first use but shall now proceed on unto a second namely 2. Seeing God hath made that which is our Duty to be our great and only real Interest seeing he hath made Godliness our true and most excellent Gain and Advantage we may infer and learn from hence that it is his good Will and gracious Mind in Christ concerning us that we should all of us seriously and in good earnest exercise our selves unto true Piety That we should not onely or chiefly have a form of Godliness upon us but that we should entertain and obey the Power thereof and be all of us in sincerity Godly Persons Therefore hath he entail'd all profitable Prosperity on Godliness that we might never think of enjoying the former without our embracing the latter No good thing will He withold from them that walk uprightly Psal 84. 11. Hence he thus expresseth himself and evidenceth it to be his Cordial desire that we should apply our selves to the hearty Obedience of him O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always that it might be well with them and with their Children for ever Deut. 5. 28 29. And now Israel saith Móses what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul to keep the Commandments of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good chap. 10. 12 13. It adds nothing really unto him if we be holy and good nor doth it take any thing from him if we be ungodly and prophane If thou sinnest what dost thou against him or if thy transgressions be multiplyed what doest thou unto him If thou be Righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he of thine hand Job 36. 6. 8. No but he hires us to the Embracement and Practice of sincere Piety and Purity with the undoubted Advantage of it to our selves And therefore we may rationally and certainly conclude that God our Saviour will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledg of the Truth as 1 Tim. 2. 4. That he is not willing that any man should perish while it is called to day but that all should come to Repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. Therefore he sets before us Life and Good and Death and Evill Blessing and Cursing not as if he was indifferent which of them we chuse but he doth Councel us and Cordially desire we should chuse Life and to that end that we love the Lord our God and obey his voice and cleave unto him for He is our Life and the length of our dayes Deut. 30. 10 15 19 20. And doubtless seeing it is his hearty will we should seriously exercise our selves unto the obedience of Faith he will not be wanting to enable us thereto by the asistance of his grace if we be not wanting to our selves for he giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not Jam. 1. 5. It is God that worketh in you saith the Apostle both to will and to do of his good Pleasure Phil 2. 12 15. If therefore we continue disobedient and ungodly and so perish in conclusion we shall have no just cause to blame the God o◠all Grace who hath done so great things for us and set so great encouragments before us to move and engage us to serve him acceptably But our Destruction will appear to be wholly of our selves and that we our selves have by observing lying vanities forsaken our own mercies and have been too too like prophane Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his Birth-right Heb. 12. 14 17. 3. Seeing Godliness is profitable unto all things and that our exercising our selves thereto is our most certain excellent and eternal advantage This then discovers and evidences unto us the great and pernicious mistake and folly of them that think and speak otherwise and so exercise not themselves thereto but walk in Ungodly Unrighteous and Intemperate ways and practises as if Impiety were the onely and mainly gainfull thing they could exercise themselves unto To this purpose Job speaks of some wicked ones who did greatly Flourish in this world in their unrighteous courses and who thought that because they did so therefore it would be a vain and unprofitable thing to serve and fear the Lord. They spend their days saith he in Wealth or Mirth and in a moment go down to the grave Therefore they say unto God depart from us for we desire not the knowledg of thy ways What is the Almighty that we should serve him And what profit should we have if we pray unto him Job 21. 14. 15. And to the same purpose Eliphaz speaks of them namely They say unto God depart from us And what can the Almighty do for them see how brutish they are in their thoughts or expressions of God while they give him the Title of the Almighty they yet say What can he do for them whereas they might rather and most truly say What cannot the Almighty do for them most strange That he should be Almighty and yet should have no Hands no power to provide for his servants Thus some wicked ones did Reason with such contradictious Talke But though they doubted of or denyed his Providence and Bounty they did partake thereof while they spake so Atheistically for it presently follows yet he filled their houses with good things Job 22 15. 17. 18. Yea such foolish and brutish ones there were not onely amongst them that were without the Church but of them also that were of the Church and of the most Reformed part thereof of Judah God's pleasant Plant. Hence it is said concerning some therein your words have been stout against me saith the Lord Yet ye say what have we spoken against thee ye have said it is vain to serve God And what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance And that we have walked Mournfully before the Lord of hosts But whence proceded this unreasonable and absurd talk of theirs Surely from hence Because wicked ones did grow Great and were Fat and Flourishing therefore they thought that their Impiety was their great Interest and Advantage for so much is signified in the following words of these simple and unwise Persons to wit And now we call the Proud happy yea they that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered Mal. 3. 13 14 15. Nay that Good Man was envious at the foolish when he saw the prosperity of the wicked That there were no Bands in their death but their strength was firm That they were not in trouble as other men neither were they plagued like other men That their eyes stand out with fatness and they have more than heart could wish Behold saith he these are the ungodly they prosper in the World they increase in Riches And while he looked upon their security and prosperity according to outward appearance he was to ready and
the half was not told us by them this life and immortality exceeds the same which we have heard of it 1 King 10. 6 7 8. But no more to that 3. We come in the last place to evidence and shew that Godliness hath and those that unseignedly and preseveringly exercise themselves thereto have the promise also of the life to come of this most excellent desirable and eternally happy and blessed state of which we have before given some broken imperfect and brief account To this purpose the Apostle Paul speaks in the presence of King Agrippa and some other great persons saying And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our Fathers to wit the promise of a blessed and joyful resurrection from the dead and of an everlastingly happy state afterwards which was made unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. Gen. 22. 7. Exod. 3. 6. with Luk. 20. 35 36 38. Act. 24. 14 16. Heb. 11. 9 10 13 16. Unto which promise saith he our twelve Tribes instantly serving God day and night hope to come Intimating that they rightly judged and concluded that no persons could enjoy the compleat benefit of that promise made unto the Fathers but such as were sincerely pious and devout persons such as walked in the steps of the Faith of our Father Abraham And therefore they did instantly and constantly serve God in holiness and righteousness that they might enjoy the benefits and blessings of that promise Act. 26. 6 7 8. Psal 119. 166. To the same purpose also the Apostle James speaking concerning them that were Rich in faith though poor in this world saith of them that they are Heirs of that Kingdom which God hath promised unto them that love him Jam. 1. 12. and ch 2. 5. And the Apostle John writing unto them that did believe in the name of the Son of God in general saith Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father And this is the promise that he hath promised us even eternal life 1 Joh. 2. 24 25. Rev. 2. 7 10 11. and chap. 22. 12 14. This promise as we have said before is conditionally propounded and assured unto all however where the Gospel of Christ is plainly taught and proclaimed that upon their performing the conditions of the New-Covenant by the help and assistance of the blessed spirit of God which he will not be wanting to give them preventingly they might be made partakers of the blessings therein assured and promised For so God loved the world of fallen sinfull mankind that he gave his onely begotten Son namely to be the Saviour of it That whosoever of the world believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 14 15 16 17 35 36. and chap. 5 24 25 40. Isa 55. 1 2 3. But they onely are the Heirs of it I now speak of adult ones and shall assuredly receive and enjoy the choice and everlasting benefits of it who do exercise themselves unto true and sincere Godliness and Goodness and continue so to do unto the end of their lives for they do perform the terms and conditions of that New-Covenant To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality God will render eternal life Rom. 2. 7 10. Hence the Apostle thus intreats exhorts and encourages the believing Hebrews saying unto them And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end That ye be not slothful but followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the promises Heb. 6. 11 12. And again he faith unto the same believers Ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promises chap. 10. 36 38. But having mentioned somewhat to the same purpose before in the fore-going part of this discourse and thereby prevented my self from further enlarging thereto here I shall adde no more unto it Onely for our further helpfulness and encouragement we may enquire into and consider these two things namely 1. Whose is this promise that is assured unto Godliness and consequently unto them that sincerely exercise themselves thereto 2. How is this most excellent promise confirmed and established that we may firmly expect to receive the blessings thereof upon our exercising our selves to true Piety and Holiness 1. Whose is this promise that is assured unto Godliness and consequently unto them that sincerely and perseveringly exercise themselves thereto Or who is he that hath promised eternal life to the truely Godly and Holy persons And he is The living God as he is styled in vers 10. He that lifts up his hand unto heaven and saith I live for ever Deut. 32. 40. That God who onely hath immortality 1 Tim. 6. 16. And him we may further consider 1. As a Gracious and merciful God one who is full of tender bowels of compassion and affection to mankind Tit. 3. 4. Jam. 5. 11. Especially towards them that heartily seek and serve him as the Apostle also signifies in what he saith of the living God in vers 10. Namely that he is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that believe His Charity and Mercy moved him to promise his dear Son from the beginning of the world to be the Saviour of the world and in the fulness of the time to send him according as he had before-promised whom he hath given For a Covenant of the people Isa 42. 6. Through the tender mercies of our God the day-spring from on high visited us To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death Luk. 1. 70 80. Isa 55 3 4. And he hath by the grace of God tasted death for every man and is raised again from the dead and hath by his precious blood obtained and ratified the New Testament of exceeding great and precious promises 2 Cor. 1. 20. And this everliving and true God who hath so greatly and wonderfully manifested the sincerity of his love and kindness towards us in sending his well-beloved and onely begotten Son to be the Propitation for our sins doth still keep mercy toward the Heirs of his promise otherwise they could not be made partakers of the blessings and benefits of his Covenant Hence we have frequently such expressions as these made use of in the holy Scriptures to wit The great and dreadful God who keepeth Covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his Commandments Deut. 7. 9. Neh. 1. 5. Dan. 9. 4. All the Paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimomonies Psal 25. 10. He retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea Thou wilt
perform the truth unto Jacob and the mercy to Abraham Mica 7. 18 20. If God should be severe to Mark against the pious and righteous persons the manifold iniquities and miscarriages found with them both in their Omitting that which is good and Committing that which is evil they could not stand before him nor receive the benefits of his promises Psal 130. 4 5. And as that perfect man Job saith how should man be just before God namely if he should enter into judgment with him for so it immediately follows If he will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Job 9. 2 3. with Psal 143. 2. And therefore such as are upright in the main need to Rejoyce in and Implore the mercy of God daily and continually And it is observable that David the man after Gods own heart thus expresseth himself I will sing of thy Power yea I will sing aloud of thy Mercy c. Psal 59. 16 17. And again he saith I will sing of the Mercies of the Lord for ever Psal 89. 1 4. And when he thus speaks of himself in his Prayer unto God saying I have done Judgment and Justice and doth acknowledge himself to be The Servant of the Lord to wit in an especial consideration one that did desire to fear his name and to serve and please him yet then he humbly and earnestly Implores the mercy of God saying Deal with thy Servant according to thy Mercy Psal 119. 121 124 125 and 143. 2. And Daniel a man greatly beloved of his God and an eminently Holy man doth thus address himself unto God in his Prayer We do not present our Supplications before thee for our Righteousness but for thy great Mercies O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do Dan. 9. 7 9 18 19. with Isa 64. 6. And when the Apostle Jude gives this counsel and exhortation unto the Believers who were Sanctified in God the Father and Preserved in Christ Jesus and Called to wit But ye Beloved Building up your selves on your most Holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God He then Immediately further adds thereto Looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto Eternal Life To signify to us that the most upright and holy Ones do continually stand in need of the Mercy of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ and without that they could not have Eternal Life Jude 1. 2 20 21. Heb. 4. 16. Luke 17. 9 10. The Mercy of the Lord is from Everlasting to Everlasting upon them that fear him Psal 103. 17 18. with 52. 8. Where is Boasting then It is excluded By what Law Of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith Rom. 3. 25 26 27. Yet let none from what hath been said Abuse the Mercy and Grace of God as evil ones are two forward and prone to do Rom. 5. and chap. 6 1 2. and cry Peace to themselves Where there is no Peace For though it be certainly true that God is a God of Mercy towards mankind rich in Mercy the Father and Fountain of Mercies 2 Cor. 1. 3. Ephes 2. 4 5. yet he will not be merciful in an especial consideration To any wicked trangressors Psal 59. 5. He that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no Favour I mean if they continue and go on still in their Trespasses Isa 27. 11. Psal 68 18 21. But this is a very great and considerable encouragement to them whose hearts are perfect with the Lord That he who hath entail'd the Promise on Godliness is one who delights in mercy And therefore he will perform the Covenant to them that keep his Testimonies and seek him with the whole heart though they be subject to Passions and have many Infirmities and Frailties found with them in their due and diligent addressing themselves to the Throne of Grace that they may obtain mercy in the forgiveness of their Sins These are The Vessels of special Mercy which he hath prepared unto Glory Rom. 9. 23. with 1 Tim. 4. 10. Hence the Apostle Paul thus votes As many as walk according to this Rule Peace be upon them and Mercy even upon the Israel of God Gal. 6. 14 15 16. Heb. 8. 10 11 12. 2. The God whose the Promise is that Godliness hath is also a God of Ability and Power one who is strong and able to perform all his Gracious Promises And so he is able to give unto the truly Pious Persons now those things which he knows to be needful for them for this present Life and State Whatsoever is under the whole Heaven is his Job 41. 11. Thine O Lord saith David is the Greatness and the Power and the Glory and the Victory and the Majesty For all that is in the Earth is thine Thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all Both Riches and Honour come of thee c. 1 Chron. 29. 11 13. Deut. 10. 14. He can open his good Treasure and give unto us out of that whatsoever is needful and useful for the Body and outward man as Deut. 28. 1 12. And so also the Heaven and all Heavenly things are his in his hand and at his Dispose 1 Chron. 29. 11. Behold the Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens is the Lords Deut. 10. 14. Psal 115. 16. And saith the Apostle Paul Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly things in Christ Jesus Eph. 1. 3. Jam. 1. 5 17. Luk. 11. 13. Thus God in former times made known himself to Abraham Isaac and Jacob by the Name of God Almighty Gen. 17. 1. Exod. 6. 3. And Abraham glorified God in believing him to be such an one as he made himself known by his Word to be namely the Powerful the Almighty God and that therefore he could give a Being to his word and and perform the Promise which he had made unto him notwithstanding all appearing difficulties and unlikelyhoods So when the Lord promised him saying So shall thy Seed be It is said by the Apostle He considered not his Body now dead neither yet the deadness of Sarahs Womb. He staggered not at the Promise of God through unbelief but was strong in Faith giving Glory to God And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform Rom. 4. 18 21. There were some staggerings at that Promise of God as to his Ability to perform it in Sarah it may seem for which she was somewhat reproved by the Lord in his thus speaking unto Abraham Wherefore did Sarah laugh Is any thing too hard for the Lord Gen. 18. 13 14. But no such thing was charged upon her Husband And again when the Lord tried Abraham commanding him to Offer up his Son his only Son Isaac for a Burnt-Offering concerning which Son the Lord had thus promised In Isaac shall thy
doth signifie or however enclude Justification for these two to wit Justification and Condemnation are very usually opposed the one to the other Rom. 5. 18. and chap. 8. 33 34. 2 Cor. 3. 9. And so those that now do live Godly and Righteously in Christ Jesus shall in the World to come of which we speak be compleatly Gloriously and eternally Justified from all their Sins and Transgressions Isa 45. 23 25. Their Sins shall be fully and everlastingly Blotted out when the times of Refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Act. 3. 19. Now they are instructed and directed by our Lord Jesus and need to pray unto their Father which is in Heaven every day Forgive us our Sins and Trespasses for they are daily offending and sinning against God Matth. 6. 12. who can tell how oft he offendeth There is not a Just man upon the Earth that doeth good and sinneth not Eccl. 7. 20. But then they shall sin no more but shall be justified and cleansed as Dan. 8. 14. from the Inherency and In-being of Sin and they shall also perfectly and for ever be forgiven and delivered from the Guilt of their former Transgressions and Miscarriages Isa 45. 25. with Heb. 8. 10 12. He commanded us saith the Apostle Peter to Preach unto the People and to testify That it is He Christ who is Ordained of God the Judge of quick and dead To him give all the Prophets Witness that through his Name whosoever Believeth in him shall receive in the future Judgment Remission of Sins Act. 10. 40 43. 3. The truly Godly and Righteous persons shall when they are raised again out of their Graves be wholly and for ever delivered from the wrath and displeasure of the Almighty God and so Eternal life is opposed unto the wrath of God by the Baptist when he thus speaketh He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life and he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life but the Wrath of God abideth on him John 3. 3 6. So also the Apostle doth oppose Eternal Life and Wrath each to other saying to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory He will render eternal Life But unto them that obey not the Truth he will render Indignation and Wrath Rom. 2. 7 8. see also Prov. 16. 14 15. And so they that now are Pious and Pure in heart and way shall then obtain and enjoy his valuable Favour in which is life Psal 30. 5. yea his loving kindness is better than Life than the most excellent life we can here enjoy Psal 63. 3. Then shall that promise which the Faithful God hath promised to them be compleatly and most fully performed to wit For a moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer For this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I will not be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee This is the Heritage of the servants of the Lord c. Isa 54. 7 8 9 10. 17. 4. Eternal Life is opposed unto Everlasting fire and unto everlasting punishment Matth. 25. 41 46. And so it may signifie the same with Everlasting Salvation And our Lord Jesus being made perfect Became the Author of eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him Heb. 5. 8 9. Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 15 16. and chap. 10. 27 28. They that now run with patience and perseverance the way of God's Commandments shall hereafter unto all Eternity be delivered from the dreadful and direful effects of the Wrath of the Almighty God which is to be dreaded and deprecated by us they shall then fully and for ever be secured from all Torment Destruction and perdition Isa 45. 16 17. Everlasting Life is also opposed unto Shame Reproach and Disgrace As where the Prophet saith Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting Life and some to Shame and everlasting Contempt Dan 12. 2. And so in that future state which the Godly shall enter upon they shall certainly and perpetually be delivered from all Infamy and Contempt though now many times they are a Reproach of men and despised of the People and are a By-word amongst their Neighbours and therefore may say as the Psalmist doth Thou hast known our Reproach and our Shame and our Dishonour Reproach hath broken our hearts c. Psal 69. 19 20. yet hereafter Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation they shall not be Ashamed nor Confounded world without end Isa 45. 17. But they shall then obtain and be made partakers of everlasting Glory and immortal Honour unto which they are now called by the Gospel When Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in Glory Col. 3. 1 4. Then saith our Lord Jesus shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father who hath ears to hear let him hear Matth. 13. 44. 2 Tim. 2. 10. For their former Shame they shall then have double Glory Isa 61. 7. And again Eternal life is sometimes opposed unto the Place of Torment into which the unrighteous and unholy shall go and in which will be Weeping and Wailing and Gnashing of teeth Mark 9. 43 46. And so also it is opposed unto Anguish and dismal Grief which is the effect of the Wrath and Indignation of the most Righteous Judge Rom. 2. 7. with ver 8. 9. And they that now lead their lives in sincere Piety and Honesty shall hereafter be delivered from all occasions of weeping and wailing and shall be made partakers of everlasting Joy Gladness and Consolation as the Lord by the Prophet gives us to understand saying The Redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion and everlasting joy shall be upon their Heads they shall obtain Gladness and Joy and Sorrow and Mourning shall flee away Isa 35. 10. and chap. 51. 11. Light is now sown for the Righteous and Gladness for the upright in heart Psal 97. 11 12. And even now while as their need requires they are in heaviness through manifold Temptations yet believing in Christ Jesus whom now they see not they rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of Glory they greatly rejoyce in that Salvation ready to be revealed in the last times 1 Pet. 1. 3 6 8 9. But their present joy is not without mixture of sorrow They now rejoyce with trembling Heb. 3. 16 18. And their joy is not compleat because it is in unseen things but hereafter God will wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more sorrow nor crying for the former things are passed