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
David as a King and thus do thou according to thy power or do not say that thou hast any hatred against sin And as that hatred which is warrantable is both impartial and impetuous So in the third place 't is implacable never to be appeased or reconciled This is not hatred to fall out with sin or quarrel with it at some special time or for some extraordinary cause For thus the most ungracious Reprobate may sometimes hate his best-beloved sin And yet return with the Dogge to his vomit and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire If thus the unclean spirit goeth out of a man it is but onely to recruit his forces he will return and take unto himself seven other spirits more wicked then himself and they will enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse then the first According to that saying of our Saviour Luke 11. 26. But when a man in expectation of Gods eternal Love by Jesus Christ doth dedicate his love to God in Christ the violence and perpetuity of his impartial hatred will be such against all sin and every transgression That he will chuse to suffer the afflictions of Joseph Psal 105. 17 18. Much rather then he will be reconciled to any sin or become serviceable unto the Prince of darknesse though with Ioseph he be solicited thereto day by day as Gen. 39. 10. And thus the Soul that is in love with Christ declares it by her Christian profession especially In loving righteousnesse because he loves it and hating wickednesse because he hates it And having thus throughly endeer'd herself by manifesting her affections and fixing them upon their proper objects In the next place she doth prepare herself to seek and entertain her princely lover For as the Tree that is planted in a fruitfull soyl doth not onely increase her sap in her self and send it forth in flourishing green leaves but likewise by the vertue of that sap she putteth forth her beautifull fair blossoms whereby we are induced to conceive that she will bring forth fruit accordingly Even so the Soul that by a lively faith is planted into Christ doth not onely improve her love by Contemplation and manifest it by Profession But likewise she most earnestly endeavoureth to fit and confirm it by Preparation ANd this her hopefull preparation sets forth it self in seeking her beloved It is a principal part of Iehoshaphats commendations That he prepared his heart to seek God 2 Chron. 19. 3. And Hezekiah one of his successours both in his Kingdom and his piety having proclaimed a solemne Passeover He besought the Lord saying The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God the Lord God of his fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary 2 Chr. 30. 19. And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people verse 20. And in this search the loving Soul considereth when where and how she may so seek her Lord that she may soon safely and surely finde him And to that purpose she doth call to minde that the holy Ghost sets forth a threefold prescription in order to the time when she 's to seek him First early Prov. 8. 17. Secondly continually Chron. 16. 11. And thirdly evermore Psal 105. 4. Early in regard of opportunity Continually in reference to constancie And evermore in relation to perpetuity First early without delaying In the morning of her youth Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth saith that kingly Preacher Eccles 12. 1. And thus good Obadiah to Elijah I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth 1 Tim. 18. 12. Secondly continually without wavering For he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea driven with the winde and tossed Let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord James 1. 6 7. And thirdly evermore without revolting or apostatizing He that endureth to the end shall be saved saith the Son of God Mat. 10. 22. It is registred of Asa That he did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God 2 Chron. 14. 2. Neverthelesse it is a notable blemish to his integrity that towards his latter end In his disease he sought not to the Lord but to the Physicians 2 Chr. 16. 12. And thus the love-sick Soul will seek her Lord early least having withdrawn himself she seek him but cannot finde him and call him but he gives her no answer as Cant. 5. 6. She will seek him continually least he cometh in a day when she looketh not for him and in an hour that she is not ware of Mat. 24. 50. And she will seek him evermore least she be unprovided at his last coming and the door be shut against her as it fared with the foolish Virgins Mat. 25. 10. And in the second place she doth consider where she may safely seek for her beloved And is resolved that this must be in his Ordinances and especially in his word which is sometimes called the Scriptures according as he himself hath taught her saying Search the Scriptures for they are they which testifie of me John 5. 39. And therefore the Prophet David professeth unto the Lord That he rejoyceth at his word as one that findeth great spoiles Psal 119. 162. And the faithfull spouse in the Canticles desireth to hear the voice of her dear Lord saying Thou that dwellest in the gardens the companions hearken unto thy voice cause me to hear it Cant. 8. 13. But I conceive it may be Objected That we may hear severall voices speaking in the holy Scriptures and therefore how shall we know the voice of Christ from other voices I answer it is true indeed the Scripture do discover unto us severall voices especially the voice of God in his law and the voice Christ or of God in Christ in his Gospel And they are so frequently and so diversly mixed or intermingled the one with the other according to the wonderfull wisdom of the Spirit and that both in the old and new Testaments that it requireth a good and a willing understanding to distinguish rightly between them For all that is contained in the new Testament although we do generally call that the Gospell is not to be understood as the voice of the Gospel or the voice of Christ according to his Gospel Every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement There is the voice of the law in the midst of the Gospel Mat. 12. 36. Neither may we think that whatsoever is found in the old Testament which is commonly called the law is to be referred to the voice of the law For the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen by faith preached the Gospell before unto Abraham Gal. 3. 8. Saying In thee shall all nations be blessed Gen. 12. 3. And the like we finde many very many times both in the old
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
9 10 11. The second degree is knowledge when a mans judgement is so far convinced either by reason or by some powerfull argument that his knowledge is confirmed in the thing whereof he was formerly somewhat uncertain Rabbi saith Nichodemus we know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him John 3. 2. The third is Assurance And this is when a man becometh confident in the thing that he thinks and knows in regard of the infallible authority of the Authour thereof Lord saith the Centurion I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof But speak the word onely and my servant shall be healed Math. 8. 8. And thus the Apostle Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithfull that promised Hebr. 10. 23. By these three degrees this Assent amounteth to the nature of a general faith And as this general faith hath several degrees So there are likewise divers kindes of faith As first there is a miraculous faith or a faith inabling men to work miracles Verily I say unto you If ye have faith as a grain of Mustard-seed ye shall say unto this mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be unpossible unto you saith our Saviour to his Disciples Mat. 17. 20. Secondly there is the Doctrine of Faith Now the spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils saith St. Paul 1 Tim. 4. 1. where the Doctrine of Faith is opposed to the Doctrine of Devils Thirdly there is an Historical faith King Agrippa believest thou the Prophets I know that thou believest saith the same Apostle Acts 26 27. Fourthly there is a Temporary faith Intimated unto us in the stony ground which for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away Luke 8. 13. But the most considerable is a justifying and a saving faith Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might he justified by the faith of Christ saith St. Paul Gal. 2. 16. And thus the Saviour to the sinfull woman Thy faith hath saved thee go in peace Luke 7. ult The first two kinds of faith Namely the miraculous faith and the Doctrine of faith were common to the Reprobate as well as to the true believer For first we read that the miraculous faith was given to Judas the Traitour together with the rest of the Disciples Mat. 10. to the 9. Anâ— secondly we finde that Himeneus and Alexander did sometimes incline to the Doctrine of faith But they put it away And therefore St. Paul delivered them to Satan 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. The third being the Historical Faith is not onely used or rather abused by the Reprobate but even by the Devils also Thou believest that there is one God thou doest well the Devils also believe and tremble saith St. James James 2. 19. The fourth kinde which is the Temporary faith is likewise proper to the Reprobate we read that Simon the Sorcerer whom we call Simon Magus believed and was baptized Acts 8. 13. Neverthelesse not long after Simon Peter tells him That he perceives him to be in the gaul of bitternesse and the bond of iniquity Acts 8. 23. But the fifth and last kinde which is the justifying and the saving faith is peculiar onely to the Children of God Ye are all the Children of God by faith in Jesus Christ Gal. 3. 26. For by this kind of faith we are inabled not onely by Assent to believe the Promises but also by consent to imbrace them According to that of the Apostle Heb. 11. 13. Now the want of knowledge and ability to distinguish rightly of these several kindes of faith presented unto us in the word of God under the general notion of faith is one main occasion of many dangerous errours now promoted amongst us For first the miraculous faith is unseasonable For albeit it was necessary in the infancy of the Gospel or at the first preaching or planting thereof to manifest that it was altogether of God To which purpose the Lord Christ in his first Commissions to the twelve Luke 9. 1 2. And likewise to the seventy Luke 10 9. did impower them to work miracles as well as to preach Yet in the greater perfection of the Gospel when the Saviour had sealed it with his bloud In his last Commission to his Disciples wherein he promiseth To be with them alway even unto the end of the World Math. 28. 19 20. He makes there no mention at all of Miracles But you will say There were many Miracles wrought after Christs Ascention True Yet I finde nothing to confirm me that they were wrought by any other then some or one of the former twelve or seventy or some such as the Lord was pleased to impower personally to that purpose as being the first and chief planters and propagatours of his Gospel For I do not read that he promised that power to succession This I argue to inform the ignorance of such of our Protestant profession as do say or think that they cannot attain to any measure of true faith For if we had will some say as much thereof as a grain of Mustard-seed we shoud be able to remove mountains But this is one great mistake arising from the misapprehension of the word faith Secondly the Doctrine of faith is declinable It may be both declined slighted and deserted A man may both fail in it and fall from it like those foolish Galatians whom St. Paul reproved for that very offence Gal. 3. to the 6. verse But though it may be declined slighted and deserted yet it cannot be wrested falsified or corrupted for so the very nature thereof is destroyed And instead of the Doctrine of faith it becometh the Doctrine of Devils Thirdly the Historical faith is corruptible It may be corrupted depraved and prophaned as it is oftentimes by such as endeavour to countenance or excuse their own abominations by the Histories of the Saints infirmities As their drunkennesse by Noahs ignorance or weaknesse Gen. 9. 21. Their Adultery by Davids over-sight 2 Sam. 11. Their Perjuries by Peters denial Matth. 26. 72. Their impenitence or procrastination by the good thiefs last hours successe Luke 23. 43. and the like Abusing such Scriptures as might serve to confirm their faith in the mercies of their Saviour by making them serviceable to Satan wresting them to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. Fourthly the Temporary faith is unfruitfull cowardly and contemptible For we read of many in great authority that believed on the Messias but they were frighted from their profession John 12. 42. And the reason is annexed For they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God verse 43. Now from the
of his own Soul Not like a Christian but a Cretian Whilest he professeth that he knoweth God but in works he denieth him being abominable disobedient and to every good work reprobate As Tit. 1. 16. And it is impossible that any Reprobate should inherit the Kingdom of God Flesh and bloud cannot do it 1 Cor. 15. 50. Much lesse shall any thing enter thereinto That defileth or worketh abomination or maketh a lye Rev. 21. 27. And therefore this first Pretender this obstinate Offender hath no interest at all in this glorious inheritance The second Pretender thereunto is the Ignorant Infidel The fool that saith in his heart there is no God as Psal 14. 1. Haply with his mouth he may acknowledge a kinde of an unknown God Yet in his heart he conceiveth no otherwise of him then a meer fancy But if you come to shew him how that God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost are but one God Yet neverthelesse that God the Father did make a Covenant with God the Son according to the Testimony of God the Holy Ghost That this covenant was concluded purposely to redeem the world before the world was created and that by virtue of the same covenant it is as agreeable with Gods Justice to pardon sin as to punish it With the like necessary principles Why you tell him wonders so far above his capacity that he is resolved not to trouble his brains about them Truely all his actions do too much expresse his ignorance Whilest he walketh in the vanity of his minde having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in him because of the blindnesse of his heart who being past feeling hath given himself over unto lasciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greedinesse According to that of the Apostle Eph. 4. 17. 18 19. But he will alledge that if ignorance be an offence yet God will easily forgive it in regard it is a thing so general among simple people that were never brought up to much learning I answer First he must know that ignorance is an offence and a great one too For we finde that the Lord protested against it in his own Children Hear O Heavens saith he and give eare O earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters Crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Ah! sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquity c. Isa 1. 2. c. Secondly it shall not be forgiven For the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God saith St. Paul 2 Thes 1. 7 8. And thirdly the generality thereof shall rather hasten then hinder the Justice of God to punish it We shall not need to runne over the whole word of God for the many examples of whole Cities and Kingdoms to prove the truth of this particular If we shall consider how and wherefore God destroyed the whole world except 8. persons as 1 Pet. 3. 20. If he alledgeth that it was for all sorts of sins and not for ignorance that God did inflict those general and universal judgements I answer that it is not ignorance simply considered which I do principally point at but ignorance circumstantiated ignorance with its effects and accessaries Not such a kind of ignorance as is in those whom we call Ideots who have no competent understanding either in things spiritual or natural Nor such an ignorance in things spiritual as is in those that never heard of the true God Both which I conceive to be the punishment of the first original sin rather then sin it self Neither are these excusable in the day of Judgement without Gods incomprehensible mercy and goodnesse which I dare neither question nor confine For the Apostle speaketh generally when he saith If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost 2 Cor. 4. 3. And so doth our Saviour himself when he saith He that believeth not shall be damned Mar. 16. 16. But I intend such an ignorance in spiritual things as is in them that have the word of God amongst them or not far from them And yet either through contempt or wilfull neglect of the true light they will rather choose to walk in darknesse then either to seek after or to receive instruction And this kinde of ignorance is not onely such a great sin as shall be grievously punished But it is likewise the cause of all manner of sin whatsoever First it is such a great sin as shall be grievously punished Because I have called and ye refused saith the wisdom of God I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlewinde when distresse and anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not finde me for that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord Prov. 1. 24. to 30. And thus the Prophet Isaiah Because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts and despised the word of the holy one of Israel therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people and he hath stretched forth his hand against them and hath smitten them and the Hills did tremble and their Carcases were torn in the midst of the streets c. Isaiah 5. 24 25. But he will alledge that it is no absolute signe of ignorance to reject the word of God he may be a wise man for all that I pray observe how the Lord answers him by his Prophet Jeremy How do ye say we are wise and the law of the Lord is with us Lo certainly in vain made he it the pen of the Scribes is in vain The wise men are ashamed they are dismayed and taken Lo they have rejected the word of Lord and what wisdom is in them Jer. 8. 8 9. A man may seem to be a wise man in his own opinion and in the opinion of other men too But the wisdom of this world is foolishnesse with God saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 2. 19. And oftentimes it proveth destructive to the owner thereof And therefore the Lord by his Prophet telleth the daughter of the Chaldeans That her wisdom and her knowledge hath perverted her Isa 47. 10. Verily to be carnally wise is to be spiritually foolish And as a wilfull or a carelesse ignorance is a great sinne and shall be grievously punished So in the next place ignorance in general is the cause of all manner of sin What should cause the covetous wretch to rake and scrape and heap up money upon money
and land upon land by right or by wrong But because he knoweth not that It is God onely that maketh poor and maketh rich that bringeth low and lifteth up as in 1 Sam. 2. 7. Because he knoweth not that A mans life or the happiness of mans a life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth as Luke 12. 15. Which our Saviour maketh plain by the Parable immediatly following Because he knoweth not that 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 as in the 1 Tim. 6. 9. That he that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his dayes and at his end shall be a fool as Jer. 17. 11. Peradventure he knows that these things are so written but he is not so wise as to consider or perswade himself of the truth thereof Would the temporizing fool depend upon the arm of flesh and wave still as the blast bloweth like a Reed shaken with every winde If he did know That the Lord changeth not as Mal. 3 6. Would any prophane person blaspheme the name of God contemne his Ordinances corrupt his truth or pollute his sabbaths If he did know that He is an holy God and a jealous God c. Iosh 24. 19. Durst the private Thief the secret Adulterer or the swinelike drunkard loose themselves in their base abominations their filthy deeds of darknesse If they knew that Darknesse hideth not from God and that darknesse and light are both alike to him as Psalm 139. 12. Or that nothing is secret that shall not be manifest neither any thing hid that shall not be known come abroad according to that of our Saviour Luke 8. 17. Or in a word durst any wicked Reprobate whatsoever delight and live in or by his odious and Soul-damning sins If he knew that The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodlinesse unrighteousnesse of men According to that of the Apostle Rom. 1. 18. But this ignorant Infidel will again alledge That there are many men that know as much of these things as any man can tell them and yet they continue in their sinnes neverthelesse Truely of all fools they are the greatest and most ridiculous that will make themselves enemies to God and slaves to the Devil and that knowingly and willingly Yet this proveth nothing to the contrary but that ignorance is the cause of sinne I conceive it will not be denied but that the Jews especially the Scribes and Pharisees were knowing men both in the Law the Prophets insomuch that they could not be ignorant that the Messias should come into the world Neverthelesse when he was come they cried out incessantly to have him Crucified Now albeit the death of the Messias was the greatest mercie that ever the Lord vouchsafed to the sons of men yet it was a most abominable sin in those that practised and procured it Thou couldest have no power at all against me saith our Saviour unto Pilate except it were given thee from above Therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sinne John 19. 11. And those great sins which were committed in order to his death were carried on by ignorance as St. Peter affirmeth to the Jews saying Ye denied the holy one and the just and desired a murderer to be granted unto you and killed the Prince of life whom God hath raised from the dead whereof we are witnesses Acts 3. 14 15. And now brethren I wote that through ignorance ye did it as did also your Rulers verse 17. And to this very purpose is that of Saint Paul we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery saith he even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory which none of the Princes of this world knew for had they known it they would not have Crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 7 8. And can any man imagine that if Judas the Traitour had not been ignorant of the true value of his Lord and Master that ever he would have sold him for thirty pieces of silver and afterward have hanged himself upon the consideration of his bad bargain But this ignorant wretch will alledge yet further That he can say the Lords prayer the Creed the ten Commandments and he hopeth that this will be sufficient to save the Soul of a man that is altogether unlearned Truely I cannot deny the sanctified use of the Lords prayer as some do in these dayes for it is a very compleat and compendious form or pattern of prayer prescribed by the wisdom of God and therefore not to be rejected by the pride of man Yet many there are that do but onely say it and that without either benefit or comfort for there are many thousands that do not rightly understand so much as why they call God their Father That which we call the Apostles Creed containeth the substance or History of the Gospel But being barely or simply considered without particular application it will furnish us but with a bare Historical faith The Devils believe it and tremble neverthelesse And as for the ten Commandments they may shew him his transgression and so assure him of his damnation But they can never bring him to Heaven or so much as one step towards it unlesse they lead him to Christ and there leave him For there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Acts 4. 12. But his concluding and conquering Allegation as he conceiveth will be this He is confident that he shall do well enough yet For did not Paul tell Timothy That he was before a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious but he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly in unbelief 1 Tim. 1. 13. Now the sins that he committeth are likewise ignorantly in unbelief And why should not he finde mercie as well as Paul Doubtlesse he shall if he ceaseth not to follow Paul's example But Paul obeyed Gods calling and conversion and was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision Acts 26. 19. And in reference thereunto instead of persecuting as in time past he preached the Gâ—spel which once he destroyed Gal. 1. 23. Whereas this wilfull wretch is still as ignorant in the truth as ever he was and so he is like to continue For though thou shouldest bray a fool in a morter among Wheat with a Pestel yet will not his foolishnesse depart from him saith the wise man Prov. 27. 22. These with many other blinde allegations he hath for ignorance will seldom or never be put to silence Neither is he without his evidence And it is this He believeth that he shall easily say Lord have mercie upon me at the last hour And then he doubteth not but all will he well enough For doth not the Prophet say That whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lond shall be saved
Joel 2. 32. Yes and so doth the Apostle too Rom. 10. 13. But he proceedeth in the very next verse How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed When he calleth he must be sure to be furnished with faith or otherwise he must expect the like entertainment with his sisters the five foolish Virgins who whilest they went to provide Oyl for their Lamps were shut out by the Bridegroom And notwithstanding that they came afterwards saying Lord Lord open unto us Yet he answered and said Verily I say unto you I know you not Mat. 25. 12. And would it not be the greatest of all his follies if he should imagine that God onely wise will bestow this glorious inheritance upon them whom he knoweth not Whom he approveth not of Without doubt there will be no Kingdom prepared for such as are found unprepared to receive it And therefore let this ignorant infidel learn to know The onely true God essentially and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent personally For this is eternal life John 17. 3. Or otherwise it may be said unto him as sometime Simon Peter said unto Simon the Sorcerer upon an other occasion Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter For thy heart is not right in the sight of God Acts 8. 21. The third Pretender to this inheritance is the good honest man Or the man vulgarly so called or reputed Such a one as carrieth himself fairly and pleasingly towards all men endeavouring to get every mans good will his good word or if he cannot please all yet he will be alwayes sure to please the greatest and the strongest party This good honest man runs through all conditions and imployments with as little offence or annoyance to any of his Neighbours as may be And therefore he doubteth not but he hath a very good Title to the Kingdom of Heaven for is it not written Let every one of us please his Neighbour Rom. 15. 2. True But the Apostle proceedeth in the same sentence For his good to edification First it must be for his good not for his goods And secondly it must be to edification to build him up in piety religion and godlinesse For otherwise To please men is not to be the servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. But he is confident in his evidence wherein he setteth forth That he doth as he would be done by And that is both according to the intention of the Law and the Prophets and likewise according to the command of our Saviour himself Mat. 7. 12. And he believes that this is very fair It is indeed outwardly fair But it hath a very foul inside Truely this good honest man notwithstanding this his usurped Title is a very counterfeit a self-ended Sycophant the most dangerous Member in a Common-wealth Yet I cannot but subscribe to part of his partial evidence For he sees a Thief and consenteth with him and is partaker with the Adulterers as Psalm 50. 18. He endeavoureth to cover countenance or excuse all mens infirmities as he calls them and to prevent every mans misery though it be a punishment inflicted most justly upon a person most criminous and culpable even the most wicked offender that may be And this he saith is his love whereas in truth it is his fear lest his own misdeeds should meet the like measure Or be it his love yet it is a sinfull self-love He loveth the praise of men more then the praise of God And therefore he cannot believe saith our Saviour John 5. 44. And he that believeth not shall be damned This is a Gospel-sentence Mar. 16. 16. The fourth Pretender to this heavenly inheritance is the zealâ—us Reformer By whom I intend not such a one as of an earnest affection to Gods glory doth really cordially desire a Christian reformation either in manners or Religion or in both and doth seriously endeavour the same according to his particular calling But such a one as under the like specious faire pretences doth violently pursue his owne projects and maketh his preposterous zeal the Cloak to cover or countenance his envy avarice or ambition This is altogether for the penal statutes where he driveth furiously like Jehu the son of Nimshi who not onely destroyeth the house of Ahab King of Israel according to his Commission but borroweth a point with Ahaziah King of Judah together with twenty and four of his brethren As in the ninth and tenth Chapters of the second book of Kings Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord saith he to Jonadad the son of Rechab 2 Kings 10. 16. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart For he departed not from the sins of Jeroboham which made Israel to sin verse 31. He destroyed others for sinning and yet he sinned as much or more himself This is one of those That binde heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on mens shoulders but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers According to that of our Saviour Matth. 23. 4. He will have every man righteous but himself He is so zealous against impiety in others that he not onely pursueth and prosecuteth Gods open enemies But so many of his deer servants also as will not walk in this Reformers own Road be it never so erronious As if he intended to disable all other men from the Kingdom of Heaven that he with some few of his own faction may make their forcible entry with the lesse resistance But for all his haste he shall never come there For albeit he may haply do God and his Countrey some good service yet is proceedeth from an evil principle for whatsoever is not of love is of Hypocrisie And the Hypocrite hath no portion in the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 24. 51. There is no weeping and gnashing of teeth Yet if he could let the Mote alone in his brothers eye untill he hath plucked the Beam out of his own eye peradventure he might see the way thither by so much the better But he will alledge what St. Paul saith That it is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing Gal. 4. 18. True But that zeal which hath the best things for its object may be miscarried by accident As sometimes through ignorance They have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge saith Paul and therefore going about to establish their own righteousnesse they submitted not themselves to the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10. 2 3. A disease which himself had been formerly sick of who was before a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious but he abtained mercy because he did it ignorantly 1 Tim. 1. 13. Yet it appeareth that it proceeded out of a zeal to reformation Phil. 3. 6. Sometimes through self-ends They zealously affect you but not well Yea they would exclude us that you might affect them saith the same Apostle Gal. 4. 17. And sometimes
truth to no purpose they must have at least a finger as we say in their own salvation They would indeed willingly follow Christ but they cannot wholy deny themselves Haply they will acknowledge Christ to be all but not all in all As if the bloud of Jesus Christ could not cleanse us from all sin contrary to that of St. John 1 Joh. 1. 7. Or as if his righteousnesse were incomplete In whom dwelleth all the fulnesse of the god-head bodily as saith Saint Paul Coll. 2. 9. Truely this must needs be a great dishonour to the Son of God to patch his robe with our rags his righteousnesse with our rotten corruptions It must be the single righteousnesse of one and not the confused righteousnesse of two or more compounded together that must justifie and save us For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ saith the Apostle Rom. 5. 17. But he will further alledge that if our own works have no hand at all in our justification To what purpose is that of Saint James Was not Abraham our Father justified by works saith he when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar James 2. 21. I answer that there is a justification of the person and a justification of the Faith of the person Now it appeareth plainly that the Apostle James in that place intended the justification of Abrahams Faith and not the justification of his person For his person was justified at least twenty years before For is it not said That he believed in the Lord he counted it to him for righteousnesse Gen. 15. 6. And that was before Abraham went in unto Hagar and Ishmael Abrahams son by Hagar was thirteen years old when he was circumcised Gen. 17. 25. And that also was performed before Isaac was begotten And Isaac going to be Offered was able to carry the Wood and to expostulate with his Father Gen. 22. 6 7. So that by computation the person of A-Abraham was justified by Faith no lesse then twenty years before his Faith was justified by Offering Isaac his Son upon the Altar Legal Professour In your actions and allegations a man may easily read your Evidence Your Faith is built not partly as you suppose but wholy upon the Covenant of workes A decayed foundation And not at all upon the Covenant of Grace For you cannot relate to both Covenants at one and the same time Christs work is perfect therefore needs no help ours is imperfect therefore cannot help And upon that account if we compound them Christs work will be dishonoured and blasted and ours will look most filthy and deformed I have trodden the Wine-presse alone and of the people there was none with me saith our Lord Isa 63. 3. And he that said it Is the Lord our righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. And therefore learn by a lively Faith to lay hold upon the Lord Jesus Christ this Lord our righteousnesse and to rely upon him wholy and onely for your justification and salvation O verily you get neither part nor portion in this eternal inheritance For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of works least any man should boast As saith that Apostle Eph. 2. 8 9. There are yet a confused company of Competitours I know not how to call them who do all pretend to this heavenly inheritance But they differ as much in their fancies as in their faces and onely do agree in a general disagreement They cry out mightily against selfishnesse whereas there seemeth to be little or nothing else amongst them Their actions are self-seeking their Allegations are self-confuting And their Evidences are self-confounding Whereupon it followeth that they are more profitably seen then felt heard then beleeved and rejected then justified They say go to let us build us a Citie and a Tower whose top may reach unto Heaven that we may make us a name In imitation of those antike builders Gen. 11. 4. But the same God that confounded the language of the one doth likewise confound the judgement of the other And therefore it is very probable that the Countrey or Kingdom which they shall inherit and inhabit will be called after the name of that Citie Babel in plain English Confusion I dare not proceed any further in this discovery least I loose my self in a Wildernesse full of wayes both devious and dangerous I shall rather order my course directly towards the right Heir whom now I conceive to be within sight ANd this is the Loving Believer He that by an active faith willingly receiveth and lovingly embraceth the Lord Jesus Christ and denying himself in all his doings and sufferings dependeth wholy upon the righteousnesse intercession and satisfaction of the Son of God for his justification and salvation According to that of the Apostle What things were gain to me those I counted losse for Christ saith he yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3. 7 8 9. This Loving Believer is much in action Yet he laboureth not for life He looketh upon that as a gift not as a reward His onely care is That he may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull unto every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God According to that prayer of St. Paul Col. 1. 10. And that he may abound in the work of the Lord for as much as he knoweth that his labour is not in vain in the Lord. After the same Apostles exhortation 1 Cor. 15. 58. He exceedingly admireth the light and liberty of the Gospel especially when he considereth what great light and liberty he for his own particular hath received thereby For he perceiveth plainly That he was sometimes darknesse but now he is light in the Lord and that he is thereby inabled to walk as a Child of light as Ephes 5. 8. And for his liberty he findeth That the Son hath made him free and therefore he is free indeed As the Saviour affirmeth Joh. 8. 36. Not free to sin but free from sin Not onely from the guilt and punishment of sin but also from the power and predominancy of sin Sin shall not have dominion over him for he is not under the Law but under Grace as in Rom. 6. 14. Neither doth he use his liberty for an occasion of the flesh as Gal. 5. 13. Nor for a Cloak of maliciousnesse as 1 Pet. 2. 16. Least by any means this liberty of his should become a stumbling block to them
that are weak Contrary to that Caution in 1 Cor. 8. 9. He seldom braggeth or boasteth of the spirit as if he had ingrossed him in a greater measure then other men have Yet he both liveth in the spirit and walketh in the spirit not desirous of vain-glorie not provoking others not envying others According to St. Pauls Admonition Gal. 5. 25 26. And withall he is so truely sensible of his own weaknesse and so desirous of Gods glory that he rather chuseth to glory in his infirmities that so the power of Jesus Christ may the more manifestly appear in him to the praise and glory of Almighty God That which seemeth but a light sin to other men lies heavy upon his heart Yet not for fear of damnation that is the unbelievers terrour But for other more Christian considerations As first because he knoweth that all sin is odious and offensive to his Lord and Master And what wretch would by any means displease so wise so great so gracious and so good a God How can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God saith discreet prosperous Joseph Gen. 39. 9. Secondly because he would prevent or avoid correction Not that he despiseth or disliketh his heavenly fathers chastizement But for as much as no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyons but grievous Heb. 12. 11. Thirdly least he should discontinue the favour and defence of the Lord his Protectour Behold saith the Prophet the Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear Isa 59. 1 2. Fourthly he feareth to commit sin least by that means he should diminish his confidence in his God especially when he is to present himself before the Lord in prayer Beloved if our heart condemne us not then have we confidence towards God and whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandment and do that which is pleasing in his sight saith that beloved Disciple 1 Joh. 3. 21 22. And fifthly least thereby he should bring dishonour to his blessed Master For if while we sâ—ek to be justified by Christ we our selves also are found sinners is therefore Christ the Mâ—niâ—â—er of sin God forbid saith the Apostle Gal. 2. 17. Furthermore this loving believer is very frequent and fervent in the exercise of holy duties the duties of piety and true devotion As hearing reading praying praising and thanks-giving with the like godly imployments Not that he expecteth thereby to deserve or obtain this eternal inheritance But that by so doing he may keep and continue himself in a sweet Communion with his God in Christ For by hearing and reading he findeth God speaking unto him in his own language whereby he wonderfully increaseth and improveth his knowledge and acquaintance both with God and his will untill the Holy Scriptures have made him wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus according to St. Paul 2 Tim. 3. 15. By prayer and supplication he poureth out his Soul into the bosome of his heavenly father unto whom he freely discovereth all his wants humbly presenteth all his Petitions and from whom he is alwayes sure to receive a gracious answer and a comfortable return Haply not altogether according to his own imperfect desires But more happily according to Gods most perfect wisdom and bounty Who knoweth to give good things to them that ask him Mat. 7. 11. And who giveth liberally to all men and upbraideth not saith St. James Ja. 1. 5. In praising God first he presenteth him with that which of right belongeth unto him The Lord is worthy to be praised saith David Psal 18. 3. And secondly he glorifieth God the end for which he was created Isa 43. 7. Who so offereth praise glorifieth me saith the Lord by his Prophet Psal 50. 23. And in giving thanks unto the Lord he offereth up himself unto his God in a sweet sacrifice of retribution I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnifie him with thanksgiving This also shall please the Lord better then an Ox or Bullock that hath horns and hoofs saith that sweet singer Psal 69. 30 31. Thus you see that the life of this loving believer is neither a sluggish life nor a slavish life nor a sinfull life nor a solitary life First it is not a sluggish life For he is a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for his Masters use and prepared unto every good work as in 2 Tim. 2. 21. Secondly it is not a slavish life For he standeth fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made him free as Gal. 5. 1. Thirdly it is not a sinfull life For how shall he that is dead to sin live any longer therein as Rom. 6. 2. And fourthly it is not a solitary life For he hath continual Communion with his God In whose presence is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore as Psal 16. 11. Now if you ask this loving believer what he can alledge for himself in order to this title of inheritance He will tell you that he cannot finde any thing either in himself or any of his antecessours that may promise him the least possibility of interest therein Neither hath he so much as one pennyworth of any thing that is his own to offer towards the purchase of that Land of the living Indeed he understandeth that Originally it was conferred upon his Great-Grand-Father Adam and his Heirs in general by God that great and onely disposer of all things upon condition of Adams obedience to the mind and will of his Master But by his rebellion he forfeited his Coppy-hold whereupon the Justice of God ejected him and for ever utterly debarred both himself and all his whole Posterity from the capacity of a legal recovery But he knoweth that Jesus Christ the Son of God hath purchased the Fee-simple of that inheritance at the hands of his coeternal Father And hath promised a possession therein to every one that believeth as Iohn 6. 47. and 1 Iohn 5. 10 11. And what he hath so promised he hath also sworn to perform For being willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of promise the immutability of his Councel he confirmed it by an Oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us which hope we have as an anchor of the Soul both sure stedfast and which entreth into that within the vail whither the fore-runner is for us entred even Iesus made an High-Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Heb. 6. 17 18 19 20. And as for this believers evidence It is a justifying and a saving faith And this he saith is likewise the gift of God According to
and hath learned of the father cometh unto me John 6. 45. Now to come unto Christ and to believe in Christ do signifie the same thing as may easily be observed out of the 64. and 65. verses of the same 6th of John and likewise out of the 37. and 38. verses of the Chapter next following I pray observe also from hence that if you will have faith you must so hear from man that you may learn of God And for our better direction herein the Son of God hath left us these two Cautions Take heed what ye hear Mar. 4. 24. And Take heed how ye hear Luke 8. 18. First take heed what ye hear Be not carried away with divers and strange Doctrines saith the Apostle Heâ—r 13. 9. For the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves Teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them saith the same Apostle Ac. 20. 30. But haply you will say If there be such danger in what we hear it were better for us wholy to absent our selves and not to hear any man at all O no Do not so neither do not utterly rob and spoyl your selves of the Truth upon suspition of being led into errour This would be as if a man should put out his own eyes least another man should stand between him and the light Or as if a man should kill himself for fear another man should hurt him He that hath eares to hear let him hear This was our Lord and Saviours cry Luke 8. 8. But that you may know how to take heed what you hear So as that you may hear with the lesse prejudice and the greater comfort and assurance we will descend through this general rule into some few particulars First take heed what you hear that may hasard your modesty or good manners in the search of Gods hidden secrets For the secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things that are revealed belong unto us and to our Children for ever Deut. 29. 29. Secondly take heed what you hear that may withdraw or discourage you from doing the revealed will of God For if any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whither it be of God John 7. 17. Thirdly take heed what you hear to the dishonour of God either in the Vnity or Trinity especially against the holy Ghost For whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost It shall nâ—t be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come Mat. 12. 32. Fourthly take heed what you hear that may make against your Election by the Father Eph. 1. 3 4 5. or against your Redemption by the Son Col. 1. 14. Or against your Sanctification by the holy Ghost Rom. 15. 16. Fifthly take heed what you hear that may contradict the lawfull use of the Law For the Law is good if a man use it lawfully 1 Tim. 1. 8. Sixthly take heed what you hear that may obstruct the liberty of the Gospel It is called The perfect law of liberty Ja. 1. 15. Provided that it be not used for an occasion to the flesh According to that Caveat Gal. 5. 13. Seventhly take heed what ye hear in the defence or toleration of sin either Original actual or intentional For the wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. Eightly take heed what you hear that may ascribe that unto the flesh which is properly the work of the spirit As free-will universal grace or the like Divine operations or indowments For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. Ninthly take heed what you hear to the reproach or prejudice of any particular person whatsoever whether he be saint or sinner or present or absent or of any parcular calling ordained of God or approved by good authority This savoureth of envie And where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work James 3. 16. Or at least it argueth uncharitablenesse And though a man speaketh with the tongues of men and angels and hath not charity he is but as sounding brasse or a tinckling cymbal 1 Cor. 13. 1. sin must be reproved but the person may not be reproached Tenthly take heed what you hear to the rejection or the corruption or the reproach or the disparagement of the word of God otherwise called the holy Scriptures First because this is it by which the soul is inlightened Psal 119. 130. Isa 8. 20. Secondly it is the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 19. Thirdly it is the word of salvation Acts 13. 26. Able to make a man wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. And fourthly it is the good word of God Heb. 6. 5. And he that beleeveth not God hath done him such infinite dishonour as to make him a liar 1 Iohn 5. 10. But I conceive there may be many in our dayes that will be ready to say What needs all this warning So long as we follow the Spirit of truth he will guide us into all truth True so long as we follow the Spirit of truth But we must know that besides or contrary to the Spirit of truth there are seducing spirits 1 Tim. 4. 1. and a spirit of errour 1 Ioh. 4. 6. Now for a man to say or boast that he hath the spirit of truth or the spirit of God is no sufficient argument to prove that he hath the spirit of God Thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them liars saith the Spirit to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2. 2. And I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not but are the synagogue of Satan saith the same Spirit Rev. 2. 9 An outward verball ostentation is no infallible signe of an inward reall Christian And therefore that of St. John is very seasonable for these times of uncertainty Beloved saith he beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God 1 Joh. 4. 1. But you will say How shall we be able to do that Why the same Apostle proceedeth in the next verse to give us one singular good direction Hereby know we the spirit of God saith he every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God But it may be objected further that every one who pretendeth to the name of a Christian will easily confesse that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh and so by consequence every one that pretendeth to the name of a Christian is of God and hath the spirit of God But this generall assertion will not serve the turn without doubt the holy Ghost hath these further intentions First that this confession must proceed from an effectual
we be planted or graffed into the good olive tree the ground and foundation of all our hopes and happiness which is Jesus Christ as that Apostle most excellently insinuateth Rom. 11. 17. to 25. And the roote whereby we stand is Faith saith the same Apostle in the same place vers 20. And to this purpose he likewise exhorteth the Colossians That they be rooted and built up in Christ and established in the faith Col. 2. 7. We may therefore conclude from the premisses that whosoever is desirous to assure himself that he is effectually planted into Christ according to the likeness of his resurrection And so consequently that he is an undoubted heir to that eternall Inheritance as it appeareth Revel 20. 6. He is First to examine himself whether he be well rooted in Christ by Faith Secondly whether he aboundeth with the Sap of Love Thirdly whether he flourisheth with the green leaves of a gracious Profession Fourthly whether he be full of the beautifull blossoms of blessed and holy desires And fiftly whether he be fruitfull in the good works of Godliness In the first place I say he must examine whether he be well rooted in Christ by Faith But you will say how shall we do that Truely the Apostle Paul hath left us a very good rule for this purpose Col. 2. 23. Where having certified the Colossians of some speciall benefits which they were to receive by Christ he propoundeth unto them this condition If ye continue in the faith saith he grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospell This is an excellent rule and it is an elegant expression called by the Rhetoritians Climax seu gradatio a mounting to these four degrees First we must continue in the faith Secondly we must be grounded in the faith Thirdly we must be setled in the faith and Fourthly not we must be moved away from the hope of the Gospell which in another place he calleth the word of faith as Rom. 10. 8. First it is a good evidence that we are well rooted in Christ by faith if we continue in the faith Our Saviour speaketh in his parable of the sower of some That receive the word with joy but they have no roote and therefore though for a while they beleeve yet in time of temptation they fall away Luke 8. 13. You see that these are said to beleeve for a while but they continue not in the faith because they have no roote But if we be rooted in Christ by faith we shall cortinue in the faith we shall not be like the waves of the sea driven and tossed with everystorm of temptation with St. James his double minded men that are unstable in all their wayes James 1. 8. Nor like Weather-cocks to turn our Noses into every puff of opinion with S. Pauls silly women laden with sins led away with divers lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3. 6 7. Neither shall we be any more like Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of Doctrine by the fleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceive Eph. 4. 14. But building up our selves on our most holy faith and praying in the holy Ghost we shall keep our selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life Jude 20. 21. They that will believe according to the times or according to the men of the times may sometimes happen upon the right faith but they will hardly continue any long time in the faith Simon the Sorcerer believed and was baptized also Acts 8. 13. Yet when he failed in his ends his faith also failed Indeed who would not be believers or at least who would not pretend to be believers being invited thereunto by such plausible fair promises As that they shall dip their feet in the bloud of their enemies and tread them down like the mire in the streets That they shall ride on the high-places of the earth and be the onely men of command and authority That they shall purchase Lands and Lord-ships And that they shall build great and fair houses and injoy them peaceably powerfully and plentifully Would not the sweet expectations of these and the like glorious priviledges and prerogatives transport the Souls of sinners into the bodies of Saints And make them believe whensoever and whatsoever their Prophet pleaseth But how shall we continue in the faith when these hopes fail us Verily these inducements unto faith are so proper to the flesh that I cannot imagine how they should proceed from the Spirit Or how they should perswade to any other then a temporary faith being in themselves so temporary and uncertain But especially seeing they are so extreamly contrary to the lives and Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles For first our Lord Jesus Christ in the time of his temporal life was so far from the desire of revenge that he prayed for his greatest enemies Luke 23. 34. So far from ambition that he made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant Phil. 2. 7. So farre from covetousnesse that rather then he would once yield unto the Devil he refused all the Kingdoms of the world Mat. 4. 8 9 10. So far from the pleasures of a Pallace that he had not where to lay his head Luke 9. 58. And so far from outward Pompe That he was despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised c. Isa 53. 3. Neither were the lives of his Apostles much lesse inglorious or uncomfortable then that of their Master For I think that God hath set forth us the Apostles last as it were men appointed to death for we are made a spectacle to the world and to Angels and to men saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 4. 9. And in the same Chapt. Being defamed we intreat we are made the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day verse 13. And secondly concerning their Doctrine we finde that they directed the way by faith unto salvation through difficulties dangers and distresses and not through flattering and flesh-pleasing felicities Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Crosse and follow me saith Christ our Lord Mar. 8. 34. Whosoever will come after Christ into his Kingdom of glory he must deny himself of all his conceited deserts and in all his carnal desires and he must take up his Crosse he must willingly submit to all manner of afflictions And he must follow Jesus his Lord general in his Kingdom of grace he must not fail or faint by the way but hold on his course with a constant and continual confidence And in the 24. of Mat. at the 9. verse and so forwards he acquainteth his Disciples with more particular ingagements They shall
deliver you up to be afflicted saith he and shall kill you and ye shall be hated of all Nations for my name sake And then shall many be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another And many false Prophets shall arise and deceive many And because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold But he that shall endure to the end the same shall be saved verse 13. And unto the Angel of the Church in Smyrna Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation ten dayes be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life Rev. 2. 10. In like manner the Apostle Paul confirming the Souls of the Disciples tells them That we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14. 22. And thus the Apostle Peter Beloved saith he Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing hapned unto you But rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 4. 12. 13. But you will say These are sad invitations either to perswade unto faith or to continue in the faith I answer that I wonder not if they seem so to a common apprehension to such a one as is led meerly by sense and the light of nature unto which these things are so extreamly irksome and offensive But if we shall take the Spirit of God for our guide and shall thereby be inabled to judge not according to the appearance but to judge righteous judgement as our Lord adviseth Joh. 7. 24. We shall then finde that these sad-seeming preparations do proceed from very necessary principles For afflictions and crosses of all kindes do first direct us towards faith Secondly they do bring us unto faith And thirdly they doe continue us in faith First I say they do direct us towards faith and that through these three passages As first through making us sensible of our sins When the Sons of Jacob were distressed in the Land of Egypt they then considered the sin that they had many years before committed against their brother Joseph in the Land of Canaan And they said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his Soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this distresse come upon us Gen. 42. 21. And thus the Church in the Lamentations Woe unto us that we have sinned for this our heart is faint for these things our eyes are dim Lam. 5. 16. 17. Secondly through humbling us for our sinnes This we see in the example of Manasseh who being formerly of an abominable conversation yet when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers 2 Chron. 33. 12. And in that confession of his Church We lie down in our shame and our confusion covereth us for we have sinned against the Lord our God Jer. 3. 25. And thirdly through breaking us off from the course of our former errours and iniquities Bofore I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word saith David Psal 119. 62. And the same Prophet speaking concerning the wicked The Lord saith he shall hear and afflict them for because they have no changes therefore they fear not God Psal 55. 19. Secondly distresses and afflictions do lead us unto faith and that by shewing us the unhappinesse of the world and of all worldly expectations either inward or outward in our selves or from others And so by sending us to the Lord for sure consolation My flesh and my heart faileth me but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever saith good David Ps 73. 26. The Son dishonoureth the Father the Daughther riseth up against her Mother the Daughter in Law against her Mother in Law a mans enemies are the men of his own house Therefore I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me saith his afflicted Church Mic. 7. 6 7. When the ship is covered with Waves then the Disciples run unto Christ saying Lord save us we perish Mat. 8. 25. And he whom we call the Prodigal being pinched by the extremity of want and necessity resolved to return unto his father Luke 15. 18. And thirdly corrections or afflictions do continue us in the faith by assuring us of Gods love and fatherly affection In disposing of our afflictions In comforting us in our afflictions And In delivering us out of our afflictions First in disposing our afflictions or in visiting us with afflictions as fatherly chastisements For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with Sons for what Son is he whom the Father chasteneth not But if ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye Bastards and not Sons Hebr. 12. 6 7 8. And as many as I love I rebuke and chasten saith the Son of God Rev. 3. 19. Secondly afflictions do continue us in the faith by assuring us of Gods love in comforting us in our afflictions In all their affliction he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the dayes of old saith the Prophet Isa 63. 9. And thus the Apostle Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1. 3 4. And thirdly by assuring us of Gods love in delivering us out of our afflictions Many are the afflictions of the righte us but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Psal 34. 19. And the same Prophet having recorded many great deliverances which the Lord usually worketh for his people in their several distresses and extremities in his 107. Psalm he concludeth with this Rule of direction whoso is wise saith he and will observe those things even they shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord verse 43. And he that rightly understandeth the loving kindnesse of the Lord will certainly rely upon him by faith as an everlasting and infallible refuge But you will say Is this all the happinesse that a Believer must expect in this life Doth not the Apostle tell us That godlinesse is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. To the first part of this question I answer That there is such solid happinesse in affliction
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
over her and covered her nakednesse and sware unto her and entred into a Covenant with her and made her his own Then he washed her and anointed her he decked her with the richest Ornaments both of Jewels and Rayment he fed her with the chief est nourishment And her beauty was made perfect through his comelinesse that he had put upon her Ezek. 16. 8. to the 15. verse And in consideration of these so great so undeserved favours she crieth out with that good Prophet David O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 107. 1. And so thirdly she falleth upon his mercy which she cannot but mightily commend for that so soon as she became sensible of her own lamentable condition he then appeard to her most mercifull For no sooner did she finde her self to be by nature the child of wrath Eph. 2. 3. And by sin the child of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. 8. But suddenly she perceived that he had redeemed her to God by his bloud Rev. 5. 9. That when she was yet his enemy he had reconciled her to God by his death and most assuredly saved her by his life Rom. 5. 10. And all this without the least satisfaction by or from her self For not by works of righteousnesse that she had done but according to his mercie he saved her Tit. 3. 5. And she is most confident that he will continue her in her now happy estate For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forfake thee Hebr. 13. 5. Neither can she doubt but what he hath said he will most certainly perform For she findeth Fourthly That he is full of Grace and Truth John 1. 14. Yea he is the very Truth it self John 14. 6. And therefore she sings with David Her Lord is good his mercie is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations Psal 100. 5. Nor Fifthly is she afrighted at his Justice But rather she rejoyceth therein For albeit The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. And every transgression and every disobedience must receive a just recompence of reward As Hebr. 2. 2. Yet the law of the Spirit of life in her Lord Christ Jesus hath freed her from the law of sin and of death Rom. 8. 2. And in such a case it is not the office of Justice to condemn but to acquit protect and justifie And sixthly she can never forget his wisdom who is the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. She apprehendeth by faith that it was he which made the earth by his power which established the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heaven by his understanding As Isa 51. 15. He knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 1. 19. And he knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished 2 Pet. 2. 9. And she doubteth not but she may most safely and savingly resign her self to his direction and disposition For in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Colos 2 3. The soul that adds a thousand fold to these shall yet fall short a thousand thousand fold of his essentiall super-excellencies and lose her self at last in admiration Yet by these dear indearing contemplations she acts and strengthens and improves her Love and works it to a prosperous conditon For as the roote by vertue of the Sap causeth the tree to put forth fair green leaves So worketh Faith by Love and fits the soul the chast soul for a flourishing profession ANd now though somewhat bashfull yet she dares discover her affections to her friends the sweet companions of her virgin Love I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem if you finde my beloved that ye tell him that I am sick of love Saith she Cant. 5. 8. And therefore as the virgin lover first delighteth much to meditate upon the rare perfections of her Paramore So in the second place she will be talking of him very often extolling and comending his person parts and properties that so he may the better come to the knowledge and assurance of her intire affection towards him In like manner the love-sick soul that panteth after Christ will not omit the least occasion or opportunity of conference concerning her dear Lord but will evermore be magnifying his goodness loving-kindness and the like and setting forth the promises due thereto Because thy loving-kindness is better then life therefore my lips shall praise thee saith David Psal 63. 3. And to that purpose she consorts her self with his true servants his trustie friends whom she inviteth kindly to a sweet harmoneous concord and conversation O come saith she let us sing unto the Lord let us make a joyfull noise to the rock of ovr salvation Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and make a joyfull noise unto him with Psalms For the Lord is a great God c. Psal 94 to the 8. And from hence she proceedeth to a more eminent and evident Profession of her true zeal and pure integrity which will appear the more infallibly by loving that which he is known to love and hating that which he abhors and hates Resolved thus She findes he loveth righteousnesse and hateth wickednesse Psal 45. 7. And therefore she directeth her affections of love and hatred towards the same Objects In the first place she loveth righteousness whether it be the righteousness of faith which justifieth the person or the righteousness of the law which justifieth the faith of the person For she knoweth that as the one is the cause of her justification so the other is the evidence of her sanctification And this her Love appeareth very precious upon the account of these four properties First it is Cordiall secondly it is Constant thirdly it is Confident and fourthly it is Comprehensive First I say it is cordiall It is no brain-sick fancy begotten by imagination brought forth by opinion nursed by ignorance and maintained by impudence Neither is it an outward formall profession modalled by self-seeking and magnified by self-conceit These are degenerate monsters bastard brats abominable to her virgin brest She owns no other love but what proceeds from the assurance of a saving faith infused by the Spirit of her Lord into the hidden corners of her heart I sleep saith she but my heart waketh Cant. 5. 2. her loving heart is evermore in labour Neither can any thing prevent or hinder her amourous desires from running out towards the righteousness of her dear Lord Because He is the Lord her righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. Secondly her love is constant She regardeth not the face of the times nor the course of the tide the praise of a parasite nor the partling of a Parrat Neither will she take the spirit of giddiness for her guide least by any means she should wax wanton against Christ and wed her self to some unworthy creature like the younger widows Tim. 3. 11. Profits Pleasures and preferments
may haply wooe her but cannot win her to leave her first Love For she findes that he reproved that lightnesse in the angel of the Church of Ephesus Reve. 2. 4. She cannot do such desperate wickedness and sin against her blessed Saviour who hath betrothed her unto himself in righteousness and ratified his contract by the sweet and precious ingagements of his Gospel And therfore her Love is so deeply rooted in the center of her soul that she cannot be tossed to and fro and carried away with every wind of Doctrine c. Ephes 4. 14. But being sincere in love she groweth up into him in all things which is her head vers 15. My righteousnesse I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live saith Job Job 27. 6. This was a notable sign that he loved righteousness with much constancy Thirdly her love to righteousness is confident It will not be daunted nor discouraged Though proud Haman despiseth poor Mordecay and projecteth the destruction of himself and all his people As Esther 3. 6. Yet Mordecay will not give divine reverence to that ambitious upstart Ester 5. 9. Though Nebuchad-nezzar the mighty king of Babylon maketh an idolatrous decree and threatneth a burning fiery furnace to such as shall be disobedient thereunto Dan. 3. 10 11. Yet Shadrach Meshach and Abednego the servants of the most high God will not serve his gods nor worship the golden image that he hath set up Dan. 3. 18. Though Darius by the policy of his presidents and councellers establisheth a royall statute That whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty daies save of the King himself he shall be cast into the den of lions Dan. 6 7. Yet Daniel though he knows that the writing is sealed will kneel upon his knees three times a day and pray and give thanks before his God as he did aforetime Dan. 6. 10. See here how confident these godly men appeared in their love to righteousness And read yet further how the Lord succeeded their confidence with strange deliverances Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward for ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise for yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10. 35. 36. 27. Fourthly her Love is very comprehensive It comprehendeth owneth and imbraceth all righteousness where ever it resideth She is not hypocritically proud so as to say Stand by thy self come not neer me for I am holier then thou like rebellions Israel Isa 65. 5. But in lowliness of minde she esteemeth each other better then her self As Phili. 2 3. Nor gainfully superstitious to cry out Great is Diana of the Ephesians with Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen As Acts 19. 34. But she acknowledgeth That godlinesse is profitable unto all things As 1 Tim. 4. 8. Nor is she insolently factious To despise dominion and speak evil of dignities with the Apostle Judes filthy dreamers As Jude 8. But she endeavoureth To keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace According to Saint Pauls preswasion Ephes 4. 3. I am a companion to all them that fear thee Saith good David unto his God Psal 119. 63. To all them that fear thee without any exception or limination And the Apostle Paul commends the Ephesians for their love to all the Saints Ephes 1. 15. But you will say 't is very difficult for us to know a sinner from a saint in times of tolleration wherein profession usurps the forme and undermines the power of godliness Thererore we shall do wisely to consider what David saith concerning this particular My Lord saith he my goodnesse extendeth not to thee but to the excellent in whom is all my delight Psal 16. 2 3. Or thus according to the vulgar reading All my delight is upon the Saints and upon such as excell in virtue A morall vertue shall not misse of a suteable reward if it be cordiall though it be constrained This we may see in the example of Ahab 1 Kings 21. 29. But wo be unto you ye hypocrites saith Christ eight times in one and the same chapter Mat. 23. Neverthelesse they that are truely godly lest they should be or partial or prejuditious in their love to righteousnesse do not forget to pray with our Apostle that The Lord would make them to increase and abound in love one towards another and towards all men As in 1 Thessa 3. 12. And as the virgin soul doth thus professe her fervent love unto her dearest Lord by loving righteousnesse which he doth love So on the other side she doth expresse the like unfained Love by hating sin and wickednesse because he hateth it But haply you will say the very name of wickednesse is harsh and odious Is there a man that hates not wickednesse 'T is true indeed 't is hard to finde a man so vile or gracelesse but that he would seem to be an enemy to wickednesse But yet in practice there are very few but do allow commit defend or love it And therefore first let me demand this question when thou art set upon by any sin dost thou resist it by the power of faith and fight against it under Gods command Canst thou sincerely say with godly Joseph How can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God as Gen. 39. 9. This is a signe thou hatest sin indeed Or doest thou otherwise refrain from sin for fear of shame reproach or punishment Verily thou hast thy reward But this is fear proceeding from self-love No love to God no hatred against sin Ye that love the Lord hate evil saith the Prophet Psal 97. 10. And therefore secondly let us consider the nature and the properties of hatred This hatred is no giddy frantick passion but a mature deliberate affection Such a notorious opposite to Love that they can never be so reconciled as to imbrace or favour the same object They are agreed ever to disagree Yet they are Twins both strugling in one wombe not to be parted not to be atoned consent begets and emnity preserves them For hatred lives by love love thrives by hatred Love first gives hatred an occasion and hatred prosecutes loves adversaries And therefore whosoever loveth God must hate all sin as grievous unto God Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities saith the Lord to Israel Isa 43. 24. Now we must know that many men do much mistake themselves in this particular A man may be inraged against sin and yet not hate it Yea he may protest and vow against it very seriously and yet not hate it really and rightly And therefore we may do well to consider that hatred which is perfect and compleat hath these three properties First it is impartial Secondly it is impetuous And thirdly it is implacable
First if it deserveth the right name of hatred it is impartial And therefore he that truely hateth sin he doth hate all manner of sin and in all manner of persons He must hate all manner of sin He may not hate riotousnesse and love covetousnesse hate swearing and love lying hate publick prophanesse and love private perfidiousnesse or the contrary I hate every false way saith good David Psal 119. 128. And to that purpose he prayeth unto his God saying Incline not my heart to any evil thing Psal 41. 4. Doubtlesse 't is hard to finde a man whose heart is not inclin'd to many evil things But wher 's that Soul amongst us that is not so wedded unto some bewitching lust some Dalila one bosom sin or other of which we are inclineable to say as Lot did sometime say concerning Zoar Is it not a little one Gen. 19. 20. Yet every sin is a transgression of the Law 1 Joh. 3. 4. And cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. And therefore the Prophet David Search me O God saith he and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Psal 139. 23 24. And the Apostle Paul Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. And likewise St. Jude exhorteth To hate even the Garment spotted by the flesh Jude 23. Alluding haply to those forbidden things of the Law whereby their very Garments were defiled And intimating to us under the Gospel That we ought to abstain even from all appearance of evil according to that of Paul 1 Thes 5. 22. And as we must hate sin in general so we must hate all sinne in every person A man would think there had been no great cause of offence for Jehosaphat to assist Ahab in the recovery of Ramoth Gilead They were both of the stock of Abraham joyned in affinity professed the same Religion the cause was just and the enemy an idolatrous Heathen Neverthelesse Jehu the Seer said unto Jehosaphat the King Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord 2 Chron. 19. 2. And are there not too many amongst us that do professe much detestation against the miscarriages of such as are either averse or unprofitable to our designs whereas a little affinity or friendship or faction or the like carnal complyance will easily over-rule us to approve and patronize the most abomiâ—able actions Like wicked Ahab who hated the saving truth in the mouth of Micaiah because it was contrary to his intention and imbraced a pernitious lye from the mouths of his false Prophets because it was agreeable to his present resolution as in the 2 Chron. 18. Yea such is the damnable deceitfulnesse of self-love that many of us are thereby bewitched to censure those sins most severely in others which we our selves are ten times more notoriously guilty of And thinkest thou this O man that judgest them which do such things and dost the same that thou shalt escape the judgement of God saith Paul Rom. 2. 3. Verily this carnal self-love must of necessity be turned into spiritual self-hatred either temporal or eternal For we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth against them which commit such things as saith the same Apostle Rom. 2. 2. Nothing is so offensive unto God or so destructive to our selves as sin The pestilence in our bloud the poyson in our bowels and the sword in our sides all these together can but kill the body according to a temporary death But sin is of so desperate a strain that it destroyes both soul and body too and hurries them into eternal torments And therefore he that hateth not all sin and in all persons chiefly in himself his seeming hatred is Hypocrisie and his love to God and his own Soul is nothing bettter Therefore be not deceived God is not mocked Gal. 6. 7. Secondly hatred if 't is true and perfect it is impetuous or violent nothing will satisfie it but the death or the destruction of every thing whereon it resteth We finde that Esau hated his brother Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father had blessed him And Esau said in his heart the dayes of mourning for my father are at hand then will I slay my brother Jacob Genes 27. 41. And doubtlesse he had done as he intended had not the Lord his God preserved Jacob according to his power Gen. 32. 11. We likewise finde how that the sons of Jacob did hate their brother Joseph Gen. 37. 4. And they consulted together to slay him verse 20. And if we deal more kindly by our sins it is a sign we are but angry with them we do not hate them with a perfect hatred like that of David wherewith he did hate the haters of his God Do not I hate them O Lord saith he that hate thee And am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred Psal 139. 21 22. There are two great evils in and belonging unto every sin to wit the evil of iniquity Psal 32. 5. And the evil of punishment Lam. 3. 39. Whereof the first is essential and offensive to the spirit the second is accidental and offensive to the flesh And from hence it proceedeth that the spiritual man hateth sin for the iniquity thereof In reference to God But the carnal man is angry with sin onely because of the punishment thereof in relation to himself God is not in all his thoughts saith David Psal 10. 4. And therefore because he hateth not the iniquity which he ought to hate the punishment which he hateth shall fall upon him unto his confusion Gen. 4. 13. Whilest he which hateth that which God doth hate shall surely be approved of by God Rev. 2. 6. And therefore it will be of special use unto us to consider with what vehemency the Prophet David endeavoureth to aggravate the violence or the severity of his hatred against sin and sinners in his 101. Psalm Wherein he maketh divers protestations or promises unto this very purpose saying I will see no wicked thing before mine eyes I hate the work of them that turn aside it shall not cleave to me verse 3. A froward heart shall depart from me I will not know a wicked person verse 4. Who so privily slandereth his neighbour him will I cut off him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer verse 5. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my hâ—use he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight verse 7. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the citie of the Lord verse 8. Thus
behold his blessed entertainment when he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him And the like happinesse shall every soul receive for certain from her heavenly Father that hath a true sense and feeling of her transgressions that is really moved and troubled for them that resolveth seriously to forsake them that proceedeth in the right course to be delivered from them According to that life which her Beloved brings along with him But as the resolutions and actions of the aforesaid lepers and likewise of the prodigal were undertaken and carried on meerly by necessity and probably might have been as dangerous as they proved advantagious So in like case the soul that is thus newly revived and ingaged upon the like compulsive principles may be exceeding liable and subject to many perilous mistakes O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps saith the Prophet Jere. 10. 23. And therefore whensoever Jesus Christ appeareth savingly to such a soul he giveth light to rule and guide that life And thereupon the Apostle Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Ephes 5. 14. And thus the Lord of himself I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of life John 8. 12. This is not a new light But the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 1. 9. Not an external but an internal light For God who commandeth the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 6. Not to inlighten the eyes of the body but to inlighten the eyes of the understanding That the eyes of your understanding being inlightened c. Saith the same Apostle Ephes 1. 18. The light of the body is the eye saith our Saviour Math. 6. 22. And as the light of the body is the eye so the light of the soul is the understanding For as the eye is that member of the body whereby the body receiveth light so the understanding is that faculty of the soul whereby the soul receiveth light also And this spiritual light albeit for substance it is alwayes the same Yet in regard of the several proceedings or degrees thereof it may be said to be threefold The first degree is in Christ or God in Christ essentially The second is in the Gospel exhibitively The third is in the godly derivatively First I say this light is in God essentially and originally God is light saith S. John 1 Joh. 1. 5. And so it is infinite perfect and perpetual First it is infinite It is said that in the Creation God made two great lights the greater light to rule the day Gen. 1. 16. And that greater light is the Sun Psalm 136. 8. But there is no lesse difference between this light of God or this light which is God and the light of the Sun then there is between light and darknesse The Sun cannot shine in all places at one and the same time for we see by experience that the night hideth us from the light thereof But thus the Prophet David unto the Lord If I say surely the darknesse shall cover me even the night shall be light about me yea the darknesse hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darknesse and the light are both alike unto thee Psal 139. 11 12. And upon whom doth not his light arise saith Job Job 25. 3. Verily this infinite light may not be limited It shineth upon all persons in all places and at all times And if any man be not inlightened thereby it is for that he loveth darknesse rather then light because his deeds are evil as John 3. 19. Secondly this infinite light is perfect God is light and in him is no darknesse 1 Joh. 1. 5. Neither is he capable of any the least alteration The Sun may be stayed in his course as in the dayes of Joshua Josh 10. 13. Or turned back as in the dayes of Hezekiah Isa 38. 8. But in this Father of lights there is no variablenesse neither shadow of turning Ja. 1. 17. I am the Lord I change not saith he Mala. 3. 6. Thirdly this perfect light is perpetual or everlasting The Sun shall be turned into darknesse and the Moon into bloud before the great and the terrible day of the Lâ—rd come Joel 2. 31. But the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light saith that Evangelical Prophet Isa 60. 19. He shall not onely inlighten thee all thy days in this his Kingdom of grace but he shall be also thine onely light in his Kingdom of glorie Rev. 21. 23. The second degree of this everlasting light is in the everlasting Gospel as S. John calleth it Rev. 14. 6. And here it is communicable conformable and comfortable First it is communicable As the Sun disperseth his light by his beams so the Lord communicateth his light by his Gospel That grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel saith St. Paul 2 Tim. 1. 9 10. And thereupon St. John The darknesse is past saith he and the true light now shineth 1 Joh. 2. 8. The darknesse of the Law which was vailed under types figures is done away and the true light now shineth in the Gospel And St. Peter thus We have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eye-witnesses of his Majesty for he received from God the Father honour and glorie when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glorie This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And this voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount We have also a more sure word of prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place untill the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts 2 Peter 1. 16 17 18 19. Briefly thus The Gospel of Jesus Christ saith he is no fable for we were eye-witnesses of his Majesty and ear-witnesses of his Fathers Testimony altogether agreeable to the Records of the Prophets which might serve to convince the Soul of ignorance and unbelief untill the Lord Jesus Christ is pleased to reveal himself more abundantly by the light of his Gospel But it may be demanded how God is said to communicate or discover his light by his Gospel seeing the Apostle telleth us That the Gospel is a mysterie which hath been hid from ages and from generations and is now made manifest unto the Saints onely Col. 1. 26. I answer
that the same Apostle doth very well resolve this doubt in another place If our Gospel be hid saith he it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes of them that believe not least the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. It is no wonder that the most glorious light be obscured and hidden from those that are blinded where the defect is not in the light but in those that cannot or that will not see the light Secondly this light of the Gospel is conformable or agreeable in every particular to whatsoever was covenanted and concluded by and between God the Father and his onely begotten Son in and by that eternal Covenant of Grace for and on the behalf of mankinde And to this purpose the Apostle Paul intimateth to the Ephesians That into him this grace was given that he should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mysterie which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord Ephes 3. 7. to 12. Verily this blessed light of the Gospel is every way so conformable to the whole will of God and so illustrated with the bright beams of his wisdom grace and goodnesse That we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glorie of the Lord are changed into the same image from glorie to glorie even as by the Spirit of the Lord as in 2 Cor. 3. 18. And thirdly the light of the Gospel is comfortable Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted saith the Gospel Mat. 5. 4. This is the day-spring from on high that hath visited us to give light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace Luke 1. 78. 79. It sheweth us the way to finde rest unto our Souls Math. 11. 29. c. And it assureth us that Jesus Christ is made unto us wisdom and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. And let every true Christian be judge if these be not such comforts as he chiefly rejoyceth or delighteth in The third degree of light is in the Godly And here it is regular singular and exemplar First it is regular It is guided by rule By the rule of righteousnesse the word of God He that is truely godly will not presume to see more then God sheweth him Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee saith David Psalm 119. 10. Thy word is a Lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths saith the same Prophet verse 105. And therefore the Lord by his Prophet Isaiah To the law and to the testomonie saith he If they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8. 20. And therefore Woe be unto them that put darknesse for light and light for darknesse Isa 5. 20. Secondly this light in the godly is singular it looketh but one way and that directly If thine eye be single thine whole body shall be full of light but if thine eye be evil thy whole bodie shall be full of darknesse saith the Lord Mat. 6. 22. Where he intimateth that that which is not a single eye is an evil eye You know that a crosse eye that seemeth to look one way when in truth it looketh another is a great blemish in nature but the eye of the Soul that is thus deceitfully affected is a greater enemy to grace Let thine eyes look right on and let thine eye-lids look straight before thee saith the wise man Prov. 4. 25. The eye of the godly looketh alwayes right forward upon Gods glory without any self-seeing or self-seeking But the blear-eyed hypocrite when he most seemingly aymeth at Gods glory he most deceitfully intendeth his own And this is generally the common course of the world For all seek their own not the things that are Jesus Christs saith St. Paul Phil. 2. 21. Thirdly this light in the godly is exemplar It setteth forth it self to be observed intimated and improved The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4. 18. And therefore Paul to the Philipians Brethren be fâ—llowers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample Phil. 3. 17. And to his beloved Timothy Be thou an example of the believers in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity 1 Tim. 4. 12. And thus our Lord Jesus Christ to his Disciples Ye are the light of the world saith he A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushell but on a candlestick and it giveth light to all that are in the house Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good work and glorifie your father which is in heaven Math. 5. 14 15 16. But you will say what benefit shall the soul receive by all this light Truely she shall hereby receive the greatest and compleatest of all benefits She shall be hereby inabled to see God Not according to his incomprehensible essence and excellencies these are things too high for the highest apprehensions He is high above all nations his glory above the heavens Psal 113. 4. Higher then the highest Eccles 5. 8. For according to his secret councell and inconceivable wisdom these are too deep for the deepest understandings O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out For who hath known the minde of the Lord or who hath been his counceller saith St. Paul Rom. 11. 33 34. But according to the good pleasure of his own will and the small measure of our human capacity For as the sun it self as touching its matter or substance cannot be discerned by the eye of the body and yet by the luster and bright beams thereof we are inabled to see whatsoever is necessary or convenient to be seen So our immortall and invisible God as he is of himself in himself and to himself cannot be perceived by the eye of the soul yet by the evidence of his works and of his word he is pleased to reveal himself unto us so far forth as is abundantly sufficient for our temporall satisfaction and our eternall salvation These two large lectures of his works and words are they wherein the Lord is seen and read The one is a lecture of Philosophy The other is a lecture of
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
common thing with many to complement us with your humble servant when really and truely they esteem it too little honour to be but our Masters unlesse they may command us as their slaves This is a treacherous humility The second is a cowardly humility And that is when a man through fear of death or bonds or damage or some such like danger humbles himself so far as to submit to the unworthy or unjust commands of men in opposition to God and a good conscience I do not say contrary to his own unhappy conscience for he that is a coward in Gods cause is commonly as great a Tyrant over his own conscience he will not suffer it so much as to minde him of any of his vile abominations He hath seared it or burnt it as a slave with a hot Iron As the Apostle speaketh 1 Tim. 4. 2. We read that the Persian Monarch Ahasuerus promoted Haman c. And all the Kings servants that were in the Kings Gate bowed and reverenced Haman for the King had so commanded Esth 3. 1 2. But Mordecay Gods true and faithfull servant he bowed not nor did him reverence He onely humbled himself to God and God preserved and rewarded him Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time saith St. Peter 1 Peter 5. 6. But who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die and of the Sonne of Man which shall be made as grasse and forgettest the Lord thy maker c. saith the Lord by his Prophet Isa 51. 12 13. The third is a constrained humility Not constrained by the power or compulsion of Man or by any other outward violence But by the terrours of an accusing conscience As when a Man is humbled or dejected through the sense or apprehension or expectation of Divine Justice discharging it self of some grievous plague or punishment either temporal or eternal present or impendent And this of it self is neither absolutely hurtfull nor helpfull but according to the fellowship or society that it lighteth upon If it meeteth with self-ends then it becometh unfruitfull If it meeteth with Hypocrisie it proveth contemptible If with despair it is damnable But if it meeteth with faith then it becometh sound and effectual First I say if it lighteth upon self-ends it proveth unfruitfull This we see in the example of Ahab For Elijah having denounced most fearfull judgements against Ahab his wife and family It came to passe when Ahab heard those words that he rent his Cloaths and put sack-cloath upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sack-cloath and went softly 1 Kings 21. 27. Insomuch that the Lord himself took great notice thereof verse 29. Neverthelesse not long after Ahab set his heart upon the recovery of Ramoth Gilead 1 Kings 22. 3. And in pursuance thereof he expressed his hatred to Micaiah the true Prophet verse 8. He despised the word of the Lord verse 18. He putteth Gods Prophet into prison ver 27. And proceedeth in his designe to his own destruction Thus through his own self-ends his constrained humility became unfruitfull Secondly if this constrained humility be carried on by Hypocrisie then it proveth contemptible This appeareth in the words of the Lord by his Prophet Isaiah to the dissembling Jews Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our Soul and thou takest no knowledge Behold in the day of your fast you find pleasure and exact all your labours Behold ye fast for strife and debate c. Isa 58. 3 4 5. Here are all the signs of a solemne humiliation but because it was performed in Hypocrisie the Lord poureth contempt upon it And therefore the Lord Christ in his Sermon on the Mount exhorteth his Disciples saying when ye fast be not as the Hypocrites of a sad countenance for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast c. Math. 6. 16. c. And this fasting is a principal part of humiliation as it appeareth by that of the Prophet David I humbled my Soul with fasting saith he Psal 35. 13. And by the deportments of the Jews in the time of Esther and Mordecay Esther 4. 3. Thirdly when this constrained humility incountreth with despair it becometh deadly and damnable As in the example of Saul who in his sore distresse humbled himself even unto the Devil in the likenesse of Samuel 1 Sam. 28. 14. And of Judas the Traytour who repented confessed restored and departed and went and hanged himself Math. 27. 3 4 5. But this humilitie if it findeth out faith then it proveth sound and effectual Like that of Manasseh who when he was in affliction besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers and prayed unto him and he was intreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him again to Jerusalem into his Kingdom Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God 2 Chr. 33. 12 13. Neither was this kinde of humility lesse remarkable in Saul the persecuter afterwards Paul the Apostle who being upon the height of his tyrannical intentions Jesus whom he persecuted dismounted him and laid him on the earth untill his cruel heart was so abased and humbled that he trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. to the 7 th verse Then upon whom the mercy of God was never more freely bestowed Then by whom the free grace of God in Christ was never more excellently magnified Yet I am the least of the Apostles saith he that am not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of Christ But by the grace of God I am what I am 1 Cor. 15. 9. 10. This is the work of a sound humility And it well deserveth our serious consideration And therefore I shall endeavour to propound and answer these four questions First what is this sound humility Secondly by whom is it wrought Thirdly how or after what manner is it wrought And fourthly what doth it work To the first question it is answered That humility is that work of regeneration through which our connsciences being convicted and afflicted by the sense of our sins and the consideration of our own wants and unworthinesse we do unfainedly confesse the same unto God devoutly imploring his pardon for sinne together with a supply of spiritual grace That this humility is a work of regeneration and thus qualified I conceive will not be denied nor contradicted For so soon as that eternal goodnesse of God appeareth unto his otherwise lost creature In begetting him of his own will with the word of truth as Ja. 1. 18. Immediately by the light of the same word he beginneth to survey himself and to weigh all his thoughts words actions and abilities according to this ballance of the sanctuary And finding them utterly void of all grace and goodnesse and stuffed with nothing but sin and corruption
when the Soul deliberately findeth she is confirmed she hath found her Lord. ANd now the chiefest thing that she desireth is to be sure of his affection And to that purpose she indeavoureth to satisfie her self in these three Queries whereof the first is this whether the Lord who is of purer eyes then to see evil and cannot look upâ—n iniquitie Habak 1. 13. Can notwithstanding set his love upon such simple Creatures as the sons of men Seeing we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags as Isa 64. 6. Therefore to be resolved in this point she turns her self towards the word of God and sets her self to search the holy Scriptures where her dear Lord directeth her to these and many the like precious promises The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee saith the Lord that hath mercie on thee Isa 54. 10. Can a woman forget her sucking Childe that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee saith the same loving Lord Isa 49. 15. But I saith the Soul am very sinfull exceeding subject to transgresse True saith the Lord thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities But I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Isa 43. 24 25. I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously and wast called a trunsgressour from the womb but for my name sake will I defer mine anger c. Isa 48. 8 9. Again the Soul objects against her self But I have felt the goodnesse of my God and sometimes tasted something like his favour whereby I have been seriously resolved to give my self for ever to his service And yet as one forsaking her first love I have returned to my former courses and lost the hold of all my precions hopes Why I will heal thy back-sliding and will love thee freely saith her good Lord Hos 14. 4. Thus comforted the weary Soul proceeds to ruminate upon her Lords performances The wonderfull works that he hath done for the Children of men The glorie which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me saith our Lord in his prayer to his father on the behalf of his Apostles together with all other believers John 17. 22 23. I lay down my life for the sheep saith our good shepheard John 10. 15. No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self saith he again verse 18. And greater love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friends Jo. 15. 13. Most true it is no man hath greater love But our dear Lord both God and Man hath greater for he did lay down his life for his enemies when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son Rom. 5. 10. These are excellent arguments of his more excellent affection Yet to confirm her faith beyond all scruple she will examine some of his chief witnesses And first St. Paul who testifieth that our Lord hath purchased his spouse with his own bloud Take heed therefore unto your selves saith he and unto the whole flock over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own bloud Acts 20. 28. Again Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. And ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold c. But with the precious bloud of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 18. c. his own self bare our sins in his own bodie on the Tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousnesse by whose stripes we are healed saith the same Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 24. Now hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us saith that beloved Disciple 1 John 3. 16. And therefore unto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own bloud and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his father to him be glorie and dominion for ever and ever amen Rev. 1. 5 6. Scarcely for a righteous man will one die saith our Apostle Rom. 5. 7. But that the onely begotten Son of God whom he hath made Heir of all things should die a cursed death to redeem the foul Souls of filthy despicable sinners Hear O Heavens and be astonished O earth This is an unconceiveable love a bottomlesse affection But now the Soul having perused his promises considered his performances and examined his witnesses till she is well resolved in this truth In the next place she asks to what intent did Christ redeem us at so deer a rate And learned Paul informs her Eph. 5. Husbands love your wives saith he even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish c. Eph. 5. 25 c. But can so great a Lord vouchsafe such grace as to betroth or marry to himself such wretched weak and undeserving creatures As Paul in that place seems to intimate This is the second question in which the Soul desireth to be satisfied And thereupon she runs to his Records and there by his assistance findes it written I will betroth thee unto me for ever Hosea 2. 19. And by his Prophet Jeremy Turn O back-sliding Children for I am married unto you Jer. 3. 14. Having considered these testimonies Then from his word she frames such arguments as may confirm her in this blessed truth First it appeareth that the Lord doth marry his Church unto himself In that he ealleth her his spouse Cant. 4. 8. Come with me from Lebanon my spouse And in the four next ensuing verses of that Chapter he extolleth her beauty her affection her profession and her ehastity four several times under the title of his spouse his sister his spouse His sister in regard that he had taken unto himself her flesh And his spouse in regard that he had joyned her unto himself in the spirit Secondly it is evident that the Lord marrieth his church unto himself For that he will have her call him husband Thou shalt call me Ishi that is in the Originall my husband and shalt call me no more Baali that is my Lord saith he to his church of the Jews Hos 2. 16. Thirdly it
is plain that the Lord marrieth his church unto himself In regard that he calleth himself her husband and her his wife Thy maker is thy husband the Lord of hosts is his name and thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel the God of the whole earth shall he be called For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit and a wife of youth Isa 54. 5. 6. And fourthly it is manifest that he marrieth his church unto himself In respect that he will have her called after his own name we finde that his holy Spirit directeth us to call him by the name of The Lord our righteousnesse Jere. 23. 6. And this is the name wherewith she shall be called The Lord our righteousnesse saith the same Spirit by the same Prophet Jer. 33. 16. And in that it is said this is the name wherewith she shall be called it is evident that she was not so called formerly And we know that there is no ingagement no relation whatsoever that can make a woman capable of any other name then what she formerly had but that of marriage onely Again the soul demands this question How is it that our gracious Lord vouchsafeth so great an honour to his church to own her according to that high degree of marriage And after some expostulation she thus resolves her self Surely it is to evidence unto us that intire Union that exceeding nearnesse that is between the Spirit of our Saviour and the dear souls of his beloved saints There is a near relation among countrymen and kindred Insomuch that Paul professed he could wish himself accursed for his kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 9. 3. Yet we see they little deserved it at his hands Acts 24. 1 c. Some what more near then that is the relation among brethren Behold how good and how pleasant it is brethren to dwell together in Vnity saith David Psal 133. 1. Yet we finde that Cain killed his brother Abel Gen. 4. 8. And Esau intended the like to his brother Jacob Gen. 27. 41. There is also a near ingagement among friends A friend sticketh closer then a brother saith Solomon Prov. 18. 24. Yet we know that there is falshood in friendship Joab slew his great friend Absalom 2 Sam. 18. 14. And Judas abused that sweet attribute most basely Mat. 26. 50. But very strict and very binding are those Obligations between the parents and their children lo children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man so are children of the youth Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate Psal 127. 3 4 5. And therefore St. Paul Honour thy father and thy mother which is the first commandment with promise saith he Ephes 6. 2. Neverthelesse our Lord acquainteth us That the brother shall deliver up the brother to death and the father the child and the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death Mat. 10. 21. And have not we seen or credibly heard of the like unnatural actions performed in our dayes But so ought men to love their wives as their own bodies he that loveth his wife loveth himself No man ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as Christ the Church saith Paul Ephes 5. 28 29. Here indeed is the right cordial relation that strict and strong Obligation that nothing should cancel but death He is not worthy of the name of man that forsaketh or abuseth his own wife No man ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it There is the lovely shaddow of a tender compassion even as the Lord the church There is the true substance of a dear and dureable affection And therefore the main reason as the soul conceiveth why the Lord vouchsafeth this most acceptable expression of marriage is to shew us that integrity that exact and absolute Union and communion that is betwixt himself his church He that is joyned unto an harlot is one body saith the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 6. 16. Where Paul insinuateth that marriage is so strict a tie that the very abuse thereof is of an uniting quality But he that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit saith he verse 17. Now whatsoever is carnal is mortal and dubious but that which is spirituall is eternal and glorious O! saith that sweet and amorous soul that I were sure my Lord had such a love to me as that he would espouse me to himself I am perswaded now that he hath such a love unto his church in general But how shall I appropriate the same unto my self or how may I be sure that I shall thus in joy my gracious Lord For this is the circumstance wherein the soul desireth satisfaction And thereupon she listens to St. Paul 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 Gala. 2. 20. True saith the tender soul if I were such a chosen vessel as was good St. Paul I might triumph with the like confidence yet after some debate within her self she thus replies why what had Paul but what he did receive Or what made him to differ was it not my Lord with whom there is no respect of persons as Paul himself saith Rom. 2. 11. Doubtlesse my God who onely can fit me for this preferment he looketh not upon the man but his Mediatour he regardeth not the metall but the stamp the image and superscription whose is that Surly if the image of Christ be graven in me it makes no matter either what I am or how I am called For there is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for we are all one in Christ Jesus Gala. 3. 28. And as neither nation nor sex nor any outward state or condition nor any other earthly distinction can make a difference in the sight of God so neither can sin exclude me from his favour For God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us saith St. Paul Rom. 3. 8. These things considered the Soul begins to be perswaded that her Lord both may and will love her as well as any other For now she sees ther 's no impediment that can destroy or contradict her hopes Yet still she 's sick of love nor can her minde receive or cure or comfort till she meets with such an argument of his affection towards her self in every degree as is both certain and infallible Therefore she cries and gives her Lord no rest until he openeth her understanding that she may learn this mystery of love That never any soul did love the Lord but the same soul was first beloved by him And this must
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
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
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