all in us without us Pag. 102 Answ There is a necessity of holiness and of following after it Pag. 103 Quest What need is there to follow after holiness if the holy Spirit dwell in us Pag. 105 Answ To be fitter instruments for every good word and work ib. Quest But if there be need of gifts of holiness what need the Holy Ghost dwell in us ibid Answ 1. To keep these gifts in us Pag. 106 2. To act them in us ibid 3. To witness to them in our souls Pag. 107 4. To comfort us in the changes that may come upon us Pag. 108 Quest How and to what end are we to imploy and improve our sanctification Pag. 109 Answ 1. We are to look to Christ for Our supply of it ib. The perfection of it ib. 2. Not to trust in the gifts of holiness and sanctification Pag. 111 Neither for The performance of any duties without Christ ibid Justification from them Pag. 117 3. In point of witness ibid 4. In point of rejoycing Pag. 118 5. To grow up in grace and holiness Pag. 120 8. Quest A further main Question for the clearing of the Point is How doth God the Father give himself Pag. 124 Answ God the Father doth give himself by a threefold work or act Viz. 1. By giving his Son for the redemption of Abraham and his seed and giving him also unto them in their calling ib. Quest How doth the Father call and draw us to his Son Pag. 128 Resp 1. by his Word and Spirit ibid 2. By giving the Spirit of Adopon Pag. 135 3. By a work of Reconciliation Pag. 130 Hence follow two Acts of God upon the soul 1. Adoption Pag. 140 2. Justification ib. 1. 'T is useful to teach us how we came to fellowship with Christ ib. Four sorts of persons fall short of union with Christ 1. Such as bless themselves in their natural estate Pag. 141 2. Such as rest in their Reformations ib. 3. Such as rest in a Faith in Christ which is of their own making ibid 4. Such as Wait on the Lord in their own strength Pag. 143 Use 2. To shew upon what grounds a soul cometh to close with Christ viz. upon an Absolute Promise Pag. 146 Use 3. Hence see
perform many duties and might avoid much sin and yet will sin against their consciences and tread under foot those means of grace that were committed unto them It is then most righteous with God that they should be condemned 2. Of what use is the obedience of the Law unto such whom Gods Soul taketh no pleasure in Truely it is of sad and dreadful use unto unto them for it serveth to harden them in their sins though that be but an accidental use thereof their sins are thereby made out of measure sinful Rom. 7.13 They harden their hearts 1. by their obedience to the Law 2. by the Comfort which they take in that obedience both these do marvellously harden their hearts For the first of these The Apostle Paul Acts 23.1 had kept so good a conscience that he knew not any sin against the Law that he lived in but though he was unrebukeable he did count it all losse afterward Phil. 3.7 8. those things that before he thought had been his gain now he counteth them but dung that he may win Christ when a man attaineth to outward conformity unto the Law he is then ready to think it is indeed good for poor sinfull men to look for salvation by Jesus Christ but for himself he hopeth in his devotion and that he is able to save himself these are such as justâ—fie themselves before men to whom our Saviour speaketh Luke 16.15 and of whom he saith That Publicans and Harlots shall go into the Kingdom of heaven before them Mat. 21.31 32. for many times you shall have the most deboist and profane wretches more humbled and readier to hearken to the voyce of Christ and sooner convinced of the necessity of the Covenant of Grace then those that are but morally righteous by the Law Rom. 9.30 31 32. the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained to righteousnesse even the righteousnesse which is of faith but Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse hath not attained to the Law of righteousnesse wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law and chap. 10.31 They being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their own righteousnesse have not submitted themselves unto the righteousnesse of God Thus the Law becometh a snare unto them and that which is of singular and wholsom use unto the Children of God is made death unto them And as their obedience to the Law is thus a snare unto them so secondly the delight and comfort which they take in their obedience is a greater snare then the other The stony and thorny soyl did hear the word with joy and so those Hypocrites Isai 59.2 did delight to approach unto God but what followed upon the delight which they took in God and in holy Duties it made them ready to expostulate with God why he did not answer them according to their works the delight which they found did so fill their hearts with assurance of the grace of God that they looked at their Duties as so many tokens of the love of God unto their souls and then when men come to find more comfort in their obedience then in the grace of God in Jesus Christ it maketh them ready to expostulate with God touching the worth of their own Righteousness Isa 57.10 Thou hast found the life of thine hand therefore thou wast not grieved as long as a man findeth life and comfort in his own duties and performances what need can he see to be grieved for the want of Jesus Christ or at the best if he do grieve and find his heart comforted in grieving and delighting in the course of humiliation he then thinketh he hath no need of being farther solicitous about his spiritual estate Thus we see plainly that the Law of God is of marvellous use in the days of the Gospel of great use unto those that belong unto God to break their hearts for sin and to drive them to Jesus Christ and for others the disobedience of the Law leaves them without excuse that so disobey it again the obedience of it and comfort in that obedience doth harden the hearts of others from Jesus Christ But what say you then unto men that are under a Covenant of Grace and brought unto fellowship with Christ therein of what use is the Law of of God unto such is it utterly antiquated or is there any more to be done with it The Apostle answereth this Question Answ when he saith I am not without the Law to God but under the Law to Christ 1 Cor. 9.21 so minde you the Law is of use unto the Apostle Paul but how as the Law cometh under Christ so Paul cometh under the Law this is the sum of the Answer but that would be further explained What meaneth he when he saith I am under the Law to Christ In some sence a Christian is wholly freed from the Law In some sence he is yet under the Law So far as the Law is any way besides or out of Christ so far the Apostle is without the Law So far as the Law is under Christ so far he is under the Law Keep close to these two Principles and you shall safely avoid Rocks on every hand thus by the use of the Law shall you not go aside to a Govenant of Works nor by attendance unto Grace shall you need to neglect the Law How far is the Law under Christ when it hath brought the soul neerer unto Christ and in a remote manner prepared him the Law is in Christ and you subject to it in him 1. As the Law is given by Christ 2. As in Christ help is given to perform it First as the Law is given by Christ as 1 Thes 4.2 3. You know what Commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus for this is the will of God even your Sanctification c. and many other commandments he gave them all which are legal commandments and yet the Apostle gave them by the Lord Jesus so Mat. 5.17 to the end of the chapter our Saviour Christ would not have us think that he came to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfil them And to that end he doth there expound the spiritual and true meaning of the Law that whereas the Pharisees held forth the outward letter of the Law to be observed onely as thinking that unless a man did commit the Act of Murder he was not guilty of the breach of the sixth Commandment and if he committed not the Act of Adultery he transgressed not the seventh Commandment and so of the rest Our Saviour Christ expoundeth the Law more spiritually shewing that anger against a mans brother is the breach of the sixth Commandment and whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart and broken the seventh commandment thus Christ hath as it were revived Moses but as the Law is given by Christ it
is not a covenant of Works but a commandment of well-doing and he having given it we take our selves bound to be subject to it The Apostle also presseth the Moral Law upon several relations of men Ephes 6.1 2 3 c. It is an honour to Jesus Christ that his servants should be holy as he is holy it is for the glory of God and he requireth it The Apostle James presseth it Chap. 2.8 to the end of the chapter If you fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self ye do well And again Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Thus we see the Apostles of Jesus Christ put it upon Christians to keep the Law of God and Christ himself beareth witness to the Law for God will never justifie sin to be no sin though he will justifie the person of a sinner Now as the Lord Jesus giveth the Law and as it were reneweth it so he doth also give his Spirit unto his servants enabling them to keep it Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 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 And again I will put my law in their hearts and write it in their inward parts Now this Law would he not write in the hearts of his people nor give unto them his holy Spirit enabling them to keep his Law were it not his will in Jesus Christ that the Law should be the rule of holiness and righteousness unto his people hence it is that the children of God though they be not under the Covenant of the Law yet take themselves to be bound to the obedience of it for if Jesus Christ have given the Law as well as Moses and if he have ratified it by giving them his Spirit to teach and strengthen them to keep it though not perfectly yet sincerely then they take themselves bound to obey the Law though they be under the Covenant of Grace for do we make void the law through saith God forbid yea we establish the law For what need have Christians of free Justification by Christ if they were not bound to obedience by the Commandment of the Law Therefore the free Justification of men under a free Covenant of Grace doth establish the obedience of the Law otherwise what need they run to Christ to save them from the curse of the Law Why do we still run to Christ for the continuance of our justification But that we find our selves ungodly creatures against the righteous and holy Law of God therefore if God have given men the Law and his holy Spirit to strengthen them in the obedience of it and his grace to save them from the curse of it then Christians are to know that they are bound to keep the Law they lie under the authority of it and dare not pluck their necks from under that yoke Now there are two Effects springing from the subjection of Gods people to the Commandment of the Law 1. As they take themselves bound to the obedience of it so they believe and many times feel the fatherly displeasure of God when they transgress the Law now the transgression of the Law could not bring them under Gods displeasure unless they were bound unto the Commandment of the Law this displeasure David was sensible of Psal 38.1 2 3. c. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin And many complaints of like nature doth he there make which do all of them spring from the conscience of the disobedience of the Law which God hath framed in the hearts of his servants whereby they reflect upon their sin as the ground of all the distempers which lie upon their bodies or minds This is the first effect of the subjection of Gods people to his Law they lie under the faith and sence of the danger of the disobedience of it 2. They are under the faith and sence also of Gods gracious acceptance of their waies when they are suitable to the blessed directions of his word not that they can raise therefrom the assurance of their justified estate but by the same Spirit of God whereby they are helped to obey the Commandment they do see the Lords gracious approbation of them in their poor and weak endeavours for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous that is acknowledgeth and approveth it Psal 1.6 when the Lord by his Spirit boweth the hearts of his servants to obedience then he knoweth and accepeth their obedience Gen. 22.12 Now I know that thou fearest me seeing thou hast not withheld thy son thine only son from me thus the Lord beareth witness to his servants that he doth accept their works so that they sensibly know and believe that the Lord doth acknowledge their poorest and weakest endeavours unto which they are carried forth by his Spirit in the obedience of his word This the Prophet David confirmeth Psal 18.20 to 26. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me for I kept the waies of the Lord have not wickedly departed from my God for all his judgements were before me and I did not put away his statutes from me I was also upright before him and kept my self from mine iniquity therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands in his eye-sight with the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful and with the upright man thou wilt shew thy self upright c. This David speaketh of his righteous dealing with Saul and whereas his enemies laid it to his charge that he was an enemy unto Saul the Lord beareth him witness that he had walked toward Saul with a good conscience now the Lord having led him an end to deal justly and righteously and purely with Saul having kept him from all the malice and outrage of Saul and maintained his cause against Saul and delivered him out of the hands of Saul whom the Lord had now rejected herein the Prophet seeth the Lord accepting him when in the name of his Son by the power of his Spirit he is helped to attend unto the Commandments of God This is comfortable unto a Christian spirit when the Lord beareth witness to his soul that he hath an eye to all the Commandments of God And all this argueth that the servants of God being in a state of grace in Jesus Christ have looked at themselves as bound by the Commandments of the Law and as being under the law to Christ who hath given the Law and power unto his servants sincerely to keep it both by writing in their hearts a law of obedience and by putting his holy Spirit within them for if the people of God were not sensible of their bounden duty to the observation
obedience unto it will supply comfort unto him but if we be dead unto the Law we have no life in it nor by it but only in Jesus Christ from whom we expect our comfort indeed we are troubled that we should sin against the grace of God otherwise we look not at our obedience or disobedience to make us accepted or rejected 4. And finally the soul doth not claim his right unto any conditional promise by his performance of the condition nor doth he deny himself the blessing that the promise may reach forth unto him though he be wanting in obedience to this or that Commandment pregnant for this purpose is the example of Jacob which we mentioned before Gen. 32.9 10. who though he had a plain and a full promise of God to do him good if he would return to his Country and to his kindred yet when he did return according to the word of God he claimed not his interest in that promise for that he had done as God commanded him but I am less then the least of thy mercies and yet he cometh unto the Lord for the performance of his promises but not upon this ground only for the sake of mercy and truth Deliver me I pray thee for thou saidest I will surely do thee good ver 11 12. so that mind you though the soul can make use of a conditional promise and come to God for the blessing of it yet not expecting it in the least manner by vertue of his obedience and truly this is the freedom of a Christian soul whereas another man if he have kept the Commandment and performed the condition he then looketh for acceptance from God as if the Lord make this promise that he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find mercy this man confesseth his sin unto God and forsaketh it and therefore he looketh for mercy but this is not the manner of Gods people and yet if they look for any mercy it is in the way of God but not because of their own goodness their hope is in the faithfulness and free grace of God they may make mention to the praise of God how he hath guided them and carried them an end in his own waies yet they challenge nothing from any thing that they have done but put the Lord in mind of his free promise that as of his free grace he hath freely promised so from the same grace he may make good what he hath promised Vse 1 If any therefore shall accuse the Doctrine of the Covenant of free Grace of Antinomianism and say it teacheth men freedom from the Law of Moses and if they commit any sin they plead they are not bound unto the Law we see how false such an aspersion would be for all the people of God know that the Lord is an avenger of every such wickedness There is none under a Covenant of Grace that dare allow himself in any sin for if a man should negligently commit any sin the Lord will school him throughly and make him sadly to apprehend how he hath made bold with the treasures of the grace of God Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid none that have a portion in the grace of God dareth therefore allow himself in sin but if through strength of temptation he be at any time carried aside it is his greatest burthen 2 Sam. 12.8 9. compared 13. Hath not the Lord saith Nathan done these and these things for thee wherefore then hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord then David confesseth I have sinned It pierced him to the heart to consider it that he should abuse his Neighbours wife and kill her husband and commit such wickedness against God that had dealt so graciously with him So that the children of the Covenant of grace will only tell you that they are free from the Covenant of the Law but not from the Commandment of it for as it is given by Jesus Christ and ratified in the Gospel and as Christ hath given us his Spirit enabling us to keep it we are under it so far as to take our selves bound by the authority of it and if we do transgress against it we know it is sin in the sight of God and therefore it is that the soul in such a case is sensible of the wrath and displeasure of God whether it be his own sin or the sin of his brethren therefore he runneth unto God for mercy which he would not do if he did not know that his desert according to the Law did utterly cut him off from mercy else would he never pray for pardon of sin nor rejoyce when the Lord helpeth him to do that which is right and just in his sight nor bless the Lord for strengthening him unto obedience unless he thought it to be his duty and therefore It is of use also to teach the servants of God how far they are freed from the Law Use 2 to wit from the Covenant of it so that they neither look for justification nor salvation from it And let it not be grievous to any soul that a Christian should say He doth not fear condemnation by his disobedience he will be apt to fear in this kind untill he be assured of the favour of God but when he knoweth his portion in the Covenant then indeed he doth not fear condemnation by his sin nor doth he think that the Lord will cleave unto him because of his fruitfulness he casteth not off his comfort nor looketh at himself as divorced from Christ because of his barrenness before the Lord nor doth he look for his daily bread from all his obedience but expecteth all goodness and blessing from the treasures of the free grace of God Use 3 This may also serve to teach men some kind of discernment of their own spirits and state if you look for justification no longer then you are obedient and fear eternal condemnation when you are disobedient if you be afraid of divorce from Christ because of your sins or if you look for any blessing and challenge right to any promise by vertue of any well-doing of your own in such a case either thou art under a Covenant of works or at the least thou art gone aside to a Covenant of works and if ever the Lord open your eyes and bestow his free grace upon you you will know your redemption from such dependances as these be I know a Christian man that hath not been clearly taught the distinct differences of the two Covenants may be misled into dangerous waies that might tend unto the utter undoing of his soul but it is a sin of ignorance and the Lord will not leave his servants but clear up his truth and grace unto them May serve to teach the servants of God Use 4 that desire to walk in a way of constant comfort how to build their faith and their hope truly if they be grounded upon your own obedience or righteousness or
should dwell in us for the causes we have spoken unto And I might add this to comfort us in all the changes that may come upon us it is a strong Scripture which we read in Joh. 15.26 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me our Divines have no place of more clear evidence to prove the procession of the Spirit from the Father both of what mighty redemption he hath wrought for us and what grace he hath wrought in us This the Holy Ghost shall testifie even he that proceedeth from the Father this is the comfort of Gods people Thus we see both these points opened to us How may we then imploy and improve this Sanctification which the Lord hath given us Quest 3 and which he keepeth and acteth in us by his Spirit and whereunto he beareth witness How or to what end shall we imploy it seeing the Lord undertaketh to do these things for us If so be it Answ that the Lord Jesus Christ by his Spirit giveth us these gifts it is our part then first to see that we do not rest in any sanctification which doth spring from Christ conveyed unto us by his blessed Spirit The Spirit knitteth us unto Christ and Christ unto us he worketh faith in us to receive whatsoever the Lord giveth unto us and by the same faith worketh all our holiness for us 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made unto us of God wis dom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption therefore we are to see him principal author of all these things in us and for us This is the principal comfort of all and the glory of all our safety and so far as any of these lieth in our Sanctification we ought to see that it be sanctification in Jesus Christ and then it is sanctification in Jesus Christ when the Lord giveth us to look unto the Lord Jesus in it and to it in him and as we look for our holiness to be perfect in Jesus Christ so we look for continual supply of it from him and this it is to make Christ our sanctification when as whatsoever gift the Lord giveth us we go not forth in the strength of it but in the strength of Jesus Christ There may be a change in the soul which may spring from a spirit of Bondage and may captivate our consciences unto the Law that may restrain us from sin and constrain us unto duties but such holiness springeth not from union with Jesus Christ for there may be a conscience of duty without sence of our need of Jesus Christ as it was with the Israelites at Mount Sinai Deut. 5.27 Go thou neer say they to Moses and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it they have well said all that they have spoken saith the Lord O that there were an heart in them that they would fear me and so forth This I say therefore is the first thing to be attended unto as ever you would make a right use of your holiness see that it be such as floweth from Jesus Christ that there be not only an heart awed with the Law but waiting upon Jesus Christ to be all in all in us and to us so shall we neither neglect the gifts of God in us nor Christ and his Spirit but shall give their due honour unto all of them together 2. This may also teach all Christians not to trust upon the gifts of their Holiness though they do spring from the Holy Gbost himself though they be such as are unchangeable though they spring from Jesus Christ and knit your souls in Union with him yet trust not in the gifts themselves the Lord layeth it down as the Apostacy of Israel Ezek. 16.14 15. Thy renown went forth among the Heathen for thy beauty for it was perfect through my comeliness which I had put upon thee saith the Lord God But thou didst trust in thine own beauty and playedst the Harlot c. Trust not therefore in any of these but let all our confidence be in Jesus Christ not in any of the gifts of his Spirit whatsoever For a little further opening of it 1. Trust not in any gifts that you have received for the performance of any duty for it is not the strongest Christian that is able to put forth a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 But our sufficiency is of God He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.5 And the Apostle Paul cannot onely not do any great matter by his own strength and grace but nothing at all without Jesus Christ and therefore he giveth us to understand that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do Phil. 2.12 if therefore we have any new work to do look to the Lord Jesus Christ afresh by Faith that he may carry an end our works in us and for us otherwise it is not any strength or grace in us that can produce any good work word or thought And therefore mind you the Apostle maketh it a Principle of Christian Religion that The just man liveth by his Faith and he often mentioneth it Gal. 2.20 The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God where he putteth it into his own experience why did he not live by Love and Patience and Zeal c. yes truly they were lively in him if ever in any man besides our blessed Saviour and yet notwithstanding he never attributed life to any of these gifts of his but if he speak of his Life he maketh this his Universal Life I live by the Faith of the Son of God and I am I am able to do all things through Christ which strengthneth me Phil. 4.13 This is the true savour of a Christian spirit that when gifts are at the highest the heart is then at the lowest 1 Cor. 15.9 10. The Apostle Paul there acknowledgeth himself to be as one born out of due time for saith he I am less then the least of the Apostles not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God I but by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God in me This is truly spiritual sanctification that when the soul is full of the Holy Ghost and gifts of the Holy Ghost yet he is like a man in great penury as having nothing of himself This is a marvelous spiritual poverty and you shall ever find and I desire the Lord would open the hearts of his people to know what I speak that if Christians have fallen their
in his Son Rom. 8.32 for he that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things So then this is the first and the great work of God that he hath given his Son out of his own bosom to take our nature upon him to lead a miserable life and to die a cursed death and in him hath given all his attributes his mercy and power unto the sons of men an undoubted sign that God intendeth to give himself in the Covenant of Grace unto his people when he giveth Jesus Christ himself in that Covenant as he doth say expresly Isa 42.6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and will give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles Wherein we may see that God giveth another even that God the Father giveth God the Son thus it is a gift of the Covenant that the Lord giveth Christ to be the foundation of the Covenant and the chief blessing of it in chap. 49.8 He speaketh to the same purpose In an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a day of salvation have I helped thee and will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people c. No man hath seen God at any time Joh. 1.18 nor can see him nor will God the Father have immediate fellowship with any creature but the only begotten Son of the Father the Lord hath given him that he might reveal him Thus we may perceive that the Lord is gracious and marvelous gracious in that he giveth us his dear Son the second person in Trinity and thus he saith to his elect I will be a God unto thee and give thee my Son that shall redeem thee out of all distress and danger This doth the Lord for his people and it is a clear evidence of his grace and sheweth that his love unto his people is beyond all banks and bottoms for the Lord to give us his Son and this Son so soon as he was promised not the Lord only but his people saw him afar off Job 8.5 6. Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad For when the Lord Jesus Christ was promised unto him Gen. 17.16 17. and the Lord had said unto him I will bless Sarah and give thee a son of her yea I will bless her and she shall be a mother of many nations kings of people shall be of her then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed he did rejoyce that the Lord would give him a Saviour out of his loynes how it could be brought to passe it may be he knew not but by a Spirit of Prophecie did he discern it much no doubt This is the first work of God in giving himself by Covenant and this was done long ago before we were born he gave him in his eternal Counsel when he did elect us in him he gave him when he sent him into the world but this is more when he giveth us unto his Christ by Covenant and draweth us unto him and giveth Christ unto us also and this grace of God cometh neerer unto us the other did leave us like Lambs in a large pasture but now as he giveth us unto Christ so he giveth him to us and both in present possession and this the Father doth Joh. 6.44 for no man saith Christ can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me Now this hearing and learning of the Father is a strange kind of learning which the Lord teacheth the soul by when he draweth him unto Christ an effectual Teaching and powerful 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. This is our effectual calling and this is the Lords giving us unto his Son Joh. 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me all this is properly the work of the Father Men are said to be well given when they give themselves to their Books to their Works and business but this we may well say that we are indeed well given when the Lord giveth us unto his Son for otherwise we are but in an ill state which way soever we are given Quest If you shall ask how the Father giveth us and calleth us and draweth us to fellowship with his Son for they are Scripture-phrases and all of them of like value in Scripture-sence Ans In a word The Lord draweth us unto his Son by his Spirit and calleth us as by his Word so by his Spirit also and giveth us by his Word and Spirit unto Jesus Christ In this thing I shall speak no more unto you then what you have often heard and I suppose long ago received as that the Lord calleth his people out of their sins by the light of the Law and by the spirit of bondage he setteth home the Law effectually unto the soul and thereby draweth us from sin and from the world in some measure that we have now no might to those things which before we were full of delight in whether they be sins against the Law or sins against the Gospel it is the Lords usual dealing by his Spirit to set home sins against both Insomuch that thereby we come to be afflicted with some kind of trembling and fear and torment about our spiritual estate and thus it was with Saul who afterwards was Paul Act. 9.3 4 5 6. when Jesus Christ called unto him out of heaven he all trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do So it was with the Jaylor Act. 16.29 after the Lord had shaken his heart with an earthquake which is a sanction of the Law and a ratification of it as all Gods Judgements are he called for a light and sprang in and came trembling to Paul and Silas Thus the Lord draweth men out of themselves and their sinful waies by a spirit of bondage whereby they are greatly and deeply afflicted with fear concerning which the Apostle Paul saith 2 Tim. 1.7 God hath not given us the spirit of fear or bondage but of power of love and of a sound mind c. such fear also the Apostle John speaketh of 1 Joh. 4.18 when he saith Perfect love casteth out fear for fear hath torment which cometh from the sence of a mans state whereby he is many times forced to cry out and to say Wo worth my soul that ever I was born for the Lord causeth me to possess all my sins and presseth me down to the nethermost hell this is one work of the spirit of bondage by which the Lord draweth the soul out of itself and its sins though of it self the spirit of fear goeth no further then to shake a mans carnal confidence but there is a further act of the spirit
is left utterly void and hath in himself neither root nor branch but seeth how unable he is to believe or wait nor can he tell whether Jesus Christ be his portion and now doth the Lord take possession and fill the empty soul If you shall ask me how this spirit cometh into the soul to make it thus to stoop unto Jesus Christ You shall find that the Lord useth to convey himself unto the soul in some word of promise of the Gospel that sheweth unto the soul the riches of the grace of God in Jesus Christ something or other is declared of Jesus Christ This word being taught in the publick Ministry of the Word or brought to remembrance in some spiritual duty as prayer or conference or the like for I will not limit the holy One of Israel yet usually it is done in the Ministry of the Gospel and though the Lord doth not limit himself yet he doth limit us to attend upon the means which he usually worketh by but whatsoever the way be this is the manner of Gods working he doth universally come into the soul in some word or other of his grace as for instance that in 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself or that in 1 Tim. 1.15 Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of which I am chief In some such word of Gods grace he cometh and putteth life into the soul and maketh it somwhat quiet and causeth it to see that there is hope in Israel and the Lord is able to save me and there is riches enough in Jesus Christ to save me By such kind of work it is that the Lord bringeth the souls of his servants effectually to Jesus Christ And now hath God the Father given us unto Jesus Christ and until now thou never camest home savingly This is the second act whereby God the Father giveth himself unto the soul 3. The third Act or work of God the Father which followeth both these So soon as ever the Lord hath given this self-denying spirit unto the soul and hath made it like unto a bruised reed or like a Traveller that is out of his way and willing to take any man by the hand that will lead him into his way again when the soul is in such a frame now God the Father cometh by a third work of actual reconcilement The first work was of conviction The second was a work of subjection And the third of reconciliation This is the third work of the Father though there is in all these works a concurrence of the whole Trinity yet some are more proper unto each person as our Catechisms teach us and we are not wont to scruple such expressions in them God the Father created us and we cannot expound it but as God the Father created us at the first so he doth again create you or else if we acknowledge it in the one and not in the other we do God the Father wrong Well he is then reconciled unto us having given us the Spirit of his Son and now he doth pronounce us reconciled unto him this is the work which is spoken of Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son And this is the work of God the Father according to that which is before alledged 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world c. now there are two acts of God as fruits that follow hereupon and both of them done at once upon the soul 1. Act of God is Adoption whereby he maketh us his Children as Gal. 4.4 5 6. When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons and because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father And as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God Joh. 1.12 So that now we are the brethren of Christ and the sons of the eternal God Adoption is properly the work of the Father but Jesus Christ being the natural Son of God we must be knit unto him before we can be accounted sons 2. Act of God is Justification It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth Rom. 8.33 34. This is the Fathers work and it is principally attributed unto him to forgive our iniquities and to reconcile us in Jesus Christ And look as it is in our natural being so soon as ever we have received natural life from Adam we become the sons of Adam and his sin is imputed unto us so it is in the new birth so soon as ever the life of Christ is shed abroad into our hearts so soon are we heirs with Christ and the righteousness of the second Adam is imputed unto us now to our justificacation as was the sin of Adam before to our condemnation The Doctrine it self is but an Use Vse 1 But I desire that we may all of us apply it unto our selves It will be helpful unto us for our instruction to teach us how we came to saving fellowship with God in Jesus Christ and wherein lieth our spiritual union with Jesus Christ how it is wrought and obtained and this is necessary for as it hath been observed by others so we may now gather it from what we have heard that there be four sorts of men that fall short of this union with Jesus Christ 1. You have some that bless themselves in their natural state it may be they are rich and honourable among men well they bless themselves in that state and will never go any further 2. There is another sort that are convinced of the danger of their natural estate they dare not rest there and hereupon they fall to reformations and so to duties of humiliation and the like wherein they find such a blessed change and so much comfort as doth satisfie them and indeed the Lord doth comfort men in their reformations for God will have no man lose by him Mat. 6.2 5. Hypocrites have their reward for their alms and for their prayers Herod when he heard John reformed many things and heard him gladly Mar. 6.20 here was a great change and doubtless much comfort yet these men never had the work of God the Father to burn up all that they have received by any strength of their own 3. A third sort go a step beyond these They have been convinced that they went forth to reformation in their own strength they plainly see it and discern it and therefore they know that it is impossible to be saved by the righteousness of the Law and that it is not of works neither of one kind nor of another They are convinced that faith only must do the deed and upon this ground they will take up faith to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation and that faith which
find that differences which tend unto the discerning of grace will be of much less dangerous consequence then the other for thereupon lieth the very foundation of a Christian mans safe estate How far there is difference in the Country I cannot give an account but I desire that you may all understand what I say If you demand Quest 1 upon what grounds cometh the soul to close with Christ aright whether upon a conditional or upon an absolute promise And are they not both free I answer Answ It is true they are both free but when God is said to do any thing to a work as to apply a promise to a work it is not so properly said to be a promise of grace but I will not enter into Dispute This you will find to be true that take a soul that is in union with Christ and apply all the Promises to him he will make you this answer before the Spirit of Grace cometh into him he is clear in this that there are none of all the Promises of God belonging unto him till the Lord who hath broken him do bind him up again for his heart will tell you that his duties and reformations have been such as have kept him from Christ You will say I hope you trust upon Christ I will he say with that faith by which I trusted upon works before If you tell him of promises made to faith he will say But not to mine that hath only sprung from my own reformations Consider all you that search the word of God this day when the soul cometh to deny that it hath true faith what promise can it apply unto that which it denieth it self to have A soul will be ready to refuse promises even when the Spirit of God hath taken possession but then it is his sin yet all the time before there is no reason but that the soul should refuse to apply Promises when there was nothing but a power of the spirit of Reformation and till we be cut off from the old Adam we shall be ready to quarrel and snarle that the Lord should deal thus with us and why did he suffer Adam to fall and put upon us such a Law to obey and then condemn us for that which we were never able to perform Truly there is nothing to help in this case but the Lord will take away thy crabbed spirit he will make thee to lie flat at his feet and to say If he will kill me here I am and if he will save thee he will make thee content to receive all from Christ and to be willing that he should do with thee that which is good in his own eyes And what can help a soul now but only an absolute promise Whereby the soul is raised to look to the Name of that Christ whom he hath all this while blasphemed and persecuted Thus we see upon what terms and grounds any one is jealous of building his comfort upon conditional promises and why we are so loath to say that sanctification is an evidence of a mans justification it is because men may produce sanctification and promises unto it when it is but legal righteousness Yet some men will say I have been driven out of my own legal righteousness and now I rest upon Jesus Christ and may I not take comfort in such faith and sanctification flowing therefrom I confess faith in Christ and sanctification flowing from it are precious treasures but how camest thou by them If thou knowest not how I cannot but think that thou stoalest them and camest not by them in the right way you will say Well though I have no righteousness nor faith of my own yet I can wait upon Christ How camest thou by power to wait upon Christ Here is a branch of the old Adam still springing forth afresh thou art confident in thine own strength and worth and if God deal otherwise with thee then thou expectest thou wilt be apt to wrangle with the Lord so far wilt thou be from stooping to his will Search the Scriptures and see if it be not the truth of God See whether it be thy qualifications taken up upon unjust grounds that will save thy soul thou hast not been drawn far enough all this while if thou sayest thou hast been drawn to reformation and faith and waiting If thou hast been indeed drawn it is a comfortable sign but truely the Promises do not belong unto thee until thou art brought unto a flat denial of thy self and thy will be made to lie prostrate before the will of God and is unable to satisfie it self in any thing besides Jesus Christ the want of either of which will leave a man still a member of old Adam that either he will cavil with God or else will go away and be jolly and frolick and free of spirit though he knoweth not what the Lord will do for him which is a plain sign that the Spirit of God is not there then there is no condition of which it can be said This is the spot of Gods children This is the seal of the servants of the Living God If then the Spirit of God come upon the wings of a promise it is an absolute promise and then you must not wonder if we be thus afraid that men should build their faith upon conditional promises if men build their consolation upon conditions of obedience hypocrites have gone beyond it if you have trusted in your own faith hypocrites will plead that they have gone beyond that also for they have waited upon God that they might believe And therefore see the reason why we do so much mistrust the building of our faith upon promises made unto conditions in us And I have given you the grounds from the word of God for I should be a Traitour to the Lord Jesus if I should speak from any other grounds And though it be true which I have formerly said that the fruits of the Spirir of grace in the heart of a Christian as Faith and Patience and Love cannot be denied to be evidences of a good estate yet let it first appear from whence they come first draw neer unto God in Jesus Christ and when any are brought on to Christ by self-denial such mens faith and love are indeed evident tokens of salvation and communion with Christ but until men be thus brought on they can have no Evidence from such graces Therefore you see why we are so fearful to build our faith upon qualifications for any self-denying soul will tell you that no promise will serve his turn to build his faith upon but some such as speaks of Gods wonderful and free grace if there be any promise made unto faith he will find himself very unable to apply it until the Lord by some word of his free grace hath wrought faith in him You may see here the unsafeness of any such building Use 3 as when we are convinced of our sins then we
seek for some qualification in our selves and think that the Holy Ghost applieth some promise made to such a qualification and so we lay hold upon Jesus Christ a most unsafe building in my understanding for we cannot reach any gracious qualification until we have first received Christ in the Promise and then we must look up unto him to bring us unto the promises and to apply them to us It is not possible that a corrupt tree should bring forth good fruit but first make the tree good and good trees we cannot be till we be ingrafted into Christ which is indeed the ground of my great fear and solicitude and the reason why I dare not be so unfaithful as to set men in a way of faith or any other qualifications thereby to conclude their safe estate before they have received Christ in a promise Indeed when a mans soul is wounded and convinced of some hainous sins the Promises of God in such a case may support his soul but do not lead a man in such a case to see his faith or any other qualification therein to satisfie himself but if I would help and comfort such a soul I would declare to him what the Lord hath done for us in Christ I would shew him all the treasures of the rich grace of Christ I would set in order before him how he loveth freely without any deserts in us I would tell him how freely the Lord Jesus Christ doth invite men to come to him that have neither money nor moneys worth and if the Lord take delight to do him good and to do him good by my mouth he will convey his Spirit of grace in some such word as I have spoken unto him but if the Lord do not breath by his Spirit in my words then I would advise him to go and talk with some other Christians I would not limit him to any one brother but let others also tell him what Christ hath done for their souls it may be the Lord may thereby convey himself and I have sometimes known this in experience that when some have spoken scornfully of the free grace of God yet when the same hath been held forth their spirits have been subdued to stoop unto it so great is the power of the word of Gods free grace set home by the Spirit of God and the meditation thereof doth serve greatly to the firm rooting of the peace of Gods people The fourth Use Use 4 is to such a soul who is brought home to fellowship with Jesus Christ and actually justified being first adopted he is reconciled to God and is become the son of the most High and hath all his sins pardoned both past present and to come It is a ground of much Consolation to such a soul who hath the Holy Ghost dwelling in him he cannot rest till he find the free grace of Jesus Christ revealed to him by his holy Spirit in some promise thereof for Christ himself hath said That the Spirit of truth will take of mine and shew it unto you Joh. 16.14 There is strong consolation laid up for all those that cannot rest without the manifestation of the free grace of God unto their souls other things will not satisfie them the Lord doubtless will withhold no good thing from such We now proceed unto the ninth Question Quest 9 which is How doth God the Son give himself unto Abraham and to his seed in an everlasting Covenant and union that shall never be dissolved In three acts or works about Abraham and his seed Answ 1. First in giving Christ God doth give himself and therefore here is the Son's work to come and take our nature upon him For the Father gave him for that end and the Son came to fulfil the will of the Father and that is the Son's work even the true distinct work of Christ It properly belongeth unto the Son to be our actual Redeemer from all sin and misery 2. As the Father draws us to the Son and reveals the Son unto the soul so doth the Son reveal the Father also Joh. 1.18 Mat. 11.27 3. As the Father doth accept us in his Son as justified by his righteousness so the Son doth preserve us in this estate even to his heavenly Kingdom These therefore are the three works of the Son in the Covenant of Grace He takes our nature upon him for our redemption He reveals the Father to us He preserveth us in the Father and in himself Let us speak something to each of these in particular 1. For the first of these That he took our nature upon him the Apostle saith Heb. 2.14 15. c. For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage c. Therefore it was truly said Isa 9.6 Unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given c. He took our nature upon him lived a miserable life died a cursed death this is the proper character and work of the Son and thus he is made an horn of salvation to us Luk. 1.69 and all this floweth from the everlasting Covenant as also Zachariah Prophesied Luk. 1.72 73. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant the oath which he sware to our father Abraham By him we have redemption through his blood Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 This then is the first work of the Son to Redeem us And the very phrase of Redemption doth imply a double state of those that are redeemed without which it cannot be understood to wit The state whence and whereunto they are redeemed Even from a state of bondage unto Christian liberty this is found in all redemption properly so called It findeth us in bondage and setteth us in a state of liberty Heb. 2.14 15. He took our nature upon him that he might deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time made subject to bondage And this third thing also is implyed in the word Redemption with both the former namely a certain price by which we are redeemed from bondage unto liberty In a state of Bondage we were under the Law and curse of God but Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law Gal. 3.13 and now sin shall no more have dominion over us for we are not under the law Rom. 6.14 that is not under the Covenant of the Law though we lie under the Commandment of it in Christ we were sometime under the bondage of sin under the guilt and strength of sin but by Christ we have redemption even the forgiveness of our sin and as the Law was the
strength of sin so sin was the strength and sting of death 1 Cor. 15.6 but now O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory the Lord hath delivered us from him that hath the power of death Col. 2.15 Heb. 2.14 and from this evil world Gal. 1.4 and from the wrath come 1 Thes 1.10 so then this was bondage we sometimes lay under when the Law of God pressed heavily upon us the conscience of sin even unto death both first and second death and both Law and sin and death delivered us unto the power of Satan and held us under the wrath of God the world turned to be our enemy in all the blessings and crosses of it from all these bondages Christ hath redeemed us and it is a marvelous work in the eyes of all that enjoy the ben fit of it If you shall ask what Ransom the Lord did pay that we might be redeemed The answer is given in 1 Tim. 2.5 6. There is one mediator between God and man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all c. so that he himself is the Ransom I will not stand disputing whether he gave his active or passive obedience or both The Text is large He gave himself from the height of glory to become a mortal man not sinful but by imputation so that from first to last he gave himself Consider him therefore from his first taking our nature upon him and all is but one ransom for his very active obedience was passive and his passive obedience was active if he had not been active in his sufferings his sufferings had not been satisfactory therefore he willingly laid down his life No man taketh it from him but he layeth it down of himself Joh. 10.17 18. else had not his death been of any sweet smelling savour to the Lord forced death is no acceptable sacrifice Again on the other side his active obedience was passive he suffered himself to be closed in his Mothers womb and when he was born he suffered himself to be laid in a manger and although being God over all blessed for ever he was subject to no Law yet now he suffered himself to be obedient unto his Father now for great Princes to live in other Dominions to observe their Rules and be guided by their Laws it is a suffering This did the Lord Jesus for he had a special commandment to observe both Law and Gospel and in this the Divine Nature doth suffer as much as for the Creator to become a creature and to take upon him the terms of hardship which become a creature It is no debasement unto Angels nor unto Saints to be obedient but for the Creator to be obedient unto the Law of God given unto the creature in this he greatly humbleth himself when he saith Thus it behooveth us to fulfil all righteousness Mat. 3.15 And this is such kind of passion as hath all things tending to satisfaction in it And by all this you may see that from the first to the last the Lord Jesus is a Ransom take him in his Cradle and he is a Ransom take him throughout all the course of his life and he is passive and in all his sufferings he is active He went up and down doing good and suffering evil all his life long and thus he is a Ransom but above all when as he came to wrestle with the wrath of his Father he did therein exceed all the rest of his sufferings It was much indeed for the Son of God to make himself a servant but when he that is the Son of the eternal God and in regard of his God-head equal with the Father shall now stand to wrestle with the unsupportable wrath of God and to cry out My soul is in an agony unto the very death and through anguish thereof to sweat drops of bloud and though his heart as it were seems to recoil so that if it were possible he desires the cup might pass from him yet he is carried before Pontius Pilate and is there condemned and afterward suffereth the death of the Cross this was the chiefest part of the ransom which the Lord did intend to pay to the justice of his Father wherein he did also undergo the very pangs of Hell for our sins and so gave himself a Ransom for us And had not all this been we should never have been redeemed from the terrours of the Law Thus therefore did the Lord give himself in taking our nature upon him and giving himself unto a state of bondage from a state of liberty to redeem us unto liberty from a state of bondage under the curse of the Law of God even unto liberty from sin and death and Satan and this World and from the indignation of the most High A wonderful deliverance But as it is in all other liberties so this Christian Liberty doth stand in two things First As in removing some bondage and burdens Secondly So it carrieth with it some such priviledge and enfranchisement as whereby me claim some liberties which others cannot reach unto and those the Lord Jesus hath dearly paid for by suffering his Fathers wrath which did so drink up his Spirits that I believe he died not by the pains of his body for he died before his time but the wrath of God did swallow him up principally though his bodily pains did help it forward Now by this means we have access unto the Lord and into this grace wherein we stand Rom. 5.2 and that with boldness and confidence Ephes 2.12 even to enter with boldness into the holiest by the bloud of Jesus Hob. 10.19 Hereby we have liberty to call God Father and to come unto him as to a Father and to expect all blessings from him for this life and for a better both wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption from all miseries and dangers even from death to life even life eternal besides all blessings of the Kingdom of grace here below All Church-priviledges and Commonwealth-priviledges hath the Lord purchased for us by his bloud great and large are the liberties which the Lord hath purchased for us that are recorded every where in Scripture So that if the Son shall make you free then are you free indeed 2. Now for the second work of the Son in this everlasting Covenant Presupposing the Lord God the Father to have drawn the soul unto the Son from all confidence in the world and in his own righteousness and in his own returnings unto God by believing through his own power from confidence in his own resolutions and his own waiting upon Christ and from all confidence in priviledges and power of nature and grace received now it may be all this while the poor soul knoweth not who it is that hath wrought all this work in him and for him and it may be he is so far to seek in this as that he knows not whether it be the Lord God the Father or the
had put away his sin he should not dye yet still he prayed for mercy Psal 51.1 and for establishment with Gods free Spirit ver 12. and Make me to hear the voice of joy and gladness ver 8. why had he not heard it already it was a most gracious word that Nathan spake true but he is not yet clear in it it is that Holy Ghost that must make him to hear the voice of joy and gladness otherwise though a man hath much experience of Gods goodness to him and sits and talks of the wonderful things that God hath done for him to the warming of the hearts of all that hear him yet the soul cannot reach that abundant satisfaction which he doth desire till at length the Lord comes in some Ordinance of his and beareth witness freely of love bestowed upon us and such a testimony will marvelously settle and establish any soul in the world so that it is the Spirit that beareth witness unto faith and nothing can do it but the Spirit only and yet if the Spirit should breath out of the word it were but a delusion Isai 8.20 To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to that it is because they have no light in them And therefore the Lord couples his word and his Spirit together Isai 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace though it be creating work yet it is by the fruit of the lips so likewise Isai 59.21 My Spirit that is upon thee and my words that I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever Thus the Spirit of God in the word is mighty to begin and mighty to carry an end spiritual work in the soul Now the ordinary manner of the revelation of the Spirit is if he reveal Gods free justification of us it is by revealing his free grace in a promise not made to works no not to faith it self but rather as a thing to be created by the word of a free promise unto sanctification indeed he doth bear witness in any promise as if the question be about Abraham's sanctification how did the Lord reveal it we may see Gen. 22.12 By this I know that thou fearest me seeing thou hast not withheld thy son thine only son from me but for his justification the Lord had revealed that in another promise Gen. 15.5 6. wherein God brought him forth and bids him Look now towards heaven and tell the stars if thou be able to number them and he said unto him So shall thy seed be and among them he shews him that seed that shall be a blessing unto all nations this is a thing beyond his capacity but this he believed and it was counted unto him for righteousness now in this the Lord reveals nothing but his free grace without any respect unto any goodness in Abraham faith was in him before and had put forth it self by faith when he was called he went out not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 but a man is justified not by the habit of faith only but by every act of faith and as often as this is revealed so often is the grace of God revealed unto the soul for it is nothing that God seeth in Abraham for which he doth reveal his justification to him but this he doth freely of his grace and so Abraham receives it Rom. 4.4 5 6. c. To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousness which shews us that Abraham looks at himself as an ungodly man when he considereth his justification not but that Abraham was now godly in Scripture account before but he looketh at him that justifieth the ungodly as David describeth the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works for thus the Lord setteth it home unto the heart without works saying Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered so it is free blessedness that the Lord reveals unto the soul and lest you should think that these things were peculiar to Abraham and David c. he tels us ver 23 24. that it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also c. As it was with the Father of the faithful so it is also with all believers which are his children that as he considered not his own body that was dead nor the deadness of Sarah's womb so neither should we consider this or that in our bodies or souls for if we were thus and thus fitted for justification then the reward would be of works and so a debt unto us now though works be there when justification is again and again revealed yet it comes not into sight for a double reason First Reas 1 Because when the Lord appears as justifying the soul he sits upon a throne of justice and a throne of grace together not accepting any righteousness but that which is compleat and adequate Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus it is not justice for God to pronounce a man just upon any other righteousness besides the righteousness of his Son for if God should mark what we have done no flesh living should be justified in his sight Psa 143.2 but through the righteousness of Christ which is perfect the Lord justifies every one that believeth in him and that act of faith whereby a man taketh hold on Christ and receiveth Christ that is it which quieteth the soul for it is not meet that the Lord should justifie any simple work of mine for if the Lord should justifie me so mine own cloathes would defile me and if I should come before him with any work which he hath wrought in me to be accepted for it this would be preposterous and out of place for he will have a full righteousness to accept me before he will pronounce me righteous and therefore I am first called to his Son for as there is no more required to make me a sinful man but that I be found in Adam so there is no more required to my justification but that I should have union with the second Adam Secondly Reas 2 As the Lord doth sit upon a Throne of justice when he justifies a soul so he doth also upon a Throne of grace Rom. 3.24 We are justified freely by his grace therefore he will not justifie any man upon works lest they should boast before him and therefore you shall finde it to be true that if the Lord be to declare his acceptance of the sanctification of his people he will not do it in respect of the worth of their works but according to the grace of his promise But is not my sanctification a work of free
Secondly By his person he is fit to maintain our communion and there are two things requisite unto that 1. First The removal of all offences and Christ is most fit for that for as he is the â—on of man he is most fit to suffer all punishment due unto sin and therefore as man he became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. ult And as he is God so he is fit to overcome sin and to prevail against the wrath of God 2. Secondly He is fit to communicate all the good things of God unto us as God he is fit to bestow upon us all spiritual comforts and heavenly gifts and blessings as man he knows what is most fit for the spirit of man and so he is fit to communicate unto us all the good things of God he hath suffered himself and hath been tempted and so he is fit to succour such as are tempted Heb. 2.17 18. thus he is a fit Mediatour in regard of his Person 2. Secondly He is fit to be a Mediatour in respect of his Offices he is a Priest a Prophet and a King and in all these Offices he doth properly and lively exercise the Office of a Mediatour 1. First As a Priest He doth offer Sacrifice for us Heb. 9.12 even himself Heb. 10.10 He gives his life a ransom for many Mat. 20.28 and he doth not only thus give all this but apply it also unto us as it belongs unto a Mediator for to do And as a Priest he doth sit at Gods right hand and makes intercession for us Rom. 8.34 and if any man man sin we have an advocate with the Father which is Christ the righteous by him God reconcileth the world unto himself 2 Cor. 5.19 thus he taketh away the sins of the world Joh. 1.29 and becomes a propitiation for us Rom. 3.24 25. these things he doth as he is a Priest 2. Secondly As he is a Prophet he teacheth us all things Acts 3.22 whatsoever things he hath done and suffered for us those things as a Prophet he teacheth us 3. Thirdly As a King he doth apply all this grace unto us subduing us by his Spirit unto himself and all the creatures unto us God by him as a Mediator doth bring us on effectually unto himself by the mighty power of his Word and Spirit and keepeth us with himself in spotless communion unto his heavenly kingdom These Offices give him power and authority to do it as also faithfulness and mercy according unto his tender compassion on our necessities Thus we see how the Lord Jesus is a Mediatour In particular he is a Mediatour of the Covenant between God and us and that in a threefold respect 1. First Because he is the Messenger of the Covenant thus he is called Mal. 3.1 he did first publish it unto our first Parents Gen. 3.15 and unto Abraham and by all the holy Prophets and in the daies of his flesh and by the Apostles and their successours unto the end of the world 2. Secondly He is called the Mediatour of the Covenant as he doth ratifie and confirm the Covenant by a threefold seal 1. First By his bloud for a Testament is confirmed by the death of him that made it Heb. 9.15 16 17. he is the mediatour of the new testament that by means of death c. that they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance He made it sure on Gods part and on our parts he doth seal it up with his bloud that it might be confirmed unto all Generations and as no man altereth a Testament after a Testatours death so this is unalterable 2. Secondly As he hath confirmed it by his bloud so also by his Spirit Ephes 1.13 14. c. 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption Christ is the Angel that ascended out of the East having the seal of the living God Rev. 7.2 3. And look as it was the manner of the Priest of old to sprinkle the bloud of the Covenant upon the book of the law and upon the people so doth the Lord Jesus besprinkle us and that which is taught us with his bloud and Spirit and thereby begetteth the experience of the savour of God in our hearts and sealeth it up unto us 3. Thirdly He doth seal it by the seals of the Covenant which are Baptism and the Lords Supper so it is here said He gave him the covenant of circumcision which was a seal of the righteousness of faith instead whereof he hath given us Baptism And by the Lords Supper he sealeth it for that is the bloud of the new Testament Mat 26.28 by all these means he doth confirm the Covenant Dan. 7.27 3. Thirdly He is not only the Publisher and confirmer but also the Prince and Head of it for you shall see that in all Covenants there are some that are Princes of the Covenant as we read Dan. 11.22 where speaking of the league between Egypt and Assyria he makes mention of the Princes of the Covenant So in this respect the Lord Jesus is called the Covenant it self Isai 42.6.49 8. as being the Head and Prince of it and that implyeth two or three things 1. First If he be the Prince of the Covenant then all the Covenant is first made with him Gal 3.16 To Abraham and to his seed even unto Christ and to the Church his mystical body in him and under him and therefore all the promises are in him yea and in him amenâ— 2 Cor. 1.20 that is to say all the Promises and all their conditions are fulfilled in him as he saith It behoveth us to fulfil all righteousness Mat. 3.15 2. Secondly He doth inherit the blessings of the Covenant so far as his blessed nature is capable of them he hath received the crown of inheritance of all the blessings both of this life and of another Mat. 28.18 he sitteth at Gods right hand having led captivity captive he treadeth down Satan under his feet therefore 1. First He hath fulfilled all the conditions of the Covenant as this is one part of the Covenant The redeemer shall come out of Sion and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob as the Apostle Rom. 11.26 expoundeth the words of the Prophet Isai 59.20 for he fulfilleth in us all the conditions of the Covenant he it is that turneth us to the Lord and undertaketh to do all things in us and for us 2. Secondly He doth communicate the blessings of the Covenant to us having himself exactly fulfilled all the Conditions of them 3. He doth apply the comfort of the Promises unto us and having done all these things he leadeth us still to wait upon him for further and further blessings in his Ordinances Thus we have seen in particulars how the Lord Jesus is the Mediatour of the Covenant He is the Publisher of it the confirmer of it by his bloud by his Spirit by the seals