their Justice they can do no lesse than confound and destroy him for ever together with all those excellent dignities and dominions wherewith they are resolved to indow him But least by this means their glorie should be buried in the untimely ruines of such a promising fair enterprise The Son supports it with the pillar of his grace the Monument of a most dear Redeemer Father saith he I will not undertake to keep the Rebel from his cursed fall least happily he boasts himself to stand by his own strength But in his fall I will keep him from the curse yet satisfie thy Justice to the full Be pleased to deliver to my hand his Covenant so forfeited return him over debtour unto me and leave him wholly to my custody I 'le be his surety In the interim O my Father to magnifie the riches of our Grace let thou and I contract a Covenant A preventing Covenant to take effect just at the very instant of his fall wherein I 'le rise a Mediatour between thy Justice and his weaknesse which if he or any of his lost posterity shall willingly receive and seal unto I will not onely save him from thy wrath but likewise I 'le restore him to thy love in which I will establish him for ever To this the Father gives his free consent And thus the Father and the Son conclude to ratifie this Covenant of Grace And truely I doubt not but all such as are truely godly will very well admit of this supposed conference provided that it be with holy reverence For we read That Jesus Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God Hebr. 9. 14. And that God received him with this congratulation In an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a day of salvation have I helped thee and I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherit the desolate heritages That thou mayest say to the prisoners go forth to them that are in darknesse shew your selves And they shall feed in wayes and their pastures shall be in all high places c. Isa 49. 8 9. c. I beseech you let us take these words of God the Father unto God the Son into our further consideration For verily we cannot conceive at the first view how punctually they may be applied to that eternal Covenant In an acceptable time have I heard thee on the worlds behalf And I have helped thee to work salvation in a day most proper for that purpose And I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of or concerning the people or on the behalf of the people to establish the earth which otherwise would be destroyed To cause to inherit the heritages which otherwise would be made desolate Adam and Eve together with their whole posterity in them shall be prisoners to my Justice But thou shalt inlarge them That thou mayest say to the prisoners Go forth they shall hide themselves from my presence as in darknesse but thou shalt make them confident saying shew your selves And they shall live safely pleasantly and plentifully They shall feed in the wayes and their pastures shall be in all high places c. By this conclusion between God and Christ their Creation is finished furnished Man their great Governour is constituted by Commission and confirmed by Covenant which he rebelling breaks and tumbles headlong towards condemnation But in that very point of time the Son by virtue of this Covâ—nant of Grace redeems him from destruction Restores him to his Fathers favour And re-estates him in his first Command Where he with all of his elect posterity persisting in the faith of Jesus Christ are mounted from the degree of servants to the dignity of Sons according to the Tenor of eternal truth For as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name John 1. 12. And thus we see that Jesus Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works According to that of St. Paul Tit. 2. 14. And God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life According to the words of our Text. PRoceed we now to the second point or Member contained in this Copy of the Covenant of Grace Being the Consideration or motive that invited the Lord to contract this Covenant which we finde to be his Love God so loved the World So loved A vehement forcible expression So So abundantly So infinitely Indeed we may not conceive that any other but an infinite Love should proceed from an infinite God For Love in God is not accidental but essential And therefore it is attributed unto him in the abstract by that beloved Disciple God is Love saith he 1 Joh. 4. 8. Love it self It is impossible for any creature sufficiently to commend the Love of God because we are not able to comprehend the love of God Yet we may commend it for a great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins According to St. Pauls expression Ephes 2. 4. And according to the Lords own example For God comemndeth his love towards us in that when we were yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5. 8. Neither doth this commendation of the Love of God the Father from the mouth of God the Son fall any thing short of either of the former God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life But you will say how doth it appear that the Love of God was the onely Consideration or motive that procured him to conclude this Covenant of Grace We must understand and consider That God being Love it self As having the very pure and perfect substance of love in himself essentially He loveth himself by the necessity of his nature And his Creatures by the liberty of his will And so resolving to create the World with every particular therein contained he looked on them with a general love as being his good Creatures Gen. 1. 31. But on man he looked with a more peculiar affection First In respect that man was the onely Creature by whom the Lord intended to advance his own immortal glory Isa 43. 7. Secondly For that the Lord intended to create him in his own Image As well in regard of the substance of his Soul being immortal and immaterial Gen. 2. 7. As also in regard of the perfections of his Soul consisting of Righteousnesse and true Holinesse Eph. 4. 24. But then foreseeing mans accursed fall procured wholly by his own default The God of goodnesse looks upon him then even with the love of pity and compassion which so prevailed in his Son Christ Jesus That He gave himself for us an offering
and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5. 2. In whom our gracious God was fully pleased Math. 3. 17. Which so increased and confirm'd his love that he concludes this Covenant of Grace And certainly there being no possibility to be expected from decayed mankinde for the repairing of themselves either by desert satisfaction intercession or any other way or means whatsoever we must needs conceive consider and assure our Souls That whatsoever God or Christ or God in Christ or God for Christ his sake either did do or shall do in order unto Mans salvation or whatsoever else may truely be called a blessing They did do and shall do it meerly by virtue of that undeserved Love which they vouchsafed in this Covenant Had not that prevailed man had been destroyed and God had lost the glory of his grace which shines most clearly through mans Redemption Without doubt it is in reference to this eternal Covenant That our Redemption is said to be eternal Hebr. 9. 12. our Salvation eternal Hebr. 5. 9. And our Inheritance eternal Hebr. 9. 15. And the onely Consideration or Motive that procured all this was Gods eternal or everlasting Love wherewith he loved us Jer. 31. 3. He loved us generally as his Creatures He loved us particularly as those Creatures by whom he intended chiefly to advance his glory He loved us more especially as bearing his own Image He loved us compassionately as foreseeing our fall in Adam our old Grand-Father But he loved us most effectually upon the intercession of Christ his own dear Son And thus God so loved the World But that this truth may gain our full belief let us surveigh his gift his onely Son For God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son This is the next branch which in the third place sets forth it self unto us in this Copy of the Covenant of Grace Being the Gift or Grant conveyed assigned and set over by the said Covenant or Deed of Gift WHerein I am to shew unto you these three particulars First That Jesus Christ the onely begotten Son of God was the Gift conveyed in that eternal Covenant Secondly What manner of Son he was And thirdly How and to what purpose God did so assign him For the first be pleased to remember what I have formerly delivered concerning this Precontract How God the Father and his blessed Son fore-seeing mans destruction by his fall Least by that means their purpose concerning the Creation should miscarrie The Son Christ Jesus gives himself to God a surety for the Creature And in case of mans default to satisfie the law on mans behalf And thereupon the Lord returns his Son by designation debtour to the law which he must to the uttermost discharge by suffering death which man of right must suffer Not presently for yet there was no cause why he should answer what was yet undone Nor at the very instant of mans fall The Lord was pleased to take his single Bond And to deferre the execution untill his own appointed time should come Neverthelesse by virtue of this Covenant God gave his Son for mans Redemption intentionally and by way of preordination before all time 1 Pet. 1. 19. effectually in the beginning of time Rev. 13. 8. And actually in the fulnesse of time Gal. 4. 4. Now albeit these several times were farre distant the one from the other in our apprehension Yet they were not so in Gods repute and acceptation for with him all times are present Eternity is evermore Gods present Tense And thus it may appear that the Gift which God the Father gave in this eternal Conant was his onely begotten Son And that he then gave him not onely intentionally according to our discretion But effectually and actually according to his own purpose and satisfaction Moreover if we consider the occasion why God and Christ did make this Covenant Namely to save man from that wofull curse which he did voluntarily incurre And yet to clear Gods Justice so ingaged us in the Covenant of works Then we shall finde that nothing could avail to bring to passe that intricate designe but the onely Son of God both God and Man Gods Justice seiseth upon every sin from which nor men nor Angels were quite free Prov. 28. 9. and Job 4. 18. And none but onely God might stay Gods hand But man hath sinned and man must suffer for 't And therefore in Mans Nature Christ must die and Christ as God and Man must satisfie Gods violated Justice And very punctual to this purpose is that of the Prophet Isaiah Vnto us a childe is born unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his Name shall be called wonderfull Counseller The mighty God The everlasting Father The Prince of peace Isa 9. 6. These glorious expressions were too high for any but the eternal Son of God who was then or at that time neither born nor given otherwise then by way of promise and prevention And that by this eternal Covenant Now that we may be the more sensible of that incomparable Love which Almighty God vouchsafed us in this most precious Gift Let us consider for what kinde of Son the word of truth hath set him forth unto us He is Gods own Son Rom. 8. 32. His onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of his Father John 1. 18. His beloved Son in whom he is well pleased Mat. 17. 5. His dear Son or the Son of his Love Col. 1. 13. Whom he hath appointed heir of all things Heb. 1. 2. In whom his Soul delighteth Isa 42. 1. Who never displeased him John 8. 29. Did God give this near dear delightfull Son of his to suffer death a cursed death to save accursed rebels from destruction Truely the though thereof if any thing serious will inforce us to conclude with that beloved Disciple Herein is Love the very power efficacy and excellency of Love Not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins 1 John 4. 10. But happily 't will be demanded how and to what purpose did God give his Son in this eternal Covenant of Grace I answer thus God being simply and essentially one considering mans eternal separation both from his presence and his favour too occasioned by mans rebellion The same one God did graciously decree to take upon him in the Person of the Son of God the Name and Nature of the Son of Man By that mysterious meanes to reconcile mankinde unto himself And thus as God the Father in his Justice opposeth mans contempt so God the Son in mercie intercedes and pacifies Gods wrath for Mans offence And therefore very much to this purpose is that of the Apostle Paul There is one God saith he and one Mediatour between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransome for all to be testified in due time 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. In
Leaf greenness In the blossom sweetness and in the Fruit juice So faith draws vertue from the Lord Christ Jesus and send it through the blessed soul in love to all the powers and faculties thereof thereby inriching every spirituall grace according to its proper use and action It maketh and preserveth faith unfained Hope unwearied charity open-hearted Humility undisguised Patience undistracted Prayer delightfull Thanksgiving cheerfull and obedience fruitfull To every grace it giveth life luster and sincerity which without Love are dull deceitfull and hypocriticall I cannot well tell where I should begin or how to end in the just commendations of this incomparable blessing There are many affections or strong and powerfull motions of the minde as joy grief Hope Fear Hatred and the like But when affection is simply and singularly nominated without any other addition you know we take it usually for Love By which we may conceive and understand that Love is the absolute affection It is also said that a good thing the more common it is the better it is And love is common unto every creature that onely hath the benefit of sense They do all generally love themselves their seed their food their fellows and their friends or whatsoever is most precious to their instinct or inclination Yet Love in man is of a nobler strain in regard that it proceedeth or should proceed from reason and discretion But when this Love extracted by true faith from God the onely substance of pure Love is placed upon God in Christ and the image of God in man The onely sound and unsuspected Objects Mat. 22. 37 38. Then verily it is of wondrous use First it becomes the nourse of pregnant faith to cherish and improve her precious fruit strengthening decking and beautifying every infant grace which would otherwise grow crooked deformed and contemptible 'T is faith that seales our interest in Christ But such a faith as works by Love saith Paul Gala. 5 6. Faith if it hath not works is dead saith James Ja. 2. 17. Yet Faith with works is nothing without Love as saith believing working loving Paul 1 Cor. 13. 2 3. True faith and Love have such a strict relation they cannot live the one without the other And therefore if our Love be not sincere we have great reason to suspect our faith And in the second place we finde that Love is Christ his cognisance or livery whereby he will have his Disciples known By this shall all men know ye are my Disciples saith he if ye have love one to another Jo. 13. 15. And it is a most compleat robe it hideth all our infirmities and deformities yea all our sins and transgressions Love covereth all sins saith Solomon Pro. 10. 12. And therefore blessed is the man that weares it Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered Psa 32. 1. This in all likeness is that wedding garment for want of which the Intruder was cast out of the bride chamber into utter darkness Mat. 22. 12 13. And it is an everlasting Ornament It never faileth 1 Cor. 13. 8. Our faith and Hope will help us into heaven and there they leave us but our endless Love will enter with us where it shall surpass in strength in sweetness and perfection as much as having exceedeth hopeing or injoying excelleth believing But every one that loves himself will say though Love be such a precious livery yet it is not so costly as 't is common I hope we are not so ungracious or so ungratefull but we love the Lord. Neverthelesse wise Solomon informs us That he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool Pro. 28. 26. And therefore let not us delude our selves in matters of such infinite concernment by trusting to our own deceitfull hearts without a serious examination We shall not finde it so easie a matter to lovc God really as most men unadvisedly imagine For first our Love is as narrow as Gâ—ds election Gods election is the first wheel that moveth in this great work It is he That hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Ephes 1. 4. And therefore untill we have given diligence to make our election sure by inquiring into the soundness of our faith we have great reason to suspect our Love Secondly if we have not the Spirit of God we have not the love of God For Love is a prime fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. Thirdly if we do not love the children of God we do not love God For every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 John 5. 1. Fourthly if we do not keep Gods words we do not love God For if any man love me he will keep my words saith the Son of God John 14. 23. Fifthly if we be not carefull to keep Gods commandments we do not love God For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments 1 John 5. 3. Sixthly if our hearts be not circumcised if our hearts be not broken and humbled for sin so that our carnall corruptions are mortified and our sinfull lusts and affections subdued in some good measure we cannot love God For the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul saith Moses that man of God Deut 30. 6. And Seaventhly if we do love the world we do not love God If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2. 15. Now it will be necessary for us to examine our selves in order to these seaven particulars And if we shall then presume that we love God we are in the next place to consider what manner of Love it is wherewith we do love him For we must know that there is a false Love as well as there is a true Love the love of an harlot as well as the love of a virgin The love of an harlot is First mercenary secondly hypocriticall thirdly inconstant and fourthly contemptible First I say the love of an harlot is mercenery when Tamar deceived Judah by playing the harlot she said unto him what wilt thou give me Gen. 38. 16. And probably there may be many that do seem even unto themselves to love God very dearly when as yet the secret inquisition of their heart is what shall we get by it what pleasure what profit what preferment They say with the wicked what can the almighty do for them Job 22. 17. Naaman the Syrian will go to the Prophet in Samaria 2 Kings 5. 9. But it shall be to be cleansed of his outward leprosie And being cleansed he will thenceforth offer neither burnt-offering nor sacrifice unto other gods but to the Lord vers 17. But in this thing the Lord pardon thy servant saith he that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there and he
needs be so for many Reasons First because God is the onely perfect substance of true love God is love saith St. John 1 Jo. 4. 16. And therefore we cannot love God but by vertue of that love which is essentially in God For otherwise we offer him but a shaddow instead of a substance Secondly because God is the onely Authour and giver of love love is of God 1 John 4. 8. And therefore unlesse God doth first in love to us bestow his love upon us we can have no love at all to dispose of as in relation unto him Thirdly because every one that loveth is born of God 1 John 4. 7. And it would be a preposterous thing for the child to love before the father Behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God 1 John 3. 1. And as it is a far greater argument of love that we should be made the sons of God then that we should be called the sons of God And Fourthly because Gods love to us is the cause of our love to God we love him because he first loved us Saith the same loving and beloved Disciple 1 John 4. 19. Now the cause must of necessity be before the effect And therefore unlesse God doth first love us efficiently it is impossible that we should love God effectually And altogether to this purpose is that in the Prophet Jeremy I have loved thee saith the Lord with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindnesse have I drawn thee Jer. 31. 3. Because the Lord did love his Church with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindnesse he did draw her to love him again For this I humbly conceive to be the most proper and suteable end of this attraction It being likewise the most principal or onely duty which the Lord requireth Deut. 6. 5. and Math. 22. 37. And being thus confirmed in this truth the willing Soul hath nothing else to do to fatisfie her fully in this case but to examine the sincerity and goodnesse of her own love to her Lord. And thereupon she brings it to the tryal And first she findes it eager to injoy She sings with that melodious Prophet David As the heart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God! My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come to appear before God Psal 42. 1 2. And in the 48. Psal 1. 2. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God Secondly it is fervent or ardent in the act of injoying 't is no Laodicean luke-warm love It makes the Soul say with the blessed spouse Set me as a Seal upon thine heart as a Seal upon thine arm for love is strong as death Many waters cannot quench love neither can the flouds drown it Cant. 8. 6 7. Thirdly she findes it very generous It soorneth to be base or trivial Too generous to be so mercenary as with those fools to say unto the Lord Depart from us and what can the Almighty do for us as Job 22. 17. It makes her scorn to stand for any wages That she refers to her beloved's goodnesse She knows her wages will be better far then all her works can any way deserve She remembers the words of her Lord Jesus how he said It is more blessed to give then to receive as Acts 20. 35. And thereupon her love will not be bought at any rate If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned Cant. 8. 7. Neither will this loving Soul be bribed but will rather say with Peter Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money Acts 8. 20. And secondly it is so generous that it will not be overcome by any base or lewd or carnal lust It will say with Joseph How can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. And with Moses it will chuse rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season as Hebr. 11. 25. Thirdly it is so generous that it will not be daunted either for fear of losse or displeasure or death it self According to the example of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Dan. 3. And of Daniel himself Dan. 6. Fourthly it is so generous that it scorneth to be nigardly in prosperity It will buy the truth and not sell it as Prov. 23. 23. It sayeth with David What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me Psal 116. 12. And therefore he will not offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord his God of that which doth cost him nothing as 2 Sam. 24. 24. Yea with the people of Israel it will give more then is necessary to the work as Exod. 35. 22. c. and Exod. 36. 5. Fifthly it is so generous that it will not be dismayed in adversity In case of derision or reproch it will say with David I will yet be more vile then thus as 2 Sam. 9. 22. In case of danger it will say with Peter Though I should die with thee yet will I not deny thee as Mat. 26. 35. And in case of extremity it will say with Job Naked came I out of my Mothers womb and naked shall I return thither the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord Job 1. 21. And with Paul None of these things move me neither count I my life deer unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy and the Ministery which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God Acts 20. 24. Sixthly it is so generous that it will not spare for any expressions nor any opportunities It will strive to out-strip the sinfull woman who when she knew that Jesus sate at meat in the Pharisees house brought an Alabaster box of oyntment And stood at his feet behinde him weeping and began to wash his feet with tears and wipe them with the hairs of her head and kissed his feet and anoynted them with the oytment Luke 7. 37 38. Or what it cannot do to him in his person it will do to him in his Members when he is an hungry it will give him meat when he is thirsty it will give him drink when he is a stranger it will take him in Naked it will cloath him Sick it will visit him in Prison it will come unto him For which the Lord shall say unto this Soul Verily in as much as thou hast done it to one of the least of these my brethren thou hast done it unto me as Math. 25. 40. ANd thus the Soul having examined her love by these and the like properties and finding it to be sincere and sound her joyfull heart is
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
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
which words I desire you to consider First that Christ as Mediatour gave Himself a Ransome Not silver nor gold nor such corruptible trash but himself Secondly that he gave himself a Ransome for all Not onely for Peter and James and John and those that followed him in the flesh But also for Adam Abel Enoch Noah and all that through the like faith either did do or shall imbrace him in the spirit and thirdly that this was not testified or revealed so soon as it was concluded but to be testified in due time By which me thinkes it doth appear most plain that Christ as Mediatour first did give himself to God by this eternal Covenant a Ransome and Redemption for Mankinde whom God receiving in full satisfaction Gives him again To suffer for sin Isa 53. 5. To justifie the ungodly Rom. 4. 5. To fulfill the Law for every one that believeth Rom. 10. 4. To be the object of our faith Joh. 6. 29. The onely object of our faith For there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Acts 4. 12. And finally and eternally to be whatsoever is good and profitable for the children of men Behold saith God I have given him for a witnesse to the people a Leader and Commander to the people Isa 55. 4. For a witnesse to testifie unto the people that all the promises of God in him are yea and Amen According to that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 1. 20. A Leader to lead them to the Father in the way of truth and life I am the way the truth and the life saith he no man cometh unto the father but by me John 14. 6. And a Commander to the people To work powerfully upon their hearts He taught them as one that had authority and not as the Scribes saith the Evangelist Marc. 1. 22. He said unto Simon Peter and Andrew his brother Follow me And they straightway followed him Mat. 4. 18 19 20. They immediately obey his Command without any inquisition either concerning profit or preferment Such Queries as are much insisted upon by unconfirmed resolutions He is made unto us of God wisdom and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. Are you ignorant Christ is your wisdom Are you sinfull He is your sanctification Are you inthralled or distressed or any way afflicted He is your redemption Or do you fear that you shall want any thing that may concern either your being or your well-being Why all things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours And ye are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. If Christ once comes to own you ye shall have his Ministers to instruct and to edifie you The World shall not harm you your life shall be gain and your Death advantage Things present shall content you And things to come shall comfort you All things are yours We know saith St. Paul that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8. 28. According to his eternal purpose in this eternal Covenant Nor do ye doubt of this For he that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32. You may haply conceive that your losse by Adam was very great But truely you may be confident that your gain by Christ is infinitely greater For though Adam in his innocency enjoyed the riches of Gods goodnesse yet he was not then sensible of the exceeding riches of his Grace For grace and truth came by Jesus Christ John 1. 17. Secondly Whatsoever Adam then received from God he received it onely as a servant But as many as receive the Lord Jesus Christ to them he giveth power to become the sons of God John 1. 12. And thirdly Though Adam in his Innocency was a righteous person Yet being left to his own power he fell into condemnation But there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. For they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation saith another Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 5. And this our Lord himself confirmeth beyond opinion My sheep saith he hear my voice and I know them and they follow me And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand John 10. 27 28. Thus have I shown you in the explication of the third point First that the gift conveyed in this eternal Covenant was Christ the onely begotten son of God Secondly I have shown you for what manner of Son the Spirit sets him forth And thirdly How and for what purpose the Father did give and send him Namely to suffer for sin To justifie the ungodly To fulfill the Law for all believers To be the onely object of our faith And to be all good things to all good Christians To all that believe in him According to the proviso or condition expressed and required in this Covenant of Grace which by the fourth and next branch contained in this Copy appeareth to be faith That whosoever believeth in him c. God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life JN this fourth point or Member we shall consider these three particulars First What is intended by this word Believe Secondly Why God requreth faith for the proviso or condition of this Covenant And thirdly Why he requireth nothing but faith For the first we must know that this word believe implieth much more then it seemeth to expresse But in as much as it hath relation to the Word and promises of God wherein his Son is holden forth unto us It doth properly signifie faith And this faith consisteth of two parts that is to say Assent and Consent whereof the first is an Act of the understing The second an Act of the will In the first the judgement is convinced to acknowledge and professe In the second the will is disposed to imbrace and practice Neverthelesse this Assent by it self is often taken for a general faith And it hath these three degrees Opinion knowledge and assurance Opinion is when a man believeth a thing to be true according to his present apprehension and judgement Yet the same thing may be otherwise for ought that he knoweth Or when a man verily thinks the thing to be true which may afterwards appear to be contrary I verily thought with my self saith St. Paul that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth which thing I also did in Jerusalem and many of the Saints did I shut up in prison And so he proceedeth to recount in what horrible practices that erronious Opinion of his had engaged him Acts 26.
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
and of death saith he Reve. 1. 18. Whereby it may appear that there is no passage that way but when and by whom he pleaseth to appoint it This I conceive to be the first degree in order to this free and gracious pardon The second is our Saviours Intercession He made intercession for the transgressours Isa 53. 12. And he ever liveth to make intercession for them Heb. 7. 25. The third and highest is his satisfaction He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Isa 53. 5. His ownself bare our sins in his own body on the tree saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 2. 24. Now if we shall in time of this reprive lay hold and rest upon his Intercession by an effectuall embracing faith then we are certain that we shall injoy the benefit of his full satisfaction And so we may be truly confident that this our pardon is both signed and sealed Due satisfaction is acknowledged Gods justice is compleatly vindicated his indignation throughly pacified And what can hinder us from being saved For it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8. 33 34. But if through all the time of our reprive we shall reject relinquish or neglect so great salvation as is offered in this intercession and satisfaction Then as the voice of God in his law hath passed upon us the sentence of condemnation So the voice of Christ in his Gospel shall passe upon us the sentence of execution For he that believeth not shall be damned This is part of that Gospel which the Lord Christ commanded his Apostles to preach unto every creature Mark 16. 16. The Scriptures mention other voices also As of Prophets that prophesie lies Jer. 23. 25. Of those that speak perverse things to draw Disciples after them Acts 20. 30. That by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. 18. That speaks lies in hypocrisie 1 Tim. 4. 1. That speaks evill of dignities 2 Pet. 2. 10. That speake evill of the things they understand not 2 Peter 2. 12. That speak great swelling words of vanity 2 Pet. 2. 18. That speak great things and blasphemies Rev. 13. 5. These voices are remembered in the Scriptures but they are all condemned by the Scriptures And these with every other of like nature may be referred to the voice of Strangers John 10. 5. Which though they be extolled and applauded by giddy multitudes of brain-sick beasts of old ordained to this condemnation Jude 4. This constant Lamb of Christ will by no means incline to hear or listen after them Least they should drive her into mire and dirt As Isa 57. 20. Or draw her from her Shepheards tender bosom As Isa 40. 11. Such were the watchmen that did smite and wound the searching soul The keepers of the walls that rifled her and took away her vail Cant. 5. 7. And therefore she avoids them day and night their publick musters and their private meetings As swarms of hurtfull locusts that proceed out of the smoak of hells infernall furnace As to the sacred voice of God in his law she doth believe it as it is the voice of such an Authour Exod. 20. 1. She learned it as a Rule to guide her goings Phil. 3. 16. She loves it as an argument of Love John 14 15. But looks upon it as a cancelled scroul a dead caracter in relation to any Obligation or ingagement Col. 2. 14. And so she leaves it with much reverence And listens to her Lords voice in his Gospel Jo. 7. 37. And being thus instructed when and where she is to seek for her beloved Lord. In the third place she sets her self to learn How she may seek him so as that she may be sure to finde him And to that intent She goeth her way forth by the foot-steps of the flock and feedeth her Kids besides the shepherds tents According to her Lords direction Cant. 1. 8. She walketh in the pathes of Christs own sheep to feed and fill her ears with his pure doctrine delivered by his faithfull Ministers As for her mortall enemies the Divell the World and Flesh that labour to betray and intercept her in her heavenly search with these she holdeth a continuall combate As for example when the Divel meets her in her delightfull way unto the word And would divert her by his lewd suggestions as that she shall be rebuked and reproved for her sins and threatned with misery death and destruction for her transgressions against the law of God with such like terrours not to be indured She telleth him that she hath been already at mount Sinay that might not be touched and that burned with fire and with blackness and darknesse and tempests c. Heb. 12. 18. But now the law like a good Schole-master leading her from thence unto mount Sion and unto the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of angels to the generall assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the mediatour of the new covenant c. Heb. 12. 22 c. And therefore with the Prophet David She will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints Psal 85. 8. When by his black mouth'd execrable agents the shame and bane of Church and Common-Wealth the Devil doth revile the Ministers of Jesus Christ with base reproachfull titles of purpose to blow up the zealous blaze of his own smoaking firebrands and to darken or quench the pure light of the glorious Gospel That so she may not be able to see when the Sun of righteousnesse shall arise with healing in his wings As Mala. 4. 2. The good soul onely renders him that answer wherewith the angels of the Lord reproved him long since upon the very like occasion The Lord rebuke thee O Satan Zech. 3. 1 2. And when that subtile serpent now perceiving that all his hellish engines cannot hinder the soul from listening to the word of God endeavoureth by all means possible to steal it from her least it should prove fruitfull She tells him plainly that she will both hear the word of God and keep it for so she shall be certain of a blessing Luke 11. 28. Next when the world would win her from the word by his most specious invitations of pleasures profits or preferments She answers That to live in pleasures on the earth is to nourish her self as in a day of slaughter James 5. 5. But the word will direct her to the Lord her God In whose presence is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for
the penalty that 's due to her transgressions eternal death in everlasting torments And being thus affrighted at her sins the onely cause of her afflictions the Soul bestirs her self about the Cure And to that end she sighs weeps vowes resolves and fasts and prayes and cries unto the Lord. Behold O Lord for I am in distresse my bowels are troubled mine heart is turned within me for I have grievously rebelled Lament 1. 20. Bowels of grief beg bowels of compassion and all to little purpose For now the more she mourns the more she may her spirit is ingaged in the conflict And a wounded spirit who can bear saith Solomon Prov. 18. 14. Poor Soul for life she labours does undoes she spends her spirits and torments her self and all to satisfie incensed Justice Which she is never able to perform by her own passions were they strong as death and deep as hell The Law is broken and it is Gods Law her sute is entred and her case reported one day of hearing craveth for another night unto night doth utter lamentations Justice must be appeas'd or no discharge every hour fresh summons to the barr she gives attendance but receives no comfort her time runs on her taske is but begun her work is always doing never ended And so her case seems to be desperate Because she seeketh not the cure by Christ by God in Christ Oh! there is heavenly musick That very name revives her and commands her ears and heart to dwell upon that sound which they suck in with a delitious relish For now that God and man that Mediator not won by tears but of his own free grace turns o're the mighty volume of his book the glorious records of free-election and finds her name written in that Book of life Revela 3. 5. And now though haply he may forbear for some short time to utter his affections until her heart be throughly mollified and well prepared to receive impression yet he forgets not to compassionate the pining wretch but in the best of times his own good time he says concerning her like as he did concerning Ephraim Is this my dear daughter is she a pleasant child for since I spake against her I do earnestly remember her still therefore my bowels are troubled for ber I will surely have mercy on her saith the Lord Jer. 31. 20. And to her self as to his spouse he saith O my dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comly Cant. 2. 14. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee c. Isa 54. 8 9 10. And thus her Lord bemoanes and greets and cheers her till being big with Christ her comforter she singeth with the blessed virgin Mary My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour For he hath regarded the lowe estate of his handmaiden c. Luke 1. 46 c. This is a happy progresse you may say But where appeareth this humility Truely she meets with it in every passage First she survayes her sorrows and she says Remembering mine affection and my misery the wormwood and the gall my soul hath them still in rememberance and is humbled in me Lament 3. 19 20. And secondly she sees the work of God in her afflictions and therefore She humbleth her self under the mighty hand of God According as St. Peter teacheth her 1 Pet. 5. 6. Thirdly perceiving sin to be the cause of all her miseries she humbly begs to have it done away Have mercy upon me O God saith she according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash me throughly from mine iniquitie and cleanse me from my sin as Psal 51. 1 2. And with like meeknesse promiseth amendment I have born chastisement saith she I will not offend any more as Job 34. 31. But Justice pleads for satisfaction The soul saith he that sinneth it must die At this the poor soul seems as dead indeed she 's utterly dejected quite cast down She 's not so stiff in her opinion to bring in writs of errour or false-judgement All that she desires is to obtain the mercy of the Book where she is taught to read The wages indeed of sin is death But the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 23. And here she breathes for here 's the breath of life And thus restor'd she humbly thanks the law her schole-master for bringing her to Christ She hangs upon this promise claims this gift and by this Jesus Christ her Surty she tenders satisfaction unto Justice and is dismissed without cost or dammage And not so onely But she 's made an heir an heir of God and a joynt-heir with Christ Rom. 8. 17. And is she proud of this preferment now No verily Till now she never felt the kindly force of sound humility All her humilty unto this present was meerly legal troublesome and slavish but now 't is evangelicall and free or if it be constrained any way It is constrained by the love of Christ Indeed The love of Christ constraineth her because she thus judgeth that if one died for all then were all dead 2 Cor. 5. 14. If all were dead then she amongst the rest And that she now lives or begins to live 't is onely by the purchace of his grace He died the death that she deserved to die that she may live with him eternally And where is boasting then it is excluded By what law of works Nay but by the law of faith Rom. 3. 27. Now she believes and loves and hence proceeds a modest willing sweet humility She 's not dejected through a servile fear but she is humbled by attractive love Because her Lord requires to have it so Take my yoak upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart saith her beloved Lord Math. 11. 29. Let this minde be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equall with God But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself became obedient unto death even the death of the crosse saith his learned Apostle Phil. 2. 5. to the 9. Thus councel wooes her and example wins her And she walkes humbly with her God in Christ According to that of the Prophet Micah 6. 8. And thus effectuall humility is brought and wrought into the sinful soul But what doth this humility perform what doth it work For that is the fourth Question I answer that this true humility being impowred and improved by Faith hath principally these five operations It
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
And as we must begin our works by faith So we must labour in those works by love Not that whereby we love pleasures for that is the part of a mad man Eccles 2. 1 2. Nor that whereby we love riches for that is the property of a fool Jer. 17. 11. Not that whereby we love them that hate the Lord for that is dangerous 2 Chro. 19. 2. Nor that whereby we love lies for that is damnable Revel 22. 15. Not that whereby we love the world for that will make us Gods enemies James 4. 4. Nor that whereby we love pride for that will make God our enemy 1 Pet. 5. 5. Not that whereby we love sin for that is Satan-like 1 John 3. 8. But that whereby we love the Lord for that is Saint-like Psal 31. 23. And therefore such a love as will be proper and fit to carry on a godly work must have God for its object and Gods glorie for its end More plainly thus If we will labour in a work by love so as to bring it to a godly frame Our love must be sincere to God in Christ firm to his will and zealous of his glory And verily it must be qualified in reference both to God and man like that which Paul sets forth in his Epistles Namely in the thirteenth Chapter of his first to the Corinthians beginning at the fourth verse Love suffereth long saith he is kinde it envieth not it vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth it beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things And he that shall according to this love or to a love not much unlike to this proceed in those designes which he hath first begun by faith he may be confident that if his patience be answerable he hath attained to the power of godlinesse And therefore it remains that we consider what kinde of patience will be suteable and proper to continue our ingagements For we do finde four kindes of patience Namely a patience of falsehood A patience of folly A patience of force And a patience of hope The first I say is a patience of falsehood or a false pernitious patience And this is when a man dissembleth his anger till he can finde a fitting opportunity to do the greater mischief Thus hatefull Esau did conceal his anger that he conceiv'd against his brother Jacob. And he said in his heart the dayes of mourning for my father are at hand then will I slay my brother Jacob Gen. 27. 41. And thus proud Haman did dissemble his against good Mordecay for near twelve moneths For he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecay alone c. Esther 3. 6 7. Untill he falls upon that cursed decree to destroy to kill and to cause to perish all Jews both young and old little Children and women in one day as verse 13. This is a false treacherous patience or a patience with a mischief The second is a patience of folly A foolish and a partial patience And this is when a man can hear or see Gods glory vilified or abused or in his name or truth or Ordinances and not to be moved or offended at it Alas how hot and furious we are in the defence of our own reputation although it scarce be worth the speaking of But in Gods case we are as calm and cool as if we had nor spleen nor spirit in us We read that Jehu the son of Nimshi was very zealous in destroying the posterity of the Kings of Israel and Judah and in removing all obstructions and impediments that might hinder or molest his possession in the Kingdom of Israel Neverthelesse he was so patient in reference to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin that he departed not from after them To wit the golden Calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan 2 Kings 10. 26. For these he supposed to be as supporters to establish him in his Throne According to Jeroboams first intention 1 Kings 12. 26. And may there not be some in these our dayes that are very zealous to root out Monarchy Magistracy and Ministery which zeal they Jehu like proclaim to be for the Lord. Notwithstanding they continue their Golden Calves of covetousnesse and ambition whilest unâ—er the colour of liberty of conscience every one that is factious may do that which is right in his own eyes We finde likewise that Eli was so zealous for the Ark of God that when he heard it was taken by the Philistines he fell down and died 1 Sam. 4. 14. But he was so patient in relation to the sins of his own sons that he thereby provoked the Lord to denounce a fearfull curse upon his whole posterity 1 Sam. 3. 13. c. And are there not amongst us that will rage and inveigh very bitterly against the least mistakes of their opposers as scandalous and therefore execrable whereas they can with much patience passe by the lewd proceedings of their friends and followers as humane frailties therefore tollerable I cannot say but this kinde of patience may be of credit with Apostates But I conceive it was not so with the Apostles I am sure it was otherwise with impartial Paul when Peter came to Antioch I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed saith he Gal. 2. 11. Be angry but sin not saith the same Apostle Eph. 4. 26. Assuredly this purblinde patience is opposite to the right Christian zeal neither complying with the work of faith nor with the labour of a godly love And is not this a foolish patience or a patience of folly The third kinde is a patience of force And this appeareth when a man conceives that he hath just occasion of offence And no lesse will to execute his anger had he not some restraint imposed on him This we may see was verified in Laban when he pursued hotly after Jacob It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt saith he but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight saying take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad Gen. 31. 29. How often would the High Priests Scribes and Pharisees have seized upon Christ before the time but that they feared the people And thus the Lord doth oftentimes suppresse the fury of his Churches adversaries either by their confusion As he dealt with Pharaoh and his Egyptians Exod. 13. 23. c. Or he restraineth them to their conversion For thus he dealt with persecuting Saul who afterwards was also called Paul Act. 13. 9. And he that was made patient by force now teacheth us the Patience of Hope This is the fourth and last kinde of patience A hopefull and a happy patience This is the right way to possesse our souls in matter of desertion or death Luke 21. 19. By