second in Trinity hereby laying a ground of a firm Mediation between God and us for Jesus Christ being of Gods Nature therefore he will be faithful unto God and being of our Nature therefore he will be compassionate towards us And here is the root of all the life and power of this Mediation to wit this Personal Union of the Son of man with the second Person in Trinity which is a firm and everlasting Union 2. By Gods giving him to be a Covenant Isa 42.6 I will give thee for a Covenant of the People for a Light of the Gentiles What is meant hereby the Lord meaneth that he giveth him to be a Mediator of this Covenant 1. To receive from God all the promises and gracious gifts whatsoever is requisite for him to be King Priest and Prophet and all these things he receiveth from the hand of the Father Col. 1.19 for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell thus he becometh a plentiful Redeemer And as the Lord gave him to be a Covenant so he giveth him also to work all things needful for our Redemption partly by his passion and obedience unto the Death of the Cross Phil. 2.8 and partly by fulfilling all the righteousness of the Law Mat. 3.15 The Lord Jesus Christ did fully accomplish whatsoever was requisite for him to accomplish in his own Person 2. He doth perform all things needful for the Application of this Redemption unto our souls Isa 26.12 And to this end he it is that sheadeth abroad his Spirit into our hearts Joh. 15.26 16.7 and when this blessed Spirit cometh he applieth unto the soul all this gracious Redemption of Jesus Christ by giving Jesus Christ and all the Fruits of his redemption and by working all those blessed works that the souls of his people come to be partakers of and so performeth all those conditions that are required on our parts if it be needful for us to have Faith he will work it in us if it be needful for us to live a life of Faith he will help us so to live for it is not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.9 Thus hath the Lord made him a compleat Mediator of this holy Covenant and whatsoever we receive we receive from him for unto him first as the head of the Church are all blessings given and unto us all promises in him are Yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 for though Christ be not a sinner in his own Person yet in respect of his Members he is many times lost in them though not in himself and poor in them though not in himself for us therefore he receiveth the Promises of God and that is the great security of them that they are laid up safe in him and belong unto us if we have union with the Head and in him we perform whatsoever God requireth whether we pray or preach or hear we do all in the Name of Jesus Christ going forth in his strength and power Col. 3.17 Thus is the Lord Jesus Christ a firm surety of this better Covenant stablished upon better Promises Heb. 8.6 In the first place Use 1 This may teach us a broad difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace In the Covenant of Works The Lord offereth Himself as a Father Diff. 1 his Son as a Redeemer his Spirit as a Sanctifier but this is still upon a condition of obedience if they shall keep his Laws and obey his voice then they shall be a peculiar treasure unto him above all people Exod. 19.5 6. This also they undertake to do Deut. 5.27 All that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee we will hear it and do it but O saith God that there was such an heart in them vers 29. When they rebelled he did not pardon them graciously but the Angel whom he sendeth with them he biddeth them beware of him and obey his voice and provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my Name is in him In the Covenant of Grace he will but not in this here is indeed a conditional Redeemer and Saviour and so it is expressed Isa 63.8 9 10. He was their Saviour in all their affliction he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love c. But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them with many of them God was not well pleased almost with none of them but overthrew them in the wilderness Thus in the Covenant of Works all is given upon condition of obedience The Lord giving himself Diff. 2 his Son and Spirit upon condition though it be but to Works yet he is pleased to receive them into some kinde of Relative Vnion expressed Jer. 32.32 Which my Covenant they brake although I was an Husband to them He was married unto them in Church-Covenant this was some kinde of union He was their God and they were his peculiar people and yet the Lord cast them off a generation of his wrath from this Marriage-Covenant between them and him from this union there springeth a kinde of Faith by which the soul cleaveth unto the Lord in some measure else there could not be this Marriage-Union and this Faith is that of which you read Psal 106.12 13. They beleeved his words they sang his praise they soon forgat his works they waited not for his counsel So also Exod. 14.31 it is said They beleeved the Lord and his servant Moses this is that Faith which men may receive and yet may Apostate from it spoken of Heb. 6.3 to 6. For a while some do beleeve and in time of temptation fall away Luk. 8.13 But all that Faith was never grounded upon any free promise of Grace but all was built upon Ordinances and Duties and upon no higher ground In the 2 Chron. 13.8 to 12. marvellously strong are the expressions of Abijah when Jeroboam came against him You think to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hand of David c. Have not you cast out the Priests of the Lord saith he c. But as for us the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him and the Priests which minister unto the Lord are the Sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business and they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening Burat-sacrifices and sweet Incense the Shew-bread also they set in order upon the pure Table and the Candlestick of gold with the Lamps thereof to burn every evening for we keep the charge of the Lord our God but ye have forsaken him And behold God himself is with us for our Captain and his Priests with sounding Trumpets to cry Alarm against you O ye children of Israel fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers for you shall not prosper Thus we see what Faith he did express and hereupon vers 18. the children of Israel
a second thing is expressed An Hypocrite may have a Taste of Jesus Christ in the Promises and be so affected with him that he doth despise all other things in comparison of him so as that he cometh to resolve for his part never to forgo him and hath so much confidence in God that he saith with Haman Whom will the King delight to honour more then my self and this illumination he taketh to be a strong and effectual conversion unto the Lord. 3. The Promises have a work of Conviction upon the Soul if any man refuse and despise them they leave him unexcusable Prov. 1.24 25 26. c. Because I have called and ye have refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but you have set at nought all my Counsels and would none of my reproof I will laugh at your calamity c. thus is their bloud justly upon their own head that refuse and despise his Promises and they aggravate their condemnation another day and to this end the Apostle maketh use of a precious Promise of God Acts 13.38 39 40 41. Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you forgivenesse of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses beware therefore lest that come upon you which is spoken of by the Prophets Behold you despisers wonder and perish c. A strange Application of such a gracious Promise a sign there is a power in the Promises even unto this end Thus we see there is a marvelous gracious use of Promises before Union with Christ as to help Ministers and people with matter of Doctrine and Instruction and Exhortation so also to awaken men unto Illumination and Affection and Conviction and to seal them up unto everlasting destruction if they turn their backs upon them As the Promises are of use before our Union with Christ Ben. 2 so In our Union with him they are of great use for when the Lord giveth himself to the Soul he doth it in a promise He cometh unto the Soul riding as it were upon the Chariot of a Promise and begetteth faith in the Soul by the Promise or some such word of grace as is equipollent to a promise Ezek. 37.11 whereby we receive Jesus Christ though before him we can have no Promise yet in a Promise we do receive him This is the very first stroke of closing with Jesus Christ he giveth himself and we take him as he offereth himself even in a Promise such a like Dispensation of himself we read of Acts 3.25 26. Ye are the Children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our fathers saying unto Abraham And in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed unto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to besse you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Here is Christ offered in a Promise of free grace without any previous gracious qualification mentioned Howbeit many of them that heard the word believed and the number of the men was about 5000 about 3000 of them believed before so that here are 2000 that believe upon this gracious Promise the Lord Christ is offered to them and they receive him by faith Thus we see that Promises are not vain things but there are great use of them before our Union all Promises are of excellent use as also In our Union 3. After our Union with Christ they are of abundant useâ— They were of use before we were in Christ for Doctrine and for Instruction and for Exhortation but now they are of more efficacy in the same kinde and 1. They serve for Doctrine to teach us that there is not onely free grace in Christ but there are gifts of grace in Jesus Christ and all the Treasures of the good things of God are in him and all the blessings of the promises made unto qualifications are laid up in him also 2. They serve for instruction to direct us whither to look for qualifications and the blessings Promised unto them namely to the Lord Jesus Christ to receive the blessing through him and the qualification by the same hand for they are first fulfilled in him there is no good Condition but it is found in Jesus Christ no blessing belonging thereunto but it is found in Christ also in him therefore they are to be sought for so that though a poor Soul see himself wretched and blinde and naked yet he hath an husband in whom all riches is laid up this he is taught to know by the Promise and directed also to go to Jesus Christ that enjoying him he may enjoy all good things in him 3. They are of use to stirre up unto prayer for now I see that all these good things are in Christ and in him they must be enjoyed if they be enjoyed at all hereupon the Soul is set awork the holy Ghost concurring therewith to consider Is there so much grace in Christ and in him abundantly hath the Lord made so many gracious Promises unto such and such gracious qualifications whither then should I go either for the one or for the other but unto Christ that he may work in us a spirit of faith of love and of a sound mind and what else soever we stand in need of 4. They are of use to help us to know our spiritual state and means to discern thereof All these qualifications to which the Promises are made are fruits of the Spirit and will more or lesse declare unto you your sanctified state which is a marvellous blessing upon the promises made unto such conditions the Lord stirreth up the hearts of his people to seek for such conditions to which the promises are made and when the Lord hath given us them he then openeth our hearts to see what he hath given us and so to discern our sanctified estate Now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son thine onely Son from me so the Lord said to Abraham Gen. 22.12 wherein he bare witnesse to his work and this doth fill Abraham with strong Consolation together with the oath of God unto him for now the Lord doth not onely know it but causeth him to know it also so that if the Lord do but breath in such a fruit of the Spirit if he doth but give power to the Soul to do such a work unto which the promise is made and do make it appear unto the Soul to be indeed such by the revelation of his own blessed Spirit then doth the Lord fill the soul with consolation Psal 9.18 The patient expectation of the meek shall not perish for ever when the poor soul is meekned by Gods hand and the Lord letteth him so discern it that now he quietly resteth upon the Lord now the Spirit of God doth help David along to be supported with some stay and
whatsoever we have to do in the things of God that we should soon be weary of reaching forth our hands all the day long unto the Lord and to be constantly for God from God and with God in all our Actions our base spirits are soon ready to be withdrawing from the Lord therefore the Apostle biddeth us follow after Peace and Holiness without which no man shall see God so that great is the necessity of Holiness and worthy to be followed after for though a mans own heart and the world and men and Satan withdraw us from it yet follow after it for without it no man shall see God There is a kind of holiness which some men have attained unto many a fair day ago but 't is a thousand to one whether it be the holiness which doth accompany salvation for that Holiness is not easily attained unto but the other will easily cleave close unto a man Now if you shall ask me Quest 1 wherefore the Lord will have us pursue after Holiness and what needeth it if the Spirit of Holiness dwell in me by an everlasting Covenant if it did withdraw from us as it did from Adam it was another matter but though it may be quenched in us yet abideth it for ever what need then of gifts of Holiness That one word may be sufficient Answ which we find in 2 Tim. 2.21 If any man purge himself from these evils he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work This sheweth us why gifts of Holiness are requisite to be in Gods people namely that they might become meet instruments in the hands of God and fitted unto every good word and work therefore it is that the Lord will have us to be filled with all the gifts of Righteousness and fruits of his Spirit that we might be more fit Temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in and this is the principal Reason of the Point If then there be such gifts of holiness Quest 2 what need the Holy Ghost dwell in us is it not enough that he should shed abroad these things into our hearts cannot the Lord carry an end the work of our salvation by these gifts There is need that the Holy Ghost should dwell in us Answ notwithstanding 1. To keep these gifts in us 2. To act them in us 3. To witness these unto our souls for our comfort and the good one of another Some Scriptures for all these 1. That there is need of the Holy Ghost to keep these things in us 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us There is a very worthy thing committed to us how shall we keep it not by our own wit and wisdom careful watchfulness and faithfulness though such things ought not to be wanting but the charge is Keep those things by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us We stand in need of Gifts to be fit instruments in the hand of God we stand in need of the Spirit of God to maintain that which God giveth us and though Adams Gifts were in perfection yet not having the holy Ghost to keep them for him they all flie from him as soon as ever he had tasted of the forbidden fruit and left him naked and desperate Therefore in the Covenant of Grace the Lord giveth the Holy Ghost to keep strong possession in his servants against the strong man armed This is the first ground why the Holy Ghost dwelleth in us 2. It 's the Holy Ghost that acteth the gifts given to us and enableth them in us for the Holy Ghost who keepeth possession doth derive continued strength into our faith which putteth life into all the gifts of God And if you shall ask how love and patience and the rest of the gifts of God do work The Holy Ghost stirreth up faith to look unto Christ who returneth strength by his Spirit unto Faith and so faith worketh by love and by meekness and by all the rest of the fruits of the Spirit Thus the Spirit of God acteth according to what we read Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God come to any holy duty and it is the Holy Ghost that leadeth you along and atteth in you so Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my judgements and do them And holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost It is the Spirit of God that moveth us to any good work and that acteth the gifts of his grace in us 3. The Spirit of God doth not only keep these gifts for us and act them in us but it is the same Spirit of God that witnesseth to these gifts and sheweth what gifts he hath given us for such is the blindness of the nature of all the sons of men and it is a wonder to see that generally Christians when the Lord first worketh these gifts in them not one of a thousand but they think they are in a sad and fearful condition and so they are very uncomfortable but now left that we should alwayes mistake that which the Lord hath given us we have received the Spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given unto us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 he indeed taketh his own time to discover it to some sooner to some later but this is his intendment that he might honor his grace unto us by all the rich and gracious gifts which he hath given us He doth also reveal unto us the duties which he helpeth us to do Rom. 9.1 I say the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience also bearing me witness in the holy Ghost That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in mine heart For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh The Holy Ghost that wrought in him this brotherly-love the same Holy Ghost beareth him witness that he doth not lie and that he had continual sorrow in his heart and that he could have wished to have been accursed from Christ that they might be saved it grieved him so much that the whole Nation should be destitute of the Lord Jesus Christ Thus wee see how great need there is of the Holy Ghost to dwell in us to keep all the gifts of his grace in us to act them according to his will and to discover to us what gracious gifts the Lord hath wrought in us and what duties he hath helped us to do that we may be able to give account of them by the Holy Ghost that dwelleth in us and beareth witness with us So there is necessity both of the gifts of grace that we may be fit Temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in and fit instruments for him to work by there is need also the Holy Ghost
unto that Altar Exod. 20. ult but Christ doth prepare his Tabernacle for himself to dwell in This is in the first place for instruction concerning what is the first gift which the Lord giveth unto the soul before any work He giveth spiritual union with his Son this standeth firm from the tenor of the Covenant and the nature of it 2. Quest In what order the Lord giveth the Covenant and the blessings of it whether Faith before them or those Blessings before Faith be able to apply them He doth give himself to work Faith Answ before Faith can be there for it is the Fruit of the Spirit that Faith is wrought in the soul Gal. 5.22 the Spirit is in the soul in which Faith as a fruit groweth and this Faith doth receive the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ himself by his Spirit and it doth also receive Adoption and Justification but to be able actually to apply Christ before we be in Christ our first birth will not bear it for a man is as passive in his Regeneration as in his first Generation only the Lord giveth us his Spirit that doth unite us unto Christ which is received by Faith together with Adoption and Justification and this is the true and native order of the Lords working 3. Quest Whether do we receive the Lord Jesus Christ in an absolute or in a conditional Promise We know the Lord can convey himself in an Evangelical commandment Answ as well as in a promise as we finde it Isa 41.12 Fear thou not worm Jacob I will help thee c. He can also convey himself in a â—hreatning unto the Devil as unto our first parents he did convey himself wrapping up a promise in it as Gen. 3.15 I will put eâ—â—nity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel and from hence the Lord gave them to suck a sweet and comfortable promise of his Free Grace and when the like is conveyed in a commandment the Lord undertaketh to work that which he so commandeth But now it is questioned Whether the promise wherein the Lord giveth himself be absolute or conditional Faith uniting us to Christ it is ever upon an absolute promise or a condition subsequent not antecedent If you will say it is a Promise to a Condition What kinde of condition was it There is no condition before Faith for then a man is out of the way of any gracious Blessing from heaven no condition before it whereby a man can close with Jesus Christ and if it was a condition after Faith unto which the promise was made then Faith was there before and whatsoever followeth conversion is no ground of Faith but a fruit and effect of it therefore I say our first coming on to Christ cannot be upon a conditional but upon an absolute Promise If the Lord bear witness unto Justification it is either absolute or to Faith If he come to bear witness unto a mans Sanctification then the Lord doth it from some work or other of his Grace in them as unto Abraham Gen. 22.12 By this I know that thou fearest me seeing thou-hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son It is true indeed after a mans Justification is born witness unto from Grace or from Faith then Sanctification and Justification do mutually bear witness one to another that is when Justification is not wholly doubted of but in part then Sanctification is of use to witness but not when Justification lieth wholly prostrate There is a fourth Question which is as a further branch of the fourth Use of which I would not speak but that I might through the good hand of God the better clear things that we may not stumble in our expressions nor in any office of brotherly love in conference about the covenant of Grace and Works 4. Quest Forasmuch as you hear of a Sanctification under a Covenant of Works it doth imply that there is a Sanctification that is but transitory and not everlasting nor immortal Whether then may a man evidence his union with Christ from his Sanctification I answer in four Propositions Answ that I might not leave any occasion of scruple or difference about what is held forth in our Congregation as being that which doth yeeld as much agitation as any other Doctrine that is taught among us Let me therefore shortly and plainly discover it and let it be so far received as we see the life and presence and truth of the Spirit of God revealed in the Doctrine of Free-grace from the Scriptures of Truth That Sanctification according to the Law Propos 1 that is to say such a Sanctification as may be found in a Covenant of Works is no evidence or witness of our union with Christ And I suppose there is no difference there But though there be no difference in mens judgments in this yet it is an easie thing for Christians to mistake their evidence upon this very ground and as much upon this ground as any For when Christians come to be really wrought upon and finde themselves discouraged from sin and so reform their lives and give up themselves to obey the Word and finde comfort therein and great consolation many times in such a case as this Christians do much differ upon the point and yet I do not know any of all the Teachers in this Countrey that withdraw their consents from this Doctrine that such Sanctification as is wrought in hypocrites though that it may reach to great improvements yet it is no evidence of Justification at all It hath been handled in another Congregation and I think not without weight of truth that to distinguish in men between that Sanctification which floweth from the Law and that which is of the Gospel is a matter so narrow that the Angels in heaven have much adoe to discern who differ a work fitter for Angels to cut the scantling in it then for the Ministers of the Gospel though indeed there be great difference of the one from the other Now though this do not tend to heal any difference in judgment yet it is useful to heal a misprision of sanctification that may be found in all hypocrites Three things are to be attended unto in all Sanctification As 1. From what Root it springeth 2. By what Rule it is guided 3. At what End it aimeth And commonly under some one or other of these three are put all the differences between the one Sanctification and the other I speak it that it may be searched and God is my witness not to unsettle the well-grounded comfort of any soul but if any man hath built upon an unsafe foundation or hath built hay or stubble better it is to know it at first whilest there is hope in Israel then when it is too late In those three things formerly mentioned are all the differences between the sanctification of Hypocrites and of the Children of
should dwell in us for the causes we have spoken unto And I might add this to comfort us in all the changes that may come upon us it is a strong Scripture which we read in Joh. 15.26 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me our Divines have no place of more clear evidence to prove the procession of the Spirit from the Father both of what mighty redemption he hath wrought for us and what grace he hath wrought in us This the Holy Ghost shall testifie even he that proceedeth from the Father this is the comfort of Gods people Thus we see both these points opened to us How may we then imploy and improve this Sanctification which the Lord hath given us Quest 3 and which he keepeth and acteth in us by his Spirit and whereunto he beareth witness How or to what end shall we imploy it seeing the Lord undertaketh to do these things for us If so be it Answ that the Lord Jesus Christ by his Spirit giveth us these gifts it is our part then first to see that we do not rest in any sanctification which doth spring from Christ conveyed unto us by his blessed Spirit The Spirit knitteth us unto Christ and Christ unto us he worketh faith in us to receive whatsoever the Lord giveth unto us and by the same faith worketh all our holiness for us 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made unto us of God wis dom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption therefore we are to see him principal author of all these things in us and for us This is the principal comfort of all and the glory of all our safety and so far as any of these lieth in our Sanctification we ought to see that it be sanctification in Jesus Christ and then it is sanctification in Jesus Christ when the Lord giveth us to look unto the Lord Jesus in it and to it in him and as we look for our holiness to be perfect in Jesus Christ so we look for continual supply of it from him and this it is to make Christ our sanctification when as whatsoever gift the Lord giveth us we go not forth in the strength of it but in the strength of Jesus Christ There may be a change in the soul which may spring from a spirit of Bondage and may captivate our consciences unto the Law that may restrain us from sin and constrain us unto duties but such holiness springeth not from union with Jesus Christ for there may be a conscience of duty without sence of our need of Jesus Christ as it was with the Israelites at Mount Sinai Deut. 5.27 Go thou neer say they to Moses and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it they have well said all that they have spoken saith the Lord O that there were an heart in them that they would fear me and so forth This I say therefore is the first thing to be attended unto as ever you would make a right use of your holiness see that it be such as floweth from Jesus Christ that there be not only an heart awed with the Law but waiting upon Jesus Christ to be all in all in us and to us so shall we neither neglect the gifts of God in us nor Christ and his Spirit but shall give their due honour unto all of them together 2. This may also teach all Christians not to trust upon the gifts of their Holiness though they do spring from the Holy Gbost himself though they be such as are unchangeable though they spring from Jesus Christ and knit your souls in Union with him yet trust not in the gifts themselves the Lord layeth it down as the Apostacy of Israel Ezek. 16.14 15. Thy renown went forth among the Heathen for thy beauty for it was perfect through my comeliness which I had put upon thee saith the Lord God But thou didst trust in thine own beauty and playedst the Harlot c. Trust not therefore in any of these but let all our confidence be in Jesus Christ not in any of the gifts of his Spirit whatsoever For a little further opening of it 1. Trust not in any gifts that you have received for the performance of any duty for it is not the strongest Christian that is able to put forth a good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 But our sufficiency is of God He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.5 And the Apostle Paul cannot onely not do any great matter by his own strength and grace but nothing at all without Jesus Christ and therefore he giveth us to understand that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do Phil. 2.12 if therefore we have any new work to do look to the Lord Jesus Christ afresh by Faith that he may carry an end our works in us and for us otherwise it is not any strength or grace in us that can produce any good work word or thought And therefore mind you the Apostle maketh it a Principle of Christian Religion that The just man liveth by his Faith and he often mentioneth it Gal. 2.20 The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God where he putteth it into his own experience why did he not live by Love and Patience and Zeal c. yes truly they were lively in him if ever in any man besides our blessed Saviour and yet notwithstanding he never attributed life to any of these gifts of his but if he speak of his Life he maketh this his Universal Life I live by the Faith of the Son of God and I am I am able to do all things through Christ which strengthneth me Phil. 4.13 This is the true savour of a Christian spirit that when gifts are at the highest the heart is then at the lowest 1 Cor. 15.9 10. The Apostle Paul there acknowledgeth himself to be as one born out of due time for saith he I am less then the least of the Apostles not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God I but by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God in me This is truly spiritual sanctification that when the soul is full of the Holy Ghost and gifts of the Holy Ghost yet he is like a man in great penury as having nothing of himself This is a marvelous spiritual poverty and you shall ever find and I desire the Lord would open the hearts of his people to know what I speak that if Christians have fallen their
conversion he counteth it all as dross and dung that he might win Christ Phil. 3.6 7 8. And for our faith they are not to be trusted upon as grounds of it for all the gifts of our sanctification are fruits of our faith and therefore faith is said to work by love Gal. 5.6 And so it doth by all other gifts of the Spirit and if they be fruits of faith then faith is not built upon them And thus much for the second Use which Christians are to make of their sanctification 3. There is in the next place a point of witness which this Sanctification doth yield and the Spirit of God by it The water beareth witness to the bloud and the bloud to the water and the Spirit unto both 1 Joh. 5.6 7 8. A mans own spirit beareth witness also Rom. 8.16 The Spirit of God beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God and therefore as a witnesse of God unto our faith we may lawfully hear what it speaketh but this is the life of a true evidence that all these gifts of God do not bear witness any further then a man seeth the Lord Jesus working them in him and for him for it is faith that maketh all the graces of the Gospel active and it is a condition so requisite that unlesse our works be of faith and flow from it they are not acceptable before God Heb. 11.6 for without faith it 's impossible to please God therefore unless faith carry an end our works they are not works of holiness such as should bear witness to the soul Therefore the Apostle doth stir up the Corinthians unto this mainly Examine your selves whether you are in the faith 2 Cor. 13.5 if he do exhort them to examination it is in point of faith and therefore some of our Divines as Reverent Forbes of Middleburgh by name who hath written a Sermon upon it wherein he noteth this that unless men find faith in their holiness none of all their Sanctification will become a sound witness of the grace of God unto them but if faith be found then you shall see Jesus Christ accepting you and breathing in you except you be reprobates There is a marvelous gracious witness that sanctification giveth unto him that liveth by faith in Jesus Christ if it be in Christ and from Christ and for Christ This only is that sanctification which the Lord commendeth unto his children to seek after it 4. A fourth Use of our sanctification is that the Spirit of God helpeth us by it in point of rejoycing and therefore it is that you shall see the servants of God rejoycing in their holiness so doth the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world he rejoyceth at what the Lord doth by him and with him Let every man prove his own work and so shall he have rejoycing in himself and not in another Gal. 6.4 But what is it that maketh the Apostle to rejoyce before God When he rejoyceth in his work before the Lord you shall ever find him rejoycing at the Lords acting these gifts in him and blessing him in his work let us look upon two or three Scriptures for this end 1 Tim. 1.12 13. I thank Jesus Christ our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me into the ministry who was before a blasphemer c. this he thanketh God for so that mind you as he seeth God giving him these gifts and enabling him unto the work so he blesseth God in that behalf You shall find him also blessing God that had prospered this work of the Ministry wheresoever he came 2 Cor. 2.14 Thanks be to God which alwaies causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place The Lord working in him and for him maketh him to triumph and to over-wrastle all the difficulties which he meeteth withal The Lord had given him gifts and taught him to exercise those gifts and doth accept him and therefore he expresseth himself in a marvelous strong speech Phil. 1.20 21. I am in nothing ashamed but that with all boldness as alwaies so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain to me to live is Christ as if he had said I have no life but from Christ I put forth no act of life but for Christ this is the sum of all his conversation and if Christ be his life then death will be his advantage and Christ will be magnified in either Thus we may see how the Saints of God have made use of their sanctification they are careful to see that it flow from Christ and yet when they have it they dare not trust in their best gifts for the least duty neither do they look for their faith from their best gifts but they expect their best gifts to flow from their faith they make use of the testimony of their holiness when they see Christ in it and faith in it and the Spirit of God carrying them along in the waies and duties thereof thus they see their holiness and take comfort in it and from the witness of it as that by which the Lord dispenseth comfort unto his people when they receive it from the hands of Christ and by faith in him by which they are taught of God to carry an end their whole conversation in his name 5. Furthermore as we receive it from Christ and trust not in it but in Christ and receive the witness of it in Christ and in the holy Spirit of Christ and as we receive Joy and Comfort also which the Lord doth minister unto us in a sanctified course by his holy Spirit so we grow up and perfect our Holiness which we have received in his Name there is growth in grace this sanctification is not bedrid Christians are not as weak now as they were seven years ago nor do they stand at a stay but go forward in Christianity and hereupon the Apostle exhorteth the Ephesians Ephes â— 6 to speak the truth in love that they may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ implying that men that enter into wayes of Holiness ought to grow on unto perfection in the fear of God The Righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger Job 17.9 And many sweet means the Lord hath appointed for this end the communion of Gods people tendeth hereunto Prov. 13.20 He that walketh with the wise shall learn wisdom all the Ordinances of God are appointed for this end also to beget and encrease faith and holiness therefore a Christian in the use of all these Ordinances doth not stand at a
find that differences which tend unto the discerning of grace will be of much less dangerous consequence then the other for thereupon lieth the very foundation of a Christian mans safe estate How far there is difference in the Country I cannot give an account but I desire that you may all understand what I say If you demand Quest 1 upon what grounds cometh the soul to close with Christ aright whether upon a conditional or upon an absolute promise And are they not both free I answer Answ It is true they are both free but when God is said to do any thing to a work as to apply a promise to a work it is not so properly said to be a promise of grace but I will not enter into Dispute This you will find to be true that take a soul that is in union with Christ and apply all the Promises to him he will make you this answer before the Spirit of Grace cometh into him he is clear in this that there are none of all the Promises of God belonging unto him till the Lord who hath broken him do bind him up again for his heart will tell you that his duties and reformations have been such as have kept him from Christ You will say I hope you trust upon Christ I will he say with that faith by which I trusted upon works before If you tell him of promises made to faith he will say But not to mine that hath only sprung from my own reformations Consider all you that search the word of God this day when the soul cometh to deny that it hath true faith what promise can it apply unto that which it denieth it self to have A soul will be ready to refuse promises even when the Spirit of God hath taken possession but then it is his sin yet all the time before there is no reason but that the soul should refuse to apply Promises when there was nothing but a power of the spirit of Reformation and till we be cut off from the old Adam we shall be ready to quarrel and snarle that the Lord should deal thus with us and why did he suffer Adam to fall and put upon us such a Law to obey and then condemn us for that which we were never able to perform Truly there is nothing to help in this case but the Lord will take away thy crabbed spirit he will make thee to lie flat at his feet and to say If he will kill me here I am and if he will save thee he will make thee content to receive all from Christ and to be willing that he should do with thee that which is good in his own eyes And what can help a soul now but only an absolute promise Whereby the soul is raised to look to the Name of that Christ whom he hath all this while blasphemed and persecuted Thus we see upon what terms and grounds any one is jealous of building his comfort upon conditional promises and why we are so loath to say that sanctification is an evidence of a mans justification it is because men may produce sanctification and promises unto it when it is but legal righteousness Yet some men will say I have been driven out of my own legal righteousness and now I rest upon Jesus Christ and may I not take comfort in such faith and sanctification flowing therefrom I confess faith in Christ and sanctification flowing from it are precious treasures but how camest thou by them If thou knowest not how I cannot but think that thou stoalest them and camest not by them in the right way you will say Well though I have no righteousness nor faith of my own yet I can wait upon Christ How camest thou by power to wait upon Christ Here is a branch of the old Adam still springing forth afresh thou art confident in thine own strength and worth and if God deal otherwise with thee then thou expectest thou wilt be apt to wrangle with the Lord so far wilt thou be from stooping to his will Search the Scriptures and see if it be not the truth of God See whether it be thy qualifications taken up upon unjust grounds that will save thy soul thou hast not been drawn far enough all this while if thou sayest thou hast been drawn to reformation and faith and waiting If thou hast been indeed drawn it is a comfortable sign but truely the Promises do not belong unto thee until thou art brought unto a flat denial of thy self and thy will be made to lie prostrate before the will of God and is unable to satisfie it self in any thing besides Jesus Christ the want of either of which will leave a man still a member of old Adam that either he will cavil with God or else will go away and be jolly and frolick and free of spirit though he knoweth not what the Lord will do for him which is a plain sign that the Spirit of God is not there then there is no condition of which it can be said This is the spot of Gods children This is the seal of the servants of the Living God If then the Spirit of God come upon the wings of a promise it is an absolute promise and then you must not wonder if we be thus afraid that men should build their faith upon conditional promises if men build their consolation upon conditions of obedience hypocrites have gone beyond it if you have trusted in your own faith hypocrites will plead that they have gone beyond that also for they have waited upon God that they might believe And therefore see the reason why we do so much mistrust the building of our faith upon promises made unto conditions in us And I have given you the grounds from the word of God for I should be a Traitour to the Lord Jesus if I should speak from any other grounds And though it be true which I have formerly said that the fruits of the Spirir of grace in the heart of a Christian as Faith and Patience and Love cannot be denied to be evidences of a good estate yet let it first appear from whence they come first draw neer unto God in Jesus Christ and when any are brought on to Christ by self-denial such mens faith and love are indeed evident tokens of salvation and communion with Christ but until men be thus brought on they can have no Evidence from such graces Therefore you see why we are so fearful to build our faith upon qualifications for any self-denying soul will tell you that no promise will serve his turn to build his faith upon but some such as speaks of Gods wonderful and free grace if there be any promise made unto faith he will find himself very unable to apply it until the Lord by some word of his free grace hath wrought faith in him You may see here the unsafeness of any such building Use 3 as when we are convinced of our sins then we
work of some enemy to deceive him though he all this while seeth his need of Christ and hath none in heaven but him none in earth in comparison of him of the want of whom he is sensible yet the soul knows not whether all this humiliation which is wrought in him come from the wrath or mercy of God and whether God hath not in all this given him only a taste of the very torments of Hell and the pledge of them to his everlasting perdition Thus may the poor soul be affraid notwithstanding all this gracious work wrought in him above all the power of the creature though the Lord hath not said much of it unto him yet he hath done it and happy we that ever the Lord hath owned us so far Now here is the special work of the Son he doth bring us back again to the Father and reveals what the Father hath done unto us even his rich grace that hath taken all this pains with us for as no man knows the Son but the Father so neither doth any man know the Father but the Son and be to whom the Son will reveal him Mat. 11.27 So that the Lord Jesus doth enlighten the soul by the anointing of his blessed Spirit to see what it is that the Lord hath done for him in mercy which heretofore he thought was done in wrath whence the soul begins to see the Fathers love even the goodness of a God in what hath passed upon him far beyond what he could have asked or thought for And therefore now begins with some more hope and liberty to call God Father for from this work of the Son there doth arise the two characters of a Son in the soul both which are comprized in this one that is liberty and there is a double liberty wherein a son doth stand 1. First He hath ease from all his doubtful fears or at least from a great part of the burden of them some refocilations some kind of quietness falleth upon the heart of a wearyed sinner whence the heart is eased beyond his thoughts although as yet his comfort stands rather in expectation then in actual fruition as our Saviour saith Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28.29 He doth not promise sudden rest He will give you present ease but learn of me for I am meek and lowly and you shall find rest unto your souls The Lord will give rest unto the souls of his people at the present he gives them ease and an expectation of much more plentiful fruition of rest and peace which they have begun to taste of And how doth the Lord ease the soul in such a case so as that they feel the burden a great deal lighter How doth the Son quiet and still and refresh the soul Is it by the sight of his own hungering and thirsting after righteousness What saith the Lord in such a case Or how doth he satisfie the soul He telleth us plainly where our satisfaction is Joh. 7.37 38 39. If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink So that if a man thirst how shall he satisfie himself in his thirsting This is the main question in many a soul May I not draw consolation out of this that I do thirst after the Lord Jesus You shall find that the Lord doth not bid me go satisfie my self by seeing my thirst If a man shall say I am exceeding thirsty and I shall tell him that he is a man of a healthful constitution because a man in a Frenzy is thirsty and knows it not this will not satisfie his thirst How therefore comes the soul to be freed of his burdens He thirsteth after Christ and none of all the creatures can quench his thirst therefore our Saviour proclaims this in the last and great day of the Feast when most of the Jewes were present for this Feast lasted eight days If any man be now athirst and not satisfied with all the Ordinances they had now enjoyed he doth not send them back again nor doth he bid them satisfie themselves with their own thirstings neither doth he tell them that their blessedness lyeth in that they do thirst though there be a blessedness in it but how then shall they be satisfied Let him come to me and drink So that this is the Christian Liberty which the Lord brings us unto when he works in us unquenchable desires after Christ if you would comfort a soul and tell him you do thirst after Christ that you could not have done if Christ had not wrought it in your soul you say true and there may be more in such a soul then he is aware of yet Christ is not wont to leave the soul to quench his thirst with his thirst but you will say Is not hungering and thirsting a sign of health For a surfetted body doth not hunger true yet the Lord doth not direct the soul to content himself with his own act but Come unto me But will the Lord Jesus give him drink He promiseth that he will Let him come to me and drink And he saith moreover He that believeth on me out of his belly shall flow rivers of water of life this he spake of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified so as that which now the Son doth is not the proper characteristical work of the Spirit but Jesus Christ doth come unto the soul and comforts it in some measure and which is a second degree of liberty giveth some liberty of hope that the Lord will at the length be pleased to fill him with his blessed Spirit which the Lord did more abundantly pour out upon the Disciples after his Resurrection And there is yet a more abundant fulfilling of all when he doth come unto the proper work of the Spirit and therefore he distinguisheth his own work from the work of the Spirit Joh. 14.16 17 18. and 16.7 13. he saith of himself that He will not leave them comfortless but he putteth this difference between his own work and the work of the Spirit Joh. 16.25 Hitherto I have spoken unto you in parables but the time comes when I shall shew you plainly of the Father yet he had spoken much unto them and told them that he loved them and that the Father loved them but all is but a kind of parable in comparison of what the Lord will further reveal when he doth more fully send forth his Spirit into their hearts In the mean while himself setteth on some word or other of his grace whereby he gives the soul such a taste of himself more then reprobates can have as makes him thirst after more and more of Christ until he be satisfied with the riches of the grace of God 3. Thirdly When the Son hath thus brought us unto the Father and shewed us his fatherly love
work so great redemption for those that never knew what it meant nay first he will teach them their bondage ver 34. He that committeth sin is the servant of sin therefore if the Son make us free we shall be free indeed but otherwise we cannot be free Secondly Use 2 It may teach all those that are under bondage where your liberty and hope and spiritual redemption lies Isai 45.22 Look unto me and be you saved all the ends of the earth look unto him Object But may I not look at such good desires and hungrings and thirstings and mournings after Christ as are in me to satisfie my self with them Answ Alas you may look long and it may be much ado to kindle a spark of comfort it may be you may get out a spark but then it is but a sparkling light neither will the Lord suffer his servants to fasten the satisfaction of their souls there shall a man that is hungry look to his hungring and thirsting will that satisfie him It is indeed a sign of health but it will not satisfie him so neither will spiritual hungring and thirsting therefore he saith Come unto me if you mean to finde rest it is not a mans weariness that doth set his bones at rest but Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden Mat. 11.28 there hath he laid up our peace in coming to him we shall find ease even a certain secret refocilation at least that will strengthen us to bear temptation so as that you may see the Fathers love and you may also see your own hungrings and thirstings for unto such the Lord calleth us and that puts a great deal of difference between a great deal of common work and such as is wrought by Gods efficacious drawing of us home to Jesus Christ Take you an hypocrite and if he begin to mourn for Christ and the like he satisfieth himself in these things but is this the way of the working of Gods almighty power to bring men unto something that is in themselves Is it not his effectual calling of us unto Christ doth not Christ say If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Otherwise all is but unprofitable work until you come unto Christ so far as Christ is there so far there is life if we be drawn unto him that as he beginneth the work so he is the end of it in us and the soul cannot rest but in cleaving unto him then is there something more then flesh and bloud hath revealed So that this is the way that God calleth his servants to walk in namely to look unto Christ to turn unto this strong hold Zach. 9.12 By his bloud he hath delivered his prisoners out of the pit wherein there it no water our strength lieth not in our own hungring and thirsting and poverty though there be truth in these and everlasting truth by reason of the Spirit that wrought them and the bloud that bought them yet your strong hold is not in them but in the rock of Israel he is the horn of salvation to his people so that I would advise every poor soul in whom is wrought any mourning after Christ through sence of your need of him make the Lord Jesus your strong hold And this is the true work and way of the Son of God to bring you to the Father and the more you find the Lord Jesus the more you shall discern the gifts that are given unto you and the comfort and power of them not that I deny that Jesus Christ doth open unto the soul what he hath done for him Joh. 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art Christ the Son of the living God so Joh. 16.30 but he doth not shew them for this end that you should satisfie your selves in them but still come unto him what though you have many gracious promises that promise many future consolations it is that you should seek unto the Lord in whom they are laid up and unto the Father of Jesus Christ that promised them in whose hand it is to make them all good unto us thus in all this doth the Lord train up his servants unto an heavenly and Christian frame and if the soul should rest in any work he doth or gift he hath received it is a strong jealousie the work is not sound for if it be of the grace of God and in truth it will still lead the soul to look up unto Christ and the soul cannot quench his thirst in it but comes to the Father and earnestly beggeth that out of his Fatherly love he would give him Jesus Christ this is the spirit and way of a true-hearted Christian Thirdly Use 3 This may teach Christians that are in such a way as this to hold on in that way for truly it is a way of comfort through the grace of God Isai 43.1 Fear not O Israel for I have redeemed thee none of the redeemed of God need to fear Luk. 1.74 We are delivered that we might serve him without fear It is in the Lord Jesus that the Apostle doth so triumph Rom. 8.31 c. Who can be against us who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died c. and hereupon he triumpheth saying Who shall separate us from the love of God c. and though we may say That he was grown to a greater measure of strength then we now speak of yet this is the work of all the Israel of God to hope in the Lord in whom is plenteous redemption Psal 130.7 Fourthly Use 4 This may serve to teach us to wait upon the Lord for this his plenteous redemption and to bless his name for it when we find it Psal 103.4 Bless the Lord O my soul who redeemeth thy life from destruction c. Let us learn to serve him with thankfulness and to grow up therein for this is the great redemption wherewith the Lord hath redeemed us to himself he that hath thus redeemed us will still redeem and deliver us 2 Cor. 1.10 he that hath done this will not leave us until he hath finished all his thoughts of peace towards us In the Fifth and last place Use 5 let it exhort us to stand fast in all our Christian liberties they cost dear and we are redeemed from the Covenant and curse of the Law of God from the Laws of men much more that are not according to God be not therefore servants to lusts and passions to the world and to the Devil let us tread the world under foot seeing God hath redeemed us let us walk as his redeemed ones redeemed from all errours of mind and judgement standing fast in all that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Gal. 5.1 and be not again entangled with the yoke of bondage it was a bondage that we were in before and a bondage greater then either we or our fathers were able to bear let
grace Object doth one grace hinder another such is Bellarmines reason against justification by grace what saith he doth grace fight against grace if we say We be justified by our works it is grace that gives us those works and a will unto them thus doth he confess Our Divines answer is That if our justification be of grace it is not of works and if it be of works it is not of grace so in like manner if the Lord do shew himself in a matter of grace let all our works be silent for if Abraham hath whereof to glory it is not before God so then if grace appear it is not in our works and therefore if God do speak any comfort unto sanctification he will put his servants quite off from the conceit of their own holiness Thus we finde it 2 Sam. 7.18 Lord saith David what am I or what is my fathers house c. though at that time the Lord took notice of his sanctification and so indeed it is usual with the faithful when the Lord pronounceth any mercy to them they see no reason in themselves why the Lord should vouchsafe it as you see when the light of the Sun shineth upon a candle it dampes the light thereof so it is in this case when the riches of Gods mercy shineth upon the soul he is not so taken up in the consideration of his own works and holiness because his heart is lifted up higher in the consideration of the grace of God and yet let me say thus much There is a kinde of revelation that is under the Law Ezek. 18.5 6. If a man be just and do that which is lawful and right and hath not eaten upon the mountains neither hath lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel c. he is just he shall surely live saith the Lord God Thus a man is pronounced just upon his righteousness that is to say so far just as the Law declares him just if either he keep the Commandment or if he break the Commandment and come and bring his Sacrifice then his sin shall be forgiven him Lev. 5.10 13 16. somewhat sutable unto what we read Mat. 18.23 24 25. c. when the servant was required to make payment to his Lord and had nothing to pay he falleth down and worshippeth his Lord saying Have patience with me and I will pay thee all so out of compassion he forgave him the debt just as when the Lord taketh hold of a man by sickness and is ready to expose him to death then he cryeth Lord be merciful to me and I will become a new man and all the world shall know it and all my friends shall see it then the Lord out of compassion delivereth him from his sickness according to Psal 78 34 35. c. when God slew them then they sought him and returned and required early after God and though they did but flatter him with their lips yet he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not Thus the Lord may let men see that he doth forgive them and no small comfort sometime doth arise and all this from some works that they have done but when the Lord revealeth himself graciously by his Spirit in our justification he doth banish the sight of our works so that the soul doth look at himself as the chiefest of all sinners as not having so much as the crawling or creeping of any work of sanctification Yea when the Lord revealeth to his people their sanctification the manifestation of his love unto their souls upon that point doth take them off from the sight of their own works and move them to wonder that ever the Lord should manifest himself graciously to such as they are Now for the Use of this Use 1 Let me apply it to teach Christians not to be afraid of the word Revelation you have heard of many that have attended to Revelations that have been deceived it is true for the Devil himself will transform himself into an Angel of light he will be foisting in delusions yea many times when the soul waiteth for the revelation of Gods mercy the Devil will be apt to foist in such revelations from whence many delusions may grow but yet on the otherside let not men be afraid and say That we have no revelation but the word for I do believe and dare confidently affirme that if there were no revelation but the word there would be no spiritual grace revealed to the soul for it is more then the Letter of the Word that is required to it not that I look for any other matter besides the word But there is need of greater light then the word of it self is able to give for it is not all the promises in Scripture that have at any time wrought any gracious change in any soul or are able to beget the faith of Gods Elect true it is indeed whether the Father Son or Spirit reveal any thing it is in and according to the word but without the work of the Spirit there is no faith begotten by any promise the word of God and all his works may beget you some knowledge if you be not mistaken in them but to beget the faith of Gods elect that may be able to stand against all the powers of darkness and to crush all the temptations of that wicked one it is not all the works of God nor all the word of God of it self that is able to beget such faith if there be any it is but an historical faith a dead faith that is not able to bring the soul neerer to God I beseech you therefore consider of it as a mystery of God indeed yet marvelous plain in Scripture as I conceive That neither the word of grace nor all the works of grace are able to clear up the grace of God unto the soul it is the Spirit of God that must do it he must reveal the grace of God if ever we see it otherwise it is not possible that we should believe for though we should attain unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulness of knowledge we shall not attain unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulness of faith As for our works in justification the Lord will dash them to pieces and cast them out of his sight and though faith comes by hearing yet it is the Spirit in the word that maketh the New Testament a lively Letter otherwise as not the flesh of Christ so nor the word of Christ profiteth any thing it is the Spirit that quickeneth therefore look for this revelation of the Spirit to shew you the need of Christ and the Lords offering and presenting Christ unto you and his drawing your hearts to believe upon him otherwise you neither can have any faith nor can you discern any gift of God bestowed upon you In the second place Use 2 Let this teach and exhort us not to look for any revelation out of the Word for
toward us as he saith Joh. 16.26 27. I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you Then doth he keep us in this estate And which is a farther work of the Son for this purpose he will send us his holy Spirit as He told his Disciples Joh. 16.7 It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you Thus as the Father sent the Son so will the Son send the Spirit and in the mean while he doth preserve us until the Spirit come and then he preserveth us by his Spirit Now sometimes he makes his people tarry longer before he send the Spirit in this kind of dispensation but we leave the times and seasons thereof unto the free purpose of the grace of God but I say mean while the Son preserveth us Joh. 6.39 This is the Fathers will that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing So Joh. 17.12 Those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost He keeps us in a waiting frame of spirit so that we cannot but thirst after him and long for him and mourn for the want of him and then a bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench until he bring forth judgement unto victory Mat. 12.20 Thus hath the Lord Jesus promised to keep us and this he doth perform 1. Partly by praying for us Luk. 22.31 32. Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy saith fail not so Joh. 17.11 20 21 22 23 c. Holy Father keep through thy own Name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are c. and this is the eternal efficacy of the Son whereby every beleeving soul is kept until he do finde fulness of accomplishment of his spiritual desires and though we may be many waies wanting in prayer for our selves yet he will give us his Spirit to pray within us with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed 2. And as he ' will keep us by his prayer so secondly by his ruling Providence for all power is given unto him both in heaven and in earth Mat. 28.18 and this power he doth employ to preserve his servants from all the delusions of the sons of men The Prophet Ezekiel complains of some that thrust away and shoulder out the people of God Ezek. 34.21 22 c. but saith the Lord I will set up one shepherd over them and he shall feed them even my servant David vers 23 25. They shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods None of all the delusions of Antichrist none of all the power of Tyrants not all the flattering world nor all the persecuting world shall be able to shoulder off the Saints of God from him 2 Tim. 1.12 I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day and the Lord Jesus engageth both his own power and his Fathers power for this end Joh. 10.28 29. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall they pluck them out of my hand my Father which gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand Thus have you seen how Jesus Christ gives himself unto Abraham and to his seed to become one with us to lead a miserable life and dye an accursed death thereby to redeem us from all our enemies unto a state of liberty by an invaluable price even by himself And having thus had the Father drawing us unto Christ though the Father said little unto the soul who had been about him all this while and so leaves the soul in no small distress as the Fathers work is Power so the Sons work is Liberty and he revealeth to us our redemption and reveals it so that the soul is set in an earnest longing after Christ in whom there is a way to the Father and a great mourning after him hungring for him so that nothing in heaven nor earth can satisfie him in which case the Lord doth give such strength and constancy unto the soul in looking towards Christ as encourageth him to expect refreshing in the end though at present he looks at all that he hath attained as a parable in comparison of what he would further enjoy in communion with Jesus Christ but it often befals the servants of God as it did the Disciples of Christ they were put unto new demurrs and doubtings We thought say they it had been he that should have restored the kingdome to Israel Luk. 24.21 these were Simon and Cleophas if it had not been He where was the comfort and blessed hope of rest which they looked for in Jesus Christ we thought it had been he a sign it was a demurr and dispute in them whether it was Gods grace in them or Christ that had been with them yea or no whilest they are at this debate in themselves Jesus himself comes unto them and reproves them for their unbelief and chargeth them to tarry at Jerusalem and there to wait for the promise of the Father And thus doth the Lord Jesus teach us to know the Father and reveals him to us by strengthning us unto all such holy duties as he calleth us unto and though we be many times affraid to pray to hear to come to Christian conference yet the Lord will not suffer us to refrain but we must pray and confer and hear and when we have used all he teacheth us to know that it is not in all these as of themselves to work any thing in us nor doth he suffer us to content our selves in any thing wrought in us but causeth us to thirst after more of himself in every Ordinance until the Spirit comes in a plentiful measure according to all the latitude of our desires after Christ Jesus Now for the Use of this Vse 1 in the first place If so be the work of the Son be such a work of redemption then certainly our state is a state of bondage before we be thus redeemed yea it is such a state of bondage as wherein we lie bound under Gods Law and under sin under Gods wrath and curse under the Devil and death and under the power of this world and all these enemies have power over us to carry us captive unto sin and misery so that great is the misery we lie under if we knew our misery few know it but are ready to say with those Joh. 8.33 We were never in bondage to any oh poor hearts then were you never redeemed to this very day if thou never yet knewest thy bondage thou never yet knewest thy Redeemer the Lord will never so dishonour his own work as to pay so great a price to