Covenant therefore let humble souls broken-hearted sinners arise and go to God who calls them and holds forth grace to them in his Covenant There is yet a third specialty in our second general rule of direction which he that would rightly apply the Covenant must take notice of 3 This Covenant is a Covenant offered to sinners to those to whom the poyson of Adam's corrupted nature is propagated and by whom much sin hath been acted to such as are full of sin and loaden with guilt even to Publicans and Harlots to a Manasseh to a Mary Magdalen God's Covenant is held out to such if they come in by repentance and bring Faith to lay hold on it Isai 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the man of iniquity his thoughts and let him return to the Lord for he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Paul tells the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6.9 that some of them were Fornicators and Idolaters and Adulterers and Covetous and Drunkards c. but they are washed and justified and sanctified Now this was Covenant grace this was the performance of the Covenant to them This is to be considered by those that have been great sinners to keep them from presumption on the one hand and from dispair on the other hand 1 The Covenant is held out to sinners not to proud self-admiring Pharisces or presumptuoâ—â— offenders but to humble self-judging Penitents to repenting sinners If we do not see our selveâ— sinners if we have not a dâ—â— humbling sight and sense of sin we cannot apply the Covenant 〈◊〉 Grace 2 The Covenant is held out to sinners even to the greatest sinners that repent therefore let noâ— any self-judging soul despair oâ— receiving the mercy and grace oâ— the Covenant 1 Jo. 1.9 If we confess oâ— sins God is just and faithful to fuâ—give our iniquities and to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness Come to me all ye that labour Mat. 11 2â— and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Thus you see what use is to be made of this consideration with respect to the application of the Covenant it is a Covenant offered to sinners therefore we must see our selves to be sinners and judge our selves for our iniquities that we may take it and having a sight of our own unworthiness and being wounded with the sense of sin we must not out our selves off from the Covenant whâ—se the Word of God doth not â—ut us off as I willsay to the impenitent secure presumptuous sinner Why medlest thou with the Covenant Hands off it belongs not to thee so I would say to any humble mourning penitent self-judging sinner Poor soul why standest thou so far off Behold the Lord calls thee and offers his grace to thee therefore draw thou near and lay hold on the Covenant of his mercy and love You have seen a second rule that is to be observed by those who desire duly to apply the Covenant Remember that it is God's Covenant of Grace offered to sinners 3 That you may not misapply the Covenant or catch at that which belongs not to you keep this in mind That God's Covenant is made only to Abraham and his seed Now Abraham's seed children of Promise included in the same Covenant with Abraham are in general all the Elect but God's Election is a secret which cannot be known à priori but only by God himself who alone knows who are his yet we may have a knowledge of it à posteriori when we find that we are called with a holy and effectual calling Now I say you must apply the Covenant as being Abraham's â—eed finding a true work of grace in your hearts the saving effects of the Covenant upon your souls whence you may conclude your Covenant relation to God and interest in his precious promises or else you do not apply the Covenant truly and honestly but unjustly laying a false claim to it 4 As we must make God in his Covenant our end so we must make Christ as Mediator our way and therefore in applying the Covenant must look to him and act Faith primarily on him by whom the grace of the Covenant is purchased for us and in and through whom it is conveyed to us we must accept of Christ for our Lord and Jesus that we may receive the Covenant of Grace and Peace and salvation through him 5 We must know that the Covenant is propounded and offered conditionally Faith and Repentance and New Obedience are the condition of Pardon and Salvation It is certain none are saved but by Covenant by a Covenant of Grace but it is by the Covenant kept therefore I must not think without any more ado to take this Covenant to my self not having any regard to the fulfilling of the condition of the Covenant in my self where there is not Faith and Repentance a true worke of grace and holiness there can be no right application of the Covenant So much now as to the first branch of the fourth General Counsel Apply the Covenant truly 2 Apply the Covenant thorowly Apply surely and thorowly see that you make sure work of it make sure to your selves your Covenant interest Seeing there is such a Covenant of Grace so precious and so necessary for us which belongs to the feed of Abraham and to them only why should we be content to live without assurance of our interest in it They who are in Covenant are for Heaven and they that are out of Covenant are for Hell Oh how desirous should we then be to be resolved and assured whether we be in Covenant or no How can we think or speak of God with comfort or without fear and trouble in our spirits while we are uncertain whether he be our God or no whether he be our friend or our enemy Let us labour therefore to be at a certainty in this point an infallible certainty of our interest in God's Covenant may be had Oh let us strive to it Now to quicken you in this case to excite you to diligence in making up to a thorow application of God's Covenant even to the full assurance of Faith I shall hint to you something of the benefit and comfort of assurance the unspeakable advantage that hence accrues to the soul Fruits of assurance 1 This assurance of Faith will sweeten to us all Providences and every condition of life 2 Cor. 4.16 17 18. while a Christian lives by Faith in a clear apprehension of the love of God who hath made an everlasting Covenant with him no outward changes can work any great change in his spirit or make much impression pression upon him assurance of God's love will make a Christian to sit down under changes quietly and comfortably with the Prophet Habakkuk rejoycing in the Lord and joying in the God of his salvation 2 Assurance of God's love will sweeten to us our enjoyments in the world be it more
him for ever 3. This will be an excellent means to quicken and strengthen hope I say hope of all needful blessings here and of eternal Salvation hereafter Is the Lord my God and shall I not hope Have I God's Promise and Oath and shall I not hope Is not the Promise of God so sure that hope therein maketh not ashamed Therefore in wants and straights and difficulties and in my greatest sufferings I will say with the Church Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my portion therefore I will hope in him It is Jehovah who hath promised to bless me and save me the almighty God can do it and the faithful God will do it he will perform his promise his Covenant therefore I have hope in wants in trouble in sickness in death I will hope in my God to the end 4. A diligent serious meditation of God's Covenant and our interest in it will raise our joy God hath made with me a Covenant of Peace a â—ovenant of Life the Lord is my God and will be my God forever The Covenant which he hath made with me is his deed of gift whereby he hath made over himself to me and hath bestowed upon me the everlasting inheritance it is my Fathers good pleasure to give me a Kingdom he hath promised me a Crown of Glory and this promise of his is surely a ground of joy Rejoyce therefore O my Soul in hope of the Glory of God Thus you have had a Fifth Counsel Having applyed the Covenant to thy self and gotten some assurance that it is thine now meditate on it and set it to thy heart for the exciting of love and desire and hope and joy in thy soul 6ly Let us admire and adore the mercy love Couns 6. Admire the grace of God in the Covenant and grace of God in this Covenant of his his mercy toward the miserable his love to Enemies his grace to sinners in setting himself down to us and taking us into Covenant with himself who had otherwise been utterly lost and miserable for ever Let us cry out with admiration O the hight and depth and length and bredth of the love of God O free-Grace O rich-Grace O glorious-Grace Why did God pass by those Angels that fell leaving them in a remediless condition and take the Seed of Abraham into Covenant with himself to pardon them and save them who is a God like unto our God that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his People performing his truth to Jacob and his mercy to Abraham 7thly Hath God made such a Covenant Couns 7. Bless God for it and do we apprehend our interest in it then let us bless God for it and abound in all thankfulness to him who is the Fountain frâ—m whence such streams of Grace do flow how should they who have tasted the goodness of Gods Covenant have their hearts and mouthes and lives filled with his praises God's Covenant is a Covenant of pardoning sin and healing diseases of redeeming our life from Destruction and of Crowning us with his loving kindness and tender mercies and for these mercies whereof believers are made partakers by vertue of the Covenant David stirrs up himself to bless God Psa 103. Bless the Lord O my soul who forgiveth all thine iniquties c. Oh let our souls bless God let all that is within us praise his holy Name for the Covenant of his mercy and love which he hath given us and that he hath so clearly revealed this Covenant to us and hath given us to apprehend our interest in it Now there are these reasons among others why believ is should â—tirr themselves up to bless God for his Covenant Incentives 1. The end of Gods goodness to his Creatures is his own glory Surely this is the end of his making and confirming his Covenant to Abraham with his seed that Abraham and his seed miâ—ht glorifie him this is the great end of all his works of grace in Christ Jâ—sâ—s he hâ—th done all to the praise of the gl ry of his grace Eph. 1.6 12. that we should be to the praise of his glâ—ry 2. The Covenant it self is so precious such a rare gift that it well deserves our praises God is worthy to be blessed by us for such a bleâ—â—â—ng as this for First Consider of what worth those things are which the Covenant doth give believers a Title to and intâ—rest in O pretious things an inheritance immortal and undefiled a â—â—own of life an exceeding great and eternal weight of glory 2 Consider what matchless consolations the Covenant affordeth to believers even when all outward comforts fail Thy word is my comfort in my afflictions Ps 119.50 fâ—r it hath quickned me Gospel-comforts those which flow from the Covenant of mercy and peace to such as are interrested in it are the purest and surest and fullest comforts Now by the way from the preciousness of the Covenant in respect of the worth of the things promised in it and the excellency of the comforts that flow from it I infer this That the worst of a believer is better than the best of an unbeliever or That the lowest estate of one interrested in the Covenant of promise is better than the most raised condition of any one that is uninterrested in it and a stranger to it A believer may be a stranger in the world and afflicted with want of food and cloathing convenient and may meet with a great deal of hard usuage yet he is a Citizen of the Heavenly Jerusalem he is the Lords Free-man he hath God for his Father Jesus Christ is his Brother and though he hath little or nothing at present to the eye of the World yet he is rich in hope though he hath nothing in possession visible he hath a rich Inheritance a Kingdom an immortal Crown in revertion Who is the better man the poor Christian whom God hath chosen to be rich in Faith heire to a Kingdom to the Kingdom of Heaven or the rich and honoured Worldling that wears a Gold-ring and hath the highest room given him in the Assmblies surely there is no happiness like to the happiness of a believer that hath an interest in the Covenant of Grace the Lord is his God this is the Crown of all enjoyments the compendium of all happiness Whence it follows that God is to be praised by us for nothing in this world so much as for giving us an interest in his Covenant 3. This Covenant which is so precious and so comfortable aâ— intâ—rest wherein makes us happy is freely given us of God nothing moved him to it but his own goodness it was free grace that made God to be a Promiser a Covâ—nanter now that which is excâ—â—â—â—ng prâ—cious anâ— freely given to us is to be received with much thâ—nkfullness 4. We can make no other return but love and thanks for aâ—ithâ— love of God â—â—â—râ—â—ore let us lovâ— God and
souls in the bosome of Gods Covenant that there we may see how God loves us with the truest and fullest and most constant and most advantagious love it would not then be a hard matter to have our hearts with God and surely when the heart is with him it is where it should be and where it finds the sweetest being Thus you have seen the fruits of acting faith upon the Covenant the improvement of the Covenant thereby to such sweet advantages of the soul thus our Covenant interest in God will be improveed 1. To the sweetning of our thoughts of God 2. To a holy boldness in our approaches to God 3. To the sweetning of all mercies to us 4. Unto patience and chearfullness in afflictions 5. To contentedness with our conditions 6. To a firm setled dependance on God 7. Unto love and obedlence 8. Unto consolation of the heart in tribulations 9. To a lively hope of Salvation 10. The heavenly mindedness and a heavenly conversation Now to proceed to a Ninth counsel If you have applyed Gods Covenant Couns 9. so that you have a feeling apprehension of your interest in it then let not the enjoyments and outward supposed felicity of men in the World be an eye-sore to you or move you to envy Alass they are not to be envyed but to be pittied because they have not such an inheritance as you have their enjoyments are but small heaps of dust whereas the believers enjoyments and hopes are great Mountains of Gold O happy believers if they know their own happiness in such an interest We read in History That when the Spanish Ambassador boasted of the largeness of his Masters Dominitions and his many Titles that he was King of this and that and the other Kingdom and Prince of such a place aâ—d Duke of such a place The French Ambassadour answered My Master is King of France King of France King of France intimating that France was more worth than all places under the King of Spain his Power When the men of the World shall boast that this is theirs and that is theirs and shall cry out O their riches O their honours now let the believer make his boast in the Lord his God and cry Oh the Covenant Oh! the Covenant of Grace Oh! the Covenant of Gods Love is mine why this is more worth than all the riches and glory of the World 10. Hath God been pleased to make a Covenant with us Couns 1â— and to give it so confirmed to us oh let us then more and more break off the Covenant and disanul the agreement between our Nature and the Devil and let us break off the league which hath been and is between our souls and any lust or vanity let us renounce all for God and as he vouchsafeth to become our God so let us give up our selves more and more unto him as his People as he is a Covenanting Covenant-keeping God so let us be a Covenanting Covenant-keep in People Let us with all our hearts accept the Lord to be our God solemnly and cordially entering into Covenant with him and yielding our selves up unto him to be wholly at his disposal resolving that we will not be led by the Devil or the World or the Flesh any more but that our God shall lead us and order us in all things And let us see that we prove not unfaithful in the Covenant which we have made unto God wherein we have promised to renounce the Devil and the World and the Flesh and to serve our God only Oh let us labour to keep Covenant strictly with the Lord our God Let us not conform our selves to the World Let us not willingly give one affection or thought unto any lust Let us labour to work our hearts to and keep them in an abhorrency of the Devil and all his works and let us be still warring against the Devil and the World and the Flesh and let us labour to become daily more spiâ—tâ—â—l anâ— holy and heavenly 〈…〉 God and more 〈…〉 â—o him endeavoring thâ—◠〈◊〉 may be found in all things to the praise and glory of God Oh that we may love him and delight in him and walk with him and live to him who hath loved us and set his eyes and his heart upon us and hath given the Covenant of his love into the bosom of our souls It is so that the Covenant confirmed to Abraham is confirmed to all belivers to the Worlds end confirmed I say as by Gods Word and Oath and Seals so by the death of Christ by his perfect all-sufficient satisfaction Oh then what a feast of comfort what a banquet of sweet-meats is here for believers Here is that which is sweeter than the honey and the honey-combe Believers The Covenant wherein you are interested that is so confirmed to you is most comprehensively comfortable carrying in it all matter of sweet consolation so that from this confirmed Covenant Gods Covenanted ones may fetch sufficient consolation against any thing that may put in for their discomfort This Covenant is comfortable against sin and all self unworthiness for what saith God in his Covenant I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their transgressions will I not remember any more Oh how many and how great have my sins been saith the poor soul how exceedingly aggravated I have sinned against God who wonderfully made me and hath graciously preserved me and plentifully provided for me I have sinned against the bowels of Gods mercies against the bloud of Jesus Christ against the riches of Gods free Grace are there any sins like to my sins now is there any pardon any mercy any hope for such a sinner Now let a sinner fasten mediation upon this branch of the Covenant which is confirmed by the death of Christ and consider here is pardon of sin offered in the promise and it is Gods pardon and it is a Free pardon and it is a Final pardon never revoked Here is admirable comfort for humble souls that are pressed down even to the Gates of Hell under the sense of their own sinfullness and guilt The Covenant of Grace confirmed to believers is comfortable against sin And hence it follows that it is comfortable against the wrath of God and the threatnings of the Law and against Death I might shew you how this Covenant answers all objections against and removes all impediments of the believers happiness and Salvation how it is set up against the guilt and filth and power of sin against the curse and condemnation of the Law against discouragement from weakness of graces and imperfection of duties against death and Devil and whatsoever may be supposed to hinder the Salvation and Happiness of Gods Covenant-people Would I stand further to instance in the several positive priveledges and blessings of the Covenant I might shew you what abundant comfort flows from each of them How great is the comfort of Redemption and Reconciliation and Justification
the redemption of sâ—uls Answ 2. This may satissie us because so it pleased him it proceeded only from the free grace and good pleasure of God there was no other impâ—lsive or moving cause This is a part and a great act of God's special gracious providence toward his Elect which is a stupendious argument of the freeness and the riches of his grace to sinners God was not cruel to his own Son but merciful and most tenderly compassionate toward poor sinners wretched creatures that had undone themselves either we must dye eternally or the Son of God must dye for us must be under the power of death for a time Now guilty sinners are spared and the innocent Son of God the Son of his love is given to death for us that we might live This is grace indeed and as this proceeded from grace Eph. 1.5 6 7 so it was aimed by God at the glorifying of his grace to all eternity So much to the Doctrinal part of the Point I come now to Application APPLICATION First Vse 1 Information I shall draw up some inference for information 1. It follows hence that by nature we are all miserable captives and wretched slaves otherwise there needed not a Redeemer The Prophet tells us Iâ—a 61.1 what was the office of Christ and to what purpose he was sent to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those that are bound Paul tells us Rom. 7.14 that he was by nature sold under sin and though he was redeemed with the bloud of Christ and regenerated by the spirit of Christ yet sin did still hang about him he could not shake off his fetters nor get wholly clear from his bonds but he was still so clogged and fettered with corruption that he cries out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O wretched man that I am who shall delivâ—r me And as for unregenerate men 2 Tim. 2.26 they are said to be taken captive by Satan according to his will the Devils absolute slaves Ah woful is the condition of those souls to whom Jesus Christ is not a Redeemer And now by the way the worse the disâ—ase is the better is the remedy and the more to to be prized the more wretched the condition of poor souls is by nature the more is grace to be esteemed and adored that translateth us out of so bad an estate into so good a condition that from such a depth of misery raiseth us up unto such a height of happiness as souls are advanced to by Christ Jesus Surely the greater the viler our bondage is the more gracious the more glorious is the work of our redemption and the more precious should our Redeemer be to us 2. This informeth us of the vileness and cursedness of sin Infer 2. which brought us into such bondage and slavery unto Satan death and hell that the Son of God must dye to deliver us from it which when it took hold on Christ our surety took away his life as dear â—s he was to God if he undertake for sinners he must dye surely then those sinners must dye for whom he did not dye wo to those souls whose guilt is not transferred upon Christ that have no share in the redemption purchased with his bloud Let wicked persons that trample under foot the bloud of Christ that contemn the doctrine of Christ and wallow in the filth of their lusts refusing the grace of God which is offered to them and rejecting Christ the Redeemer let them consider what they are like to suffer for sin from the impartial justice of God Oh that sinners may be awakened to repentance that they may seek to make their pâ—aâ—e with God coming in and closing with Jesus Christ that in him they may have redemption through faith in his bloud Oh that our hearts may be wrought to a due hatred of sin considering that it brought the Son of God under the power of death when it was imputed to him 3. This informs us of or we may hence infer Infer 3. the exceeding worth or souls The Lord did set a great prize upon them or else â—e would not have given such a price for them he spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us if God had not valued the souls of men at a great rate he would not have laid out the life of his Son for them Ah what foolish creatures are Men and Women so to undervalue their own souls as to prostitute them to base lusts and to the Devil's pleasure and to sell them for toys Let us consider the worth of our souls and make more account of them and be more careful of them and watchful over them 4. We are hence to take notice of several attributes of God Infer 4. wonderful glorious in the redemption of sinners 1. His wisdome in finding out a way and such a way for the effecting of it 2. His power in thus confounding and overcoming Satan and sin and death and all the powers of darâ—ness opposing themselves against poor man 3. His justice in requiring such a satisfaction before he would remit the offence and release the sinner 4. The immense mercy of God is here to be admired who would rather that his own Son should suffer a most shameful and painful and accursed death then that Mankind should perish The sending of Jesus Christ into the world to be a Redeemer is a special evidence and a wonderful stupendious demonstration of the mercy of God 1 Jo 4.9 Herein was manifested the love of God toward us that he sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us this is the mercy of mercies It was not with gold or silver or any corruptible thing that we were redeemed but with the precous bloud of God's own dear Son and this is that which commendeth the exceeding riches of God's grace that he gave his son to die for sinners for enemies for rebels to reconcile them to God 2. Vse 2 Terrour Here is matter of terror to all wicked despisers of such Gospel-grace are not souls worthy to perish if when God sends his Son to save them they will not be saved God delivered his own Son up to death for the redemption of souls and Jesus Christ offers himself to you as a Redeemer and foolish creatures prefer bonds before liberty will still continue the servants of sin slaves to lusts the Devils vassels they care not for Christ his redemption Oh how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Christ will be one day terrible to them who now despise the Gospel-offers of his grace 3. Here is encouragement for poor sinners that feel themselves pinched Vse 3 and galled with the yoke of sin and groan by reason of their spiritual bondage that see in what a miserable case they are by nature and long
away the fear of Death from Believing Souls That he might deliver them Heb. 2.15 who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Christ delivereth his from spiritual death in sin and from eternal death for sin and as for natural death the death of the body unto which God hath appointed them it is not now formidable the sting of it being plucked out by Christ it is that which Saints have desired which is welcome to Souls stedfast in the faith of the promises because death frees them from the power of sin and annoyance of corruption puts an end to their sinning which is grievous to a gracious heart Now comes that happy deliverance from the body of death which St. Paul so earnestly longed for and by death they have their passage to everlasting life 5. Regeneration and the sanctification of souls is the fruit of Christ's dying he of God is made to us sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 1 Pet. 2.24 he his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness he gave himself for us Tit. 2.14 that he might redeem us from all iniquitie and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The mortification of sin in us and the vivification of grace the healing of our nature and the renewing of the image of God in us is a great benefit of Christ's death he merited this for the Elect obtaining at God's hand that the holy Spirit should be given to sanctifie them that the Spirit of his Son should be sent into their hearts 6. Christ by his Death hath purchased eternal life for Soules God gave his onely begotten Son â— John 3.16 that whosoever believeth in him shâ—uld nâ—t perish but haeve everlasting life 1 Joh. 5.11 God hath given us Eternal life and this life is in his Son Thus the full benefit of Christs Death is a full redemption from all evil to all good from sin Satan Wrath Death and Hell to Grace and Glory to the enjoyment of all good here and hereafter Now unless we know these things and except we know our selves to be interessed in Jesus Christ whose Death is of such exceeding great advantage to those for whom he died we can take no comfort in the notion of Christ his Death Therefore having counselled you to search out what the benefits of Christs Death are I should in the next place exhort you to make sure your share in them to labour to clear up to your selves your interest in Christ and in the advantages of his Death But this will be a special part of the application of that other point which is to be opened and improved therefore our second counsel now shall be this Did God give his Son to Death Counsel 2. to satisfie for us to reconcile us to God to obtain for us Remission of sins and Sanctification of the Spirit and life eternal then let pardon of sin and peace with God and the grace of Sanctification and the hope of Eternal life be valued by us according to the price that was paid for the purchase of them It was the Bloud of the Son of God which was of infinite value Therefore that which was purchased by it is more worth then all the World Carnal hearts have no such estimation of these things if they had they would look more after them and seek them diligently in the use of the means Buâ— alas how many poor souls are theâ—e that have no apprehension of the worth of these mercies Gold is of more account with them then Grace and the countenance of man is more lookt after then the favour of God but David can tell us that a comfortable apprehension of God's love is more worth then all worldly enjoyments and Solomon his judgmant is that Wisdom i. e. Grace is the most excellent thing that the most desirable things in the World are not to be compared with it Now therefore let Christians who by faith have laid hold on Christ and are intâ—rrâ—ssâ—d in the benefits of his death let them know what and an excellent portion they gottâ—n and let them judge of their priveledges by the price that was paid for the purchase of them and prize them accrdingly And let Worldlings consider the meanes by which Spiritual blessings soul-soul-mercies the Christians Priviledges were procured and let them esteem them accordingly never resting till they come to be made pertakers of them Did God give his son to Die for sinner Counsel 3. then let us take heed of sinning against Christs Death Abel his blood cried for vengeance on them that shed it What will Christ his Bloud doe Certainly the Blod of the Son of God is very precious and they who sin against it draw horrible guilt upon themselves Now there are many waies by which souls sin against the Death of Christ 1. When men do denie the efficatious merit of Christ his Death and will piece it up with their own merits as Papists who teach and boast of humane satisfactions 2. They who râ—sist or despise the means of the application of Christ Crucified to themselves 3. They who have low thoughts of those things for the purchase whereof Christ died The priviledge of Justification and Sanctification and the Scriptures of God and a Gospel Ministrie and Gospel Ordinances and all Gospel priveledges and all true Gospellers in the Church are all the purchase of Christ his Bloud So that it is clearly a sinning against the Death of Christ to cry down or reproach or slight any of these 4. They who make much of sin which caused the Death of Christ and that allow in themselves and maintain the life of that for the destruction of which Christ died they sin against the Death of Christ And many other waies do people sin against Christ his Death Now let us take heed of this that we sin not against the Bloud of the Son of God which was given to be shed for us I may take a hint from the Doctrine to counsel you to mercifulness to your own sulles Counsel 4. Is God so merciful to us not be cruel to our selves Did Christ die to Redeem us and set us free then let us not enslave our selves let us not yeild our selves servants unto sin and Satan Did Christ die to Redeem us from destruction let us not be self destroyers I remember what Paul saith in the case of Scan al 's what a charge he giveth to shun giving of offence and upon what ground Do not for meats sake Rom. 14.15 destrom him for whom Christ died Oh do not for any Lusts sake destroy thy soule for which Christ died 5. This consideration is to be urged upon our selves Couns 5. as a motive to mercifulness towards others Hath God bin so merciful to us as to give his own Son for us let this stir up in us bowels of compassion toward our brethen and
which is to be applyed we say a blind man may catch a Hare it is possible though not probable but a blind ignorant soul cannot apply the Covenant of Promise as it is fabulously reported of Ixion that he imbraced a dusky dark Cloud instead of bright beautiful June So do ignorant souls imbrace the delusions of Satan and the phantasmes of their own deluded spirits instead of the true real Covenant of Promise therefore before I exhorted you to application I advised you to study the Covenant of Grace 2 You must apply the Covenant as God's Covenant of Grace offered to sinners There are three specialties in this to be taken notice of 1 It is God's Covenant 2 A Covenant of Grace 3 A Covenant offered to sinners 1 It is God's Covenant not mans and seeing it is God's Covenant It is worth the laying hold on for God doth not covenant to give to the Heirs of Promise small petty things but great matters indeed 2 Pet. 1.4 The Apostle saith that God hath given us exceeding great and precious promises such are the things promised to be given exceeding great and precious God gives like himself gifts worthy the giver Gods Covenant of Promise is the riches and treasure of the heirs of promise This is one consideration to draw us in to the Covenant to make us desirous of it it is worth the having 2 Seeing it is God's Covenant we may be sure it shall be performed A mans covenant with God or man may be broken because either he may be unable to make it good or he may prove false and deceitful and oh what falshood is there found with men and how common a sin is covenant-breaking but now we cannot question God's performance 1 Because there can be no want of power for the fulfilling of his Covenant To thee O Lord Ps 62.11 belougeth Power We are taught in the Lord's prayer to ascribe this unto God Thine is the Kingdom and the Power God is Almighty so that there cannot be any check given to his Power by the greatest difficulty that can be imagined there is nothing too hard for God to do nothing at all difficult to him Hereby Abraham his Faith in the Promises was born up because he was perswaded that what God had promised Rom. 4.21 he was able to perform 2 There can be no failing of God's truth and faithfulness he is not as man that he should lye nor as the son of man that he should repent Dent. 32.4 The Lord is a God of truth These considerations will make the soul desirous to apply the Covenant when it considers that it is Gods Covenant and a covenant concerning very great matters and a covenant that shall surely be performed by the Almighty faithful unchangeable God And as this consideration may serve to draw the soul to the Covenant so it may give direction and be helpful respecting the right manner of applying it 1 If it be the Covenant of God it is to be applyed humbly and with self-denial and self-abasement O Lord I would have it I desire to close with it but truly I am most unworthy of it Blessed and glorious God what am I that thou should'st tender to me the covenant of thy love 2 If it be God's Covenant concerning great and precious things that he will give then it is to be applyed earnestly We are too earnest and greedy to catch at the things of the world which we look upon as great matters though they are not so indeed Oh if we did understand the things which concern the wealth and peace and happiness of our souls then we should be as earnest to lay hold on the riches of God's Covenant the good things therein promised which are great matters indeed 3 If it be the covenant of God Almighty and unchangeable who abideth faithful for ever then apply it fiducially without staggering at the promise as being confident of the performance Thus much of the first particular it is God's covenant The second specialty to be taken notice of in the second general rule of direction is this 2 It is God's covenant of Grace this is to be considered Now this consideration will be of special use in the application of the Covenant Nothing moved God at first to make this Covenant but his own goodness herein he expressed his love and discovered his free grace which was the ground of the Covenant and truly that is it which carries it on to full accomplishment by every step and in every parcel of it The whole business of saving from first to last is meerly of grace Now see what a direction and help this will be in the application of the Covenant 1 If it be a Covenant of Grace then we must go out of our selves to take it and must take it wholly as a Covenant of Grace I say we must go out of our selves i.e. we must be taken off from our own bottom so as to have no confidence in our selves nor any conceit of our own worthiness we must come off from our graces and duties from our own righteousness must have no Opinion of that though the work of grace in us clear to us may be our warrant to apply the Covenant to our selves when we find this effect of the Covenant in our own souls this condition of enjoying the promises yet our graces and duties must not be lookt upon as giving us any right to it or rendering us any way worthy of it no it must be a self-denying application taking it by Faith as purely from grace 2 This consideration that it is a Covenant of Grace will help to carry on the self-judging self-condemning soul to an application of it A precious sweet Covenant saith a poor heart that hath a sight of its own sinfulness and vileness oh it is a blessedness to have an interest in it but I vile wretch am unworthy what have I to do with the Covenant of the great and holy God it belongeth to holy ones to those that have better hearts then I have and are more in duty then I am and perform duties in a better manner then I do and that have greater abilities to serve and glorifie God Now let such a soul consider the freeness of the grace of God in the Covenant Dost thou judge thy self before the Lord and mourn over the corruption and carnality and laziness and barrenness and deadness of thy heart Dost thou bewail thy unworthiness and unprofitableness and thy backwardness to holy duties and thy miscarriages in them Are thy sins thy souls burden and thy weaknesses the matter of thy grief and complaint Why to thee the Covenant doth belong which is a Covenant concerning Sanctification as Justification and a Covenant of Grace holding forth the mercy and goodness of God to those that have need of it and not to those that deserve it The good God gives his Covenant as a gift of grace to all those whom he takes into