THE COPY OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE WITH A true Discovery of several false Pretenders to that eternal inheritance and of the right Heir thereunto Together With such safe instructions as will inable him to clear his title and to make it unquestionable Exactly evidenced by many perspicuous and unconstrained testimonies of Scripture Penned and published upon mature deliberation and good advise By Robert Bidwel a servant and Minister of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ London Printed by E. T. for Tho. Johnson at the golden Key in Paul's Church-yard 1658. TO THE Right vertuous truely religious Dame MARGARET BOSVVEL of Bradbourn place in the County of Kent my singular good Lady and Patronesse Good Madam FOr though none can be said to be absolutely good but God onely Yet I hope it will not be denied but that every true Christian may be said to be good so far forth as he or she hath attained unto the power of godlinesse And if your Ladyship may not be ranked amongst the most Eminent in that way of Piety and Evangelical Perfection I am infinitely mistaken in mine accounts I cannot affirme that a long continued experience hath confirmed me in the knowledg of your most excellent indowments But for me to say that ever I did till within these few weeks discover so much goodnesse in so little a time were to sin against the multitude of your merits and the cognisance of mine own conscience Madam I most humbly begge your Ladyships pardon for my transgression against your much meeknesse and humility I finde you to be such a perfect enemy to pride and adulation that you cannot relish the sound of your own just commendations though but very sparingly expressed Neverthelesse being now by Gods blessing and your undeserved favour become a Member of your family I dare not expose my self to the reproch either of so much ignorance as not to be sensible of your manifold vertues or of so much ingratitude as not to acknowledge them I could heartily wish that there were any thing in these lines or in any other of my more hopefull improvements that might make the memory of your name immortal But your owne illustrious qualifications have already supplied my defects and prevented my pains in that particular Mine onely present Petition is that you will be pleased to accept of this pattern of your own perfections The right Heir to that eternal Covenant of Grace Madam if he may yet furtâ—er ingratiate me with your good Ladyship my care shall be to continue my self Your Ladyships most humble and faithfull servant in our joynt Lord Jesus Christ. Ro. Bidwell TO THE Right Honourable Major General PHILIP SKIPPON one of the Lords of his Highnesses Most Honourable privy Councel c. My Lord ALthough the comfortable beames of your infatigable goodnesse do so continually extend themselves to the supporting and supplying the weak Members of Christ your great Lord and Master that haply your left hand hath forgotten what your right hand hath done for me the unworthiest of your servants for his sake Yet I can neither be so ungratefull nor so ungracious as not to record your manifold favours so freely conferred upon me they are often in my mouth but alwayes in my mind And being led by Providence to this present opportunity I felt it as a duty incumbent upon me to manifest the sense of those perpetual ingagements whereby you have obliged me to honour your singular pietie and bounty And therewithall to present you with a Servant or rather an Associate whom being so like unto your self I humbly conceive you cannot but well like of My Lord He is the right Heir to the rich Inheritance conveyed in and by that eternal Covenant of Grace It was upon your account that I was furnished with Oyl to supply the glimmering Lamp whereby I was enabled to proceed in his search which contrary to your more Noble intention was so unhansomly snuffed that it could hardly light me to my journeys end Or probably this poor Pilgrim had appeared unto you much better accommodated Yet the best aray that my conscience can afford him is the naked Truth It is hoped that being thus barely discovered some abler hand will furnish him with richer and more suteable Ornaments I humbly beseech you to entertain him according to the reallity of his fidelity and sincerity I shall not need to say that I will leave him at your door for me thinks I see him already the Master of your house and intirely familiar with your whole Family As being all governed by the same Doctrine and Discipline of our Lord Jesus Christ To which I am confident that you will constantly submit according to the condition of his Covenant of Grace till he receiveth you into his Kingdom of Glorie Which is and shall be in the dayly prayers of Your honours most faithfully devoted servant Robert Bidwell THE COPY OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE John 3. 16. God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life IN this precious portion of Scripture it pleased the Son of God our onely Saviour to deliver unto us a brief Copie of the Covenant of Grace or a compendious Abstract containing the principal parts or points essential to the Covenant of Grace He that hath any skill in Covenants Assurances or the like Evidences cannot but know that such conveyances do chiefly comprehend these parts or members First the Covenanters or parties covenanting Secondly the Consideration or motive Thirdly the Gift or the thing granted or conveyed Fourthly the Proviso or condition Fifthly the Prevention or freedom from incumbrances And sixthly the Inheritance or quiet possession And all these parts or qualifications are most exactly and orderly registred here in this Copie of Record The Covenanters are God and the World God so loved the World The Consideration is Gods Love his infinite Love So loved the World The Gift is Jesus Christ the Son of God He gave his onely begotten Son The Proviso is Faith That whosoever believeth in him The Prevention is freedom from destruction Should not perish And the Inheritance is everlasting life But have everlasting life God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Thus you see that this Scripture according to the several parts or branches thereof together with their number and order do very fitly and exquisitely comply with the nature of a Covenant And now I shall endeavour to make good that these six parts or members herein contained are altogether proper and essential to the Covenant of Grace And to that purpose In the first branch consisting of the Covenanters I shall make appear First That there is such a Covenant as the Covenant of Grace Secondly By whom this Covenant of Grace was made Thirdly With whom it was made And fourthly when it was made For
the first Although we finde not that the word of God hath set forth unto us this Covenant of Grace under that very Notion or expression of the Covenant of Grace In totidem syllabis as we say In just so many syllables or in the very self-same words Yet by the consideration of some few particulars I doubt not but I shall settle it very strongly even upon the weakest apprehensions For we finde that the Lord hath contracted or made many Promises Grants Agreements or the like Conveyances under the name or stile of Covenants I will establish my Covenant with you and with your seed after you saith the Lord to Noah Gen. 9. 9. The same day the Lord made a Covenant with Abraham Gen. 15. 18. Which not long after he confirmed in these words And I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Gen. 17. 7 8. And oftentimes in the same 17. Chapter he urgeth the said Covenant He commandeth obedience thereunto vers 9. And sealeth it with the sign of Circumcision vers 11. The seal of the righteousnesse of faith saith St. Paul Rom. 4. 11. Again we read of the book of the Covenant And of the bloud of the Covenant Exod. 24. 7 8. And truely these and the like were no other then representations or manifestations or confirmations of this which we call the Covenant of Grace In like manner the Covenant of peace Isa 54. 10. The Covenant of the Redeemer Isa 59. 20 21. The everlasting Covenant Jer. 32. 40. The new Covenant promised Jer. 31. 31. and repeated Hebr. 10. 16 17. were Covenants for Reconciliation Preservation and Sanctification All which together with every other of the like nature are but as so many Members which do receive their very life and being from and by the virtue of this original Covenant for Redemption and Salvation which we call the Covenant of Grace The name and substance whereof are very well presented unto us in that typical Covenant extended literally to David but intended really to Christ the Son of David in these words My mercy will I keep for him for ever more and my Covenant shall stand fast with him His seed also will I make to endire for ever and his Throne as the dayes of Heaven If his Children forsake my law and walk not in my judgements If they break my statutes and keep not my Commandments Then will I visit their transgression with the Rod and their iniquity with Stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindenesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips c. Psal 89. 28. to the 35. Thus are we warranted to call this grand evidence of our Salvation by the name of a Câ—venant In regard that our heavenly Father hath made so many promises and concessions to us and our predecessours under that very title And now that I may resolve you in a word why we call it the Covenant of Grace Be pleased to consider That God gave unto Adam great possessions and privileges by way of Covenant But revocable and destructive also in case of his disobedience thereunto Gen. 2. 17. Yet Adam rebels to his eternal ruine Gen. 3. 6. Neverthelesse without the least desert or desire of his He is not onely reprived but also restored unto favour by vertue of another Covenant Inplied in the discovery of Christ by the seed of the woman Gen. 3. 15. And doth not that deserve to be called the Covenant of Grace And not onely Adam but we also have all sinned and come short of the glory of God But are justified freely by his Grace Rom. 3. 23 24. Yea ye also were dead in sins but by Grace ye are saved Eph. 2. 5. And all by virtue of this Covenant which is therefore most worthily called The Covenant of Grace We come now in the second particular to shew you By whom this Covenant of Grace was made And I trust I shall not need to take much pains therein For I am confident that whosoever can believe that there was a Covenant of Grace made with the World for redemption and salvation they cannot doubt but God was the onely authour thereof It was God that was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself 2 Cor. 5. 19. And it is the grace of God that bringeth salvation Tit. 2. 11. And the onely true light hath made it most manifest here in this Text. God so loved the World God the father for he gave his onely begotten son God that great Creatour and onely wise disposer of all things both in heaven and in earth Who having created the first man in his own Image Gen. 1. 27. That is saith St. Paul In knowledge Col. 3. 10. And in righteousnesse and true holinesse Eph. 4. 24. He gave him dominion over the Creatures Gen. 1. 28. Stated him in Paradise Gen. 2. 8. A place abounding with all and all manner of happinesse and pleasure and plenty And for the more secure and setled injoyment of the same He promised him everlasting life whereof the tree of life Gen. 2. 9. was the symbole sign or token To have and hold all the said premisses priviledges and prerogatives to him and his heirs for ever And all this by way of Covenant upon condition of the said Adams obedience to the whole will of God Notwithstanding the onely Proviso expressed consisted in his abstinence from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and this under the penalty of eternal death Gen. 2. 17. This is that which we call the Covenant of works And which the word of God commonly calleth the Law The matter or substance whereof is exemplified in the Moral Law or the Law of the ten Commandments Ex. 20. which is sometimes called The works of the Law Gal. 2. 16. And sometimes the Law of works Rom. 3. 27. But Adam carelesse of his blest estate believes the Devil rather then his God Insomuch that he neglects his Maker and Master And despising his Covenant breaks the condition By which rebellion he incurs the penalty and pulls the woefull ruines of misery death and condemnation upon himself and his whole posterity Yet this good God this much offended Majesty notwithstanding this his just occasion of eternal displeasure So loved the World that he confirmed this Covenant of Grace wherein He gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life I am now in the third particular to shew you with whom this Covenant of Grace was made Expressed here under this notion The World God so loved the World We finde that the holy Ghost hath applied this word World to several senses and significations It is used for the habitable places of the world for the universal frame of the world and
3. 13. And from the penalty thereupon depending For he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Isa 53. 5. And moreover of guilty sinners we are become justified Saints For we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God Rom. 3. 23 24 25. In which words we finde the moving or procuring cause of our justification to be the free grace of God the meritorious cause to be Christ the Son the efficient cause to be God the Father the instrumental cause to be Faith in Christ and the final cause to be the glory of God The glory of his righteousnesse for the Remission of sins That he might be just in being the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus verse 26. For as it is just with God to punish the sins of a Reprobate that dieth in his iniquity So it is as just with him to pardon the sins of a believer for which Christ died And as the true believer is delivered from the guilt and punishment of sin by the merit of Christ So is he also preserved from the power of sin by the Spirit of Christ And this he doth By redeeming us from our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1. 18. By purging our consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. By crucifying our old man the body of sin Rom. 6. 6. By freeing us from the Law the strength of sin 1 Cor. 15. 56 57. By delivering us through grace from the dominion of sin Rom. 6. 14. By strengthening us with might in the inner man Eph. 3. 16. And by making us partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Who will not then conclude with S. Paul In all these things we are more then conquerers through him that loved us Rom. 8. 37. And thus you see that our Lord Jesus Christ by justifying us through his merit hath freed us from the condemning guilt punishment of sin And by sanctifying us through his Spirit he hath delivered and fortified us from and against the prevailing power and insinuation of sin And 〈◊〉 this means he hath redeemed us from 〈◊〉 and destruction being the just reward and recompence of sin And all this meerly and absolutely upon the account of this eternal Covenant of grace For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life But have everlasting life THis is the blessed Inheritance conferred and confirmed by this Covenant according to this Copy Everlasting life or eternal salvation This is the glorious expectation and inheritance of the Children of God Blessed the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 3 4 5. If in this life onely we have hope in Christ we are of all men 〈◊〉 â—iserable saith St. Paul 1. Cor. 15. 19. 〈◊〉 are troubled on every side saith he yet not â—â—stressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed Alwayes bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body 2 Cor. 4. 8 9 10. For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet our inward man is renewed day by day for our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory verse 16. 17 18. Truely it is this Assurance that supports and supplies the militant Members of the Lord Jesus Christ throughout their whole warfare It removeth all difficulties sweetneth all discomforts and relieveth all distresses Verily it elevateth the Soul beyond all expectation I take pleasure in infirmities in reproches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake saith St. Paul 2 Cor. 12. 10. Good Paul were these thy pleasant recreations Truely it is not to be denied but that they are very profitable exercises For when I am weak saith he then am I strong When I am weak in the flesh then am I strong in the faith For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are nâ—t worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8. 18. What will not a true believer do or suffer in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Tit. 1. 2. But forasmuch as there must be a temporal life before there can be an eternal life Therefore as I have formerly set forth unto you the several sorts or degrees of death So I shall here endeavour â—o shew you the several sorts or degrees of life which I conceive to be likewise four That is to say The natural life The spiritual life The peacefull life and the eternal or everlasting life And secondly I shall apply my self to prove that every one of them as a Member or passage of or to this everlasting life is part or parcel of that eternal inheritance whereunto the Son of God hath intituled us by vertue of this Covenant The first I say is the natural life or the life of Nature That which we say we receive from our Parents And it consisteth in the union of the body and the Soul or of the flesh and spirit according to the vulgar sense But in the Scripture sense that is properly called the natural life wherein a man followeth Nature for his chief or onely guide And of such a one St. Paul sayes That the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. Now this natural life in either of these senses may be said to be the issue of the first birth or of the fleshly generation For that which is born of the flesh is flesh saith our Lord Joh. 3. 6. And they that are after the flesh do minde the things of the flesh saith St. Paul Rom. 8. 5. Verily whosoever liveth meerly this natural life or this life of Nature onely it were better for him that he had never lived at all that he had never been born For we are all by nature the children of wrath According to that of St. Paul Eph. 2. 3. Neverthelesse though accidentally by reason of the corruption of Nature this natural life tendeth
towards eternal death Yet originally and as it affordeth a being to the Creature without which he could not be capable of everlasting life So it may properly be said to be part of Christs purchase and included within the compasse of this Covenant of Grace The next is the spiritual life For that was not firsi which is spiritual but that which is natural and afterward that which is spiritual 1 Cor. 15. 46. This spiritual life is the fruit of that regeneration or new birth whereby we are said to be born of God John 1. 13. And this birth is perfected when the seed of the word is quickned by the Spirit in the womb of Faith First the seed of this new birth must be the word of God Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever saith Saint Peter 1 Pet. 1. 23. 2ly this word must be quickned by the Spirit It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I spake unto you they are spirit and they are life saith the Son of God John 6. 63. And thirdly this word must be quickned by the Spirit in the womb of Faith Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God saith S. John 1 John 5. 1. And this may really be called a life for it shall never be overcome of death If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do morâ—ifâ—e the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8. 13. Live eternally for none can live this spiritual life this life of grace but he that is raised from the death of sin Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power but they shall be Priests of God and Christ and shall reigne with him a thousand yeaos Rev. 20. 6. A thousand years Not according to the Millenaries account who dream of an earthly Kingdom to continue for a thousand years contrary to that of Christ himself My Kingdom is not of this World saith he John 18. 36. But whilest they contend for this earthly Kingdom doth it not appear that Their wisdom is earthly sensual c. According to that of St. James Jam. 3. 15. But a thousand years The thousand years of the great Sabbath that eternal Jubilee that shall be celebrated by the Saints of God in that everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 11. Verily this spiritual life is the greatest good that we can injoy in this World Whilest we live a meer natural life we live at the best but to our selves and we shall finde our selves but bad pay-masters He is an empty Vine that bringeth forth fruit unto himself saith the Lord by his Prophet Hosea 10. 1. But in serving our selves we commonly serve worse Masters then our selves For we serve sin also Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin saith our Lord Christ Joh. 8. 34. And the wages of sinne is death saith St. Paul Rom. 6. 23. Yea and in serving sin and our selves we serve the Devil too In time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the aire the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. And from such a cursed Master we can expect but a sorry reward The Devils wages is a Mark Rev. 13. 16. But he that receiveth that Mark The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb Rev. 14. 10. But being by this new birth or this spiritual life delivered from these bad Masters we are sure of a blessing For being made free from sin and become servants to God Ye have your fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life Rom. 6. 22. And the end everlasting life You see here that the end of this spiritual life is everlasting life But in regard that many do dis-relish and dislike this spiritual life as disquiet and uncomfortable therefore I shall desire you to take the peacefull life in your passage St. Paul exhorteth That supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. I will not deny but there are many enemies both spiritual and temporal that do continually endeavour to infest and molest this happy passage towards eternity But what hurt or hinderance can it be to a well resolved spirit though the Devil with all his smoaky legions do thunder forth their phantastick false alarums The Lord will give strength unto his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace saith that man of War Psal 29. 11. Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid saith Christ to his Disciples Joh. 14. 17. And he that said it is well able to perform it For he is the prince of peace Isa 9. 6. This is the peace of God and it is more then an ordinary peace It is a perfect and a perpetual peace an infinite and an inward peace First it is a perfect peace Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee saith that Evangelical Prophet to his and our God Isa 26. 3. Secondly it is a perpetual peace The Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee According to that of the same Prophet Isa 54. 10. Not so perfect and perpetual that it shall never be interrupted but so perfect and perpetual that it shall never be utterly overthrown Thirdly it is an infinite peace it passeth all understanding And fourthly it is an inward peace It keepeth your hearts and mindes The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and mindes saith the Apostle Phil. 4. 7. Yea and it is an outward peace also when a mans wayes please the Lord. he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him saith that wise man Prov. 16. 7. Or if they will not it shall be upon their own peril For his heart is established he shall not be afraid untill he see his desire upon his enemies Psal 112. 8. This is the peacefull life or the spiritual mans peacefull passage to eternal salvation or everlasting life which is the fourth and last degree and that which is expressed here in this Copy as the onely intire happinesse and perfection of all the former For the matter what
said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud Live I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field and thou hast increased and waxen great and thou art come to excellent ornaments thy breasts are fashioned and thine haire is grown whereas thou wast naked and bare Ezek. 16. 6 7. See here the wonderfull incomprehensible goodnesse of our God not onely in pitying and reviving the poor Soul miserably polluted and even dead in the gore and filth of her natural sins and corruptions But also in supplying and inriching her with most beautifull Ornaments Allegorically relating to the graces and indowments belonging to a spiritual life Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I sware unto thee and entered into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord verse 8. And what Covenant can any man imagine this to be but an expresse or a discovery of that eternal Covenant of Grace For who can expect these undeserved favours but by and through Jesus Christ our Lord the onely Mediatour of that Covenant And being such blessings as no man can receive from God but by the hand of a lively faith according to the condition of that Covenant We come now to prove that the peacefull life or the spiritual mans peacefull passage to eternity is vouchsafed unto us in and through Jesus Christ by virtue of this Covenant of Grace Wherein I desire you to understand that it is not an outward or a worldly peace that I intend in this place For albeit the Lord promiseth his people upon their reconciliation and return That in that day he will make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and that he will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth and make them to lie down safely as Hos 2. 18. Yet without doubt this promise was neither generally nor absolutely intended but conditionally even as he in his wisdome should see it to be good and neceâ—â—ary for his own people and conducible to his own glory For our Saviour telleth his Disciples plainly These things have I spoken unto you saith he that in me ye might have peace in the world ye shall have tribulation John 16. 33. A Child of God shall never want adversaries so long as the Devil hath any agents or instruments abroad yet he is not without his several comforts and preventions For when he first discovers them he considers them to be Gods enemies also and therefore he leaves them wholy unto Gods ordering Secondly when they begin to rouze themselves he looks the more narrowly to his own wayes least his indiscretion should give them the greater advantage And lastly when they pursue him with violence he maketh merily towards his covert his strong hold He trusteth in the Lord for ever for in the the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Isa 26. 4. The peace of a true believer may be shaken but not utterly overthrown All the world cannot beat him from his confidence in God for albeit he is very sensible of his own weaknesse yet he is sure of a powerfull Peace-maker Being justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord saith Saint Paul Rom. 5. 1. Yea The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and mindes through Jesus Christ saith the same Apostle Phil. 4. 7. You will say This is by Christ but how is it by Covenant I will make a Covenant of peace with them it shall be an everlasting Covenant with them saith the Lord concerning his Church Ezek. 37. 26. This indeed is a Covenant of peace you will say and an everlasting Covenant But what is this to that eternal Covenant of Grace I answer first had it not been for that eternal Covenant No Creature after Adams rebellion had ever been capable of any other Covenant for good Secondly we may be confident that God did never make any Covenant whatsoever to or with mankinde since the Creation but it hath its relation to that Original Covenant of Grace The very Covenant of works made with Adam and exemplified to the Israelites as a rule of life in the Moral Law or the Law of the ten Commandments discovereth unto us that enmity between God and us together with our own infirmities and inabilities and sendeth us to seek for reconciliation by Jesus Christ By whom we have now received the atonement Rom. 5. 11. And thirdly the gift that God vouchsafed unto us in that Covenant of Grace was Jesus Christ the onely begotten Son of God And he is our peace Eph. 2. 14. The fourth and highest degree is everlasting life in the Kingdom of glory This also is given unto us in and through Jesus Christ our Lord. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 23. He that believeth not God hath made him a lyar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son And this is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son 1 John 5. 10 11. And it is assured unto us in and by this eternal Covenant For it was promised before the world began Tit. 1. 2. But what need we any further proof then the expresse words of this Copy God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life This is the glorious inheritance which the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God hath purchased for the sons of men in and by this Covenant of Grace delivered unto us in this Copy under the Title of Everlasting life Our blessed Saviour in his description of the day of judgement calls it a Kingdom Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Mat. 25. 34. This is that which old Jacob expected upon his death-bed saying I have waited for thy salvation O Lord Gen. 49. 18. And that inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven As St. Peter sets it forth 1 Peter 1. 4. Seing therefore that we have such a hopefull and such a happy inheritance presented unto us in this eternal Covenant I conceive it will be very necessary that we search out the right Heire thereunto Lest peradventure the numerous or numberlesse pretenders should deceive both themselves and others by presuming upon their unwarrantable interests without any considerable evidence or assurance And in order unto this discovery It will be very convenient that we do first lay down this firm foundation That Faith is the onely evidence which either
doth or can make good our Title to eternal salvation That more then most excellent inheritance which the Saints of God do and shall injoy in the Kingdom of glorie And this in spite of the Devil and all his adherents is most manifest throughout the whole word of God Faith is the evidence of things not seen saith the Apostle Hebr. 11. 1. And eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. Verily Verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life saith our Lord and Saviour Joh. 6. 47. Ye are all the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus saith St. Paul Gal. 3. 26. And if children then Heirs Heirs of God and joynt Heirs with Christ saith the same Apostle Rom. 8. 17. Thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3. 15. Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in Faith and Heirs to the Kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him saith the Apostle James Jam. 2. 5. Ye are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 5. And to confirm us yet more perfectly in this general truth we finde Faith to be the onely condition exemplified in this Copy of that Covenant whereby we stand intituled to everlasting life even from all eternity God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life ANd now concerning the right Heir to this inheritance you shall very hardly meet with any man or woman whatsoever but they will be ready to lay claim thereunto Yea and they will inforce their Allegations and produce their evidences such as they are And therefore to avoid confusion in this case I shall endeavour to reduce the multitude of Pretenders amongst us that will be called Christians unto these few heads As namely The obstinate Offender The ignorant Infidel The good honest Man The zealous Reformer And The legal Professour And in them I shall briefly consider their Actions their Allegations and their Evidences The first in this Catalogue is the obstinate Offender And by him I intend such a one as runneth on in his sins according to a Reprobate sense without contradiction or remorse of conscience I shall give you no other account of his actions then what I finde recorded by the Spirit of God Least by lighting accidentally upon the corruptions of some particular persons I be looked upon either as envious or injurious In the tenth Psalm beginning at the fourth verse the Prophet David describeth him thus First by his Pride The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts verse 4. Secondly by his Behaviour His wayes are alwayes grievous thy judgements are far above out of his sight as for all his enemies he puffeth at them verse 5. Thirdly by his Security He hath said in his heart I shall not be moved for I shall never be in adversity ver 6. Fourthly by his Subtilty His mouth is full of cursing and deceit under his tongue is mischief and vanity ver 7. Fifthly by his Treachery He sitteth in the lurking places of the Villages in the secret places doth he murder the innocent his eyes are privily set against the pâ—or He lyeth in wait secretly as a Lion in his Den he lieth in wait to catch the poor he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his Net he crouhceth and humbleth himself that the poor may fall by his strong ones verses 8 9 and 10. Sixthly and lastly by his Blasphemy He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it verse 11. These are his Actions Neither are his Allegations any thing unsuteable For let either Magistrate or Minister or any private friend reprove or admonish him concerning the evil of his ways or the sad condition of his poor Soul And they shall soon finde that he will return reproaches for reproofs and bad language for good counsel What do you think he knows not what he hath to do as wel as any foolish Hypocrite of them all Is there any man that doth not sin He that saith to the contrary is a lyar What are his offences but infirmities or humane frailties And he can say as much or more by other men then they can say by him These are his best thanks But commonly he is so throughly instructed by the Devil his Master that with lying accusations and scornfull Allegations he is able to silence the most confident Christian living But you will say dares any wicked wretch so odious in the sight of God and man lay claim unto this heavenly inheritance Yea verily dares he For if pride and contempt will afford him so much patience as to hear or discourse concerning the same he is ready presently to produce his evidence And commonly part of it will be this He believes that God is mercifull for did he not proclaim himself after this manner The Lord The Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Exod. 34. 6 7. And what can any man desire more Why I desire that he would proceed a little further in that seventh verse And that will by no means clear the guilty But this is past his learning and contrary to his liking For by this it appears that this evidence of his is nothing worth For God is not so mercifull as to destroy his Justice Neither can he in Justice pardon sin without satisfaction But yet he is neverthelesse confident in his Title For this is but one clause of his evidence he proceedeth yet further and saith he groundeth his assurance upon that saying of Paul where he telleth Timothy That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom he is chief 1 Tim. 1. 15. Who doubts of that But he must know that the true saving Faith consisteth not in believing that Christ came into the World to save sinners But in receiving Christ and applying the promise to our own particulars whereby we get assurance that he is ours and we are his According to that of the faithful spouse My beloved is mine saith she I am his Can. 2. 16 And thefore the foresaid Apostle Paul Know ye not saith he that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. But how shall a man know whether Christ be in him or not Why If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse saith the same Apostle Rom. 8. 10. See how this miserable wicked wretch deceives himself to the dishonour of God and the destruction
now is made manifest unto the Saints of God Col. 1. 26. But you may say Do we not see that in these dayes many ignorant and unlearned persons even they that cannot or can but very hardly read do neverthelesse take upon them to teach the word of God publickly and with much confidence whilest men of great learning and such as have improved their knowledge and judgement by a long continued exercise and industry are slighed and neglected This indeed we find to be true by lamentable experience neither hath the divell a more destructive engine to batter and beat down the truth or to bring the Gospel into contempt and unto confusion For doth not the Apostle Peter say That in his brother Pauls Epistles there are some things hard to he understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction with this caveat Ye therefore he loved seeing ye know these things before beware least ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness 2 Pet. 3 16 17. But they Object that Christ did advertise his Apostles saying Take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak Mat. 10. 19. True But this was in case of their own defence where the Saviour charged his Apostles not to be carefull to provide themselves of any cunning or artificiall excuse but to commit themselves confidently to the Lord for their protection and assistance who will undoubtedly stand with them and strengthen them in all such trialls As Saint Paul did afterwards finde by experience 2 Tim. 4. 17. But in other cases and places especially in the house of God Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hastie to utter any thing before God Saith that kingly Preacher Eccles 5. 1 2. And amongst Pauls admonitions to Timothie Study saith he to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth 2 Tim. 2. 15. But were not the Apostles ignorant and unlearned men They were so And it was very much agreeable to Gods wisdom to choose such as were neither cunning Statesmen nor eloquent Oratours least his Gospel should be suspected to have been invented by policy or maintained by sophistry My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in ademonstration of the spirit and of power That your Faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God Saith that learned Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. But those ignorant men had an incomparable master who could as well inable as command them to speak or do whatsoever was expedient or necessary to the publication and confirmation of his Truth and Gospel which appeared most manifestly in that he personally impowered them to work miracles Mat. 10. 1. And soon after his ascention inriched them with the gift of the holy Ghost in a visible manner whereby They began immediately to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterances Acts 2 3 4. And whosoever can make it appear that he is truely qualified with these extraordinary indowments I shall easily allow him that title of an Apostle which many novices do now usurpe merely by vertue of their ignorance Or otherwise I need not fear to say unto them as our Saviour some time said unto the Sadduces Ye erre because ye know not the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22. 29. Secondly in obtaining faith reading is not comparable to hearing for though a man hath never such an excellent apprehension yet the nature of man is generally proud and partiall to his own inclinations Insomuch that when he meeteth with any exhortation or reproof that crosseth or contradicteth his beloved corruptions he is easily inclined to pass it by as a thing little materiall to his purpose he will not readily fasten it upon himself And by this means he seldom or never acquainteth himself with the doctrine of self-deniall whereas our Saviour saith whosoever will come after me let him deny himself Mar. 8. 34. And truely till a man feeleth himself sinking under the weight of his corruptions and utterly lost in all his other expectations he will hardly lay hold upon the Son of God to save him And whosoevet doth not lay hold upon him by the hand of a saving faith he must perish eternally He that beleeveth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that beleeveth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him John 3. 36. But shall a man come to the knowledge of his own corruptions rather by hearing then by reading I answer that it is the more promising way by much for whereas a man may favour himself in reading yet the word of God in the mouth of his minister is or ought to be powerfull and impartiall For if I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ saith Paul Gal. 1. 10. And to this purpose it was that the same Apostle did give that forcible charge to his beloved Timothie I charge thee therefore before God saith he and the Lâ—rd Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom Preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. And I doubt not but I may say of reproof as the Apostle said of Chastening No reproof for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them that are exercised thereby Heb. 12. 11. But he that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddainly be destroyed and that without remedie saith Solomon Pro. 29. 1. Thirdly reading is not so necessary as hearing Because we find no such precept or command for the one as for the other The priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts Malac. 2. 7. And if the church of the Jews were to seek the Law at the mouth of the sacrificing Priest How much rather are we to seek the Gospel at the mouth of the minister of Christ For if the ministration of condemnation be glory much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceed in glory Saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. 9. Wherefore my beloved brethren let every man be quick to hear slow to speak Saith James Ja. 1. 19. And the Spirit of God crieth out seaven times in the second and third Chapters of the Revelation He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Fourthly we find no such promise made to reading as is made to hearing Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live And I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of
Yet she must likewise perfect holiness in the fear of God And be renewed in the spirit of her minde And put on that new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse as Ephes 4. 23 24. Or she esteems her self unfit for Christ These are the beauties that her Lord delights in And therefore now she seeks to deck her self with these new ornaments Not with broyded hair or gold or pearls or costly aray as good St. Paul 1 Tim. 2. 9. And yet much lesse will she deform her self according to the fashions of this world But she endeavours to adorn her self in the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which in the sight of God is of great price According to St. Peters exhortation 1 Peter 3 4. And being thus arayed and adorned with precious robes instead of specious rags beyond the power or police of nature and past the industry of humane art She seeks the good hand of her God upon her for which she humbly magnifies his grace saying as in Isaiahs Prophesie I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyfull in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousnesse as a bridegroom decketh him self with Ornaments and as a bride adorneth her self with her jewells Isa 61. 10. And thus attired with all humility she waiteth to receive her soveraign Lord and panting for his most desired presence she sings as in the song of Solomon stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love Cant. 2. 5. Set me as a seal upon thy heart as a seal upon thine arm for love is strong as death Cant. 8. 6. Make haste my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices Cant. 8. 14. And now her blessed Lord who all this while from the first in stant of her new creation wrought secretly upon her sinful heart melting it in the furnace of affliction discovering the Agent cause and cure of all her miseries instructing her in her own sinfulnesse and wants and weaknesse disposing her to seek and find relief removing all occasions of offence and renovating her to his own likenesse And all this by the level of humility the first and fairest fruit of faith and love Now he appears to her more visibly For God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse shineth in her heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Jesus Christ as in 2 Cor. 4. 6. At which the poor Soul fares as one transported Not by the spirit of illusion of pride vain glory or Hypocrisie like those that labour to dishonour Christ in his eternal Mediatorship by their conditional Election that magnify the broken arm of flesh by their free-will and carnal confidence that wrest the word of God to overthrow Scripture by reason that will make the Law of none effect by their traditions that do despise rule order government and lift themselves above Gods Ordinances that make their Christian liberty the Cloak for their ambition avarice and envy that dare with shamelesse impudence proclaim themselves for Saints whereas their practice proves that they are altogether otherwise That say stand by thy self come not near to me for I am holier then thou These are a smoak in my nose c. saith the Lord Isa 65. 5. But in the spirit of a meek sound minde with upright Job she sayes unto the Lord I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job 42. 5. 6. And with that Evangelical Isaiah wo is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the Lord of Hosts Isa 6. 5. And with that good Centurion she saith Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof Math. 8. 8. And thus the nearer that her Lord approcheth with his pure spotlesse glorious perfections the more unworthy she esteems her self untill she seems unto her self as nothing Yea worse then nothing All her braveries her beauties honours pleasures wit and wealth are lying Witches all her fair professions are painted Vizards of Hypocrisie her moral vertues and most precious parts are filthy garments spotted by the flesh For so she values them and casts them from her And having stript her self of all such rags she humbly layes her self at her Lords feet saying as Ruth did sometime say to Boaz I am thine handmaid spread therefore thy skirt over thine hand-maid Ruth 3. 9. And wheresoever this Humility hath wrought this work No doubt but Christ is there and brings assurance as his next attendant And so it followeth in the fourth place That wheresoever Christ is there is Assurance In him we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence by the faith of him saith St. Paul Eph. 3. 12. And that strong fortresse wherein this Assurance is to be lodged and established is the free promises of God in Christ according to the Covenant of Grace There are too many that do seek for this Assurance in their own sanctification And that in order to their victories over their sins their abilities to serve their God according to the rule of his Commandments And this I must confesse is a fair building but yet exceeding subject to the blasted in time of tryal and temptation when every filching undermining sin shall catch occasion to break in and shake or shatter all or part of their Assurance But that Assurance which is fortified by the sure promises of God in Christ is much more safe secure and satisfying Wherefore if thine Assurance steps aside and seems to slight thee fly unto the promises where thou shalt hear thy Lord returning him with this or the like comfortable language Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Math. 11. 28. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out John 6. 37. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life John 6. 47. He hath it already First he hath it of Christ by promise Secondly he hath it from Christ by purchace And thirdly he hath it in Christ by posession I say that every true believer hath eternal life And first of Christ by promise My sheep hear my voice saith he and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life c. John 10. 27 28 29. And therefore fear not little flock saith he for it is your fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Luke 12. 32. Secondly he hath it from Christ by purchase by Christ his purchase and that under seal and in the earnest thereof After that
this we wait upon the Lord our God without repining murmuring or offence even in the greatest tryals or distresses Ye have heard of the patience of Job saith Saint James and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitifull and of tender mercie Jam. 5. 11. This patience expecteth no reward but what the Lord is pleased to allow and she as willingly will wait his leisure for the performance of his gracious favour If we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it saith St. Paul Rom. 8. 25. Be of good courage therefore and he shall strengthen your heart all ye that hope in the Lord as Psal 31. 24. I will not say but patience may miscarry And hope deferred may make the heart sick But this Patience of Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ who is the God of patience and of hope Rom. 15. 5 13. This verily is such a threefold cord as never can be broken And thus according to this patience we must continue and conclude the work begun by faith and laboured in by love For let this patience have her perfect work and ye shall be perfect and entire wanting nothing According to that of the Apostle Ja. 1. 4. And when our actions shall be undertaken by such a faith as onely respecteth Gods Commands and laboured in by such a love as onely affecteth Gods glory and continued by such a patience as onely expecteth Gods favour Then we may certainly assure our Souls they have brought forth the fruit of godlinesse And to confirm you further in this Rule I shall present you with some few examples Behold it first in father Abraham In that great work of offering up his son He undertakes it first by Gods command Gen. 22. 1 2. And therefore in the obedience of faith And Secondly his labour is of love of love to God For in comparison of that his love to God he loved not his Son his onely Son Thirdly his willingnesse did manifest his patience his patience of hope who against hope believed in hope saith the Apostle Rom. 4. 18. See it again in Josephs abstinence His Mistris courts him to commit a sin odious to God injurious to his Master and thereupon he could not but believe it was the minde of God he should refuse her Gen. 39. 7. 8. And here his love to God was evident How can I do this great wickednesse saith he and sin against God verse 9. And was it not a sign of Patience that he would rather suffer then accuse his lustfull Mistris or excuse his own abused innocency as verse 20. We likewise find this power of godlinesse in the three children as we use to call them In Shadrach Meshach and Abednego The king injoyns them to fall down and worship his golden image Dan. 3. 14 15. A thing quite opposite to Gods command Exod. 20. 4 5. And therefore in obedience to faith they disobey his heathenish injunction For they answered and said O Nebuchad-nezzar we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set up Dan. 3. 16 17 18. In which reply it likewise may appear they loved God more deerly then their lives Nor is their patience lesse observable in that they went to their intended torture without recanting murmuring or repining As verse 21. Yet one example more and that from Paul The author of this Rule this Golden Chain and in relation to his Ministery unto the which he was commissionated by God in Christ Acts 9. 15 16. Which is yet more exactly set forth Act. 26. 15 c. And set his matchlesse love unto his Lord in his undaunted resolution Act. 20. 22. to 26. And with what patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ he suffered the afflictions of the Gospel it may most perfectly appear unto us in that he gloried in such tribulation We glorie in tribulation also saith he knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed c. Rom. 5. 3 4 5. Now these and every work of the like nature whether it be of doing or of suffering of speech of action or of abstinence begotten by God in the womb of faith and born unto God by the hand of love and nursed for God at the breast of patience This is the sweet fruit which the teeming Soul doth usually bring forth unto her husband to God in Christ her husband And therefore it may very well be called according unto Gods name Godlinesse or after Christs name Christianity I will not say that ever any man except the Son of God both God and Man did fully and exactly steer his course according unto these points But I say that he which failes in any one of these so far he falleth short of godlinesse And yet 't is not denied but he may be a godly man that oftentimes doth misse to shape his actions to these principles Provided that his heart be well disposed that his desires be orderly and good and his endeavours vigorous and constant A Ship at Sea may sometimes be becalm'd and sometimes weather-beaten by a storm so as she cannot keep a steady course Sometimes the winde may set so sore against her that you would think her sailing to a Coast far distant from the Port that she intendeth And yet the Pilot is a skilfull man and brings his Vessel to his wished Haven in a good hour Even so the precious Soul may sometimes want Divine assistance sometimes such a storm of strong temptations may circumvent her as may inforce her from her good desires or Satan in his malice may beset her with some such difficulties as may drive her far distant from the course of her endeavours And yet the body joyned with this Soul is a good godly person and so full both of the seed and fruit of godlinesse That he may lay a warrantable claim unto the title of eternal life as a joynt Heir with Jesus Christ his Lord through the obedience of faith and love by vertue of that Covenant of Grace For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life FINIS The chief Heads contained in and pertaining unto this Copy of the Covenant of Grace  Page Page THe Covenanters 1. to 25. The Consideration 25. to 29. The Gift 29. to 38. The Provisoe 38. to 55. The Prevention 55. to 65. The Inheritance 65. to 93. Several Pretenders to the said Inheritance together with their Actions their Allegations and their Evidences 93. to 125. The right Heir discovered 125. to 133. His Evidence examined 133. to 200. His rich Plantation 200. to 243. His Souls affection 243. to 258. Her Profession 258. to 270. Her Inquisition 270. to 288. Her Confirmation 288. to 371. Her Satisfaction 371. to 388. Her gracious marriage 388. to 397. Her godly seed 397. ad finem Errata PAge 23. l. 3. r. in the wayes p. 54. l. 3. r. and of the gift p. 103. l. 6. r. of the Lord p. 14. l. 15. r. yet it p. 152. l. 11. r. me to do 193. l. 6. r. but in de p. 199. l. 16. r. such as p. 201. l. 4. r. find it in p. 204. l. 6 r. yet this p. 210. l. 4. r. strange flesh p. 206. l. 5. r. must not be p. 251. l. 13. r. Cant. ◠3. p. 298. l. 24. r. the praises due p. 270. l. 27. r. his prayer p. 271. l. 28. r. 1 King p. 277. l. 19. r. Son p. 281. l. 28. and 29. r. speak p. 283. l. 3. r. learns p. 284. l. 14. r. is leading p. 298. l. 4. r. if the. p. 301. l. 14. for intimated r imitated p. 302. l. 14. r. nor according p. 307. l. 6. r. this is p. 328. l. 13. r. Jo. 1. 29. p. 329. l. 21. r. and is in p. 346. l. 26. r. world lieth in p. 349. l. 2. r. drink wine p. 360. l. 8. r. Haman l. 17. r. or future p. 373. l. 15. r. wary Soul p. 381. l. 8. r. is the third p. 383. l. 19. r. and it is p. 408. l. 17. r. and see his
between them to that purpose Verily he was fore-ordained before the foundation of the World saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 20. Secondly we read that Abel the second son of Adam did offer unto God a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain the first born And this was by faith saith the Apostle Hebr. 11. 4. Now this faith of his could not have been so effectual had it not been built upon some sure foundation And what might that be His own righteousnesse in order unto the Covenant of works Surely No He could not but know that to be a false ground for it sunk under his father whereby both they and we became liable to death and destruction And therefore Abels faith must of necessity be established upon some such promise as that of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Titus 1. 2. And to whom might this promise be made before the World began But to Christ the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. who was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the earth was Prov. 8. 23. Nor can we imagine that this promise of eternal life was made by God the Father but upon some conditions to be accomplished by God the Son which were to be revealed and performed in their season When he shall make his Soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Isa 53. 10. There is the condition prescribed and the time prefixed Thirdly this Covenant of Grace will appear to be eternal if we shall consider how mightily Gods truth was ingaged in the Covenant of works Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die saith the Lord Gen. 2. 17. Yet we see that Adam did eat and died not accordingly Gen. 3. 6. Now how shall the truth of God be preserved in this case but by vertue of some such former act as might dis-ingage Gods resolution before it proceeded to execution which in all probability must be according to that eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord Eph. 3. 11. For albeit the truth of God might seem to suffer in the breach of the Covenant of works yet grace and truth came by Jesus Christ John 1. 17. Fourthly if we shall seriously regard the Justice of God we shall finde this Covenant of Grace to be eternal Almighty God createth Adam and freely gives him great possessions reserving to himself the fruit of one tree onely in signe of homage due to his supremacy And in case of disobedience by eating thereof he decrees the penalty of death Neverthelesse Adam transgresseth in this very particular And shall he eat and not die Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right saith Abraham Gen. 18. 25. But Adam eateth and dieth not Now the justice of God which must not cannot be violated sends us of necessity to some further consideration There must be some preconclusion made by way of prevention Doubtlesse if Christ the Redeemer had not been ready by vertue of this Covenant of Grace to satisfie Gods Justice even in that very instant of mans rebellion against the Covenant of works Death destruction had immediately seised upon sinfull man together with the whole Creation But in that very point of time the Son of God appeareth in the presence of his Father on the behalf of miserable man Saying Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a Ransome as Job 33. 24. And in order thereunto Christ suffered the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God or reconcile us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. Fifthly if we look back towards Gods Election that will also prove unto us the eternity of this Covenant Blessed saith St. Paul be the God and father of the Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World Eph. 1. 3 4. Now in all reason there was no occasion why God should choose any in Christ before the foundation of the world but that foreseeing mans general ruine by his disobedience to the Covenant of works a remnant might be preserved from destruction by Christ according to the Election of Grace And therefore most excellent to this purpose is that of Paul to Timothie Be not thou therefore ashamed saith he of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began 2 Tim. 1. 8 9. Let us consider the latter verse more seriously Who hath saved us and called us He saved us intentionally before he called us actually Not according to our works or according to the Covenant of works made with us but according to his own purpose and grace or his own purpose in the Covenant of Grace which was given us in whom why in Christ Jesus when before the world began The certainty of all these former four particulars will appear yet more clearly if we shall conceive and consider That God the Father almighty together with Christ his onely begotten co-essential Son did from eternity contrive to advance their glory and to make it shine through their illustrious attributes of Goodnesse Power Wisdom Justice Grace and Truth And to that purpose this individual two the Father and the Son did in the unity of the Spirit comply and conclude to modellize or frame a goodly creature called Man Such a one as may be sensible of their intentions capable of their commands and active to proceed in their designs The better to affect him with their goodnesse they will create him of contemptible materials The dust of the earth But they will shape him in a royal mould In their own Image And least he should be wanting in any particular whatsoever To manifest the greatnesse of their power They 'll frame for him a spacious Universe A World compleatly and abundantly supplied with all things necessary convenient and comfortable far beyond humane apprehension over all which Man shall have the sole dominion To qualifie and fit him for such a vast command They will inrich his person with excellent endowments and his minde with admirable instructions Neverthelesse in reservation of their own original right they will binde him by Covenant to the observation of certain particulars And in case of his disobedience thereunto they will cast him from the height of honour into the depth of horrour and destruction But in their boundlesse wisdom they foresee that man their great Vicegerent will miscarry and fall away from his integrity And therefore in reference to
their Justice they can do no lesse than confound and destroy him for ever together with all those excellent dignities and dominions wherewith they are resolved to indow him But least by this means their glorie should be buried in the untimely ruines of such a promising fair enterprise The Son supports it with the pillar of his grace the Monument of a most dear Redeemer Father saith he I will not undertake to keep the Rebel from his cursed fall least happily he boasts himself to stand by his own strength But in his fall I will keep him from the curse yet satisfie thy Justice to the full Be pleased to deliver to my hand his Covenant so forfeited return him over debtour unto me and leave him wholly to my custody I 'le be his surety In the interim O my Father to magnifie the riches of our Grace let thou and I contract a Covenant A preventing Covenant to take effect just at the very instant of his fall wherein I 'le rise a Mediatour between thy Justice and his weaknesse which if he or any of his lost posterity shall willingly receive and seal unto I will not onely save him from thy wrath but likewise I 'le restore him to thy love in which I will establish him for ever To this the Father gives his free consent And thus the Father and the Son conclude to ratifie this Covenant of Grace And truely I doubt not but all such as are truely godly will very well admit of this supposed conference provided that it be with holy reverence For we read That Jesus Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God Hebr. 9. 14. And that God received him with this congratulation In an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a day of salvation have I helped thee and I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherit the desolate heritages That thou mayest say to the prisoners go forth to them that are in darknesse shew your selves And they shall feed in wayes and their pastures shall be in all high places c. Isa 49. 8 9. c. I beseech you let us take these words of God the Father unto God the Son into our further consideration For verily we cannot conceive at the first view how punctually they may be applied to that eternal Covenant In an acceptable time have I heard thee on the worlds behalf And I have helped thee to work salvation in a day most proper for that purpose And I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of or concerning the people or on the behalf of the people to establish the earth which otherwise would be destroyed To cause to inherit the heritages which otherwise would be made desolate Adam and Eve together with their whole posterity in them shall be prisoners to my Justice But thou shalt inlarge them That thou mayest say to the prisoners Go forth they shall hide themselves from my presence as in darknesse but thou shalt make them confident saying shew your selves And they shall live safely pleasantly and plentifully They shall feed in the wayes and their pastures shall be in all high places c. By this conclusion between God and Christ their Creation is finished furnished Man their great Governour is constituted by Commission and confirmed by Covenant which he rebelling breaks and tumbles headlong towards condemnation But in that very point of time the Son by virtue of this Covâ—nant of Grace redeems him from destruction Restores him to his Fathers favour And re-estates him in his first Command Where he with all of his elect posterity persisting in the faith of Jesus Christ are mounted from the degree of servants to the dignity of Sons according to the Tenor of eternal truth For as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name John 1. 12. And thus we see that Jesus Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works According to that of St. Paul Tit. 2. 14. And God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life According to the words of our Text. PRoceed we now to the second point or Member contained in this Copy of the Covenant of Grace Being the Consideration or motive that invited the Lord to contract this Covenant which we finde to be his Love God so loved the World So loved A vehement forcible expression So So abundantly So infinitely Indeed we may not conceive that any other but an infinite Love should proceed from an infinite God For Love in God is not accidental but essential And therefore it is attributed unto him in the abstract by that beloved Disciple God is Love saith he 1 Joh. 4. 8. Love it self It is impossible for any creature sufficiently to commend the Love of God because we are not able to comprehend the love of God Yet we may commend it for a great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins According to St. Pauls expression Ephes 2. 4. And according to the Lords own example For God comemndeth his love towards us in that when we were yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5. 8. Neither doth this commendation of the Love of God the Father from the mouth of God the Son fall any thing short of either of the former God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life But you will say how doth it appear that the Love of God was the onely Consideration or motive that procured him to conclude this Covenant of Grace We must understand and consider That God being Love it self As having the very pure and perfect substance of love in himself essentially He loveth himself by the necessity of his nature And his Creatures by the liberty of his will And so resolving to create the World with every particular therein contained he looked on them with a general love as being his good Creatures Gen. 1. 31. But on man he looked with a more peculiar affection First In respect that man was the onely Creature by whom the Lord intended to advance his own immortal glory Isa 43. 7. Secondly For that the Lord intended to create him in his own Image As well in regard of the substance of his Soul being immortal and immaterial Gen. 2. 7. As also in regard of the perfections of his Soul consisting of Righteousnesse and true Holinesse Eph. 4. 24. But then foreseeing mans accursed fall procured wholly by his own default The God of goodnesse looks upon him then even with the love of pity and compassion which so prevailed in his Son Christ Jesus That He gave himself for us an offering
which words I desire you to consider First that Christ as Mediatour gave Himself a Ransome Not silver nor gold nor such corruptible trash but himself Secondly that he gave himself a Ransome for all Not onely for Peter and James and John and those that followed him in the flesh But also for Adam Abel Enoch Noah and all that through the like faith either did do or shall imbrace him in the spirit and thirdly that this was not testified or revealed so soon as it was concluded but to be testified in due time By which me thinkes it doth appear most plain that Christ as Mediatour first did give himself to God by this eternal Covenant a Ransome and Redemption for Mankinde whom God receiving in full satisfaction Gives him again To suffer for sin Isa 53. 5. To justifie the ungodly Rom. 4. 5. To fulfill the Law for every one that believeth Rom. 10. 4. To be the object of our faith Joh. 6. 29. The onely object of our faith For there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Acts 4. 12. And finally and eternally to be whatsoever is good and profitable for the children of men Behold saith God I have given him for a witnesse to the people a Leader and Commander to the people Isa 55. 4. For a witnesse to testifie unto the people that all the promises of God in him are yea and Amen According to that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 1. 20. A Leader to lead them to the Father in the way of truth and life I am the way the truth and the life saith he no man cometh unto the father but by me John 14. 6. And a Commander to the people To work powerfully upon their hearts He taught them as one that had authority and not as the Scribes saith the Evangelist Marc. 1. 22. He said unto Simon Peter and Andrew his brother Follow me And they straightway followed him Mat. 4. 18 19 20. They immediately obey his Command without any inquisition either concerning profit or preferment Such Queries as are much insisted upon by unconfirmed resolutions He is made unto us of God wisdom and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. Are you ignorant Christ is your wisdom Are you sinfull He is your sanctification Are you inthralled or distressed or any way afflicted He is your redemption Or do you fear that you shall want any thing that may concern either your being or your well-being Why all things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours And ye are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. If Christ once comes to own you ye shall have his Ministers to instruct and to edifie you The World shall not harm you your life shall be gain and your Death advantage Things present shall content you And things to come shall comfort you All things are yours We know saith St. Paul that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8. 28. According to his eternal purpose in this eternal Covenant Nor do ye doubt of this For he that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32. You may haply conceive that your losse by Adam was very great But truely you may be confident that your gain by Christ is infinitely greater For though Adam in his innocency enjoyed the riches of Gods goodnesse yet he was not then sensible of the exceeding riches of his Grace For grace and truth came by Jesus Christ John 1. 17. Secondly Whatsoever Adam then received from God he received it onely as a servant But as many as receive the Lord Jesus Christ to them he giveth power to become the sons of God John 1. 12. And thirdly Though Adam in his Innocency was a righteous person Yet being left to his own power he fell into condemnation But there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. For they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation saith another Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 5. And this our Lord himself confirmeth beyond opinion My sheep saith he hear my voice and I know them and they follow me And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand John 10. 27 28. Thus have I shown you in the explication of the third point First that the gift conveyed in this eternal Covenant was Christ the onely begotten son of God Secondly I have shown you for what manner of Son the Spirit sets him forth And thirdly How and for what purpose the Father did give and send him Namely to suffer for sin To justifie the ungodly To fulfill the Law for all believers To be the onely object of our faith And to be all good things to all good Christians To all that believe in him According to the proviso or condition expressed and required in this Covenant of Grace which by the fourth and next branch contained in this Copy appeareth to be faith That whosoever believeth in him c. God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life JN this fourth point or Member we shall consider these three particulars First What is intended by this word Believe Secondly Why God requreth faith for the proviso or condition of this Covenant And thirdly Why he requireth nothing but faith For the first we must know that this word believe implieth much more then it seemeth to expresse But in as much as it hath relation to the Word and promises of God wherein his Son is holden forth unto us It doth properly signifie faith And this faith consisteth of two parts that is to say Assent and Consent whereof the first is an Act of the understing The second an Act of the will In the first the judgement is convinced to acknowledge and professe In the second the will is disposed to imbrace and practice Neverthelesse this Assent by it self is often taken for a general faith And it hath these three degrees Opinion knowledge and assurance Opinion is when a man believeth a thing to be true according to his present apprehension and judgement Yet the same thing may be otherwise for ought that he knoweth Or when a man verily thinks the thing to be true which may afterwards appear to be contrary I verily thought with my self saith St. Paul that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth which thing I also did in Jerusalem and many of the Saints did I shut up in prison And so he proceedeth to recount in what horrible practices that erronious Opinion of his had engaged him Acts 26.
otherwise grace is no more grace saith Saint Paul Rom. 11. 6. It is the nature of grace to be free we are justified freely by his grace saith the same Apostle Rom. 3. 24. If we shall look upon Gods words and works we shall finde that it is the will of God to give us his onely begotten Son Christ Jesus together with all his benefits and blessings altogether freely without cost without desert without assistance and without seeking First without our cost or charge Thou hast not brought me the small cattel of thy burnt-offerings neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an offering nor wearied thee with Incense Thou hast bought me no sweet Cane with money neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins saith the Lord Isa 43. 23 24 25. Now this obliteration or remission of sins is part of Christs purchase and we cannot receive the one without the other No Christ no forgivenesse of sins In him we have redemption through his bloud even the forgivenesse of sins saith St. Paul Eph. 1. 7. Neither did Christ himself set his own graces to sale when he stood cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink he that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water But this he spake of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive John 7. 37 38. 39. Secondly God giveth his Son with all his benefits c. without our desert We our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another But after that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour saith St. Paul Tit. 3. 3. 4 5 6. And to the Ephesians God who is rich in mercie for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 4. 5 6 7. All this he did for us when we were dead in sins And alas what can sinfull dead men deserve Thirdly he vouchsafeth us his Son Jesus Christ with all his graces and blessings without our assistance For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousnesse shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life Rom. 5. 17 18. And if freely and meerly by one then without our Assistance Fourthly and lastly God gives us Christ without our seeking When we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid our faces as it were from him he was despised and we esteemed him not saith the Prophet Isa 53. 2 3. The lost sheep sought not the Shepheard but the Shepheard sought his lost sheep Luke 15. 4. c. I am found of him that sought me not saith the Lord our Redeemer Isa 65. 1. Thus you see that it is the nature of grace to give altoger freely And therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace Rom. 4. 16. For to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt Rom. 4. 4. By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. And this I conceive to be a second and a solid reason why God requireth nothing but Faith Because whatsoever had been required with or besides Faith it would have been destructive to the very nature of this Covenant of Grace THe fifth branch growing in this Paradise this Eden of the Covenant of Grace is the prevention freedom from destruction should not perish should not be destroyed I conceive it will not be denied by any sound Christian but that Adams transgression against the Covenant of works did draw an universal guilt and punishment over the face of the whole earth Insomuch that every man woman proceeding from Adam after a natural generation is become guilty of his sin and by that means liable to his penalty First we are all polluted by his sinne Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one saith Job Job 14. 4. Behold saith David I was shapen in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me Psal 51. 5. And St. Paul tells us That the children of God by grace were the children of wrath by nature Eph. 2. 3. And it is onely sin that subjecteth us to Gods wrath Col. 3. 5 6. And secondly as Adams corrupted nature hath ingaged us in his damnable sin so hath his sin likewise exposed us to his deadly punishment For as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned or in whom all have sinned saith St. Paul Rom. 5. 12. Thus we see that the contagion or the infection of Adams sin and likewise the certainty of his punishment are both become universal And therefore this Hereditary corruptition hath put us into a perishing condition although we had no sin of our own to answer for But then if we shall consider all our sins both original and actual our sins of omission and our sins of commission together with their several circumstances and aggravations Who can forbear to cry out with Saint Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. The body of this death or the power of this death And verily we shall perceive the power of this death to be far more dangerous then ordinarily it is conceived to be If we shall consider it according to the several sorts or degrees of death Which we finde to be four viz. The spiritual death the cordial death the natural death and the eternal death The spiritual death is that whereby we are said to be dead in sin Eph. 2. 1. And therefore St. Paul tells us The widow that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth 1 Tim. 5. 6. And thus the Spirit to the Angel
of Grace I answer that as our Lord Jesus Christ did therein and thereby redeem us from all manner of death as it is a curse or a punishment for sin as I have already proved so I shall now endeavour to prove that he hath therein and thereby purchased and procured for us every sort or degree of life as it is a part of or a passage to eternal salvation And first concerning the first kinde being the natural life This Adam injoyed but conditionally In the day that thou eatest of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt surely die saith the Covenant of works But Adam eateth and must die therefore his present farewell to this natural life must be his welcome to eternal death When in that very instant Christ our Saviour appears for Man And by virtue of that precontract he stayes Gods justice and preserves mans life And by this means we all injoy our lives For had Adam then died according to his desert we had all died in him as the fruit dieth in the root It were little wisdom to expect a posterity from him that never did beget a Child And it appeareth that he had not begotten any before that great rebellion of his which called for present death But afterward in the time of his reprive Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bare Cain Gen. 4. 1. And she again bare his brother Abel Gen. 4. 2. And Adam knew his wife again and she bare a son and called his name Seth Genes 4. 25. And the dayes of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years and he begat sons and daughters Gen. 5. 4. And whosoever hath lived heretofore do now live or shall live hereafter They did do and shall receive their natural life originally from that old feeble stock And therefore his life being preserved to a posterity by Christ in this Covenant of Grace It follows necessarily that we do all receive our natural lives meerly by virtue of that Covenant The second sort or degree is the spiritual life This as I said is the fruit of regeneration or of the new birth In our first birth we are born men In our second birth we are born Christians good men blessed men The first benefit that we received by this Covenant of Grace is our Election in Christ before the foundation of the world Eph. 1. 3 4. The second benefit is our natural life which we received in Adams reprive by virtue of the said Covenant Yet I dare not call this a benefit absolutely or otherwise then as it putteth us into a possibility of attaining unto this spiritual life And therefore the first Lesson that our Saviour taught unto Nichodemus was the necessity of Regeneration saying verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God John 3. 3. The next absolute and undeniable benefit proceeding from this Covenant is the spiritual life whereby we become the sons of God not according to any carnal condition but according to the Spirit of adoptition Rom. 8. 14 15. By this spiritual life we likewise become sensible of the first benefit conveyed unto us in this Covenant being our Election which cannot be perceived either in us or by us in the state of nature before we begin to live this life of grace And for this spiritual life also if we desire to know it either in our selves or others we shall finde that it consisteth in the putting off the old man and putting on the new Ye ought so to learn Christ that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts And be renewed in the spirit of yâ—ur minde And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephes 4. 22 23 24. And to the Galatians walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh saith the same Apostle Gal. 5. 16. In this spiritual life it pleased the Father of our Lâ—rd Jesus Christ to communicate unto us his divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. His Image 2 Cor. 3. 18. And his spirit 1 John 4. 13. And by this means it cometh to passe that they which live this spiritual life Their eyes are opened they are turned from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins an inheritance with them which are sanctified by faith which is in Christ Jesus Acts 26. 18. And all this we injoy in and through Jesus Christ our Lord. If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 10. I have not read of any whom I conceive to have lived this life of grace more fruitfully then St. Paul did Neither was he ashamed to confesse how and from whom he received it I am crucified with Christ saith he neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and 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 Gal. 2. 20. Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord saith the same Apostle Rom. 6. 11. Verily our Lord Jesus Christ is not onely the procurer and purchaser of this spiritual life but also the Authour and the essence thereof The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live for as the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself Joh. 5. 25. 26. And again I am the Resurrection and the life saith Christ he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live John 11. 25. Though he were dead in sin yet shall he live by grace And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickned together with Christ having forgiven you all your trespasses saith St. Paul Col. 2. 13. And as this great benefit is conferred upon us in and by the Lord Jesus Christ so is it likewise confirmed unto us in and by this Covenant of Grace As for thy Nativity in the day thou wast born thy Navel was not cut neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee thou wast not salted at all nor swadled at all None eye pitied thee to do any of these things unto thee to have compassion upon thee but thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born saith the Lord by his Prophet Ezek. 16. 4 5. Here is the wretched estate of every Soul by nature in regard of sin delivered expresly concerning Jerusalem but is to be applied to Adam and all his posterity But when I passed by thee saith the Lord and saw thee polluted in thine own bloud I
and shall cease to be God in Christ personally that God may be all in all essentially According to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 28. Thus you see in some measure how it may be understood That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself And now we come to prove the fourth particular contained in this definition of faith That this justifying faith inableth us to believe the promises of God in Christ according to his Gospel Not according to the law For the law is not of faith Gal. 3. 12. For if there had been a law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have been by the law But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Iesus Christ might be given to them that believe Gal. 3. 21 22. And no man ought to doubt but that the promise of the grace of God in Christ is the onely voice of the Gospel whether it proceedeth from the Apostles or from the Prophets And therefore it is called the Gospel of the grace of God Acts 20. 24. And the Gospel of Christ Rom. 1. 16. And that this justifying and saving faith inableth us to believe the promises of God in Christ According to his Gospel it is most evident For neither can faith justifie or save us without the Gospel neither can the Gospel justifie or save us without faith And to this purpose faith is called The faith of the Gospel Phil. 1. 27. And the Gospel is called The word of faith Rom. 10. 8. Neither is this Gospel restrained to any time place or person but was is and shall be effectual through faith to all believers in all ages for ever For the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham Gal. 3. 8. And it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek Rom. 1. 16. Fifthly Faith inableth us to rest and repose our selves confidently upon the said promises of God in Christ Not onely to believe them but also to rest and rely upon them Every true believer can affirm that freely which Balaam the wizard was inforced to testifie in spight of his own teeth God is not a man that he should lie neither the Son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good Num. 23. 19. I know saith Iob that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Job 19. 25. 26 27. Lo we have left all and followed thee saith Peter unto Christ Luke 18. 28. We have left all the possibilities of this World and depended wholy upon thee and thy promises I am not ashamed of my sufferings saith Paul for I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day 2 Tim. 1. 12. I am perswaded saith the same Apostle that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord Rom. 8. 38 39. And very much to this purpose is that of Iohn the Baptist concerning faith in Christ He that hath received his Testimony saith he hath set to his Seal that God is true Joh. 3. 33. That is he that by the hand of a lively faith hath received the Testimony of God in Christ concerning the promises of the Gospel he hath set to his Seal that God is true in all those promises He hath not onely witnessed it with his mouth or subscribed unto it with his hand But he hath set to his Seal which is an argument of the greatest assurance that may be Verily the several deportments or behaviours of the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and generally of all the faithfull in all ages even to this present hour will abundantly testifie the truth of this particular If we shall look back upon their doings and sufferings but any thing seriously unto all which they were wholy induced and incouraged by the assured hope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began Tit. 1. 2. For if in this life onely they had hope in Christ they had been of all men most miserable According to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 19. The sixth and last particular belonging to this definition of faith is this That it inableth us to receive the Lord Iesus Christ or God in Christ for our Saviour and our Soveraign Lord First for our Saviour when many more of the Samaritans believed because of Christs own word They said unto the woman now we believe not because of thy saying but we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world Joh. 4. 41 42. Thus when the Lord beginneth to incline the Soul to listen after Iesus Christ He first presents him as a Saviour As being the most acceptable object to a distressed conscience who apprehending her own cursed condition by reason of sin and the Justice of God against sin armed with no gentler weapons then all manner of temporal calamities together with eternal death and destruction The poor blinde Soul sits now down in the darknesse of sorrow and discomfort imploring relief or direction to relief Like blinde Bartimeus who sate at the high-wayes side begging Mar. 10. 46. In this perplexity Gods holy Spirit whispereth and revealeth that Christ the Saviour is at hand to help her Hereupon with the same blinde man she beginneth to cry out Iesus thou Son of David have merâ—y on me And being charged by the Devil and despair to hold her peace she crieth the more a great deal Thou Son of David have mercie on me To whose sad cries the Saviour attendeth and sendeth faith to call her Faith saith unto her be of good comfort arise he calleth thee At this the cheerfull Soul casts off her Garment The rags of her own righteousnesse and riseth and cometh unto Iesus Iesus saith unto her what wilt thou that I should do unto thee The soul replieth Lord that I may receive my sight So much sight as that I may cleerly see thee to be my Saviour Jesus saith unto her Thy faith hath saved thee And immediately she receiveth sight and denieth her self and taketh up her crosse and followeth him according to her Saviours own direction Mark 8. 34. By this you may perceive that faith doth first set us on work to receive Christ for our Saviour or Redeemer Yet this is no infallible property of a
faith For unlesse the heart beleeveth unto righteousnesse the mouth cannot confesse unto salvation And therefore St. Paul hath put them both together Rom. 10. 10. And secondly this confession must comprehend the whole mystery of Christs incarnation As the Divinity of his generation the purity of his conception and the perfection both of his divine and humane nature together with his doctrine and miracles his sufferings and satisfaction his resurrection and ascension And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh according to all these truths is not of God 1 Joh. 4. 3. If you will proceed to a further triall of the spirits observe their fruit The fruit of the spirit of God is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance Gal. 5. 22. And they that live in the spirit do also walk in the spirit not desirous of vain-glory provoking one another envying one another Galat. 5. 25 26. And whomsoever we do really find walking contrary to these or any of these we may say with St. Jude Though they separate themselves they are sensuall having not the spirit Jude 19. But how shall a man behave himself if he shall happen to be beset or tempted by these or the like evil seducing spirits Why I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them saith St. Paul Rom. 16. 17. If any man consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse he is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envie strife railings evil surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth supposing that gain is godlinesse from such withdraw thy self 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5. They that have the form of godlinesse in profession and deny the power thereof in practice from such turn away 2 Tim. 3. 5. Their mouths must be stopped who subvert whole houses teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucres sake saith the same Apostle Tit. 1. 11. And thus that beloved disciple Whosoever transgressâ—â—h and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father the Son If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed 2 John 9. 10. And therefore take heed what ye hear Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie saith our Lord and Master Luke 12. 1. And so we proceed to his second Caution Take heed how ye hear Not negligently not deceitfully not despitefully but attentively reverently and obediently First take heed how ye hear the word of God negligently As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 2. We must not look upon the word of God as a thing indifferent but we must desire it as babes desire milk their best-pleasing and most proper food and nourishment I esteemed thy word more then my necessary food saith holy Job Job 23. 12. And thy word was unto me the joy and the rejoycing of my heart saith the Prophet Ieremy to the Lord God of hosts Jer. 15. 16. If these be things to be neglected then may we also neglect the good word of God Neverthelesse we are sensible that the hearing of the word of God is very much damnified by the means of negligence And this negligence may be said to be three-fold First there is a negligence in coming to hear the word of God There are many men and women that think if they come to hear onely when their lazinesse or leisure will give them leave once or twice in a moneth or haply in a quarter is very fair But to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts saith the Apostle Hebr. 3. 7 8. He that will not hear the voice of God from the mouth of his Ministers to day this day every day when it may be heard with any convenience It is a sore signe that his heart is either hardned or upon hardning A fearfull judgement And therefore the same Apostle in the same Chapter Take heed brethren least there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God But exhort one another daily while it is called to day least any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin Hebr. 3. 12 13. Secondly there is a negligence in hearing If the Devil cannot hinder a man from coming in at the Church door then commonly he endeavoureth to block up the door of his heart that the word may finde no profitable entrance And to further him in this his design either he disordereth the senses and disposeth them to slumbring prating gazing or the like ungodly ingagements or else he breedeth such a mutiny in the affections that they will by no means agree to give the word of God the least cordial entertainment As if the Lord had sent the same desperate curse among these negligent hearers which he sometime sent by his Prophet unto the Rebellions Israelites Go and tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes least they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed Isa 6. 9 10. Thirdly there is a negligence after hearing and that appeareth in not practising the word when and after it is heard And I conceive that the parable of our Saviour concerning the Sower may not impertinently be applied to this purpose I pray observe his own exposition Luke 8. beginning verse 11. The seed saith he is the word of God Those by the wayes side are they that hear then cometh the Devil and taketh away the word out of their hearts least they should believe and be saved Here is the malice of the Devil They on the Rock are they which when they hear receive the word with joy and these have no root which for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away There is the infirmity of the flesh And that which fell among Thorns are they which when they have heard go forth and are choaked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to perfection Here are the cares and snares of the world These were all hearers but never a practiser The malice of the Devil and the infirmity of the flesh together with the cares and snares of the world will not leave them so much as one word as we say to blesse themselves withall And truely much of this through negligence When was it that the enemy came and sowed Tares among the Wheat but while men slept Mat. 13. 25. While they
David saith the Lord by his Prophet Isa 55. 3. And thus his onely Son verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and beleeveth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life John 5. 24. And fiftly we have no president or example of any that beleeved by reading But we find that many thousands beleeved by hearing Acts 2. 41. and 4 4. and 13. 48. and 17. 12. For it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve 1 Cor. 1. 21. And you know that preaching hath its relation to hearing and not to reading But you will say to what purpose then do we bring up our children to reading or what do we with our Bibles and other godly books if reading in them be so unnecessary as you say it is Good Christians I pray mistake me not I do not say it is unnecessary But I say it is not so necessary or commodious for the getting of faith as hearing is The word which we read in the book is not so powerfull so full of spirit and life as that which we hear from God by the mouth of his ministers The words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life saith our Lord Christ Joh. 6. 63. Nevertheless I am so farr from condemning reading although it may be much abused as the best things too often are That I commend it for a beneficiall and a blessed excercise to all sorts of people both unbeleevers and beleevers For in relation to unbeleevers First it prepareth them for hearing by acquainting them with the history and making them familiar with the body of the Scriptures And you know that a man will more freely and willingly receive and entertain that which is familiar unto him then that which is strang or unknown unless he be of such an Athenian or Atheisticall spirit as to spend his time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing as Acts 17. 21. Secondly it inableth them to hear with the greater discretion and the more readily to find out the severall places of Scripture cited by the Minister either at the present or at their better leisure The Jews to whom Paul preached at Berea were commended for the more noble In that they received the word with readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Acts 17. 11. Therefore many of them beleeved vers 12. And as for the true beleevers who are neither wedded to their own understandings nor captivated by their own corruptions For the Spirit of God is with them And where the Spirit of God is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. To them I say reading is yet more profitable and proper For it serveth to assist their memories to improve their meditations and likewise to strengthen and confirm their Faith And questionless it was principally for these ends and purposes that the Apostles did write their Epistles to be read in divers churches or congregations which they dedicated to the Saints of God Such are were in Christ Jesus by faith whereunto they had been formerly converted by hearing the Gospell preached unto them either by the Authours of the same Epistles or by some other of the Apostles or Evangelists And therefore I say unto all men women and children concerning reading and hearing as Paul some time said to the Corinthians concerning spirituall gifts and prophesying 1 Cor. 14. 1. Desire reading but rather that ye may hear For faith cometh by hearing and hearing cometh by the word of God preached How can they hear without a preacher saith the same Apostle Rom. 10. 14. Now the reason why I have thus taken upon me to answer this question concerning reading is this Because many think to excuse themselves very well from attending upon God in his publick Ordinances by pretending that they do benefit themselves as much by reading good books at home But truely they do very mightily deceive themselves He that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of errour Saith that loving and beloved Disciple John 4. 6. WE are now come to answer the fift and last Question compleatly pertinent to the examination of this Beleevers evidence which is this How shall a man know whether he hath this saving faith or not That we may possess our selves of a right understanding in a matter of such consequence let us exactly consider that place of the Prophet Jeremy Where he compareth or likeneth a faithfull person to a goodly Tree that is richly planted well rooted full of sap flourishing fair and fruitfull You shall finde in the seventeenth of the Prophesie of Jeremy at the seventh and eighth verses In these words Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is For he shall be as a Tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her roots by the River and shall not see when heat cometh but her leaf shall be green and shall not be carefull in the year of drought neither shall cease from yielding fruit First this Tree is richly planted For she is planted by the waters And Job telleth us That though a Tree be cut down and that the root thereof wax old in the earth yet through the sent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a plant Job 14. 7 8 9. Secondly she is well rooted for she spreadeth out her roots by the River she spreadeth out her roots and that by the River Not by filthy myery or muddy waters but by the pure and pleasant streams When the Lord had planted a Garden in Eden with every Tree that was pleasant to the sight and good for food He provided a River to water the Garden Genes 2. 10. And it was the first commendation of the land of Promise That it was a good land a land of brooks of water of fountains and depths that spring out of vallies and hills Deut. 8. 7. Thirdly she is full of sap The Trees of the Lord are full of sap saith the Psalmist Psal 104. 16. And how can she be otherwise seeing she is so richly planted and so well rooted And therefore she shall not see or be sensible when the parching heat passeth over her Fourthly this Tree is flourishing for her leaf shall be green Her leaf shall not wither saith the Prophet David upon the like occasion Psal 1. 3. Fifthly she is fresh and fair and so she shall continue For she shall not be carefull in the year of drougth she shall put forth beautifull buds and blossomes never the lesse Sixthly and lastly she is fruitfull very fruitfull For she shall not cease from yielding fruits But you will say what resemblance or likenesse is there between this flourishing Tree and a true believer I answer let this be alwayes considered that those things which are spoken
well qualified as none but a true Believer can rightly apprehend and therefore I will referre the censure to such a one as the onely competent Judge in this case And to the second part I answer That without doubt the Apostle did speak no other then what was dictated unto him by the Spirit of God that holy Spirit that never deluded nor deceived any man But let us take heed that we deceive not our selves by expecting other kindes or degrees of profit then the Lord in his wisdom sees to be beneficial for us Serve the Lord with all your heart and turn ye not aside for then should ye go after vaine things which cannot profit nor deliver saith Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 20. And for the promise of the life that now is or of the things belonging to the life that now is we must know that we may not be altogether our own carvers But must willingly submit our selves unto the Lord both for the time the quality and the quantity Jacob Joseph David and the Church of the Jews in general were servants and greatly distressed before they came to be Masters and men of Authority Job Mordecay and Manasseh were more prosperous in their beginning and end then in their middle age Lot Asa and Josiah seemed most unhappy in and towards the end of their dayes Yet these were all approved of God and such upon whom he bestowed very remarkable favours Neither do I remember any of Gods most successefull servants that suffered not their several interruptions or alterations in their outward happinesse either at one time or another who will appoint me the time saith the Lord Jer. 5. 44. And therefore every good Christian will say unto the Lord with the Prophet David My times are in thy hand as Psal 31. 15. Secondly for the quality Peradventure the dearest Childe of God may sometimes desire such things as are very inconvenient Hezekiah that good King desired to be renowned for his precious things his Silver and his Gold c. 2 Kings 20. 13. But it threatned the ruine of his posterity ver 18. And that godly King Josiah desired a victory over Necho King of Egypt But he sought his own destruction For thereupon he received his deaths wound in the valley of Megiddo 2 Chron. 35. 22. James and John the Sons of Zebedee and the Disciples of Christ desired that they might sit the one on his right hand and the other on his left in his glory Mar. 10. 37. But he answered ye know not what ye ask verse 38. And Peter the Apostle desired to know more of his Lords minde then his Lord was minded to reveal and was reproved with what is that to thee John 21. 22. We see here that there are mistakes among the godly But what may be expected from such as suppose that gain is godliness Truely it is to be suspected that riches honour and preferment with the like outward additions have made many seekers For all seek their own not the things which are Jesus Christs Phil. 2. 21. I will not say but a man may desire a competency or a sufficiency agreeable to his calling or condition but not primarily or principally Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be added unto you saith Christ our Lord Mat. 6. 33. Lay hold on the substance and then doubt not of the circumstance For it is the Lord that maketh poor and maketh rich 1 Sam. 2. 7. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition 1 Tim. 6. 9. And lastly concerning the quantity It is a rare thing for a man to see when he hath enough we say much would have more Yet commonly the more we have the less good we do with it and the more loath we are to part from it We consume our dayes in hunting after increase and though we live never so long yet we die unsatisfied He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied mith silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase Saith the preacher Ecles 5. 10. Whereas if we could truely consider that of our Saviour where he saith A mans life or the happiness of a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth Luke 12. 15. Certainly our conversation would be more without covetousness and we should be better content with such things as we have seeing the Lord hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee According to that of the Apostle Heb. 13. 5. This is a sore evil under the sun yea even among the saints of God Baruch the Scribe was faithfull unto the Lord yet he desired more then the Lord was pleased to allow him And therefore the Lord sent Jeremiah to say unto him Seekest thou great things for thy self seek them not for behold I will bring evil upon all flesh saith the Lord but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest Jer. 45. 5. I will not say but a rich man may be a true beleever But charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they lay hold on eternall life Saith Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 6. 17 c. Thus you see that though it is very true that godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is yet the best of Gods people may deceive themselves either in the time the quality or the quantity And therefore it is necessary that we moderate our desires or rather that we refer them wholy to Gods all-seeing and all-searching wisdom And whosoever shall thus continue in the faith by patient waiting upon the Lord in time of Adversity and by moderating his affections in time of prosperity with this confidence that whatsoever he doth or suffereth it is all through Christ which strengtheneth him It is a very good sign that he is well rooted in Christ by faith Another sign is to be grounded in the faith If ye continue in the faith grounded c. And to be grounded in the faith I conceive is to beleeve upon good ground It is to be feared that in these last dayes these perillous times we have too many that do build their faith upon very slight and slippery grounds As upon temporary promises good success revelation traditions or self-worthiness By which they deceiâ—e both themselves and generally all the simpler self-ended sort of people In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that beleeve not least the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should
and new Testament Neither are these severall voices divided severally into certain Books or Pages or Chapters seeing we do somtimes meet with them both in one and the same verse The wages of sin is death there is the voice of the law Rom. 6. 25. But the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. There is the voice of the Gospel in the same verse The like may be observed 1 Cor. 15. 22. And in many other places wherefore that we may arive at a right understanding in these so necessary differences or distinctions we will first lay down two generall rules and afterwards proceed to more particular observations First when we finde any work injoyned to be done or the contrary commanded not to be done under any penalty either temporall or eternall whether it be curse or captivity famine or pestilence destruction death or damnation or any promise made upon doing or not doing This we must understand to be the voice of God in his Law Secondly wheresoever the subject matter is of Christ or his kingdom or the promise of grace or the condition faith and the reward either spirituall in its own nature or spirituallized by grace This we may be sure is the voice of Christ in his Gospell These we shall finde to be the two generall Rules From whence we will deduct these following particulars First the voice of God in his Law is a voice of command These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart Deut. 6 6. This thing commanded I them saying obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people Jer. 7. 23. But the voice of the Gospel is a voice of intreaty As though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 20. Secondly the voice of the law is a voice of compulsion If his Children forsake my law and walk not in my judgements If they break my statutes and keep not my commandments Then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquitie with stripes Psal 89. 30 31 32. But the voice of the Gospel is a voice of attraction or invitation I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving-kindenesse have I drawn thee Jer. 31. 3. Come unto me all ye that labour and are beavie laden and I will give you rest c. Mat. 11. 28 c. And him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out saith the Son of God Jo. 6. 37. Thirdly the voice of the law is a voice of bondage cursed is every one that continueth not in all thing which are written in the book of the law to do them Gal. 3. 10. But the voice of the Gospel is a voice of liberty The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to binde up the broken hearted to proclaim libertie to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound c. Isa 61. 1. c. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Gala. 5. 1. for if the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed John 8. 36. Fourthly the voice of the law is a voice of enmity Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend to the world is the enemy of God James 4. 4. And God shall wound the head of his enemies Psal 68. 21. But the voice of the Gospel is a voice of reconciliation when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sons Rom. 5. 10. And God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses 2 Cor. 5. 19. Fifthly the voice of the law is a voice of wrath The law worketh wrath Rom. 4. 15. For by it the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men As Rom. 1. 18. But the voice of the Gospel is a voice of love God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Rum 5. 8. And therefore the love-sick soul in the Canticles It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh saying Open to me my sister my love My dove my undefiled Cant. 5. 2. Sixthly the voice of the law is a voice of terrour I heard thy voice in the garden and was afraid So Adam to God Gen. 3. 10. And when the Lord gave the law unto the Israelites There were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud so that all the people that was in the camp trembled Exod. 19. 16. And this did fore-shew the effects of the law to all such as are under the law for ever But the voice of the Gospel is a voice of comfort The Lord shall comfort Zion he will comfort all her wast places c. Isa 51. 3. And Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Saith the Son of God Mat. 5. 4. Seaventhly the voice of the law is a voice of conviction By the law is the knowledge of sin Rom. 3. 20. For I had not known sin but by the law saith St. Paul Rom. 7. 7. And sin by the commandment is become exceeding sinfull saith the same Apostle Rom. 7. 13. But the voice of the Gospel is a voice of Appeal For the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement unto the Son John 5. 22. And he is not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and finde grace to help in time of need saith the Apost He. 4. 15 16. Eightly the voice of God in his law is a voice of condemnation The soul that sinneth it shall die Saith the Lord Ezek. 18. 4. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darknesse Mat. 25. 30. But the voice of Christ in his Gospel is a voice of pardon verily verily saith he I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life John 5. 14. And this pardon hath three degrees First a Reprive Secondly an Intercession And Thirdly a Satisfaction The first I say is a Reprive And this hath been generall to all mankinde since the fall of Adam He was the first that received the benefit thereof And meerly by vertue of the said Reprive both he and all of his posterity have do and shall injoy their naturall lives some shorter and some longer according to the blessed will and pleasure of Christ our Lord and onely Mediatour I have the Keyes of hell
Divinity And both of these are left upon Record by that sweet singer in his nineteen Psalm The first in the first six verses The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handiwork c. to the 7 verse This is the lesson of Philosophy That of Divinity is examplified from the sixt to the twelfth verse The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul c. The mighty volume of the works of God may be perused by the light of nature and it is so fairly and so plainly written that every soul even as they run may read it What is he that sees the heavens and earth and those innumerable creatures contained in them And shall consider their Originall together with their Order Vse and End by which in which for which and unto which they were made placed fitted and intended but must confesse the wisdom power and Godhead of that great arm by which they were created This is in brief the lecture of Philosophy whereby the Lord doth manifest himself to every creature that is indued with Reason The second means whereby we are inabled to see and know God is by the light of his word This is the safest and most christian way This is Gods lecture of Divinity where he presents himself unto the eye of every knowing soul But none can read it comfortably and effectually but such as are Partakers of the divine nature as 2 Pet. 1. 4. I know there are they that esteem themselves great politicians and are indeed very worldly-wise men who will be apt to say do not we understand the holy Scriptures and see God in them what should hinder us Truly I will not say but such as these may read and understand the word of God rationally and morally but not spiritually and savingly These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that Believing ye might have life through his name saith St. John John 20. 31. And thus to know Christ or God in Christ Is not from the flesh but from the Father which is in heaven Mat. 16 17. Again our onely Saviour telleth us That the words that he speaketh they are spirit Jo. 6. 36. And the Apostle Paul That the law is spirituall Rom. 7. 14. Now the naturall man receiveth or perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that is spirituall judgeth or discerneth all things 1 Cor. 2. 14 15. But peradventure it will be demanded How much may a judicious morall man see of God in his word by the light of naturall reason industry and experience Truely I conceive that he may see even as much as the spirituall man seeth one thing onely excepted But without that one thing he had as good or better see nothing He is able to see God as he is the creator of all things Gen. 1. 1. c. As he is the almighty God as Gen. 17. 1. As he is a consuming fire as Deut. 4. 24. A God of gods and Lord of lords a great God a mighty and a terrible which regardeth not persons nor taketh rewards as Deut. 10. 17. The King eternall immortall invisible and the onely wise God as 1 Tim. 1. 17. Yea he may see him in a nearer relation so near as to say The Lord our God as Deut. 6. 4. Thou art our Father our Redeemer as Isa 63. 16. Our Saviour as Jude 25. But haply you will say that this is much for a naturall man to see and know by the light of Reason what would you have him know more Truely let me tell you all this is nothing worth unlesse he can see so far as to say with good David O Lord of hosts My King and My God Psal 84. 3. And with the penitent Prodigall I will arise and go unto my Father Luke 15. 18. And with righteous Job I know that My Redeemer liveth Job 19. 25. And with the blessed mother of our Lord My soul rejoyceth in God My Saviour Luke 1. 47. And with believing Paul I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved Me and gave himself for Me Gala. 2. 20. These are such proper and peculiar interests as are discovered by the light of God and none can see or know them savingly but such a one as is the childe of God And as this saving light directeth us unto the knowledge our Sovereign Lord So it instructeth us to know our selves in reference to God and by this means it teacheth us to entertain Humility This the third obedient courtier which still attends upon that King of kings And whom Christ seems to send before his face as to prepare usher in his way into the new illuminated soul Nor did there ever any soul injoy the saving presence of her loving Lord but by the conduct of this favorite For God resisteth the proud but giveth grace unto the humble James 4. 6. And therefore Peter doth advise us saying Be ye clothed with humility 1 Pet. 5. 5. But forasmuch as he is much abused by some that do usurpe his name and office although in nature they are nothing like him I therefore shall endeavour to set forth four sorts that do and do pretend to march under his colours and assume his titles And of these the first is a treacherous Humility The second is a cowardly humility The third is a constrained-humility And the fourth is the true and the sound humility The first I say is a treacherous humility And under this fair-seeming Cloak doth lurk many a foul perfidious design The Prophet David in his description of a wicked person Psal 10. saith That he croucheth and humbleth himself that the poor may fall by his strong ones verse 10. 'T is strange to any honest heart to see how some will counterfeit humility and cast themselves beneath their prouder thoughts to gain the reputation of good men good lowly men but though they gull the world the blear-eyed world yet he that knows their hearts doth see for truth that they are nothing so And whosoever shall believe their forgeries shall finde at length that they are inside Wolves though outside Sheep Wolves in Sheeps cloathing Ye shall know them by their fruits saith our Saviour Mat. 7. 16. Proud Absolon conspiring to depose his tender father David from his Kingdom that he might wickedly usurp the same When any man came nigh to him to do him obeysance he put forth his hand and took him and kissed him And on this manner did Absalon to all Israel that came to the King for judgement so Absalon stole the hearts of the men of Israel 2 Sam. 15. 5 6. See here how this ambitious rebel humbleth himself even to the lowest and worst of the people thereby promoting his conspiracie that so he might advance himself above the greatest and the best of Kings And is it not a