it we should desire earnestly and seek out diligently for Jesus Christ to this purpose saith the Apostle Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth Christ is the end of the Law i. Christ is the end of intention God by giving so holy a Law and by requiring such perfect obedience he would thereby humble and debase the Israelites so that they should earnestly fly to Christ in this sense the Law is our School-master to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith A School-Master you know doth not only whip or correct but also teach and direct so the Law doth not only threaten and curse if the work be not done but it shews where power and help is to be had viz. from the Lord Jesus Christ If this be so how much to blame are they that under pretence of Free-Grace and Christ cry down the Law Rather let us cry it up and this is the way to set up Free-Grace and Christ Surely he that discovers his defects by the perfect rule of the Law and whose Soul is imbittered and humbled because of those defects he must needs prize Christ desire Christ advance Christ in his thoughts above all the men in the world And thus far of the Covenant of Promise as it was manifested from Moses to David SECT V. Of the Covenant of Promise as manifested to David THe next breaking forth of this Gracious Covenant was to David and in this manifestation appears yet more of Christ the expression of it is chiefly in these words Although my House be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure 2 Sam. 23.5 For the right understanding of this we shall examine these Particulars 1. Who is the Author of this Covenant 2. To whom is the Covenant made 3. What is this that the Covenant is said to be made 4. How is the Covenant ordered 5. Wherein is the Covenant sure 6. VVhether is Christ more clearly manifested in this breaking forth of the Covenant than in any of the former 1. Who is the Author of this Covenant David sayes he hath made it he i God the Rock of Israel the everlasting Rock The Rock of their Salvation Psal 19.5 The Rock of their Strength Psal 62.7 The Rock of their Heart Psal 73.26 The Rock of their Refuge Psal 94.22 Their Rock and their Redeemer Psal 19.14 The Psalmist is frequent and ordinary in this stile to shew that God is the mighty stable and immutable foundation and defence of all the faithfull who fly unto him and will trust in him he is such a Rock as will not shrink nor fail his Creatures man is unstable but he is God and not man who is the Author of this Covenant 2. To whom is the Covenant made why saith David He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant i. either with Christ the Antitype or else with David himself the type of Christ To the former sense we have spoken elsewhere the latter I suppose more genuine the Covenant indeed was first made with Christ and then with David as a member of Jesus Christ Some are wholly for a Covenant betwixt God and Christ and they deny any such thing as a Covenant betwixt God and man but are not the Testimonies express Deut. 4.23 Jeâ— 31.31 Take heed to your selves lest you forget the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you And I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah And by name do we not see God Covenanting with Abraham with Isaac and with Jacob Gen. 17.7 Gen. 26.2 Gen 35.12 Levit. 26.42 And here do we not see God Covenanting with David I have made a Covenant with my chosen I have sworn unto David Psa 8â— 313 5. Psa 132.11 and once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David and the Lord hath sworn in truth unto David he will not turn from it Oh take heed of such Doctrines as tend unto Liberty Licentiousness the Covenant Gods makes with us binds us faster to God and if there be no Covenant betwixt God and us it opens a gap to the looseness of our spirits for how should we be charged with unfaithfulness unto God if we have not all entred into a Covenant with God 3. What is this that the Covenant is said to be made this holds forth to us the freeness of Gods entring into Covenant with us I will make my Covenant between me and thee saith God Gen. 17.2 or I will give my Covenant I will dispose my Covenant between me and thee so it is in the Originial And elsewhere it is plain Behold I give unto him my Covenant of peace when God makes a Covenant then he gives the Covenant of Grace unto all that he takes into Covenant with him The Lord set his love upon you said Moses to Isreal to take you into Covenant with him Num. 2â— 12 not because ye were more in number than other people but because he loved you Deut. 7.7 8. and chose your Fathers as noting out the freeness of his love towards them he loved them Why He loved them because he loved them This freeness of his Grace in giving a Covenant may appear in these Particulars 1. In that God is the first that seeks after us to draw us into Covenant with him we seek not him but he seeks us we chuse not him but he chuseth us he loves us first I am found of them that sought me not 1 Joh. 4.19 Isa 65.1 I said behold me behold me unto a Nation that was not called by my name 2. In that there is nothing in us to draw God into a Covenant with us many a man seeks first after the unmarried Virgin but then there is Beauty or there is Dowry or there is something or other which draws on the man but there is no such thing in us this made David say when he heard of Gods Covenant with him and his Who am I O Lord God 2 Sam. 7.18 19 and what is my Fathers House that thou hast brought me hitherto and is this the manner of man O Lord God q. d. O Lord God thou dealest familiarly with me as a man dealeth with man 1 Chr. 17.17 or as it is elsewhere Thou hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree It would make any soul cry out that deeply weighs the freeness of this Covenant Psal 8.4 Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him 3. In that there is enough in us to keep off the Lord from ever owning us we are as contrary to God as darkness is to light or as evil is to good The carnal mind is enmity against God saith the Apostle it is not subject to the Law of God Rom. 8 7. neither indeed
suffer but also to do for he both satisfied the Curse and fulfilled the Commandments O remember this as Christ and as Christ in the flesh so Christ in the flesh made under the Law is principally to be in the eye of of our Faith If we put all together our first view of Faith is to look on Christ God in the flesh made under the Law 4. Faith going to Christ as God in the flesh and as made under the Law it is principally to look to the end and meaning of Christ as being God in the flesh and as fulfilling the Law Now if we would know the meaning of Christ in all this the Apostle tells us of a remote and of a more immediate end 1. Of a remote end God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law Gal. 4.4 5. to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons This was Christ's meaning or the remote end of Christ Alas we were strangers from the Adoption and we lay under the Law as men whom sentence had passed on Now from this latter we are redeemed he was under the Law that we might be redeemed from under the Law nor is that all but as we are redeemed so are we adopted the Children of God And this end I rather attribute to the Life of Christ that we might receive the Adoption i.e. from the estate of Prisoners condemned that we might be translated into the estate of children adopted O the mercy of God! who ever heard of a condemned man to be afterwards adopted would not a condemned Prisoner think himself happy to escape with Life But the zeal of the Lord of Hosts hath performed this we are in Christ both pardoned and adopted and by this means the joy and glory of Gods heavenly inheritance is estated upon us O let our Faith look mainly to this design and plot of Christ he was made under the Law yea and under the directive part of the Law by his life he fulfilled every jot and title of the Law by his active obedience that we might be entitled to glory that we might be adopted to the inheritance of the Saints in glory 2. For the more immediate end of Christ the Apostle tells us Christ was made under the Law Rom. 8.4 or fulfilled all Righteousness that the Law might be fulfilled in us In Christ's life were we represented and so this fulfilling of all righteousness is accounted ours that the Law might be fulfilled in us O my soul look to this Herein lies the pith and the marrow of thy Justification of thy self thou canst do nothing that good is but Christ fulfilled the Law in thy stead and if now thou wilt but act and exercise thy Faith thou mayst thereby find and feel the vertue and efficacy of Christ's righteousness and actual obedience flowing into thy own soul But here is the question how should I manage my Faith or how should I act it to feel Christ's righteousness my righteousness I answer 1. Thy way is to discover and discern this righteousness of Christ this holy and perfect life of the Lord Jesus Christ in the whole and in all the parts of it as it is laid down in the written Word Much hath been said of it in those four years of Christ's Ministry but especially in the last year I shall say more anon in our conformity unto Christ whither also thou mayst have recourse 2. Thy way is to believe and to receive this discovery as sacred and unqestionable in reference to thy own soul as intended for thee for thy use and benefit 3. Thy way is to apprehend apply and to improve this discovery according to that judgment and proposal to those uses ends and benefits to which thou believest they were designed Yea but there lies the question how may that be done I answer 1. Setting before thee that discovery that perfect life of Christ in the whole and all the parts of it thou must first endeavour to be deeply humbled for thy great inconformity thereto in whole and in part 1. Still keeping thy Spirit intent on the Pattern thou must quicken provoke and encrease thy sluggish and drowsie soul with renewed redoubled vigilancy and industry to come up higher towards it and if it were possible compleatly to it 3. Yet having the same discovery rule and copy before thee thou must exercise faith thereupon as that which was performed and is accepted on thy behalf And so go to God and there represent offer and tender Christ's holy life and active obedience unto him And that first to fill up the defects of thy utmost endeavour Secondly to put a righteousness price value and worth upon what thou dost and attainest to Thirdly to make Christ's righteousness thy own that thou may'st say with the Psalmist in way of assurance O God my righteousness O my soul if thou would'st thus live by Faith or thus act thy Faith on Christ's Life Christ's Righteousness Christ's active obedience what a blessed life would'st thou live then mightst thou find and feel Christ's righteousness thy righteousness I say thy Righteousness in respect of its efficacy but not in respect of its formality for so sinners would be their own Mediators But of some of these Particulars I shall speak more largely in our conformity to Christ's holy Life 2. For encouragements to bring on souls thus to believe on Christ consider 1. The fulness of this Object Christ's life is full it is very comprehensive it contains holiness and happiness sanctification and justification if Christ's Garments were healing how much more so main and essential a part of Christ even the half of Christ as it were for so is Christ's Life It is vehemently to be suspected that the true reason why so much is said of his Death and so little in comparison of his Life it is either because we understand not the fulness of his life or because we are carnal and selfish affecting freedom from hell more than holiness on earth some benefit by Christ more than conformity to Christ O come see the fulness of Christ's life in reference to our sanctification was it not an exact model of perfection a most curious exemplification of Gods whole Word an express Idea Image Representation of the whole mind of God a full president for all others to walk by to work by to live by and in reference to justification is not Christ's life the object of Faith and justifying nay is not Christ's life the object of justifying faith as well as Christ's death resurrection ascension session intercession The assertors of Christ's active and passive obedience for us can tell us of two things in the Law intended one principal viz. Obedience and another secondary viz. malediction upon supposition of disobedience so that sin being once committed there must be a double act to justification the suffering of the Curse and the fulfilling of Righteousness anew the one is satisfaction for
Son Jesus Christ 1 John 1.3 Rev. 3.20 Cant. 1.1 2 Deut. 4.7 and Christ is said to come and sup with us and to kiss us with the kisses of his mouth and to be near to us in all that we call upon him for surely this is the highest happiness of the Saints that God is their God when they can say this they have enough if we could say this House is mine this Town this City this Kingdom this World is mine what is all this O but when a Christian comes at length and sayes this God that made all the world is mine this is enough indeed this is the greatest promise that ever was made or ever can be made to any creature Angels or Men herein if we observe it God gives himself to be wholly ours consider God essentially or personally Consider Jehovah Elohim all is ours God in his essence and glorious attributes communicates himself to us for good and God personally considered as Father Son and Holy Ghost they all enter into Covenant with us 1. The Father enters into Covenant with us he promiseth to be a father to us hence saith the Lord Israel is my Son my first born and again is Ephraim my dear Son Exod. 4.22 Jer. 31.20 Psal 14.11 Psal 103.13 is he a pleasant Child the Lord speaketh as through he were fond of his Children as delighting in them for so it is said the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him or as pitying of them for so it is said likewise like as a father pitieth his Children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him 2. The Son is in Covenant with us and speaks to us in this language thou art mine how comes that about why I have redeemed thee I have called thee by thy name Isa 43.1 and therefore thou art mine this is Christ's Covenant with us he brings us back to his Father from whose presence we were banished and sets us before his face for ever he undertakes for us to take up all controversies which may fall out between God and us he promiseth to restore us to the Adoption of Sons and not only to the title but to the inheritance of Sons that we might be where he is Joh. 17.24 Heb. 10.14 15 16. 3. The Holy Ghost makes a Covenant with us By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness and a worker This is the Covenant that I will make with them I will put my Law into their hearts and in their minds will I write them I know the Father is implyed in this yet here is the proper work of the Holy Ghost what the Father hath purposed for us from all Eternity and the Son hath purchased for us in his time that the Holy Ghost effects in us and for us as in our time he applyes the blood of Christ for the remssion of Sins he writes the Law in our hearts he comforts us in our sadness he supports us in our faintings and guides us in our wanderings Now he that effects these things for us and in our behalf he is therefore said to make a Covenant with us Thus Elohim God personally considered Father Son and Holy Ghost are in Covenant with us 4. This is the great promise what can be greater when God said to Abraham I will be thy God Heb. 6.13 what could he give more so when God tells us I am the Lord thy God what could he say more God having no greater to swear by saith the Apostle he swore by himself So God being minded to do great things for his People and having no greater thing to give he gives himself O the goodness of God in Christ I am the Lord thy God 5. Let us see the fruit of this in reference to Israel which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage This was God's promise long before to Abraham know of a surety Gen. 15.13 4. that thy seed shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them four hundred years and also that Nation whom they shall serve will I judg and afterwards they shall come out with great substance See here Israel must be strangers in Egypt and serve the Egyptians four hundred years but then he will bring them out of the land of Egypt and out of their servile bondage why this argues that God is Jehovah now he has performed what he had foretold and this argues that God in Christ is our Redeemer for what was this redemption from Egypt but a type of our freedom from sin death and hell here is the work of redemption joyned with that great name Jehovah Elohim to signifie that such a redemption is a clear testimony of a true and mighty God Whether this were laid down only as a peculiar argument to the Jews to keep the Commandments or it belongs also to us being grafted in and become of the same stock with them I shall not dispute this is without any controversie that their bondage was typical and ours spiritual you see the good things promised in this Covenant 6. What is the condition of this covenant on our part as we may gather it hence The condition of this covenant is faith in Jesus which is implyed in the promise I will be thy God or I am the Lord thy God and commanded in the precept built upon it thou shalt have me to be thy God or thou shalt have no other Gods before me But where is faith in Jesus Christ mentioned either in promise or precept I answer if it be not expressed it is very plainly intended or meant God is not the God of Israel but in and through the Mediator neither can Israel take God to be their God but by faith in the Messiah In the prophets we read frequently these exhortations trust in the Lord commit thy self unto the Lord lean upon the Lord and roul thy burden upon the Lord but what the Prophets exhort unto that is commanded in this expressure of the Covenant and who can trust in the Lord or commit himself to the Lord or lean upon the Lord or roul his burthen on the Lord if he be a sinner unless it be in and through a Mediator Israel must walk before God in all well-pleasing and the Apostle tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God But to go further what is the meaning of this first commandment in the affirmative part but to have one God in Christ to be our God by faith it is true Heb. 11.6 there is no mention made of Christ or faith but that is nothing is there is no mention of Love and yet our Saviour discovers and commands it there when the Lawyer tempted Christ Master which is the great Commandment in the Law you know Christs answer Mat. 22.36 37 38. thou shalt love the Lord
he is troubled with such and such a lust and he cannot keep this and that Commandment he cannot out-wrestle such and such strong inclinations to evil O but then go to God and press him with this Lord it is a part of thy Covenant thou hast said thou wilt circumcise my heart thou hast said thou wilt put thy Law in my inward parts thou hast said thou wilt dissolve these lusts Lord I beseech thee do it for thy Covenants sake But here 's another Question How may we know this inward work of Grace this Law in our inward parts the best way to satisfy our doubts in this is to look within open we the door and closet of our hearts and see what lies nearest and closest there that we say is intimate and within a man Mat. 10.37 which lies next to his heart He that loveth Father or Mother more than Me saith Christ is not worthy of Me We know the love of Father and Mother is a most natural thing it comes not by teaching but it is in-bred in us as soon as we are born and yet if we love not Christ more than these if Christ lye not closer to our hearts than Father or Mother we are not worthy of Christ our natural life is a most inward and deep thing in a man Job 2.4 Luke 14.26 Gal. 2.20 it lies near the heart Skin for Skin said the Devil once truly and all that a man hath will he give for his Life but he that hates not Father and Mother yea and his own life also said Christ he cannot be my Disciple Hence the Apostle to express this intimate inward life of grace he saith I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me What an emphatical strange expression is this I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me q. d. I live not the life of sense I breath not bodily breath that is comparatively to the life of faith his very natural life though inward is said not to be lived in respect of his life of grace which is more inward And let this serve for resolution to that question 4. What is it to have the Law written in our hearts This writing contains the former and is something more the Metaphor is expressed in these Particulars 1. It is said to be written that there might be something within answerable to the Law without it was written without and so it was written within This writing is the very same with copying or transcribing The writing within is every way answerable to the writing without Oh what a mercy is this that the same God who writ the Law with his own finger in the Tables of Stone should also write the same Law with the finger of his Spirit in the Tables of our Hearts as you see in a Seal when you have put the Seal on the Wax and you take it off again you find in the Wax the same Impression that was on the Seal So it is in the hearts of the faithful when the Spirit hath once softned them then he writes the Law i.e. he stamps an inward aptness an inward disposition on the heart answering to every particular of the Law this is that which the Apostle calls the Law of the mind I see another Law in my Members warring against the Law of my mind Rom. 7.23 Now what is this Law in the mind but a disposition within to keep in some measure every Commandment of the Law without and this is the writing of the Law or if you will the copying or transcribing of the Law within us 2. It is said to be written that it might be rooted and rivetted in the heart as when Letters are engraven in Marble so is the manner of Gods writing if God write it can never be obliterated or blotted out Letters in Marble are not easily worn out again no more are the writings of Gods Spirit Some indeed would have them as writings in dust but if Pilate could say What I have written I have written how much more may God Hence are all those promises of perseverance My Covenant shall stand fast with him Psal 89.28 and The root of the righteous shall not be moved Prov. 12.3 and Even to your old Age I am he and even to hoary hairs will I carry you Isa 46.4 I deny not but men of glorious gifts may fall away but surely the poorest Christian that hath but the smallest measure of Grace he shall never fall away if the Law be written in our hearts it still remains there Grace habitual is not removeable sooner will the Sun discard its own beams than Christ will desert or destroy the least measure of true Grace which is a Beam from the Sun of Righteousness 3. It is said to be written that it might be as a thing legible to God to others and to our selves 1. To God he writes it that he may read it and take notice of it he exceedingly delights himself in the graces of his own Spirit and therefore the Spouse after this writing after the planting of his grace in her Cant. 4.6 she desires him to come into his Garden and eat his pleasant Fruits q. d. Come read what thou hast written come and delight thy self in the graces of thy own Spirit the only delight that God has in the world is in his Garden a gracious soul and that he might more delight in it he makes it fruitful and those fruits are precious fruits as growing from plants set by his own Hand relishing of his own Spirit and so fitted for his own taste 2. The Law is written that it might be legible to others So Paul tells the Corinthians 2 Cor. 3.2 3. You are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ How manifestly declared why known and read of all Men. As we are able to read Letters graven in stone so may others read and see the fruits and effects of this Law written in our Hearts And good reason for wheresoever God works the principles of grace within it cannot but shew it self in the outward life and conversation it is Gods promise first I will put my Spirit within them Ezek. 36.27 Mat. 12.34 and then I will cause them to walk in my statutes and it is Gods truth Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh What the mind thinketh the hand worketh 3. The Law is written that it may be legible to our selves a gracious heart is privy to its own grace and sincerity when it is in a right temper if others may read it by its fruits How much more we our selves who both see the fruits and feel that habitual disposition infused into us Nor is this without its blessed use for by this means we come to have a comfortable evidence both of Gods Love to us and of our Love
Barak and Samson and Jephtah and David and Samuel and of all the Prophets who through Faith did marvellous things as it there appears Surely they had the same Doctrine of Grace as we have it is the very same for Substance without any difference 2. Wherein is the Difference then betwixt the Old and New-Testament or betwixt the Old and New Manner of the Dispensation of the Covenant of Grace They are one for Substance but in regard of the manner of Dispensation and revealing in the several Times Ages States and Conditions of the Church there is a difference I shall reduce all to these Particulars They are distinguished 1. In the Object In the Old Administration Christ was promised but in the New-Covenant Christ is exhibited It was meet the Promise should go before the Gospel and be fulfilled in the Gospel that so great a Good might earnestly be desired before it was bestowed 2. In the Federates Under the Old Dispensation they are compared to an Heir under Age needing a Gardian Tutor or School-master little differing from a Servant But in the New-Testament they are compared to an Heir come to ripe Years see Gal. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. 3. In the Manner of their Worship In the Old-Testament they were held under the Ceremonial Law and Oh What an heap of Ceremonies Rites Figures Shadows did they use in their Worship Certainly these declared the Infancy and Non-age of the Jews who being not capable of the high Mysteries of the Gospel they were taught by their Eyes as well as their Ears These Ceremonies were as Rudiments Introductions fitted to the gross and weak Senses of that Church who were to be brought on by little and little through such Shadows and Figures to the true Image and thing signified But in the New-Covenant or Testament our Worship is more spiritual Our Saviour hath told us 〈◊〉 4.23 24. That as God is a Spirit so They that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit Truth The Hour cometh and now is saith Christ when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship Him â—ts 15.10 4. In the Burthen of Ceremonies Peter calls the Ceremonies of old A Yoak which niether our Fathers nor we saith he were able to bear And no wonder if we consider 1. The burthen of their costly Sacrifices if any had but touched an unclean Thing he must come and offer a Sacrifice as sometimes a Bullock and sometimes a Lamb You that think every thing too much for a Minister of Christ if for every Offence you were to offer such Sacrifices now you would count it an heavy Burthen indeed 2. They had long and tedious Journeys to Jerusalem the Land lay more in length than bredth and Jerusalem stood almost at one End of it â—ut 16.16 and thither Thrice a Year all the Males were to go and appear before God 3. They were tyed to the Observation of many Dayes the New Moons and many Ceremonial Sabbaths and they were restrained from many Liberties as in Meats and the like Oh What Burthens were upon them But in the New-Covenant or Testament the Yoak is made more easie We are bound indeed to the Duties of the moral Law as well as they yet a great Yoak is taken off from us and therefore Christ inviting us to the Gospel He gives it out thus Take My Yoak upon you saith He for My Yoak is easie 〈◊〉 11.29 and My Burthen light 5. In the Weakness of the Law of old The Law then was unable to give Life to purge the Conscience 〈◊〉 7.18 to pacifie God's Wrath and therefore saith the Apostle There is verily a dis-annulling of the Commandment going before for the Weakness Vnprofitableness thereof Hence they are called weak and beggarly Rudiments 〈◊〉 4.9 in comparison of the New-Testament there was then a less forcible Influence of the Spirit accompanying that Dispensation of the Covenant 〈◊〉 7.39 The Spirit was not then given in that large Measure as now Because Christ was not then glorified It appears in these Particulars 1. There was less Power of Faith in the Saints before Christ when the Doctrine of Faith was more fully revealed then was Faith it self more fully revealed in the hearts and lives of God's People 〈◊〉 3.23 Before Faith came saith the Apostle we were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed Surely this implies there was a Time when there was less Faith in God's People and that was the Time of the Law 2. There was less Power of Love in the Saints before Christ according to the measure of our Faith so is our Love The less they knew the Loving-kindness of God towards them in Christ the less they loved It may be they were more drawn by the Terrours of the Law than by the Promises of Grace and therefore they had less Love in them 3. They had a less Measure of Comfort to carry them on in all their Troubles Christ exibited is called the Consolation of Israel and therefore the more Christ is imparted Luk 2.25 Acts. 9 31 the more means of Comfort Hence the Primitive Saints after Christ are said to walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost Certainly the Spirit was poured in less plenty on the faithful in the Old Testament because that benefit was reserved to the times of Christ who was first to receive the Spirit above measure in his humane Nature and thence to derive Grace to his Saints 6. In the darkness of that administration of Old Christ was but shadowed out to the Fathers in Types and Figures and dark Prophesies but now we see him with open Face 2 Co. 5.18 Observe the difference in reference to the person of Christ and to the Offices of Christ and to the benefits that come by Christ 1. Concerning the Person of Christ it was revealed to them that he should be God Isa 9 6. And that he should be man Isa 9.6 Isa 9.6 The same verse speaks of a Child that is born and of a mighty God But how he should be God and man in one person it was very darkly Revealed 2. Concerning the Offices of Christ his Mediatorship was Typed out by Moses his Priesthood was Typed out by Melchizedeck among the Canaanites and Aaron among the Jews his Prophetical Office was typed out by Noah a Preacher of Righteousness his Kingly Office was typed out by David but how dark these things were unto them we may guess by the Apostles who knew not he should Die who dreamed of an earthly Kingdom and till the Holy Ghost came were ignorant of many things pertaining to the Kingdom of God 3. Concerning the Benefits that come by Christ Justification was signified by the sprinkling of Blood and Sanctification by the water of Purification Heaven and glorification by their Land flowing
direct and then encourage First for direction let souls be acquainted how to act their Faith on Christ in respect of his Life The manner of its proceedings I suppose is thus 1. Faith must directly go to Christ Many poor souls humbled for sin and taken off from their own bottom they run immediately to the promise of pardon and close with it and rest on it not seeking for or closing with Christ in the promise this is a common error among thousands but we should observe that the first promise that was given was not a bare word simply promising pardon peace or any other benefit which God would bestow but it was a promise of Christ's Person as overcoming Satan Gen. 3.15 and purchasing those benefits The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head So when the Promise was renewed to Abraham it was not a bare promise of blessedness and forgivness but of that Seed that is Christ Gal. 3.6 in whom that blessedness was conveyed Gen. 22.18 In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed So that Abraham's Faith first closed with Christ in the Promise and therefore he is said to see Christ's day and to rejoyce in embracing him Christ in the first place and more immediately is every where made the thing which Faith embraceth to salvation and whom it looks unto and respects John 3.16 John 11.25 as it makes us righteous in the sight of God God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me Acts 13.39 Acts 16.31 Acts 10.43 though he were dead yet shall he live And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses and Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved And To him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins And hence it is that Faith is called the Faith of Christ Gal. 2.16 Phil. 3.9 Because Christ is it whom Faith apprehends immediately and as for the other promises they depend all on this John 3.36 John 6.47 Whosoever believeth on him shall receive remission of sins and he that believeth on the Son of God shall have life everlasting verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life O remember this in the first place Faith must go unto Christ and yet I mean not to Christ as abstractly and nakedly considered but to Christ as compass'd with all his Promises Priviledges Benefits 2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh Some make this the difference of Faiths acting betwixt Believers of the New and Old Testament Under the Old Testament when Christ was but in the Promise and not as then come in the flesh their Faith had a more usual recourse unto God himself as for Christ God-man man-God they had not so distinct but only a confused knowledge of him and therefore we read not so frequently and usually of their recourse unto him but only unto God 2 Chron. 20.12 20. Psal 78.21 22 O our God wilt thou not judge them we know not what to do but our eyes are upon thee and Hear me O Judah and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established and The Lord heard this and was wrath because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation But now under the New Testament because Christ as Mediator who was promised is come our Faith more usually and immediately addresseth it self unto Christ as God in the flesh God dwelling in our nature is made more familiar to our Faith than the person of the Father who is meerly God God in the flesh is more distinctly set forth in the New Testament and so he is more distinctly to be apprehended by the Faith of all Believers Ye believe in God sayes Christ to his Disciples whose faith and opinion of the Messiah was till Christ's Resurrection of the same Elevation with that of the Old-Testament-Believers Ye believe in God but he rests not there believe also in me John 14.1 make me the object of your trust and salvation as well as the Father believe also in me not only so but believe in the first place on me One sweetly observes that when Faith and Repentance came more narrowly to be distinguished by their more immediate objects it is laid down thus Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 20.21 not but that God and Christ are objects of both but that Christ is more immediately the object of Faith and God i◠more immediately the object of Repentance so that we believe in God through believing in Christ first and we turn to Christ by turning to God first O remember this Le◠our Faith in the more direct and immediate exercise of it be pitch upon Christ as God 〈◊〉 the flesh 3. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh made under the Law Gal. 4.4 and hence it is that the Apostle joynes these together God sent his Son made of a woman made under the Law If Christ had been out of the compass of the Law his being incarnate and made of a woman had done us no good Suppose one in debt and danger of the Law to have a Brother of the same flesh and blood of the same Father and Mother what will this avail if that same Brother will not come under the Law i.e. become his Surety and undertake for him It is our case we are debtors to God Col. 2.14 and there is an hand-writing against us and contrary to us here is a Bond of the Law which we have forfeited now what would Christ avail if he had not come under the Law if he had not been our Surety and undertook for us Our Faith therefore must go to Christ as made under the Law not only taking our nature upon him but our debt also 2 Cor. 5.21 our nature as men and our debt as sinful men He hath made himself to become sin for us who knew no sin i.e. he made him to be handled as a sinner for us under the Law though he knew no sin on his part but continued in all things written in the Book of the Law to do them If Faith be inquisitive when was Christ made under the Law I answer Gal. 5.3 even then when he was circumcised Thus Paul protests I testifie to every man that he that is circumcised is a debtor to do the whole Law Christ at his Circumcision entred into bond with us and undertook for us and therefore then and not till then Luke 2.21 he had his Name given him Jesus a Saviour and from that time he was a debtor to do the whole Law Not only to
law of the spirit of life in Jesus Christ or the law of this quickening Spirit communicated from Christ unto thy soul 3. If Christ's resurrection be mine then am I planted together in the likness of Christ's resurrection then do I resemble and am made conformable to Christ in his resurrection now if we would know wherein that resemblance is the Apostle tells us that like as Christ was rised up from the dead by the glory of the Father Rom. 6.5 even so we also should walk in newness of life Our mortification is a resemblance of Christ's death and our vivification is a resemblance of Christs resurrection In this ground of our hope concerning our interest in the resurrection of Christ I shall propound these questions Rom. 6.4 1. Whether indeed and in truth our souls are vivified 2. Whether we increase and grow in our vivification For the first the truth and certainty of our vivification will appear by these rules 1. True vivification is general both in respect of us and in respect of Grace 1. In respect of us it is diffused throughout the whole man the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly saith the Apostle and I pray God that your whole spirit 1 Thes 5.23 soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ And. 2. In respect of Grace it is in every Grace I know it is a question whether all Graces are so connexed and chained together that possible they cannot be severed but I suppose it is truly answered that in respect of habit they cannot be severed though in respect of the act or exercise they may be severed some Graces are more radical than others as faith and love and therefore they first appear but as a man lives first the life of a plant then of sense then of reason though all were radically there at first so it is in graces experience tells us that some Christians are eminent in some graces and some in other graces some have more love and some more knowledg and some more patience and some more self-denial but all that are true Christians have each of these graces in some measure or other or at least they have them in habit though not in the act if vivication be true there is a whole work of grace both in heart and life as the light in the ayre runs through the whole hemisphere so the whole work of grace runs through and is diffused through the whole man soul body and spirit O my soul this may put thee to thy study because of the several constitutions or tempers of graces thou mayest find this or that grace this or that image of Christ clearly stampt on thy heart but thou canst not find such and such graces in this case fear not for if in truth and sincerity thou hast but one grace thou hast the whole chaine of graces But to speak to some graces in particular Gal. 2.20 2. True vivification is a new life acting upon a new principle of Faith The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God They are the words of a man pursued by the law unto Christ Paul seeing he was dead by the law he speaks for a better husband the law finds him dead and leaves him dead Nevertheless I live saith Paul what means he a natural life why so he lived before now no no it is a better life than a natural life such a life is no contentment to a soul pursued by the law very heathens and infidels have such a life and in that respect are as happy as the best of Saints Paul's life is a spiritual life and the Spring of his life is the Son of God Jesus Christ is esscentially radically fundamentally life it self and by his incarnation passion resurrection he is life for his Saints they live by him and in him and for him and through him he is the heart and liver of their Spiritual life But as from the heart and liver there must be arteryes and vains for maintenance of life and conveyance of blood throughout all the body so from Christ there must be some conveyance to bring this to life unto us and this is by faith I live by the faith of the Son of God O my soul dost thou live this life of faith on the Son of God canst thou make use of Christ in every state and in every condition As for instance in thy particular calling dost thou look to Christ for wisdome success blessing ability dost thou say if I have ill success I will yet go to Christ it is he that set me here and it is he will enable me in case of provision dost thou run to Christ and dost thou hang upon him for all things needful dost thou say If I want means God will create means he commands all means and he can suddenly do whatsoever he will In case of protection dost thou look unto Jesus to be thy shield and protector dost thou mind the word of God to Abraham Fear not Abraham for I am God all-sufficient Gen. 15.1 thy buckler and thy exceeding great reward In case of thy Children goest thou to Christ saying Are not my Children thy Children and wilt thou not provide for thy own it is true thou must do what thou canst but for the rest despair not cast thy burthen upon him who hath commanded thee in nothing to be careful Phil. 4.6 Phil. 27.10 but in all things to make thy suits known with prayer and supplication when my Father and Mother forsake me God will take me up saith David He is a Father to the Fatherless he provided for them in the womb he provided brests for them ere they saw the Sun and therefore how should he but have care and compassion over thy Children in case of prosperity dost thou see Christ's love in that state dost thou set him in the first place receiving all and joyning in all as coming from him is this it that makes thy prosperity sweet because thou knowest and believest that thy sins are pardoned otherwise what is thy silver and gold so long as thy pardon is not sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ if a prisoner condemned to dye should abound in all outward plenty what comfort could he have so long as his pardon were not sealed it is the life of faith that sweetens prosperity who are better Christians than they who know they enjoy these things with God's favour and blessing faith sees Gods love in all and so is abundantly thankful faith makes a man to eat and drink and sleep and to do all in Christ as it cost Christ dear to purchase our liberty to the creatures so faith ever sets Christ in the first place it receives all as coming from him it returns all as to the glory of him in case of disgrace dost thou commit thy credit to Jesus Christ dost thou look up to Jesus and
That he should pass by so many on the right hand and on the left and that I should be one whom the Lord did Elect what such a vile and sinful Wretch as I am was there ever like Love was there ever like Mercy may not Heaven and Earth stand amazed at this O what shall I do to be thankful enough to this dear God Thus thou that knowest thy interest in Christ study praise and thankfulness Say in thy self who made me to differ from those Cast-away Souls Alas we were all framed of the same Mould hewed out of the same Rock It is storied of one of the late French Kings that in a serious meditation considering his own condition of being King and Ruler of that Nation Oh said he when I was born a Thousand other Souls were born in this Kingdome with me and what have I done to God more than they O my Soul what difference betwixt thee and those many Thousands of Reprobates that live with thee in the world at this day nothing surely nothing but the free mercy goodness and love of God in Jesus Christ O then praise this God yea sound forth the Praise of the Glory of his Grace Remember that was Gods design and that is thy Duty SECT IX On conforming to Jesus in that Respect 2. WE must Conform to Jesus we must fix our Eyes on Jesus for our Imitation that also is the meaning of this looking in the Text. And in respect of our Predestination the Apostle speaks expresly Rom. 8 29. he did Predestinate us to be conformed to the Image of his Son This is one end of Predestination and this is one end of looking unto Jesus nay it is included in it A very look on Jesus hath a Power in it to conform us to the Image of Jesus 2 Cor. 3.18 We are changed by beholding saith the Apostle Oh when I see Gods love in Christ to me even from all Eternity how should this but stir up my Soul to be like Jesus Christ where there is a dependance there is a desire to be like even among men how much more considering my dependance on God in Christ should I desire to be like Christ in disposition all the question is what is this Image of Christ to which we must be conformed I Answer Holiness and Happiness but because the latter is our reward and the former is our duty therefore look to that But wherein consists that I Answer in that resemblance likeness and conformity to Christ in all the passages forementioned And in every of those must we conform to Christ As 1. Christ is the Son of God so must we be Gods Sons As many as received him to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God Joh. 1.12 Mal. 1.6 1 Pet. 1.17 O what duty lies upon us in this respect If I be your Father where is mine Honour and if ye call on the Father pass the time of your sojourning here in fear God looks for more honour fear reverence duty and obedience from a Son than from the Rabble of the World if thou art Gods Son thy sins more offend God then the sins of all the reprobates in the world why alas thy sins are not meer transgressions of the Law but committed against the mercy bounty and goodness of God vouchsafed unto thee thy sins have a world of unthankfulness joyned with them and therefore how should God but visit Amos 3.2 you onely have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore will I visit you for all your Iniquities O think of this you that are Gods Sons and conform to Christ for he was an Obedient Son 2. Christ the Son of God delights in the Father and his delight is also with the Sons of men so must we delight in the Father and delight in his Children Psa 37.4 Psa 16.3 Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee the desire of thy Heart And the Saints that are on the Earth are they in whom is all my Delight saith David It is storied of Dr. Taylor that being in prison he could delight in God and he rejoyced that ever he came into Prison because of his acquaintance with that Angel of God as he called Mr. Bradford O this is Heaven upon Earth not only God but the very Saints of God are sweet Objects of delight Mark them and if they be Saints indeed they are savory in their Discourse in their Duties in their Carriages their Example is powerful their society profitable how should we but delight in them 3. God and Christ laid this Plot from all Eternity that all he would do should be to the praise of the glory of his Grace So must we purpose this as the end of all our actions whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do we must do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 But especially if from God we receive any spiritual good then give all again to the glory of his grace Dan. 2 20 23 Blessed be the Name of God for ever and ever said Daniel for Wisdom and might are his and I thank thee and praise thee O God of my Fathers who hast given me Wisdome and Might an excellent spirit of Wisdome and Might wrought in Daniel and he acknowledges all to the Giver wisdome and might are his Christians if you feel grace in your hearts I beseech you acknowledge it to Christ He does all he subdues Lusts heals VVounds staies inward Issues sets broken Bones and makes them to rejoyce and therefore let him him the glory of all do you acknowledge grace in it's latitude to the God of all grace 4. God and Christ counselled about our Salvation there was a great conflict in the Attributes of God justice and mercy could not be reconciled till the Wisdom of God found out that glorious and wonderful expedient the Lord Jesus Christ so let us Counsel about our Salvation the flesh and the spirit whereof we are compounded draw several wayes the Flesh draws Hell-ward and the Spirit Heaven-ward come then call we in heavenly and spiritual Wisdome to decide this Controversie you may hear its Language in Job 28.28 Job 28.28 Behold the fear of the Lord that is Wisdome and to depart from evil is Vnderstanding If we would draw heaven-ward and save our souls come then let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter fear God and keep his Commandments Eccles 12.13 for this is the whole duty of Man Keep his Commandments in an Evangelical sense i look at the expedient Jesus Christ who hath kept them for us and in whom and through whom our imperfect Obedience is accepted with God 5. God and Christ loved us with an everlasting Love So must we love him who hath first loved us this is the nature of spiritual Love that it runs into its own Ocean O love the Lord all ye his Saints who hath more cause to love him then you
understanding of this we shall examine these particulars 1. whether the Law was delivered in a Covenant-way 2. In what sense is the Law a Covenant of grace 3. How may it appear that the Law in any sense is a Covenant of grace 4. Why should God in the Law deal with us in a Covenant-way rather then a meer absolute supream way 5. What are the good things promised in this expressure of the Covenant 6. What is the condition of this Covenant on our part as we may gather it hence 7. Who was the Mediator of this Covenant 8. What of Christ and his death do we find in this manifestation of the Covenant For the first whether the Law was delivered in a Covenant-way it is affirmed on these grounds 1. In that it hath the name of a Covenant 2. In that it hath the real properties of a Covenant 1. The name of a Covenant as it appears in these Texts And the Lord said unto Moses â—d 34.23 write these words for after the tenor of these words I have made a Covenant with thee and with Israel and he was there with the Lord forty dayes and forty nights he did neither eat bread nor drink water and he wrote upon the tables the words of the Covenant â—t 4 13 the ten Commandments And he declared unto you his Covenant which he Commanded you to perform even the ten Commandments and he wrote them upon two tables of stone â—ut 9 9 When I was gone sayes Moses up into the Mount to receive the two tables of stone even the tables of the Covenant which the Lord made with you then I abode in the Mount forty dayes and forty nights â— 11. I neither did eat bread nor drink water And it came to pass at the end of forty dayes and forty nights that the Lord gave me the two tables of stone â— 15. even the tables of the Covenant So I turned and came down from the Mount and the mount burned with fire and the two tables of the Covenant were in my two hands It appears plainly and expresly in these Texts that the Law is a Covenant 2. The Law hath the real properties of a Covenant which are the mutual consent and stipulation on both sides You may see a full relation of this in Exod. 24.3 4 5 6 7 8. â—â—od 24 3 4 6 7 8. And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments and all the people answered with one voice all the words which the Lord hath said will we do and Moses wrote all the words of the Lord and rose up early in the morning and builded an altar under the hill and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel and he sent young men of the Children of Israel which offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen unto the Lord and Moses took half of the blood and put it in basons and half of the blood be sprinkled on the Altar and he took the book of the Covenant and read in the audience of the people and they said all that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient and Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words This very passage is related in the Epistle to the Hebrews â—eb 9.19 20 when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the Law he took the blood of calves and goates with water and scarlet-wooll and hissop and sprinkled both the book and all the people saying this is the blood of the Testament or Covenant which God hath enjoyned unto you In the words you may observe these properties of a Covenant 1. That God on his part expresseth his consent and willingness to be their God this will appear in the preface of the Law of which hereafter 2. That the people on their part give their full consents and ready willingness to be his servants Both these appear in that 1. Moses writes down the Covenant Covenant-wise 2. He Confirms the Covenant by outward signs as by the blood of Calves and Goats whereof one half he puts in basons to sprinkle it on the people and the other half of the blood he sprinkles on the Altar that sprinkling on the people signified their voluntary Covenanting with God and the blood sprinkled on the Altar signified Gods entering into Covenant with the people Thus we have reall Covenanting when the Law is given 2. In what sense is the Law a Covenant of Grace I answer The Law may be considered in several senses as 1. Sometimes it signifies largely any heavenly doctrine whether it be promise or precept â—om 3 27 and in this sense the Apostle tells us of the Law of works and of the Law of faith 2. Sometimes it signifies any part of the old Testament in which sense Jesus answered the Jews â—h 12 34 â—al 82 6 Is it not written in your Law I said ye are gods Now where was that written but in the book of the Psalms 3. Sometimes it signifies the whole oeconomy and peculiar dispensation of Gods worship unto the Jews according to the moral ceremonial â—k 16.16 â—al 5.23 and Judicial Law in which sense it is said to continue until John the Law and the Prophets were until John but since that time the Kingdom of God is preached 4. Sometimes it is taken synechdochically for some acts of the Law onely against such there is no Law â—eb 10.1 5. Sometimes it is taken only for the Ceremonial Law the Law having a shadow of good things to come 6. Sometimes it is used in the sense of the Jews as sufficient to save without Christ and thus the Apostle generally takes it in his Epistle to the Romans and Galathians 7. Sometimes it is taken for that part of the Moral Law which is meerly mandative and preceptive without any promise at all 8. Sometimes it is taken for the whole moral Law with the preface and promises added to it and in this last sense we take it when we say it is a Covenant of grace â—xod 19 5 6 3. How may it appear that the Law in this sense is a Covenant of grace it appears 1. By that contract betwixt God and Israel before the promulgation of the Law If ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people â—er 11.4 for all the earth is mine and ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and an holy nation Whereunto the Prophet Jermy hath reference saying obey my voice and do them according to all which I command you so shall you be my people and I will be your God Both these Scriptures speak of the moral Law or ten Commandments containing the preface and promises and how should that Law be any other but
a Covenant of grace which runs in this tenor I will be your God aâ—d you shall be my people my peculiar treasure a Kingdom of Priests an holy Nation if you will but hear and obey my Commandments Surely these priviledges could never have been obtained by a Covenant of works what to be a Kingdom of Priests an holy Nation a peculiar treasure to the Lord what to be beloved of God as a desirable treasure for so it is in the original which a King delivers not into the hands of any of his Officers but keepeth it to himself this cannot be of works No no these are priviledges vouchsafed of meer grace in Jesus Christ and therefore Peter applyes this very promise to the people of God under the Gospel 1 Pet. 2.9 1 Pet. 2.9 2. It appears by that contract betwixt God and Israel in the promulgation of the Law then it was that God proclaimed himself to be the God of Israel saying I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of bondage Some hold this to be the affirmative part of the first Commandment in which the Gospel is preached and the promises therein contained are offered We say it is a preface to the whole Law prefixed as a reason to perswade obedience to every Commandment But all universally acknowledge that it is a free Covenant which promiseth pardon of sin and requireth faith in the Messiah when God saith to Israel I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt doth he not propound himself as their King Judg Saviour and Redeemer Yea and spiritual Redeemer from their bondage of sin and Satan whereof that temporal deliverance from Egypt was truly a type the Lord begins his commandments with an evangelical promise and it is very observable that as these words I am the Lord thy God are prefixed immediatly to the first Commandment so in sundry places of Scripture they are annexed to all the rest ye shall fear every man his Mother and his Father and keep my Sabbaths Lev. 19.3.11 12.16 18. I am the Lord your God ye shall not steal neither deal falsely neither lie one to another and ye shall not swear by my Name falsely neither shalt thou profane the Name of thy God I am the Lord. Neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neigbour I am the Lord. In a word thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self I am the Lord or if that contain only the second Table therefore shall ye observe all my statutes and all my judgments and do them I am the Lord. Add we to this 37. that in the second Commandment God is described to be one shewing mercy unto thousands all which must needs argue the Law to be a Covenant of grace 3. It appears by the Contract betwixt God and Israel after the promulgation of the Law is it not plainly expressed by Moses Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes and to keep his statutes and Commandments And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee and that thou shouldst keep his commandments Yea and after this in the Land of Moah Deut. 26.17 18. Moses was commanded by the Lord to make a Covenant with the children of Israel besides the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb now this was the very same that God made with them on Sinai only it must be renewed and it is expresly said ye stand this day to enter into a Covenant with the Lord your God Deut. 29.12 13. That he may establish you to be a people unto himself and that he may be a God unto you as he had sworn to Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Surely this must needs be a Covenant of grace how should it be but of grace that God promised to be the God of Israel here are many sweet precious promises and they are all free and gracious and therefore we conclude the Law in the sense aforesaid to be a Covenant of grace 4. Why should God in the Law deal with us in a Covenant-way rather than a meer absolute supream way I answer 1. In respect of God it was his pleasure in giving the Law not only to manifest his Wisdom and Power and Soveraignty but his faithfulness and truth and love and the glory of his grace Rom. 9. 1 Joh. 4.8 that he might make known as the Apostle speaks the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory Gods love is apart of his name for God is love and Gods faithfulness is a part of his name I saw Heaven opened said John in a vision and behold a white horse Rev. 19.11 he that sate upon him was called faithful and true now how should we ever have known Gods love at least in such a measure or how should we ever have known Gods faithfulness truth at all if he had not entered into a Covenant with us it is true if he had given the Law in a meer absolute supreme way if he had given the precept without any promise he might fully have discovered his illimited supream power but his so dear love and faithfulness could not have been known now therefore let the world take notice of his singular love and of his faithfulness as Moses said to Israel Because the Lord loved you and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the hands of bondmen from the hand of Pharaoh â—t 7.8 9. King of Egypt Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandments to a thousand generations 2. In respect of us God would rather deal with us in a covenant-way than in a meer absolute supream way upon these grounds 1. That he might bind us the faster to himself a covenant binds on both parts the Lord doth not bind himself to us and leave us free No I will bring you saith God into the bond of the Covenant â— 20.37 The Lord sees how slippery and unstable our hearts are how apt we are to start aside from our duty towards him we love to wander and therefore to prevent this inconstancy and unsetledness in us 〈◊〉 14.10 and to keep our hearts more stable in our obedient walking before him it pleased the Lord to bind us in the bond of Covenant that as we look for a blessing from God so we look to it to keep Covenant with God you may say a command binds as well as a Covenant it is true but a Covenant doth as it were twist the cords of the Law and double the precept upon the soul when it is only a precept then God alone
thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy mind this is the first and great Commandment Mat. 22 36 37 38. Now as our Saviour discovers love there so in like manner is faith and Christ there the necessary consequents But you may object what say we to obedience is not that rather the condition of this covenant thus shining in the Law Indeed the Law and obedience are Correlatives But in this case we are not to look to the Law as meerly mandatory we gave you the sence of the word and how it is used as a covenant of grace remember only this the Law is considered either more strictly as it is an abstracted rule of righteousness holding forth life upon no other terms but perfect obedience or more largely as that whole doctrine delivered on Mount Sinai with the preface and promises adjoyned in the former sense it is a Covenant of works but in the latter sense it is a covenant of grace And yet I dare not say that as the Law is a covenant of grace it doth exclude obedience In some sort obedience as well as faith may be said to be a condition of the covenant of grace I shall give you my thoughts in this distinction obedience to all Gods commandments is either considerable as a cause of life or as a qualification of the subject in the former sense it cannot be a condition of the covenant of grace but in the latter sense it may if by condition we understand whatsoever is required on our part as precedent concomitant or subsequent to the Covenant of grace repentance faith and obedience are all conditions but if by Condition we understand whatsoever is required on our part as the cause of the good promised though only instrumental why then faith or belief in the promises of the covenant is the only condition faith and obedience are opposed in the matter of justification and salvation in the Covenant not that they cannot stand together in one subject for they are inseparable united but because they cannot concur and meet together in one court as the cause of justification or salvation Now when we speak of the condition of the Covenant of grace we intend such a condition as is among the number of true causes indeed in the Covenant of works obedience is required as the cause of life but in the Covenant of grace though obedience must accompany faith yet not obedience but only faith is the cause of life contained in the Covenant 7. Who was the Mediator of this Covenant to this we distinguish of a double Mediator viz. Typical and Spiritual Moses was a typical but Christ was the spiritual Mediator and herein was Moses priviledged above all before him he was the Mediator of the Old Testament Christ reserving himself to be the Mediator of a better Covenant i. of the New Testament Moses received the Law from God Heb. 8.6 and delivered it to the people and so he stood a Mediator between God and the people never was mortal man so near to God as Moses was Abraham indeed was called Gods friend but Moses was Gods favorite and never was mortal man either in knowledge love or authority so near unto the people as Moses was which makes the Jews O wonder to Idolize him to this very day Moses was called in as a Mediator on both parts 1. On Gods part when he called him up to receive the Law all those messages which God sent by him to the people 2. On the peoples part when they desired him to receive the Law for they were afraid by reason of the fire and durst not go up into the Mount Deut. 5.5 mark how he stiles himself as a Mediator At that time saith he I stood between the Lord and you to shew you the word of the Lord He was Gods mouth to them and he was their mouth to God and he was a prevailing Mediator on both parts he prevailed with God for the suspending of his Justice that it should not break out upon the people and he prevailed with the people to bind them in Covenant unto God and to make profession of that Obedience which the Lord required and called for yet for all this I call him not a Mediator of Redemption but Relation A great deal of difference there is betwixt Moses and Christ as 1. Moses only received the Law and delivered it to the people but Chirst our true Moses fulfilled it 2. Moses broke the Tables to shew how we in our Nature had broken the Law but Christ our true Moses repairs it again 3. Moses had the Law only writ in Tables of Stone but Christ writes it in the Tables of our hearts 4. Moses was meer man but Christ is God as well as man Moses was only a Servant in Gods House but Christ is a Son yea Christ is Lord of his own House the Church Moses mediation was of this use to shew what was the true manner of worshipping God but he did not inspire force and power to follow it he could not reconcile men to God as of himself and therefore it appeared that there was need of another reconciler viz. the Lord Jesus Christ 8. What of Christ and of his death do we find in this manifestation of the Covenant I answer 1. In delivering the Law we find something of Christ there is a question whether the Lord himself immediately in his own person delivered the Law Deut. 5 2â— and some conclude affirmatively from the Preface God spake these words and said and from that passage of Moses these words the Lord spake unto all your Assembly in the Mount out of the midst of the fire and wrote them on two Tables of Stone and delivered them unto me But others are for the negative and say this proves not that they were pronounced or delivered immediately by God for we find in Scripture that when the Angels were the immediate persons yet the Lord himself is reported to have spoken unto men Gen. 18.2 13. Exod. 3.2 6 7. And Augustine is resolute Aug. de Trin. l. 2. c. 15. that Almighty God himself in the time of the Old Testament did not spake to the Jews with his own immediate voice but only by Christ or by his Angels or by his Prophets and for this Ministerial voice of his Angels some produce these Texts â—cts 7.5 â—al 3.19 who have received the Law by the Ordinance of Angels and wherefore then serveth the Law it was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made and it was ordained by Angels in the hand of a mediator â—eb 2.2 And if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast c. For my part it hath puzled me at times whether of these opinions to take but others say and I am now as apt to joyn with them as with either of the former that Jesus Christ the second person of the Trinity
to be incarnate who is called the Angel of the Covenant Mal 3.1 and the Angel of his presence Isa 63.9 was he that uttered and deliver'd the Law unto Moses â—cts 7.38 â—cts 7.39 and to this purpose are produced these Texts This Moses is he that was in the Congregation with the Angel which spake to him in the Mount Sinai Now this Angel was Christ as it is cleared in the following verse whom or which Angel our Fathers would not obey but thrust him from them and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt They would not obey the Angel but thrust him from them i. they tempted the Angel whom they should have obeyed and who was that but Jesus Christ as it is cleared more fully and expresly by the Apostle Cor. 10.9 Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of Serpents Some of the Learned are of opinion that Christ the Son of God did in the shape of a man deliver the Law But I leave that 2. In the Law it self as it is a Covenant of Grace we find something of Christ in the preface he proclaims himself to be our God and in the first Commandment we are bound to take this God to be our God and in the second he gives us a double Reason or Motive to obey for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God I shew mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments And in the fifth Commandment he gives a promise of long life in Canaan which is either to be look'd at as a type of Heaven or literally for a prosperous condition here on earth but howsoever it is by virtue of the Covenant and as a testimony of Gods love now all these promises are made in Christ God is not our God but in and through Jesus Christ God will not shew mercy unto thousands nor unto one of all the thousands of his Saints but as they are in Jesus Christ God will not give us long life here or eternal life hereafter but in for and through the Lord Jesus Christ what if Moses writ not down the word Christ yet certainly Moses writ of Christ his words imply Christ as Christ himself told the Jews John 5.46 Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for Moses wrote of me and as Philip told Nathanael we have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write John 1.45 Jesus of Nazareth John 1.45 Surely Christ was if not the only subject yet the only scope of all the writings of Moses and therefore in the Law it self you see we find something of Christ 3. In the Exposition of the Law as Moses gives it here and there we find something of Christ Yea if we observe it Moses brought something more to the expression of Christ and of the Covenant of Grace than ever was before in the first promise it was revealed that Christ should be the Seed of the woman in the second manifestation of the promise it was revealed that Christ should be of the Seed of Abraham but in Moses writings and Moses time we learn more expresly that Christ was to be incarnate and to have his Conversation amongst men Ex. 29.45 46 The promise runs thus And I will dwell among the Children of Israel and will be their God and they shall know that I am the Lord their God that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt that I may dwell amongst them Lev. 26.11 12 I am the Lord their God The same promise is renewed or repeated and I will set my Tabernacle amongst you and my Soul shall not abhor you and I will walk among you and I will be your God and ye shall be my people this promise was punctually fulfilled when Christ was incarnate for then was the Word made flesh and dwelt amongst us John 1.14 John 1.14 or if it be referred to the habitation of God by his Spirit amongst the spiritual seed of Abraham then it implies the incarnation of Christ because that was to go before the plentiful habitation of Christs Spirit in the Saints Again Moses writing of Christ Deut. 18.15 The Lord thy God saith he will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy Brethren like unto Me unto him shall ye hearken VVas not this a plain expression Peter in his Sermon to the Jews preacheth Jesus Christ and he tells the Jews that this Jesus Christ was preached unto them before when before even in Moses time and for proof he cites this very Text Acts 3.20 22 For Moses truly said unto the Fathers a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto Me him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you 4. In the confirmation of the Law we find something of Christ It was confirmed by Seals and Sacrifices c. What were all these but a type of Christ in the formed expression of the Covenant we found the Seal of Circumcision but now it pleased God to add unto the former another Seal for Confirmation of their Faith sc the Passeover and was not this a type of Christ the immaculate Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Again in this manifestation Moses brought in the Priesthood as a setled Ordinance to offer sacrifices for the people and was not this a type of Christ our true and unchangeable High Priest I have sometimes seen the Articles of a believing Jews Creed collected out of Moses Law as thus I believe that the Messiah should die to make satisfaction for sin this they saw in their continued bloudy Sacrifices and their deliverance from Egypt by the death of a Lamb taught them no less 2. I believe that he shall not die for his own sins but for the sins of others this they might easily observe in every sacrifice when according to Law they saw the most harmless birds and Beasts were offered 3. I beleive to be saved by laying hold upon his merits this they might gather by laying their right hand upon the head of every Beast that they brought to be offered up and by laying hold on the horns of the Altar being a Sanctuary or Refuge from pursuing vengeance Thus we might go on No question the Death and Resurrection of Christ the Priesthood and Kingdom of Christ were prefigured and typed by the Sacrifices and the Brazen Serpent and the Priesthood of Aaron and the Kingdom of Israel And I cannot but think that the godly spiritual Jews understood this very well and that these did not rest in Sacrifices or Sacraments but that by faith they did really enjoy Christ in every of them 5. In the intention of Gods giving the Law we find something of Christ The very end of God in holding forth the Law was that upon the sense of our impossibility to keep it and of our danger to break
Holy One to see Corruption 4. That He Ascended up into Heaven Thou hast Ascended on High Thou hast led Captivity Captive Thou hast received Gifts for Men. 5. That He must be King over us both to Rule and Govern His Elect and to bridle and subdue His Enemies I have set My King upon My Holy Hill of Sion Psal 2.6 7. I will declare the Decree the Lord hath said unto Me Thou art My Son this day have I begotten Thee Acts 13.33 The Lord said unto My Lord Sit Thou at My Right Hand Psal 110.1 2. Heb. 1.13 until I make Thine Enemies Thy Foot-stool The Lord shall send the Rod of Thy Strength out of Zion Rule Thou in the midst of Thine Enemies 6. That He must be Priest as well as King and Sacrifice as well as Priest Psal 110.4 Heb. 5.6 The Lord hath Sworn and will not Repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedech Thou lovest Righteousness and hatest Wickedness Psal 45.7 therefore God Thy God hath anointed Thee with the Oyl of Gladness above Thy Fellows i.e. Above all Christians who are thy Fellows Consorts and Partners in the Anointing Sacrifice and Burnt-Offering Thou wouldst not have but mine Ear hast Thou bored Psal 40.6 7. Heb. 10.5 6 7. Burnt-Offering and Sin-Offering hast Thou not required Then said I Loe I come In the Volume of the Book it it written of me That I should do Thy Will O God Mine Ears hast Thou bored or digged open The Septuagint to make the Sense plainer say But a Body hast Thou fitted me or prepared for me Meaning that His Body was ordained and fitted to be a Sacrifice for the Sins of the World when other legal Sacrifices were refused as unprofitable O see how clearly Christ is revealed in this Expressure of the Covenant It was never thus before And thus far of the Covenant of Promise as it was manifested from David till the Captivity SECT VI. Of the Covenant of Promise as manifested to Israel about the Time of the Captivity THE great Breaking-forth of this Gracious Covenant was to Israel about the Time of their Captivity By reason of that Captivity of Babylon Israel was almost clean destroyed and therefore then it was high time that the Lord should appear like a Sun after a stormy Rain and give them some clear Light of Christ and of this Covenant of Grace than ever yet He doth so and it appears especially in these words Behold the days come saith the Lord Jer. 31.31.32 that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel 33.34 and with the House of Judah not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the Hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my Covenant they break although I was an Husband unto them saith the Lord but this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their Inward Parts and write it in their Hearts and I will be their God and they shall be My People and they shall teach no more every Man his Neighbour and every Man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know Me from the Least of them unto the Greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their Iniquity and remember their Sin no more In this Expressure of the Covenant we shall examine these Particulars 1. Why it is called a New-Covenant 2. Wherein the Expressure of this Covenant doth excel the former which God made with their Fathers 3. How doth God put the Law into our inward Parts 4. What is it to have the Law written in our Hearts 5. How are we taught of God so as not to need any other kind of Teaching comparatively 6. What is the Universality of this Knowledge in that All shall know me saith the Lord 7. How is God said to forgive Iniquity and never more to remeber sin 1. Why is it called a New Covenant I answer It is called New either in respect of the late and new Blessings which God vouchsafed Israel in bringing back their Captivity with Joy and planting them in their own Land again or it is called New in respect of the Excellency of this Covenant Thus the Hebrews were wont to call any thing Excellent Psal 96.1 New O sing unto the Lord a New Song Psal 96.1 that is an Excellent Song Or it is called New in contradiction to the Covenant of Promise before Christ came In this latter Sense the very same words here are repeated in the Epistle to the Hebrews Heb. 8.8.13 Behold the Dayss come saith the Lord when I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah In that He saith a New Covenant He hath made the First Old now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away The New-Covenant is usually understood in the latter Sense it is New because diverse from that which God made with the Fathers before Christ it hath a new Worship new Adoration a new Form of the Church new Witnesses new Tables new Sacraments and Ordinances and these never to be abrogated or disannulled never to wax Old as the Apostle speaks Yet in respect of those new Blessings which God bestowed upon Israel immediately after the Captivity this very Manifestation may be called New Jer. 23.7 8. And in reference to this Behold the Dayes come saith the Lord that they shall no more say The Lord liveth which brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt but The Lord liveth which brought up and which led the Seed of the House of Israel out of the North Countrey and from all Countries whither I had driven them and they shall dwell in their own Land 2. Wherein doth the Expressure of His Covenant excel the former which God made with their Fathers I answer 1. It excels in the very Tenor or outward Administration of the Covenant for this Covenant after it once began continued without Interruption until Christ whereas the Former was broken or did expire Hence God calls it a New-Covenant Not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers in the Day that I took them by the Hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my Covenant they brake although I was an Husband unto them saith the Lord. In this respect it might be called New or at least it may be called an Inchoation of the New because it continued till Christ which no other Expressure of the Covenant did before and so it excelled all the former 2. It excels in the Spiritual Benefits and Graces of the Spirit We find that under this Covenant they were more plentifully bestowed upon the Church than formerly Mark the Promises Jer. 24.6 7. I will set My Eye upon them for Good and I will bring
them again to this Land and I will build them and not pull them down and I will plant them and not bluck them up and I will give them a Heart to know Me that I am the Lord and they shall be My People and I will be their God for they shall return unto Me with their whole Heart Hag. 2.7 8 9. Again I will shake all Nations and the Desire of the Nations shall come and I will fill this House with Glory saith the Lord of Hosts The Silver is mine and the Gold is mine saith the Lord of Hosts the Glory of this latter House shall be greater than of the former saith the Lord of Hosts And I will put my Law in their inward parts Jer. 31.33 34. and write it in their Hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquities and I will remember their Sins no more 3. It excels in the discovery and revelation of the Mediator in and through whom this Covenant was made In the former expression we discovered much yet in none of them was so plainly revealed the time of his coming the place of his birth his name the passages of his nativity his humiliation and kingdom as we find them in this 1. Concerning the time of his Coming Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks shall be determined upon thy people and upon thy holy City to finish the Transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophesie and to anoint the most holy 2. Concerning the place of his Birth But thou Bethlehem Ephrata Mica 5.2 though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting 3. Concerning his Name Vnto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given Isa 9.6 and the Government shall be upon his Shoulders and his Name shall be called Wonderful Councellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Jer. 23.6 In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this his Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son Isa 7.14 and thou O Virgin shalt call his Name Immanuel 4. Concerning the passages of his Nativity that he should be born of a Virgin Isa 7.14 That at his Birth all the Infants round about Bethlehem should be slain Jer 31.15 That John the Baptist should be his Prodromus or forerunner to prepare his way Mal. 3.1 That he should flee into Egypt and be recalled thence again Hos 11.1 I might add many Particulars of this kind 5. Concerning his Humiliation Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows Isa 53.4 yet we did not esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him 5. and with his stripes were we healed He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his Mouth He was taken from Prison and from Judgment 7. and who shall declare his Generation he was cut off out of from the Land of the Living 8. for the transgression of my people was he stricken It pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great and he shalt divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his Soul unto Death and he was numbred with the transgressors and he bare the Sin of many and made intercession for tâ—e transgressors One would think this were rather a History than a Prophesie of Christs sufferings you may if you will take the pains see the circumstances of his sufferings as that he was sold for thirty pieces of silver Zech. 11.12 and that with those thirty pieces of silver there was bought afterwards a Potters field Zech. 11.13 That he must ride into Jerusalem before his Passion on an Ass Zech. 9.9 I might seem tedious if I should proceed 6. Concâ—rning his Kingdom Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Zion Zech. 9.9 Isa 62.11 Mat. 21.5 shout O Daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh unto thee he is Just and having Salvation lowly and riding upon an Ass and upon a Colt the Foal of an Ass Behold a King behold thy King behold thy King cometh and he comes unto thee 1. He is a King and therefore able 2. He is thy King and therefore willing wonderful Love that he would come but more wonderful was the manner of his coming He that before made man a Soul after the Image of God then made himself a Body after the Image of Man And thus we see how this Covenant excels the former in every of these respects 3. How doth God put the Law into our inward parts I answer God puts the Law into our inward parts by enlivening or qualifying of a Man with the Graces of Gods Spirit suitable to his Commandment first there is the Law of God without us as we see it or read it in Scriptures but when it is put within us then God hath wrought an inward disposition in our minds that answers to that Law without us for example this is the Law without Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Strength Deut. 6.5 Deut. 30.6 To Answer which there is a promise I will circumcise thy Heart and the Heart of thy Seed to Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all my soul now when this promise is fulfilled when God hath put the affections and grace of Love within our hearts when the habit of Love is within answerable in all things to the command without then is the Law put into our inward parts Deut. 13.4 Jer. 32.40 Again this is the Law without Thou shalt fear the Lord and keep his Ordinances and his Statutes and his Commandments to do them to answer which there is a promise I will make a Covenant with you and I will not turn away from you to do you good but I will put my fear into your hearts and you shall not depart from Me now when this promise is accomplished when God hath put the affection and grace of fear within our hearts when the habit of fear is within answerable to that Command without then is the Law put into our hearts Surely this is Mercy that God saith in his Covenant I will put my Law in their inward parts many a time a poor Soul cries out
to God You see now what we mean by this writing of the Law within us 5. How are we taught of God so as not to need any other kind of teaching comparatively I answer 1. God teacheth inwardly In the hidden part thou hast made me know wisdom Psal 51.6 Psal 16.17 saith David and again I thank the Lord that gave me counsel my reins also instruct me in the night season The reins are the most inward part of the Body and the night season the most retired and private time both express the intimacy of divine teaching man may teach the brains but God only teacheth the reins the knowledge which man teacheth is a swimming knowledge but the knowledge which God teacheth Cathedram habet in coelis qui corda doces Aug. is a soaking knowledge God who commanded light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts Mans light may shine into the head but Gods light doth shine into the heart His Chair is in Heaven that teacheth hearts saith Austin 2. God teacheth clearly Elihu offering himself instead of God to reason with Job he tells him My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart Job 33.3 and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly If ever the Word come home to an heart it comes with a convincing clearness So the Apostle Our Gospel came unto you not in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much full assurance The word hath a treble Emphasis 2 Thes 1.5 assurance full assurance and much full assurance here is clear work 3. God teacheth experimentally the soul that is taught of God can speak experimentally of the Truths it knows I know whom I have believed saith Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 I have experienced his faithfulness and all-sufficiency I dare trust my all with him I am sure he will keep it safe to that day Common knowledge rests in generals but they that are taught of God can say As we have heard so we have seen they can go along with every truth and say It is so indeed I have experienced this and that Word upon my own Heart In this case the Scripture is the Original and their Heart is the Copy of it as you have heard they can read over the Promises and Threatnings and say Probatum est David in his Psalms and Paul in his Epistles speaks their very Hearts and feels their very temptations and makes their very objections they can set to their Seal John 3.33 that God is true they can solemnly declare by their lives and conversations that God is true and faithful in his word and promises 4. God teacheth sweetly and comfortably Thou hast taught me saith David Psal 119.102.103 and then it follows How sweet are thy words unto my taste Yea sweeter than the Honey to my Mouth He rolled the word and promises as Sugar under his Tongue and sucked from thence more sweetness than Sampson did from his Honey-comb Luther said he would not live in Paradise if he must live without the Word Cum vâ—rbo in iâ—sâ—rrâ—â—e â—â—e est â—ieâ—re Luth 4. tom opâ—r â—aâ— but with the Word said he I could live in Hell When Christ put his hand by the hole of the door to teach the heart her bowels were moved and then her fingers drop upon the handles of the Lock sweet smelling myrrhe Cant. 5.5 The teachings of Christ left such a blessing upon the first motions of the Spouses heart that with the very touch of them she is refreshed her fingers drop myrrhe and her bowels are moved as the very monuments of his gracious teachings So in Cant. 1.3 Cant. 1.3 Because of the savour of thy Oynement thy Name is as an Oyntment poured forth therefore do the virgins love thee Christ in Ordinances doth as Mary open a Box of Oyntments which diffuseth a spiritual savour in Church-Assemblies and this oâ—ly the spiritual Christian feels Hence the Church is compared to a Garden shut up a Fountain sealed Cant. 4.12 wicked men are not able to drink of her delicacies or smell of her sweetness a spiritual Sermon is a Fountain sealed up the spiritual administration of a Sacrament is a Garden enclosed Sometimes O Lord thou givest me a strange motion or affection said Augustine which if it were but perfected in me Aug. l. 16. Confes c. 40. I could not imagine what it should be but eternal life Christians these are the teachings of God and in reference to this we shall no more teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord. Gods teaching is another kind of teaching than we can have from the hands of men there is no man in the world can teach thus and therefore they whom God teacheth need not any other kind of teaching respectively or comparatively 6. What is the universality of this knowledge They shall all know mâ— from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord The meaning is that all that are in the Covenant of grace shall be so taught of God as that in some measure or other they shall every one know God inwardly clearly experimentally sweetly and savingly I know there are several degrees of this knowledge God hath several Forms in his School there are fathers for experience 1 Joh. 2.12 young men for strength and babes for the truth and being of Grace as one Star differeth from another in glory so also is the School of Christ But here I am beset on both sides 1. Many are apt to complain alas they know little of God! sweet babes consider 1. It is free grace you are stars though you are not stars of the first and second magnitude it is of the Covenant of grace that God hath let into your souls a little glimmering Case Correc instruct though not so much light as others possibly may have in point of holy emulation as one notes well we should look at degrees of grace but in point of thankfulness and comfort we should look at the truth and being of grace 2. If you know but a little you may in time know more God doth not teach all his lessons at first entrance Psal 119.130 it is true The entrance of thy Word giveth Light but this is as true that God lets in his Light by degrees it is not to be despised if God do but engage the heart in holy desires and longings after knowledge so that it can say in sincerity My Soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times Psal 119.20 Others on the contrary ground themselves so learned from this very promise that they exclude all teachings of men The anointing say they teacheth us all things and we need not that any man teach us and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother 1 Joh. 2.27 Jer. 31.34 saying know the Lord for they shall all c. I
and in some of these if not in all of these thou wilt find thy Objections answered removed routed 3. It is sure God is not fast and loose in his Covenant heaven and earth shall pass away before one jot or title of his Word shall fail consider O my Soul he both can and will perform his Word his Power his Love his Faithfulness his Constancy all stand engaged What sweet matter is here for a Soul to dwell upon what needs it go out to other objects whilst it may find enough here but especially what needs it to bestow it self upon vain things O that so much pretious sand of our thoughts should run out after Sin and so little after grace or after this Covenant of grace 5. Jer. 31.33 34 Consider Jesus in that new Covenant or Promise which God made with Israel and Judah I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their Iniquity and I will remember their Sins no more Oh what an errour is it that there is no inherent righteousness in the Saints there is no grace in the soul of a believer but only in Christ is not this the ordinary Scripture phrase Ezek. 36.27 John 4.14 1 John 2 27. Col. 1.27 Ezek. 1.20 I will put my Spirit within you and the water that I shall give you shall be in you a Well of water springing up into everlasting Life and the anointing which you have received of him abideth in you and Christ in you the hope of glory Observe how the spirit of the Living Creatures was in the Wheels so that when the Spirit went they went and when the Spirit was lifted up they were lifted up even so is the Spirit of Christ acting and guiding and framing and disposing them to move and walk according to his Laws Luk. 17.21 Psal 40.8 The Kingdom of heaven is within you saith Christ and I delight to do thy Will O God saith David yea thy Law is within my heart O my Soul if thou art in Covenant whith God besides the in-dwelling of the Spirit there is a certain spiritual Power or Principle of Grace which Christ by his Spirit hath put into thy heart enabling thee in some measure to move thy self towards God And this Principle is sometimes called a new Life Rom. 6.4 Sometimes a Living with Christ Rom. 6 8. Sometimes a being alive to God Rom. 6.11 Sometimes a revealing of his son in man Gal. 1.15 And somtimes a putting of the Law into our inward parts and a writing of the Law within the heart Jer. 31.33 O consider of this inward Principle it is an excellent subject worthy of thy consideration 2. I will be their God and they shall be my people Consider God essentially and personally God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost God in himself and God in his Creatures this very promise turns over heaven and earth and sea and land and bread and cloths and sleep and the world and life and death into free grace No wonder if God set this promise in the midst of the Covenant as the heart in the midst of the Body to communicate life to all the rest this promise hath an influence into all other promises it is the great promise of the new Covenant it is as great as God is though the heavens and heaven of heavens be not able to contain him yet this Promise contains him God shuts up himself as it were in it I will be their God 2. They shall be my People i.e. They shall be to me a peculiar People Tit. 2.14 The word hath this Emphasis in it that God looks upon all other things as accidents in comparison and his substance is his People they are his very Portion for the Lords Portion is his People Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance They are his treasure his peculiar treasure Deut. 32.9 Exod 19.5 his peculiar treasure above all People If ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me and above all people for all the earth is mine Observe O my soul all the earth is mine q. d. All people is my people but I have a special interest in my covenanted people they are only my portion my peculiar treasure Blessed be Egypt my People Assyria the work of my hands and Israel mine Inheritance I have made all People Egypt and Assyria and all the world is mine but only Israel is my inheritance the Saints are those that God satisfies himself in the Saints are those that God hath set his heart upon they are children of the high God they are the Spouse that are Married to the Lamb they are nearer God in some respects than the very Angels themselves for the Angels are not in a mystical union so Married to Christ as Gods People are Isa 19.28 O the happyness of Saints I will be their God and they shall be my People 3. They shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. Consider of this O poor Soul thou complainest many a time of thy weakness thou knowest little or nothing why see here a Glorious promise if thou art but in Covenant with God thou shalt be taught of God and then thou shalt know God far more clearly than the Jews of old he will open to thee all his treasures of wisdom and knowledg he will bestow on thee a greater measure of his Spirit so that out of thy belly shall flow Rivers of Living waters John 7.38 We say a good Tutor may teach more in a day than another in a week in a month now the promise runs thus that all thy Children shall be taught of God Isa 54.13 not that private instruction or publick Ministry must be excluded we know these are appointed under the New Testament and are subordinate to the Spirits teaching but that the teachings of God do far surpass the teachings of men and therefore the knowledg of God under the New Testament shall far surpass that under the old herein appears the excellency of Christ's prophetical Office He is such a Prophet as enlightens every man within John 1.9.33 that comes into the World He is such a Prophet as baptiseth with the Holy Ghost and with Fire He is such a Prophet as makes men's hearts to burn within them when he speaks unto them He is such a Prophet as bids his Ministers Luk. 24.32 Mat. 28.19.20 Go teach all Nations and I will be with you and I will
where-ever Christ is clusters of divine promises grow out of him as the motes rayes and beames are from the Sun I shall instance in some few As 1. God in the Covenant gives the world All is yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World Mat. 6 33. 1 Cor. 3.22 First seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you These temporary blessings are a part of the Covenant which God hath made to his People It is he that giveth thee Power to get wealth that he may establish his Covenant which he sware unto thy Fathers Others Deut. 8.18 I know may have the World but they have it not by a Covenant-right it may be thou hast but a little a very little of the world well but thou hast it by a Covenant-right and so it is an earnest of all the rest 2. As God in the Covenant gives thee the world so in comparison of thee and his other Saints he cares not what becomes of all the world I loved thee saith God Isa 43.4 therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy Life If the case be so that it cannot be well with thee but great evils must come upon others kindred people and nations I do not so much care for them saith God my heart is on thee so as in Comparison of thee I care not what becomes of all the world O the love of God to his Saints 3. God in the Covenant pardons thy sins this is another fruit of Gods love Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins by his own blood Rev. 1.5 it cost him dear to pardon our sins even the heart-blood of Christ such were the transactions betwixt God and Christ if thou wilt take upon thee to deliver souls from sin saith God to his Son thou must come thy self and be made a Curse for their Sin Well saith Christ thy will be done in it though I lose my Life though it cost me the best blood in my heart yet let me deliver them from sin This exceedingly heightens Christs Love that he should foresee thy sin and that yet he should Love Many times we set our Love on some outward unthankful Creatures and we say could I but have foreseen this untowardness they should never have had my Love but now the Lord did foresee all thy sins and all thy ill requitals for love and yet it did not once hinder his love towards thee but he puts this in the Covenant I will forgive their Iniquities and remember their sins no more Ezek. 36.25 4. God in the Covenant gives thee Holiness and Sanctification I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you this Holiness is our excellency in the eyes of Men and Angels this is the Crown and Diadem upon the heads of Saints whence David calls them by the name of excellent ones Holiness is a Spirit of Glory 1 Pet. 4.14 it is the delight of God Psal 16.3 1 Pet. 4.14 as a Father delights himself in seeing his own Image in his Children so God delights himself in the Holiness of his Saints God loved them before with a love of benevolence and good-will but now he loves them with a love of complacency Psal 47.11 Psal 149.4 The Lord takes pleasure in those that fear him the Lord takes pleasure in his People Holiness is the very Essence of God the Divine Nature of God O what is this that God should put his own nature into thee You are partakers of the Divine Nature O what a love is this that God should put his own Life into thee that he should enable thee to live the very same life that he himself lives remember that piece of the Covenant I will put my Law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts 5. God in the Covenant gives thee the knowledg of himself it may be thou knewest him before but 't is another kind of knowledg that God now gives thee than thou hadst before When God teaches the Soul to know him it looks on God with another eye it sees now another beauty in God than ever it saw before for all that knowledg that it had before bred not love only Covenant-knowledg of God works in the Soul a true Love of God But how doth this Covenant-knowledg work this Love I shall tell you my own experiences I go through all the Virtues Graces and Excellencies that are most amiable and I look in the Scriptures and there I find them in God alone if ever I saw any excellency in any man or in any Creature I think with my self there is more in God that made that Creature He that made the Eye shall not he see And so he that made that Loveliness is not he Lovely Now when by these Mediums I have presented God thus lovely to my Soul then I begin to feel my heart to warm As when I conceive such an Idea of a man that he is of such a carriage behaviour disposition that he hath a mind thus and thus framed qualified and beautified why then I love him so when I apprehend the Lord aright when I observe him as he is described in his Word when I observe his doings and consider his workings and learn from all these together a right Idaea opinion or apprehension of him then my will follows my understanding and my affections follow them both and I come to love God and to delight in God O here 's a sweet knowledg surely it was God's Love in Christ to put this blessed Article into the Covenant of grace They shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord. 6. God in the Covenant of grace gives thee his Son John 13.6 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Nay more as God hath given thee his Son so he hath given thee himself O my Soul wouldest thou not think it a marvellous love if God should say to thee Come Soul I Will give thee all the World for thy Portion or that I may give thee a testimony that I love thee I will make another world for thy sake and I will make thee Emperour of that world also Surely thou wouldst say God loves me dearly ay but in that God hath given thee his Son and given thee himself this is a greater degree of Love Christiâ—ns stand amazed Oh what love is this to the Children of men Oh that we should live to have our ears filled with this sound from Heaven I will be a God to thee and to thy Seed after thee I am the Lord thy God I will be their God and they shall be my People O my Soul where hast thou been rouze up and recollect and set before thee
conceive the most usual and ordinary course of Faiths working and of the souls conforming to Jesus Christ in its closing with Christ As thus 1. Faith hearing the great things proposed in the Covenant of Grace it stirs up in the heart a serious consideration of their blessed condition that are in covenant with God Blessed art thou O Israel a People saved by the Lord What Nation in the Earth is like thy People Deut. 33.29 2 Sam. 7.2.3 even like Israel whom God went to redeem for a People unto himself Time was saith the Soul that I counted the proud blessed and the rich blessed and the honourable blessed time was when I placed my blessedness in other things as in Riches Preferments Favour Credit with men but now these are become vile and things of no value Faith makes us change our voice and to speak as the Psalmist Blessed are the People whose God is the Lord. Psal 144.15 2. Faith stirs in the heart a longing desire after this condition good being believed cannot but be desired and longed for Desire naturally springs from the apprehension of any good being made known hence Faith we say is both in the understanding and in the will as it is in the understanding it opens the eye to see and clearly to discern the Blessing of the Covenant as it is in the will it pursues and desires the attaining of the Grace revealed nor are these desires faint desires but very earnest eager violent sometimes it is called a thirsting after God and sometimes a panting after God and sometimes a gasping after God it is such a desire as cannot be satisfied by any thing without God himself 3. Faith stirs in the heart some hope to enjoy this condition I say some hope for Faith being as yet in the Bud or in the Seed though its desire be strong yet hope of obtaining is but feeble and weak hence Faith is taken up with many thoughts fain would the Soul be joyned to Christ but being as yet dismayed with the sense of Sin it stands like the Publican afar off as yet Faith can scarce speak a word to God only with Jonah it can look towards his holy Temple As a poor weak babe who lies in the Cradle sick and weak and speechless only it can look towards the Mother for help the cast of the eye expresseth in some sort what it would say thus Faith being weak it would speak to God but it cannot or dares not only it hath its eye towards Heaven 2 Chr. 20.12 as Jehoshaphat sometimes said Our eyes are towards thee It feels a need and fain would have but sense of unworthyness and the sense of the Law strikes such a fear into the heart that it dares not come near Consider Israels Case and we shall find it parallel to this God proclaims on the Mount I am the Lord thy God what was this but Gods offer to be in Covenant with Israel and yet the terrour of the Thunder was so great that Israel durst not come near a poor Soul hearing the Lord to offer himself to be in Covenant in him Come soul I am the Lord thy God Why alas it dares not come near What am I the Lord or what is my Fathers House that I should enter into a Covenant with the most high God The Soul is unquiet within it self it is hurried to and fro and finds no rest it hears of Peace with God but feels it not there is much ado with the Soul to sustain its hope only Faith sets the mind again and again to consider the promises invitatiâ—â—â— and all other incouragements which God hath given in his Word 4. Faith stirs in the heart some resolves to go to Gods Throne and to sue for Grace Faith speaks within as they did Jonah 3.9 Amos. 5.15 Who can tell whether the Lord will return And it may be the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph So Who can tell saith the Soul It may be the Lord will saith the Soul and this begets some resolves as those Lepers in Samaria knew they were sure to perish if they sate still therefore they resolved to try whether the Aramites would save them Or as Esther knowing all was undone if she would not stir she would try whether the King would hold out his Golden Scepter So the poor Soul knowing there is no way but perishing if it continue in its Natural State therefore it resolves to go to God Doth the Lord say Seek my Face Why Jer. 3.22 thy Face Lord will I seek Doth the Lord say Come unto Me Why Behold Lord I come unto Thee for Thou art the Lord our God And now the Soul betakes it self unto God it sends up Complaints of it self it laments its own sinful Rebellions it puts out a whole Volley of Sighs Groans and strong Cryes towards Heaven it confesseth with Grief and bitter Mourning all its former Iniquities it smites with Repenting Ephraim upon its Thigh it lyes down at God's Foot-stool it puts its Mouth in the Dust it acknowledgeth God's Righteousness if He should condemn and cast off for ever and yet withal it pleads for Grace that it may be accepted as one of His It sayes unto God Lord I have nothing to plead why Thou may'st not Condemn me but if Thou wilt receive me Thy Mercy shall appear in me O let Thy Mercy appear take away all Iniquity and receive me graciously Thus the Soul lyes at God's Throne and pleads for Grace 5. As Faith is thus earnest in suing to God for Grace so it is no less vigilant and watchful in observing what Answer comes from the Lord even as the Prisoner at the Bar not only cries for Mercy but he marks every Word which falls from the Judges Mouth if any thing may give him Hope or as Benhadad's Servants lay at catch with the King of Israel to see if they could take occasion by any thing which fell from him to plead for the Life of Benhadad So the poor Soul that is now pleading for Life and Grace it watcheth narrowly to see if any thing may come from God any Intimation of Favour any Word of Comfort that may tend to Peace O let me hear Joy and Gladness I will hear what the Lord will say for He will speak Peace unto His People 6. As Faith waits for an Answer so accordingly it demeans it self 1. Sometimes God answers not and Faith takes on and follows God still and cryes after Him with more Strength as resolving never to give over till the Lord either save or destroy Nay if the Lord will destroy Faith chuseth to die at God's Feet as when Joab was bidden to come forth from the Horns of the Altar and to take his Death in another Place Nay saith Joab but I will dye here Or as when Christ saw no Deliverance come in His Agony He Prayed more earnestly So a poor Soul Luke 22.44 in the Time
of this World or of that World to come Here is an Object of Faith and Love and Joy and Delight here is a Compendium of all Glories here is one for a heart to be taken with to all Eternity O lay thy mouth to this Fountain suck and be satisfied with the brests of his Consolation Isa 66.11 Milk out and be delighted with the brightness of his Glory 2. From the sutableness of this Object Christ Incarnate is most sutable for our Faith to act upon We are indeed to believe on God but God essentially is the utmost Object of Faith we cannot come to God but in and through Christ alas God is offended and therefore we cannot find ground immediately to go to God hence you heard that Faith must directly go to Christ as God in our Flesh O the infinite condescentions of God in Christ God takes up our Nature and joins it to himself as one person and layes out that before our Faith so that here is God and God suited to the particular state and condition of the sinner Oh now with what boldness may our souls draw nigh to God Why art thou strange poor soul Why standest thou afar off as if it were death to draw nigh Of whom art thou affraid Is God come down amongst men and canst thou not see him lest thou die and perish Oh look once more and be not discouraged See God is not come down in fire God is not descended in the Armour of Justice and everlasting burnings No no he is cloathed with the Garments of Flesh he sweetly desires to converse with thee after thine own form he is come down to beseech thee to see with thine own eyes thy eternal happiness q. d. Come poor Soul come put in thy hands and feel my heart how it beats in love towards thee O the wonder of Heaven it is the cry of some poor souls Oh that I might see God! loe here God is come down in the likeness of man he walks in our own shape amongst us it is the cry oft others O that I might have my heart united to God! Why he is come down on this very purpose and hath united our nature unto himself Surely God hath left all the World without excuse Oh that ever there should be an heart of unbelief after these sensible demonstrations of Divine Glory and Love Why soul wilt thou now stand off Tell me what wouldst thou have God do more Can he manifest himself in a more taking alluring sutable way to thy condition Is there any thing below flesh wherein the great God can humble himself for thy good Come think of another and a better way or else for ever believe Methinks it is sad to see Believers shy in their approaches to God or doubtful of their acceptance with God when God himself stoops first and is so in love with our acquaintance that he will be of the some nature that we are O let not such a Rock of strength be slighted but every day entertain sweet and precious thoughts of Christ being incarnate enure thy heart to a way of believing on this Jesus as he carries on the great Work of thy Slavation at his first Coming or Incarnation 3. From the Gospel-tenders and offers of this blessed Object to our Souls As Christ is come in our natue to satisfie so he comes in the Gospel freely and fully to offer thee terms of Love therein are set out the most rich and alluring expressions that possibly can be therein is set out that this Incarnation of Christ was Gods own acting out of his own Love and Grace and Glory therein is set out the Birth and Life and Death of Christ and this he could not do but he must be Incarnate God takes our Flesh and he useth that as an Organ or Instrument whereby to Act he was Flesh to suffer as he was Spirit to satisfie for our sins Methinks I might challenge Unbelief and bid it come forth let it appear if it dare before this Consideration What is not God Incarnate enough to satisfie thy Conscience Come nigh poor Soul hear the Voice of Christ inviting Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden with Sin and O let these rich and glorious openings of the heart of Christ overcome thy heart Suppose the case thus what if God should have done no more than this Had he only looked down from Heaven and hearing sinners cry out O wo wo unto us for ever we have broke Gods Law incurr'd the penalty damned our own souls O who should deliver us Who will save us from the Wrath to Come Who will keep us out of Hell our deserved Dungeon where the fury of the great Judge burns in a fiery Brimstone and his revenge boyls in a fiery Torrent limitless and unquenchable In this case if God hearing sinners thus crying out had he I say only looked down and told them in sweet Language Poor souls I will pardon your Sins by my own Prerogative I made the Law and I will dispense with it fear not I have the Keyes of Life and Death and upon my word you shall not perish What soul would not have been raised up even from the bottom of Hell at this very voice I know a poor soul would have scrupled at this and have said What then should become of infinite Justice shall that be dishonoured to save my Soul This would have been a scruple indeed especially considering that great controversie as we have heard of Mercy and Truth and Righteousness and Peace but to remove all controversies God hath not only spoken from Heaven by himself but he himself is come down from Heaven to Earth to speak unto us O see this Miracle of Mercy God is come down in Flesh he is come as a price he himself will pay himself according to all the demands of his Justice and Righteousness before our eyes and all this done now he offers and tenders himself unto thy soul Oh my soul why shouldest thou fear to cast thy self upon thy God I know thy Objection of vileness notwithstanding all thy vileness God himself offers himself to lead thee by the hand and to remove all doubts God himself hath put a price sufficient in the hands of Justice to stop her Mouth or if yet thou fearest to come to God why come then to thy own Flesh go to Christ as having thy own nature it is he that calls thee How Go to Flesh Go to thy own Nature What can be said more to draw on thy trembling heart If God himself and God so fitted and qualified as I may say will not allure must not men die and perish in unbelief What O my soul give me leave to chide thee Is God come down so low to thee and dost thou now stand questioning whether thou shouldst go or come to him What is this but to say all that God is or does or sayes is too little to perswade me
Holiness of God and his love of Holiness to make man holy He tells us that without Holiness none shall see God and therefore fiâ—st he will make us holy and then he will bring us to himself O here 's a blessed Conformity as Christ was Born let us be New Born 7. Christ after his Birth did and suffered many things in his Childhood I should be too large to speaâ— to every particular so should we learn to bear Gods Yoak even in our Youth It is good to imitate Christ even betimes Lam. 3.27 Eccles 12.1 Remembâ—r now thy Creator in the dayes of thy Youth while the evil dayes come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them Do ye not see by experience what a blessed thing a gracious and an holy education is Train up a Child in the way he should go Prov. 22.6 and when he is old he will not depart from it O ye Parents that ye should do your duties and in that respect imitate Joseph and Mary in their care and nature of the Holy Child Jesus and O ye Children that you would do your duties and imitate Jesus the Blessedst pattern that ever was that as you grow in Stature Luke 2.52 you also might grow in favour with God and Man Observe him in the Temple when he was but twelve years Old see Him in the midst of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them Questions Children whiles little if but capable of instruction should with their Parents wait on God in the midst of our assemblies Exod. 10.9 Mosâ—s told Pharoah they must have their young ones with them to the solemn Worship and when Joshua read the Law of God to the Congregation of Israel Josh 8.35 they had their little ones with them in that solemn assembly Observe Christ also in Nazareth where during his minority he was ever subject to his Parents so Children obey your Parents in the Lord Eph. 6.1 2. for this is right not only the Law of God but the Gospel of Christ makes mention of this Honour thy father and Mother which is the first Commandment with Promise I know the subjection of Christs extends to his particular calling and this also is for your imitaion in obedience to his supposed Father the Holy Child would have a particular employment something must be done for the support of that holy Family wherein Jesus lived and to that purpose he puts to his own hands and works in the trade of a Carpenter such as will live idle and without a calling that serve for no other use but to devour Gods Creatures and to make a dearth O how unlike are they to Jesus Christ It is noted for a grievous sin and a chief part of the corruption of our nature to be unprofitable to the Generation with whom we live They are altogether become unprofitable Rom. 3.12 there is none that doth good Religion and Grace where ever it prevaileth makes Men profitable and in this respect the poorest Servant and drudge may have more comfort in his estate than the greatest Gentleman that hath nothing to do but to Eat and Drink and Play Thus far we have looked on Jesus as our Jesus in his Incarnation or his first coming in the Flesh Our next work is to look on Jesus carrying on the great work of Mans Salvation during his life from John's Baptism until his suffering and dying on the Cross LOOKING UNTO JESUS In His Life The Fifth Book PART II. CHAP. I. 1 John 1.2 For the Life was manifested and we have seen it SECT I. Of the Beginning of the Gospel IN this piece as in the former we must first lay down the Object and then direct you how to look to it The Object is Jesus carrying on the work of Mans Salvation during the time of his Life Now in all the transactions of this time we shall observe them as they were carried on successively in those three years and an half of his ministerial Office or if you will in those four compleat Years before his Passion and Death For the first Year and his actings therein the Evangelist Mark begins thus Mark 1.1 The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God q. d. the beginning of that age of the World which the Prophets pointed out for the time of good things to come or the beginning of the exhibition and completion of that Gospel which in respect of the promise figures and signification was from the beginning of the World This beginning of the Gospel the Prophets sometimes expressed by the term of the last dayes Isa 2.2 and it shall come to pass in the last dayes sometimes by the term of the acceptable year of the Lord the Spirit of the Lord is upon me to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord Mica 4.1 sometimes by the term of the Kingdom of God And in the dayes of these Kings Isa 61.1 2. Dan. 2.44 Isa 65.17 shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed Sometimes by the term of a New Heaven and a New Earth behold I create New Heavens and a New Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come in mind Howsoever it is called this is concluded that the beginning of the Gospel is not to be reckoned from the birth of Christ but from the beginning of the Ministry and Preaching of John the Baptist Mat. 11.12 15. from the dayes of John the Baptist untill now said Christ the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence for all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John and when the Apostles were ready in the Room of Judas to choose a new Apostle it is said Act. 11.21 22. that of those men which companied with them all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out amongst them beginning from the baptism of John unto the day that he was taken up must one be ordained to be a witness And Peter Preaching to Cornelius and his friends Acts 10.37 he tells them that the Word or Gospel was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the Baptism which John preached Mark 1.1 2. and see but how immediately these words follow The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God as it is written in the Prophets behold I send my Messenger before thy face which shall prepare the way before thee I know that Johns Ministry was six months before Christ's and yet that now was the beginning of the Gospel it appears 1. In that Baptism which was only used amongst the Jews for the admission of Proselites or Heathens to their Church is now published and proposed to the Jews themselves shewing 1. That now they were to be entred and transplanted into a new Profession and 2. That the Gentiles and they were now to be knit into one Church and Body And 2. It appears in that the Doctrine
God of this world blinds the eyes of men O take heed of fixing our eyes on this worlds vanity our own corruptions are also great hinderances to this view of Christ away away with all carnal passions base humours sinful desires unless the soul be spiritual it can never behold spiritual things 3. Let us fix our eyes only on this blessed Object a moving rolling eye sees nothing clearly 1 Pet. 1.12 When the Angels are said to look into these things the word signifies that they look into them narrowly as they who bowing or stooping down do look into a thing so should we look narrowly into the life of Christ our eye of faith should be set upon in a steady manner as if all the world could not move us as if we forgot all the things behind and had no other business in the world but this 4. Let us look wishingly and cravingly there is affection as well as vision in the eye Acts 3.5 as the lame man that lay in Solomon's porch looked wishly on Peter and John expecting to receive something of them so let us look on Christ with a craving eye with an humble expectation to receive a supply of grace from Christ Why Lord thou art not only anoynted with the the oyl of gladness above thy fellows but for thy fellows I am earthly minded but thou art heavenly I am full of lusts but the Image of God is perfect in thee thou art the fountain of all grace an head of influence as well as of eminence thou art not only above me but thou hast all grace for me and therefore O give me some portion of thy meekness lowliness heavenly-mindedness and of all other the graces of thy Spirit Surely thou art an heaven of grace full of bright shining stars Oh that of that fulness thou wouldst give me to receive even grace for grace I pray Lord with an humble expectation of receiving from thee Oh let me feel the dropping of the two-olive trees into the golden candlesticks yea even into my soul 5. Be we assured that our prayer if it be in faith is even now heard never any came to Christ with strong expectations to receive grace or any benefit prayed for that was turned empty away besides Christ hath engaged himself by promise to write his Law in our hearts to make us like himself As he which hath called us is holy 1 Pet. 1.15 so should yea and so shall we be holy in all manner of conversation Oh let us build on his gracious promise Heaven and earth shall pass away before one jot or title of his Word shall fail only understand we his promise in this sence that our conformity must be gradual not all at once We all with open face beholding as in a glass 2 Cor. 3.18 the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory i.e. from grace to grace or from glory inchoate in obedience to glory consumate in our heavenly inheritance 6. If notwithstanding all this we feel not for the present this conformity in us at least in such a degree let us act over the same particulars again and again the gifts of grace are therefore communicated by degrees that we might be taken off from living upon a received stock of grace and that we might still be running to the spring and drink in there why alas we have a continual need of Christ's letting out himself and grace into our hearts and therefore we must wait at the well-head Christ we must look on Christ as appointed on purpose by his Father to be the Beginner and Finisher of our holiness and we must believe that he will never leave that work imperfect whereunto he is ordained of the Father We may be confident saith the Apostle of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in us will perform it or finish it until the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 Oh then be not weary of this work until he accomplish the desires of thy soul I have now done with this subject only before I finish one word more Sometimes I have observed that many precious souls in their endeavours after grace holiness sanctification have been frequent in the use of such and such means duties ordinances wherein I cannot say but they have done well and for their help I therefore composed that piece called Media but of all the ordinances of Christ this Looking unto Jesus is made least use of though it be chief of all It is Christ when all is done that is that great Ordinance appointed by God for grace and holiness and certainly those souls which trade immediately with Jesus Christ will gain more in a day than others in a moneth in a year I deny not other helps but amongst them all if I would make choice which to fall upon that I may become more and more holy I would set before me this glass i.e. Christ's holy life the great examplar of holiness we were at first created after his Image in holiness and this Image we lost through our sin and to this Image we should endeavour to be restored by imitation And how should this be done but by looking on Christ as our pattern by running through the several Ages of Christ and by observing all his graces and gracious actings in this respect I charge thee O my soul for to what purpose should I charge others if I begin not at home and with thee that thou make conscience of this practical Evangelical duty O be much in the exercise of it not only in the day intend Christ but when night comes and thou lyest down on thy bed let thy pillow be as Christ's bosom in which John the beloved Disciple was said to lean there lean thou with John yea lye thou between his breast and Let them lye all night betwixt thy breasts thus mayest thou lye down in peace and sleep Cant. 1.13 Psal 4.8 and the Lord only will make thee to dwell in safety and when day returns again have this in mind yea in all thy thoughts words and deeds even look unto Jesus as thy holy examplar Say to thy self If Christ my Saviour were now upon earth would these be his thoughts words and deeds would he be thus disposed as I now feel my self would he speak these words that I am now uttering would he do this that I am now putting my hand unto O let me not yield my self to any thought word or action which my dear Jesus would be ashamed to own yea if it were possible for thee to be so constant in this blessed duty going and standing sitting and lying eating and drinking speaking and holding thy peace by thy self or in company cast an eye upon Jesus for by this means thou canst not chuse but love him more and joy in him more and trust in him more and be more and more familiar with him and draw more and more grace and vertue and sweetness
compares the sins of the wicked Jews to very poyson Deut. 32.32 33. For their wine is of the wine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah their Grapes are Grapes of Gall their clusters ar◠bitter their Wine is the poyson of Dragons and the cruel venome of Aspes In this respect we may think as hardly of our selves as of the Jews because so oft as we sin against God we do as much as mingle rank poyson and bring it to Jesus Christ to drink 6. They crucified him i.e. they fastened him on the Cross and then lift him up Mat. 27.35 A great question there is amongst the Learned whether Christ was fastened on the cross after it was erected or whiles it was lying on the ground I would not rake too much into these niceties only more probable it is that he was fastened to it whiles it lay flat on the ground and then as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness so was the Son of man lifted up We may express the manner of their acting and his sufferings now John 3.14 as a learned Brother hath done before us Now come the Barbarous inhumane hangmen Herle contem plat on Christs pass and begin to unloose his hands but how alas 't is not to any liberty but to worse bonds of nails then stript they off his gore-glewed cloaths and with them questionless not a little of his mangled skin and flesh as if it were not enough to crucifie him as a thief unless they flea him too as a beast then stretch they him out as another Isaac on his own burthen the Cross that so they might take measure of the holes and though the print of his blood on it gave them his true length yet how strictly do they take it longer than the truth thereby at once both to crucifie and rack him that he was thus stretcht and racked upon his cross Psal 22.17 Ver. 14. David gives more than probable intimation I may tell all my bones and again all my bones are out of joynt which otherwise how could it so well be as by such a violent stretching and distortion whereby it seems they had made him a living anatomy nor was it in the less sensible fleshly parts of his body that they drive these their larger tenters whereon his whole weight must hang but in the hands and feet the most sinewy and consequently the most sensible fleshly parts of all other wherein how rudely and painfully they handle him appears too by that of David they digged my hands and my feet they made wide holes like that of a spade as if they had been digging in some ditch the boystrous and unusual greatness of these nails we have from venerable antiquity Constantine the great is said to have made of them both an Helmet and a Bridle How should I write on but that my tears should blot out what I write Colos 2.14 when it is no other than he that is thus used who hath blotted out that hand-writing of ordinances that was against me But the hour goes on and this is the great business of the worlds redemption of which I would speak a little more by this time we may imagine Christ nailed to the cross and his cross fixed in the ground which with its fall into the place of its station gave infinite torture by so violent a concussion of the body of our Lord. That I mean to observe of this crucifying of Christ I shall reduce to these two heads viz. the shame and pain 1. For the shame it was a cursed death cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Gal. 3.13 When it was in use it was chiefly infflicted upon slaves that either falsely accused or treacherously conspired their Masters death but on whomsoever it was inflicted this death in all Ages among the Jews hath been branded with a special kind of ignominy and so the Apostle signifies when he saith He abased himself to the death Phil. 2.8 2 Sam. 21.6 Deut. 21.23 even to the death of the cross It was a mighty shame that Saul's sons were hanged on a tree and the reason was more specially from the Law of God For he that is hanged is accursed of God I know Moses's Law speakes nothing in particular of crucifying yet he doth include the same under the general of hanging on a tree and some conceive that Moses in speaking that curse foresaw what manner of death the Redeemer should dye 2. For the pain it was a painfull death that appears several wayes As 1. His legs and hands were violently racked and pulled out to the places fitted for his fastening and then pierced through with nails 2. By this means he wanted the use both of his hands and feet and so he was forced to hang immovable upon the cross as being unable to turn any way for his case 3. The longer he lived the more he endured for by the weight of his body his wounds were opened and enlarged his nerves and veins were rent and torn asunder and his blood gushed out more and more abundantly still 4. He died by inch-meal as I may say and not at once the cross was a death long in dying it kept him a great while upon the rack it was full three hours betwixt Christ's affixion and expiration and it would have been longer if he had not freely and willingly given up the Ghost it is reported that Andrew the Apostle was two whole dayes on the Cross before he dyed and so long might Christ have been if God had not heightened it to greater degrees of torment supernaturally I may add to this as above all this the pains of his soul whiles he hanged on the cross for there also Christ had his agonies and soul conflicts these were those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those pains or pangs of death from which Peter tells us Christ was loosed Acts. 2.24 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies the pains of a woman in travel such were the pains of Jesus Christ in death Isa 53.11 Psal 116.3 the Prophet calls it The travel of his Soul and the Psalmist calls it the pains of Hell The sorrows of death compassed me and the pains of Hell gate hold upon me The sorrows or cords of death compassed his body and the pains of Hell gate hold upon his soul And these were they that extorted from him that passionate expostulation Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me he complains of that which was more grievous to him than ten thousand deaths My God my God why hast thou withdrawn thy wonted presence and left my soul as it were in pains of Hell Vse And now reflect we on the shame and pain O the curse and bitterness that our sins have brought on Jesus Christ when I but think on these bleeding veins bruised shoulders scourged sides furrowed back harrowed temples digged hands and feet and then
and the fellowship of his sufferings now by the Grace of Christ I am made conformable to his death As he died for sin so I die to sin and here is the ground of my hope that Christs death is mine For the second whether we encrease and grow in our mortification this question is needfull as the former to satisfie our souls interest in the death of Christ As true Grace is growing Grace so true mortification is that which grows Now that we may be resolved in this point also the growth of our mortification will appear by these following signs 1. Growing Mortification hath its chiefest conflicts in spiritual lusts At first we mortifie grosser evils such as Oaths Drunkenness Uncleanness worldly-mindedness or the like but when we grow in this Blessed duty we then set our selves against spiritual wickednesses as Pride Presumption Self-carnal confidence in a man 's own graces or the like 2 Cor. 7.1 this Method the Apostle sets down let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit first from all filthiness of the flesh or body and then from all filthiness of the spirit or soul as the children of Israel in their entrance into the land of Promise first they sate upon the frontiers and skirts of the Land and then they sought it out and prevailed in the heart of the Country so Christians in their mortification they first set upon worldly lusts gross evils outward sins and when they have encountred them at the frontiers they then conflict with such corruptions as lie more inwardly in the very heart spiritual wickednesses that are within Now if this be our case here is one sign of our growth 2. Growing mortification is more even constant lasting durable when there is in the heart a sudden flowing and reflowing it comes from those vast Seas of Corruptions that are within us many souls have their Ague-fits sometimes hot and sometimes cold it may be now they are in a very good frame and within an hour or two a mighty Tide comes in and they are born down by sin and corruption in this case mortification is very weak But on the contrary if we find our standing more firm and sure if for the main we walk evenly and keep closely to the Lord it carries with it an evidence that our mortification grows 3. Growing mortification feels Lust more weak and the Spirit more strong in its ordinary actings If we would know the truth of growth let us look to our usual fits of sinning for then a man's strength or weakness is discerned most as a man's weakness to good is discerned when he comes to act it Rom. 7.18 to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not so a man's weakness to sin is best discerned when he comes to act it Mark then the ordinary fits as we call them of sinning sometimes God is pleased to appoint some more frequent assaults as if he would on purpose suffer the law of the members to war and to muster up all their forces that so we might the rather know what is in our hearts at such a time if we find that resistance against sin grows stronger that sin cannot advance and carry on his Army so as formerly that sin is encountâ—ed at first or met withal at the frontiers and there overthrown this is a good sign that now our mortification grows as suppose it be a Lust of Fancy it cannot boyl up to such gross fancies as it was wont or suppose it be a Lust of Pride it boyls not up to such a spirit of Pride as formerly in stead of bringing forth fruit it now brings forth blossomes or instead of bringing forth blossomes it now brings forth nothing but Leaves why this is a sure sign that this Lust is withering more and more when the inordinate thirst is not so great in the time of the Fit when the inward lusts pitch upon lower acts than they had wont when the waters abate and fall short and lessen and overflow less ground we may conclude certainly that mortification grows 4. Growing mortification hath more ability to abstain from the very occasions and beginnings of lust Ioâ— 31.1 Thus Job whom we look on as a man much mortified made a Covenant with his eyes that he would not think upon a Maid and no question as he made a covenant so he kept his Covenant Oh! when a man cannot endure to come where such a one is that he loves not when he cannot endure the fight of him or any thing that puts him in mind of him not so much as to parlie or speak with him this is a sign of a strong hatred and so when a man hates the very garment spotted with the flesh here 's a good sign I know this height is not easie to attain to and therefore some in imitation of Job and David have bound themselves with vows and promises as much as might be to abstain from the appearance of evil to crush the Cockatrice Egg before the Serpent could creep out of it to avoid sin in its first rise but alas how have they broken their vows from time to time For all this I dare not speak against vows provided that 1. They be of things lawful 2. That we esteem them not as duties of absolute necessiâ—y And 3. Thâ—t we bind not our selves perpetually left our vows should become burdens unto us but only for some short time and so renew them as occasion requires in this way our vows might much help us in our mortification and if once through the help of vows or prayer or looking unto Jesus or going to the Cross of Jesus Christ or by any other means we feel our selves more able to resist sin to hate sin in its first rise first motions first on-set we may assuredly hope that now our mortification grows O my Soul try now the growth of thy mortification by these signs hast thou overcome grosser sins and is now thy chiefest coâ—flâ—t with spiritual wickednesses is thy standing and walking with God more close and even and constant than sometimes it hath been is thy lusts more weak and thy Grace more strong in ordinary actings I say in ordinary actings for the estimate of thy growth must not be taken for a turn or two but by a constanst course hast thou now more ability to quench the flame of sin in the very spark to dash Babylon's Brats against the stones even whilst they are little to abstain from sin in its first motion or beginning why then is the promise accomplished he will subdue our iniquities Surely thou art a growing Christian Micah 7.19 thou hast fellowship with Christ in his sufferings thy ground is solid firm and stable thy hope hath a rock-foundation and thou maiest build upon it that Christ's death and blood and sufferings are thine even thine he loved thee and gave himself for thee SECT V. Of Believing in Jesus in
that Respect 5. LEt us believe in Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation for us during his Sufferings and Death Every one looks upon this as an easie duty only the humble Soul the scrupulous Conscience cries out What! Is it possible that Christ should die suffer shed his blood for me His incarnation was wonderful his life on earth was to astonishment but that the Son of God should become man live amongst men and die such a death even the death of the Cross for such a one as I am I cannot believe it it is an abys◠past fadoming the more I consider it the more I am amazed at it suppose I had an enemy in my power man or Devil one that provokes me every day 1 Sam. 24.19 one that hunts my soul to take it away should I not say with Saul if a man find his enemy will he let him go well away It may be an ingenuous spirit such as David would do thus much but would David or any breathing soul not only spare his enemy but spill himself to save his enemy would a man become a Devil to save Devils would a man endure hell pains to free all the Devils in hell from their eternal pains and yet what were this in comparison of what Christ hath done or suffered for us It is not so much for us to suffer for Devils for we are fellow-creatures as it is for Christ God-man man-God to suffer for us Oh what an hard thing is it considering my enmity against Christ to believe that Christ died for me that he gave himself to the death even to the death of the Cross for my soul Trembling soul throw not away thy self in a way of unbelief It may thou wouldst not die for an enemy an irreconcileable enemy but are not the mercies of God above all the mercies of men O believe And that I may perswade effectually I shall say down first some Directions and secondly some Encouragements of Faith 1. For the Directions of Faith in reference to Christ's death observe these particulars 2. Faith must directly go to Christ not first to the promise and then to Christ but first to Christ and then to the promise the Person ever goes before the Prerogative 2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh this was the difference betwixt the New-Testament and old-Testament-Believers their Faith directs only to God but our Faith looks more immediately to Jesus Christ Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved 3. Faith must directly go to Christ as God in the flesh made under the Law He continued in all things written in the book of the Law to do them and so our Faith must look upon him But of these before I shall say nothing more to these particulars 4. Faith must go to Christ not only as made under the directive part of the Law by his life but under the penal part of the Law by his death in both these respects Christ was made under the law The one half of the Law he satisfied by the holiness of his life he fulfilled the law in every jot and every tittle the other half of the Law he satisfied by his enduring the death even the death of the Cross he paid both the Principal and the Forfeiture and though men do not so yet Christ did so that the whole Law might be satisfied fully by his being under both these parts of the Law pay and penalty Come then and look upon Christ as dying it was the Serpent as lifted up and so looked at that healed the Israelites of their fiery stings Alas we are diseased in a spiritual sense as they were and Christ Jesus was lifted up as a remedy to us as the Serpent was unto them it remains therefore that as they looked up to the Brazen Serpent so we look up to Jesus believe in Jesus as lifted up for life and for salvation As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness John 14.15 so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Indeed some difference there is betwixt the Serpent and Christ As 1. The Brazen Serpent had not power in if self to cure as Christ hath 2. The Serpent cured the Israelites but for a time John 11.26 to die again but whomsoever Jesus cures in a Spiritual sense he cures for ever they shall never die 3. The serpent also had its time of curing it did not alwayes retain its virtue but during the time they were in the Wilderness only Iesus Christ our Brazen Serpent doth ever retain his power and virtue to the end of the world and hence it is that in the Ministry Christ is still held forth as lifted up that all that will but look on him by faith may live 4. The Serpent sometimes a remedy against poyson was after turned even to poyson the Israelites which made Hezekiah to crush it and brake it and stamp it to powder but Jesus Christ ever remains the sovereign and healing God he is the same yesterday to day and for ever He is unchangeable in his goodness as he is in holy and divine nature he can never be defaced nor destroyed but he abideth the saviour of sinners to all eternity why then let us rather look unto Christ and believe in Christ as lifted up i.e. as he was crucified and died on the Cross In this respect he is made a fit object for a sinner's faith to trust upon and rest upon Christ as crucified as made sin and a curse for us it the object of our pardon O this is it that makes Christ's death so desirable why therein is virtually and meritoriously pardon of sin Justification redemption reconciliation and what not Oh! cries a sinner where may I set my foot how should I regain my God my sin hath undone me which way should I cast for pardon why now remember that in seeking pardon Rom. 8.34 Christ was crucified Christ as dying is principally to be eyed and looked at Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed Rom. 8.34 No Question Christs active Obedience during his Life was most exact and perfect and meritorious yet that was not the expiation of sin only his passive obedience Christ only in his sufferings took away sin the guilt of sin and punishment for sin We have redemption through the blood of Christ Eph. 1.7 even the forgiveness of sins If any humble soul would have recourse to that Christ who is now in heaven let him first in the actings of his Faith consider him as crucified as lifted up as made sin for us as through whom under that consideration he is to receive pardon of sin Justification redemption reconciliation sanctification salvation 5. Faith in going to Christ as lifted up it is principally and mainly to look unto the 〈◊〉 meaning intent and design of Christ in his sufferings as he was lifted up we
even the forgiveness of sins Zach. 13.1 Eph. 1.7 Heb. 1.3 Heb. 9.26 Ver. 28. Levit. 16.21 22. He by himself purged our sins And now once in the end of the world hath he appeared put away sin by the sacrifice of himself And Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bear away the sins of many As the Scape-coat under the Law had upon his head all the iniquities of the Children of Israel and so was sent away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness so the Lord Jesus of whom that Goat was a type had all the iniquities of his Elect laid upon him by God his Father and bearing them he took them away Behold the Lamb of God John 1.29 that taketh away the sins of the world he bore them and bore them away he went away with them into the wilderness or into the land of forgetfulness See what comfort is here 2. Another cries thus Oh I know not what will become of me the Law is mine enemy I have transgressed the Law and it speaks terribly 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 Oh I have offended the Law and I am under the curse Say not so for by the death of Christ though the Law be broken yet the curse is removed the Apostle is clear Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 being made a curse for us he was made a curse for us i.e. the fruits and effects of God's curse the punishment due to sinners the penal curse which justice required was laid upon Christ and by this means we are freed from the curse of the Law It is true that without Christ thou art under this Law Do or Die end if thou offendest in the least kind thou shalt perish for ever the curse of the Law is upon thee to the uttermost but on the other side if thy claim be right to the blood of Christ thou art freed from penalty not but that we may be corrected and chastised but what is that to the eternal curse which the Law pronounceth against every sin we are freed from the curse or damnatory sentence of the Law Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus the Law is satisfied and the bond is cancelled by our Surety Christ O what comfort is this 3. Another cries thus Oh I know not what will become of me I have offended justice and what shall appeal from the seat of justice to the throne of grace my sins are gone before and they are knocking at heaven gates and crying justice Lord on this sinner I know not what will be the issue but either free Grace must save me or I am gone Say not so for by this death of Christ free grace and justice are both thy friends How e're some do yet certainly thou needs not to appeal from the court of justice to the Mercy-seat in this mystery of Godliness there may be as much comfort in standing before the Bar of justice as at the Mercy-seat i.e. by standing therein and through the Lord Jesus Christ yea this is the Gospel-way to go to God the Father and to tender up to him the active and passive righteousness of Christ his Son for an atonement and satisfaction for our sins in this way is the comfort of justification brought if we go to God in any other way than this it is but in a natural way and not in a true Evangelical way A man by nature may know thus much that when he hath sinned he must seek unto God for mercy but to seek unto God for pardon with a price in our hands to tender up the merits of Jesus Christ for a satisfaction to Divine justice here is the mystery of Faith and yet I speak not against relying on God's mercy for pardon but what need we to appeal from justice to mercy when by faith we may tender the death of Christ and so find acceptance with the justice of God it self come soul and let me tell thee for thy comfort if thou hast any share in the death of Christ thou hast two tenures to hold thy pardon and salvation by Mercy and justice free-grace and righteousness mercy in respect of thee and justice in respect of Christ not only is free-grace ready to acquit thee but a full price is laid down to discharge thee of all thy sins so that now when the Prince of this World comes against thee thou mayest say in some sense as Christ did He can find nothing in me for how can he accuse me seeing Christ is my Surety seeing the bond hath been sued and Christ Jesus would not leave one farthing unpaid as Paul said to Philemon concerning Onesimus if he have wronged thee or owe thee any thing put it on my account so doth Christ say to God if these have wronged thy Majesty or owe thee any thing put it on me Paul indeed added I Paul have written it with mine own hand but Christ speaks thus Gen. 2.17 I Jesus have ratified and confirmed it with my own blood 4. Another cries thus Oh I know not what will become of me the first threat that ever was in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die now sits on my spirit methinks I see the grizly form of death standing before me Oh this is he that is the King of fears the chief of terrors the inlet to all those Plagues in another world and die I must there is no remedy Rom. 8.94 Oh I startle and am afraid of it And why so it is Christ that dyed and by his death he hath took away the sting of death that now the drone may hiss but cannot hurt come meditate much upon the death of Christ and thou shalt find matter enough in his death for the subduing of thy slavish fears of death both in the merit of it in the effect of it and in the end of it 1. In the merit of it Christ's death is meritorious and in that respect the writ of mortallity is but to the Saints a writ of ease a passage into Glory 2. In the effect of it Christs death is the conquest of death Christ went down into the grave to make a back-door that the grave which was before a prison might now be a thorough-fare so that all his Saints may with ease pass through and sing O death where is thy sting Heb. 2.14 15. Oh hell where is thy victory 3. In the end of it Chri'sts death amongst other ends aims at the ruine of him that had the Power of death that is the Devil and to deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time in bondage Christ pursued this end in dying to deliver thee from the fear of death and if now thou fearest thy fearing is a kind of
but they were not able to draw for the multitude of the fishes 2. Hereupon Christ is known Therefore that Disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter ver 7. it is the Lord the alarm given now all the Disciples bestir themselves 1. Peter he casts himself into the sea 2. The other Disciples they come in a little ship to the land and there they dine and commune with Jesus which is the end of the history and so ends this Book of our Evangelist John Thus far we have propounded the object our next work is how to direct you to look unto Jesus in this respect CHAP. II. SECT I. Of knowing Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation in his Resurrection THAT in all respects we may look on Jesus 1. Let us know Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his resurrection and during the time of his abode upon earth after his Resurrection This is worth the knowing on it depends our justification sanctification salvation For if Christ be not risen we are yet in our sins and our faith is in vain and our hope is in vain little hope have we either of Heaven or of Resurrection if Christ be not risen of all men we are most miserable that believe in Christ if he whom we believe in be not risen again O my soul study this point many take it up in gross they can run over this Article of their Creed The third day he rose again from the dead but for a particular understanding of it in respect of the time or the end or the manner or the certainty how many are to seek I shall appeal to thy self are not many discoveries already made which before thou never tookest notice of and if thou wouldst but study this point how much more might yet appear especially how much more might yet appear as to thine own good it is not enough to know Christ's resurrection unless thou know it for thy self Be sure thou hast this in mind That Christ rose again but what 's that to me saving knowledge is ever joyned with a particular application if Christ be my Head then he could not rise but I rose with him and in him and thus O my soul look on Christ and thus search into every particular of Christ's resurrection come study when he rose study the Arguments that make out Christ's resurrection sure and certain study all the Apparitions of Jesus Christ O what delightful studies are these hadst thou been with them to whom Christ appeared would not thy heart have leaped with joy come study it close for the benefit of these Apparitions extend to thee the fruit of Christ's resurrection is thine Job 5.27 even thine as well as theirs Know this for thy self SECT II. Of considering Jesus in that respect 2. LEt us consider Jesus carrying on this work of our salvation for us in his resurrection It is not enough to know a saving necessary truth but it is required further that we digest truths and that we draw forth their strength for the nourishment and refreshing of our poor souls As a man may in half an hour chew and take into his stomack that meat which he must have seven or eight hours at least to digest so a man may take into his understanding more truths in an hour than he is able well to digest in many what good those men are like to get by Sermon 's or Providences who are unaccustomed to this work of meditation I cannot imagine it is observed by some that this is the reason why so much preaching is lost amongst us why Professors that run from Sermon to Sermon and are never weary of hearing or reading have notwithstanding such languish starved souls because they will not meditate And therefore God commanded Joshua not only to read the Law but to consider of it Josh 1.8 and dwell upon it This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night why this is the duty that I am now pressing to if thou knowest these things consider â—uminate meditate ponder on them again and again And because this work requires enlargedness of heart and spirit therefore take it into parts and consider of each of them apart by it self As 1. Consider of the time when Christ rose again As Christ had his three dayes and no more so must thou have the same three dayes like unto his the first day was called the day of preparation the second was the Sabbath-day and the third was the resurrection day so thy first day is a day of preparation a day of passion wherein thou must strive and struggle against sin and Satan wherein thou must suffer all their bitter darts till thou dyest and give up the Ghost And thy second day is a day of rest wherein thy body must lye in the grave and thy flesh rest in hope wherein thou shalt enter into peace and rest in thy bed until the trumpet sound and bid thee arise Isa 52.7 and come to judgment And thy third day is a day of resurrection unto glory It is the first day of the week or the first beginning of a never ending world Thus consider the time of Christ's resurrection and thence mayst thou draw down some use for thy souls nourishment 2. Consider of the reasons why Christ arose was it not to confound the Jews they could not endure to hear of Christ's resurrection and therefore when Peter and the other Apostles preached that point Acts 9.33 They were cut to the heart and took councel to slay them It is the case of them to say We will not have that man to reign over us they that by their sins crucifie Christ every day cannot without horror think of his exaltation it cuts them to the heart that Christ is risen to be their Judge Again was it not to confirm the faith of Christ's followers till he was risen their faith was but a weak faith weak in knowledge weak in assent weak in confidence weak in assurance much ado had Christ with them many a time had he chid them Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith but after he had shewed uimself alive by many infallible proofs they could then cry it out My Lord and my God Again was it not to evidence that he had fully satisfied all our debts the Apostle tells us that Christ was our Surety Heb. 7.22 at his death he was arrested and cast into Prison whence he could not come till all was payed and therefore to hear that Christ is risen and that he hath brokens the bolts and fetters of the grave it is a clear evidence that God is satisfied and that Christ is discharged by God himself Oh what breasts of consolation are here Again was it not to conquer sin death and devil now he took from death his sting and from hell his standard now he seized upon the hand-writing
the flesh made under the Law 4. Faith must go to Christ not only as made under the directive part of the Law by his life but under the penal part by his death of all these before 5. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh made under the directive and penal part of the Law and as quickened by the Spirit He was put to death in the flesh saith Peter and quickened by the Spirit 1 Pet. 3.18 And accordingly must be the method and order of our faith after we have looked on Christ as dead in the flesh we must go on to see him as quickened by the Spirit 1 Cor. 15.17 if Christ was not raised or quickened saith the Apostle your faith were in vain q. d. to believe in Christ as only in respect of his birth life death and to go no further were but a vain faith and therefore shore up your faith to this pitch that Christ who dyed is risen from the dead to this purpose all the Sermons of the Apostles represented Christ not only as crucified but as raised In that first Sermon after the mission of the holy Ghost ye have crucified Christ said Peter to the Jews and then it follows whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains or chains of death Acts 2.23 24. because it was not possible that he should be holden of it In that next Sermon Peter tells them again ye have killed the Prince of life and then it follows whom God hath raised from the dead whereof we are witnesses In the next Sermon after this be it known unto you all said Peter and to all the people of Israel Acts 3.15 that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazzareth whom ye crucified and whom God raised from the dead is this man whole And in the next Sermon after this the God of our Fathers raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree Acts 4.10 And as thus he preached to the Jews so in his first Sermon to the Gentiles he tells them we are witnesses of all things which Jesus did both in the land of the Jews Acts 5.30 and in Jerusalem whom they slew and hanged on a tree him God raised up the third day and shewed him openly And as thus Peter preached so in that first Sermon of Paul at Antioch Acts 10.39 40. Acts 13.30 he tells them of the Jews crucifying Jesus and then it follows but God raised him from the dead And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead now no more to return to corruption he said on this wise I will give you the sure Mercies of David Ver. 34 35. and thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption And after this Paul as his manner was went into the Synagogue at Thesalonica and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must needs suffer and rise from the dead This was the way of the Apostles preaching they told them an history I speak it with reverence of one Jesus Christ that was the word of God and that was become man Acts 17.2 3. and how he was crucified at Jerusalem and how he was raised from the dead and all this in a plain simple spiritual way and manner and while they were telling those blessed truths the Spirit fell upon the people and they believed and had faith wrought in them Faith is not wrought so much in the way of ratiocination as by the Spirit of God coming upon the souls of people by the Relation or representation of Jesus Christ to the soul And this our Lord himself hints as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up John 3.14 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life When the people were stung God so ordered that the very beholding of the brazen Serpent should bring help though we know not how to those that were wounded and stung by those fiery Serpents so God hath ordained in his blessed wisdom that the discovery of Jesus Christ as crucified and raised as humbled and exalted should be a means of faith come then set we before us Christ raised not only Christ crucified but Christ raised is the object of faith and in that respect we must look up to Jesus 6. Faith in going to Christ is raised from the dead or as quickned by the Spirit it is principally and mainly to look to the end purpose intent and design of Christ in his resurrection very devils may believe the history of Christ's resurrection Jam. 2.19 they believe and tremble but the Saints and people of God are to look at the meaning of Christ why he rose from the dead now the ends are either supream or subordinate 1. The supream end was God's Glory and that was the meaning of Christ's prayer Father John 17.1 Rom. 6.4 the hour is come glorifie thy Son that thy Son also may glorifie thee with which agrees the Apostle he rose again from the dead to the glory of the Father 2. The subordinate ends were many As 1. That he might tread on the Serpents head 2. That he might destroy the works of the Devil 3. That he might be the first fruits of them that sleep 4. That he might assure our faith that he is the word and that he is able to keep that which we have committed to him against that day 5. That he might be justified in the Spirit as he was begotten in the womb by the Spirit led up and down in the Spirit offered up by the eternal Spirit so he was raised from the dead by the Spirit and justified in the Spirit at his resurrection Christ was under the greatest attainder that ever man was he stood publickly charged with the guilt of a world of sins and if he had not been justified by the Spirit he had still lyen under the blame of all and had been liable to the execution of all and therefore he was raised up from the power of death that he might be declared as a righteous person 6. That he might justifie us in his justificaon when he was justified all the elect were vertually and really justified in him that act of God which past on him was drawn up in the name of all his Saints as whatever benefit or priviledge God meant for us he first of all bestowed it on Christ thus God meaning to sanctifie us he sanctified Christ first and God meaning to justifie us he justifies Christ first so whatever benefit or priviledg he bestowed on Christ he bestowed it not on him for himself but as he was a common Person and one re-resenting us Thus Christ was sanctified instead of us for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through thy truth and thus Christ was justified in stead of us for as by the offence of one judgment came upon all
cast out of God's favour As Christ once died but rose again never to die more death hath no more power over him so a justified man once allyed to God through Jesus Christ doth from that time forward as necessarily live as Christ himself by whom he doth live there is an immortal and indissoluble union betwixt Christ the Head and every Believer our justification depends not on our own strength but it is built on Christ himself who is the same yesterday and to day and for ever and hence it is that a justified man can no more cease to live in this state of justification than Christ can cease to live in Heaven 4. It is a life of new relations this immediately follows our state if once we are justified then we are related to God and Christ and to the Covenant of Grace 1. To God Before we were vivified God and we stood at a distance God was our enemy and we were his enemies At that time saith the Apostle ye were without God in the world Eph. 2.13 but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made near by the blood of Christ God that was a stranger stands now in near relation he is a Friend a Father a God Alsufficient to us 2. We are related to Christ before vivification we were a Christless people Eph. 2.12 At that time ye were without Christ but now we are united to Christ and which is more now we make use of Christ with the Father O the comfort of this relation A troubled spirit looks on his sins and they thrust him away from God What communion hath light with darkness but then comes the Lord Jesus and takes him by the hand and leads him to the Father and says Come soul come along with me and I will carry thee to the Father wilt thou make use of me Eph. 1.18 1 Pet. 5.18 It is the Apostles saying that through him we have an access by one spirit unto the Father we have a leading by the hand Christ hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God By nature we are severed from God and if he manifested himself Isa 59.2 he is dreadful to us Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear but in Christ we approach boldly before him because Christ hath took away our sins which are the mountains of separation in Christ we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Eph. 3.12 Here is the difference betwixt a man related to Christ and a meer stranger the stranger knows not how to go to God God stands as a Judge he is as a Malefactor the Law an Accuser Sin his Indictment and what is the issue Every mouth is stopped Rom. 3.19 and all the world is guilty before God But he that is related to Christ Christ takes him by the hand and so he goes with boldness and confidence and pleads his righteousness before the Father Rom. 8.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyeth yea rather that is risen again In the very matter and cause of justification wherein no man can stand or dare to appear or shew his face a Christian coming with Christ his Advocate he dares to appear and to plead his case and to stand upon interrogatories with God himself yea and to ask God himself humbly and with reverence what he hath to lay to his charge what more he will or can in justice require for satisfaction than his Surety hath done for him 3. We are related to the Covenant of Grace before vivification we had no such relation Eph. 2.12 At that time ye were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise But now the Covenant is ours that fountain or bundle of promises is ours God is our God and we are his people Psal 144.15 O the blessedness of this priviledge Happy is the people that be in such a case yea happy is the people whose God is the Lord. The Covenant is reckoned all happiness it contains in its bowels all benefits in Heaven or under Heaven as a man may say of any thing he hath in possession This is mine so may they who are in covenant with God say He is mine I have God himself in my possession How might we try our vivification even by this communion we have with God and Christ and the Covenant of Grace Christians look into your own hearts have you not felt in your approaches to God some raisings or workings of the Spirit of the Lord concluding the pardon of your sins hath not Christ taken you by the hand and led you to the Father it may be your own guilt made you afraid but the discovery of Jesus your righteousness made you bold to go to God you felt boldness coming in on this ground because all your approaches or drawings near to God were bottomed on Jesus hath not God married you to himself hath he not conveyed himself through his holy Spirit into your own hearts by way of covenant Hath he not sometimes whispered to your souls Thou art mine and have not your souls ecchoed back again unto the Lord Thou art mine much of the truth of all this would appear if Christians would but daily observe the movings of their own hearts for as he that hath the Spirit of Satan shall ever find him putting on and provoking to evil so he that hath the Spirit of God shall most-what or at least frequently find and feel it active and stirring in the heart to the reforming of the whole man the holy Spirit is not idle but he rules and governs and maintains his Monarchy in us and over us in spite of the power of Satans and privy conspiracy of a mans own flesh 5. It is a life of a new in-come I mean of a saving in-come as of Grace Power Light c. Before vivification there was no such in-come A man beâ—ore his conversion might hear and pray and do all duties but alas he feels no sweet no power no vertue no communion with Christ If I might appeal unto such I beseech you tell me you have been often at prayer what have you gotten there what in-come hath appeared if you answer truly you cannot but say I went to prayer and I was satisfied that I had prayed I never observed whether I had got any power or strength any thing of mortification or vivification I never found any lively work of God on my soul either in prayer or after prayer or you have been often at this Ordinance of hearing the Word what have you gotten there what in-come hath appeared Why truly nothing at all it may be a little more knowledg but nothing that I can
this vivification By this meanes it was that those dead bones were quickened in Ezekel's prophesie viz. by the Prophets prophesying upon them And he said unto me son of man prophesie upon these bones Ezek 37.4 and say unto them O ye dry bones hear the Word of the Loâ—d And by this means it is that dead souls are quickened the Ministry of the Word is the Trumpet of Jesus Christ when that sounds who knows but he may quicken the dead hearken therefore to this Word of God 2. Act saith upon the Lord Jesus as to justification As is the clearness and fixedness of our souls in bottoming our selves on Christ for righteousness so will be our quickness Luke 7.47 and successfull prâ—gress in the work of holiness because Maries sins which were many were forgiven her therefore she loved much but to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little Many a soul loseth much of vivification for want of clearness in its justification or for want of setledness and stronger measure of acting faith Oh what life would be raised as to holiness what working binding filling the laws of love retribution thankfulness would there be when we see our selves clearly reconciled with God and wrapt up in the foldings of everlasting love 3. Trace every Ordinance and every duty for the appearings of the Son of God Be much in Prayer hearing reading fellowship with the Saints living in the fulness of Sacraments be much in secret conversings with God in meditation expâ—sâ—ulation enquiries searchings and which is a precious work be much in diligent watching of and hearkening and listening to the movings workings hints intâ—mations of the Spirit of God be much in observing the methods and interpreting the meanings and language of God in all his secret dispensations with the soul Certainly there will be abundâ—nce of the life of God conveyed to him that walks in these paths Blessed are they that dwell in thy house might David well say and one Reason is pertinent to this case Luke 15.17 because In our fathers house is bread enough and to spare while the Prodigal that goes out from it shall feed upon husks and with Ephraim swallow up the East-wind Oh for a Spirit of Prayer Meditation c. Oh for a Spirit even swallowed up in communion with God! Isa 64 5. Thou meetest him that worketh righteousness and those that remember thee in thy wayes 4. Look much at Christ raised Christ Glorified Christ's Resurrection was the beginning of his glory and therein is comprehended both the glory that draws desires towards Christ Psal 34 5. Psal 123.1 2. and the grace and power that establisheth faith in its depenâ—ancy They looked unto him and were lightened unto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that â—wettest in the heavens behold as the eyes of the servants look unto the hand of their Mastâ—rs and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her Mistris so our eyes waâ—te upon the Lord our God It is said of Moses Heb. 11.27 that he endured affliction as seeing him who is invisible Oh could we keep our hearts in a more constant view and believing meditation of the glory of Christ our faces would certainly bring some beams of Divinity with them from the Mount 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory The very beholding of Christ hath a mightty conforming and assimilating vertue to leave the impressions of glory upon our Spirits 5. See our own Personal vivification linked unseparably unto and bottomed unremoveably upon the resurrection of Christ when we can by faith get a sight of this it is not to speak how couragiously and successfully the soul will grapple in the controversies of the Lord against the Devil and our own deceitful hearts with what strength could Joshua Gidion c. go on when backed with a promise and their Spirits setled in the perswasion of it and what use will the promises be in this kind and more than all the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ when we can clearly and steadfastly rest upon this that there is an inseparable connection betwixt the resurrection of Christ and our personal holiness and perseverance to the end Oh that I could act my faith more frequently on Christs resurrection so that at last I could see it by the light of God to be a destinated principle of my vivification in particular what a blessed means would this be 6. Walk as we have Christ Jesus for an example This example of Christ though it be not ours as it is the Socinians totum Christi yet certainly it yields much to our vivification who can deny but that acting with the pattern ever in ones eye is very advantageous come then and if we would live the life of God let us live as Christ lived after his resurrection But how is that I answer 1. See that we return to the grave no more take heed of ever returning to our former state you may say what needs this Caveat hath not Christ said He that liveth and believeth in me shall never dye or never fall away I answer it is true they shall never totally and finally fall away yet they may fall foully and fearfully they may lose that strength and vigour that sense and feeling which sometimes they had they may draw so nigh to the grave as that both by themselves and others they may be accounted amongst them that go down to the pit free among the dead Psal 88.5 as Heman saith of himself The Apostle saith something that might even startle Christians he tells of some who have been once enlightened by the Word and have tasted of the heavenly gift some flashes of inward joy and peace and were made partakers of the holy Ghost the common gifts and graces of the Spirit and have tasted the good Word of God have found some relish in the sweet and saving Promises of the Gospel and the powers of the world to come have had some ravishing apprehensions of the joyes and glory in Heaven and yet fall away by a total Apostacy Christians Heb. 6.4.5 6. how far goes this I know it is said only of such who have a name to live and no more but surely it gives a warning to us all that we come not nigh the verge the brink of the grave again let us not give way to any one sin so as to live in it 2. Let us evidence our resurrection Christ being raised he shewed himself alive by many infallible proofs so let us evidence our vivification by many infallible proofs i.e. Let us yield up our selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead Rom. 6.13 Col. 3.2 let us walk as men of another world If ye be risen with Christ seek the things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God let us serve God
with men and he will dwell with them Surely it was a miraculous mercy that heaven should come down upon earth and that God should come down to men but Oh what is this that Earth should go up to Heaven that men should ascend up to God yea that my soul with Christ and by Christ should ascend to God and sit down with God in heavenly places yea that my soul should have for its inmate the very same spirit that Christ himself hath Oh I cannot I will not I dare not believe Scrupulous souls be not faithless but believing there is none of these particulars for which we have not a warrant out of the Word of God and therefore believe But that I may perswade to purpose I shall lay down 1. Some directions and 2. Some encouragements of faith 1. For directions of Faith observe these particulars As 1. Faith must directly go to Christ 2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the Flesh 3. Faith must go to Christ as God in the Flesh made under the Law 4. Faith must go to Christ not only as made under the directive part of the Law by his life but under the penal part of the Law by his death 5. Faith must go to Christ not only as put to death in the Flesh but as quickned by the spirit of all these before 6. Faith must not only go to Christ as quickened by the spirit but as going up into glory as sitting down at God's right hand and as sending the holy Ghost Faith should eye Christ as far as he goes if he be ascended so should faith if he go into glory and sit down there and act there for his people so should faith and so should we in a way of believing follow after him and take a view of all his transactions where he is we have heard before how faith should go to Christ as dying and as rising again but yet faith is low while it doth not go within the vail and see him in glory it is not enough to have only a faith of Justification but of Glorification O come let us see Christ in Heaven and we can have no less than a glorious saith how many are there that never yet came to act saith in Christ as a glorified Christ we are yet still in the lower form many of us take in no more of Christ than what was done on the cross or what some natural and common resemblances of him can hold forth we seldom follow Christ into Heaven to see what he is doing these for us O my soul and O my faith mount up and be on the wing Christ is gone up to heaven Christ is set down at God's right hand Christ hath sent down his holy spirit to this purpose it was expedient that he should go away and now he is gone away to do something that remains to be done for thee in his Kingdom he had still some glorious piece to frame for thy salvation and therefore he left this world and went to his Father that he might act it in glory and now he is invested with all the riches of Heaven he hath all the keyes of Heaven and Hell he hath all power to command he hath received all the promise to himself and all that he hath to do it is to let out of himself again unto his Saints he hath not only got his Fathers heart for them but he hath got all his riches to bestow upon them when he came to Heaven the Father bid him sit down at his right hand and take what he would and bestow what he would upon his Saints and thereupon he gave gifts unto men yea he gave the gift of gifts even the Holy Ghost himself What art not thou a partaker of this gift O then Look up unto Jesus in reference to all these actings set him before thee Christ in all these particulars is a right object for thy faith to act upon 7. Faith in going to Christ his ascension session and mission of the holy spirit it is principally to look to the purpose intent and design of Christ in each of these particulars Christ did nothing but he had an end a meaning in it for our good and here is the life of Faith to eye the meaning of Christ in all his doings Now the ends of Christ's ascension session and mission of his spirit were several I shall instance onely in these few As 1. Christ ascended that we might ascend look whatever God acted on Christ's person that he did as in our behalf and he means to act the same on us was Christ crucified so are we is Christ risen again so are we risen together with him is Christ gone up into glory so are we Heaven is now opened and possessed by Jesus Christ for us and at last we shall ascend even as he ascended Christ cannot be content with that glory he hath himself John 17.25 until we be with him Father I will that those also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold or enjoy my glory which thou hast given me Christ as our head is in glory and so we are there already with him and Christ as our advocate is in glory and there he is pleading and praying for us that we may actually be received and brought up to him Father I will that these whom thou hast given me may be with me Christ's crown of glory is as it were a burthen on his own head untill it be set on the heads of all his â—aints O the blessed end of Christ's Ascension how should faith pry into this Believers you see your object you know his person never be quiet untill ye come into his condition as we must go through all ordinances and creatures till we come to Christ so through all conditions of Christ untill we come to glory 2 Christ sate down that we might sit with him in heavenly places what is the end of Christ's Session but â—hat we mâ—ghâ— invest all his â—aints with the same priviledge In this height of glory Christ is the pattern and plat-form and Idea of what we shall be surely this is the very top of Heaven Chriâ—t is exalted above the Heavens that we might in our measure and proportion be exalted with Christ it was Christ's Prayer that his Father and he and we might all be one As thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Oh how should faith stand John 17.21 and gaze on Jesus Christ in this respect â—hâ—t is he on Gods right hand and is he there preparing a room a seat a mansion for my soul What shall I sit at the right hand of Christ shall I sit as an assessor on his udgment-seat to Judge the world wiâ—h Jesus Christ when the Son of man shall sit oâ— the Throne of his Glory Mat. 19.28 ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel O what
believe on the Son are we sanctified in some measure are we kept from the evil that sin may not have dominion over us hath Christ put up these prayers in our behalf that now we feel as it were and experience the truth of Christ's prevailings with his Father in our hearts and lives O sure signs that Christ's intercession is ours away away all diffidence doubting wavering fluctuating hopes a soul thus grounded may with Paul cast the ganlet and bid defiance to all the world Rom. 8.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God and who also maketh intercession for us SECT V. Of believing in Jesus in that respect 5. LEt us believe in Jesus as carrying on this great work of our salvation in his intercession wounded spirits are full of scruples and thus they cry My sins will never be forgiven have not I sinned against God and Christ and the Spirit of Christ had I not my hands imbrued in the blood of his Son and have not I trodden under foot the blood of God and will that blood that I have shed and trod on intercede for my pardon Had I but gone so far as the Jews did who indeed killed and crucified Christ I might have had some hopes because they knew not what they did and therefore Christ prayed Father forgive them for they know not what they do But alas I sinned 1 Cor. 2.8 and I knew well enough what and wherein I have sinned had they known saith the Apostle they would not have crucified the Lord of glory but alas I knew it and I was fully convinced that the commission of every sin is a crucifying of Christ and yet against knowledge and judgment and light and checks of my own conscience I have crucified the Lord of glory Heb. 6.4 6. and is not the Apostle express it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift if they fall away to renew them again unto repentance seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame Oh I fear my name is not in the roll of those for whom Christ intercedes I have crucified him afresh and will he intercede for such a dead dog as I am I cannot believe Silence unbelief be not tyrannical to thy self for Christ will not sin shall do thee no hurt nor Sathan no nor God himself for Jesus-Christ can work him to any thing if he but open his wounds in heaven he will so work his Father that thy wounds on earth shall close up presently O but I have sinned against light and what then I hope thou hast not sinned willfully maliciously despightfully against the light the Apostle tells us that if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth Heb. 10.26 27. there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a certain looking for of judgment and fiery indignation These two Texts in Heb. 6.4 and 10.26 are parallel and give light to each other and therefore unless thy sin be the unpardonable sin unless willfully maliciously and despightfully thou hast crucified Christ as some of the Jews did never pass a doom of final condemnation on thy soul what is there no difference betwixt a sin done willfully or purposely of malice with delight and aginst the feeling of thy own conscience and a sin done of meer ignorance inconsideracy infirmity or through a strong temptation though against light it self I know there is a light given in by God's Word and some beam of the Holy Ghost which yet never penetrated so far as to transform and regenerate the soul wholly to God's Image and in such a case a man may fall away even into an universal fall a general Apostasie but dost thou not hope better things of thy self than so I suppose thou dost O then believe O believe thy part in Christ's intercession and for the directions of thy faith that thou mayst know how or in what manner to believe observe these particulars in their order As 1. Faith must directly go to Christ 2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh 3. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh made under the Law 4. Faith must go to Christ made under the directive part of the Law by his life and under the penal part of the Law by his death 5. Faith must go to Christ as put to death in the flesh and as quickned by the Spirit 6. Faith must go to Christ as quickened by the Spirit and as going up into glory as sitting down at God's right hand and as sending the Holy Ghost of all these before 7. Faith must go to Christ as interceding for his Saints this act of Christ is for the application of all the former acts on Christ's part and our faith closing with it is for the application of this and all other the actings of Christ on our part Now is our faith led up very high if we can but reach this we may say our faith stands very lofty when it may at once see earth and heaven when it may see all that Christ hath acted for it here and all that Christ doth act and will act in heaven for it hereafter It is not an ordinary single particular act of faith that will come up to this glorious mystery no no it is a comprehensive perfective act it is such an act as puts the soul into a condition of glorious triumph Who shall condemne Goodwin Christ set forth it is Christ that will save me to the uttermost seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for me That same word to the uttermost is a good word and well put in it is a reaching word and extends it self so far that thou canst not look beyond it let thy soul be set on the highest mountain that ever any creature was yet set on and there let thy soul take in and view the most spacious prospect both of sin and misery and difficulties of being saved that ever yet any poor humbled soul did east within it self yea joyn to these all the objections and hinderances of thy salvation that the heart of man can suppose or invent against it self lift up thy eyes and look to the utmost thou canst see and Christ by his intercession is able to save thee beyond the horizon and furthest compass of thy thoughts even to the utmost and worst case the heart of man can possibly suppose it is not thy having lain long in sin or long under terrors and despairs it is not thy having sinned often under many enlightnings that can hinder thee from being saved by Christ Do but remember this same word to the uttermost and then put in what exception thou wilt or canst O the holy triumphs of that soul that can but act its saith on
black as jet and the Moon red as blood when the Stars of heaven shall fall and when the heavens themselves shall depart as a scroll when the Trumpet shall sound that will shake the Earth and every Mountain and Island shall be moved out of their places when the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chief Captains and every bonds-man and every free-man shall hide themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the Mountains and shall say to the rocks and to the mountains fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Will it not be terrible if the people were so afraid when the Lord came without such attendants to give the Law upon Mount Sinai certainly much more terrible must such a coming in this manner be when he shall come like a revenging judge to take an account of the world for the keeping or for the breaking of that Law In this respect I wonder not at some weak Christians that cry out O Lord thou knowest that I have not desired this woful day A wise Jew was wont to say from a deep foresight of terror of this day The Messiah will come but Lord let me not live to see his coming Now to conquer this fear and to abate such slavish terror in such souls oh that they would consider it in the whole notion of it not onely as it shall be a day of blackness and of terror but as it shall also be a day of rest and of release Some are apt to take it up in the half notion of it they look on it only as a day of judgment and a day of condemnation and so they fly from it as from a Serpent but if they would take it up again and look on the other side the Serpent would be turned into a Rod. The day which will be so dreadful to the ungodly and the beginning of their misery it will be as joyful to the Saints and the beginning of their glory But in what respect is this day of Christ so desirable a day I answer in these particulars 1. It is a day of refreshing Here the Saints work in a furnace his fire is in Zion Acts 3.19 Isa 31.9 and his furnace in Jerusalem but Christ in his second coming when all the world shall be on fire shall fan wind as I may say on his Saints to cool them to the wicked it is an hot day a day of everlasting burnings but to the Saints it is a day of cooling quickning reviving and refreshing 2. It is a day of restoring of all things Acts. 3.21 Every creature is now in it's work-day dressed all defiled with sin but at that day there shall be a restitution of all things all the disorders and ruins which sin hath brought into the world shall then be repaired and man himself whose sin is the cause of all shall then be restored to his original glory 3. It is a day of the manifestation of the Sons of God Rom. 8.19 Then shall it be known who are true Saints and who are Reprobates here we live inconfusion and in our most refined Churches if we have none scandalous yet we may have many hypocrites and we cannot discern them but in that day it shall be known who are the Lords and who are not the hypocrite shall then be unmantled and the Sons of God shall shine and glitter as the Sun that all may run and read These are God's Elect these are the Sons and Daughters of the Almighty Rom. 8.23 4. It is the day of adoption and of the redemption of our bodyes It is the day of our Sonship and deliverance I deny not but that the Saints are adopted and redeemed before this day but this adoption and redemption is not consummate nor declared before Christ come again to judgment then it is that he takes his Saints home to his house and all the Angels and Men of the World shall understand the love wherewith he loves them then shall Christ say These are my sons whom I have redeemed and as I have set them free so now shall they live and reign with me for ever and ever 5. It is The day of Christ's coming He was here not long since travailing about the Earth and about our business which done he went away to Heaven upon a special errand for his Saints and there now he is to intercede for them to attend the court to be their Advocate and to agitate the business of their souls and withal thâ—re now he is to take up lodgings for them and to prepare them mansions for eternity And no sooner shall he have dispatcht his business there but he will come for earth again he will bow the Heavens and come down to give a report of his transactions there hath he not left us a letter to that effect John 14.3 I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am there you may be also O why are his Chariots so long a coming why tarry the wheels of his Chariots 2 Thes 1.7 6. It is the day of Christs revealing Christ to many of his Saints here is hidden and withdrawn it is true he may be in them yea certainly he is in them by his spirit but no man knows it no nor themselves neither which makes them cry O where is he whom my soul loveth but at this day of Christ's revealing all curtains shall be drawn aside Christ shall be unhid and the Saints shall see him face to face they shall never lose him more for without any intermission they shall stare and gaze and be ever looking unto Jesus Colos 3.4 7. It is the day of Christ's bright and glorious appearing When he was upon the Earth he appeared in our dress many then saw him who then said of him There is no beauty in him that we should desire him Oh it was a sad sight to see him crowned with thorns and scourged with whips and nailed to the cross but in his next appearing we shall see him in his best attire arrayed in white attended with the retinue of glory riding in his Chariot of light and smiling upon all his Saints Now is not this desirable The Apostle tells us of the Saints Tit. 2.13 Looking for the glorious appearing of the great God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ therefore surely they desire it Isa 53.11 8. It is the day of Christs joy Then he shall see of the travail of his soul and he shall be satisfied Now what is the travail of his soul is it not the perfection of his redeemed ones oh when Christ seeth this when he seeth his spouse as without spot or wrinkle then shall be fulfilled that prophesie Isa 62.5 As the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride so
apt to listen to his doubts that in the conclusion I know not how to extricate my self Person Sayst thou so surely in this case there 's no cure no remedy but onely the testimony of God's Spirit but saith not the Apostle Rom. 8.16 That the spirit of it self bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God if a Man or Angel or Archangel should promise Heaven peradventure thou mightest doubt but if the Supream Essence of the Spirit of God bear witness within what room for doubting why this voice of the spirit is the very voice of God hark then enquire O my soul if thou hast but this testimony of the spirit thou art sure enough Soul Oh that it were thus with me oh that the spirit would even now give me to drink of the wells of salvation oh that the spirit would testifie it home oh that he would shine upon and enlighten all those graces which he hath planted in me fain would I come to the highest pitch of hope oh that I could look upon the things hoped for as certainly future Person Thou sayst well O my soul and if these wishes be real then pour out thy self unto God in prayer this was the Apostles method Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Rom. 15.13 that ye may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost let this be thy practise pray as he prayed pray thou for thy self as he prayed for others if an earthly Father will hearken to his child Luk. 11.13 how much more will God the Father give the spirit to them that ask the spirit of him Soul Why if this be it to thee Lord do I come O give me the Spirit the witness of the Spirit the first-fruits of the spirit the sealing of the spirit the earnest of the spirit O give me the spirit and let the spirit give me this hope O the hope of Israel and Saviour thereof in the time of trouble why shouldst thou be as a stranger in my soul and as a way-faring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night Come O come and dwell in my soul Come and blow on my garden that the spices thereof may flow out come and fill me with a livelv hope yea Lord excite and quicken and stir up my soul to act this hope yea so illighten or shine upon my hope that I may know that I hope and know that I joyfully expect and wait for the coming of Christ O Let me hear thy voice Say unto my soul I am and will be thy salvation Person Well now thou hast prayed Psal 35.3 O my soul Come tell me dost thou feel nothing stir is there nothing at all in thee that assures thee of this assurance of hope is there no life in thy affections no spark that takes hold on thy heart to set it on flame no comfort of the spirit no joy in the holy Ghost Soul Yes methinks I feel it now begin to work the Spirit that hath breathed this prayer into me comes in as Comforter O now that I realize Christ's coming and my resurrection Psal 16.9 I cannot but conclude with David Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth and my flesh also shall rest in hope Oh what an earnest is this what a piece hath the spirit put into my hand of the great sum promised not onely that he in great mercy promised me Heaven but because he doth not put me into a present possession he now gives me an earnest of my future inheritance Why surely all is sure unless the earnest deceive me and what shall I dispute the truth of the earnest oh God forbid the stamp is too well known to be mistrusted this seal cannot be counterfeit because it is agreeable with the Word I find in my self an hope a true sincere hope though very weak I find upon trial that I am regenerate that I look and long for the second coming of Jesus that I love his appearance even before hand that my works though imperfect are sincere and true that I believe on the Name of the Son of God and flesh and blood could never work these duties or these graces in me it is only that good spirit of my God which hath thus sealed me up to the day of redemption Away away despair trouble me no longer with a musing thoughts I will henceforth if the Lord enable walk confidently and chearfully in the strength of this assurance and joyfully expect the full accomplishment of my happy contract from the hands of Christ The Lord is my portion therefore will I hope in him Lam. 3.24 25 26. the Lord is good to them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him it is good that I both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord It is good that I hope to the end 1 Pet. 1.13 for the grace that is to be brought unto me at the revelation of Jesus Christ SECT V. Of believing in Jesus in that respect 5. LET us believe in Jesus as carrying on the great work of our salvation in his second coming Now this believing in Christ is more than hoping in Christ Faith eyes things as present but hope eyes things as future and hence the Apostle describes faith to the substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 it is the substance foundation or prop which upholds the building or it is the substance essence existence of things hoped for and consequently absent and a far off to be by a firm apprehension of the believer as already present and real And this is as necessary as the former oh if we could but see things now as they shall appear at that last general day of Judgment how mightily would they work upon our souls I verily think the want of this work of faith is the cause almost of all the evil in the world and the acting of Faith on this subject would produce fruits even to admiration If we could but see that glory of God in Christ and those glorious treasures of mercies that shall then be communicated if we could but see those dreadful evils that are now threatned and shall then be fulfilled would not this draw the hardest heart under Heaven come let us act faith this day as if this day were the last day a thousand years are but as one day to faith it takes hold upon eternal life whensoever it acts it takes present possession of the glorious things of the Kingdom of God even now O then let us believe in Jesus in reference to his second coming to judgment But how should we believe what directions to act our saith on Jesus in this respect I answer 1. Faith must directly go to Christ 2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh 3. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh made under the Law 4. Faith must go to Christ made under the
by paying the ransom and price of our salvation the holy Ghost saveth by a particular applying of that ransom unto men Now whereas the Son pays the price of our redemption and not the Father nor the holy Ghost therefore in this special respect he is called our Saviour our Jesus and none but he This object though contained in a word is very comprehensive herein is set forth to our view the offices of Christ the two Natures of Christ the qualities of Christ the excellencies of Christ O what variety of sweet matter is in Jesus he hath in him all the powders of the merchants an holy soul cannot tyre it self in viewing Jesus Cant. 3.6 we know one thing tyres quickly unless that one be all which so is Christ and none else he is all and in all all belonging to being and all belonging to well-being Col. 3.11 in things below Jesus some have this excellency and some have that but none have all and this withers contemplation at the root contemplation is soul recreation and recreation is kept up by variety but O what variety is in Jesus variety of time He is Alpha and Omega variety of beauty he is white and ruddy variety of quality he is a Lion and a Lamb a servant and a Son variety of the excellency in the world he is Man and God O where shall we begin in this view of Jesus Who shall declare his Generation or who shall count and reckon his Age All the Evangelists exhibit unto us the Saviour Esa 53.8 but every one of them in his particular method Mark describes not at all the genealogy of Jesus but begins his history at his Baptism Matthew searcheth out his original from Abraham Luke follows it backwards as far as Adam John passeth further upwards even to the Eternal Generation of this Word that was made flesh so they lead us to Jesus mounting up four several steps in the one we see him only among the men of his own time in the second he is seen in the Tent of Abraham in the third he is yet higher to wit in Adam and finally having traversed all ages through so many generations we come to contemplate him in the beginning in the bosom of the Father in that eternity in which he was with God before all worlds And there let us begin still Looking unto Jesus as he carries on the great work of our salvation from first to last from everlasting to everlasting SECT II. The main Doctrine and confirmation of it BUt for the foundation of our building take this Note Inward experimental looking unto Jesus such as stirs up affections in the heart Doctrine 2 and the effects thereof in our life it is an Ordinance of Christ a choice an high Gospel-ordinance Or thus Inward experimental knowing considering desiring hoping believing loving joying calling on Jesus and conforming to Jesus it is a complicate foulded compounded Ordinance of Jesus Christ I need not much to explain the Point you see here is an Ordinance or a Gospel-duty held forth many other Duties we have elsewhere described but this we have kept for this place and the rather for that this is a choice Duty a compounded Duty an high Gospel-ordinance No question but Watchfulness Self-trial Self-denial Experiences Evidences Meditation Life of Faith c. do well in their place and order yet as oars in a boat though it be carried with the tyde may help it to go faster it is Jesus lifted up as Moses lifted up the Serpent which strikes more soundly into the beholder than any other way Looking unto Jesus is that great Ordinance appointed by God for our most especial good How many souls have busied themselves in the use of other means and though in them Christ hath communicated some vertue to them yet because they did not trade more with him they had little in comparison such a one as deals immediately with Christ will do more in a day than another in a year and therefore I call it a choice a compleat a complicate an high Gospel-Ordinance Now what this Ordinance is the Text tells you it is a Looking unto Jesus 1. Jesus is the Object and Jesus †I ground this on all the Texts jointly as on Isa 45 22. Isa 65.1 Micha 7.7 Zach 12.10 Numb 21.8 John 3.15 Heb. 12.2 Phil. 3.20 2 Cor. 3.18 Mat 1.21 c. Isa 45.22 Isa 65.1 Psalm 25.15 Psalm 34 5. Heb. 12.3 as Jesus as he is our Saviour as he hath negotiated or shall yet negotiate in the great business of our salvation 2. Looking unto is the act but how it is such a Look as includes all these acts knowing considering desiring hoping believing loving joying enjoying of Jesus and conforming to Jesus It is such a look as stirs up affections in the heart and the effects thereof in our life it is such a look as leaves a quickening and enlivening upon the spirit it is such a look as works us into a warm affection raised resolution an holy and upright conversation Briefly it is an inward experimental Looking unto Jesus For confirmation of the point this was the Lords charge to the Gentiles of old Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth And I said behold me behold me unto a Nation that was not called by my Name And according to this command was their practise Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord saith David and they looked unto him and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed Thus in the Gospel after this command Looking unto Jesus it follows Consider him that hath endured such contradiction of sinners against himself And according to this command is the practise of Gospel-believers 2 Cor. 3 18. We all with open face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Instead of the vail of Mosaical figures God hath now given to his Church the clear glass of the Gospel and hence all believers under the Gospel do by contemplative Faith behold Christ together with the glorious light of his mercy truth goodness and the rest of his Divine Attributes and by means thereof they are made like unto him in the glory of Holiness and in newness of life The reasons why we are thus to Look unto Jesus will be as so many motives which we shall reserve to an use of Exhortation but the reasons why this Looking unto Jesus is 1. An Ordinance 2. An Ordinance of Christ may be these 1. Why an Ordinance here is only this reason the will of the Lord Even so father for so it seemed good in thy sight Ordinances are certain impositions set forth by an external mandate of a Lawgiver having Authority to command It is the will of Christ to impose this Law on all the sons of men that they should Look up unto him and concerning this what have we to do to enquire
into the reason it is our Duty to obey and not to know of him why he commands if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was enough in Pythagoras his School to put the business past disputing amongst his Scholars I am sure it should be much more in Christs School we will therefore enquire no further reason for it 2. Why an Ordinance of Christ it is this because all spiritual Ordinances Laws Institutions do hold on Christ it is not in the liberty of man to erect any new spiritual Ordinance in the Church of Christ I will not deny but the power of man may come in to order such things as are not proper but rather common to the Church with other societies as to meet together in some place and at some time c. according to that rule Let all things be done decently and in order for this is not an institution 1 Cor. 14.42 but only the dictate of right reason But when it comes up to an Ordinance Law Institution i.e. when something more shall be put on the thing than nature hath put on it when by vertue of the institution there is conjoyned to it some kind of spiritual efficacy to work upon the soul this only holds on Christ Hence because in the preaching of the Word and in the administration of the Sacraments we expect a vertue a spiritual efficacy more than they have or can yeild in any natural way therefore we say these are Ordinances of Christ so because in Looking unto Jesus we expect a vertue a spiritual efficacy to go along together with it more than nature can give it therefore we call this an Ordinance and an Ordinance of Christ to distinguish it from all other Ordinances Rules Constitutions of men whatsoever SECT III. Vse of Reproof WEll then is inward experimental looking unto Jesus a choice an high Gospel-Ordinance Vse 1 how may this reprove thousands how many are there that mind not this Duty the truth is that as the whole world lies in wickedness 1 John 5.19 so the eyes of the whole world are misplaced there 's few that have a care of this choice of this high Gospel-Ordinance I shall therefore reprove both the ungodly and godly 1. For the ungodly not God nor Christ is in all their thoughts Alas Psal 10.4 they never heard of such a Duty as this they cannot tell what it means to Look unto Jesus Nor speak I only of poor Indians and other Savages of the unchristian world whose souls are over clouded with the blackest mists of irreligion that the Prince of darkness can possibly inwrap them in who came into the world not knowing wherefore and go out of the world not knowing whither an heavie case which cannot sufficiently be bewailed with tears of blood But I speak of such as live with in the Paradise of the Christian Church that have nothing to distinguish them from those Indian miscreants but an outward conformity outward formalities the charity of others and their own slight imaginations why alas these are they that the Lord complains of that they have eyes and see not Jer. 2 32. My people have forgotten me dayes without number they have negligently suffered me to be out of their minds and that for a long time You will say is there any such here Can I tax any of you that you should not Look up to Jesus are not your eyes towards Christ in your prayers praise soliloquies publick and private Duties Nay are not you now in the Duty whilest I am speaking and you hearing I answer however you may deem that you do this or that yet God reckons it as a thing not done in these respects 1. When it 's not done to purpose as if our looking to Christ makes us not like Christ a man may give a thousand glances every day towards Christ yet if there be no effectual impression upon the heart Christ takes it as if he had never looked towards him at all 2. When it 's done unwillingly Sometimes men think of Christ but they know not how to shun it the Lord breaks in upon their spirits whether they will or no whereas their own temper is to follow to pursue other objects thus you drop into our assemblies out of custome or fashion or for some sinister end and here is Christ lifted up upon the pole he is discovered in his beauties graces sweetnesses excellencies but when you see him you say he hath no forme nor comliness Isa 53.2 Isa 52.3 there is beauty that we should desire him Let no man deceive himself though he cast his eyes towards Heaven all the day long if he love not this work he doth nothing he Looks not at Jesus 3. When it 's not done according to the rule this is not to eat the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.20 said Paul to his Corinthians no question they did eat it but because it was not done after its due manner he saith this is not to eat the Lords Supper Many think of Christ and Look up to Jesus but because their thoughts are not holy awful and subjecting to the Spirit in no way proportionable to the goodness and glory of the Son of God they look loosely carelesly and carnally upon him he therefore reckons it as not done this is not to Look unto Jesus 4. When a man makes it not his course and trade to look unto Jesus A man may come unto a Carpenters house take up his tools do somthing at his work but this makes him not a Carpenter because it is not his trade The best Saints sin yet because it is not their trade and course 1 Iohn 5.18 they are said not to sin whosoever is born of God sinneth not And so ungodly men may look and muse and meditate and think of Christ but because this is not their course and trade they make it not their work to look to Christ they are therefore said not to look to him Why now consider you that plead that you are Christians that you mind Christ at this very instant that you are in the duty even whilst I am speaking of it and yet you neither do it to purpose nor willingly nor according to rule nor as it is your trade is it not with you Matth 7.22 as it is with them of whom Christ spake many will say to me at that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in they name and in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name have done many wonderful works they will plead at the last day as you plead now but for all that you know the answer I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity Vers 23 Surely Christ will say to you one day I know you not I was a stranger to you upon earth I could not have an eye from you but when your lazie idle spirits pleased and now out of my sight I 'le never own you nor look upon
2.16 and we abound more and more in the work of the Lord. I know thy works said Christ to the Church of Thyatyra I know thy works and the last to be more than the first 3. We grow when the fruits and duties we perform grow more ripe more spiritual and more to the honour of Christ it may be we pray not more nor longer than sometimes we used it may be our prayers have not more wit or memory than sometimes they had yet they are more savory more spiritual and more to Christ's honour than sometimes they were Now we must know that one short prayer put up in faith with a broken heart and ayming at the honour of Christ argues more of growth in grace than prayers of a day long and never so eloquent without the like qualifications In every duty we should look at their ends and ayms for if we debase our selves in the sense of our own vileness and emptiness and inability and if we aym at God's honour and power and praise and glory it is a good sign of growth we call this spiritual part of duty when it is from God and through God and to God 4. We grow when we are more rooted in Christ so the Apostle describes it Eph. 4.15 a growing up unto him in all things This is Scripture phrase growth of grace is usually expressed by growing into Christ but now in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ As if to grow in grace without him were nothing as indeed it is not 2 Pet. 3.18 Philosophers moral men and others may grow in vertues but not in Christ Come then search and try whether we are more rooted in Christ when a young plant is new set the roots are a small depth in the earth one may pull them up with his hand but as the tree shooteth up in height so it strikes the root deep and deeper downward that no force can move it so it is with us we have not for degree so firm and near a conjunction with Christ at our first union but the more we live with him like good trees spreading in the sight of all men and bringing forth the fruits of righteousness the more we come to root downwards by a more firm faith and firm confidence Our union is answerable to that which uniteth us now at the first faith is but weak like a smoaking wick or a poor bruised reed but whiles faith is drawing the Spirit away from Christ the more it exerciseth the more it is strengthened even as in babes their powers every day at first are feeble but the more they feed and exercise by so much the more they put forth their strength in all their operations time was that Peters faith was so weak that at the voice of a Damosel Peter was shaken but by walking while in Christ he was so rooted that neither threatnings whippings imprisonment conventings before great powers nor any other thing could shake him you may object if we are not at first rooted in Christ a weak faith may be quite overthrown we may then fall away true if we be not rooted in any manner but this we are at our first setting into Christ by faith only this I speak of is of an higher degree of rooting which doth not only shut out falling away but very shaking and tottering in a good measure surely this is not the state of every believer no no it is only the condition of such who have long walked in Christ and are grown in grace holiness vivification O my soul try now the growth of vivification by these few signs art thou led on to the exercises of new graces adding grace to grace dost thou find new degrees of the self same grace is thy love more hot thy faith more firm all thy boughs more laden and filled with the fruits of righteousness are all thy dutyes more spiritual are thy ends more raised to ayme at God to sanctifie him and to debase thy self art thou more rooted in Christ in all thy dutyes graces and gracious actings hast thou learnt habitual to say I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me dost thou interest Christ more and more in all thou dost dost thou know and affect Christ more and more Oh when would an ambitious courtier be weary of being graced by his Prince when would a worlding be weary of having the world come in upon him why shouldst thou O my soul be weary of insinuating thy self by faith and affection into Christ come scearch try it may be little winds have formerly shaken thee but so it is that insencibly and thou knowest not how thy root is struck lower and lower into Christ and now thou art not so soon shaken with every wind surely thy hope is well grounded thou hast a part in Christs resurrection it is thine even thine SECT V. Of believing in Jesus in that respect 5. LEt us believe in Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation for us in his resurrection This is one main article of our faith the third day he rose again from the dead and this now I propound as the object of our faith O let us believe it let us believe our part and interest in it And to that purpose let us look on Jesus as a common Person whatever consideration he passed under it was in our stead and in that respect we are to reckon our selves as sharers with him Scrupulous souls may object is it possible that Christ should rise and that I should rise with him and in him is it possible that Christ should dye as a common Person for my sins and that Christ should rise and by his resurrection should be justified as a common person in my room O the Mystery of this redemption without Controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness which is God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 justified in the Spirit it is a mystery beyond my fathoming that Christ who is God in the flesh should be justified in the Spirit for my justication that Christ should dye in my stead as a condemned man and when he had finished his work that he should rise again in my stead as a righteous Person These passages are past fathoming and beyond believing O what shall I do I find it hard very hard to believe this poynt Luke 24.26 Scrupulous souls throw not away your confidence ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his Glory was not satisfaction and justification payment of debt and discharge of bonds required of him and of necessity for us O believe and that I may perswade to purpose I shall lay down 1. Some directions and 2. Some encouragements of faith 1. For directions of faith in reference to Christ's resurrection observe these particulars 1. Faith must directly go to Christ 2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh 3. Faith must go to Christ as God in
directive part of the Law by his life and under the penal part of the Law by his death 5. Faith must go to Christ as put to death in the Flesh and as quickned by the spirit 6. Faith must go to Christ as going up into glory as sitting down at God's right hand and as sending down the holy Ghost 7. Faith must go to Christ as interceding for his Saints in which work he continues till his coming again Of all these before 8. Faith must go to Christ as coming again into this neather world to judge the quick and the dead This is the last act of Faith in reference to Christ From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead The coming of Christ the resurrection of the dead the change of the living the last judgment and the glory of Christ with his Saints to all eternity is that transaction which must be dispatched at the end of the world now this is the object of faith as well as the former Christ's work is not fully perfected till all these be finished nor is our work of Faith fully compleated till it reach to the very last act of Christ in saving souls Oh what an excellent worker is Jesus Christ he doth all his works throughly and perfectly the greatest work that ever Christ under took was the work of redemption that work would have broken Men and Angels and yet Jesus Christ will carry it on to the end and then will he say not onely prophetically but expresly I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do John 17.46 Now Faith should eye Christ as far as he goes if Christ will not have done till he comes again and receive us to himself and settle us in glory no more should Faith it should still follow after him and take a veiw of all his transactions from first to last what will Christ come again will he summon all the elect to come under judgment will he sentence or judge them to eternal life will he conduct them into glory present them to his Father and be their all in all to all eternity why then let our faith act it self upon all these promises or if I may instance in one for all Christ's coming is the most comprehensive of all and is not the coming of Christ very frequently mentioned in the pâ—omises as the great support and stay of his peoples spirits till then do not the Apostles usually quicken us to duty and encourage us to waiting by the mentioning of this glorious coming of Jesus Christ why then let us act our faith on this glorious Object Christians what do we believe and hope and wait for but to see this coming this was Pauls encouragement to rejoycing and moderation Phil. 4.4 5. Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and let your moderation be known to all the Lord is at hand To think and speak of that day with horror doth well beseem the impenitent sinner but doth ill beseem the beliâ—ving Saint such may be the voice of an unbeliever and it may be of a believer in desertion or temptation but it 's not the voice of faith O believe on Christ as carrying on our salvation at his coming again For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and he will not tarry Heb. 10.37 9. Faith must principally and mainly look to the purpose design intent and end of Christ in his second coming to Judgment Now the ends are 1. In respect of the wicked that they may be destroyed for he must reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet He shall come with flaming fire 2 Thes 1.8 and then he will take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power O miserable men now it is God's design to be revenged on you This is the day when the wicked shall suddenly start out of sleep and meet with gastly amazedness at the mouth of their sepulchers above them stands the Judge condemning beneath Hell gaping on the right had justice threatning on all sides the world burning to go forward is intollerable to go backward is impossible to turn aside is unavailable which way then Heaven gates are shut Hell mouth is open where they must end their endless misery the last torment lasteth ever O the shrikes of the wicked at every passage of this day when the Prophet Joel was describing the formidable accidents of his day he was not able to express it but stammered like a Child or an amazed imperfect person A. A. A. for the day of the Lord is at hand We translate it Alas Joel 1.17 for the day of the Lord is at hand But Lyra Ribera the Vulgar Latine and others translate it A.A.A. in Hebrew it is indeed but one word and sounds as Aha which howsoever so written yet is it pronounced without any aspiration as Aharon is pronounced Aaron The best Criticâ—s would but have it one word and so they write it A-a-a for the day of the Lord is at hand thus they that stammer and cannot suddenly speak say A-a-a it is not sense at first the Prophet was so amazed that he knew not what to say the stammering tongue that is full of fear can best speak that terror which will make all the wicked of the world to cry and shrike and speak fearfull accents oh the shrikes oh the fearful sounds that will then be heard sure that noise must needs be terrible when millions of men and women at the same instant shall fearfully cry out and when their cryes shall mingle with the thunders of the dying and groaning Heavens and with the crack of the dissolving World when the whole fabrick of nature shall shake into dissolution Psal 51.21 and eternal ashes Now consider this ye that forget God lest he tare you in pieces and there be none to deliver you Shall not the consideration of these things awake your spirits and raise you from the death of sin what do you believe these things or do you not if you do not believe these things where is your saith if you do believe them and sin on where is your prudence and where is your hope but enough of this it belongs to the wicked 2. In respect of the Godly that they may be saved Now this contains several steps As 1. They must be regenerated It is true they partake of this grace before but now is the full perfection and manifestation of it Mat. 19.28 and therefore the last day is called the day of regeneration Col. 1.13 14. 2. They must be redeemed So they are in this life Paul could tell his Colossians that Christ had delivered them from the power of darkness and that in him they had redemption through his blood Yet the Scripture calls the day of judgment