in Heaven but thee and then saith my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever God is fitly called the Saints portion for he is so one Saints portion as if no ones else and yet intirely every ones as if wholly theirs as indeed he is yet without division partition or diminution That 's a notable passage in that Gospel-Covenant at least one part of it the mercy in it we are speaking of Gen. 15.1 fear not Abram I am thy Shield and thy exceeding great reward 1. Thy reward as if it were as indeed it is reward enough to have God if we have nothing else 2. A great reward worth speaking of Christus Coelum non patiuntuâ— hyperboleâ— not an inconsiderable trifle but a great reward 3. An exceeding great reward no hyperbole can reach it much less exceed it none can express the goodness of God but those that experience it nor can they sufficiently declare it but is he mine Psal 144.15 Yes 4. By this Covenant he is thy exceeding great reward Blessed are they that are in such a case Happy is that people whose God is the Lord. Thus I have shewed what God is 2. I shall a little shew what God gives and grants to the covenanted soul there are many rich benefits and advantages which are indeed rich Covenant-mercies 1. Pardon of sin Jer. 31.34 for I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more and oh what a mercy is pardon of sin ask David when he is roaring under his broken bones and disquiet spirit whether pardon of sin be a mercy he will answer yes O yes I know it and could even envy the happiness of a pardoned sinner blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven Psal 32.1 2. yea many times blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity this is a mercy that cost a great rate even the blood of the immaculate Lamb of God 't is a mercy that God shews for his own sake a mercy that easeth the guilty soul of an heavy burden a mercy that hath sweet and satisfying concomitants Oh the riches of this mercy 2. Gods favour love and tender compassion Jer. 32.40 41. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good Yea I will rejoyce over them to do them good q. d. now I am in Covenant with them I will seek and study by all means to promote their spiritual and eternal advantage yea and their temporal good also I will be a fast and faithful friend to them all my attributes shall contribute their assistance to help on the design of mercy towards them and what God doth for them is with his whole heart and with his whole soul he will in the relation of a Father take care of his Children and is not that a mercy 3. Gospel-Ordinances Ezek. 37.26 27. I will make a Covenant of peace with them and will set my Sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore my Tabernacle also shall be with them i. e. they shall have the means of Grace the visible tokens of Gods presence wayes of Communion with God and is not this a rich mercy David lookt upon it as so in his banishment from Gods house and every Child of God prizeth it at a very high rate this is one of the mercies of the Covenant 4. Seasonable afflictions with a sanctified use of them Psal 89.30 32 33. if his Children forsake my Law then will I visit their transgressions with the rod 't is infinite mercy that God will take the pains to whip the offending Children it is faithfulness to the great ends of the Covenant that God will fetch in his wandring sheep by sharpest means it is as it were a cruel mercy to let men alone in sin to hasten their ruine it is the Fathers care and kindness to chide and correct his son and it 's as needful as food and raiment a Child of God would rather be scourged to God than allured from God in the paths of honey and butter this Covenant-mercy doth change the nature of the affliction and makes every thing to work for the souls best God this bitter potion is an useful healing medicine this stinging Serpent is turned into an harmless nay helpful Rod with which the Lord works wonders of mercy upon and for the Covenanted soul But time would fail me to enumerate the large Catalogue of Covenant-mercies from this fountain stream those choice mercies of reconciliation with God filiation the spirit of adoption free admission to the Throne of Grace acceptance of their persons audience of their Prayers assurance of Gods love peace of Conscience communion of Saints the benefits of Christs Passion Resurrection Ascention Intercession an interest in all the Promises Christs purchases the spirits motions and comforts freedom from the wrath of God the curse of the Law and eternal death and lastly an interest in and at death a full possession of the inheritance of the Saints in light these and such like are the mercies of the Covenant in a word all the goodness that is in God and all the good things of the world that are communicable to the elect are to be accounted as the sure mercies of David That 's for the first general head CHAP. III. 2. IN what respects these mercies of the Covenant are made sure for this observe that there are some things absolutely and unchangeably sure as to their own nature by an intrinsecal necessity thus God immutable essence is fixed with him there is no variableness nor shadow of change thus though the Heavens perish yet God endures he is still the same and his years have no end Psal 102 24-27 thus God alone is the certain and unmoveable center of the whole Creation he is the Rocâ— of Ages originally infinitely and independently sure and so is nothing besides otheâ— things are sure jure positivo not of themselves but by vertue of Gods appointmenâ— and designation invariable irrevocable so as it shall not be altered otherwayes ordered no new way contrived to save losâ— man thus the Scriptures are sure for ever O Lord thy Word is setled in Heaven Psal 119.89 Mat. 5.18 and our Saviour saith till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled and this way is the Covenant of Grace sure not of any intrinsecal necessity resulting from its nature but free to be or not to be as the infinite God sees good as a Covenant it depends meerly on Gods free-grace for making it God might have forborn re-entring this New Covenant but have dealt with man as with the lapsed Angels or he might have reserved to himself a power of revocation to have called in his patent and shut up his Office of mercy but now God hath fixed this as the only and everlasting way of Salvation thus this
in the way for a staff or bait but not good as a Center or end to terminate your thoughts upon Remember the worst of men may have the best of these blessings yet have them with a curse and may perish with them therefore say as David Psal 119.132 look thou upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name Psal 106.4 and elsewhere he desires to be remembred with the favour of Gods people as if David should say Lord there are common mercies which fill the belly cloath the back supply outward wants but these thou givest to the bad as well as good and though these are more than I deserve yet more than these I desire these will only serve me the day and date of my temporal life and will take their leave of me at death but Lord thou hast better mercies to bestow than these even such as will stick by me in life and death mercies that concern the soul such as thou bestowest on Children and on heirs of promise Oh let me come in for my Childs part of those and put me not off with any else none besides will fit or fill my precious soul or serve my turn Josh 17.14 I must say as once the Children of Joseph said to Joshua why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit seeing I am a great people so must I say if I were a bruit Creature one lot of provender for this Carcass would serve my turn but seeing 〈◊〉 am blessed with a noble never-dying soul that hath large capacious faculties 〈◊〉 must have a double portion a single share â—s not enough something that will live â—hen this body is laid in the grave and â—ing is so fit for this immortal soul as 〈◊〉 sure mercies of David Oh that I had my share thereof more than these I cannot reasonably desire expect enjoy and less than these my soul is not content withal 4. Cast out and Cashier all sin break ofâ— thy sinful league with filthy lusts these sure mercies will not lodge in a foul breast where Christ takes up his habitation sin hath not Dominion God and sin go contrary ways mercies mount the soul upwards corruption pulls the soul downwards you must be separate and touch no unclean thing if you would be received embraced as Children and have God for your Father 2 Cor. 6.17 18. be you sure the Throne of iniquity hath no fellowship with God Psal 94.20 and God will challenge such as hate instruction and wilfully run into sin and say Psal 50.16 17 18. what hast thou to do to take my Covenant in thy mouth do not think to yoke Christ and Belial God will not be merciful to any wicked Transgressour do not think to divide mercies and faithfulness make account to enjoy mercies only in the way of truth that you may be able to say as David Psal 119 41. let thy mercies come also unto me O Lord even thy salvation according to thy word q. d. O Lord thou hast mercies to bestow and thou hast told me how and to whom thou wilt distribute these mercies it is to such as fear and love and obey thee and devote themselves to thee why here I am I have served sin and Satan too long now I abhorr the ways in which my soul hath walked I abandon works of darkness I cut off a right-hand sin and pluck out a right-eye lust and now I am in the road of mercy not as though this merited thy favour but as a condition absolutely necessary in the souls of such as obtain mercy Isa 1.16 18. Isa 55.7 according to the precepts and promises of the Word and now though I cannot challenge mercy yet I humbly plead thy promise for mercy even Covenant-mercies I have forsaken my sinful ways and wicked thoughts Psal 119.58 oh be merciful to me according to thy word oh entertain me and then â— shall not lose but change my pleasures â—he sensual pleasures of the flesh for soâ—id sacred and soul-satisfying delights in Christ and Grace thus renounce sin and you shall have what 's infinitely better but that 's not all 5. Renounce your own Righteousness and look after these sure mercies only for mercy sake the wise merchant sold all Mat. 13.46 not only his worldly enjoyments but self-conceited thoughts of his own Righteousness for this pearl of price deny your selves then enjoy God mercy is flighted when you dream of merit the poor Jews that sought to establish their own righteousness would not submit to the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 they had something of their own to lean to they â—corned Gods way of saving sinners they would not be beholding to Gods mercy and so went without the poor Publican was justified but the proud Pharisee condemned come as craving Beggars not as rich Purchasers say as David save me for thy mercies sake Psal 6.4 q. d. Lord I am a weak worthless wicked Creature if thou mark iniquity who can stand I am not worthy of one crumb of kindness most worthy of thy fiercest displeasure if thou condemn me thou art righteous if thou save me thou art infinitely gracious Lord when thy wrath is ready to wax hot and justice lifts up thy hand to strike the fatal blow then reflect upon thy working bowels of tender mercy and stop thy hand from a righteous executing of thy justly deserved sentence of condemnation Remember thy tender mercies and thy loving-kindnesses for they have been ever of old Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake O Lord thus that good man pleads with God Psal 25.6 7. and thus do thou come empty handed buy wine and milk without money and without price mercy were not mercy if it were bought at valuable rates but as that 's not possible so that soul that comes to purchase shall be dealt without for all the good things of the Gospel are of free and undeserved gift 6. Close with Jesus Christ the root and spring of these covenant-Covenant-mercies I told you in the doctrinal part these mercies are made sure in and by Christ to all the heirs of promise would you then enjoy the benefit of these mercies accept of Jesus Christ by a sound and lively faith you can expect no mercy but through a Mediator grace and truth comes by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.16 all mercy is laid up in Christ as the great Store-house and is to be fetcht out by faith those souls are under a dangerous and soul-damning mistake that imagine God to be any other ways merciful than in Christ it 's even horrible saith Luther to think of God out of Christ this is the only Gospel-way of obtaining mercy Eph. 13.6 God blesseth us with these spiritual blessings in Christ and we are accepted in the beloved Well then how have poor souls interest in Christ this
for God humility and self-denyal and hereby shall you clear up your own souls and others that these mercies of the Covenant belong to you for so saith the Apostle the Lord make you to increase and abound in love to the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God 1 Thes 3.12 13. if you have more Grace you may probably have more comfort 9. Lay the stress of your souls upon free-grace the more you mix any conceits of your own righteousness the more you 'l stagger and be disconsolate let free-grace be your foundation and build upon nothing in your selves for your best graces duties excellencies are imperfect and can afford you little solid satisfaction Let Jesus Christ be all in all to you be you nothing at all in your selves Oh God loves to see a poor trembling soul despairing o◠any thing in it self accounting the World as loss and dross flying into the out-stretched arms of free-grace casting it self down a◠his feet and resolving to venture all upon an all-sufficient Saviour and though at present it walk in darkness yet it will cas◠Anchor in the dark Isa 50.10 and trust in the name of the Lord you shall see in due time the mists shall be dispelled and the souls state cleared and the troubled heart fully satisfied 〈◊〉 thus David made account to recover the light of Gods countenance See Psal 33.20 22. and banish disquieting thoughts even by trusting in God Psal 45.5 12. mercy will answer all your doubts and scruples mercy will suit your necessity mercy will revive and rejoyce troubled spirits therefore poor doubting soul though thou canst find no goodness in thy self therefore lookest on thy self as utterly unworthy yea uncapable of interest in Covenant-mercies yet hope in Gods mercy let no mud of thy duties mix with the pure stream of free undeserved mercy and as that will carry thy soul apace to the Ocean of glory so it will bring many sweet refreshing streams of joy and peace into thy heart we have instances of many in the word that judged themselves most unworthy of good as in themselves yet expected and received Mat. 8.8.15.27 both mercy and assurance thereof for mercies sake as Centurion Woman of Canaan and others because as mercy is free so these Covenant-mercies are purchased and ensured by Jesus Christ the Mediator of the Covenant and therefore though there be no goodness in the poor soul to procure these mercies yet there is enough in their surety and as their sins are made over to him so what good is in Christ is made over to the believing soul 1 Cor. 1.30 here is the marrow of the Gospel Yea farther the less goodness an humbled sinner finds in himself the greater evidence hath he that these mercies belong to him Isa 55.1 Mat. 5.3 Rom. 4.5 because he finds even such very persons invited and received yea humility self-denyal and poverty of spirit are mercies of the Covenant and do evidence interest 10. Be much in the duties of thankfulness and chearfulness give God praise and God will give you more grounds of praise bury not his mercies in the grave of forgetfulness especially bless him for Covenant-mercies Alas saith the soul if I were sure I had an interest in these covenant-Covenant-mercies then I could sing to Gods praise and be very thankful but how can I praise God for that which I question whether it belong to me yea or no I Answer thou must bless God that there are such mercies in store for poor sinners and that any poor souls have obtained an interest therein and are carryed to Heaven thereby bless God that you are under a call and capacity to enjoy these Covenant-mercies that God hath not excluded but included you in the universal tender of it yea consider if you have not cause to bless God that he hath been dealing with your hearts in such a manner as he is wont to do with such souls as he brings into Covenant with himself hath he not humbled broken brought your souls off your own bottoms let you see a vanity in the World the excellency and necessity of Christ caused longings and pantings in your souls after these mercies and doth not all this deserve your thankfulness but know further that thankfulness for what you have is a most effectual way to clear up your title and to beget assurance praise raiseth the souls faculties to an high pitch of joy and comfort it is like David's harp to banish away the evil spirit of disquietness or discouragement your praise should wait for God Psal 65.1 Isa 30.18 and you 'l find God waiting to be gracious to you usually a thankful heart is a chearful heart you may sing your selves out of your sorrows as David did frequently he made a song of these mercies of the Covenant even then when he could find little comfort in or benefit by these Covenant-mercies in many regards See Psal 89.1 with ver 38. ad finem thus do you Christians sing your selves into this blessed sleep and soul tranquility 't is the fault of doubting souls that they pore all upon their sins and forget their mercies they think they can never be sufficiently bathed in the tears of repentance and torment their hearts with doubtful thoughts but consider not that a thankful commemoration of mercies is as well their duty as mourning and humiliation yea 't is a sweet heart-chearing God-pleasing duty therefore let Christians be much in this duty as a means of assurance I shall add a word or two to all of us to press after a particular assurance of our interest in these mercies of the Covenant 1. Christians may be assured of their interest we are commanded to make it sure many good souls have arrived to a Plerophory or full assurance 2 Pet. 1.10 experience proves the truth of this Joh. 16.24 Eph. 1.13 Rom. 15 4. 'T is promised See Isa 60.16 Saints have attained to it Job 19.25 Psal 63.1 Gal. 2.20 1 Joh. 3.14 5.19 Cant. 2.16 Isa 45.24 25. God himself hath promised joy and comfort to such as ask it 't is the great office of the spirit to seal up souls to the day of redemption Yea the Scriptures were written to promote our comfort and assurance seals of the Covenant instituted Ordinances and Ministers appointed for this very end and shall we slight this infinite Condescention of God who is so forward to help us shall we use no means or endeavours to ensure these mercies to our souls Oh ingrateful wretches if it were a thing unattainable we might be daunted but how many gracious souls do we see 〈◊〉 hear of that do walk in the light of Gods Countenance and triumph over all opposition in the sense of Gods love and one great Reason why many of us are so full of doubts is our neglect of Gods appointed means for the obtaining of assurance for if it be attainable in the use of ordinary means we
common mercies 188 4. Cast out and cashier all sin 190 5. Renounce your own righteousness 191 6. Close in with Jesus Christ 192 7. Enter into a solemn Covenant with God 194 CHAP. XII 2. Head How a doubtful soul may be assured of its title to these sure mercies 197 1. Study Sciptures and promises 198 2. Attend on a quickning ministry 199 3. Improve the states of the Covenant 200 4. Ply the throne of grace 201 5. Walk close with God 202 6. Be much in self-observation 204 7. Recollect former experiences 205 8. Strengthen every grace of the spirit 206 9. Lay all the stress on Gods free-grace 207 10. Exercise your selves in thank fulness 209 Four Motives to labour for assurance 211 CHAP. XIII 3 Head In what cases may a Covenanted soul make use of these sure mercies 1. In case of dissetiling suggestions to Atheism 218 2. In case of guilt upon the conscience 220 3. In case of afflictions persecutions 223 4. In case of spiritual famine 224 5. In back slidings and fears of apostacy 227 6. In desertions as to quickning comfort 229 7. In the hour and power of death 234 CHAP. XIV Head How a Covenanted soul must behave himself with reference to these mercies 1. Believe and receive them readily 239 2. Improve them in particular needs 240 3. Be content with these mercies ib. 4. Walk worthy of them 241 5. Be active and passive for them 242 6. Plead these mercies for posterity ib. 7. Breath after a full possession of them 243 CHAP. XV. Vse of thank fulness for these Covenant-mercies 1. Free 246 2. Dear 247 3. Deep ib. 4. Designed ib. 5. Dignifying 248 6. Sanctifying ib. 7. Separating 249 8. Sealing ib. 9. Extensive ib. 10. Comprehensive 250 ERRATA PAge 25. line 16. read good p. 93. l. 21. add which p. 112. marg r. discitur p. 132. l. 8 add in p. 135. l. 11. add are p. 141. l. 30. r. himself p. 151. l. 26. add him p. 182. l. 8. r. Children of the Kingdom p. 231. l. 30 r. necessary blot out un THE SURE MERCIES OF DAVID Isaiah 55.3 Even the sure mercies of David CHAP. I. THis Evangelical Prophet acts the part of an Apostolical Preacher deciphering our dear Saviour as lively as if he Writ an History not a Prophecy as if he saw him in the Flesh and â—ot in the Type only This Chapter contains 〈◊〉 sweet relation or revelation of the Mysteâ—ies of Gospel-Grace an high-sounding â—roclamation and pathetical Exhortation to the sons of men to embrace the saving benefits purchased by our Lord Jesus Christ This Exhortation is pressed upon consciences with four Arguments which are as it were a satisfying Answer to as many tacit Objections which may be made by unbelieving soulâ— these arguments are drawn from the 1. Freeness ver 1. of Gospel-grace 2. Fulness ver 2. of Gospel-grace 3. Firmness ver 3. of Gospel-grace 4. Largness ver 5. of Gospel-grace 1. A soul may say Alas I am an unworthy wretch I have nothing that can commend me to God I have neither penny nor penny-worth money nor price to give neither grace nor good work to bring to God may I have a share in itâ— Yes it s free come buy for just nothing ver 1. 2. But may the soul say if it be so cheap it may be its of as little worth too dear of taking gratis things of light price are often of as light use and answer their rate by being unprofitable will it do me any good O yes it s of vast advantage if you take pains for any thing else you do but spend money for that which is no Bread but if you obtain Gospel-Grace you eat that which is good and your soul shall delight it self in fatness ver 2. 3. But may I have a share in these Mercies shall I not miss of them and when I once have them shall I not lose them again I am but tantalized if I see such sweet morsels and cannot reach them and I shall be more miserable if I taste such pleasant dainties and have them snatcht away he answers to the first all shall be made over to you by a Covenant and to the second they are the sure mercies of David ver 3. 4. But alas may a poor soul say this is Childrens meat what have doggs to do with these dainties I am a sinner of the Gentiles salvation is of the Jews and for the Jews is there any hope for such strangers to the Common-wealth of Israel Yes Jesus Christ is given for a witness to the people to all people i. e. Gentiles Isa 49.6 a Nation that thou knowest not and Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee ver 4 5. The Text falls under the third Argument and contains 1. A double duty hear come i. e. believe obey 2. A double promise of life and Covenant 1. Your soul shall live life is the flower and foundation of all outward mercies but spiritual life transcends a corporal temporal life which is but a dying life or living death Grace is the life of the soul Spiritual life is the seed-plot of eternal life in Glory mankind lost life by hearing the charming temptations of the subtle Serpent life is recovered by hearing the gracious words of life from Jesus Christ Hear and your souls shall live 2. I will make an everlasting Covenant with you the words are in Hebrew I will cut a Covenant with you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Percutiam vobiscum foedus q.d. dividantur ejus meâ—bra qui juramentum violaverit the expression hath allusion to the ancient practice of entring Covenants which was by cutting a Beast in two parts and the parties Covenanting going betwixt those parts to note that after that manner shall that mans members be divided that shall violate that solemn Covenant See the practice in Gen. 15.17 18. Jer. 34.18 Now the great Contents of this Covenant are expressed in these words which I have pickt out and pitcht upon to speak fully to Even the sure mercies of David which contain 1. The summ of the Covenant i. e. mercies 2. The nature of those mercies i. e. sure 3. The subject of the mercies David There is not much difficulty in the words only 't is disputed what is meant by David here Now in Scripture David is taken 1. For literal David 2. For mystical David Jesus Christ it may be applicable very properly both wayes here 1. It may be taken for the person of David the Son of Jesse King of Israel and then the mercies of David are the choice promises that God made with his servant David described in 2 Sam. 7 13-17 and in Psal 89. Some make the first words of that Psalm to be the title of it and render it thus I will sing of the mercies of David because Gods Covenant with David is abundantly held forth in that Psalm But this phrase doth rather allude to 2 Chron. 6.42 where Solomon thus prayes
gift of God and none can come to Christ except the Father draw him Joh. 6.44 Alas it is as impossible to believe in Christ as to keep the Moral Law from principles of corrupted nature our state had been sad and forlorn still if God had not undertaken to work the faith which he requireth Duce Dâ—o venitur ad deum 't is only the arm of omnipotency that can draw the soul to Christ Jesus is the only Author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 Eph. 1.19 there is an exceeding greatness of his power to all them that believe put forth to create an act of saving faith all they that have felt it can testifie that this is a rich mercy and this is one of the mercies of the Covenant More particularly there are four choice dispositions promised in the Covenant of Grace which are covenant-Covenant-mercies 1. Saving illumination Jer. 31.34 they shall all know me saith the Lord by nature we are blind and blockish creatures but the new Covenant brings light and sight to the ignorant erring sinner and Oh what a mercy is it to know God and Christ and sin and misery and duty and felicity to know Scripture-truths and Gospel-mysteries our own hearts and the sweetness of Grace heaven and the way thither certainly such saving knowledge is worth a world truly such light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eye of the soul to behold the Sun of Righteousness and the beauty of Heaven what blind Bartimeus would not own it as a rich mercy to have his eyes opened and is it not a blessed thing to be translated out of Aegyptian darkness into this marvelous light Oh happy are the eyes that are annointed with the new-covenant eye-salve and behold Coelestial objects through this Divine optick of faith and become faithful guides to the feet of an holy life 2. Sound humiliation this is another Covenant-mercy Ezek. 11.19 I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh a broken heart is instead of many Sacrifices an hard heart is the greatest judgement and a soft heart the greatest mercy repentance is Gods gift bound up in the Covenant of Grace our sweet and blessed Redeemer is exalted as well to be a Prince that he may give Repentance as to be a Saviour to give unto us remission of sins Oh what a mercy is the spirit of Repentance they that have this Godly sorrow shall never need to sorrow for it such a Repentance needs not to be repented of blessed are they that mourn for sin for they shall rejoyce happy such as sow in tears for they shall â—eap in joy certainly a Converted sinner looks upon a repenting heart as a rich mercy one penitent tear is an orient pearl of more worth than the whole Creation a bleeding soul is a blessed sight in the eyes of God and man it layes the Christian under the promise of the Covenant and qualifies it for remission and the sweetest consolation 3. Another Covenant-mercy with respect to the condition is heart-sanctification Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean this is the mercy that David is so importunate for create in me a clean heart no less than creation will effect it a putting off the old man and putting on the new in a sound Regeneration is a miraculous mercy Oh what would a poor soul give for dominion over some special corruptions and power to resist temptations why here it is this mercy of mortification which is also a Christians duty is infolded in this blessed Gospel-Covenant so that sin shall not have Dominion over them that are under this Covenant of Grace a Christian can do more to mortifie sin and Crucifie the flesh than another man every word of God hath a cleansing vertue now you are clean saith Christ through the word that I have spoken to you but the promises of the Covenant have a direct and immediate tendency to cleansing 2 Cor. 7.1 having these promises i. e. the fore-mentioned Covenant let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit it is only the Gospel Covenant that can make Evangelically holy and holiness is the image of God the beauty of a soul the duty of a Christian and the mercy of the Covenant 4. A spiritual conversation this is also included in the Covenant Ezek. 36.27 I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my Commandments and do them Oh what a blessed thing is it to have a heart to love and fear and serve the Lord Oh what a mercy to be inabled to perform holy duties to walk with God in all wayes of well-pleasing Jer. 31.33 to have the Law of God written in the heart and transcribed in the life yea to keep Gods commands with ease alacrity and complacency not to have them grievous but pleasant to the soul and thus it is when the Christian acts from an innate principle of Grace and Holiness well this is the promised and purchased condition of the New Covenant God undertakes to put a new habit into the soul his fear which is the beginning of Wisdom and principle of obedience God gives the spirit of prayer the spirit of power love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1.9 he promiseth to give them one heart and one way that they may fear him for ever Jer. 32.39 Oh what rich mercies of the New Covenant are these 4. Yet the great mercies of the Covenant are behind under the next head for a Covenant contract conveyance contains the Habendum or grant reflecting advantage to the party Covenanting and that in these words I will be thy God this is repeated fifteen or sixteen times in the Scriptures this this is the mercy of the New Covenant the mercy of mercies the flower cream and quintescence of all mercies God gives himself to the soul by Covenant and what greater or better gift can he bestow if he should give us all the world and deny himself we are miserable beggars if he give himself and nothing of the world we are truly rich if we have God we have all things if we want God we want all things Deus mâ—us est omnia Ben scripsisti Thoma qâ—id pet Resp nil nisi â—ipsum Domine my God is my All saith one 't is recorded of Thomas Aquinas the great School-man that a voice from Heaven spake thus to him thou hast well written Thomas what desirest thou and that he answer thus nothing O Lord but thy self this certainly is the Language of a gracious soul Lord put me not off with any thing below or besides thy self what mortal Creature durst have presumed to beg of God such a boon if God had not graciously promised himself in the New Covenant what can the creature desire more what can it now want when it hath an infinite God all
I am only thine and wholly thine take me as thine and make me less mine own and that will be my happiness and I shall be fitter for thy service I dare not part stakes betwixt thy self and any other for I see I cannot serve two contrary Masters I will not give my faculties or members any more as instruments of unrighteousness chain my soul to thee unite my heart to fear 〈◊〉 name This or such like is the language 〈◊〉 a Covenanting-soul and there can be no Covenant without this intireness and compleat resignation hence are those multitudes of expressions that call for a seeking God with the whole heart Deut. 4 29. c. 65. and a loving God with all the heart soul c. and serving God with all the heart yea this is the summ of all that God requires of us Deut. 10.12 O try then hath the spirit of God beat down every strong hold and vain imagination and brought over your hearts wholly to the Lord what say you is every nook and creek of your hearts delivered up to this great and mighty Conquerour is there no Creature-comfort or sensual pleasure that hath stollen away your hearts from your dearly beloved deal faithfully with your souls on this behalf there is no dallying with the searcher of your hearts 2 Have you given up your hearts and selves irrevocably irreversibly finally there 's no playing fast and loose with the great God you must not give and take again that 's fools play but you must be for ever the Lords all your days devote your selves to keep his commandments unto the end not like some servants that will keep to their Masters as long as they like or while they please them but this is a boaring through the ear to be the Lord's servants for ever it 's a marriage that lasts for term of life I will call upon him saith David as long as I live Psal 116.2 it is the hollow-hearted Hypocrite that ends his Religion before he have ended his days that puts his hand to the Plow and looks back that falls off when tribulation comes but a Covenanting spirit is a constant spirit whose house are we saith the Apostle if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firmly unto the end Heb. 3.6 it is the end that crowns the action Solomon saith the end of a thing is better than the beginning Christ saith if ye continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed Col. 1.23.1 Tim. 4.16 Jam. 1.25 Joh. 8.31 and many Scriptures make this a condition without which no salvation and though the end is not yet come yet is it the desire and design of your souls to pray and read and serve God all your days you do not you dare not set bounds limits to your obedience but say as David Psal 71.14 I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more q. d. I am so far from casting away my hope and faith that I will continue yea and increase in the exercises of Religion do you resolve with David to keep Gods Law continually yea for ever and ever Psal 119.44 and praying still for supporting Grace v. 117. using all the rest of God's appointed means for your perseverance to the end Thus I have dispatcht this part of the tryal which is general to try whether we be entred into Covenant with God by these reciprocal acts of giving and receiving whether you have taken God for your God and given up your selves to him as Covenanted souls are wont to do give me leave for a close of this head to summ up the most that I have said in the Divine Poem of that incomparable sweet Singer of our Israel Mr. George Herbert in the Clasping of hands pag. 151. Lord thou art mine and I am thine If mine I am and thine much more Then I or ought or can be mine Yet to be thine doth me restore So that again I now am mine And with advantage mine the more Since this being mine brings with it thine And thou with me dost thee restore If I without thee would be mine I neither should be mine nor thine Lord I am thine and thou art mine So mine thou art that something more I may presume thee mine then thine For thou didst suffer to restore Not thee but me and to be mine And with advantage mine the more Since thou in death wast none of thine Yet thee as mine didst me restore O be mine still still make me thine Or rather make no Thine and Mine More particularly I intreat you to enquire into the conditions of the new Covenant or the graces and dispositions promised therein and lay your hand on your heart and enquire whether they be really in you such as these 1. I told you saving illumination is one great Covenant-condition Jer. 31.33 hath the Lord discovered to you the great and good things of his Gospel opened to you his blessed treasury and annointed your eyes to behold all things in their lively colours have you got a clear discovery of the nature of sin duty misery mercy the creatures vanity Christ's beauty and excellency have you with an Eagle-eye pierced into deep Gospel-mysteries this is not a brain-knowledge consisting in notion but an experimental spiritual acquaintance with the things of God weighting the soul with the sense thereof and leading it into the life and soul of Scripture-truths so that a Christian now sees Divine things after another manner than ever before and is led into all truth by the blessed Spirit God promiseth that all the Churches Children shall be taught of God Isa 54.13 which Scripture our Saviour doth cite and interpret Joh. 6.45 of believing or coming to God every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me Ah Christians have you learned this choice Gospel-lesson of going out of your selves and closing with a naked Christ upon pure Gospel-terms this is the great lesson of the Gospel have you learned it you are dunces and deserve to be kickt out of Christ's school unless you have learned this great and sweet lesson Besides God teacheth many other lessons as to hate sin love God and holiness and to love God's Children Hence saith blessed Paul 1 Thes 4.9 as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another this divine nature prompteth souls to this they cannot do otherwise except they put off their very nature for a Christian may find his heart secretly and sensibly carryed out to all things and persons that have the stamp and image of God as the very name and the common nature of a Brother is potent and prevalent to attract the affections Cathedram habet in Coelis qui corda docet Quando deus est maâ—ister qâ—à m cito do itur quod doâ—itur Aug. the truth is he hath his Chair in Heaven that thus teacheth hearts and if God
acceptable to God to see souls attracted to him by silken cords of love than scourged to him by severe flashes of wrath Christs souldiers are not so much prest for his service by compulsion as they are volunteers by a spontaneous motion all our duties should be free-will offerings But alas sirs how unwilling and forced are many of our performances how grumbling are we in our actings for God we go to God as though it were our burden not with that delight and chearfulness we ought consider sirs how readily God offers us mercy how freely Christ laid down his life for us how acceptable a work it is to the blessed spirit to apply these mercies to us and be ashamed to be so sour and dull in your performance yea consider the dispensation you are under a Gospel-Covenant made up of mercy and this should ripen our fruits to more sweetness and maturity than the old Testament-dispensation as you know Apricocks and other fruit that are upon a Wall under the direct influence or powerful reflection of the Sun-beams are sooner ripe and sweeter when ripe than such as are in the shadow so our fruits in Gospel-times should be better than theirs under the Law but alas how far do we fall short of Davids warm spirit for God or the holy acts put forth by the Saints of God under types and shadows when these sweet mercies were not so clearly revealed to them and the Sun of Righteousness beat not so hot upon them Ah Christians if you would study mercies more your spirits would be in a better frame for duty David saith I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy Temple Psal 5.7 observe it the sense of Gods mercy is an excellent ingredient in the Worship of God yea it begets an holy awe of God for these two are very consistent and indeed nothing is so prevalent a motive to duty and disswasive from iniquity and perswasive to the exercise of repentance as sense of mercy is this truth Scripture and experience will abundantly confirm But I have been too large on this subject only let Gods Children be humbled for their too too legal spirits and breath after a more Evangelical Spirit by the studying of these mercies rather than poring upon guilt and wrath So much for the fourth Use CHAP. X. V. THE fifth Use of Exhortation is to all sorts of persons to look after their share in these sure mercies of David and oh that I had a Tongue and Pen to drive this nail home Oh what a mercy now would it be if by these sure mercies of David and Discourses about them some soul were enamoured therewith and set in good earnest to make them its own But shall I need to use many arguments to perswade any poor soul to accept of mercy Yes certainly the most part of the World forsake their own mercies by observing lying vanities and they that can experimentally distinguish betwixt a gracious and graceless heart find that 't is the hardest thing in the World to close in with mercies in Gods way 't is an easie thing for a secure sinner to presume upon mercy to make mercy a pillow to sleep upon with ease to build Castles in the Aire and feed our selves with groundless conceits of the mercy of God this any one can do but to be got of our own bottoms to despair in our selves to accept of Jesus Christ give up our selves to God in Covevant venture a troubled heart upon the promises of Free-grace this is an high and hard work an arduous and difficult undertaking but this is done by every converted sinner and a soul never obtains mercy till it be indeed savingly converted 1 Tim. 1.13 if you be Lo-ammi Hos 1.6 9 not Gods people by way of Covenant you are Lo-ruhamah i. e. persons that have not obtained mercy Oh look after an interest in these sure mercies of David Consider 1. Nothing else in the World can be made sure we live in an inconstant World every thing is upon the wheel of change sublunary comforts are like the Moon sometimes at the full and sometimes in the wane nothing continues in a fixed station a man may be rich to day and poor to morrow therefore the Apostle calls them uncertain riches or uncertainty of riches in the abstract now then saith the Apostle Christians must lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come Bavyer Emp. of Germany said Hujusmodi comâ—arandâ—e sunt opâ—s quae cum naâ—fragio simul enatent Non est Paupertas pâ—curiae paucitas sed insatiabilitas quae si reâ—â—sserit qui bonus est dives quogâ—e fuâ—rit Clem. Alexand. Strom. lib. 2. 1 Tim. 6.17 18. Alas riches were never true to any that trusted to them the things of the World are like smoak or sand with which you cannot fill your hand who would be so fond of that which a man knows he cannot keep 't is the part of a wise man to purchase such an estate as he may enjoy friends goods honours health pleasures have their periods but these mercies are sure and everlasting Oh the vast difference it 's very considerable that the things that make us happy can only be made sure but the things of this World which cannot make us happy cannot be made sure and indeed whatever may be lost is not capable of making any truly happy now Heavenly things are durable as well as suitable to the soul therefore let us all take the counsel of our Lord Jesus in Mat. 6.19.20 Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where Thieves break through and steal But lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal 2. Except you have an interest in these sure mercies common mercies are accursed to you nor indeed have you any real Covenant-title to any thing you enjoy whatever interest you have before men in foro humano yet in foro Dei you are in the Court of Heaven in a sort usurpers however you have forfeited all by actual rebellion and have but what you enjoy as condemned Prisoners or Malefactors to keep you alive till execution of the righteous sentence of condemnation Oh the woful condition of Unconverted sinners they are accursed with a Gospel-curse 1 Cor. 16.22 Prov. 3.33 and under a dreadful sentence of excommunication there 's a curse in their houses on their actions on their relations as to them there 's a curse upon their very blessings Mal. 2.2 there 's a plague in their apparel poison in their meat and we may say death is in the Pot as to all their enjoyments my meaning is nothing is truly sanctified or perfumed with Covenant-mercy and if God give it a commission whatever they enjoy may be their bane whithersoever they go a curse goes
with them whatever they partake of a curse meets them in it whoever they are with a curse attends them Oh fearful state it was sad to be under the curse of a mortal man C ham found his Father Noah's curse heavy but oh how heavy is the curse of Almighty God who with a word can send the soul into Hell and follow his stroke into another World dear friends who would live in this cursed state another hour on the contrary whosoever hath these mercies of the Covenant hath all blessings blessed yea and also crosses and in a sort curses are turned into blessings who would not be covetous of such a state But to hasten 3. Without these Covenant-mercies the soul is not accepted in its choicest duties neither person nor performance is owned by God it is only upon a Covenant-account that any are accepted indeed in the Covenant of works the person was accepted for the works sake but in the Covenant of Grace God accepts the person first then the work if the man be in Christ then the offering is taken in good part though it be but a Turtle-dove or young Pigeon though but a sigh or groan God takes a Posie of Flowers of sweet-smelling Graces though mixed with stinking Weeds and pricking Bryars of vanity and corruption gathered by a Child and perfumed by Christs Mediation and is better pleased therewith than with the most odoriferous gifts of uncoverted souls where the heart is destitute of Covenant graces Prov. 15.8 alas the prayer of the wicked is abomination to God the great and jealous God challengeth the wicked man that hath not covenant-Covenant-mercies in his heart for taking Covenant-promises into his mouth Psal 50.16 17. What hast thou to do saith God q. d. thou poor graceless sinner thou profanest my holy name and provokest the eyes of my glory in the works and worship by which thou thinkest thou dost most honour and pleasest me in the state wherein thou art I cannot endure to look towards thee I abhorr thy person and performance thy costly incense is a smoak in my nose I can see through thy painted beauty at thy rotten inside thy guilded Eloquence and Rhetorical Flourishes are no more to me than the roaring of Bears or howling of Doggs get out of my sight thou sorry whining hypocrite all thy duties are as Cyphers and signifie nothing except the Mediatour as the principal and only figure be set before them and the spirit of God write and indite them which are two of the greatest mercies of the new Covenant Ah sirs God doth despise the most melodious Tunes of wicked men Psal 51.17 but a broken and contrite heart he despiseth not that 's sweet Musick in his blessed â—ears for a broaken heart is a Covenant-mercy these mercies are brave Ornaments â—o believing souls and render them lovely and amiable in the sight of God every penitent Tear is a rich Pearl every Prayer pierceth Heaven and fetcheth down abundant incomes from the Throne of Grace Oh what a difference do these mercies make â—n persons performances and acceptance with God 4. Without these mercies you have no solid ground of peace comfort or satisfaction for without these you are not only under the sentence of condemnation but â—ou have no real ground to hope that the sentence shall not be executed this very â—our 't is a wonder to think that graceless â—ouls should be so merry that are hanging over the pit of Hell but by the rotten â—read of a mortal life Oh how suddenly â—ay this brittle glass be broken and they â—e gone for ever for ought they know â—hen they go to bed God may say as â—ce he did to one as rich and secure as â—ese sensual sots this night shall thy soul 〈◊〉 required from thee 't is a wonder to me â—ow souls can rest quietly that are conscious to themselves or groundedly suspect they are not in Covenant with God and so know not that they shall be another moment out of Everlasting torments Redâ—e praevaricatores ad cor inhaerete ei qui sacit vos state cum to stabâ—tis requiescite in eo qâ—ieâ—i eritis Quo itis in aspectu qâ—o itis bonum quod amatis ab illo est sed quantum est illum bonom est ad suave Vid Aug. conf lib. 4. c. 12. but God leaves them to seared Consciences and Satan and the World joyn with their deceitful lusts to lull them asleep till God awake them by true repentance or eternal vengeance but God hath â— time to shake the foundations of this bastard-peace and set the soul upon the sure bottom of Covenant-relation and interest in Jesus Christ which only brings true content and comfort peace that passeth understanding joy in the Holy Ghost and a sweet Sabbath of refreshment to the tossed soul here the noble soul may as iâ— were terminate its desires and expatiate its largest faculties upon its only portion God in Covenant and thence will resulâ— continual ground of triumph and exaltation for these mercies are suitable and adaequate to the immortal soul and will support iâ— under greatest outward pressures and iâ— the hour of death therefore I may conclude this Exhortation with ver 2. of this Chapter Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not hearken diligently unto me and cat ye that which is good anâ— let your soul delight it self in fatness 5. These mercies of the Covenant will render your condition safe whatever befalls you we little know what may befall us betwixt this and the grave who knows what a day may bring forth man is born to trouble a Saint is born again to more bad news may come as Jobs Messengers treading in each others steps losses and crosses may put us on sad discouragements Oh but now to have a Covenanted God a Christ and all the fore-mentioned Covenant-mercies to solace the soul what mercy will this be when the true Christian can say I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine my flesh and heart fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever let the Sea roare Men rage Heavens look black and Earth tremble I lye at Anchor in a sure Port I trust in God Psal 112.7 Psal 46.1 2. and fear no evil tidings from below God is my refuge and help yea my present help in time of trouble evils shall either miss me or mend me all winds blow my soul nearer my Haven all dispensations hitch me a step nearer Heaven for all things work together for my good my Covenanted God will teach me to profit by Word Rod by Mercys Crosses Ordinances Providences God is my Sun and Shield to enlighten me in times of darkness to protect me in times of danger he will command a guard of Angels to attend me yea his wings shall cover me his comforts shall refresh my soul he will guide me here
unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Isa 55.7 they are mercies fear not being made welcome they are sure mercies fear not disappointment thou hast a tender of mercies that 's mercy yea such a mercy as the fallen Angels never had or ever shall have and if thou refuse thou dost not only neglect a great salvation but the Devils shall rise up in judgement against thee it 's a wonder of mercies that thou art not past hopes of mercies thou hast run a wild course yet there 's hope if now thou come upon the call of mercy all the condition God requires is acceptance of Christ and Grace it sticks at your wills and if you wilfully reject mercy what must save you if you will be damned who can hinder you you must thank your selves for ever the God of mercy stands waiting at your door the Prince of peace purchased mercy at a dear rate the spirit of grace knocks and put in his blessed finger at the hole of the door will not yet your bowels move towards him he beseecheth you to be reconciled that might with a word command you into Hell and will you have no bowels of mercy towards your own souls Ministers Intreat 2 Cor. 5.20 Rom. 12.1 Travel Study Weep and earnestly beseech you for mercies sake to come in and yet will you stand out and must I after all this pains leave you short of mercy these sure and sweet mercies God forbid however remember you were warned CHAP. XI VI. THE sixth Use is of Instruction and Direction to sinners and Saints wherein I shall as paper-room permits â—ay before you four sorts of Directions 1. What is a poor soul to do that he may obtain interest in these mercies 2. How a doubting soul may be assured of these Covenant-mercies 3. In what cases may a Christian improve Covenant-mercies 4. How a good soul that hath interest in these mercies is to behave himself For the first which concerns graceless â—uls poor unregenerate Creatures if any â—ch enquire what they must do that they may have a part and portion in these sure â—ercies of David I shall briefly propound â—ese seven Directions 1. Make a strict enquiry into your state â—â—ligently examine what title you have to â—e Mercies of the Covenant practise this â—eat and much neglected duty of self-tryal whether you have closed with the Covenant whether Christ be in you 2 Cor. 13.5 or you be 〈◊〉 Christ whether faith be in you or you 〈◊〉 in the faith self-knowledge is a good â—gree towards saving grace Authology is â—e first step to Theology a man cannot will not look after mercy till he know his own misery they that conceit themselves to be something deceive themselves therefore let every man prove his own work Gal. 6.3 4. Oh how many thousands with aâ— vain hope do descend into everlasting burnings how many presume they have as good a title to mercy as any and fall short of it mistakes in this point are dangerous and damning therefore soul try thy title be 〈◊〉 a point concerning thy state some aâ— Children of wrath and have not obtained mercy yea all are such by nature that Grace that changeth our title changeth our spirits therefore deal faithfully with your own hearts ask them whether they bâ— renewed changed soundly converted ask your selves whether you be new Creatures be not put off with silence or a slight answer remember life and death depends on the resolution of this important question you must be tryed another day you cannoâ— evade Gods impartial search only consider there 's no returning back to mend the matter as you are found then at the gret day so must you abide for ever but here 〈◊〉 you find a flaw in your title you may have it well repaired and this is the first step to mending what 's amiss therefore gâ— a distinct knowledge of your state 2. Work on your hearts the misery of souls being destitute of these sure mercies yea if upon serious examination you 〈◊〉 that your souls have no interest therein oâ— consider what a dreadful doleful state your souls are in you are indeed Lo-ruhamahs bond-slaves of Satan enemies to God destitute of Christ and have nothing to do with the good things of the Gospel take your state from the blessed Apostle or rather from the infallible dictates of the Holy Ghost Ephes â—2 12 without Christ whatever confident claim you may lay to him however you may boast of him Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel i. e. no members of the true Church though you may presumptuously call and account your selves the only Sons of the Church you have nothing to do with the spiritual priviledges and sweet Communion of Saints you are strangers from the Covenants of Promise i. e. you are not in this new Covenant but under that of works and have not right to any one promise and so to no Gospel-mercy and therefore without hope yea without God in the World 't is inexpressible yea inconceivable misery that a graceless soul is in it is ready every moment to drop into Hell must be shut out of Heaven God is angry with him every moment Satan hath him in a string leads him whither he list and if he dye this moment he is gone for ever Oh work on your hearts such sad thoughts as these awake Conscience rouze up affections then cry out with the Publican striking on your breast God be merciful to me a sinner Wo is me Luk. 18.13 wretched Creature that I am what shall I do I am undone the guilt of sin is upon me mercy is far from me I have despised free-grace and now I may fear mercy is turned into sury long forbearance will end in just vengeance Oh is there any hope for a forlorn wretch have not I worn out my day of grace is there any hope for me surely a little mercy will not serve my turn I am a great sinner yea the chiefest of sinners there must be a larger dole of mercy to me than others Oh what shall I do men and brethren what must I do to be saved thus sirs bemoan your state it 's not a saying all are sinners and God is merciful that will serve the turn but you must be sin-sick then you 'l desire a Physitian else you 'l slight and scorn both Christ and Covenant Mat. 9.12 13. and all the mercies thereof 3. Be thankful for but be not content with common mercies they are good in their kind and for their use and ends but these are not suitable to or sufficient for the soul a Christian should be content with any thing in the World yet content with nothing in the World the worst of the World doth please a Child of God with God the best of it cannot should not please him without God you must look on these things as good
obstruct your diligence in this great and weighty case who would live at such uncertainties as the most do who would have his life to hang in doubt in a meer conjecture especially when it is in this great case of Conscience whether the soul must live in Heaven or Hell but most of all considering that our very lives are so uncertain that the next moment we may step into Eternity the God of Heaven awake the Saints of God who have indeed an interest in these mercies to use all means to know they have an interest therein that they may know they are of the truth and assure their hearts before him as the Apostle speaks 1 Joh. 3.19 CHAP. XIII III. THE third head of Directions iâ— this In what cases may a Covenanted soul make use of or improve these sure mercies of David In answer to this I shall propound these seven cases wherein a gracious soul may and must have recourse to these Covenant mercies 1. In case of dissetling suggestions tâ— Atheism or unbelief when reason begin to dispute the being of God or the truth of Scriptures and shakes our confidence or strikes at the foundation then study and improve these sure undoubted mercies and lean upon Divine Authority if God speak it the thing is out of doubt his ipsâ— dixit is beyond all demonstrations Divines distinguish of maxims in Divinity some whereof are mixtly Divine other are meerly Divine Primo creduâ—tur postea intelliguntur in truths of the former sort reason may serve in the second place first they are believed then understood as a man believes the immortality oâ— the soul then he begins to take up the same from reason Rationes precedentes minuunt fidem sed rationes subsequentes augent fidâ—m only reason must not herâ— come before faith but know her place for if she should offer to go before aâ— an Usher to make way for faith wâ— should never believe therefore Schoolmen say Reasons going before Faith weakenâ— faith but reasons coming after faith strengthens it so that reason makes not the matter more sure ex parte veritatis dictantis in respect of God the speaker See Weem's Pourtrait of Imag. Ep. to Read sed ex parte intellectus dissentientis in respect of the weakness of our understanding But now in things that are meerly Divine and fall directly under faith as the Mysterie of the Trinity of Incarnation reason hath nothing to do but admire those hid mysteries that she can never reach unto Oh take heed of doubting or unbelief Gospel-mysteries are without all Controversie here thy way is not to dispute but believe Gods Word is more than all the protestations asseverations bonds or obligations of all the men in the World Consider what 's said in the Doctrinal part and give your full assent to all revealed truths you may better believe God than your senses Senses may deceive us God cannot many men are bruitish will believe nothing but what is within the reach of sense they are meer Sadduces about spirits and spiritual things but sirs will you belive nothing but what you see then surely you 'l not believe that there is such a City as Rome or London because you have not seen them But let me tell you that that tempting spirit who perswades you now to doubt of the being of God and the reality of Divine things cannot doubt thereof himself for he to his cost feels the truth thereof though without any comfortable interest therein the Devil believes and trembles Jam. 2.19 O therefore Non est disputatio aâ—t â—ubitatio post Evangâ—lium reveâ—â—tum silence all unbelieving and disputing thoughts doubt not after these clear revelations and demonstrations admit not this grand Gospel-sin of unbelief this damning infidelity but cry out as the poor man Lord I believe help thou my unbelief Mark 9.24 2. In case of guilt upon the Conscience and fears of acceptance then have recourse to these sure mercies of David these are mercies therefore mercy is working towards a poor sinner in misery they are made sure by Christ to all Heirs of Promise and though thou canst not sensibly apprehend him by faith at some times yeâ— he can powerfully comprehend thee what though thy sins be many yet mercy answers all demerits 't is not only mercy but mercies multitudes of tender mercies he is plenteous in mercy and will abundantly pardon he doth not consult thy fitness but his free-grace come then poor guilty sinner venture thy weary soul upon these sure mercies he iâ— meeting thee half way as the Prodigalâ— Father and ready to fall upon thy neck his bowels are yerning towards thy sinning soul he is very free and liberal 〈◊〉 distributing be not thou coy and shy in entertaining these sure mercies hâ— waits to be gracious do thou bid hiâ— gracious tenders welcome Yea but saith the troubled soul though there be mercies yet I question whether they belong to me I know they are sure to some but 't is a great question whether I be of that number and I reply why not to thee what Scripture or reason hast thou to suspect that thou art excluded the grant is in general terms Jesus Christ came to seek and save what was lost and thou art lost and feelest thy self to be lost doth not he bid weary souls come to him if thou wert righteous thou mightest justly fear thou mightest go without him but thou saist thou art a sinner and thou knowest he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance thou art a sinner a great sinner yea chiefest of sinners and did not Paul look upon himself as such and yet he obtained mercy and consider soul if thou hast no interest in these mercies whence â—hen are all those fears doubts jealousies complaints enquiries whence are these sad and dreadful apprehensions of thy sin and misery these convictions of the nothingness of thy duties and sufficiency of mercies only to relieve thy perishing soul whence are those meltings of heart for â—ffending bowels of mercy and strugâ—lings against sin from the sense of mercy â—hat mean those prayers and tears those â—ossings of thy soul betwixt hopes and â—ears about thy interest in mercy and yet thou who thus complainest wouldst not give up thy title or quit thy claim to these Covenant-mercies for a full possession of all the common mercies in the World thou art not content without these thy enquiry is chiefly after these thy expectation iâ— most from and dependance most upon these Covenant-mercies these and these alone are thy salvation and desire But suppose the worst that thy soul hath no interest as yet in these why shouldst thou despair of future interest shouldst thou not rather put it out of doubt by a present application thereof by actual believing stand out stand off no longer take Christ upon his own terms give up thy self to him give him the glory of believing remember alâ— the ways the
they are dear to Jesus Christ but free to us they are purchased with the warmest blood in the veins of the Son of God yea he thought his dearest heart-blood well bestowed to purchase these sure mercies he sees of the Travel of his soul and is well satisfied the fruits of his purchase are the joy of his heart he thinks these worth all his pains pain and dolours God the father is well pleased and accounts these mercies a valuable fruit of his Sons purchase and shall not we be thankful 3. They are Deep mercies Aquae quo sunt profundiores eo sunt puriores quoniam crassa terrea materia in profundum depressa est hinc profunditatem a quarum bibea Ezek. 34.18 high and broad and have all the dimensions of greatness Psal 36.5 6. these mercies can fetch up a drooping despairing soul out of the grave yea out of Hell be the soul sunk as low as sin can make it in this World these mercies can fetch it up and raise it out of the grave and pit of silence and save to the uttermost Oh what a long arm of mercy hath been reached forth unto your troubled hearts in your low estate and doth not this deserve thankfulness 4. They are Designed mercies purposely designed aimed and intended to set forth riches of grace the infinite contrivance of the blessed God to magnifie riches of love to sinners 't is true God intended to set off his power wisdom justice truth but he hath magnified his mercy above all the rest of his name it 's beyond the rest of his works the attributes of God are set very high but mercy sits in the chiefest Throne he declares to Angels and Saints what he can do for sorry man oh advance free-grace 5. They are Dignifying mercies such honour have all his Saints oh what an height doth God raise his Covenant-Children to he deals bountifully with them by these Covenant-mercies was David raised up on high 2 Sam. 23.1 and therefore confesseth that God regarded him according to the estate of a man of high degree 1 Chron. 17.17 and truly it is the highest preferment in the World to partake of these sure mercies and therefore we have great cause of thankfulness 6. They are Sanctifying mercies they season all other mercies and make common mercies to become Covenant-mercies yea they make crosses mercies they perfume the most offensive griefs and are like Moses's Tree that sweetens the Waters of Marah if you poure a paile of Water on the floor it seems a little Sea but pour it into the Ocean it 's swallowed up and seems nothing so afflictions out of the Covenant are intollerable but as in Covenant-love they are inconsiderable the depth of mercies drowns the depth of miseries and is not this ground of thankfulness 7. They are Separating mercies hereby are Gods Children distinguished from all the people that are upon the face of the Earth Exod. 33.16 19. even in their finding grace in Gods sight and his presence with them and making his goodness pass before them if there be any discriminating mercies for any of the Children of men as protection provision direction these Covenant-mercies usher them in and sort them out to the heirs of Promise and if they be good for them they shall partake thereof then bless God 8. They are Sealing mercies they signifie exhibit and represent Gods love to the soul where-ever these mercies are laid up in the breast of a sinner that soul is the Jedidiah or beloved of Gods soul they testifie such a souls relation to God and Gods affection to it wicked men are strangers to Covenant-love Gods people are the proper subjects of these endeared thoughts of Gods heart and are you of that number oh give God the glory of this mercy 9. They are Extensive mercies they are exceeding broad they have wide arms and embrace all the heirs of Promise not a gracious soul though never so poor is left out yea they are largely extended to every Christians state case exigency and necessity let doubts be what they will let â—ears falls faults be sad and soul-astonishing yet these sure mercies will answer all they are commensurate and proportionated to all conditions of soul body estate relations oh bless God for them 10. They are Comprehensive mercies they contain all the good that God promiseth or a soul needeth grace and glory holiness and happiness peace and pardon all our fresh springs are herein the good things of this life and of a better and there are many precious things put forth by this Sun of righteousness in a Covenant-way Oh what cause have we to bless God and admire free-grace that hath not only given us the spiritual good things of his Kingdom righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost but temporal good things by a sure and sweet tenure so that these sure mercies of the Covenant insure unto us the corporal mercies that are good for us and and after another and better manner than any uncovenanted persons though never so great can enjoy them for in a Covenant-way believers do enjoy common-common-mercies 1. More refinedly taken off the dregs oâ— cares and sorrows Prov. 10.22 a Saints bread Psal 81.16 though never so course is of the finest of the wheat and he is satisfied with honey out of the rock Luk. 8.18 Psal 39. yea they come 2. More really other comforts are but seeming comforts as man walketh in a vain shew so what he enjoys is but a dream but outward comforts coming through the blood of Christ are solid substantial refreshments again they come more 3. Sweetly have not those prickles and stings that worldly things have to natural men Oh the peace and quietness that a Christian enjoys with outward comforts and further comforts come to a Child of God more 4. Serviceably the creature doth homage to its Maker and Masters Children so that what they have is for their good and doth them good and comforts also come more 5. Satisfyingly a Godly man is more contented with his little than the men of the world can be with abundance a little that the righteous hath is better than the riches of many wicked Psal 37.16 and then a Child of God enjoys his comforts in a Covenant-way more safely he needs not fear want bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure Isai 33.16 God is the Christians purse-bearer and it 's in safer hands than in his own and they are here more 7. Lastingly we shall have corporal mercies as long as we need them and when we need them not they shall be swallowed in eternal enjoyments O therefore let the Saints of God be truly thankful let the high praises of God be in their mouths this is the chief rent and reasonable Tribute that God expects for these sure mercies sacrifice these sacrifices of thanksgiving take this Cup of salvation and give God the praise that 's due unto his name Begin that work here in time which shall be fully managed by the ransomed of the Lord to all Eternity this this shall be the burden of the Saints triumphant Song in Heavenly Mansions that glorious pallace shall ring and eccho with the blessed note of mercy mercy free-grace laid the foundation and grace grace only lays the top-stone of Saints glory Oh how will God be admired by and in all that believe at that day well sirs begin those Hosanna's here that will be seconded with Hallelujahs hereafter speak well of your gracious God admire this new-Covenant design and let him have all the glory of this blessed contrivance so shall you accomplish Gods end and evidence your Covenant-interest in these sure mercies of David Thus though these Divine graces which adorn the Temple of a Christians breast do sometimes disappear and sin costs the soul some tears yet the gracious soul hath abundant ground of thankfulness for the whole transaction take it in Divine Herbert's Poem of Church-floor Mark you the floor that square and speckled ston which looks so firm and strong is Patience And th' other black and grave wherewith eacâ— on is checker'd all along Humility The gentle rising which on either hand leads to the Quire above is Confidence But the sweet Cement which in one sure band tyes the whole frame is Love and Charity Hither sometimes sin steals and stains the Marbles neat and curious veins But all is cleansed when the Marble weeps Sometimes death puffing at the door blows all the dust about the floor But while he thinks to spoil the room he sweeps Blest be the Architect whose art could build so strong in a weak heart FINIS
THE SURE MERCIES OF DAVID Or a Second Part of HEART-TREASURE Wherein is contained the supream and substance of Gospel-mercies purchased by Christ and Promised in the Covenant of Grace together with the several ways how they are made sure to all the Heirs of Promise and how they are to be improved for the Saints Fort and Defence Settlement and Incouragement in shaking and back-sliding times Being the fruit of some Meditations upon Isa 55.3 By O. Heywood an unprofitable Minister of the Gospel Zech. 9.11 As for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy Prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water Evangelium est ceu vehiculum quoddam per quod ad nos defertur Christus cum justitia suâ omnibus donis Luth. tom 3. f. 428. a. LONDON Printed by R. W. for Tho. Parkhurst and are to be sold at his Shop at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chappel To all the Heirs of Promise the Saints of the most high God the Sons and Daughters of Abraham whom God hath betrothed to himself in the sweet Gospel-Covenant and who live in hopes of their nuptial day preparing in grace to enter into the chambers of glory at death and the general Resurrection grace mercy and peace TWo things my Dearly beloved in the Lord are absolutely necessary to make souls happy 1. That the â—hing possessed be fully adaequate to the nature of the soul 2. That â—t be made over to it legally and everlastingly for if either any thing be defective at present to give content or there be danger of losing it it is not commensurate to the souls state or need for as this immortal spark infused into man whereby he is a rational creature is vast and capacious in its desires and dimensions so it is very lasting yea everlasting in its continuance and duration therefore its riches that must make it happy must be both suitable and durable But all the creatures fall short in both the soul of man travelling through this spacious universe upon the feet of its affections and following the guidance of the intellectual faculties the souls ear and eye can get no satisfying sight or report in answer to that curious inquest who will shew me any good to fix upon the creature is to set our eyes upon that which is not for its vanity yea to place our hopes on that which hath a lye in its right hand and so becomes vexation of spirit in an astonishing disappointment woe were to man if there were no hopes for him but in this life and great were his infelicity if what Atheists say and think that there is no God were true how poorly should this Princely thing in man be served with the sordid husks of creatures how base and bruitish would its life be how well becoming man would that Epitaph be of the Epicure which Cicero saith was fitter to be writ on an Oxes grave than mans Haec habeo quae edi quaeque exsaturata libido hausit the things my greedy appetite hath devoured are mine as they cry But let such Brutified Sots that understand nothing of the worth or proper food of immortal souls feed on husks let the Heaven-born Saints aspire to other nourishment if the mixed multitude of common professors linger after the Aegyptian food of Cucumbers Numb 11.4 5. Qui mundo adhaeserunt ut marinis petris alga contemnunt immortalitatem sicut Senex Ithacensts qui non veritatem coel stem patriam eam quae vere est lucem sed fumum optabat Clem. Alexand. adm ad gen Melons Leeks Onions and Garlick the real Saints feed on Heavenly Manna the flesh and blood of Christ is the proper pabulum animae or nourishment of the soul the soul hath a more tender appetite which requires answerable food it cannot feed on such course stuffe as worldly delights hear David begging as for an alms but what alms begs he mercies but what mercies tender mercies Psal 40.11 withhold not thy tender mercies from me O Lord q. d. there are common mercies that fill the bellies and cloath the bodies of good and bad but these will not serve my turn nor save my soul the mercies that will do me good for ever are tender things of another stamp that come streaming through the blood of a Mediator that are dipt in Covenant love and such as can fill and feed and feast my soul for ever These are the mercies that God hath dropt into your bosoms oh the heirs of promise and these are the mercies described and deciphered in this Treatise I have gone out to measure the Land of Promise and according to grace received I have viewed it in the length and breadth thereof and I have no reason to bring up an evil report on it it 's a Land flowing with Milk and Honey a blessed and beautiful Land which God careth for and if the Lord delight in you he will bring you into it what though there be Giants and Anakims of opposition in Heavens way fear them not for they are bread for us shall turn to the Saints nourishment and their defence is departed from them the Lord is with us Let not our hearts faint God will carry us as upon Eagles Wings he will give us a pillar of Cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night sure mercies in the way and everlasting mercies in the end this is the true Arabia felix yet far beyond that which though it abounded with spices and gold profits and pleasures yet stupifies the senses of the inhabitants with its suffocating sweetness but there 's no nauseous disgusting of heavenly delights by those that partake thereof the longer you enjoy them the more you long after them and the fuller draught you take the sweeter rellish they have Oh the pleasure a soul may have in divine things other things will stink in comparison of these ravishing delights no pleasures like those that come from above but that which adds an Emphasis to these is that they are sure as well as sweet abiding as well as abounding pleasures God the Author and object of them is immutable the spring of them the love of God the meritorious cause Christs blood the way of conveyance precious promises all these are settled and the same as long as the soul needs mercies it enjoys them for we have grace to help in time of need God will not men cannot pluck away these mercies from you you that have a well-grounded title thereunto God will not for the gifts and callings of God are without repentance and whom he loves once he loves to the end men cannot for they are above and beyond their reach Sole sale omnia conservantur these mercies are made sure to you by a Covenant of Salt which is a symbole of incorruption they wear not away with length of time nor are they snatcht away by humane violence the Tyrants rage cannot pluck sure mercies
out of your hearts hands this consideration is of singular use in a losing time men may take away our estates liberties priviledges but they cannot take away our mercies they may degrade us and remove us from our functions and offices but cannot dissettle our souls from relation to Christ or state of grace or blessed influences of grace Fox Mart. Vol. 1. p. â—20 When Popish Bishops took from John Husse the Chalice saying Oh cursed Judas we take away from thee this Chalice of thy salvation he answered but I trust unto God the Father omnipotent and my Lord Jesus Christ for whose sake I suffer these things that he will not take away the Chalice of his redemption but have a stedfast and firm hope that this day I shall drink thereof in his Kingdom Yea men may take away the members of the body but not the graces and comforts of the soul Notable is the story of Agatha the primitive Martyr Quintiliano dixisse ferunt ex cujus jussu praecisae sunt ipsi mammillae annâ—n te pudet Tyrone membrum illud in me amputare quod in matre suxisti verum age saevi quantum poteris duae tamen supersunt mammillae quas nequis attingere fidei una spei altera hae mihi vel in mediis tormentis solamen tutamen suppeditant earum alimento sustinendi virtus in me reparatur Dr. Arrows Tact. sac p. 195. who when Quintilian had commanded her breasts to be cut off art thou not ashamed O Tyrant said she to cut off that member in me which thou suckedst in thy mother but â—o to rage as much as thou canst yet two breasts are left which thou canst â—ot touch the one of faith the other of â—ope these supply me with comfort and safety in the midst of torments and abundant strength is repaired in me by the nourishment I have by them to endure Alas it were a sad state of an immortal soul to have nothing but what supplys corporal wants how soon will worm or moth or fire or thieves or tyrants make a prey of visible riches the good things of Saints are invisible happy are you whose mercies are divine you need not fear plundring or spoiling of your best goods these are the true riches Omnia â—â—m aliis communia habent tanquam ciâ—s omnia patiuntur tanquam pâ—egriai omnis pâ—regrina regio patris est eorâ—m omnis patria est peregrina Just Mart. eâ—â—d Diâ—g vid. plura though you be poor in this world yet if you beâ— rich in faith you are heirs of a Kingdom you live as strangers and Pilgrims for your estates lyeâ— in another Countrey and indeed a Christian is a Paradox in this as Justin Martyr observes of the ancient Christians that they inhabit their own Countrey but as strangers theâ— have all things common with others aâ— Citizens yet suffer all things as Pilgrims every strange Region is their Countrey and every Countrey a strange Region a Christians politicks are seemingly contradictory and truly mysterious they make a common table yet not polluted they are in the flesh but live not after the flesh they live on earth but have their conversation in Heaven they obey Laws established yet by their way of living go beyond laws they love all and are persecuted by all they are not known yet condemned they are killed yet made alive they are poor yet inrich many they want all things yet abound in all things they are disgraced yet thereby honoured c. Thus he proceeds shewing the state of Christians which is the same now oh what a mysterie yet felicity it is to be a Saint all things are yours though nothing were yours a Saint by Covenant hath right to all and shall have actual possession of what is for his good the Saints rule the earth themselves being trampled on by all they pass through the world as Conquerours and carry the spoils along with them as Trophies to death and when death is swallowed up in victory these blessed Champions arise triumphant in glory Oh Christians study your state know your priviledges be always triumphing in Christ live at the rate of these mercies make no reckoning of the world but as a foot-stool to raise you higher God-wards or as a stepping-stone to pass forward through this dirty world Heaven-wards thereby bless God for the least outward mercy but be not put off with the greatest a little with God is enough all things without God are nothing suppose you be below the higher part of the dust of the earth in riches power and glory yet you are above them in grace true riches and favour with the God of Heaven therein he makes amends as the Jews have a Fable that the Waters Terrestrial in the beginning took it ill they must be divided from the Coelestial by the Firmament he pacifies them by promising a Sacred use of them below in the Tabernacle of the Covenant so although you are set below others in other things yet in this you have preheminence above them that you are interested in and imployed about these Covenant-mercies this is abundant compensation be not discouraged whatever you suffer here 't is not Hell whatever you lose for God Heaven will make amends faithful is he that hath promised who also will do it God is yet able to pay his debts as able and willing as to the first man that ever sued for performance of a promise never any went away grumbling or charging God as some men are too justly accused that he minds not what he saith when David through weakness of faith began to stagger and expostulate saying doth his promise fail for evermore he quickly checks himself with that reflection And I said this is my infirmity Psal 77.8 10. It were a blessed thing which Luther wisheth for that our faith were as certain and firm as the thing it self believed Optarim fidâ—â—tam certaâ— firmam â—sse quâ—m â—es ipsa verwn peccatum in carâ—e râ—sistit spâ—rituiâ—ut non possitam firmiter credere Luth. but alas sin in the flesh doth resist the spirit so as we cannot so firmly believe as he complains the way to stability is acting of faith believe and ye shall be established as long as we consult with reason we shall still be fluctuating persons expedient for establishment after many temptations of doubt concerning a main article of faith was an hearty humiliation and captivating his understanding to the obedience of faith which brought such clear light of truth and certitude into his soul that there remained no reliques at all of dubitation we may all cry out with the Disciples Lord increase our faith alas the want of faith is the root of all actual sins and insensibleness yea the want of a through perswasion of the reality of divine things undoth the world most men do but read the Gospel as a fine fiction or a well-composed Romance but work not their hearts to credit
these things a may be or may not be in a conjectural uncertainty is all they arrive unto however they do not follow home the light and perswasions they have alas did souls seriously think of this that as sure as they are men or women as certainly as they eat and drink work and sleep so certainly there is a God a Christ grace pardon guilt Heaven Hell which they must very shortly feel this could not but have a strange influence upon their hearts and lives their affections and conversations oh what persons should Saints be if they lived under the through impressions and convictions of the certainty of divine revelations It were a blessed effect if all the Treatises that have of late been writ might convince this prophane and Atheistical world of the certainty of Christianity many have travelled much in this with good success several ancient writers as Clemens Polycarpus Vid. Scultit med patrum Justinus Martyr Tatianus Iraeneus Athenagoras Tertullian have proved by demonstrative arguments the truth of Christian Religion against Jews Heathens c. and Grotius Morney of late and at this day Baxter Stillingfleet c. have put their sickle into this Harvest from whom the Church hath reaped precious fruit I pretend neither to the Learning or Authority of those famous Worthies but insist only upon the Sure Mercies of the Covenant as a poor Superstructure upon those Solid Foundations it was the design of Luke the Evangelist in Writing his Gospel to the noble and excellent Theophilus that he might be assured of the certainty of those things wherein he had been instructed Luk. 1.4 such a design have I in this small piece Oh that some might stand out and say as the Disciples now we are sure that thou knowest all things by this we believe that thou comest forth from God Joh. 16.30 oh sirs stick not in an uncertain conjecture arrive at a full assurance of understanding to the acknowledging of the mysterie of God Col. 2.2 pray for the spirit of Revelation that you may both know the certainty of Gospel-mysteries and mercies and your own interest therein that you may both be strong in faith and full of comfort advance higher daily in embracing unseen things rest not in a sceptical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Philosophical dubitation but strive to arrive at an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or firm demonstration rest your souls upon Divine Testimonies as to the object of faith and commit your souls to him in believing and well-doing for evidence of your state Remember that choice word Hos 6.3 then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord his going forth is prepared as the morning and he shall come unto us as the rain as the latter and former rain unto the earth that this and all other soul-helps may accomplish this great end of your edification consolation and salvation shall be the earnest Prayer of Your Soul-friend and Servant in Christ June 3. 1670. The Contents of the Book CHAP. I. THe Context and exposition of the words 1 Several Doctrines raised one insisted on 6 CHAP. II. What are the mercies of the Covenant 9 1. The parties covenanting 11 2. The consideration paid 12 3. The conditions required which are four 14 4. The graunt that 's God himself 15 1. What God is to the soul in four things 19 2. What God graunts to it 20 CHAP. III. In what respects these mercies are sure 26 1. Infallibility 28 2. Immutability 30 CHAP. IV. What ways God takes to make them sure 33 1. Passing his word ib. 2. Putting it into writing 34 3. Calling in witnesses ib. 4. Setting to his seal 35 5. A solemn oath 36 6. Giving a pledge 37 7. Doing a great part of the work 38 8. Confirmation by miracles 40 9. Singular ways of reporting them 41 10. Marriage knot made from Hos 2.19.43 CHAP. V. How these mercies are made sure in and by Christ viz. by 47 1. His hypostatical union ib. 2. His spiritual Vnction 49 3. The Covenant of redemption 50 4. The execution of his offices 53 As Prophet Priest King 54 In his state of Humiliation 55 Exaltation 56 Resurrection ib. Ascention 57 Session ib. Intercession 59 CHAP. VI. 1Vse of Confutation 63 1. Atheists ib. 2. Papists as to 1. Merit 67 2. Assurance 70 2. Arminians as to 1. Vniversal Redemption 72 2. Final Apostasie 75 4. Socinians concerning Christs satisfaction 76 CHAP. VII 2. Vse of instruction 1. In the difference betwixt the two Covenants 79 In this see 1. Gods grace and mercy ib. 2. His infinite wisdom 82 2. The difference betwixt Covenant and Common mercys 85 1. In the Fountain 86 2. In the dimensions ib. 3. In the operations 88 4. In the duration Of both 90 3. In the difference betwixt gifts graces 93 1. In their Original 94 2. In their Nature 95 3. In their Retinue ib. 4. In their Ends and Effects 96 4. See the Truth of Christian Religion 98 CHAP. VIII 3Vse Of Examination 104 1. Whether we have accepted God as our God 106 2. Whether we have given up our selves to him 109 1. Really 110 2. Readily 112 3. Resolvedly 114 4. Vnreservedly 116 i. e. Totally Finally 3. Whether we have new-covenant dispositions which are such as these viz. 1. Saving illumination 120 2. Law writ in our hearts 122 3. One heart one way 123 4. The fear of God 125 5. Sanctification 126 6. A new Heart Spirit 128 7. A soft Heart 129 8. Spiritual Obedience 131 4. Try by the nature of these sure mercies which are 1. Transforming Mercies 133 2. Comforting Mercies 134 3. Raising Mercies 135 4. Inlarging Mercies 136 CHAP. IX 4. Vse of Conviction 1. Of Sinners 1. They are under a sure sentence of wrath 138 2. Not sure to be a moment out of Hell 142 3. Their mistake will aggravate their state 144 4. The nature of these mercies Tormenting 145 2 Conviction is of Saints 1. They indent with God 149 2. They compound about these mercies 150 3. They live not upon them 152 4. They live not up to them 155 Walking 1. Vnholily 156 2. Vnsteadily 157 3. Vncomfortably 159 4. Vnfruitfully 162 Bringing forth small and sour fruits ib. CHAP. X. 5Vse of Exhortation Look after interest in these sure mercies pressed by Motives 166 1. Nothing else can be made sure 167 2. Else common mercies are accursed 168 3. Else choicest duties are not accepted 169 4. Else you can have no solid ground of peace 171 5. These render every state safe 173 6. These mercies influence our spirits 174 7. These bring the soul to Heaven 175 Children of godly Parents exhorted to embrace Covenant-mercies by two Arguments 177 CHAP. XI 6Vse is of Direction referring to four heads 1. What is a soul to do to get interest in these mercies 1. Make a strict enquiry into your state 185 2. Work on your hearts the mysterie of merciless state 186 3. Be thankful for not content with
habendum or the thing that we must have and hold Now all these are either expresly or implicitly held forth in one Scripture which is Heb. 8.10.1 Heb. 8.10 There is the parties Covenanting I and the house of Israel this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel 2. Here is the consideration evidently implyed in these words after those days i.e. after those dayes of Types Shadows and Prophecies in the fulness of time the Messiah shall come who is the substance and will satisfie divine justice and make an Attonement 3. Here is the condition of the Covenant plainly expressed in these words I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts i. e. I will give that which I require I will put within them a principle of Grace that they may love me believe in me repent for sin and obey the Gospel that 's the third 4. Here 's the grant or good to be enjoyed which is the end and result of all the former viz. I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people i.e. whatsoever I am or have or can do who am omnipotent shall be imployed for their good or whatsoever they would choose a God for or desire to be in a God that will I be to them with whom I contract this Covenant and I will own them as my peculiar people Now the mercies of the Covenant consist in these four particulars especially in the last I shall a little open these that we may the better find out the mercies wrapt in the Covenant of Grace 1. The parties that enter this Covenant are God and man Oh the infinite distance and vast disproportion quantus quantillo Heaven makes a match with earth the great Creator with a mortal creature the glorious King with a silly beggar is not this a rich mercy shall the Cedar in Lebanon contract a League not only with the contemptible shrub but with the pricking offensive thistle shall the Sun of Righteousness convey beams of love to such worthless worms yea to such stinking dung-hills shall the beauty of holiness be confederate with sorry man who is but a lump of vanity or mass of impurity Yet thus it is and this is transcendent mercy there 's mercy in a Covenant God might have dealt with man in a way of absolute soveraignty and done with man even as he pleased without giving us account of his matters but he treats with man in a rational way above the capacity of other creatures God takes man up to parly and treat with him as though he were his equal Psal 8.4 what is man that thou art thus mindful of him or the Son of man that thou visitest him this mutual stipulation is infinite condescention on Gods part and advancement on mans man only man of all the Creatures is the subject of this Covenant Angels had no need of it Devils had no hope by it bruit Creatures were not capable of it only man and fallen man hath interest in it and benefit by it Oh the mercy there is in a Covenant of reconciliation even after man had turned bankrupt spent a fair estate broken Covenant and brought himself into a desperate case that yet God should forget what was past enter into a new and better Covenant betrust him with a new stock and yet lay help not upon foolish mans weak shoulders but upon one that 's mighty to save Oh rich O transcendent Love this leads us to the second thing in this Covenant 2. The consideration paid that 's Jesus Christ Joh. 4.10 and he is eminently the gift of God such a gift as never came out of the hands of God and was never received by the hands of mortal man a rich and inriching gift a gift proceeding from love so God loved the world that he gave his Son Joh. 3.16 Christ is several wayes a gift 1. Nobis to us 1 Cor. 1.30 who of God is made unto us wisdom 2. Pro nobis for us Gal. 2.20 Who loved me and gave himself for me 3. Prae nobis before us as an example copy and pattern as he suffered for us so he left us an example 1 Pet. 2.21.4 In nobis in us so Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by faith Eph. 3.17 thus Christ is given to believers by sanctification and inhabitation of his spirit Now 't is the second way principally whereby Christ is the consideration or price paid in this new Covenant viz. as he is given for us a valuable consideration to pacifie wrath and satisfie justice thus is Jesus Christ the Lutron or price of our Redemption we are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 such a price as never was paid men pay money to purchase great possessions but we were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with blood yea with the precious blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 19. without shedding of blood there could be no remission yet the blood of Bulls or Goats could never take away sin Heb. 9.22 12. nay the blood of all the men upon earth could never wash away the guilt of the least sin no no it must be the blood of the immaculate Lamb the blood of God so called from the union of the two natures and communication of idioms or properties and this is the price paid the Father found out a ransome 1 Tim. 2.6 and our dear Saviour gave himself a ransome certainly this is a transcendent mercy of the New Covenant I dispute not those nice Controversies whether God could not have pardoned and saved man without the consideration of Christs undertakings or how God in justice can charge guilt and torment upon an innocent person this I am sure is Gods way of saving souls and we must not dispute but believe that Jesus Christ is the Mediatour of the Covenant and the price of our Redemption as God-man and this is the Marrow of the rich mercy and deep mysterie contained in the Gospel 3. In a Covenant is contained the couditions thereof what God requires of us without which we can have no benefit by the Covenant these also are to be reckoned as mercies of the Covenant on Gods part as well as duties on our part for they are secured and effected in us as well as commanded and required by God Luther makes this to be the main difference betwixt the two Covenants the Covenant of works requires obedience but gives no strength but the Covenant of Grace ingageth the Grace of God for the Elects performance of the conditions hence it is that what the Law commandeth Quod lex imperat gratia impetrat Evangelium dat quod lex exigit Aug. de spir littera the Gospel promiseth what God requireth Christ procureth what justice demandeth our dear saviour purchaseth and worketh by his spirit in the heart faith is the great Gospel-condition whereby Christ with all his benefits become ours but faith is the
the Author was known anâ— a seal is the mark whereby genuine things aâ— discerned from counterfeit all these are thâ— uses of the spirits sealing to confirm oâ—â— hearts in the truth of God in his promiseâ— against all the temptations of Satan thâ— blessed sealing is more prevalent for our coâ—firmation than all philosophical reasons oâ— demonstrations 5. Another way to beget assurance amoâ—â— men is a solemn Oath and we know an Oaâ— for confirmation is to them an end of all strisâ— Heb. 6.16 and thus God willing more abuâ—dantly to shew unto the heirs of promise thâ— immutability of his Council confirmed it bâ— an Oath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Invâ—tat praemio salutem jurans etiam vivo dicens câ—pit credi sibi O beatos nos queâ— causa deus jurat O misâ—rrimos sinec juranti domino credimus Tertâ— de poen or interposed himself by an Oathâ— it is very observable to consider the form 〈◊〉 the Oath God swears by himself who 〈◊〉 the living and true God he could swear by â—o greater and it is observed that two things make a thing more credible 1. the qualiâ—y of the person speaking 2. The manner of the speech Now the form of the Oath â—n Gen. 22.16 is exceeding emphatical to Abraham partly because of the asseveration surely Gen. 22.16 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est particula caâ—salis coaditionalis partly because of the duplication in blessing I will bless thee if I speak â—t it shall be done moreover the form of the expression in Genesis is strange for it is thus Quid tibi prodest si Deus se juramâ—nto oâ—stâ—ingâ—t si tu haec quasi communâ—m audiâ—ns fabulam transeas Jurare diâ—itâ—r deus ut tu audiens paveas intreâ—iscas metu consternatus inquiras quid illud tantum est pro â—o deus jurare dicitur Orâ—g Homil. 9. super Gen. 22. if I bless thee thou shalt be blessed or because I bless thee or if I do not bless thee which is the form of an Oath Heb. â—4 3 as if he should say then let me not be true just yea let me not be God God pawns his faithfulness upon it and may he not then be believed but for what end is this it is to confirm his promises and assure the hearts of all the heirs of promise that he intends to do and will accomplish what he hath spoken that they might have strong consolation and that he might take away all doubts and haesitation and all this he doth for the heirs of promise he would not have done thus for others but he doth this and much more to satisfie his doubting Children 6. Yet further men use to give a pawn a pledge to assure others of their real purpose to make good the bargain and this is part of the payment this also doth our gracious God 2 Cor. 1.22 Cap 5.5 Ephes 1.14 his spirit is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession an earnest is used in purchasing Land in hiring of Servants and in contracting Marriage and when ever the Lord puts his Holy Spirit into the heart it s as a pledge of all the mercies of the Covenant and of our eternal inheritance and though some men may be unfaithful so far as rather to lose their earnest than make good their bargain yet we may be assured God will not do so for it is as impossible that any saving grace of the Spirit should be cast into hell as it is for any sin to enter into Heaven God will not lose his pledge but fetch the soul to Heaven when he hath fetcht the heart to himself Grace is the Prologue and Praeludium to Glory the first Resurrection leads the van to the second a gracious change prepares for a glorious change Rom. 8.11 if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you the spirit confirms the promises and we need not fear any danger of retractation not but that the promises are firm enough but he would establish our hearts in the faith thereof and acquiescence therein lest any question it 7. Another way whereby men testifie their cordial resolution to make good promises is by doing a great part of the work which gives real evidence they will do the rest he that promiseth to give another a thousand pounds Should a King promise to erect some Colledge and give liberal maintenance to Students in it we are certain by an humane faith that he will do such a thing thâ—ugh it be not begun but if the foundations be in laying we see its execution in part and are assured it will be finished Baâ—us on Eâ—h c. 1. v. 17. p. 144. and hath already given him nine hundred may he not rationally trust him for the rest or suppose there were but one pound or a penny behind there is great reason to conside in him for what is wanting why truly the Lord hath performed the greatest part of the promises of the Covenant the great promise of the Covenant was that the seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head that the Son of God should be incarnate be in mans stead in life and death to satisfie justice fulfil the Law and by his death bring in everlasting rightcousness and he hath already done it now saith the Apostle Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son See Rom. 4.8 9 10. Qui misit unigenâ—tum immisit spiritum pâ—omisit vultum quid tandem tibi negaturus ost Bern. but delivered him up for us all how shall be not with him also freely give us all things God is before-hand with us yea if we be indeed heirs of promise he hath made good good another grand branch of the New Covenant in giving the conditions of the Covenant faith repentance and new obedience so that the main business is already done the writings are made sealed signed and delivered there wants nothing but actual possession nay there is a Seisin and delivery of part of the inheritance and dare we not trust God for the remainder certainly we have good reason so to do the contrary is unreasonable 8. God hath gone another step which is to work many Miracles for the confirmation of these sure mercies this is a degree further than man can reach to make any thing sure hence saith our sweet Saviour Joh. 5.36 I have greater witness than that of John for the works which the Father hath given me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the father hath sent me this Text shews the true and proper end and efficacy of Christs miracles Igâ—tur non sâ—â—â— muta sâ—d voâ—ahssira ideo non simpliciter intuenda sed intelligâ—nter audienda Marl. in loc they are not dumb shews but have a voice and cry aloud for
spirit substantially he is and hath the treasury of Grace a store-house of riches to supply indigent Creatures in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 therefore of his fulness do we receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1.19 and this is laid up on purpose for the supply of his members that from the head may be conveyed influences through the whole body Ephes 4.13 14 15 16. besides he is annointed with authority for these supplies Ephes 1.22 23. he hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church which is his body the fulness of him that filleth all in all hence he tells his Disciples that all power is given to him in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28.18 adde to all this his fidelity that as Moses was faithful as a steward much more is Christ as a Son faithful to him that appointed him Heb. 3 2-6 Well now lay all these together and surely we need not question the certainty of Covenant-mercies Since Christ hath sufficiency authority and fidelity and is thus abundantly qualified for carrying on this Gospel-design he both can and will make good the mercies of the Covenant to the heirs of the promise especially considering 3. The Covenant of Redemption which is an admirable insuring act of free-grace ingaging all the persons of the Sacred Trinity to carry on this work especially God the Son of whom we are now speaking this Covenant of Redemption is that mutual compact betwixt God the Father and the Son concerning the saving of lost man wherein each did undertake to act his part in this great affair as thus God the father doth elect a certain number whom Christ was to Redeem he was to part with his beloved Son out of his bosome whiles he came to the earth to do this great work Isa 42.1 4 6. he was to uphold him incourage him put his spirit into him call him in rightousness hold his hand keep him and give him for a Covenant of the people give him to see his seed Isa 53.10 11. Cap. 49.5 and though they be but few in comparison of the World yet he will make him glorious and in time he will satisfie him in giving him the Heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession Psal 2.8 this is the ingagement on the Fathers part and then the Lord Jesus the Son of God promised the Father that he would assume the humane nature and so become man putting himself into the sinners stead becoming his surety fulfill all righteousness by obeying the Moral Law suffering for our breach of it be betrayed imprisoned accused condemned crucified buried that he should rise from the dead ascend into Heaven sit at Gods right hand intercede for Saints c. this part that Christ acted is fully laid down in Isa 53. throughout this was the great transaction betwixt the Father and the Son from all Eternity that there was such a mutual agreement See Titus 1.2 That this is no singular Doctrine but opened before See Mr. Bulkly Gospel-Covenant part 1. ch 4. p. 31. to p. 46 where 't is fully opened A so Mr. David Dickson in his Therapentica sac Book 1. chap. 4. p. 23. to pag. 71. in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began to whom did God promise any thing before man was Created certainly he promised something to Jesus Christ concerning mans Redemption as before-mentioned such a gracious plot was laid and compact made betwixt the Father and the Son and he cannot lye nor deny himself So 2 Tim. 1.9 who hath saved us according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began i. e. as Christ was a common person as head instead of the elect so we were given to him by this Covenant and that from all eternity but how come we to know this that are but of Yesterday and so dim-sighted that we cannot see afar off Why ver 10. it is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel for Christ revealeth all the secrets that were lockt up in the bosome of the Father Well then if this was the mutual stipulation betwixt the Father and the Son there is no question but they will be faithful to each other in the Old Testament God the Father trusted God the Son upon his promise to lay down his life and so brought thousands of souls to Heaven before ever Christ was incarnate or suffered and now when Christ hath gone through the greatest part of his task he trusteth God the Father to make good his part that he may fully see his seed prolong his dayes and that the pleasure of the Lord may prosper in his hand and certainly there cannot be any failing on either part Now this Covenant of Redemption is the Plat-form and foundation of the Covenant of Grace betwixt God and the Elect there is the same number and the like terms proportionably in both hence it is that although a believer find an unfaithful treacherous and unbelieving heart in himself daily departing from the living God yet this Covenant is built upon an higher and firmer Covenant betwixt God the Father and God the Son which cannot be broken and disanulled the Father and Son cannot deceive or be unfaithful to each other hence then it cometh to pass that the Covenant and the mercies thereof are so sure I shall conclude this head with that notable passage of Christs to his Father upon this very account Joh. 17.4 I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do i. e. I have hitherto made good and performed the conditions of the agreement on my part ver 5. and now O Father glorifie me with thine own self i. e. make good thy part in my exaltation this with reference to Christs persen then for his seed and members he tells the Father that he had performed his part to them in manifesting his name to them praying for them preserving of them and now when he was to leave them he desires the Father to do his part of the work in keeping those whom he had given him ver 11. in sanctifying and saving them 17.24 and can we imagine but that God will be faithful to his Son on the behalf of his Saints certainly he will for as they were Redeemed by the Son so they were Elected by the Father and as God the Father gave them to Jesus Christ by election ver 6. and Jesus Christ dyed for them and so Redeemed them so God the Son resignes them up again to the Father who will certainly keep them by his power through faith unto salvation 4. Another thing considerable concerning the insuring of Covenant-mercies by and
questioned or denyed Well God hath his way and day to convince these wretched Atheists by real and unanswerable demonstrations so that all men shall say Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth Psal 58.11 2. It notably confutes the Papists because all these good things of the Covenant are mercy not merit we are under a Covenant of Grace not of Works Dei miscricordia merita nostra the mercies of God are our merits We have cause to renounce our own righteousness alas what are our best works to obtain favour at the hands of God those before Conversion which they call meritorious de congruo are not truly good works wanting a Principle and those after Conversion which they call works of condignity these are not exactly good without the stain of imperfection and therefore cannot merit they hold two justifications according to these preparatories They acknowledged Christs Righteousness to be the only meritorious cause of this first justification i. e. he procureth the infusion of this grace all Papists assert roundly that man is justified per solum gratiam inhaerentem tanquà m per formam integram sine imputatione externae justitiae Christi Suarez l. 7. c. 7. p. 83. the first is when a sinner of an evil man is made a good man which is done by pardon of sin and infusion of inward righteousness i. e. the habit of Hope and Charity the second is when a man of a good man is made better and this say they may proceed from works of Grace because he which is righteous by the first justification can bring forth good works by merit whereof he is able to make himself more just and righteous but we assert that the very thing by which we are justified and accepted is only the mercy of God and the merits of Christs active and passive obedience which are imputed to us and received by faith alone and our obedience or performances cannot be satisfaction to Gods justice because they are imperfect and defective Isa 64.6 filthy rags a rag and cannot cover us and filthy therefore will rather defile than justifie us at the great day we must have something that can countervail the justice of God but Paul durst not appear in his own Righteousness but in Christs Phil 3.9 and how dare we Certainly Paul's Doctrine is an infallible truth of God Rom. 3.20 by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight And ver 24. being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ and though Papists deride imputed righteousness Yet 't is mentioned ten times in Rom. 4. and frequently asserted and proved through Paul's Epistles So 2 Cor. 5.21 as Christ was made sin for us so are we made the Righteousness of God in him now Christ was made sin for us no otherwayes than by God's imputing our sins to him for 't is Blasphemy to say Christ was sin by infusion of sin into him or inherency of sin in him Besides our justification comes to us as our condemnation which was not only by propagation but by the imputation of Adam's disobedience Rom. 5.19 all the mercies of the Covenant are to believers made over by a deed of gift indeed the wages of sin is death but eternal life is only the gift of God with all that leads thereunto Rom. 6.23 But however Papists may dispute in the Schools yet when they come to lye upon sick and death-beds they are glad to come off with Bellarmines tutissimum est it 's safest to rely only on the mercy of God and merits of Christ for justification let us still hold the safe way and leave them to their uncertain imperfect Righteousness Dr. Prideaux Lect. 5. De just fol. 64. But 't is easily discernable what is the reason of the Papists opposing free justification by grace only because it would demolish their Purgatory Masses for quick and dead Invocation of Saints Worshipping of Images Indulgences and their Treasures of Merits See this Doctrine stated and cleared in Durham on Rev. fol. 585 c Vid. fol. 590. to 594. Ipsa gloria Secundum totum suum esse ut ita dicam sâ—cundum substantiam tan â—â—aâ— merces meritorum â—â—mittitur Suarez lib. 12. cap. 28. page 222 223. hence a modern Divine hath laid down the grounds that render the Salvation of a Papist in a sort impossible and clears it in this about Justification and proves undeniably that their contrivance of the way of Justification doth overturn most if not all the truths of the Gospel and is utterly inconsistent with Gods way of saving sinners for it is the same for matter and form with the Covenant of works which they say Christ hath merited and strength anew to keep the same as Adam in innocency and now sinners are to stand and fall in the obtaining of life promised according to their own performing of the condition of works in the use of that first grace and by this they merit perseverance and Heaven and lest in-dwelling corruptions and defects in duties marr this they say concupiscence is not a sin against the Moral Law and there are many sins Venial and not Mortal which therefore do not hinder merit and acceptation alas what a new and Anti-evangelical way is this which confounds Justification and Sanctification derogates from the Nature of Grace enervateth the merit of Christ altereth the nature of the Gospel-covenant c. But I must not inlarge let us study this important subject and take heed of corrupting this Fountain or building on any other foundation besides Christ's sole righteousness 2. There 's another uncomfortable Doctrine of the Papists which is a denyal that a Christian can be assured of his interest in the Covenant and his eternal salvation We hold that a Christian may attain to assurance of faith without extraordinary Revelation they say a man may indeed attain to a conjectural certainty which only ariseth from hope in regard of God which promiseth but in regard of our selves and our indisposition so we are to be at uncertainties certainly a Child of God may not only be assured of Gods fidelity but his own sincerity these Mercies are Sure in respect of the Subject as well as the Object for the promises run in general and indefinite terms whosoever believeth shall be saved but I saith the soul truly believe therefore I shall be saved and this particular application and reflection is as much as if he said if thou John Thomas Peter do believe thou shalt be saved now though the heart be deceitful yet the Scripture hath laid down such Characters by which a man may try and discern the sincerity of his own act in closing with Christ for true believing is a receiving of him as he is offered to us in the Gospel Joh. 1.12 Besides the Saints receive the Spirit of Adoption which beareth witness with their spirits that
filling them for Gods use both here and hereafter 4. Common-mercies and Covenant-mercies differ in their duration and continuance and this is the discriminating note in this Text they are called Sure Mercies in opposition to those uncertain riches that take to themselves wings and fly away 1 Tim. 6.18 alas the fashion of the world passeth away earthly enjoyments are but of a short continuance at death they and we must part but many times they leave us before we leave them the dreadful example of many thousands in London in the late astonishing burning confirms this that were very rich and very poor in a few hours many worth thousands in the Morning but before Night had not an House to put their head in our eyes have seen and ears have heard how suddenly vast estates have been pluckt out of the hands of the securest possessours Nemo dives est qui quod habit secum hinc auserre non potest Ambros a night may put an end to the rich fools confident boasting no man is rich who cannot carry away with him that which he hath what we must leave behind us is not ours but some others and this is the certain end of these uncertain enjoyments that lose them we must and we know not when or how and what a condition will a poor worldling be in when his God and he must be parted But now these mercies of the Covenant are lasting yea everlasting mercies they continue even beyond this transitory life and run paralel with the life of God and line of Eternity eternal life is in the rear of spiritual life Grace ends in Glory yea an immortal Crown is one of the mercies of this sure Covenant these are a treasure that is neither subject to inward decays nor outward violence no Moth can corrupt it nor Thief steal it Mat 6.19 20. Well then since this be the vast difference betwixt common and Covenant mercies why should we make so great account of the former and so little of the latter what need have we to advance our hearts and eyes to things that are not seen with bodily eyes and not dote upon things that are seen 2 Cor. 4.18 Valdè protestatus sum 〈◊〉 istis non satia◠our souls must resolve with brave Luther I earnestly protested I would not be put off with these things alas what poor things are outward enjoyments consider the differences mentioned God may hate you though you abound with worldly comforts but Covenant-mercies are infallible tokens of God's love these gifts are not suitable and satisfying to the soul the other are outward mercies will make you no better in the eyes of God or good men but spiritual will render you truly good the world will take its sudden farewell of you and fail you at your greatest need covenant-Covenant-mercies will stick by you while you live and bring you blameless before his Throne in Eternal glory here will come in that usual distinction of Bona throni and Bona scabelli 't is these Covenant-mercies that are the good things of the Throne outward mercies are but the good things of the foot-stool let Heaven-born souls mount up to the mercies of the Throne but let the Moon and all sublunary injoyments be under their feet the whole World is too little for the godly man's soul not but that we should be thankful for the least common mercy but we should not be put off with the greatest a little of the World should content a Christian with God all the World should not content him without God Oh how sweet are common-mercies when they come to us in a Covenant-way a morsel sprinkled with Christ's blood hath a delicate rellish this only takes away the poyson venom and malignity that guilt hath brought upon the Creature and reduceth all things to their pristine usefulness and primitive perfection Oh the happiness of the Saints they have all they do enjoy as so many tokens of love as it s said that Cyrus his kiss to Chrysantas was better Gold than the costly Cup of Gold that he gave to Artabarus So common mercies perfumed with Covenant-love are trancendently better than the richest Treasures of wretched Worldlings that 's the second instruction 3. Another inference is this if Covenant-mercies be thus sure then it instructs us in the precedency of Grace above gifts Gifts come upon other terms than Grace God gives grace as a free-hold it hath the promise of this and another World but gifts come upon liking though a father will not cast off his Child yet he may take away his fine Coat and ornaments if he be proud of them Mr. Gurnal Christ armour Mat. 25.29 Luk. 8.18 there are gifts of illumination conviction interpretation elocution Prayer Prophesie which are given for the Churches edification the main difference betwixt gifts and grace is that the former may languish vanish and utterly perish but Grace never totally and finally decays God may give Saul a spirit of Government Judas a gift of Preaching and Miracles Simon Magus a temporary faith and yet repent him of these and pluck them quite away he may and often doth dry up the right arm of an Idol idle shepherd and darkens his right eye of knowledge Zach. 11.17 so that he improves not Talents of gifts from him shall be taken away that which he hath even real gifts and shews of Grace persons eminently gifted may be fire-brands of Hell men may fall from the clearest intellectuals to bruitish sensuality but these gifts and callings of saving grace are without repentance God loveth his own to the end gracious habits shall not be lost the Apostle elegantly expresseth the difference to my hand in 1 Cor. 13.8 Charity i. e. saving grace never faileth but whether there be Prophecies they shall fail whether there be Tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away I know the main intent of the place is to commend love above other saving graces from the duration and perpetuity of it that it shall continue and be of use in Heaven yet here 't is opposed to such gifts as may also be lost in this life and however by consequence it will follow that the one is separable from its subject the other not natural men may make a fair shew and flourish with fine gifts which are as it were the trimming and ornament of Grace which yet may through negligence or old age decay and wither true grace may be accompanyed with the guildings and varnish of gifts which may in time wear off whilst a sound principle continues fresh and lively Besides this give me leave to add other four differentes betwixt common gifts and saving graces 1. They differ in respect of their Fountain and spring the original from whence they flow Eph. 16.7 gifts as one saith come from Gods treasury of bounty Grace proceeds from the choice Cabinet of his Love Grace flows to the elect through the blood of Christ from Gods
be the teacher he makes apt and able nimble and notable Scholars Oh Christians see and try your learning enquire who is your master 2. Another disposition like this or indeed a fruit of the former is God's writing his Law in our hearts Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 10.16 he promiseth to put his Law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts so that as Talley answers to Talley Indenture to Indenture Face to Face so the heart shall eccho and answer to the Word of God and feel something within his own bosome that joynes issue with the word without so that a gracious soul can now say with Paul Rom. 7.12 16. I consent to the Law that it is good whatever I be the commandment is holy just and good a carnal heart riseth up in Rebellion against the word and secretly loaths a spiritual command and could wish it even razed out of the Bible that it might sin more freely but a gracious soul loves that word best that restrains corruption most and binds it closest in new obedience hence saith David thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loves it Psal 119.140 Praestâ—a â—i cor tuum molle tractabile custodi figuram quae te figuravit Artifex habens in semetipso humorem ne induratus amittas vestigia digitorum ejus Iraen advers Haer. lib. 4. prop. fin the stricter the Word is the better I love it I would have the Law of God restrain the exorbitancies of my heart and life it doth me good to be kept in for I have a wild and wayward heart Oh how glad am I of a word that searcheth curbeth and cutteth off my extravagant branches I willingly fall under it and bless God for it as one of the greatest mercies of my life can you say thus when there is a controversie betwixt a pinching word and a repining lust whether do you vote for which do you give your voice for and plead on the behalf of can you not take God's part and the words part against a naughty deceitful heart or do you pick quarrels with the statutes of Heaven when you should obey it Ah sirs try your selves in this and if you find that you have a counterpane of Gods Word within you a transcript of this blessed Copy in your hearts then are you within the Covenant 3. God promiseth to give his people in Covenant with him one heart and one way Jer. 32.39 this imports both an oneness of heart within it self and also an oneness of heart with other Saints before Conversion the heart was divided and distracted betwixt various objects God must have part Satan part sin part and the world another part of the heart but now the soul gives it self wholly to God as I have opened hence David prays unite my heart to fear thy name Psal 86.11 or make my heart one a real Saint is fully intirely universally given up to God but of this before likewise the Covenant of Grace makes Christians unanimous hence it is that as soon as souls have given up themselves to God they essay to joyn themselves to their fraternity Act. 9.26 and unite with the Society of sincere believers hence the primitive Saints were together with one accord Act. 2.46 cap. 4.32 yea they were of one heart and of one soul as the Curtains of the Tabernacle were coupled with loops so were Christians with love hence you hear so often mention made of fellowship in the Gospel Phil. 1.5 Eph. 2.21 and Gods Children are compared to a building fitly framed together by the cement of the Spirit yea to members of the body with relation to the head Col. 2.19 from whom i.e. Christ the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted Ephes 4.16 Well then sirs are you united and become one with the rest of the Saints though you cannot attain to a oneness in judgement in every lesser truth about Discipline c. yet are you one with them in heart and affection Yea of one judgement and way with them in main material points of doctrine and practice having one Lord Eph. 4.3 4 5. one faith one Baptism endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace cannot you say to others come let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant Jer. 50.4 5. that shall not be forgotten are not your hearts glad when you see any come in and Worship the Lord how stand your â—earts affected towards such as fear God â—re you of one heart with them can you â—heerfully walk in one way with them as â—our sweetest companions is your chief â—ontent in these truly excellent ones then â—ou are in Covenant 4. The fear of God is a gracious disposition promised to new-covenant Converts Jer. 32.40 I will saith God Job 28 28. put my fear â—n their hearts that they shall not depart from â—e this fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and 't is often put for all Religion it is a holy reverential awefulness wrought in a believers heart whereby through a serious sense of Gods glorious Majesty and tender mercy the soul is afraid â—o offend God and careful to please him as â— Child is his Father by a conscientious obedience to all Gods commands I cannot stand to open this fully but bring you to the â—est Christians doth the fear of God posâ—ess and seize upon your spirits doth it make you men of truth hating covetousness Exod. 28.21 Heb. 12.28 doth it ingage your souls to serve him with reverence and godly fear doth it make you afraid of his threatnings Prov. 3 7. Psaâ— 5.7 fearful to offend him careful to please him do you worship him in his fear Prov. 14.26 Prov. 23.17 Mat. 10 28. Phil. 2.12 Isa 66.2 Isa 50.11 doth it make you run to him as your hope and confidence are your souls in the fear of the Lord all the day long doth the fear of God cast out the slavish fear of men doth it make you work out your salvation with fear and trembling doth it make you tremble at his word and willing to obey the voice of his servants doth it keep you humble self-denying from being proud high-minded Rom. 11.20 Rev. 14.7 Act 10.35 Prov. 14.16 do you fear God and give glory to him in seeing his works in a word do you fear God and work righteousness fear God and hate wickedness is it thus with your souls lay your hand upon your heart and seriously answer these questions I know you 'l all say you have the fear of God but whether hath it these Prophecies and one word more whence springs this fear of God doth it flow not only from the apprehension of God's Majesty and strict justice but from the sence of his free-grace and goodness so God saith in Hos 3.5 they shall fear the Lord and his goodness so saith David Psal 130.4 there is mercy with thee that thou
my face doth your heart readily eccho thy face Lord will I seek do your souls tremble under sence of threatnings and judgements do the apprehensions of Gods loving-kindness melt and attract your heart doth this strongly lead and draw you to repentance ask your own souls such questions as these whereby you may know whether you have this condition and disposition of the Gospel-Covenant 8. The last disposition that is promised in the New Covenant as a singular mercy is holy practice spiritual obedience so Ezek. Si ergo talis fucrit vita nostra ita omnibus membris quaâ—rata composita ut universi motus nostri secundum Dei Leges agantur vere testamentum Dei erit super carnem nostram Orig. Hom. 3. in cap. 17. gen 36.27 I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them this is an holy watchful chearful faithful fruitful obedience to Divine precepts and commands so then let me pose you thus do you run the ways of Gods commandments with enlarged hearts do you follow God fully and walk with God uprightly do you delight to do Gods will and in all things mind your rule doth the mind of God move you more than the customes and traditions of men though you cannot say you do exactly keep yet cannot you say you have respect to all Gods commandments are you like the Centurion's servants ready to go or come at Gods biding doth the Authority of a divine command more awe your conscience to obedience than the examples of most or best of men do you with Zechariah and Elizabeth walk in all the ways of Gods commandments blameless do you take heed to your ways that you offend not with tongue or hand or foot do you worship God in the beauty of holiness do you make it your business to ingage your hearts in your approaches to God do you lift up your hearts in Gods ways that God and you may meet do you worship God in the spirit rejoyce in Christ Jesus not having any confidence in the flesh in a word do you gladly follow Christs example study conformity to him and communion with him is faith working by love and doth that love ingage you to keep Gods commands and render them not grievous but pleasant do you account Christs yoke easie his burden light and his service perfect freedom and are you constant and permanent in holy walking all your days and though you may stumble and fall or turn aside or stand still or turn back yet you dare not quit and forsake Gods ways or chuse the ways of sin to go aside with the workers of iniquity but you lament your miscarriages are restless till you get into Gods ways again plead hard for pardon are more jealous over your hearts make more haste God-wards and so through grace keep faithful to death that you may receive a Crown of life Thus I have gleaned up the conditions or dispositions of Gods Children which are promised by God purchased by Christ and effectually wrought by the blessed spirit in the hearts of the elect and these are the mercies of the Covenant by which you may try whether you be interested in the Covenant for if you find these new-Covenant-mercies in you you may conclude you have an interest in new Covenant-priviledges Another way of tryal which I shall but briefly hint at is to discover the properties and effects of new Covenant-mercies upon the souls of such as partake of them i. e. those benefits and priviledges of the Covenant as Reconciliation Adoption Remission of sin imputation of Christs Righteousness and the rest before-mentioned leave gracious effects upon the hearts of such as partake thereof Take a taste 1. They are transforming conforming mercies they change heart and life as before yea and they make the soul argue from mercy to duty that soul that partakes of these mercies dare not sin that Grace may abound nor argue from mercy to sinful liberty much less make Christian liberty a cloak of lasciviousness oh no that 's the devils Logick a Child of God thinks and thus reasons did Christ dye for me and shall not I dye unto sin and live unto him that dyed for me shall my dear Saviour shed his blood for me and shall I think any thing too dear for him shall he forgive much to me and shall not I give all I have to him shall not I love him much pray much obey much O my soul how canst thou chuse but live in new obedience doth not the love of Christ constrain thee hath he reconciled thee to God and God to thee and wilt not thou be reconciled to thy offending brother hath he forgiven thee ten thousand Talents gratis and wilt not thou forgive such as offend thee a few farthings for Christs sake hath God given thee himself and dost thou withhold any part of thy poor silly sorry self from him nay here I am let him work in me and do with me as seems good in his eyes 2. They are chearing comforting and refreshing mercies these mercies of the Covenant will answer all objections clear all scores and put the soul out of doubt concerning its state Let the Devil and an unbelieving heart conspire together to torment the Conscience yet one word of the blessed Covenant will baffle all their arguings and stop their mouths and still the soul let God speak out and say I am thy God in Covenant who then can cause trouble this was all Davids Salvation Desire and Consolation One drop of this holy Oyle of the Covenant will sweeten a whole Fountain and Sea of the bitter Waters of the sharpest afflictions a taste of the Covenant will turn Water into Wine this is the Tree cast into the bitter Waters of Marah Isa 33.24 that makes them sweet sense of pardon takes away the sense of the pain if a particular promise can so comfort a soul as it may be called a cordial Oh what comfort will the Covenant afford which is a cluster and constellation of Evangelical promises the good things of the new Covenant keep head above Water and heart above terrour in all conditions these steel the soul with courage in difficulties comfort in Adversity and an Antidote in prosperity 3. These mercies of the Covenant are raising reviving elevating mercies they lift the heart above the World and advance it to Divine Coelestial objects and Conceptions Rev. 12.1 Col. 3.1 Phil. 3.8 9. a Christian thus cloathed with the Sun hath the Moon under his feet and all Sublunary enjoyments at his heels Christ and things above lye next his heart other things are dross and dung in comparison thereof a Covenanted Christians Treasure is in Heaven and his heart is there he preferrs a grain of Grace to all the comforts of the World common mercies will not content his heart or quiet his Conscience he opens his Heaven-born soul to Heavenly influences he
use of God's al-sufficiency you can blame none but your selves if you be defective or discouraged a Woman truly Godly for the main having buried a Child and sitting alone in sadness did yet chear up her heart with this expression God lives and having parted with another still she redoubled Comforts dye but God lives at last her dear Husband dyes and she sate oppressed and almost overwhelmed with sorrow a little Child she had yet surviving having observed what before she spoke to comfort her self comes to her and saith is God dead Mother is God dead this reacht her heart and by Gods blessing recovered her former confidence in her God who is a living God thus do you chide your selves ask your fainting spirits under pressing outward sorrows is not God alive and why then doth not thy soul revive why doth thy heart dye within thee when comforts dye cannot a living God support thy dying hopes thus Christians argue down your discouraged and disquieted spirits as David did Psal 42.5 But so much for that 4. As Christians do not live upon so they do not live up to these Sure Mercies of David and that in their Walking so 1. Unholily 2. Unsteadily 3. Uncomfortably 4. Unfruitfully 1. Many of Gods Children walk unsuitably i. e. unholily unspiritually untenderly not with that conscientiousness exactness and closeness they ought to do if Gods Children lived up to their mercies and priviledges oh how holy should they be seeing that these things shall be dissolved and seeing we look for such things nay seeing we see and feel such things mystically already even a new Heaven and new Earth after a sort in this new Covenant-dispensation what manner of persons ought we to be and oh how diligent should we be that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless 2 Pet. 3 11-13 14. But Oh Christians how short are we yea how inconsistent are our lives with our liberties how incongruous are our duties to our mercies yea how opposite are our spirits to our comforts What sirs Heavenly mercies and carnal hearts flat duties earthly conversations Oh shame your selves before the Lord blush tremble to think of your unsuitableness to Covenant-mercies How far are you below these enjoyments doth not your unanswerable walking give just ground of suspicion whether you have interest in these yea or no what sirs are you Saints and yet muck-worms are you partakers of an Heavenly calling and yet walk so like the men of the World is it fit to see Eagles in a dirty dunghill or Heaven-born souls in acts of filthiness either be better or quit your claim you dishonour God and discredit religion more than others Alas friends God will not be beholden to you for the meer title of being Religious unless you be really such mercies inferr duty and licentiousness is inconsistent with the nature and ends of Covenant-mercies Qui bâ—onus est justus mundus immaculatus neque malum aliquid neque injustum neque abominandâ—â— in suo sponst thalamo sustinebit Iraen adv Heb. lib. 4 You grieve Gods Spirit cross his designes wrong your own souls sadden the hearts of the righteous and open the mouths of wicked men you little know what hurt you do by one act of sinning Consider that as the priviledges of the Covenant bespeak holiness so the conditions of the Covenant include holiness and how then came heirs of promise to be so unlike their Heavenly Father what do the Children of light tampering with works of darkness 2. Gods Children walk very unsteadily i. e. they are off and on inconstant have good moods and motions but they wear off and decay they quickly lose their lively impressions and are constant in inconstancy they are zealous and forward for God one while at other times they are backward and froward Ah sirs is this a living up to these Sure mercies of David these constant unchangeable invariable mercies this Covenant is ordered in all things and sure and so are the mercies of it how comes it to pass then that Covenanters are so often discomposed disordered and unsettled sometimes they are for God and sometimes not they are halting betwixt two opinions like drunken men they are leaning sometimes to the right hand at other times to the left like Reuben Gen. 49.4 Hos 7.8 chap. 6.4 they are unstable as water and so shall not excel like Ephraim a Cake half-baked hot and hard on one side cold and doughy on the other or like the same Ephraims goodness like a Morning-cloud or early Dew that tarryes not long but is quickly scattered by the strong storms of persecutions or dryed up by the warm beams of prosperity James 1.6 Jud◠〈…〉 13. Eph. 4.14 these unstable Christians are like Jame's waves of the Sea like Jude's wandring Starrs or flying clouds carryed about of Winds or like Paul's Children tossed to and fro they are like Locusts that move to and again like Grass-hoppers that are still up and down in variable motions the hearts of such are as a Cart-wheel saith one and their thoughts as a rolling Axel-tree I know the best of Gods Children are incident to liftings up and castings down in point of quicknings and inlargements and this may be the effect of Gods affording or suspending the influences of his grace but I speak this of a Christians remissness and his inconstancy through neglect and carelesness and want of stirring up in his soul the Graces of Gods spirit and so losing the liveliness his soul feels sometimes and afterwards is warmed melted but returns into folly this is the Christians round and how unsuitable is this for a sincere soul these stars are to be fixed in the firmament of the Church and are not to be wandring Starrs or Meteors these Trees of the Lords planting should be strongly rooted and not like Reeds tossed with every wind they should be Pillars in the House of God Non vacillantes sed tetragonoi and not Feathers or Weather-cocks upon House-tops these living stones should not â—e round and rolling but square and fixed still settled upon the Center 1 Cor. 1.6 if the Testimony of Christ be confirmed in us we should hold fast our confidence firm unto the end and pray hard for a more constant spirit as David did Psal 51.10 that we may be like Jachin and Boaz stability and strength for if we be stable we shall be strong and so answerable to these Sure Mercies of David 3. It is a sad thing to see the Heirs of this Covenant walk uncomfortably what are you partakers and possessours of Mercies and yet sad have you interest in sweet and sure Mercies and yet are you dejected what will lift you up if mercy will not and what can interrupt your peace when mercy waits on you to chear you up thou losest Estate Health Good-Name Relations Liberty yea thy life is in continual hazzard but as long as these Mercies of the Covenant are sure
thou hast no reason to complain Seneca compares a a Christian that 's disconsolate for outward â—osses or crosses to a man that hath a fine Orchard the Trees whereof are richly laden with store of precious fruit and because the wind blows off some leaves the man sits down and takes on heavily he weeps and wailes and cryes out he is undone why what 's the matter why the wind hath taken off some leaves but the roots and trees and fruits are safe should not we judge that a fond and foolish man just thus is it with the Christian God and Christ promises and Gospel-mercies are sure and stedfast by an inviolable Gospel-Covenant yet the sinful silly soul lyes whining and complaining for the loss of some leaves of Worldly comforts which he may live well without Yea saith the poor soul but these outward things are not the chiefest cause of my trouble and discouragement did I know that these mercies were made sure to me I should be comfortable but alas I fear I have no share therein I shall answer this doubt afterwards at present I only say lay thy hand upon thy heart and deal ingeniously is this the ground of thy trouble is not this only pretended is not something else the real ground the heart is deceitful look again see what comforted thee before this outward trouble came and what chears thee when thy present pressure is removed but suppose it be jealousies about thy interest yet why shouldst thou be uncomfortable hast not thou ventured thy soul on a sure foundation what reason hast thou of discouragement a faith of adherence brings some settlement as well as a faith of evidence every act of faith brings some comfort whom having not seen saith the Apostle of a corporal sight so may I say of a kind of spiritual sense and assurance ye love in whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 recumbency hath a kind of complacency it argues want of faith to want joy and unbelief is a shameful sin considering the assurances given us in the Gospel but more of this hereafter But oh consider sirs what wrong you do to your selves by uncomfortable walking you weaken and exhaust your strength and spirits what discredit you bring upon the ways of God rendring them soure and distastful in the account of others what opposition it expresseth both to many positive precepts and the spirit of comfort and to these sure mercies of David methinks I hear the God of Heaven thus bespeaking the gracious troubled heart soul what ailes thee what is it thou wouldst have I have given thee many glorious gifts pardon reconciliation adoption ordinances the benefit of all my works of Providence a title to the good things of Earth whiles thou livest and a free admission into Heaven when thou dyest nay I have given thee my self my Son my Spirit and that by the surest Marriage-Covenant and will not all this revive thy fainting spirit what wouldst thou have more and what canst thou desire to make it surer to thee speak but the word and it shall be done but I have gone beyond thy demands and why then art thou thus drooping and disconsolate is thy heart revived when mortal lying man makes thee a promise of some outward good and canst thou now faint when the eternal God hath taken all these pains to assure thy troubled heart of thy interest in these sure mercies of David Oh Christians shame your selves for your uncomfortableness are these consolations of God small unto you thank your selves for your discouragements and let it be matter of trouble that you have so many needless useless troubles in your souls 4. Another fault in the Heirs of the promises whereby they are unsuitable to these mercies is unfruitfulness herein they do not live up to these mercies and are exceeding defective and imperfect especially in two respects the fruit they bring forth is 1. Small 2. Soure fruit 1. 'T is usually but small in quantity short of that abundance and ripeness that should come of so good a soil as mercy is especially when mercy is the Tillage Gods Vineyard is in a very fruitful Hill Isa 5 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so we read it but in Heb. 't is the Horn of the Son of Oyle I know the Son of Oyle may import a very fat or rich soile as Son of the Morning for exceeding bright and illustrious and so Gods people were planted in Canaan which was an exceeding fruitful Countrey but may at least allusively affirm of real Saints that they are planted in the Horn of the Son of Oyle even in the Son of God who was annointed with the Oyle of gladness above his fellows and in whom true Believers are planted and from whom they may suck and draw abundant juice and fatness as branches do from the root of the Olive-tree Rom. 11.17 moreover what abundant pains doth God the Father the Husbandman take to make souls very fruitful he takes away such as bear no fruit at all and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Joh. 15.2 Oh what mercies do the Saints partake of Gospel-priviledges Promises Providences Ordinances Experiences Comforts Corrections every thing that might make them fruitful in good works in Praying Reading Meditating Conferring exact Walking doth God distribute and where 's their answerable fruitfulness God expects more and riper fruit alas how short and defective are we how little glory do we bring to God how little profit unto others or comfort to our own souls Phil. 1.11.1 Thes 3.12 Mat. 3.8 Col. 1.10 we should be filled with the fruits of righteousness we should abound more and more and bring forth fruits meet for sincere repentance and truly fruitful in every good work but are we so yea or no I much suspect it and what a shame is it that we should lye under the warm influences of the Sun of Righteousness so long and be so unfruitful the God of Heaven humble us for this 2. I am afraid that the fruits we do bring forth are but sowr and bitter not so sweet and kindly as may be the genuine fruits and products of these sure mercies my meaning is that the obedience and performances of the Saints too often flow from a spirit of bondage fear and terrour and not from that filial Child-like disposition and the Evangelical spirit of Adoption that should be the principle and impulsive cause of Saints spiritual actings I know legal fears and terrours are good in their kind to drive the soul out of it self and unto Christ but afterwards a spirit of love best becomes a Child of God hence saith the Apostle Rom. 8.15 2 Tim. 1.7 ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father a Child-like boldness best befits a Son it 's more
by his counsel and afterwards receive me to glory Oh happy soul that hath the God of Jacob for his God and these Covenant-mercies his portion who can hurt such a soul But oh the woful state of one that hath not the name of God as a Tower or Chamber to run unto when evils are approaching how dreadful was Sauls state when the Philistines were upon him and God had forsaken him just such will be the condition of a soul destitute of Covenant-mercies in the day of publick or personal calamity alas all they bore up their carnal hearts with is gone and God is gone and now they must either burst with grief or through despair make away themselves as Judas and Achitophel See Psal 52.7 Oh forlorn state of such as took not God for their God sirs think seriously of these things 6. These Covenant-mercies will have mighty influence upon your spirits in Gods service and in your conversation an interest in the mercies of the Covenant will make you fear God and tremble to offend so good a God there is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared Psal 130.4 nay fear to offend God is one great mercy of the Covenant these will melt your hearts into tears of Evangelical repentance for offending God as you may gather from Zech. 12.10 nay brokenness of heart is one of the mercies of the Covenant sence of these mercies will make your souls love God clearly Luk. 7.47 nay love to God is one of the mercies of the Covenant and so for the rest of the Graces there 's not an useful disposition requisite to qualifie us for Gods service but 't is contained in the Covenant hereby we shall know Gods will be willing to obey it delight our selves in Gods service as David Psal 5.7 I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy and in thy fear will I worship towards thy holy Temple we shall then sing in the ways of the Lord and in the height of Zion and flow together for the goodness of the Lord Jerem. 31.12 i. e. the goodness of the Lord will engage the Saints to come with chearfulness into Gods presence and thank God for an opportunity of waiting on so good a God holy hearts delight in holy works grace fits the soul for God covenant-Covenant-mercies render a soul capable of and suitable to Covenant-duties and the more you partake of these mercies the more delight will you take in duty the more like you are to God the more delight will you take in God and God will delight more in you and so there will be sweet fellowship betwixt God and your souls on the contrary carnal spirits cannot endure spiritual exercises they come to duties as a Bear to the stake and when they are therein they are upon a Rack Lord be merciful to such a soul 7. These Covenant-mercies will not leave the soul till they have brought it to Heaven Gods mercies are in the Heavens that 's their proper Element and they never cease moving and mounting the soul upwards till they have raised him up into the highest Heavens where they shall drink of the River of his pleasures Psal 36.5 8. now Covenanted souls do but taste that the Lord is gracious but then they shall eat and drink abundantly and shall be satisfied with marrow and fatness yea bathe their souls in that fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 these mercies will make you rich towards God and rich with God to all Eternity if you dye with Covenant-mercies in your hearts you depart like Old Simeon with Christ in your arms and dye in peace and rest with God these sure mercies lead the van to eternal glory which comes in the rear of a temporal life and spiritual graces yea eternal life is begun here as Scripture testifies how is that why no otherwise than by the possession of these spiritual mercies and Communion with God thereby this is eternal life to know the only true God and Jesus Christ Joh. 17.3 You lay hold on eternal life here by laying hold on these best blessings and Covenant-mercies 1 Tim. 6.12 19. he that hath the Son hath life and by believing on the name of the Son of God he may know that he hath eternal life for he hath the record in himself See 1 John 5 10-13 what is this witness it is contained in some of these sure mercies of David Oh therefore for a share and interest therein on the other hand he that hath nothing to do with these sure mercies hath nothing to do with eternal glory such as are strangers from the Covenants of promise Eph. 2.12 have no hope of a better life as the Tree falls so shall it lye and such as are found without mercies in their hearts at death shall be found destitute of mercy at the great day There is one sort of persons I would more particularly press to look after their share in these sure mercies of David and those are the Children of Godly Parents and hence Solomon prays Remember the mercies of David thy Servant 2 Chron. 6.42 so you that are the posterity of godly predecessours cry out for and apply the mercies of your Fathers and there are two cogent arguments in the quality of these mercies the Text mentioneth for here they are said to be sure consider 1. Your Parents found them sure to them 2. The Promise will make them sure to you 1. Consider your Religious Ancestours found these Covenant-mercies sure to their own souls our Fathers trusted in thee cryed to thee they were delivered were not ashamed Psal 22.4 5. Heathens did pertinaciously adhere to the Religion of their Predecessors and shall Children of Godly Parents forsake their Fathers God and such a God as never failed them Moses in his Song saith he is my God and I will prepare him an habitation my Fathers God and I will exalt him Exod. 15.2 enquire and search you that are the seed of his servants had your fathers ever cause to complain of God was he not as good as his word to them did he not punctually keep touch with them and make good all his promises to them did not your Godly Parents breath their last with good speeches of God did they not affectionately commend his service to you upon their death-bed reflect upon their dying words did they not proclaim to all the World that God was a faithful Covenant-keeping God to them and did they not assure you he would be as good to you if you embrace him and keep his ways yea cannot you bear witness for them that their last words were speaking well of God as Jacob and Joseph both did upon their death-bed did not they in the faith and sense thereof commend you into the hands of their gracious God as Jacob Gen. 48.15 16. the God which fed me all my life long unto this day the Angel which Redeemed me from all evil bless the lads did they not
express particular perswasions of some mercy as those blessed Patriarchs Gen. 48 21. chap 50.24 Behold I dye but God shall be with you and bring you again to the Land of your Fathers Yea cannot you that are Children bear your Testimony for God that he hath been and done according to your Parents faith and hope Solomon could say after Davids death thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my Father great mercy or bounty but that 's not all and thou hast kept saith he for him this great kindness that thou hast given him a Son to sit upon his Throne 1 King 3.6 and I question not but many of you can say as much for God that God hath had respect to you in Temporals because you were the seed of such as were dear to him Oh follow their steps and you shall fare as they fared 2. Yet further you that are the Children of Godly Parents Isa 44.3.59.21 Exod. 20.6 See 2 Sam. 23 1-5 Act. 3.25 you lye directly under the influences of these sure mercies the promise is made to believers and to their seed Gen. 17.7 Act. 2.38 39. such promises bear up the hearts of Gods poor expiring servants concerning their surviving Children Well then let Children claim their interest plead this grant none of you will lose your inheritance for want of looking after it if your Landlord promise you a Lease of your Tenement after your Father's decease if you sue to him for it and pay the accustomed fine will you be so mad as to be turned out of your Farm and the Heritage left by your Fathers than own your just and loving Landlord according to the Laws of the Land no man is so fond in Temporals and why should you be so foolish in Spirituals Ah Christians look after your Patrimony despise not your Birth-right is it nothing to you to be born of believing Parents remember your Parents Prayers and Tears their Hopes and fears Oh consider how it comforted their hearts upon their death-bed that they left you under a good Covenant and bequeathed to you a goodly heritage and why should your Parents be deceived in their hopes and meet you strangers at the great day to God and Christ to be set with filthy Goats upon the left hand for ever why will you embezzle or sin away this fair estate why will you not sue out this blessed Charter for your own souls in the Court of Heaven God is as willing to make it over to you as ever he was to bestow it on your Parents he is loath to cut off his kindness from their seed he looks after you in your soul-destroying practices and saith as once to Israel that did so wofully degenerate Jer. 22.5 q. d. I remember the kindness that in former times there was betwixt thy ancestors and me Oh their zeal in running after me the holy services they did perform to me thy Father or Grand-father and some former Generations maintained entercourse with me and I with them there was love of espousals betwixt us and I am sure I was not wanting to them I lookt carefully to them all that sought to devour them were my enemies they did offend me and I brought evil upon them I pleaded their cause while they lived and I took them seasonably to Heaven and if thou that art their off-spring wouldest have put me to 't I would have done as much for thee if thou hadst but laid hold of that Covenant those very Covenant-mercies should have been thine but thou art gone back thou wilt have none of me but walk after new upstart vanities thou wilt not vouchsafe so much as to enquire after the God of thy Fathers that was so faithful to them and did so much for them but let me ask thee A like Expostulation see in Miâ— 6.3 4. since thou wilt needs leave me what iniquity have either thy Fathers or thou found in me produce thy reasons testifie against me did I ever do thee any wrong have I not always done thee good Oh soul whithersoever thou goest from me thou missest of such a God as thy Fathers served God seems in that Scripture to speak after this manner Oh hearken to the eternal God if you will not heed the dying words of your mortal Parents that dyed in the Lord though one would think those should move and melt your hearts into tears of Gospel sorrow why should your dear deceased Parents rise up in judgement against you at the day of judgement when it shall be enquired whether they did their duty they must needs answer according to truth that they did instruct correct counsel admonish their wandring Prodigal Children they brought them to Ordinances prayed for them wept and travelled again for them and yet could not prevail and now must come in to bear witness against them and must rejoyce in Gods just vengeance upon them Oh what a sad case will these rebellious Children be in 't is no pleading priviledges by means of believing Parents at that day the higher you were advanced therein the lower will you be cast down to Hell Matth. 11.23 oh how terrible will it be to see godly Parents in Heaven and themselves cast into utter darkness yea to see strangers or the Converted Children of Heathenish Parents come from East and West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven but the Children of these Kingdoms posterity of Covenanted Parents cast out into utter darkness See Mat. 8.11 12. Let me therefore perswade all graceless Children to look about them do you above all others take heed of miscarrying greater expectations are from you than others the surviving friends of your Religious Ancestors look after you and enquire what you do oh rejoyce their hearts by walking in the steps of your predecessours I shall bespeak you yea charge you in the words of Reverend Mr. Bolton upon his death-bed that none of you will dare to meet us at the great Tribunal in an unregenerate state let every Child of Godly Parents plead for Covenant-mercies as once Solomon did 2 Chron. 1.8 9. thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my Father now O Lord God let thy promise unto David my Father be established thus do you plead with God and say Lord my Parents embraced the Covenant it was thy free-grace to choose them and set thy heart upon them and is that Grace weary canst thou not own me with Covenant-mercy nay dost thou not call that mercy to Abraham by the surer name of truth unto Jacob am not I a Child of the promise Lord cut not off the entail of Covenant-mercies from me or mine for ever But I must hasten let all souls seek after a share in Covenant-mercies you that are afar off and you that are near Children of the good and of the bad draw near hither take hold of this Covenant here 's mercy for you all these mercies are attainable let the wicked forsake his way and the
is only by faith which is the souls accepting of him upon his own terms Joh. 1.12 here I must not digress into the large field of that useful subject of saving faith but must refer you to the large discourses upon this radical fundamental grace and I beseech you be not mistaken in this here lyes the hinge and vitals of Religion even in an entire affectionate voluntary and universal accepting of Jesus Christ as our King Priest Prophet to be ruled guided saved by him in his own way Oh sirs if you do not this you do nothing if you believe you shall be saved Mark 16.16 but if you believe not you shall be damned that 's plain English and truly my friends all men have not faith this faith of Gods Elect this precious faith Oh therefore look after it long for it come with a broken heart to a bleeding Christ come weary and heavy laden and lay your load on the Son of God come with a troubled humbled heart wounded with a sense of sin and look up to this brazen Serpent for help and healing reach out thy trembling hand and get hold of the skirt of his garment or rather with old Simeon embrace Jesus Christ in the arms of thy faith and then thou hast these mercies of the Covenant 7. Enter into a solemn Covenant with the Lord no way to be interested in the mercies of the Covenant but by entring into the Covenant this this is the work I would perswade your souls unto this indeed is the life of Religion which is so called a relegando from binding because it binds as it were God and man together and joyns their interests in this blessed bond of the Covenant 2 Cor. 8.5 Isa 44 5. 2 Chron. 30.8 O therefore set your selves to enter a solemn engagement give up your selves to the Lord openly profess that you are the Lords or else subscribe with your hand and yield up your selves to the Lord to whom of right you do belong and take God as your God Josh 24.24 25. say the Lord our God will we serve and his voice will we obey as the people of Israel once and thus do you make a Covenant this day lift up your hand to the most high God as once Jacob did who made a vow saying if God will be with me and keep me in this way that I go then shall the Lord be my God Gen. 28.20 21. now consider friends hath not God done as much or more for you as Jacob here desires and why should you not take God for your God say thus I have heard of the Lords goodness nay I have felt and drunk a large share of Gods kindness and compassion he hath done that for me that none else could and hath undertaken to do yet much more and therefore God forbid that I should cleave to any other God all my days as I will be wholly the Lords so I will have only the Lord and as he is the God so he shall be my God this is that which the Scripture calls avouching the Lord to be our God and if we avouch him to be our God he will avouch us to be his people Deut. 26.17 18. which imports the mutual conditions of this blessed Covenant even a reciprocal embracing and accepting each other the Saints take God to be theirs by the saving Grace of faith and God entertains them by a gracious act of favour love and condescention only be sure you remember that the Articles of Agreement are of Gods own framing and the soul must come up wholly unto his terms else no bargain God will not abate any thing of his appointed conditions it must be sincere faith though it be but weak which empties the soul of sin and self and turns wholly to God and doth resign up it self universally voluntarily and perpetually to be the Lords and in the same manner takes God to be his and looks upon this as his mercy as well as his duty his highest preferment as well as his greatest employment and sweetest enjoyment Oh thinks a good soul that I could be more the Lords than I am I am too much mine own Hos 3.3 but I will enter into the strictest Matrimonial bond to be only for God and not for another then he would be for me and oh that I could take the Lord wholly for mine and only as mine and joyn no other Lovers with him I need none but him he is all sufficient and my exceeding sweet and great reward and upon this condition God takes you and you shall have advantage by him and the Gospel-Covenant and all the mercies of it and if you be not willing to forsake all for him Mat. 10.37 Luk. 14.28 29. you are not worthy of him but I shall spend no more time about this because so many have writ of a souls Covenanting with God See Mr. Baxter's Saints Rest par 1. p. 176. to 182 alibi passim Mr. Guthrie Mr. Allen Mr. Vincent have prescribed directions and a form of words for a solemn Covenanting with God See also Reflect 8. in the close of this Treatise p. Thus much for the first Classe or rank of Directions CHAP. XII 2. HOW a poor doubting soul may assure to it self these Covenant-mercies many good souls may have an interest in these yet not be assured of their interest which yet is of great consequence and concernment though not to the being yet to the well-being of a Christian therefore we are commanded to give diligence to make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Vit. Aâ—et in loâ— not in respect of God say Interpreters with whom all things are firm and undoubted but in respect of others say some that those with whom we live may see the Tree is good because the fruits are good but I rather take it that we must labour to clear these up to our own souls that we may have some real well-grounded assurance thereof in our hearts and both these are mercies included in the Gospel-covenant only take notice that calling is before election and there we must begin and so ascend from the work of Grace in our hearts to the workings of Grace in Gods heart for our love is a reflection of his love to us Grace is a fruit of Election this then is a weighty case of Conscience suppose a gracious soul be dark and doubtful about his state and is full of questionings and disputings whether these sure mercies of the Covenant do belong to him what must such a soul do that it may be assured of its interest therein See this point handled solidly in a Treat called A Believers duty towards the Spirit c. â—on Ephes 4 30. Read 6. Direct pag. 158. to 183. See Baxt. 32 Directions and that indeed they are sure to him Now for answering this Question I shall propound these Directions 1. Study the Precepts Promises and Presidents in the Scriptures be diligent
Lord hath taken to assure thee of these mercies so that unbelief is the most unreasonable sin in the World Joh. 3.19 this is the great damning sin say not with Cain thy sins are greater than can be forgiven for thou lyest in saying so is not the mercy of an infinite God beyond the demerits of a finite creature nay further thou givest God the lye who is truth it self he saith there 's life for dead condemned sinners in his Son 1 Joh. 5.10 11. thou saist no but I have been to seek and I want life but there 's none for me yes yes soul there 's life enough for thee grace abounds and you may have this life in abundance only shut not out your selves by unbelief but come to him and he will in no wise cast you off for he is ready to forgive your iniquities and give you these sure mercies 3. In case of persecutions afflictions temptation from Satan the World or any other ways you may then improve these Covenant-mercies and find abundance of sweetness solace and satisfaction therein were it not for these the soul of a child of God would sink under his pressures how often doth David profess that he had perished in his affliction Psal 119. did not Gods word of promise support him a Covenant-word will lift up the soul from the lowest depth a Covenanted God will incourage a Saint in the greatest straits there is a Divine art in a Christians improving this â—tock to his best advantage and affliction â—s a proper season to make use thereof as suppose a man be in poverty there 's enough â—n the Covenant to make him rich if in disgrace Covenant-mercies make him honourable if sick one Covenant-mercy even pardon of sin will make him sound Isa 33. Dei hominem cultoâ—em Dei subnixum spei veritate fidei stabilitate fundatum â—gat mandi buâ—us seâ—uli in testatioâ—ibus commoveri vid. Cypr. tractaâ— cont Demetr p. 273. 〈◊〉 in Prison Covenant-mercies set him at â—iberty if hungry or thirsty why Covenant-mercies are meat and drink to him if derived of relations still Covenant-mercy makes up that loss and lets the soul see â—etter relations in Heaven Oh Christians our case can never be forlorn as long as â—u have such rich mercies of the Covenant to support and supply you let all the â—en of earth set themselves against you â—ey can but storm the out-works they can â—ver surprize your main Fort or rob you 〈◊〉 your best goods these mercies of the Covenant which are made sure to you by a Covenant of salt oh hug and embrace these mercies in such a time as this when trade decays your stock is safe in a plundering time none can pluck away your treasure and estate you have something that all the Devils in Hell and Men on Earth cannot deprive you of troubles will but knock these mercies into your breasts more firmly and feelingly then deprive you of them or render you suspicious of your interest in them for these are seasons wherein God communicates most of himself to the soul Gen. 28.13 Jacob's sad and solitary journey was attended with the choicest heart-reviving discoveries Heaven was opened and God shined upon blessed Stephen's soul through a showr of Stones Act. 7.55 Oh Christians 't is worth a World to have interest in God in the day of affliction and 't is your great work in such a day to bear up your hearts with what you have in the Covenant of grace take heed of discontented murmurings under any tryals since you have a God that can and will be all in all to your souls in the want of all comforts and over-flowing of sorrows 4. You may improve these Covenant mercies in a day of spiritual dearth in thâ— famine of the Word which is the sad desâ— judgement when Means Ordinances failâ— and the soul is in great danger of pining then 't is both safe and sweet to suck growtâ— and strength from the spring-head eveâ— from God in a Covenant-way these mercies nourish the languishing soul in a famishing season Isa 41.17 18. when the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them I will open Rivers in high places and Fountains in the midst of the Valleys I will make the Wilderness a Pool of water and streams in the Desart and dry Land springs of Water Oh blessed are Covenanted souls they have meat to eat others know not of hidden Manna God hath ways to convey Marrow and Fatness into their souls when their ordinary provision is kept from them I Read of a man that was condemned to starve to death in Prison his Daughter getting leave to visit him once a day yet not permitted to bring food notwithstanding preserved his life a long time by the Milk which he sucked out of her Breasts Oh how doth God preserve the souls of his Children in Prisons by that good nourishment they suck from God in the breasts of the Promises he keeps them alive in famine bread shall be given them their waters shall be sure Isa 33.16 yea he makes affliction and adversity both bread and water wholesome food therefore called in Scripture Isa 30.20 the bread of adversity and water of affliction because souls are bravely nourished thereby Ordinances may for a season be removed but influences of grace are still conveyed grace is supported the soul supplyed as long as the spring remains free for a Christians access he shall be provided for though the Chanel be stopt streams cut off and outward means much obstructed therefore Christians when the word of the Lord is precious and there is little open vision make your addresses immediately to God see what he will speak to your souls own him in Covenant-relation lay your souls at his feet and tell him that you are cast in a thirsty Wilderness your graces are withering and hearts failing tell him you can scarce meet with an instrument to receive a word of council or comfort from but ask him if he cannot supply without as well as by the means tell him he sometimes stops the Conduit that he may convince us where our refreshment lyes and whither we must have recourse for fresh supplys tell him when you enjoyed the means they could not work without him and now you want them he can work without them though he hath tyed us to the means yet he hath not tyed himself to them tell him once again that the more immediate his Conveyances are the more evidential they are and the sweeter emblems of Heaven 5. In your backslidings and fears of apostacy then oh then improve these mercies of the new Covenant you fall and miscarry and lose your hold of God but God hath hold of you you dare not venture to approach to him again Jer. 3.12 13. but he calls and tells you he will
thou forsaken me saith Christ and David his Type yet my God still Psal 51.8 Christians you are not to trust to present feelings David doth not say make me to feel but hear joy and gladness saith one because sense and feeling is of no worth of it self except first we hear it in a promise that 's a fancy that 's felt and not heard from God and we are to build upon a word of promise even when we want the feeling of comfort and 't is not safealtoger the to lean upon former experiences only though these are good secondary helps yet our primary and Principal foundation is God in a Promise as our God in Covenant let a dark and troubled spirit read study and practise that choice instruction Isa 50.10 trust in the name of the Lord there 's enough in Gods name to answer allâ—d ubts read it Exod. 34.5 6 mercy there answers to our misery grace to our undeserving long-suffering to our continued apostacy goodness answers our vileness truth and faithfulness answers to our Covenant-breach and falshood God keeps Covenant though we break it yea God keeps Covenant with us though we are apt to think he breaks it David thought Gods mercy was clean gone and that his Promise failed for evermore but he is convinced at last that that apprehension was his infirmity Psal 77.8 9 10. therefore let a clouded soul in its blackest desertions lift up his eyes and heart to these sure mercies and ponder thus 't is true my soul is dark and God withdraws it is a night of great affliction but was it never day with thee O my soul hath not the blessed day-star of grace risen in thy heart hath not God united thee to Jesus Christ did he never give thee the earnest of his Spirit didst thou never feel the stirrings of its graces or the stealing of its comforts reflect upon thy former state or rather study the freeness and the fulness of Gospel-grace what though I be without any sensible feelings of Gods grace or shinings of his face is not my life sometimes hid with Christ in God even from mine own eyes as well as from others may not the Sun be under a Cloud shall I say my Father doth not love me because he doth not always dandle me upon his knee and evidence his love to me in sweet embraces I am resolved to cleave unto him though he kill me and to believe in him though I cannot see him I will venture my weary soul upon his free-grace in Christ the Covenant is firm its mercies are sure there 's hope in the God of Israel it may be he will cast a propitious aspect on a weary â—oul however I am resolved to lye at his â—eet and act affiance and dependance on his â—mmutable promise whether he ever shine upon my soul or no this will bring a good issue 7. The last case wherein a Christian is to improve these sure mercies of David is in the hour and power of death when that grim Serjeant looks upon us with its ghastly face and arrests us with its cold hand then mercy will stand us in stead and sure mercies will be our sweetest Cordial these mercies pluck out the sting of death perfume the grave make way for the gracious soul to take its flight to glory so that death is now become the Christians friend and servant rest and interest conquest and Crown the Apostle doth therefore reckon up death as one part of the Saints Inventory 1 Cor. 3.21 22. all things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephâ—s or the World or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours this is the fullest longest surest title here 's a sufficient enumeration nothing can be wanting either in the mercies ensured or manner of ensuring or the duration it 's to all Eternity and it 's the best and clearest Tenure in capite in the head Christ and 't is both by Purchase and by Conquest nothing is wanting to make these mercies sure for ever for death which dissolves all other bonds of relation doth more firmly and closely joyn God and the gracious soul 't is as a Porter to let them into their Fathers house a divine Limbeck to purifie and prepare them for glory and that voice which calls to the believer saying come up hither in this life souls are but espoused to Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 after death they are presented to him and the marriage is consummated 2 Cor. 5.6 8. ver 1 2. Phil. 1.21 here we are absent from our husband while present in the body but 't is more desirable to be absent from the body and present with the Lord and this is done by a dissolving of the earthly house of this Tabernacle so that hereby death becomes a gain and brings believers to their proper home and why should we be afraid of a stingless Serpent or helpful servant that doth us the greatest kindness why are believers afraid to dye why do they not rather say with that good man egredere anima egredere go forth my soul go forth and meet thy dearly beloved But we need go no further to prove either the immortality of the soul or the commodities of death than the subject we are upon even these sure mercies of David for they continue to David even when he is laid in the grave therefore our Saviour proves the Resurrection from the Covenant with Abraham Numb 18.19 Mat. 32.31 Isaac and Jacob because it is a perpetual Covenant a Covenant of Salt and thus runs the argument God is the God of the living and not of the dead therefore these Patriarchs are living and have an existence because he hath made a Covenant with them otherwise if these arise not then must the Covenant of necessity cease but the Covenant endures for ever therefore those with whom he makes the Covenant must live for ever since God calls himself their God Exod. 3.6 even after they are laid in their graves therefore let Christians rest in hope when they are laying down their heads in the grave for the Scripture saith the righteous have hope in their death the Covenant abides firm still the mercies thereof dye not when the body dyes the Heathens themselves saw this Socrates saith the Swan was Dedicated to Apollo because she sung sweetly before her death and the Romans when their great men dyed and when their bodies were burnt to ashes they caused an Eagle to fly and mount on high to signifie that the soul was immortal and shall not the Children of Promise sing chearfully when their souls are ready to mount up to eternal mansions I confess I am really ashamed when I read Cicero Cicero Tusc Quest lib. 1. De contemnâ—adâ morte Maximum argumentum est naturam ipfam de immo talite animorum tacitam judicare quod omnibus curae sâ—nt maxime quidem quae post mortem futura sâ—nt Serit arbores
quae alteri secuco prosint quid procreatio liberorum quid proparatio nomiâ—is quid adoptiones filiorum quid testamentoâ—um diligentia quid iâ—sa sepulchro um monumenta quid eloâ—ia significant nisi nos futuna etiam cogitare Nemo unquam sine magna spe immortalitatis se pro patria offeret ad mâ—tem and against fear of death he adds Acherontia templa alta orci pallida leti obnubila obsita tenebris locâ— nonpudet Philosophum in eo gloriari quod haec non timeat itaque non deterret sapientem mors quae propter incertos casus cotidiè imminet propter brevitatem vitae nunquam longe potest abesse that any that call themselves Christians should dispute against the immortality of the soul when he brings such arguments and Authors to assert it but I am much more ashamed that any real Saints should shrink with fears of death when even that poor Heathen hath spoken so much for the contempt of it Let Christians learn something from Heathens Take a few hints in the Marg. I must but give a taste in this kind a world more instances might be brought out of Heathen Authors to shame professed Christians that have an higher sort of Arguments against the fear of death yet the sense of Covenant-relation is the strongest and the sureness of Covenant-mercies is of singular use to sweeten those bitter pangs when the King of terrours doth appear in the most formidable manner and strikes its last stroke with the most terrible kind of death and truly I may with Mr. Dod call death the friend of grace though it be the enemy of nature our Saviour hath pluckt out its sting and altered the very nature of it The Church pag. 180. I shall conclude this Branch with a Poem of Divine Herberts called Death Death thou wast once an uncouth hideous thing nothing but bones the sad effect of sadder groans Thy mouth was open but thou couldst not sing For we considered thee as at some six or ten years hence after the loss of life and sense Flesh being turn'd to dust and bones to sticks We lookt on this side of thee shooting short where we did find the shells of fledge souls left behind Dry dust which sheds no tears but may extort But since our Saviours death did put some blood into thy face thou art grown fair and full of grace Much in request much sought for as a good For we do now behold thee gay and glad as at dooms-day when souls shall wear their new aray And all thy bones with beauty shall be clad Therefore we can go dye as sleep and trust half that we have unto an honest faithful grave Making our pillows either down or dust CHAP. XIV IV. THE fourth and last head of Directions that I promised to propound is an answer to this Question How a gracious soul that is interested in these mercies is to behave himself though this be a necessary point yet I must cut short in it having insisted too long on the former Heads 1. Believe and receive these mercies this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation De iis quae cognovit futuris quae adhuc sub visum non cadunt tam certum habet persuasionem cognitione praedictus ut ea mag is adesse putat quam quae sunt praesentia Clem. Alex Strom. lib. 7. that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 is it the proposition only that is to be credited embraced is it not Christ and the rest of the Covenant-mercies held forth in this precious maxim which is the sweetest flower in the Garden of Scripture the choicest Pearl in the Word and most glorious Star in the whole Constellation of Gospel-promises who dare doubt what God hath spoken and who dare refuse what God doth offer he is so wise that he cannot be deceived and he is so good that he will not deceive you you may better believe God than your own sense give glory to God by embracing these mercies deny or dispute no longer be not ingrateful to that Grace of God that hath condescended so low to give you evidences on purpose that you might believe 2. Improve these sure mercies make use of them in all your particular needs if a man have a good spring he will order it for convenient supplies of many houshold wants and draw it through several chanels for several uses so a Christian must branch out the several mercies of the Covenant to his various cases and uses as enlightning mercy to his darkness enlivening mercy to his dulness pardoning mercy in case of guiltiness purging mercy in case of strong corruptions 2 Cor. 12 7. because Gods grace is sufficient for us in all exigencies in all storms there is Sea-room enough in Gods infinite mercy for faiths full sail Phil. 4.19 our God supplies all wants Religion is a spiritual bond to tye God and a soul together and a Christian in the exercise of his Religion singles out that in God which is needful to him on all occasions the life of faith is a retailing of Divine commodities as the Covenant of grace gives a soul a title thereto as it were by whole-sale Oh let the heirs of promise improve these mercies 3. Be content with these mercies these are sufficient to make you happy seek not further to eke out your contentment in the Creature as though you had not enough in having these what a strange passage is that of good Abraham Gen. 1â— 2 Lord God saith he what wilt thou give me seeing I go childless give him why had not God given him himself and was not that an exceeding great reward ver 1. and could Abraham desire more O yes all this is nothing unless God give him a Child he takes no notice of this in comparison of a Son this is just our case let God give us himself and Covenant-mercies we can overlook all these in our distempered fits and look upon them as of no worth if he deny us some outward comfort that our hearts are set upon but this is our sin and shame cannot God himself content us can we go from Covenant-mercies to mend us with common-mercies nay do we not thereby weaken our interest dishonour our portion and dis-ingage God to help us is not God a jealous God and can he endure to have any corrival with him in your affections 4. Walk worthy of these sure mercies Cum id praestiterit gratia ut moremur peâ—cata quid aliud facicmus stvivemus in eo nisi ut gratiae simus ingrati Aug. de Sp. et lib. c. 60. Rom. 12.1 oh do not disparage them by your unsuitable carriage live after the rate of heirs of Promise walk exactly spiritually self-denyingly and soul-resignedly God hath given himself and these best blessings to you in mercy oh give your selves and best services to God in a way of duty if you give your selves to
God as a whole burnt-offering 't is but a reasonable service for he hath given you more than you can give back to him walk holily steadily cheerfully as becomes these mercies do much for God that hath done so much for you let nothing discourage or disquiet your spirits since yoâ— have mercies sure mercies to lodge in your bosomes why should that soul be sad that enjoyeth an interest in the father of consolations the purchaser of salvation and comforting spirit sure mercies with propriety beget solid comfort and assurance for ever Col. 1.10 Eph. 4.1.1 Thes 2.12 Oh Christians learn the lessons much inculcated to walk worthy of God of your vocation relation and this Kingdom 5. Be active and passive for these mercies they cost Christ dear to purchase them do not you think any thing too dear to do or endure for promoting or preserving of them kindness is very endearing to a grateful heart your pains cannot be spent to better purpose than in the cause of God we must always be paying our debt though we can never fully pay it we must be behind-hand with God but let a soul under the sense of mercies sweat blood for God if he call to it you sow not in a barren soul as showrs of mercy ingage you to fruitfulness so an abundant crop of mercy will be your sure reward and in your saddest Winter you shall have the sweetest harvest of mercy if Christians knew what grapes of Coelestial Canaan they should taste in their Wilderness-sufferings for Christ they would not be so afraid of them as they are these mercies run most freely and sweetly when other streams are stopt fear not sufferings mercies will meet and support you 6. Plead these mercies for your posterity though you should leave your Children thousands a year yet these Covenant-mercies will be the best portion you cannot assure your estates to your heirs but these are sure mercies so that if you take hold of Gods Covenant plead it live up to it you shall have the benefit of these your selves and some at least of your Children and Successours shall enjoy the same mercies for God will remember these unto a thousand generations though he be not bound to every individual soul of your natural off-spring however the Scripture fully shews that this is the surest way to obtain a portion for your Children tell God they are more his than yours you are but Nurses for his Children tell the Lord that thou must dye and leave them but he lives for ever intreat him to be their loving everlasting Father tell him that though thou leave them something in the world yet that is neither suitable nor durable but these sure mercies will not fail them and comfort your hearts for your house and family with the last words of dying David 2 Sam. 23.5 oh labour to transmit your title unto God to future generations as the two Tribes and an half did to future Ages by their Altar Ed. Joh. 24.24 28. see 1 Chron. 28.9 7. Breathe after a full possession of these sure mercies they are from everlasting to everlasting follow them to the spring in admiration and thankfulness and follow this stream of Covenant-mercies to the Ocean of Eternity indeed the streams are in time to the Sons and Daughters of men but the original is without a beginning in God eternal thoughts of love and the end is without end in those everlasting embraces in Heaven oh long to see the end if these mercies be so sweet here what will they be in Heaven in their proper Element as it were oh that blessed state that Paradice of pleasure that joy of our Lord Abraham's bosome an house not made with hands a City with foundations a Crown a Kingdom art thou the happy product of these sure mercies of David do these mercies bring forth such felicity oh happy day that my soul hath an interest in these sure mercies but how long shall my soul be kept from the full possession of these mercies when shall I come and appear before God how long shall I sojourn in Mesech and be detained from my Fathers plenteous Table above shall not a Captive long for his deliverance and a young heir for his full inheritance and shall not my soul long to be with Christ above shall my body be so weary and hath not my soul more cause to be weary of its burden and absence from home Rom. 8 19-23 shall creatures groan and shall not I much more to be delivered into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God shall the Spirit and the Bride say come and shall not my soul that hears these things eccho come shall he say himself Rev. 22.17 20. I come quickly and shall not I answer Amen even so come Lord Jesus Come Lord I long to see the and of these wonders of grace I much desire to enjoy those mercies which eye hath not seen ear heard or heart conceived after another manner than here I am capable come my God I beseech thee shew me thy face and because none can see thy face and live let me dye that I may see thy face and be swallowed up in the Ocean of mercy whence these covenant-Covenant-mercies flow Dear Lord either come down to me or take me up to thee Make haste my beloved Song 8.14 and be thou like a Roe or to a young Hart upon the Mountains of Spices Thus I have at last dispatcht this sixth Use of Instruction and Direction to sinners and Saints CHAP. XV. VII THE seventh Use of Encouragement Comfort and Refreshment and here 's an abundant spring opened to revive all the heirs of Promise But because I want room and because much of that which hath been already delivered tends this way I shall rather improve it to excite the people of God and heirs of Promise to the great and sweet duty of thankfulness And here I might elarge upon the Nature Use Comfort and acceptance of the duty of praise in the account of God and men but I must wave that and only insist on some few particulars that concern the nature of these mercies which may ingage us to be thankful which are these 1. They are free-mercies they may be had without money or price saith this Prophet here Quanti O bomines profiteremini vos esse empturos si salus aeterna venderetur ne si paeto tum quidem qui totus aureo ut est in favulis fluit fluento quis dedcrit pro salute justum pretium numeraverit Clem Alex. adm ad gentis free-grace was the Fountain Cause and Original of these he had mercy because he would have mercy nothing moved his bowels of mercy on our part free-grace had no impulsive cause but it self when you are to purchase these mercies the price it fallen to just nothing he gives liberally and upbraids not oh what cause of thankfulness and admiration 2. They are Dear mercies this doth not contradict the former