of every particular Infant that it belongs to the Election of Grace and so is an Heir of the Promise though we cannot judge so of any with the judgment of certainâ—y 2 I come now to a Use of Exhortation 2Vse Exhortation to give out some words of counsel I Believe that which the Scripture clearly holds forth concerning this Covenant which we have spoken of Couns 1. I Believe that God hath made a second Covenant with man Believe the Covenant a Covenant of Grace since by his fall by transgression he cut himself off from God and happiness and made himself uncapable of life by the first Covenant which was a covenant of works if this were not held forth in the word then there were no consolation of the Scriptures nor no ground of hope given to sinners in them For the word speaks most clearly that we cannot be justified and saved by a covenant of works by the deeds of the Law By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified Rom. â— 2â— Gal. 〈…〉 The Scripture hath concluded all under sin and under sin and death we must all lye for ever were it not for the Covenant of Grace wherein God freely offereth life and salvation by Jesus Christ unto sinners upon condition of Faith and Repentance which he hath promised likewise to give woe woe to all the Posterity of Adam were there not such a Covenant of God's love and mercy in which he hath promised righteousness and life eternal through his Son to all those that receive him This Covenant we must believe or else we can have nothing whereupon rationally to build hope of salvation 2 Believe that all Abraham his spiritual seed and none but they are comprehended in this Covenant favingly interessed in it 3 Believe the confirmation of the Covenant to all this interessed parties by the written Word of God and by his Oath and by his Seals and by the death of his Son whose blood is called the Blood of the Covenant Heb. 10 29. 4 Believe that Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the Covenant by whose mediation all the promised good is procured for us and shall be performed to us so that we must take up the Covenant and the comfort of it in and through him This is the first counsel to perswade souls to believe the Covenant of Grace and to yield a full assent to all that which the Scripture holds forth concerning it Because otherwise they will never regard it or look after it nor can ever have any benefit by it Suffer your selves to be convinced of the misery of being out of this Covenant Couns 2. See the mâ—sery of being out of Covenant and of the necessity of being under it and interessed in it that you may have life and blessedness Poor creatures that are out of this Covenant are without God and without Christ and so without that which can relieve their misery by sin and make them happy What ever their enjoyments are in the world how far is the soul from happiness while it is far from God the Fountain of Blessedness All good is comprehended in God and all true happiness is comprized in our fruition of God sin hath set us at the greatest distance from God and so at the greatest distance from happiness The Blood of Christ brings us near to God and an interest in the Covenant of Grace gives God to be our God and so renders us happy Truly conviction in this case is most necessary for a man will never seek that which he doth not know he hath lost or which he thinks he may well enough be without but a knowledge of our loss by sin and a conviction of the necessity of râ—finding what we have lost will cause answerable affections When a soul is convinced that it hath lost God and lost happiness will it not cry out that it iâ— undone and have a strong desire to recover this loss and so seek an enjoyment of God in Christ above any thing in the world 3 Study the Covenant of Grace Couns 3. Study the Covâ—nant labour for a clear understanding of it that you may know its nature its matter its Author its rise its subjects its priviledges its goodness and excellency its necessariness its perpetuity its ends and the condition of enjoying it It is very sad that whereas it concerns us as much as our souls are worth to have a knowledge of and interest in the Covenant yet people generally are ignorant of it so that they understand not what it is nor whence it is nor why it is nor what need they have of it nor what benefit comes by it nor to whom it belongs nor upon what terms it is to be enjoyed c. Is this ignorance for want of means of knowledge or is it an inconsiderable point the knowledge whereof doth not at all or very little concern us Ah beloved the matter is very weighty and the knowledge of it very necessary and the Revelations of God concerning it very clear but here is the cause of mens ignorance they will not be convinced of the necessity of this most necessary knowledge and interest and so regard not to know the things that concern their everlasting peace Oh how greatly doth it concern all souls that in themselves are lyable to death and damnation to study God's gracious Covenant of Life and Salvation If this were well studied by us we should see more in it then we do and should have more affection to it then we have and should be more diligent and studious to apply it then we are we should see it to be worth the laying hold on and should not be so loath as we are to renounce lusts profits and pleasures and vanities which our hearts are naturally in league with that we may receive this Covenant of God's mercy concerning pardon and peace and all manner of blessings here and eternal salvation hereafter Couns 4. Apply the Covenant Having studied this Covenant sofar as to see the goodness and the desirableness and excellency of it let desire be carried to it and labour diligently to apply it What is it to me that there is such a Covenant of God for the healing and recovering and saving of wounded lost destroyed sinners if it belongs not to me What comfort can the knowledge of that which is excellent and precious afford me if I have no part in it Therefore let me labour truly and thorowly to apply this precious Covenant This counsel hath two branches 1 Apply the Covenant truly 2 Apply it thorowly and surely Apply it truly 1 Apply the Covenant truly take heed of a misapplication see that there be not any material error in applying the Covenant Now I shall lay down some rules Directions give you some directions for a right application of the Covenant 1 You must have eyes to see what you take must not be ignorant of the Covenant
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
or less that we have of these things if it be but a little Oyl in the Cruse and a hand-full of meal in the Barrel assurance of a Covenant interest in God will make it enough to us and render it good for want of this poor hearts are full of fears and cares and discontents even in the midst of abundance of outward things which they possess but this I say will sweeten our enjoyments to us for being assured of God we know that what we have comes from love and is a pledge of greater love and is that which our God sees to be good for us and is blessed to us 3 This assurance will give the foul boldness to come unto God and make it familiar with him and much sweeten and heighten Communion This will fill us with comfort in our approaches to the Throne of Grace when we can confidently call God Father Am I in great straights or do I lye under some sore afflictions is this or that wanting to me what a comfort is it now that I have a God to go to a God in Covenant with me that can succour and deliver me that can supply my wants and is able to do for me exceeding abundantly above all that I can ask or think 4 Assurance of a Covenant interest in God will take off the fear of Death a true believer that applies the covenant with assurance of Faith doth not put the day of Death far from him as being loath to see it and even affraid to think of it no but he desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ he knows that Death is Vltimus morborum medicus that which cures all diseases cures the Pride and Covetousness and Hardness and Frowardness and Unbelief and sluggishness of the heart cures the body of the Dropsie Scurvie Gout Stone c. frees it from all diseases pains and griefs he knows that Death will let him into a clear full and everlasting enjoyment of God and therefore he is glad when his glass is run whereas the awakned Soul that hath no upprehension of an interest in God cannot but be troubled at the thoughts of Death and even affrighted at the grimm countenance of that King of Terrours As one of the Kings of England once in his straights cryed out A Kingdom for a Horse a Kingdom for a Horse So will an awakned Soul cry out when Death presents it self Oh a Kingdom a World ten thousand Worlds if I had them for assurance of an interest in the Covenant of Grace but Oh how comfortable and delightfully may an assured Soul think of Death which is a passage to his everlasting rest and happiness in the nearest sweetest fullest enjoyment of his God and Saviour for evermore 5. The thoughts of the Judgment to come will be sweet to those that have a known interest in the Covenant of Gods his love for the Judge is their friend their brother their head their husband and the day of Judgment Acts 3.19 Eph. 4.30 shall be to them the time of refreshing the day of their Redemption of their full Deliverance from all misery and corruption the day of their publick absolution and perfect justification and the time of the manifestation of Gods love to them in the fullest measure 6. He that is certain of his interest in Gods Covenant is certain of his interest in Salvation and so the thoughts of Heaven must needs be delightful to him while he is certain that it is the blessed rest prepared for him the place of his everlasting abode in happiness yea this assurance gives the Soul a present possession of Heaven brings Heaven down as I may say into the bosom of a believer while he is upon Earth Faith is the sâ—bstance Heb. 11.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the subsistance of things hoped for it gives a real existance or being to that which is held forth in the promise an assured Soul hath Heaven within it Thus you see the benefit of assurance some special advantages and comforts that thence accrue to the Soul which should be a great inducement to put us upon care and pains to get it doth it not bring a sufficient reward with it Doth not the profit and comfort that comes by it far exceed the greatest profit in the World and the greatest comfort that Earth affords Therefore though the Covenant may be savingly applyed by Faith where assurance is not yet let us strive to assurance that we may live and die comfortably in assurance of God his everlasting love towards us in Christ Jesus Now I shall shew you how assurance may be attained and how it may be discerned from presumption Way to assurance 1. Concerning the way and means to attain assurance We must be much in exercising and acting all Grace must be diligent in trading with our stock of Grace that we may attain to the riches of assurance Col. 2.2 as the Apostle calls it The diligent hand maketh rich That we may have comfort and assurance we must beware of negligence and sluggishness and laziness in duty and of remisseness in the exercise and actings of Grace True is that which a reverend Doctor now with God hath told us in a Treatise of his That it is the lazie Christian commonly that wants assurance and that the way of painful dutie is the way of fullest comfort Sloth and idleness stops the fountain of comfort causeth Christ to with-hold his comforts Parents are not wont to smile but frown upon their Children when they are negligent and careless of their duty and neglective of their observance toward them All the honour that God hath from us is from the exercise and actings of Grace and the more we strive to honour God the more will he comfort us with the manifestations of himself and the revelations of his love in our hearts Active Christians shall have most of Gods love and of the manifestation of his Grace to them He that hath my Commandements Joh. 14.21 and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be beloved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self tâ— him Again sloath and negligence causeth want of peace and comfort for this reason because Grace is not sensible apparent and evident to the Soul but in the exercise and actings of it as the fire that is in the flint is not discernable till you smite and force it out In acting Faith upon Jesus Christ and the promises of God and in acting love toward God and Christ you will know that you have the grace of Faith and Love will know that ye believe and that ye love God and so will know that God loveth you for we love God because he loved us first and our believing is a fruit of the promise of Grace 2. We must be much in the application of the Covenant with a faith of adherence and innitency cleaving to the promises and casting our selves by Faith
through Christ upon the mercy and grace of a Covenanting God till the love and grace of God be revealed from faith to faith 3. We must take heed that we do not greive but please the spirit of God the Comforter that reporteth the love of the Father unto Souls and sealeth them up to the day of Redemption The way to assurance of Gods love is to comply with and give content to the witnessing sealing Spirit 4. If we desire that God should bestow upon us the riches of full assurance then let us be thankful for the least glimps of Light that he maketh to shine into us let us not look at any of the consolations of God as small but let us be thankful for any pledge of his favour The Lord in making out his love to the Soul deals saith one as Boaz dealt with Ruth he first gave her liberty to glean in his fields then to glean even among the sheaves then invited her to eat bread with him and to dip her morsels in the vinegar and at last he took her to be his Wife to lye in his bosome so doth God discover his love to believers first more sparingly and as at greater distance then draws nearer and reveals himself more clearly shewing himself more friendly to them and familiar with them and then at length he gives his Spirit into their bosom to assure them of his love and of their interest in all his grace Now the ready way to attain all this to have such manifestations of Gods love to us is to be truly thankful for the least appearance of Grace Then will God say to such a Soul art thou so thankful for a beam of Light I will fill thee with the fountain of Light art thou thus thankful for crumbs that fall under the board I will feast thee with marrow and fatness at my Table 5. One other great means conducing to a certainty of our interest in Gods Covenant is a serious trial of our hearts and of the state of our Souls by and according to the Word of God the Scripture tells us who are the people of God his Covenanted ones what are their qualifications and properties therefore let us see what the Scripture holds forth in this point and then let us diligently prove our selves whether we be such persons so qualified that by this means we may come to a certainty of our estate Now for direction herein to make short work of it know this that where holiness is there is the Covenant of God his love Holy Beloved Col. 3.12 all holy Souls are beloved of God prove your selves then whether there be a true work of Grace wrought in you by the spirit of God whether you are of the number of Gods holy ones Qu. How may this be known who are holy ones An. Where corruption is by Grace so far subdued that sin reigns not there is holiness when a Soul is delivered not wholly from sin that will not be in this life but from the law of sins so that sin hath not dominion over him The Apostle saith Rom. 6.12 Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies that ye should obey it in the lust thereof he doth not say ne sit let not sin be in you though we must not allow it in our selves or suffer it to be quiet but ne regnat let not sin reign in you Sin reigneth when it hath the wil 's consent the hearts delight and commands the whole man when a man is a willing servant of sin and as the Apostle saith yields his members weapons of unrighteousness unto sin is in a readiness to obey sins commands and to fulfill the lusts of the flesh Sin cannot be said to reign when a man doth unwilling service to sin bewailes and hates the evil that is in him and the evil that is done by him and wars against sin and prays against Sin and desires and endeavours to shake off the yoke of sin I say here sin cannot properly be said to reign though it exerciseth a Tyrannical power forcing a poor soul many times to do its commands and where this reign of sin is not there is holiness but where sin reigneth there is no Saintship 2. He that is universal and serious in his desires to be good and do good having respect to all Gods commands that truly desires to be filled with the knowledg of Gods will in all wisdome and spiritual understanding and to walk worthy of the Lord unto all well pleasing and to be fruitful in every good work that desires and endeavours to order his conversation aright in the fear of God and to keep his Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men to be conformed to the mind of God in internal as well as external holiness and righteousness he is a holy man though he may have many infirmities falling short of his duty and doing oft times that which is displeasing to God 3. If a man be sincerely diligent in using the means of Grace setting his heart to seek God in them aiming at the profiting and perfecting of himself by them and bewailing his unprofitableness and barrenness under them such a person is to be numbred among holy ones true desires of Grace and cadeavours to get Grace are a sign of the truth of Grace but where the means of Grace are slighted and neglected and God is not songht unto for Grace there is no Grace no work of Holiness yet wrought in the Soul for Grace is such a good thing such a precious thing and Holiness is so desirable so comfortable and delightful that he who hath any thing of it desires more and thinks that he can never have enough Well thus prove your real spiritual estate that hereby you may come to a knowledge of your relative estate This is the way to assurance of an interest in the Covenant of Gods love Thus much briefly touching the way to assurance the means by which it may be attained Marks of assurance Now for some marks or evidences of the assurance of Faith to shew you how it may be discerned from Presumption 1. The presuming heart is a proud heart that is lifted up in it self and makes no humble acknowledgment of the grace of God but the assured soul is humble in it self and admires the love of God toward it in Christ Jesus Ah Lord who am I that thou shouldst thus manifest thy self to me Oh what a mercy is this and what manner of love is this that thou shouldst thus embrace me in thine armes and take me into thy bosom and kiss me with the kisses of thy mouth O my God what rich grace is this that thou shouldst give me assurance of my interest in thee of my Union and Communion with thee of thine everlasting love toward me 2. The presuming soul resteth satisfied with that of God which he presumeth he hath but a true Believer earnestly longeth after a fuller enjoyment of God and
my God 5. The frequent actings of faith upon the Covenant bringing it home to our selves by renewed application will be an execllent means to frame our hearts to contentedness with our condition we have a notable instance of this in David Although my house be not so with God 2 Sam. 23.5 yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant well ordered in all things and sure It is not indeed with my house alâ—ogether as I hoped not fully answerable to the letter of the Promise which God hath made to righteous Rulers That they shall be as the Light of the morning when the Sun riseth c. yet this is my comfort I am in Covenant with God he hath made an everlasting Covenant with me this helps all and this is all my desire though he maketh not my house to grow I am contented with that which I have in the Covenant Qâ—est Whence is it that the Soul acting faith upon the Covenant fetcheth such contentment from it Ans 1. Because when Creature-comforts that are the Conduit-pipes conveighing Gods goodness to us are cut off faith goes to the Fountain and drinks there The believing soul makes God its portion and finding all in him is satisfied with him this is the excellent skill singular art of faith thus to supply wants and so to bring contentment by taking up all in God 2. Faith in Gods Covenant presents the believer with the principal full blessing of the Covenant and gives it into the bosom of the soul faith gives the soul a light of Heaven and sets the Crown the everlasting inheritance before the believer Heb. 12.1 Faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the subsistence of things hoped for that which makes Heaven and future glory present to the soul Thus Faith fetcheth contentment from the Covenant by appropriating the Covenant and looking into the grace and riches of the Covenant and ascertaining the soul hereof The carnal man hath his contentment such as it is or at least he seeks contentment in that which he sees before him and that which he hath about him here in the World but the believer fetcheth contentment from what he hath in hope upon account of his interest in the everlasting sure Covenant of God 6. The constant acting of Faith upon Gods Covenant Ours will help us to improve our Covenant interest in God to a Saint-like Son like dependence on him for protection and provision for all needful mercies and comforts Thus David excellently improves his interest in God unto such dependance on him and confidence Psa â—3 in him The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want Though I walke through the valley of the â—hadow of Death I will fear nonâ— evil for thou art with me Surely mercy and goodness shall follow me all the days of my life for the Lord is my God and so in another Psalm Psal 71. In thee O Lord do I put my trust deliâ—â—â— me O my God thou art my hope An active faith makes a sweet improvement of the Souls interest in God unto such confidence in him to make him our all-sufficiency in all estates And there is very good reason why believers in the exercise of faith should rely on God in Covenant with them 2. Because they know that God is all-sufficient for them in every estate 1. There is in him a sufficiency of wisdom to find out ways for the bettering of the conditions of his people and to understand what is good for them 2. There is in him a sufficiency of Power to act by the means which he finds out and to render them effectual for our good yea and he can do us good without means his Power is unlimited he can do what he will and how he will 3. There is in God likewise a sufficiency of Goodness and Mercy to put forth his wisdom and power for his peoples good Truly God is good to Israel the Prophet Isa tells us Isa 63.7 of the loving kindness of the Lord and his great goodnes and his mercys and the multitude of his loving kindnesses towards his People This Mercy and Goodness and love of God will surely put forth his wisdom and power for the good of his People and this is that which faith lays hold on to cause the true believer to cast himself upon his God 2. The Soul that acteth faith upon Gods Covenant given him is sensible of God his relation to him and of his relation to God and hath herein a ground of confidence for if we be God his Covenanted ones 1. He is our Shepheard and we are his sheep now every good Shepheard is careful of his flock to defend it and provide for it upon this account David promiseth to himself all needful supplys from God and his gracious Protection because the Lord is his Shepheard See how the Prophet Isaiah holds forth Gods provident care for and indulgence and tenderness toward his People Isa 40.11 who are his Sheep He shall feed his Flock like 〈◊〉 Shepheard he shall gather the Lambs with his armes and carry them in his besome and shall gently lead those that are with young 2. If we be Gods Câ—venanted ones Mal. 1.6 then he is our Master and we are his Servants a good Master hath a care of his servants a counts himself to stand charged by vertue of his relation to look after them and provide for them now surely God is the best Master he is most loving toward most careful of and makes the best provision for his servants 3. God is a Father to his Covenanted ones and they are his children and like a Father he loves them and pities them and is ready to minister to all their necessities surely Gods bowels are more tender than man's and his love is infinitely beyond the love of earthly Parents Tam pater nemo tam pius nemo there is no Father like him none so indulgent as he is If ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give When God promises to heal Israels condition he gives this reâ—sâ—n of it Jer. 31.9 For I am a Father to Israel This relation of a Father works much upon the heart of God so that he remembers his children when they are unmindful of him 4. God is a Husband to those that are in Covenant with him Isa 54.5 and they are his spouse his dearly beloved now in this near relation â—â—â—iction is dâ—awn out between Creatures to do what they can to â—elp and comfort and procure the good of one another and though there may be a failing between a Man and his Wife for want of â—ower or ability and sometimes or want of a good disposition and due conjugal affection yet God â—annot fail to answer this relation 〈◊〉 the full Now the Soul I say acting faith â—pon the Covenant is confident in God upon account of such relation of God to
the soul that is in Covenant with him 3. God hath tied himself by â—ovenant to his People to heal â—â—m and help them and to give â—â—m all needful good things and to be all in all to them I will make an everlasting Covenant with them Jer. 32.40 that I will not turn away from them to do them good yea I will rejoyce over them to do them good Now the Soul knows that God is no Covenant breaker and therefore in remembrance of this tye which God hath laid upon himself while faith is awake and active the believer hath a dependance on his God O Lord thou art my God I will trust in thee I shall not perish I shall not want there is wisdom enough and power enough and goodness enough in my God and these Attributes of his are engaged to me that I may stay my self upon them Oh Christians the acting of faith with strength and vigour upon Gods Covenant would make us to depend on him and have confidence in him even in a Sea of miseries in the deepest affliction casting our selves upon the power and mercy and faithfullness of our God when our condition seems to be desperate Is it thus and thus with me are maters brought to this pass yet I will not let go the Covenant I will not lose my hold on God I know God will deliver me one way or other even in that way which he sees to be best for me This well be one happy improvement of our interest in the Covenant by acting faith upon it 7. By this means our interest in the Covenant would be improved unto love toward God and obedience to him I put them together as for hafts sake so in regard of their necessary connection and conjunction they being insâ—perable in as much as obedience doth naturally flow from love I say the more constant and the stronger the actings of faith upon the Covenant are the more affectionâ—tly will the Soul love God and the more chearfully and constantly obey him True faith is a loving faith which carries the affection of love unto God who hath given the Covenant of his love unto us and it is a lively working faith which moves and acts the soul towards God and gives it up to him who hath not with-held himself from us but hath bestowed himself upon us A clear apprehension of an excelling good and a knowledge of my interest in it must needs draw my affection to it Relation hath ever been a ground of affection where loveliness is apprehended Now the Lord full of all glorious excellencies transcendently good is my God my Father my Husband he love's me with an abounding immense constant everlasting love oh how can I chuse but love him yea love him much while he vouchsafes to give himself full of all goodness and blessedness into my bosome and so satisfies my soul fills me with himself I cannot chuse but love a satisfying good and oh I truly desire to please him my soul is grieved for any unkindness of mine toward him or disobedience to him Gospel-grace the grace of the Covenant which appeareth bringing salvation teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Tit. 2.12 and to live soberly and righteously and godlily in this present world This is another notable effect and fruit of acting Faith upon the Covenant of grace 8. By this means our interest in the Covenant will be improved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to that strong consolation spoken of in the sext Therefore God with whom the soul is in Covenant is called the God of all consolation 2 Cor. 13. Now they are as hath been said pure full sure comforts that are fetcht from the Covenant by the extractory vertue and power of Faith which is a rare Chymist indeed God comforteth the believer acting faith upon him shall tribulations in every pressing pinching condition This is my Comfort in affliction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 119.50 for thy word hath quickned me When the believer is damped in spirit and as it were dead in regard of spiritual operations and affections faith reviveth him drawing lift out of the word of promise from the Covenant of God Though it be thus and thus with me yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant The sence hereof doth not only support the soul but rejoyce it The soul is comforted against sin and Satan and death and Hell and amidst sorrows and afflictions in the world when a Christian remembreth what he hath in the Covenant and how he stands related to God and are these consolations of God small 9. Faith acted upon the Covenant leads the soul as it were to the top of an exceeding high hill or mountain and thence shews it the kingdome of heaven and the glory thereof And saith All this will God the Father give thee this is thy inheritance thy God hath given in thee in promise and will give it thee in hand for his Covenant is sure Faith acted upon the promise of God giveth the soul a lively hope of salvation verily there remaineth a rest to the people of God it is certain to them by the certainty of God's promise God's Covenant gives believers a right to it and it is certain to them as to their fruition of it by God's unchangeable decree Though it be to be enjoyed upon condition of enduring to the end of persevering in faith and new obedience yet in as much as that condition is likewise absolutely promised and Christ hath undertaken to be the worker and finisher of our faith and perfecter of our salvation this salvation is still absolutely certain upon promise Hope O my Soul saith faith hope to the end for the salvation which is to be brought to thee at the revelation of Jesus Christ Wilt thou distrust God hast thou not his promise to rest upon hath he not given thee his Covenant and Oath for thy assurance rance When the flesh hath nothing wherein it may rejoyce yet do thou O believing soul keep the rejoycing of hope firm unto the end 10. A lively acting of faith upon the Covenant will raise the Christian to heavenly mindedness to have his heart much in heaven with his God who is his portion and his treasure when faith reads the love and goodness and desirableness of God as he hath expressed himself in the lines of the Covenant and gives the soul a true account of it now the soul must needs love where it is thus loved and where there is such lovliness for this is attractive of love Now anima est ubi amat the heart the soul is where it loveth if the treasure be in Heaver there will the heart be therefore if we would have our hearts to be in Heaven let us keep them still possessed with true believing thoughts and apprehensions of the free abounding grace and love of God toward us expressed in the Covenant which he hath given us Oh if we could by faith lodge our
God having given his Son cannot but with him also give other things for 1. An argument from the greater to the lesser concludeth probably in reason but the conclusion made by faith is necessary in this case if we look to Christ as heire of all things upon whom all is â—ntailed as I may say 2 This appear's more clearly if we look upon God's faithfulness in making good his promise and his Justice engaged by Christ his purchase Jesus Christ purchased all things for those for whom he gave himselfe therefore God is engaged to give all things together with Christ Now if Jesus Christ be such a comprehensive gift such a conveighing gift and such an engaging gift then he is the principa gift of God a gift above all other gifts I come to some improvement of the point by application Application I shall make a fourfold use of the doctrine Vse 1 1. If Christ be such a comprehensive good Information then we see the nearest way and indeed the only way to the enioyment of all needfull good things whether should we go for water but to the fountain when it is near now Jesus Christ is near he is brought home to us and there are free offers of Christ made to our Souls and he is a Fountainè that is alwaies full alwaies open and alwaies running therefore let us make out to Christ from whom and in whom we may have all supplies when all other comforts fail when riches flie away and when friends die away and when health is gone and life is going then Christ wil stand us instead and be All and more then all those things to us When the the leaking Cisterns will be found emptie then shall we find the fountain full and that will still yeld us as much as we need if we want not the Bucket of Faith to draw water out of this well 2. If Christ be the conveying gift of God then we must seek all good from God in and through Christ and give thanks to God by Christ for all the good that we receive God bestoweth in and through Jesus Christ all that he giveth graciously and in a way of love and so God receiveth all from us in the way of duty and service by the hand of Christ So that we must have mind upon Jesus Christ and take in the consideration of Christ in all our prayers and praises 3. If Christ be the engaging gift of God and if we reckon that God hath bestowed his son upon us and so as it were bound himself to give us all other needful good things then there is an engagement upon us to give our selves back unto God it is contrary to Religion and reason that we should think to be loose from God and yet to have him bound to us 4. We are informed hence who are the richest men and women surely they are believers such as enjoy Christ for though such may be sometimes in a poor outward condition yet they cannot want any thing that is necessary for their Spiritual and Eternal welfare and having Christ they have that which can supply all wants that which can satissie the Soule When Paul was come to Christ then he had learned in what soever estate he was therewith to be content 5. This speaketh the unspeakable happiness of those soules that enjoy Christ God giveth all things with him and all proced's from love There is a great difference betwixt Believers and Vnbelievers as in point of hope for the future so in respect of their present enjoyments 1. They are exceedingly distinguished in their hope Alas What hope hath a wicked man or a carnal worldling why he is full of vain hopes He hopes that he shall live and see many good dayes upon Earth he hopeth to encrease his estate he hopeth that his posterity shall prosper But what hope hath the Hipâ—crite Job 27.8 when God taketh away his soule Alas the confidences of vvorldly men shall be plucked up their hopes shall perish they build in the sands and building sinketh the house falleth it is the house built upon the Rock that standeth hope sixed on Jesus Christ will never fail will never make a man ashamed It is true that carnal worldly men such as are faithless and Christless do profess their â—opes of happiness hereafter Some bear themseves up upon their good meaning and honest lealingâ— civil honesty is the best soundation that their hope hath Others that have not this foundation that have no honesty nor civilitie yet say they hope well and they trust God will be merciful to them many souls are undone for ever by presuming upon the mercy of God turning the grace of God into wantonness Sottish drunkards and prophane sweaters and such as live viciously slatter themselves in their sins and even die with this in their mouths God is merciful but be not deuived saith the Apostle Neither Fornicators nor Idolaters â—â—r Adulterers 1 Cor. 6 9. nâ—r Thieveâ— nor Covetous nor Drunkards no such ungodly wicked persons shall inberit the Kingdom of God Let no man decive yâ—u wiâ—h vain words Eph. 5 6. for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience It appears from both these scripturs that there were divers who had such deceitful thou hâ—s as if livng and dying in such sins as are there mentioned they should yet go to heaven presuming upon Gods mercy but friends this is most certain that no man hath any reason to hope for salvation till by faith he hâ—th â—aid hold on Jesus Christ who is the only Saviour of souls God deals out mercies through Christ where he bestoweth Christ there he giveth grace glory and withhold's no good thing but without Christ and out of him there is no exibition of any thing to men and wâ—men in a gracious way nothing proceeding from loue Christ is the convâ—ighing gift of God who brought all good with him out of the bosom of his Father to those that enjoyhim now if other gifts of Gods good will lesser gifts be not bestowed but through Christ with Christ then surely he will not give Eternal life without him or out of him Therefore so long as soules are â—â—thout Christ strangerâ— to him 〈◊〉 they close with him by faith â—â—d take him as Lord and Jesus â—â—y have no ground to hope for â—â—lvation He that hath the Son â—â—blife 1 Ioh. 5 12 This is the will of him â—â—t sent me that every one which 〈◊〉 the Son and beleeveth on him Ioh 6.40 â—â—y have everlasting life The spirit of God speaketh exâ—â—sly 1 Ioh. 5.11 that eternal life is in Jesus â—â—ist and that he who hath not 〈◊〉 Son hath not life that people â—â—not have a confident expectaâ—â—â—n of any good from God out of â—â—rist But now it is as clear as the Sun â—â—t many who pretend hope of â—â—vation are without Christ and â—â—thout Faith for where Christ â—â—meth he worketh