could have a distinct notion of all that was contained and implied in the Promise as now it is opened and unfolded in the Writings of the New Testament it does appear was wrapt up in it And therefore though I think I may well found a Discourse of the New-Covenant upon the Promise made to Abraham as it is now explained in the New Testament yet I would not be understood to suppose Abraham's apprehension or Faith to have then been commensurate to the Promise as it is so explained Supposing then the Promise to Abraham to be the New Covenant it self in a more imperfect Edition of it than afterward came forth I shall now a little farther consider what it was and what the New-Covenant is and ever hath been in the general nature of it since it first commenced And it is a new Law or Covenant made by way of Remedy against the rigour and extremity of the Law of Nature under which Man was Created For the Law of Nature the Law of God's Creation as well as his Instituted Law in Paradise being violated and impossible to be kept inviolable by Man in his Lapsed state by reason of his moral Impotency and the Pravity of his Nature derived from Adam he must inevitably have sunk and perished under the Condemnation of it unless there had been a new Law instituted to supercede the procedure of this Law against him in its natural and proper course If Salvation had been attainable by Man in his Lapsed state without this remedying Law of Grace there would have been no need of a New Covenant If there had been a Law given which could have given Life verily righteousness should have been by the Law Gal. 3 21. But there was no such Law given besides this New Law Nor could the Original Law be repealed for the relief of faln Man it being founded in the nature of God and the nature of Man as he was created after God's own Image and is no more changeable than the nature of Good and Evil are changeable And therefore as I said there was a necessity that Man must have Perished under the Condemnation of the Law of his Creation as the lapsed Angels did under theirs unless a Law of Indemnity had been Enacted But God whose tender Mercies are over all his Works to the end so great and considerable a part of his Creation as Man is might not be wholly lost and undone to all Eternity out of his infinite Compassion Mercy and Love did constitute a New Law or Covenant for Mans Relief which well may be called the Covenant of Grace against the rigour and extremity of the first Law Which new Law was in some degree though but obscurely made known to Man not long after Adam's Fall or else there would have been no ground for that Faith which we are assured was in Abel Enoch c. Heb. 11. But it was doubtless somewhat more fully declared to Abraham than to any before and at last compleatly established and published by Jesus Christ the Mediator of it who was given for a Covenant to the people And this new Law in the last Edition of it under the Gospel is variously denominated being called the Promise the New Covenant the Law of Faith the Law of Liberty the Gospel the Grace of God or the Word of his Grace And so we come Sect. 2. To consider what the design of God was in this New Covenant or Promise unto Abraham Next to his own Glory it was to recover the humane Nature from its degenerate state to a state of Holiness to that likeness to God in which Man was at the first made and therein and thereby to a state of Happiness both which were lost by the Fall Holiness Love and Goodness as they were once the Glory and Happiness of Man before he lost them so are still perfective of his Nature And therefore it is impossible in the nature of the thing to recover Man to Happiness without recovering his Nature to a conformity to God in these or for Man to be perfectly Happy whose Nature is not perfected in them Sin is the Disease and Sickness of the Soul and it 's as possible for a Sick Man to enjoy the pleasure of Health as it is for the sinful and corrupt Nature of Man while such to enjoy the pleasure which the humane Nature did naturally enjoy or was capable of enjoying in its Innocency and Purity But when the Nature of Man is once recovered to perfection in Knowledge Holiness Love and Goodness it will then be matter of unspeakable delight to him to love God Angels and Men and to do the will of God in every thing It is so to the holy Angels And it was so to our Blessed Saviour who counted it as his meat and drink to be doing the will of his heavenly Father And to what degree the Nature of Man is here in this World restored towards its proper perfection to the same degree it is matter of pleasure and delight to him to act holily and righteously and to be doing good It is joy to the Just to do judgment Prov. 21.15 It is a pain to a Man to act contrary to the bent and inclination of his Nature by compulsion or fear And therefore unless the corrupt Nature of Man were changed Heaven would not be Heaven to him in case he were there Those Divine and Heavenly Exercises which are there the unspeakable delight of Saints and Angels would be his Pain and Torment as being contrary to his Nature and the pleasures of that state as having not what will satisfie the unsatiable lust of Mans corrupt Nature would not be such to him but add rather to his anguish For as it would be a Torment to a Man to be in eâ—tremity of Hunger and Thirst and to be without Meat and Drink and all hopes of any to satisfie him So will it be a grievous Torment to the corrupt Nature of Men in another World to retain their lusts and the violent cravings of them and yet to be without all hope of having wherewith to satisfie them which yet is like to be the condition of Men in Hell Here Mens unnatural Lusts are not such a Torment to them because they can make provision to satisfie them or live in hopes so to do and in the mean while drown the noise of them by diversion But in Hell it will be quite otherwise And therefore it 's easie to imagine that the Torment which will arise from the corruption of Mens Natures there will be unspeakably great besides the piercing sence of the Happiness they have lost and the other intollerable pains which they must indure and therefore as whoever hath not his Nature renewed in this World is never like to have it renewed in another so without renewing of it it is impossible he should be happy there Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Joh. 3.3 That is he cannot enjoy it
for many for the remission of sins Matth. 26.28 And the Terms and Conditions of this Second Covenant Wherein Repentance Faith and a sincere Obedience is accepted instead of a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience being no more a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience Repentance is henceforward to be admitted as a means of Reconciliation and a sincere Obedience to the best of our Power will be accepted and Faith in God and in Jesus Christ accompany'd with Living like those who Believe the Gospel shall be henceforward imputed to our Justification so that we shall have our Sins pardon'd and be receiv'd to Happiness This in short was the Tenour both of the first Covenant made with Adam and the Second procur'd for us by the Mediation of Jesus Christ Not to speak here of the different Measures and Degrees of its Promulgation nor of that Legal Covenant whereof Moses was the Mediatour and was made only with the People of Israel and was annex'd as an Appendix and Codicil to this Covenant of Grace for Reasons too many and too large now to be consider'd For tho' to shew how that the whole Promulgation of this gracious Covenant was not made all at once but that it seem'd good to the Divine Wisdom that so stupendious and grand a Scene of Mercy should not be open'd but by degrees tho' to shew this I say and the several Reasons of adding this Legal Covenant to the Covenant of Grace may be useful Points of Divinity to be explain'd in their due time yet I look upon 'em as none of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ but rather part of that Strong meat spoke of Heb. 5.14 which belongeth to them who are of full Age and have been already competently well instructed and so to be no proper Matter of Catechetical Doctrine To proceed therefore and in a word we may consider the Second Covenant not as such indeed which is made betwixt a Master and his Servant wherein the Master engages to allow Meat Drink and Wages on Condition the Servant will perform unto him such and such Services which are just and reasonable and the Servant is capable to perform which expresses more the Nature of the Covenant of Works Do this and Live But rather for this comes nearer to the Nature of the Covenant of Grace between God and us which is full of advantageous and profitable Considerations on our side we may rather compare it It resembles Articles of Accomodation made thro' the Intercession of a Prince's Eldest Son betwixt him and his Rebellious Subjects I say to an Accord made betwixt a Gracious Prince and his Rebellious Subjects as suppose some City or State wherein the Prince is graciously pleas'd through the Intercession of some great Favourite to grant unto those his Subjects not only Pardon of their former Crimes but moreover certain great Priviledges and Freedoms Protection and several particular Favours Lands and Possessions and the like on Condition they will thence-forward Renounce and Forsake all his Enemies and place no farther Trust nor Confidence in 'em and will not Disobey him for the future in any of his just and reasonable Commands but pay him a true and faithful Obedience to all his Laws And much of the same Nature I say is the Covenant of Grace made betwixt God and all Christians thro' the Mediation of his only Son only with this difference That on God's Part the Benefits and Advantages are of most infinite Value which are made over to us his Rebellious and Disobedient Subjects and this upon the most reasonable just and easy Conditions considering the Assistance he affords us by the vertue of the same Covenant to perform ' em For Almighty God in the first place vouchsafes us in this Covenant to be made Members of Christ Children of God and Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven which are Mercies and Priviledges of invaluable Benefit and Advantage to us And we on the other side Engage and Promise but to Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh to Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith to Obey God's holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of our Life which I say are most reasonable just and easy Conditions considering the Assistance he will afford us to enable us to perform ' em This will very clearly appear by that time I have Explain'd to you distinctly and severally the Terms and Articles of this Covenant both the Advantages made over to us on God's part and the Conditions to be perform'd on ours as they are taught you in the Words now read to you And it is a Subject indeed that does extreamly concern you to be well Instructed in and to be consider'd by you None of you shall be able to perform a Bargain except you know what you have bargain'd and agreed to do No One can discharge a Bond except he knows distinctly what he is oblig'd to pay no more can any of you be able to perform the Covenant of Grace except you do well understand the Nature Terms and Conditions of it And indeed Little more of universal Concernment to be known but the Articles of this Covenant there is perhaps but little necessary to be known in Religion besides the Articles of this Covenant We may without Prejudice to our Salvation doubtless be ignorant of many Points that are Canvast with Heat enough in the Controversies of Men of all Perswasions but to know what inestimable Blessings God has Promis'd and Ensur'd to us and what we are to perform to make our selves Inheritours of those Blessings is what every Body who believes a future State and the Immortality of his Soul and that it is worth his while to study the Salvation of his Soul must think it necessary except he can imagine it safe to take his Journey to Heaven blindfold when he cannot think of getting but to his short Home here on Earth without his Eyes open A distinct and clear Understanding of the Nature Terms and Conditions and of all that pertains to the Covenant of Grace is without doubt of all things in the World the most necessary The Catechetical Method most useful to that Purpose And there is no Method of Instruction whereby it can be so distinctly and clearly known as the Catechetical way For not to say that Preaching now upon one Head and immediately after upon another without any dependance and coherence of the several parts of Christianity together is not so likely to give Persons a clear understanding of the whole Nature and Design of Christianity as may be requisite The Catechetical way by treating orderly on all the Parts of our most Holy Religion and by giving thereby a distinct View of their natural Connection with and Dependance one upon another has this Excellency in it no doubt that thereby Persons shall be better able to
wise Father may be suppos'd to allow his Children beyond Aliens and Strangers For is it natural to such a One more easily to Pardon the Offences of his Child than of his Slave more favourably to over-look his Infirmities more readily to hear his Requests and to instate him in a surer Title to his Possessions than he will do others that have no such Relation to him Why such are the Priviledges our Heavenly Father will allow to us who are his Children by Adoption above others who stand in no such Relation to him He will be Just to all but these are properly Fatherly Kindnesses and he will Indulge 'em to none therefore but those who are his Children But more particularly Particularly First It is worthy our Consideration I. Pardon of all Sins upon hearty Repentance that we shall have this inestimable Priviledge by being his Children above the rest of Mankind namely We shall have all our Sins Pardon'd upon our hearty Repentance of 'em upon Condition we forsake 'em and return to God The unbelieving Jews and Gentiles and all Persons remaining in a State of Nature who have not Embrac'd the Gospel who have not been Baptized nor have Enter'd into Covenant with God have no Assurance from him that their Sins should be ever Pardon'd tho' they should forsake 'em because God never gave any Promise of Pardon to any other but his Children who are in Covenant with him And for want of their having any express Engagements and Promises from God of Mercies from him does the Apostle therefore speak of the State of the Gentiles as exceedingly Uncomfortable Eph. 2.11 12. in these very remarkable Words Remember that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh and at that time ye were without Christ being Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel Strangers from the Covenants and Promises having no hopes of Pardon and without God in the world But we Christians who have Enter'd into Covenant with God and so are his Children have the utmost Assurance possible grounded upon the most gracious and express Promises that upon laying down our Rebellious Arms upon our Renouncing of his and our own most mortal Enemies our Sins and Coming over to him we shall have all our Sins Pardon'd Or rather as the Apostle himself does express it in the following viz. The 13 14 ver But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the Blood of Christ for he is our Peace And indeed that this Pardon and Peace with the Father does more peculiarly belong to us under the Character of his Children who had formerly stray'd afar off from him by our Sins but are now return'd Home to him by Repentance we have Exemplify'd to us in that famous Parable of the Prodigal Son Luk. 15. That Person we there read after a most Lewd and Riotous Life after he had spent and squander'd away all his Substance that his Father gave him yet upon his deep Humiliation for his Vile and Undutiful Behaviour towards his Father and his hearty Desires to return Home and to his Duty and Obedience to him was thereupon admitted to his former Interest in his Father's Affections Yea and receiv'd with more than usual Joy Why the whole Design of that Parable is to shew us how our Heavenly Father will graciously deal with us his Undutiful and Rebellious Children and that after even a very ill Life upon our laying down of our Sins the forsaking the service of our Lusts and Return to him he will graciously Pardon and Forgive us his Children II. By being his Children he will not be so severe as to mark what is done amiss as to sins of Infirmity And Secondly being his Children he will not be severe to mark what is done amiss tho' after our Return to him through the Infirmity of our Flesh we do not altogether live up to the Rule by an Unsinning Obedience provided we watch carefully against the common Infirmities of Humane Nature and do not wilfully Indulge our selves in any of ' em The Rigour of the First Covenant would admit of no less than a Perfect Exact Vnsinning Obedience the never Offending in any one Point In the day thou dost eat thereof thou shalt surely dye Gen. 2.17 But here under the Second our Father deals with us with the Indulgence of a tender Parent who does not throw off his Child and withdraw his Kindness upon the smallest Offences and such as through Ignorance Surprize or the like cannot in this our fall'n and corrupt State be avoided But as a Father pitieth his own Children even so the Lord pitieth them that fear him that is Who do not willingly displease him Psal 103.13 In a word As the Pardon of Sins whether great or small is a Mercy held out to us only in the Covenant of Grace so it is granted us under this very Notion of being Children of God as appears from Mal. 3.17 where the Prophet foretels the Happy State of Christians upon this very Score in these words And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him And more particularly yet Eph. 1.3.5.7 Forgiveness of Sins is there specify'd as the distinct Priviledge of Adopted Sons in these words God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his Will in him we have Redemption through his Blood the Forgiveness of Sins according to the Riches of his Grace And Thirdly which is an Appendage to this same Priviledge III. To the Children of God is granted an easier Access by Prayer to the Throne of Grace for Pardon of Sins and other Mercies A Child of God upon the Score of such his Relation is permitted to have an easy Access to the Throne of Grace and is admitted to Address himself in Prayer to God as for whatever other Mercies he stands in need of so for Pardon of Sins when he has Transgrest with a full Assurance of a gracious Answer The Gentiles who serv'd no Gods but what their own Imaginations created did it after a Slavish manner for how could they be sure the Offended Deity was to be Entreated when he had Reveal'd no such thing unto ' em And so did the Jews also who serv'd the True God it was in a Servile manner too for when they had committed an Offence against the Law they were to provide their Sacrifice and bring it to the Priest and he was to Offer it for 'em whilst they stood at a distance But now the Veil of the Sanctuary being broke upon the Death of our High-Priest We have therefore the Liberty to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a New and Living way which he hath Consecrated for us through the Veil that is to say his Flesh And
Resemble some Excellent and Goodly Personage so neither can the defac'd and deform'd Nature of an Unregenerate Man be said to be made after the Likeness of God Some faint and remote Resemblances true it is do still remain under all those Defacements even as in the Ruines of a stately Palace there may appear something of admirable Architecture There is still remaining in the most Corrupt Nature True it is that part of the Image of God which consisted in those things which are Essential to Man as Man that is the Soul and all its Faculties of Understanding Will and Affections these do still remain the same for Substance as they were before But the Image of God as it consists in our Moral Perfections viz. in the Order and good Harmony of the several Faculties of humane Nature with respect one to another and in that Perfection which did Originally belong to each single Faculty The Image of God I say in this respect is miserably defac'd in the Natural Man As to the good Harmony of the several Faculties and Powers of Humane Nature you have already seen how that is spoil'd And as to the Perfection which should be in every one of these several Faculties that in an Vnregenerate Man is very little Alas in his Understanding what is there now but Blindness and Darkness What in his Will but Stubborness and Perverseness What in his Affections but Violence and Disorder And what in his Lusts and Appetites but Sensuality and Irregularity So sadly is the whole Nature of the Unregenerate Man Corrupted so that little or nothing of the Image of God does now remain in him But Lastly above all Man in his Unregenerate Nature is now miserably alter'd from what he was in that all the Faculties and Powers of Soul and Body instead of inclining towards and Centring upon God and Heavenly Things tend downwards towards the Creature Lastly the Tendency of all the Faculties both of Soul and Body are towards the Creature As to the Appetites and Desires in the Unregenerate they are in a manner wholly sensual and are hardly ever to be satisfy'd with what gratifies the Senses The Affections also are wholly set upon worldly Enjoyments and the Will does also prefer and chuse such far before Spiritual Consolations And what is more in the Unregenerate Man the very Mind and Conscience is defil'd Tit. 1.15 And they who are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh Rom. 8.5 do mind Earthly Things Phil. 3.14 Their whole Thoughts and Contrivances their Meditations and Purposes are wholly upon those poor and paltry Vanities of this World and are altogether taken up in making Provisions for the Flesh and their Hearts and Affections cling closely and solely to the Earth Hence it is said of such that they live after the Flesh Rom. 8.13 and that they walk after the Flesh 2 Pet. 2.10 they are so wholly addicted to Fleshly and Worldly Things And thus you see what is meant by the Flesh And now it is time to consider in what Sence and how far we must Renounce the Flesh And 1. The Flesh must be Renounc'd by our being Renew'd in the whole Frame and Constitution of our Nature after the Image of God I. To Renounce the Flesh is to be renewed in the whole Frame and Constitution of our Nature after the Image of God Thus we are commanded Eph. 4.22 23 24. to put off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and to be Renew'd in the Spirit of our Minds and to put on that New Man which after God is Created in Righteousness and true Holiness So that the whole Corrupt Nature must be Restor'd as near as it can to its first Constitution and that Divine Likeness wherewith it was then stampt That is the Mind which is now covered with Darkness and Ignorance must be Enlightned with true and practical Knowledge Ye have put on the New Man which is Renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him that Created him Col. 3.10 The Will which is now obstinately bent against the Ways of Righteousness must be made compliant with God's Will The Affections which are now set upon Worldly Things must be call'd off from these Earthly Vanities and fix'd upon Spiritual and Heavenly Objects And Lastly the Lusts and Appetites which in the State of Nature are continually Rebelling against the Mind must be Reduc'd to their Original Subjection to Right Reason which is called Crucifying of the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts Gal. 5.24 and mortifying our Earthly Members Col. 3.5 Thus must the whole Corrupt Nature be Restor'd as near as it can to its first Constitution and that Divine Likeness wherewith it was at first stampt The Image of God must be Restor'd as far as it can in this corrupt State Thus I say it must be Restor'd as near as it can for as long as we are in this Mortal State some Relicks of Sin and Corruption will still remain within us so that even in the Regenerate Nature The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that we cannot do the things that we would Gal. 5.17 that is we cannot without the Resistance and Opposition of our Fleshly Nature act in Obedience to the Spiritual and Renew'd Nature so long as we are here on this side the Grave but the most Holy Persons that are have their Graces allayed with a mixture of Sin and Corruption The most Universal Knowledge is not free from Ignorance and Error the Will which is most complying with the Commands of God has sometimes its contrary Velleities or Wouldings the Affections which are most Refin'd are sometimes Inordinate and Earthly so that every Faculty of our Nature and every Action we do have some mixture of Sin and Frailty In a word we cannot attain whilst here on Earth to these degrees of Perfection wherein we were first Created It must be Renew'd to a perfection of Parts tho' not Degrees But the Image of God which is restor'd to us in our Regeneration tho' it have not the Perfection of Degrees yet it must indispensably have the Perfection of Parts as Divines do distinguish that is we must have an Universal Inclination to all that is Holy Just and Good and an Universal Aversion from all Sin And we must have our selves actually adorn'd with all Divine Graces and Holy Dispositions and we must actually forsake every known Sin And then tho' something of Humane Frailty will mix it self in the Exercise of all our Vertues yet through the Mercies of God the Father in Christ his Son it will be graciously dispens'd withal So that thus you see when the whole Nature of Man in every part and faculty thereof is Chang'd Repair'd and Renew'd according to the Happy Constitution and Subordination of the several Faculties one to another wherein Man was at first Created
Care our Heavenly Father hath taken in this great Affair to call us to this state of Salvation And we have seen and do testify says St. John that the Father hath sent the Son to be the Saviour of the World 1 Epist 4.14 And how hath he sent him to save it Why as was long before Prophesied Isai 61.1 He put the Spirit of the Lord upon him to preach the Gospel to the Poor he sent him to heal the broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of Sight to the Blind to set at liberty them that are bruised to preach the acceptable Year of the Lord Luke 4.18 19. Such was the very earnest Care of the Father that he Commissioned and sent his own Son to invite us his Rebellious Creatures and Subjects to lay down our Rebellious Arms against him and to embrace those Overtures and Conditions of Mercy and Salvation that he offered to us by the Preaching of the Gospel Nor was the Ever-blessed Son of God less intent upon this Blessed Work The Ever-blessed Son of God no less intent upon this blessed Work than the Father No sure it was his Meat to do the Will of Him that sent him and to finish his Work John 4.34 It was his Meat and Drink to save Men's Souls and therefore He went about doing good Acts 10.38 Doing good that is Executing that Office to which the Father had Authorized him in order to the Salvation of Men that Office of Mercy instructing and calling of the World to Repentance and in order to that winning 'em to it by other Works of bodily Charity with which carnal Men are most taken as Curing their Diseases Casting out Devils by the Power of him who was present with him He went about doing good of all kinds but all in order to the good of Men's Souls and he was zealous also to the highest degree in this blessed Work How mightily he importuned us to come into this state of Salvation For good God! with what mighty Importunity and winning Rhetorick did he the Son of GOD address himself to his own foolish Rebellious Subjects to come into this state and to receive freely the Means of Salvation Ho every one that thirsteth cries he as the Evangelical Prophet represents him bespeaking the World Isa 55.1 2 3. come ye to the Waters and he that hath no Money come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price Wherefore do you spend Money for that which is not Bread and your Labour for that which satisfieth not Hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your Soul delight it self in fatness Encline your Ear and come unto me hear and your Soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure Mercies of David It is not to be expressed nor imagined with what mighty Zeal and Perswasion he did himself whilst on Earth pursue this blessed Work of our Salvation He has left a Succession of Ministers behind him to do the like Nor was he contented himself whilst on Earth thus to call us into this state of Salvation but moreover when he was to leave the World he provided a Succession of Ministers which he has left behind him to continue to the end of the World to do the same good Office under him for the Salvation of Mankind empowering them with the Gifts of the Holy Ghost to enable 'em to do it effectually As my Father hath sent me so send I you John 20.21 And accordingly has he committed it to our care as he made it his own to Preach the Gospel to Mankind to make known the Love of God as manifested in Christ to the World to receive those that Believe into the Covenant of Grace and Society of Christians by Baptism and by this means to call you into a state of Salvation And as he hath committed to us the Word of Reconciliation we therefore as the Ambassadors for Christ and as though God did beseech you by us we do pray you in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.19 20. We are perpetually preaching and declaring this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this good Tydings to you we instruct you in the Nature of that Salvation which is wrought for you we direct you to the means of attaining it and with all the powerful Motives drawn from the Word of GOD we do all we can to move you to seek this Salvation in the way that infinite Wisdom has appointed for the attaining of it And what I beseech you can be done more What can be done to call you into a State of Salvation if this will not When God our Heavenly Father when Jesus Christ his Son when his Holy Spirit by his good Inspirations when his Apostles Evangelists and a whole Succession of Pastors and Teachers since do spend so much Care upon this one Work what can be done more to save you Nay What could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it Will God most justly expostulate with us as he did with the Jewish Church Isa 5.4 which brings me to the Last thing which was to be spoke to in the Explication of these Words I am now upon viz. what infinite reason we have Heartily to Thank Almighty God our Heavenly Father that he hath Called us to this State of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour And indeed it is a matter that infinitely deserves the deepest Sense and utmost Acknowledgements of the Divine Goodness to us whether we consider barely the Advantages of having GOD in Covenant with us or our own singular Happiness of being Called into it And First This great matter of Thankfulness whether we consider 1. The extraordinary Advantage of having God in Covenant with us As to the extraordinary Advantage it is to have GOD in Covenant with us which I have frequent occasion in this Argument to mind you of and consequently that it affords great matter of our Praise and Thanksgivings to him upon that account it is worthy your Notice that in this case GOD does condescend even to oblige Himself by Contract and Agreement with us whom he might Oblige to Odedience by his mere Authority without any Assurance of Reward that if we will but do our part Repent Believe and Obey he will be even bound in Justice having given his solemn Word and Promise for it to confer upon us the richest Blessings that Heaven and Earth can bestow viz. Pardon of Sins and Eternal Life and Happiness Alas if we were left to build our Hopes meerly upon the Merit of our own Righteousness and Vertue we could none of us have the least Expectations of obtaining as the Reward thereof such unspeakable Blessings as are now laid up in Heaven for us But GOD condescending by Covenant to engage himself to make 'em good to us we have thereby the fullest Assurance given us that we
For doubtless St. Paul's denial of Justification and Salvation to be by the Law or Works of the Law is to be understood in the very same sense in which the incredulous Jews against whom he Disputed did hold these to be attainable thereby For else his Reasonings would have been beside the Question under debate between them And therefore we must take our measure of St. Paul's sense in the Negative part of the Question by his Adversaries sense of it in the Affirmative And if so then in his denying Justification and Salvation to be by the Law or by Works of the Law we must understand him to deny a freedom from the Eternal Punishment to be attainable by Legal Sacrifices And also to deny that the promise of Eternal Life was made upon condition of Literal Circumcision and a Literal observation of the Mosaical Law without being by Faith renewed in the inward frame and moral constitution of the Soul and likewise to deny Eternal Life to be attainable by the terms of their Political Covenant the Promises whereof were not made upon condition of Believing but of Doing The Law is not of Faith but the man that doth those things shall live in them Gal. 3.12 For these and such-like were the Opinions which those Jews did hold as I have shewed and these were the things in which St. Paul opposed them They divided and separated Circumcision and the Law in the Letter of them from the Spirit of them both claiming Justification by the Letter alone And they divided the Law from the Promise rightly understood and looked to be Justified by Works of the Law without Faith in the Promise rightly understood They looked for the Messias indeed but not to become a Propitiation for Sin or to establish a New Covenant of Salvation but to further their Temporal and Eternal Felicity in the way of their Obedience to the Political Law But then it doth not in the least appear that St. Paul in denying Justification to be by the Law in the sense thus explained doth also thereby deny Works of sincere Obedience to God to concur with Faith in Man's Justification in all respects And if any shall yet suppose that St. Paul in denying Justification by Works in the Jews corrupt sense doth also on the by deny all Works of Evangelical Obedience to bear any part of the Condition on which God promiseth to justifie Men through Christ such a Supposition if admitted would make his Doctrine herein inconsistent not only with the Faith of the holy Men of Old who were wont to express the Condition of the Covenant of Mercy by loving God and keeping his Commandments but it would also make him inconsistent with himself and his own Doctrine and the Doctrine of other Apostles as I doubt not but plainly to make appear before I have done with this Discourse There is one Character of Works given by which you may certainly know what Works they were which St. Paul denied Men were justified by and they were such Works which were apt to occasion boasting Ephes 2.9 Not of Works lest any man should boast Rom. 4.2 For if Abraham were justified by Works to wit in the Jews sense by Circumcision in the Flesh to which St. Paul alludes ver 1. he hath whereof to glory but not before God but only before Men who were not Circumcised as he was For the unbelieving Jews who sought and expected Justification by Circumcision and other Legal Observations did glory over the poor Gentiles that were destitute of those Works which consisted in the outward Privileges which the Jews had and looked down upon them with contempt though some of them were much better than themselves such as Cornelius whom they looked upon as unclean This boasting humor of the Jews over the Gentiles is described and reproved Rom. 2. from ver 17. to 29. Now the Doctrine of Justification by Faith of obtaining pardon by anothers Undertaking for us to wit Christ Jesus and of being accepted with God through him upon our sincere though otherwise imperfect Obedience which sincere Obedience too is not performed without his special Grace and Assistance takes away all occasion of boasting in reference both to God and Men and laid the Jews as low as the Gentiles and made St. Peter a Jew to say But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they Acts 15.11 And therefore vvheâ— St. Paul had said that now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested even the righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference meaning betvveen Jews and Gentiles Rom. 3.21 22. he thereupon demands in ver 27. saying Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law Of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith Therefore we find the holy Men of old among the Jews who expected Acceptance with God upon other terms than the Pharisaical Jews did who placed their Confidence called trusting in the flesh Phil. 3.4 in their External Privileges and Performances alone were so far from glorying in such a Righteousness as that that they cryed out in reference to that All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Isa 64.6 Thus Regenerating Grace made David so far from boasting either of Privileges or of his Performances that he said unto God Who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee 1 Chron. 29.14 This made St. Paul to say We are not sufficient of our selves as of our selves to think any thing but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3.5 And by the grace of God I am what I am 1 Cor. 15.10 And of him are we in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that he that gloriet h may glory in the Lord having nothing but what he hath received from him gratis and without all desert yea contrary to his demerits 1 Cor. 1.30 31. The good Works which the Saints do they do them by vertue of their being created in Christ Jesus in order thereunto Ephes 2.10 and all that is good is through Christ strengthening them Phil. 4.13 From whence therefore we may well conclude that if the Works which St. Paul wholly excludes in the matter of Justification were only such as were apt to occasion boasting that then Acts of Evangesical Obedience were none of those Works According to the sense explained then I presume we may well understand that Text Rom. 3.28 which of all others seems in the Phrase and Expression to be most Exclusive of Works in the point of Justification the Words are these Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Which words if you consider the context seem to import no more but this viz. That a Man
of the subject-matter of their Epistles did differ just as the Errors they engaged against did differ The Errors of the unbelieving Jews consisting much in denying Justification to be by Christ and Faith in him and in placing it in their own Works of Circumcising Sacrificing and other Mosaical Observations And St. Paul designing in some of his Epistles to antidote the Christians against the Infection of them and to establish them in the saving Doctrine of the Gospel was led of course to bend his Discourse in great part against Justification by Works of the Law and on the contrary to assert it to be by Faith in Christ in his Death and in his Doctrine without those Works Whereas St. James having to do in his Epistle with such as professed the Christian Faith and Justification by it but erring dangerously about the nature of Faith as justifying thinking that opinionative Faith would save them though destitute of a real change in the moral frame and constitution of their Souls and of a holy Life Hereupon it became in a manner as necessary for him to plead the Renovation of Man's Nature and Evangelical Obedience to be some way necessary unto Justification as it was for St. Paul to contend for Justification by Faith without the deeds of the Law And therefore though their Doctrines in this respect did in great part differ yet they did not differ as Truth differs from Error nor as opposites but only as one Truth differs from another For otherwise when St. Paul had to do with the like Erroneous and Scandalous Christians as those were which St. James expostulated the matter with When he had to do with such as had a form of Godliness but denyed the power thereof he could and did decry a reprobate Faith and plead the necessity of a Faith that is unfeighned and of a holy Life as well as St. James as appears in part by what was said in the former Chapter and will I doubt not be made sufficiently evident in this In order whereto I shall recommend to consideration these ten things 1. That Works of Evangelical Obedience are never in Scripture opposed to God's Grace 2. That St. Paul in speaking against Justification by Works gives sufficient Caution not to be understood thereby to speak any thing against Evangelical Obedience in reference thereto 3. That Regeneration or the New Creature as including Evangelical Obedience is opposed to Works in the business of Man's Justification as well as Faith is and as well as the Grace of God it self is 4. That Evangelical Obedience as well as Faith and together with Faith is opposed to the Works of the Law in reference to Justification 5. That Evangelical Obedience alone is opposed to the Works of the Law 6. Faith it self is an Act of Evangelical Obedience 7. By Evangelical Obedience Christians come to have a Right to Salvation 8. The Promise of benefit by the Blood of Christ is made to Evangelical Obedience 9. Repentance And 10. Forgiving Injuries are both Acts of Evangelical Obedience without which a Man cannot be justifyed And if these things be made out they will I think amount to such a demonstration as that we cannot well desire a clearer or fuller proof that St. Paul together with others the Apostles taught Justification by Evangelical Obedience as the effect of Faith as well as St. James 1. The Works of Evangelical Obedience as the effects of Faith and Regeneration by Faith are never in St. Paul's Epistles or any other the holy Scriptures opposed to God's Grace in reference to Justification and Salvation Works and Grace indeed are opposed to each other But then by Works we are to understand either Works antecedent to Conversion or as they are denied to merit at the hands of God Or the Works of the Law of Moses as Erroneously contended for by the Jews Or the Works of the Law as Typical and as opposed to things Typify'd Or the Works of the Law as the Law is in its rigour opposed to the milder Oeconomy of the Gospel But the Works of Evangelical Obedience are never opposed to Grace no more than Faith it self is And there is no reason why they should because Evangelical Obedience is the effect of Divine Grace as well as Faith it self is and tends to the praise of it and is accepted and will be rewarded through Grace Contrary hereunto those words in Titus 3.5 Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us are wont to be alledged to prove that Works after Conversion as well as those before are opposed to the Mercy of God in the saving of Men. But whether this be duly collected from these words will best appear by opening the scope and meaning of the words with the Context The words in the 3 4 and 5 Verses are these For we our selves also were sometimes foolish serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost By their being Saved here is meant their being rescued and delivered from their sinful state mentioned vers 3. In that this is said to be done not by Works of Righteousness which they had done but according to God's Mercy The plain meaning I doubt not is that this change of their condition and deliverance from their sinful state was not effected or so much as begun among them by any Reformation of their own till the Gospel came to work it which is meant by the appearing of the Kindness and Love of God vers 4. and is of like import with that Chap. 2.11 12. which God of his Mercy and not of their Desert sent among them to that end And if this be the meaning of the words the Apostle was far from intending by Works of Righteousness in this place Works after Conversion I might rather well argue on the contrary from this place That Baptism which is an act of Evangelical Obedience in the Person Baptized and Regeneration which is Evangelical Obedience in the Root and Principle are together with the Mercy of God and as subordinate to it opposed to the Works of Righteousness here mentioned in the Work of Salvation For it is probable that by the washing of Regeneration here is meant Baptism as the Figure of Regeneration and by the Renewing of the Holy Ghost Regeneration it self By both which as subordinate to God's Mercy therein they were said to be saved and not by the Works of Righteousness which they had done before these There is another place in 2 Tim. 2.9 which is wont to be urged with this to Titus to the same purpose But it being of the same nature with this the same Answer may serve both with a little variation 2. St.
withal create in us such an humble Opinion of our own Unworthiness that when we have done all that we can to deny our selves and have proceeded never so far in our Zeal to good Works we shall nevertheless confessing that we are but unprofitable Servants depend wholly on Christ's Merits and Mediation and in the Virtue of his Satisfaction and Intercession alone expect Salvation And now such is the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace An Enumeration of fundamental Principles particularly that part of it the Vow in Baptism wherein all do solemnly promise and vow Repentance Faith and Obedience engaging to renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil Whosoever considers this sees what Obligations lye upon him to deny himself the sinful Pleasures of the World I. The general Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace and to govern his whole Life and Conversation according to God's Commandments And whoever again understands the Constitution of this Covenant knows that it was obtain'd for him by the Mediation of Christ who is therefore Stiled The Mediatour of the New Covenant Heb. 12.24 and therefore that on his Mediation he must depend for the having those infinite Blessings made good to him which are promis'd therein to his Obedience And such fundamental Principles also in a prime Sence are the Belief of all the Articles of our Christian Faith as the Belief of God II. The Articles of our Christian Faith and of his Providence that he is our Creatour Governour and will Reward every Man according to his Works The Belief that Jesus Christ came into the World Died and Suffered to Attone for its Sins and Preach'd the Gospel to Reform it The Belief that he gives his Spirit to sanctify us and that he will hereafter come in Person to Judge us In a word The Belief of all the Articles of our Christian Faith These are indeed the true Principles of our Religion for these are all of them as I shall hereafter shew so many very powerful Motives to reform our Lives to forsake our Sins and to follow Holiness as that without which we shall never see God And these do most of them influence us as to a Good Life so humbly to rely upon God's Mercies through Christ for the acceptance of it III. The Laws of the Ten Commandments And such also are the Laws of the Ten Commandments which contain the great Instances of our Duty to God our Neighbour and our Selves and to which all others may probably be reduc'd These Ten Commandments may properly enough be stiled the Principles of Religion for as the Root is the Principle as it were out of which all the Branches Stem forth so out of these Commandments do all the Duties of a Christian grow forth like so many Branches so that whosoever shall well study and digest these Ten Summary Commands shall scarcely fail of growing up to be a Good Christian IV. The Doctrine of Prayer and of the Sacraments And if to these we add the Doctrine of Prayer and of the Sacraments which are the necessary Means and appointed us by God of our procuring and conveying unto us his Assistance to enable us to mortify and forsake our Sins and to become Holy I do not know any other Principles that are Fundamentally necessary either to the promoting of a good Life here or an happy One hereafter at leastwise so far as to be the Matter of Catechetical Instruction and the Business of a Catechist to inform you of them And indeed as these Doctrines are every One of them necessary to be Known Believ'd and Practic'd by every Christian that may have the Means of Knowing them and may be taught them being no other than the Covenant of Grace it self or those particular Articles contain'd in it and which are expresly Enjoyn'd upon us by the Word of God to be Believ'd and Practic'd by us so our Church does account them the only Fundamental and Necessary Principles that are to be the Matter of a Christian Catechism There are it must be confest many other useful Truths contain'd in the Scriptures and those who having first laid the Foundation in these already mention'd would go on to Perfection should endeavour by Reading the Bible and other good Books and by Attending to the Preaching of the Word A Catechism ought not to be crouded w th any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a good life here and Happiness hereafter to gain the Knowledge of them But a Catechism ought not to be crouded with any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a Good Life here and Happiness hereafter And if other Churches have fill'd their Catechisms either with many Unscriptural Tenets as the Church of Rome has hers or with any doubtful and nice Doctrines concerning God's Election and Reprobation as many others have done theirs they have no reason to brag of their Abundance It is the Glory of our Church that she Imposes no other Doctrine as necessary to be Learnt by her Children than those already mention'd which are plainly declar'd in Scripture to be Fundamental and Necessary Principles whereon we may securely build a Good Life and the certain Hopes of eternal Happiness and which are so firm a Rock that the Religion and Hopes of Happiness founded upon it will not easily be destroy'd by the most violent and boistrous Temptations that the World the Flesh and the Devil shall Assault it withal thereby to Ruine it Thus have I Adventured in as few Words as the Difficulty of the Argument would give me leave to shew you the Nature of Fundamental Principles and to declare to you what Doctrines are to be accounted such so far at least as they are the Matter of Catechetical Instruction and the Business of a Catechist to inform you of them I have done this Point when I have told you A Catechism is a General Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of Christianity That a Catechism is A General Instruction only in the fundamental Principles of Christianity As a Catechism ought not to be crouded with any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a Good Life here and Happiness hereafter so even those Fundamental Truths it ought to deliver in as short and comprehensive a manner as possible for a Catechism is an Instruction that must be fitted to all even the weakest Capacities and therefore it ought to be such a Form of sound Words as all can retain And the more explicite and enlarged Knowledge of these things is to be sought for in the Expositions and Comments that are given of them in Catechetical Discourses of which Nature I design by God's Grace to Present you with some until I have gone through your Catechism In a word and to conclude this First Point Such were the Ancient and Apostolical Catechisms Such a General Instruction in the Fundamental and most Necessary Points of Religion as we have given you an Account of was the
an ill Thing But then observe the force of Religious Principles Such a One will soon bethink himself what he has done his Conscience will quickly smite him and he will be immediately brought to Repentance through the Power of good Principles and his Fall will but make him more careful of his ways hereafter Nay It may sometimes happen that a very towardly Youth notwithstanding all the care of his Parents and Christ's Ministers to bring him up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord when got too soon from under the Eye of his Parents and wise Counsellors and falling into lewd Company with which this Age does too much abound may at first be a little Laught out of Countenance by them as is their wont for being too Precise Reserv'd and Melancholly and after that be drawn by degrees into one Compliance after another with them in their Ungodly Revels Nay and at length be so drencht in Sin as to deface the whole Image of God that was wrought upon his Soul so as to be even past all hopes of Recovery This is very rare but yet however too often whenever it is II. To Recover out of it when fal'n therein But even in this case Secondly The Power of those good Principles that were early Sown shall be wonderfully seen to the Glory of God and the Praise of good Education Let Diseases Distresses Poverty or any sore Affliction befal a lewd and sorry Liver as generally sooner or later it does either as the Fruit of their Sin or as a Chastisement from God to reclaim them If the Person afflicted has been One that was never Instructed in the fear of God he is never the better nor shall you hear so much as a good Expression from him nor any the least Signs of Amendment for why He knows not what he is to do nor where he is to begin nor does he distinctly know any good Reason wherefore he ought to Amend for Thanks to the Piety of his good Parents he never had any Principles of Good instill'd into him and therefore as all his Life-time he Liv'd like an Atheist so he now doeâ— Die like a Beast He was ignorantly brought up and he Dies ignorant and wicked both But if it shall happen that One who had receiv'd the Seed of good Principles within him be overtaken with some sore Affliction and God be so gracious to him as not to cut him off quickly in the midst of his Sins but affords him a leisurely Chastisement such a One shall begin to be serious and to bethink himself He will recal to Mind what he once knew of God and of his Duty to him Those good Principles that have long lain Buried under a Load of Sin will begin to stir within him He will water them sufficiently with Tears of Repentance and they will begin to work and revive within And when he is once come to himself so as to think seriously of Matters with the Prodigal Son he will soon resolve to Arise and go to his Father and to say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before Thee and am no more worthy to be call'd thy Son make me as One of thy hired Servants Luk. 15.18 19. The Seed of good and religious Principles sown in your Hearts by Catechetical Instruction may well be compared to Seed sown in the Ground by the Hand of the Husbandman The Husbandman's Seed may lie Buried in the Earth under many Clods so as to be in danger never to recover but if the Rains shall descend from Heaven so as to melt and dissolve that burden of Earth with which the Seed was overlaid it will then begin to work and revive if it was good Seed and may possibly bring forth a very fruitful Crop So here if you do but take care to have the Seed of good Principles sown in your Hearts and should ye afterwards almost extinguish all good Motions within you by laying on a continued Weight of Guilt and Sin and should God in Mercy hereafter not pour down the Fury of his Wrath so as immediately to Destroy you but Rain down upon you the gentle Showers of Fatherly Chastisements so as to melt you into Tears and bring you into a considering Temper the good Principles that lay long Buried may possibly begin to stir and to work in you a Repentance fruitful in good Works Nay Such is the Force of good Principles that even a serious Sermon or but the Discourse of a good Minister especially of him who first sowed them by his Instructions shall stir them up and put them a working to the Conversion and Reformation of a Sinner In a word Such is the Effect of good Principles that by the Grace of God they are the likeliest way to preserve you in Innocency and to prevent your falling into any deadly Sin and then you will be in a happy Condition you will then be of the Number of those happy Persons of whom our Saviour speaks that they need no Repentance Luk. 15.7 that is such a severe and sorrowful and painful Repentance as Backsliding Sinners and all Men of loose and wicked Lives must go through or be forced to Endure infinitely worse Or if you shall unhappily fall into any grievous Sin or a Course of Sin such may be the Force of pious Education or good Principles as by God's good Grace and Providence to recover you out of the Snares of the Devil These good Principles taught you in your Catechism may not perhaps at present be throughly understood by you no more than Children do the use of Letters nor School-boys the use of Grammar Rules at first but they will stick by you as One said and be remembred when you are more capable of Improving them insomuch that it will be uneasy to you if you take care to be well Principled in your Minority to be Wicked and Profane hereafter or if you should prove so which God forbid there will yet be some hopes of Reclaiming you because these things will some time or other revive and awaken your Consciences And this is the last of those good Uses and Ends to which Catechism serves viz. to Instil into you such good Principles as will either prevent your falling into Sin which is much the Happier for you or at least recover you out of it by Repentance and which I have therefore insisted on that I might perswade you to have a due Regard to so useful an Instruction as Catechizing is and to give a due Attendance to it And thus as last Lord's Day I shewed you that one good End to which Catechizing serves is to prepare you for that necessary Work your Confirmation that you may Publickly and with Understanding as those that know what they do profess before the Bishop That you will be Faithful to your Baptismal Covenant So Secondly I have to Day shewed you That it is for the same Reason requisite to prepare you for Receiving of the Blessed
in all the material Parts of the Christian Religion to the Belief and Practice of which you have given up your Names This by the Assistance of God I shall endeavour to do and I beg your Prayers to obtain his Assistance and in the same Method your Catechism teaches you Our Catechism gives an entire Instruction in the Covenant of Grace both generally and particularly and I am sure I cannot choose a better to do it in since whatsoever is necessary to be Believ'd and Practis'd in order to Salvation you have therein taught you both generally and particularly As to a more General Institution you have the summ and substance of the Christian Religion and whatsoever is necessary to Salvation taught you that way in those Three Questions and Answers which I have now read to you The summ and substance of Christian Religion I. Generally in the 3 First Questions and Answers and whatsoever is necessary to Salvation is certainly contain'd within the Covenant of Grace for undoubtedly there can be nothing more of absolute Necessity to Salvation than what God himself has been pleas'd to Promise and Ensure unto us and we our selves have Engag'd to perform And now in these Three Questions and Answers now read to you First You have whatsoever pertains to the Nature of the Covenant of Grace expresly deliver'd I will Instance to you the particulars which pertain to the Nature of it and will point to the Words wherein they are taught And in the first place you are Instructed what are the Terms and Conditions whereof it consists both on God's Part and on Ours in these Words Wherein I was made a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven which are the Mercies and Favours made over to us on God's Part of the Covenant and in these First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Secondly That I should Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly That I should keep God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my Life which are the Conditions to be perform'd on our Part of the Covenant Secondly You have here taught you the Gracious Importance of this Covenant we are put thereby into A State of Salvation Thirdly You have an Account of the Original of it and by whose Mediation you obtain'd so Beneficial and Gracious a Covenant taught you in these Words Through Jesus Christ our Saviour It was through the Mediation of Jesus Christ that we obtain'd the Benefit of so Gracious a Covenant Fourthly You are Instructed by whom and how you have been call'd into this State of Salvation by Means of the Covenant of Grace It was your Heavenly Father who hath called you to this State of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour And Lastly You are admonisht of the very great reason you have to thank God and our Saviour Jesus Christ for so exceeding great a Mercy as his Calling you into it And I thank God our Heavenly Father that he hath called me to this State of Salvation thro' Jesus Christ our Saviour Thus far you are instructed concerning what pertains to the Nature of the Covenant II. You have also declar'd unto you by what Sacrament or Solemnity you first enter'd into it It was in your Baptism wherein you was made a Member of Christ c. III. You have then those vast Obligations lying upon you Faithfully and Conscientiously to discharge your part of the Covenant laid plainly before you This you own in your Answer to this Question Dost thou not think that thou art bound to Believe and to Do as they have promis'd for thee To which you are taught to answer Yes verily so I will IV. You have farther yet the Means whereby you shall be enabled to perform your part of the Covenant The First is the Grace Help and Assistance of God And by God's Help so I will The Second Means both to obtain the Divine Assistance and to enable you thereby to discharge your Covenant is Prayer unto God And I Pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my Lives end And Lastly You have also Intimated herein Two material Circumstances relating to the making of this Covenant betwixt God and You viz. 1. The time of Infancy wherein you enter'd into it imply'd in these Words Wherein I was made 2. The Persons by whom as Proxies you were Initiated therein My Godfathers and Godmothers did promise and vow three Things in my Name I will endeavour to Explain all these Points unto you in this First and General Part according as they are here taught you in these Questions and Answers now read as the Text beginning First With what pertains to the Nature of the Covenant of Grace And in order to the Understanding hereof it may not be amiss to premise something concerning the more general Notion of such Covenants as are usually made betwixt Governours and their Subjects And such an One if it be perfect in all its Parts and fully exprest may be Defin'd to be An Agreement between the Two Parties wherein there are Promises The Notion of a Covenant Rewards or profitable Considerations made over on one Part and certain Conditions to be perform'd on the other And wherein also there is an Obligation on the one side of undergoing some certain Penalties in case of not performing those Conditions consented unto by him and impos'd on him by the other A Covenant I say is a mutual Agreement between Two Parties It is a mutual Agreement for if it be not mutual and both Parties are not consenting to the Terms the One to the making good the Promises the Other to the performing the Conditions the Agreement is none at all or it is not Perfected nor is it Obliging on either side There may be indeed a Law given by one that is Superiour in Power and Authority which the Inferior is bound to Obey whether he consent or no because he is plac'd by the Divine Ordinance under the Other 's Command and if he does refuse to Obey he may be justly Punisht but then such a Transaction is to be consider'd as the giving of a Law not as the making of a Covenant Nor is this a slight Difference for where a Superior has given a Law if the Inferior has also Covenanted and consented upon good Considerations and upon the Expectation of promis'd Rewards to obey that Law such a Covenant does withal lay a farther Obligation on the Party on whom the Conditions ly to be perform'd by vertue of his own Consent to do it so that in the Violation of his Duty in such a case he shall be accounted not barely Disobedient but a Covenant-breaker which is added as a more aggravated Sin Rom. 1.31 and therefore deserving a more severe Punishment As
serve whether the Gods of the Amorites in whose Land ye dwell and those Gods were no other than Devils but as for me and my house said he we will serve the Lord. And the Result was That the people answered and said God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other Gods God forbid The very thoughts of such a Thing when they came to consider it was Odious to them And if we did but consider the odious Nature of Sin we should not more Abhor the Devil himself than Abandon every Sin For why He that committeth Sin is of the Devil we are told 1 Joh. 3.8 Such a One is of the Devil's Party he is a sharer in the Devil's Rebellion against God and in his wicked Designs to destroy God's Authority And tho' he be not a Devil himself yet he is near a-kin to him and shall Partake with him as in his Rebellion so in his Punishment And who that considers this can stick Entirely to abandon and to abhor so foul a thing as Sin is But however whether People will consider it or no However this if we do not do we shall forfeit all Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth in the Covenant of Grace so necessary it is that every Christian should absolutely and entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works of Sin that this if you do not do you will forfeit all your Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth to you in the Covenant of Grace and Purchas'd for you by the Blood of Christ If you do not utterly Renounce the Devil by having nothing to do with him in his foul Rebellion against God you will be accounted no Members of Christ's Church but of the Synagogue of Satan as the Apostatizing Gnosticks those great Enemies of God are call'd Rev. 2.9 and that for their Halting betwixt God and Satan And except you do also utterly Renounce his Works of Sin by abandoning every known Sin as that whereby the Divine Authority is thrown aside and his Power dis-own'd you will be so far from being the Children of God that you will be styl'd no better than Children of the Devil For whosoever is Born of God doth not commit Sin it is said 1 Joh. 3.9 that is does keep himself strictly from all deliberate Sin And in this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God as the same Apostle goes on ver 10. And who else is it think ye but he who Overcometh both the Devil and all his Works of Sin that shall ever Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Why he and none else shall Inherit so inestimable a Blessing we are assur'd Rev. 21.7 8. He that Overcometh shall Inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son But the Fearful and Vnbelieving and the Abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Liars shall have their part in the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the Second Death So necessary upon these several Accounts it is that according as has been Explain'd you should Renounce that is Disclaim Abhor and Abandon the Devil and all his Works of Sin Which that you may all of you do God Almighty grant of his infinite Mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen THE Tenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works I Have already shew'd you First who the Devil is and Secondly in Part what are his Works All Sin whatsoever I have shew'd you is a Work of the Devil but there are some particular Sins which being more directly level'd against God's Authority and expressing more of the natural Temper and Disposition of Satan and being more his own Practice than others do more particularly deserve the Title and Character of the Works of the Devil and what they are I have shew'd you Secondly And as Sin so his Tempting of us to Sin is another main and principal Work of the Devil And I have reserv'd this Subject of Satan's Temptations to be particularly handled in some set Discourses by themselves that so I might have more room to Expose 'em to you there being no subject in Practical Divinity of greater Consequence and Concernment to our Souls than to be throughly Informed in the Ways and Methods of Satan's Temptations Now to Tempt one in the general Notion of the Word To Tempt is to make a Tryal of a Person does barely signify to make Tryal of a Person either by Words or Signs by Promises or Threats whether or no he will do such a thing And the Tempting of a Person may be Morally Good or Evil according to the End for which such a Tryal is made If the Tryal be of a Person 's Vertue To Tempt a thing morally Good or Evil according to the End thereof only that Occasion may be afforded him to give an Experiment and Proof thereof that so if he do well he may be Rewarded if Ill that his Hypocrisy and the Corruption of his Heart may be discover'd and he himself Humbled with the Sight and Sense thereof to his Amendment There is nothing may hinder a Governour especially thus to Tempt any one and therefore to Tempt a Man to this End To Tempt a Person in order to prove his Vertue or discover his Corruption consistent w th the Justice Wisdom and Goodness of a Governour and thus God does Tempt Men. may very well consist with the Wisdom Justice and Goodness of God And accordingly we find in Scripture Two Eminent Instances of God's Tempting Persons to both these Purposes And First we find That God Tempted Abraham to try his Faith and to Reward him for it And he did it to as high a degree as was ever heard of bidding him to Take his Son his only Son Isaac whom he loved and to get him into the Land of Moriah and to offer him there for a Burnt Offering Gen. 22.12 The Tryal was severe enough but God did put Abraham upon it with no other design but that he might have occasion given him to exercise his Faith in God And by giving such a Noble Demonstration thereof as to Resign up his own Son to be Sacrificed at God's Command and with his own Hands too I. Thus he Tempted Abraham to try his Faith to Reward him for it he might thereby Testify both to God and Man how much he Trusted in his Maker and thereupon might obtain the Honour upon Earth to be accounted the Father of the Faithful among all Generations of Men and in Heaven to be the Highest in the Ranks of all Humane Inhabitants it being the Priviledge of the greatest Saints to be Lodg'd in Abraham's Bosom And to the same Gracious Purposes it is that he does Tempt his Faithful Servants when at any time he lets loose the Enemies of the Church upon 'em to persecute and destroy 'em It is
Obedience to 'em insomuch that God will reckon himself as has been before said in Justice and Faithfulness bound both upon the account of Christ's Purchase and his own Covenanted Promises to forgive us our Sins as you may see 1 Joh. 1.9 and will then own us to have a Right to the Tree of Life Rev. 22.14 We shall then I say have a Right and Title to the Blessings of the Covenant not by virtue of any outward Merit and Desert in our Performances but by virtue of the Divine Promises and Engagements to those who having solemnly entred into Covenant with him do take care faithfully to perform the Conditions of it So that this alone gives us mighty Assurance of the Divine Mercies that we are entitled thereunto by his having Covenanted them unto us as well as he is the more entitled to our Repentance Faith and Obedience because we have Covenanted to perform ' em But yet the more firmly to entitle as God to our Obedience so us to his Mercies because we never take our selves to be so well ensured of the performance of Articles as when we have 'em solemnly sealed to by both Parties God did therefore in compliance with our own Ways and Methods graciously please to Seal to his part the Promises and required us to do the like to our part the Conditions that he might be the better secured of our Covenanted Performances and we of his promised Mercies And then since he has condescended to ensure unto us not only by meer Covenant but moreover to seal unto us these unspeakable Benefits and we on the other side have also sacramentally sealed to the Counter-part of the Covenant the Conditions of it what can there be further thought of to entitle God to our Obedience or us to his Mercies And let this suffice as to the Sacrament or Solemnity whereby we entred into the Covenant of Grace which was by Baptism Baptism as you have seen is an Outward Rite or Sacrament of our Saviour's own Appointment for the solemn admitting of Persons into the Covenant of Grace instituted by Christ for the better Confirmation and Ensurance of its Terms the Promises on God's Part and the Conditions on ours it being thus mutually seal'd to betwixt God and us For agreeably to our Frame and Nature as I have told you which consists of Bodily Senses as well as Spiritual Faculties God has given us besides those most rational Terms and Conditions of the Covenant Recorded in the Gospel being such Promises as are becoming the Wisdom and Goodness of God to make and such Conditions as are highly befitting us to perform besides these he has appointed to us those Outward and Express Solemnities we call the Sacraments to seal these Things betwixt us And because that Baptism is a Rite most significative in it self and would be most acceptable to all sorts of People Jews and Gentiles he was therefore pleas'd to Adopt that to be the Solemnity of our Entrance into and Sealing the Covenant with him And this Covenant you have seen he would have thus mutually Sealed to betwixt Him and us that the Obligations to Performance might be the stronger upon us both to discharge each his Part of the Covenant And thus having spoke to the Sacrament or Solemnity whereby we enter into Covenant exprest in these Words In my Baptism the next thing to be shewed you is the great Obligation which lies upon us to Perform this our Covenant with God THE XXVI Lecture Quest Dost thou then think that thou art bound to Believe and to Do as they have promised for thee Answ Yes verily IN my Exposition of the Preliminary Questions and Answers of your Catechism having already given you a general Account first of the Nature of the Covenant of Grace and secondly of the Sacrament whereby you did solemnly enter into it I shall now think my self Happy if I can but convince you of the mighty Obligations that lie upon you accordingly to perform it And this the Words that I have now read do manifestly lead me to declare unto you for taking the Question and Answer both together they do plainly import this Doctrine viz. The vast Obligations upon us from the Mercies of the Covenant especially from our Vow in Baptism faithfully and conscientiously to discharge our Covenant with God The vast Obligations lieing upon us both from the Mercies of God and our Baptismal Vow to perform the Covenant of Grace And what those several Obligations are which arise from each of these Considerations I will with as much clearness and force of Reason as I can declare unto you And to begin with the Mercies of the Covenant there is not one Article of Grace or Favour on God's Part contain'd therein but if the Nature and Importance of 'em be truly considered they do each of 'em lay inviolable Obligations upon us faithfully and conscientiously to discharge that our Covenant The Obligations thereunto 1. as Members of Christs Church As first if we consider our selves as Members of Christ or Members of the Christian Church why there cannot be a greater Argument to keep us right in a regular orderly Conversation than that one Consideration should be For to be a Member of Christ's Church what else I pray you is it but to be one of those Disciples of our Saviour who by the Preaching of the Word and under the Solemnity and Bond of Sacraments are Called and Chosen out of the rest of the World to live another sort of Life than the World is accustomed to To this purpose it would be exceedingly well worth your while to consult and throughly consider 1 Pet. 2.9 10 11 12. where you have such Characters given of the Church of Christ and the Members of it as speak it to be a selected separated Body of Men who are Consecrated as it were to God's Service And such Inferences are drawn from thence concerning living at an excellent rate upon that very Score as speak the strongest Obligations upon all the Members of Christ's Church to approve themselves therefore upon that very account excellent Men. In the 8th Verse immediately foregoing the Apostle speaking of those who would not come into the Bosom and Pale of the Church he terms them a Disobedient People but coming in the 9 10 11 12. Verses to speak of the Members of the Church But ye says he are a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a Peculiar People that ye should shew forth the Praises of Him who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvellous Light Which in time past were not a People but are now the People of God which had not obtained Mercy but now have obtained Mercy 11 12. Verses Therefore dearly Beloved I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims abstain from Fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul having your Conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as Evil-doers they may by your good Works which they
and Teach us and as our King to Govern and Order us in the whole course of our Lives as well as our Priest on whose Satisfaction and Intercession we are to Rely for our Acceptance with God which brings me to speak of Reliance a 3d Act of the Faith we are speaking of To proceed then 3. Farther yet there are very many of those Christian Truths 3s It is to Rely on Promissory Truths of whose Certainty we are to have a firm Belief and full Perswasion which carry in them the Nature of most precious Promises of excellent Benefits to be made good to us upon our Performance of such and such Conditions And with respect to these our Belief and Perswasion is not only to be a bare Assent of the Vnderstanding that those Promises are true nor yet a meer Consent of the Will only to Perform the Conditions upon which those Promises are made but there must be moreover a firm and steddy Reliance on God and our Saviour Jesus Christ an Affiance and Trust in Him that his Promises shall be made good to us on the Performance of the prescribed Conditions Such is the Belief of these Attributes of God His Goodness and his Mercy his Power and his Truth to Believe which is firmly to Relie upon him to help and reward us on the Performance of our Duty as being a God that is wonderfully willing and one that is equally able to do us good Such again is the Belief That Jesus is the Christ whom God the Father did send into the World to mediate a Reconciliation betwixt Himself and us and whom that there might be no Impediment on the score of the Divine Justice and Holiness to his Receiving so Rebellious a Race as Mankind into Favour again he therefore gave to offer Himself a Sacrifice a Propitiation and Atonement in our stead to Suffer under Pontius Pilate to be Crucify'd Dead and Buried that we might be redeem'd from Death Eternal To Believe which is to depend solely upon Christ's Merits and Intercession not on our own Righteousness that God the Father will upon our sincere Repentance receive us to Mercy tho' we have been the greatest Sinners And such lastly is the Belief of the Forgiveness of Sins of the Resurrection of the Body and of the Life Everlasting which are Promises of so many good things to us on condition we shall forsake our Sins and sincerely for the future obey the Gospel And to Believe these Articles is to have a steadfast Confidence in God that accordingly through Christ he will forgive us Raise up our Bodies from the Grave at the last Day and translate us into Joys everlasting if we shall repent and obey him We are not to Relie nor to depend upon God's Mercies in Christ Without our Repentance and new Obedience for this were not to Believe but to Presume upon Him for he never made any Promises no not through Christ of accepting us without our Amendment and Reformation but upon our Amendment and Reformation we may undoubtedly Relie upon him as one that is able and one that is willing to fulfil his Promises to us And this Reliance on the Promises of God is that Act of Faith which is called Rom. 4.20 a not staggering at the Promise of God through Vnbelief and v. 24. a Believing on God a Believing in Christ John 3.16 And such a Reliance and Dependance upon God the Father for Mercy through the Merits of Christ his Son appears in the Scriptures to be an Act of Faith more peculiarly well-pleasing and acceptable unto him in that it excludes Boasting which the Apostle makes very necessary to Justification Rom. 3.27 and expects all Good from God's free Mercy in Christ without any Reliance on the Merit of our own Performances The genuine Fruits and Effects of Believing are Victory over And thus having shew'd you in general What it is to Believe and in what Acts of the Mind it does consist it only remains in order to compleat this Account of the Nature of Faith which I have undertaken to give that I speak in a few Words of the Genuine Fruits and Effects of a True Christian Faith The Tree is best known by its Fruits and in like manner is Faith known by its Works as St. James tells us Chap. 2.18 And surely from what has been said it will easily appear to you that your Faith if it be compleat in all the Parts of it will undoubtedly produce a total Change in the Nature and Dispositions and Actions of that Person who does firmly Believe the Great Articles of his Christian Faith A steady Perswasion of such Concerning Truths will not sail in time to subdue all our Spiritual Enemies the World the Flesh and the Devil and all that mighty Host of Temptations they will bring against us to force or entice us from our Obedience to God I. As to the World particularly St. John does assure us 1 John 5.4 1. The World That whosoever is born of God overcometh the World and that this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith Now to be Born of God is by the Quickning lively Spirit together with the Word of God to be renew'd and chang'd in our whole Nature Faculties and Dispositions so as to put off the Old Man with his Corruptions and Lusts and to put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Ephes 4.22 23 24. And by the World is meant both the Things and the Persons of this World that would entice us into Sin The Things of this World are either Riches Honours and Pleasures and they are commonly call'd the Good Things of the World and these would withdraw us from our Duty to use unlawful means to compass 'em or they are the contrary to these viz. Poverty Disgrace and Afflictions which are usually stil'd the Evils of this World and would force us to sinful ways whereby to avoid ' em And the Persons that make up the Wicked World are those evil Men who by their Examples Society Flatteries Arguings Kindnesses or Promises or by their evil Customs would engage us in sinful Compliances The force of all these various Temptations from the World I have already laid before you and it is Faith we are here told in the Words of St. John now cited whereby he who is born of God will be able to overcome this World with all its Temptations An undoubted Perswasion rooted in the Mind of the Certainty of those Great and Powerful Truths of Christianity already mention'd will be able to pall and deaden our relish to these Pretended good Things of the World so that we shall not immoderately affect nor indulge our selves in the Enjoyment of 'em and the same full Perswasion also will most effectually baffle all the Insinuations of wicked Men lying in wait to deceive us Nor II. Will a thorough Perswasion of these great Practical Truths of Christianity 2. The Flesh
Leaning and Rolling themselves upon the Promises of Christ for Salvation But for any to expect to be Justify'd and Accepted by God without forsaking their evil Ways and without working out also their own Salvation with fear and trembling that is without being extreamly careful themselves to be Obedient to God's most Holy Laws is gross Hypocrisie and will miserably deceive us Hypocrisie is with vain Shews and Pretences to deceive our selves or others and to be only Hearers or Believers of the Word and not Doers is to deceive our selves St. James tells us 1. 22. And a greater than he even our Blessed Saviour himself hath assured us Mat. 7.21 That not everyone who saith unto him Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of his Father which is in Heaven And as for the Pretence they have to live securely in unrepented Habits of Sin that the Grace and Mercy of Christ is more Magnify'd the greater Sinners they are I answer That the greater Sinners they have been the greater is the Mercy which Forgives 'em when they do repent according to that of the Apostle Rom. 5.20 21. Where Sin abounded Grace did much more abound that as Sin hath reigned unto Death even so might Grace reign through Jesus Christ our Lord. But to make the Magnifying of God's Grace a Reason for Security whilst Men continue in Sin this indeed was a false Conclusion that some in the First Times as well as now were apt to draw from St. Paul's Doctrine of Justification but which that Great Apostle rejected with the utmost Indignation and Abhorrence in the next Chapter v. 1 2. What shall we say then Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein No sure the Doctrine of Christianity tho' it lays aside the Original Law of Righteousness and the Law of Moses from being either of 'em a Rule of Righteousness in conforming to which we shall be Justify'd yet this Doctrine most strictly obliges us to a sincere Reformation from all former Sins and to a Newness of Life as the indispensible Condition of being Justify'd by God Nor is there the least occasion given us by this Doctrine to value our selves upon our own Righteous Performances when it is only of Grace that we are able to do any thing which is good and the Acceptance of the Good we do is owing to the Mediation of Christ who obtained such Gracious Terms and Conditions of Justification for us Which Considerations as I have already made appear do sufficiently shew that we are Justify'd freely by God's Grace in Christ and do exclude all Grounds and Occasion of Boasting A summary account of justifying Faith In a word and to conclude this whole Point the only Faith or Belief that will Justifie and Save us must be such a full Perswasion of the Truth of Christianity and all its Great Doctrines those I mean which are in a peculiar manner call'd the Articles of our Christian Faith it must be such a through Perswasion I say of those great and powerful Truths as will purifie us in Heart and Life and will effectually excite us to live up to the Rules of Christianity and make us sincerely and heartily to Obey God in all his most Holy and Righteous Laws And it must be such withal as will cause us to depend solely upon God's Mercies in Christ for the Acceptance of our imperfect Righteousness to our Justification And all those kinds of Faith call 'em what you will which are barren of unfruitful in Good Works or if they stir us up to encounter some Difficulties do not bear us up under all Temptations nor enable us to perform the more difficult Instances of Christian Duty and Obedience those which are most contrary to our Lusts and Interests as well as the more easie which are agreeable to our Profit or Pleasure The Faith that is not powerful enough to carry us through all Temptations is defective to the great Purposes of Justifying and Saving us The necessity of our often incalculating such a Faith And moreover I must acquaint you that the necessity of a working Faith to that end as it is the great Doctrine of Christianity so it ought to be throughly explain'd and often insisted upon by us Ministers of the Gospel for fear of People's Mistakes in this matter which will be most dangerous to their Souls And accordingly St. Paul lays a solemn Charge upon us Tit. 3.8 that we should in the same manner I have already done explain and inculcate the Doctrine of Faith unto you This is a faithful Saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have Believed in God might be careful to maintain Good Works for these things or these Doctrines are profitable unto Men. THE XXXI Lecture I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth I Have already shew'd you what it is to Believe that our Faith must be such as rectifies and renews our Corrupt Nature as moves us to the performance of the most difficult Instances of Christian Duty and such as after all causes us to relie solely upon the Mercies of God in Christ for the Acceptance of our imperfect Obedience to our Justification And now by the Divine Assistance I shall proceed to explain unto you all those sacred Truths contain'd in your Creed which are of such mighty Importance And there are not a few such powerful and practical Truths imply'd in this one Article I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth Towards the full Explication of which that it may effectually work a blessed Change both in our Hearts and Lives I will do these Things I. I will in some measure declare unto you the Nature and Infinite Perfections of that Divine Being which we call God I Believe in God II. I will prove to you that this Infinitely perfect Being out of his Infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness made the Heaven and the Earth and all Things both Visible and Invisible therein contain'd Maker of Heaven and Earth III. I will explain and prove that this same God who made the Heaven and the Earth does now exercise a most Wise Just and Good Providence over it and every thing therein contain'd which is the Importance of the Word Almighty in this Article as shall be shew'd hereafter IV. I might here demonstrate to you that there is but one God for so the Nicene Creed which is but a Paraphrase upon this does teach us I Believe in one God And Lastly that in the Vnity of the Godhead there is a Trinity of Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost I Believe in God the Father And the other two Persons are also mention'd in their proper place But because I would be as little guilty as possible in this Exposition of repeating hereafter what I have said before I shall referr the Doctrine of
of the Will And so great a Perfection it is that this is his Beloved Attribute insomuch that whereas the Exercise of Severity the Act of his Justice is called his strange Work Isa 28.21 Mercy which is the Issue of his Goodness is that which he delighteth in Mich. 7.18 And the Nature of it is this That he is both Infinitely Excellent in his own Nature and communicates thereof in various degrees to his Creatures He is transcendently Good in his own Nature insomuch that in comparison of him none of his Creatures can be termed Good There is none Good but God Matth. 19.17 And he loves out of the inexhaustible Fountain of his own Goodness to communicate himself to his Creatures The Eyes of all Things wait upon Thee O Lord and thou givest 'em their Meat in due Season Thou openest thine Hand and fillest all things living with Plenteousness Psal 145.15 16. The Divine Goodness goes under various Titles according to the difference of the Objects towards which it is exercis'd And according as the Objects towards whom his Goodness is exercis'd do differ accordingly is his Goodness distinguish'd and the Attribute it self goes under several Names Consider him as shewing his Goodness to the whole Creation in general and he is Bountiful in alotting to every one of his Creatures their proportion of Happiness agreeable to their several Natures and Capacities Whence it is said that his Mercy is over all his Works Psal 145.9 Towards all Men God bears a Philanthropy and Loving Kindness Consider next his Kindness to the whole Race of Mankind as well those who are wicked as those who are good and his Goodness is then Philanthropy and Loving Kindness whereby he communicates manifold Blessings and in great Measures to all Men indifferently and is sincerly desirous of their Happiness Hence he maketh his Sun to rise on the Evil and on the Good and sendeth Rain on the Just and on the Vnjust Math. 5 45. More particularly Towards the Wicked he is long-suffering and patient Consider him next as exercising this his Goodness towards wicked Men and impenitent Sinners and then he will appear to be exceedingly Long suffering and Patient The Lord is Long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance 2 Pet. 3 9. Consider him as exerting himself nay striving to reclaim these unhappy Men that they may not run themselves headlong into Sin and Misery and then he is Gracious Gracious and his Goodness is call'd the exceeding Riches of his Grace as well it may Eph. 2.7 And then next to this Consider him as pardoning Sinners upon their Repentance and Amendment and his Goodness is then Mercy and Forgiveness Merciful and forgiving And thou art a God ready to pardon Gracious and Merciful slow to Anger and of Great Kindness Neh. 9.17 Ay who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgression of his Heritage He retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy Mich. 7.18 Thus is he good toward the very wicked But then Consider his Goodness towards the Good and Vertuous Towards the Vertuous he bears a Complacency and Delight those who love and obey him and it is Complacence and Delight in them whereby he cherishes 'em as his Children protects 'em from Dangers or delivers 'em out of them or at leastwise turns all to their Good in the end All this even in this Life O how Great is thy Goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the Sons of Men Psal 31.19 But lastly consider we his Goodness to such hereafter in rewarding those who have been his obedient Servants and there wants then a word to express his Goodness the Measures of it are so exceeding great since neither Eye hath seen nor Ear heard neither hath it enter'd into the heart of Man to conceive what he hath laid up for those that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 Such is the Goodness of God in all the Branches and Issues of it It is not a Fondness to some particular Persons which fixes by Chance and Humour upon 'em and then overlooks their Miscarriages and can see none of their Misdeservings Nor is it an Easiness that will be wrought upon by meer Importunities to pardon the Sins of unrepenting and hardn'd Sinners Nor lastly is it a Tenderness that relents at the sight of a miserable Object and will therefore rescue the Wicked out of their Everlasting Miseries because it cannot bear their Sighs and Groans No certainly his is the Goodness not like that of a fond Mother but of a wise Governor For X. As God is transcendent in Goodness so also in JUSTICE X. Transcendently Just which is another Moral Perfection in the Rational Nature And being the highest Perfection of the Creature is but a meer Shadow of the Divine Excellencies the Righteousness of the most perfect Saints falls infinitely short of the Justice of God which is That Rectitude of the Divine Nature whereby he neither wills nor acts any thing but what is perfectly agreeable to the highest Reason Governs the World by the most Righteous Laws and passes a most just Judgment upon every Man according to his Works without respect of Persons He neither wills nor acts any thing but what is agreeable to the highest Reason And it is no less than Blasphemy to represent God Both willing and acting agreeably to the highest Reason as if he govern'd the World by meer Will and arbitrary Pleasure having no regard to the Qualifications of those whom he justifies or condemns but made Millions of Men and even before he created 'em reprobated 'em to Eternal Damnation meerly to shew the Power of his Justice as they will call it but such would rather deserve the Name of the cruel'st Tyranny in condemning 'em afterwards to Everlasting Torments But far be it from any pious Mind to conceive thus unworthily of God He will be found indeed to inflict the most dismal and terrible Punishments upon both Devils and wicked Men but that will be upon such justifiable Reasons as will leave even the Damn'd themselves and that in the mid'st of all their Tortures without Excuse For why Governing the World by the most Righteous Laws He governs the World by the most Righteous Laws such as are best suited to the Nature and Faculties of Reasonable Creatures and which do all of 'em tend to perfect our Natures even to the rendring us like to God and his Holy Angels whereas the Courses and Ways of Life opposite to his Laws do debase Men below the Vileness of the Beasts that perish and render 'em Bruits and Devils in their Natures and Dispositions Rewarding every Man according to his Works And as all God's Laws are infinitely Reasonable and Just so he never sails to pass a most righteous Judgment on every Man according to his Works Both the Rewards of the Righteous and of the Wicked will be greater or less proportionable to the Good and Evil of their Deeds but both the one and the other will be endless and everlasting That the very imperfect Vertues of good Men should be so extraordinarily recompenc'd even with unspeakable and endless Joys none do complain of as any thing contrary to Equity and Reason But there are some who are ready to object against the Justice of God's Alotments with respect to the Wicked that he should punish momentany and transient Sins with eternal Woes and Miseries But to clear the Divine Justice of any Hardship contrary to Reason and Equity in this it must be consider'd that these Everlasting Punishments are Legal Penalties which the Great Law-Giver does inflict for the Violation of his Laws And if all wise Law-givers who will preserve the Authority of their Government and Edicts find it necessary to inflict sometimes severer Penalties for lesser Crimes in their own Nature and indeed be the Offence what it will such as are sufficient to deter Offenders from the Violation of their Laws and to secure their Government over their Subjects The Infliction therefore of Eternal Punishments are no more than Necessary and Reasonable since as great as they are considering the Allurements to Sin are present and consequently more tempting and these Punishments apprehended at a great distance they are found little enough to restrain obstinate and perverse Sinners from persevering in Wickedness In short all those Kinds Measures and Degrees of Punishment are Just Equitable and Reasonable which are no more than necessary to preserve the Authority of Government and the Sacredness of its Law And thus may the Justice of God be fairly accounted for as rewarding no otherwise than according to Men's Works tho' he inflicts upon 'em for their Temporary Transgressions Eternal Punishments Rewarding or punishing without respect of Persons Lastly and in all his Alotments and Distributions of Justice he is very Impartial Rewarding or Punishing without respect of Persons for he accepteth not the Person of Princes nor regardeth the Rich more than the Poor for all are the work of his Hands Job 34.19 Such is the Justice of God XI Transcendently True viz. XI And as he is Infinitely Just so he is Transcendently TRVE His Veracity is an Attribute of the greatest importance to be known and consider'd by us And it consists in these particulars That he is Sincere in all his Declarations Faithful in all his Promises and certain to Execute his Vengeance upon Sinners according to his Threatnings