with open violence in our streets he that rideth upon the Red horse having power given him to take peace from the earth and that men should kill one another Apoc. 6. In these times so full of perplexitie and trouble it cannot but be welcome newes to heare of Conditions of peace and when death comes to our dores and we are at deaths-dore then to be offered a Covenant of life This Covenant here spoken of is a Covenant of life and peace and therefore seasonable It is also the more sutable in regard of that holy and gracious practise begun by our renowned Parliament going before the body of the Kingdome in entring into an holy Covenant with the God of heaven to become the Lords people the onely way to a blessed peace Till we be at one with God it will be in vaine by humane policies to devise wayes of peace with men but peace being once made in heaven will bring peace on earth and good will amongst men If otherwise man still rage yet shall his rage be restrained and turne to Gods praise the Lord on high hath a bridle for his lips and an hooke for his nostrills he will subdue the oppressour and will still the enemy and the avenger Blessed be they whose care it hath been to draw the Land into this holy covenanting with God let mercy and peace be upon them as upon all the Israel of God And blessed be that God who hath put this care into their hearts as being the onely way to obtaine an assured blessing This Covenant so happily begun is the principall subject of this booke in which thou mayst see both the necessitie for every soule to enter into a Covenant with God and how it is to be done as also how those that have made a Covenant with God are to walke in it and what blessings doe belong unto those that so walke When these things were first preached in New-England there was little thought of publishing them in such a time But he which inhabiteth eternitie with whom all things are present fits things past to those that are present and to come that his wisdome might be knowne to order all beyond what we conceive or thinke It is now some five or six yeares since I first began to handle this doctrine now published a time then full of trouble in these American Churches through the inordinate activeness and impetuous violence of some busie spirits of whom the Country is now well rid through the Lords great goodnes deeming all others except themselves to be wholly ignorant of the Covenant of grace and to be shut up under a Covenant of workes All the Preachers in the Land were legall Preachers the Christians legall Christians as having onely the letter of the Gospel but not understanding the mystery or spirituall meaning of it as it was revealed unto themselves by the spirit The disputes about the two Covenants did then exceedingly trouble the minds of many amongst whom there was little speech but about the covenant of grace and of workes and of being under a Covenant of workes I having then in the course of my Ministery propounded to my self this order to follow namely on one part of the Lords day to handle one part of the body of Divinitie concerning God Creation Man his first pure estate and so on concluding that part with his lapsed and falne estate and on the other part of the day to speak of the means of Gods restoring man againe to the state of salvation I could not then passe by the handling of the Covenant of grace without a purposed declining from that which both the agitations of the Countrey and mine own proposed method did lead me unto Hereupon I entred upon the handling of this subject in the ordinary course of my Ministry endeavouring my self so far as the Lord enabled me to settle the minds of those amongst whom I lived in the knowledge of the truth concerning which some were wavering by reason of those spirits of error which were gone abroad deceiving the minds of some This was the occasion of handling this doctrine When I had finished it it pleased God to give it such acceptance in the hearts of the hearers that many of the chiefe amongst them came to me with a solemn request desiring me to publish what I had delivered that so they might have it continue with them which request of theirs as it was unexpected by me so was I both unwilling and unable to satisfie their desire unwilling as being conscious to my self of mine own infirmities unfit to publish any thing in this learned age and unable as not having so penned any part of it as to make it fit for publick use But the earnestnesse of their desire on the one side and the rawnesse of the draught which I had written for the help of my self on the other side so far crossing one another gave occasion of a second revising of what was before done which also caused some further additions thereunto and hath at last brought forth that such as it is which is now presented to thy view And thus thou understandest gentle Reader the occasion both of the preaching and publishing of the doctrine of the Covenant which now comes forth Which notwithstanding the former inducements I should hardly have adventured to have published had I not been encouraged thereto by some others of better note It is not any confidence I have in my self which hath drawne me forth into publick view I thank God I do in some measure know mine own weaknes But if the Lord will use his weakest instruments to perfect his own praise who am I that I should let God I wish this had been undertaken by some other of greater strength but none hitherto appearing in this kinde being desired to what I have done I have been content to yeeld to the desires of those that have perswaded me hereunto There is a Treatise of the New Covenant published some yeares ago by a precious light in the Church of God whose worke is come almost into all mens hands If that worthy servant of Christ had lived to see these dayes we now live in or then were when these things were delivered I doubt not but he would with much more accuratenesse have handled these things then my weaknesse is able to attaine unto But God having carried him to his resting place before these questions brake forth which have since troubled and doe still trouble the world it is not to be marvelled that some one coming after him inferior unto him may adde something to that which hath been before delivered The opinions formerly stirring in New-England and now in old if fame be not a lyer have given occasion to touch some things not of ordinary occurrence As namely 1. Whether the Covenant of grace be made betwixt God and man or onely betwixt God the Father and Christ 2. Where also by occasion of the former question is handled that place in
depart from the living God If wee shall againe breake this second covenant with him wee shall not onely misse of that salvation and life which wee hope for but we shall perish with a double destruction wee shall pay for all our treachery and unfaithfulnesse in this Covenant This concernes us to looke unto more then any people in the world let us not breake Covenant with God twice This aggravated Solomons sinne that he sinned against God which appeared to him twice God made a Covenant with us first in Adam and now againe in Christ and therefore let us take heed of breaking Covenant with him the second time Vse 4 It is a use of marvellous comfort to those that doe indeavour to walke uprightly and faithfully in covenant with God in whose hearts God hath written his covenant whom he hath made mindfull of it and faithfull to keepe it with him here is comfort for such that the blessing of life and salvation is as sure to such soules as the covenant of a faithfull God can make it the blessings promised in the covenant cannot faile them God cannot breake with them if they breake not with him he cannot lye nor alter the thing which is gone out of his lips When the Saints sometimes thinke of the greatnesse of the promises on the one side and consider their owne povertie and vilenesse the low and undone condition they have brought themselves into by their sins on the other side the promises seeme to them to be above hope and faith As the Sunne dazles the eye to looke upon so glorious a light so the great things which God hath promised in his Covenant doe even dazle the eye of faith and they thinke them almost impossible that they should have such neare communion with God and be made partakers of that everlasting happinesse c. These doe even set faith it selfe at a stand therefore looke at the stabilitie of the promise of God he hath passed over those things by covenant and he cannot be a covenant-breaker his covenant standeth faster then the mountaines that cannot be moved and therefore as long as they are not above the promise and covenant of God neither let them be above our faith and hope onely let us wait for them in the way of faith and obedience It 's said in Psal 25.10 All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that keepe his Covenant 1 Cor. 1.9 Faithfull is he that hath called you to the fellowship of his Sonne Jesus Christ And to the same purpose is that of Moses Deut. 7.12 Therefore doe but enter into covenant with God and keepe it with him and then be confident of all that rich blessing which the Lord hath promised to his people There is a promise made to Christ Esa 49.7 that though he was despised of men and abhorred of the Nations and contemned by the rulers yet though it was very unlikely in reason Kings and Princes should bow downe to him and worship him But how shall this be brought to passe this shall be done saith the Text because of the Lord that is faithfull So though we be poore wormes yet the Lord hath promised to us life and glory and a Kingdome But can this be accomplished to such as we be Yes because of the faithfulnesse of God who hath promised and undertaken to performe it Therefore if God have made thee mindfull and carefull of his covenant to walke in obedience to him then know that the Lord is more mindfull of his owne covenant with thee to performe to thee all that mercy and blessednesse which he hath promised to thee and let this be a pledge unto thee of the accomplishment of all even the care that God hath put in thy heart to walke in Covenant with him Thus wee have heard the fourth generall observation noted out of the Text. But now by occasion thereof wee will lanch a little further into the deepe having sailed by the shore all this while and enter into a consideration more particularly of the nature of that Covenant by which God conveyes life and salvation to his people There are two covenants which the Scripture makes mention of one of workes the other of grace of both the Apostle speakes Gal. 4.23 24. The one is the Testament or Covenant of the Law that shuts up all under wrath the other of grace and that proclaimes libertie the one is usually called the commandement the other the promise the one is contained in the Law the other in the Gospel Now if it be demanded what covenant it is by which God communicates salvation to us I answer it is the covenant of grace and not the covenant of workes by which the blessing of life and salvation cometh For the more distinct handling whereof wee must consider these two things severally First To shew what the Covenant of grace is Secondly To shew that the Lord communicates his salvation by the covenant of grace and not of workes Concerning the former that wee may discerne what is the nature of the Covenant of grace this I will set forth by considering these five things 1. By comparing the covenant of grace with the covenant of workes shewing both wherein they are alike wherein they differ 2. By shewing the divers dispensations of the covenant both before Christ and since Christs coming 3. By shewing what are the benefits which wee receive by vertue of this Covenant 4. By shewing the condition of the Covenant what that is 5. By noting out the properties of the Covenant 1. For the first compare the covenant of workes with the covâ—nant of grace and therein first see wherein they are alike and doe agrâ—â— and that in sundry things 1. They agree in the author of them God is the author of both Covenants even the same God The Manichees thought one God was author of the Law the Covenant of workes and another author of the Covenant of grace contained in the Gospel but this heresiâ— was exploded long agoe 2. They agree in the parties contracting and making covenant together both of them are made with us God and man are the parties covenanting in both Covenants not as if one the covenant of workes were made with us the other the covenant of grace were made onely with Christ but both are made with us 3. They agree in one common end which is that God may be glorified in his creature in the manifestation either of his justice or mercy according to the nature of the Covenant made with him the glorifying of God is the common end of both 4. They agree in this that in both there is a promise of life and blessednesse the covenant of workes saith Doe this and live the covenant of grace saith Believe and live Life is promised in both Now whether the same life be promised in both or whether a terrene felicitie and life here on earth be promised in the one and an heavenly in the other as some
condemnation but the gift is of many offences unto justification c. Adams one sin brought guilt upon him and all his posteritie because he was under the covenant of workes and therefore justification can be had by that Covenant no more But it is not so in the Covenant of grace neither one sin nor many sinnes doe exclude from life in this covenant But this gift is of many offences c. And this holds true not onely of such sinnes as are committed before our entrance into a covenant of grace with God but of such sins as are committed afterward as is evident Psal 89.31.34 God having made a Covenant with them though he chastise them yet his Covenant will be not breake c. The reason of this difference is from the summe and scope of the Covenant of workes which is to bind us to a totall full perfect and constant obedience of the Law in all things unto the end Gal. 3.10 so that one or once fayling breakes that Covenant But in the Covenant of grace God promiseth not onely to forgive but to multiply forgivenesses Isa 55.7 Isai 55.7 Hence though in many things we sin all as James 3.2 yet 1 Joh. 2.2 1 Joh. 2.2 wee have an Advocate with the Father And 1 Joh. 1.7 The bloud of Christ cleanseth us from all sin No number of sinnes doth exclude from salvation till they be accompanied with finall Apostasie impenitency and unbeliefe till as Heb. 3.12 wee doe by an evill heart depart away from the living God Hence also saith the Apostle Rom. 5.19 Where sin abounds there grace abounds much more God will glorifie his grace by our sinne As sin takes occasion by the Law Rom. 7.10 so grace takes occasion by our sin God will glorifie his grace thereby and make it marvellous in the eyes of the world so that men shall wonder that such grace should be shewed in pardoning such sinnes that they shall say as Micah 7.18 Micah 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee who passest by the transgression of the remnant of thy people Consolation to the weake Saints of God Vse who are often cast downe in themselves through sense of their own infirmities and the many falls they are subject unto by reason of which they are cast into sad feares and doubts concerning themselves yea so farre as to make conclusions against themselves that they cannot belong unto God because as they thinke if they were the Lords people and his grace were effectuall in them they should not be so often overcome But such must know that so long as the sinnes that are in us be repented of and mourned for it is not one nor many infirmities which can make voyd the Covenant of grace which wee are entred into or hinder us of the blessing that comes thereby Wee must remember that we are not under the Law but under Grace wee must not be too severe against our selves like Novatians denying pardon to second falls In so doing we set such limits to the grace of God as he himselfe hath not set God hath not said He will pardon once and no more or that he will pardon sinnes before grace received but not those committed after God never so stinted his grace but his gift of grace is against many offences unto justification of life In denying therefore of pardon to our selves for sins iterated and for our often infirmities so long as there is a spirit of repentance working in us and we are humbled for them before God we doe not onely wrong our selves and deprive our soules of the peace we might enjoy but we do wrong to the grace of God as if that grace were not sufficient for us as if that God could not or would not renew his gracious pardon to us as wee renew our repentance towards him Let such consider what the Lord hath commanded us to doe we must not onely forgive seven times but seventy times seven times if our brother turne againe and say it repenteth me And can wee thinke that God lookes for more mercy from us towards our brethren then he will shew towards his owne children He hath bidden us daily to pray for the forgivenesse of our sinnes as knowing that we are subject to daily infirmities and doe stand in need of daily mercy and forgivenesse And therefore to limit Gods grace as we are apt to doe is in effect to turne the Covenant of grace into a Covenant of workes as if there were no more grace under the one then under the other Know therefore that whiles there is in us an holy watchfulnesse against the sin that dwells within us whiles it is our desire and care to please the Lord whiles we feele in our selves the spirit of grace causing us to mourne over him whom we have pierced by our sinnes though we be overtaken again and again through the infirmity of the flesh that is in us yet know that it is not one nor many offences that can deprive us of the blessing of this covenant of grace in which God hath promised to multiply forgivenesses according to the multitude of his great mercies Yet let no man abuse this doctrine unto carnall liberty this is childrens bread impure dogges and carnall livers that make no conscience of sinning have nothing to doe with this consolation it is onely to support the weak to comfort the feeble minded not to encourage the wicked and impenitent in their sin Let such know that though God abound in mercy and do multiply forgivenesses unto such as are humbled for their sins yet he will multiply plagues also upon impenitent wretches that goe on in their evill way To such neither many nor any one of all their sins shall be forgiven but being under the law they shall make an account to God for every transgression God will repay them all their wickednesses not one shall be forgotten or forgiven He is indeed abundant in goodnesse reserving mercy for his people and so he is also abundant in wrath against rebellious sinners and will abundantly reward the proud doer That the covenant of works if it be accomplished and fulfilled Differ 8 leaves in man matter of glorying and boasting in himselfe but the covenant of grace excludes all glorying in a mans selfe and leaves him nothing of his own to boast of but in the grace of God If Adam who was under the covenant of works had fulfilled that covenant he might have come before the Lord and said Behold Lord I have fulfilled the commandment which thou gavest me and done thy will now therefore justifie me and give me the life which thou hast promised here Adam had had something in himselfe to glory in Thus the Apostle speaks of Abraham that if he had had the righteousnesse of works by his fulfilling of the Law he should have had whereof to glory before God Rom. 4.1 Rom. 4.1 he might have said as the elder son did in Luk. 15.29 Luke 15.29
were mighty and the people of God thought it impossible that they should be redeemed out of Captivitie God taketh a resemblance from the worke of Creation and applyes it to the worke of their redemption that as he stretched out the heavens alone and spread abroad the earth by himselfe so by himselfe alone he would worke out salvation for his people So Isai 59.16 Isai 59.16 God speaketh like a man that looketh that others should come and helpe him but none came therefore his owne arme brought salvation and sustained his people Israel The Lord alone will be a sufficient blessing to his people Hence Isai 45.7 Isai 45.7 The Lord saith that he formes light and creates darknesse he makes peace and creates evill Sometimes God so creates evill that if it be asked whence it comes or what is the originall of it we must answer as Isai 47.11 we cannot tell whence it cometh but onely from the Lords immediate hand The Lord makes it evident that it cometh from him that men are forced to say as Jehoram 2 Kings 6.33 2 King 6.33 This evill is of the Lord or as the Magicians Exod. 8.19 This is no other but the finger of God So on the contrary the Lord so workes from himselfe in the communicating of his goodnesse and mercy to his people that they may see and plainly perceive that it is the immediate hand of God that hath wrought all This may be made manifest both first in the want of outward meanes and secondly in the injoyment of them First In the want of meanes here God steps in and makes a supply and becomes all things unto his people sometimes God withholds from his people the meanes of life and yet they live that it may appeare that our life is not in the meanes but in God that he is our life and the length of our dayes as Deut. 30.20 Deut. 30.20 And that in him we live and move and have our being Acts 17. Thus Moses when he had neither bread nor water for fortie dayes yet he lived and was as strong as though he had daily eaten his appointed food So also was it with Elijah and our Saviour Christ Mat. 4.2 So also with the people of Israel God suffered them to be hungry and yet they did not famish that it might appeare that man lives not by bread onely but by every word of God Deut. 8.3 Hence is that in Isai 41.17 18.20 Isai 41.17 18.20 The Lord will open rivers in the high places and fountaines in the valleyes for the poore and needy c. And for what end will the Lord doe this that they may know and consider that the hand of the Lord hath done this c. Thus was the Lord good to the Israelites in the wildernesse he was all things to them First they had no setled habitation but the Lord was an habitation unto them Psal 90.1 Psal 90.1 Againe they had no ordinary bread for fortie yeares together and yet they were preserved alive that they might know that the Lord was the God of their welfare as Moses saith Deut. 29.6 Deut. 29.6 Againe they had no meanes of renewing their cloathing and yet they wanted not as Deut. 29.5 Their cloathes waxed not old upon them nor their shooes upon their feet Againe they were often to journey and travell by night as well as by day and they knew not one foot of the way they should goe therefore the Lord himselfe was a guide unto them He went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud and in a pillar of fire by night Exod. 13.21 Exod. 13.21 Therein the Lord fulfilled that which he speakes Isai 48.17 Isai 48.17 I the Lord thy redeemer lead thee in the way wherein thou shouldest goe Hence is that in Deut. 32.10.12 The Lord alone led him and there was no strange God with him He alone provided for them he alone fed them he alone conducted them he alone did all for them As it is thus in temporall benefits so also in spirituall blessings the Lord is from himselfe all in all unto his people In Ezek. 11.16 Ezek. 11.16 the Lord tells them that he would carry them into captivitie and now lest they should be discouraged for want of the Temple and Ordinances therefore the Lord promises that he will be a Sanctuary unto them he will supply unto them the want of publique ordinances from himselfe Hence is that in Isai 54.17 Isai 54.17 it is said that they shall be taught of God and Rom. 8.26 Rom. 8.26 that the spirit helpes the infirmities of Gods people when the servants of God would pray but they cannot the Spirit himselfe maketh up their wants and fills their hearts with groanes which pierce the heavens So when they are to speake before the adversaries of Gods truth and they know not how to answer then the Lord puts an answer into their mouthes as Mat. 10.20 Mat. 10.20 So also in the preaching of the Word the Lord himselfe puts words into the mouthes of his servants that whereas they may say as Moses Exod. 4.10 I am of a stammering tongue and cannot speake or as Jer. cap. 1.6 I am a childe c. yet the Lord is a mouth unto them and they speake words not which mans wisdome teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth 1 Cor. 2.13 1 Cor. 2.13 that they which heare them are forced to say God is in you of a truth So also in the comfort and peace that God giveth unto his servants he giveth it not as the world giveth by abundance of earthly comforts and outward prosperitie but when all things threaten trouble yet then he gives peace from himselfe Joh. 14.27 Joh. 14.27 Secondly Consider how God is all to his people from himselfe even in the possession enjoyment of his good blessings sometimes the Lord continues to us the meanes of life and yet so workes and orders all that the benefit and blessing is evidently seene to come not from them but from the Lord alone And this he maketh to appeare divers wayes First Sometimes God lets us enjoy the creature and yet wee want the blessing for a season till he command a blessing to come Sometimes we have raine but not the raine of blessing yet afterwards he causeth it to come in mercy and to become a blessing The Sunne shineth in the firmament but we want the heat of it the warmth and quickning power of it is withheld to let us see that it is not the Sunne but the Lord by which we doe enjoy the blessing We cast our seed into the ground but it doth not prosper afterward it growes and flourisheth Sometimes we carry out much and bring in little what is the reason It is to let us see the truth of that 1 Cor. 3.7 1 Cor. 3.7 that it is the Lord which giveth the increase Sometimes we carry out little and bring in
faithfully performe unto us that which he hath promised his dealing with us doth evidently declare his gracious inclination towards us and his readinesse to forgive First His great patience in waiting for our repentance and turning unto him he waits for this very end that he might be gracious Isai 30.18 Isai 30.18 Secondly His proclaiming of his Name as he doth in Exod. 34.6 The Lord the Lord gracious mercifull forgiving iniquities why doth the Lord thus proclaime his Name and tell us openly that he is a God forgiving iniquities c. but that we might take notice of his graciousnesse towards us and might be encouraged to looke unto him for forgivenesse Even as Kings proclaime their pardon that they might be acknowledged to be gracious Lords Thirdly His gracious invitation also assures us that he will forgive Come unto me saith Christ Mat. 11.28 If sin burthen you I will ease you Yea he entreats us to accept of reconciliation and to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5.20 Fourthly Consider his commanding of us to forgive one another he commands other men to forgive us which is an argument that himselfe will forgive For first herein he shewes his love towards us that he would not have the hatred of any creature to lye against us no not so much as the displeasure of a weake man but would have us to enjoy their love how much lesse then will he let his owne wrath lye upon us which is infinitely more heavie then the displeasure of all the creatures in the whole world and secondly If he would have us to forgive one another which have so littlâ— love and compassion in us how much more will he forgive us his compassion being so tender and pitifull towards the worke of his own hands These acts of his goodnesse doe confirme this unto us that he is a gracious God ready to forgive This lets us see the onely way to get free from the guilt of our Vse 1 sinne which lyes upon us here is the way and there is no other but to fly to grace and mercy to obtain free forgivenes The wicked hypocrite thinkes to escape by denying his sin as Saul did 1 Sam. 15. 1 Sam. 15. or by hiding it from the eyes of the Almightie as they doe Psal 94.7 Psal 94.7 Others thinke that God cannot know them as Job 22.13 14. Job 22.13 14. or that he will not regard them as Psal 94.7 But marke what the Lord himselfe saith Hos 5.3 Hos 5.3 I know Ephraim and Israel is not hid from me And in Amos 5.12 Amos 5.12 I know your manifold transgressions and your mightie sinnes And in Hos 7.2 Hos 7.2 I remember all their wickednesse saith the Lord yea he hath Our sinnes laid up as amongst his treasures Deut. 32.34 Deut. 32.34 and sealed up as in a bag Job 14.17 Job 14.17 to bring them forth against such Atheisticall hypocrites in the day of his visitation Others thinke to make amends for their sinnes that they will appease God with thousands of Rammes and ten thousand rivers of oyle as Micah 6.7 but the Lord will be appeased by none of these Our onely way is to fly to grace and to free forgivenesse all other meanes whether pardons from men or satisfactions from our selves will not free us from the guilt of the least sin the taking away of our sinnes must either be by free forgivenesse or they must lye upon us for ever Is forgivenesse of sinnes one of the blessings of the Covenant then Vse 2 surely it reacheth no further nor to no more then to such as doe give up themselves to God to walke in Covenant with him such therefore as walke contrary to the Covenant which is between God and his people such as will be bound in no bonds but cast away all bonds from them and will walke at libertie and will not be restrained let such know that the bond of the Covenant as the Prophet speakes in Ezek. 20.37 and the blessing of the Covenant goe together so as those that will not come within the bond of it shall never partake of the blessing When God drawes his people into the bond of his Covenant then he is about the forgiving them their sinnes Consider that of the Apostle Rom. 11.26 27. Rom 11.26 27. when God doth take away the sin of a people then doth he also make a Covenant with them and takes away ungodlinesse from them A loose ungodly walking contrary to the Covenant which God makes with his people is an evident demonstration that our sinnes are still bound fast upon us and they will be as fetters and snares to bind us hand and foot to cast us into utter darknesse This benefit of forgivenesse of sinnes is proper onely unto those that are a people in Covenant with God and doe by Covenant bind themselves unto him to walke before him as becoming his people Vse 3 For incouragement unto all such as doe desire to renew their communion with the blessed God and to returne into acquaintance and fellowship with him you desire to have God to be your God you would faine draw near and get into Covenant with him that he may be a God unto you and you a people unto him but this dismayes you this puts you back you have so much guilt lying upon you so many sinnes standing up betwixt God and you that you thinke it impossible that the holy God should ever take such a sinfull wretch by the hand and enter into Covenant with him to become his God But let such consider this sweet promise of grace I will be mercifull to their iniquities and remember their sinnes no more When he had before said that he would be their God now lest any should be beaten off from drawing neare unto him to renew their communion with him he subjoynes this promise I will forgive their iniquities As if he should say though you thinke I will not be a God unto you any more because of your sinnes yet these shall not hinder for I will forgive them they shall stand in my sight no more Vse 4 Hath God thus promised forgivenes of sin in his new Testament and Covenant then let us for our parts labour to partake of this rich blessing lye no longer under the guilt of our sinnes but seeke to have them forgiven Say not there is no hope we have a promise and we may be the children of the Covenant to whom the promise is made Thinke what the Prophet saith in Amos 5.15 Amos 5.15 It may be the Lord will be mercifull to the remnant of Joseph though before in ver 12. the Lord had told them that he knew their manifold and mighty sinnes yet the Prophet here puts them in hope it may be the Lord will yet be mercifull much more should wee be incouraged by the plaine promises of God And therefore when we heare the Lord say I will be mercifull
acceptance with him so it is no lesse vigilant and watchfull in observing and taking notice what answer comes from the Lord how he answers the desires we have presented before him As the prisoner at the barre not only cries for mercy but marks every word which falls from the Judges mouth if any thing may give him hope and as Benhadads servants lay at catch with the King of Israel to see if they could take occasion by any thing which fell from him to plead for the life of Benhadad so doth the poore soule that is now pleading for life and grace it watcheth narrowly to see if any thing may come from God any intimation of favour any word of comfort that may tend to peace thence it is that the Saints have so often called upon God for answer of their prayers they thought it not enough to pray but they would see how the Lord answered them Psal 102.1 2. Thus Psal 51.8 O let me heare joy and gladnesse c. David did not only pray for mercy but desires to heare from heaven a word spoken to his conscience by which he might know he was accepted though David was not in the beginning of that work we now speak of yet the case is alike he was now in his own sence as if he had been to begin anew and thus in Psal 85.8 I will heare what the Lord will say for he will speak peace unto his people c. 7. As faith doth thus wait for an answer from God so likewise according as the Lord doth either answer or not answer so doth faith demeane it selfe First Sometimes he answers not to our sence I mean and discerning as we see in Davids case he felt himselfe as one forsaken and prayed unto God but found no audience Psal 22. What doth faith in this case it followes God still and cryes after him with more strength and earnestness as resolving never to give over till the Lord either save or destroy if the Lord will destroy yet the soule chuseth to die at Gods foot as Joab did at the hornes of the Altar when he was bidden to come forth from thence to take his death in another place Nay saith Ioab but I will die here Here the humbled soule doth as that woman did in Mat. 15. shee sues to Christ but Christ seemes to have no regard of her gives her not one word but shee seeks still still she cryes after him and though still repulsed yet shee comes a third time and cryes Lord help me and though still the Lord gives her another repulse yet still she hangs upon him and follows him for mercy and would never give over till she he had gotten even what shee desired Even as Christ in his agony when he saw deliverance came not he prayed more earnestly Luk. 22.44 so doth the poore sinner in the time of his agony when he is striving as for life and death if help come not at first call he prays againe and that more earnestly faith will be urgent with God with an humble importunity and the more slack the Lord seemes to be in answering the more instant is faith in plying God with prayers It will be wrastling with God as Iacob did with the Angel it will not rest without a blessing it will take no denyall but will crave still as hee did blesse me even me also send me not away without a blessing it resolves to wait and look up untill the Lord shew mercy Psal 123.2 Lament 3.49 50. Secondly Sometimes againe the Lord doth answer but yet he speaks but as out of the dark cloud giving somâ— little ease but not speaking full peace much like as he spake to the woman Ioh. 8.11 Goe thy way and sinne no more saith Christ he doth not say goe in peace thy sinne is forgiven thee that had been a word of full comfort but goe thy way and sinne no more a middle kind of expression neither assuring her that her sinne was pardoned nor yet putting her out of hope but it might be forgiven And hereby faith gets a little strength and looks after the Lord with more hope and begins to plead with God as Moses did Lord thou hast begun to shew grace unto thy servant goe on Lord to manifest in me all thy goodnesse here faith takes a little hold on the Covenant though with a feeble hand as yet shaking and trembling for want of strength and yet now it begins to follow the Lord with more encouragement as finding that its former seeking hath not been wholly in vaine Thirdly Sometimes againe the Lord speaks more fully and satisfactorily to the soules of his people applying some promise of Grace to the conscience by his own spirit letting the soule feele and taste the comfort of such a promise more effectually then ever it could before it hath often heard and thought on such a promise but could never feele any peace in it because it could never apply it to its own particular but now being applyed by the help of the Spirit it finds and feeles peace Here then the Lord doth not any longer hold the soule in suspence and doubting by propounding unto it such promises of hope as I may so call them It may be yee shall bee hid in the day of wrath Zeph. 2.3 but he speaks full peace as Esay 41.10 Feare not for I am thy God I will subdue your iniquities and cast all your sinnes behind my back and I will remember them against you no more I have received a reconciliation Iob 33. Goe in peace Here â—aith waxeth bold and with a glad heart entertaineth the promise thus brought home unto it the Apostle expresseth this with a word very significant calling it an embracing of the promise Heb. 11.13 embracing implyes an affectionate receiving with both armes opened to shew an heart enlarged to those that come unto us and now the soule having thus embraced the promise and the Lord Iesus Christ in the promise and having him like Simeon in our armes it layes him in the bosome and having before gone forth to meet him hee being now come it brings him into the chamber of the heart there to rest and abide for ever now the soule possesseth him as her own rests in him and is satisfied with him layes it selfe down in a holy rest after all its former troubles praysing God for his mercy as Simeon did when he had Christ in his armes and committing it selfe for ever to that mercy and goodnesse which hath been thus revealed unto it And thus the poor soul which hath been at emnity with God comes by little and little to touch the top of the golden Scepter and to enter into a Covenant of peace with the high God now the hand is given to the Lord as Hezekiah spake 2 Chron. 30. As God reacheth out to us the hand of Grace and of saving help so doe wee give unto him the hand of faith yeilding up our selves unto him committing our selves
unto him to bee kept by him unto salvation according to his Covenant and promise And thus is this part of the Covenant made up betwixt God and us and the soule now sayes within it selfe I that was sometimes an enemy he hath now reconciled unto himselfe I that was in times past without God without Christ without promise without Covenant without hope none of Gods people not under mercy yet now I have God for my God Christ is my peace in him I have obtained mercy and am now become one of Gods people the Covenant of his peace now belongs unto me the Lord also is become my salvation and here the soule rests and is satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse saying as Jacob The Lord hath had mercy on me therefore I have enough I have all that my heart hath desired Gen. 33.11 Thus we see how faith closeth with the first part of the Covenant that God will be a God of mercy unto us to blesse us with blessings of peace c. 2. Concerning the other part of it wherein God offers himselfe unto us to be a God over us to rule us and govern us in obedience to his will faith works the soule to a closing with this also The converting sinner having tasted the fruit of his own former wayes and finding how bitter and evill it is that he hath sinned doth now desire to resign up himself to the Lords government being willing to deny his own will and to take up the Lords yoke and to be subject thereunto he now sayes no more who is Lord over me Psa 12. He doth no longer look at himself as his own to live to himself after his own minde and will but being weary of his own wayes and finding it sufficient and too much that he hath spent the time past in the lusts of the flesh now he commits himselfe to the Lords government taking him to be a God over him to rule and order him in all his wayes The Covenant which passeth betwixt God and us is like that which passeth between a King and his people the King promiseth to rule and govern in mercy and in righteousnesse and they againe promise to obey in loyalty and in faithfulnesse faith sets up God upon his throne and sayes Let the Lord reigne for ever and ever reigne thou over mee O Lord and lead me in the way which leads unto thee And this doth faith work in us by these or the like meanes 1. Faith looks at the manner of Gods invitation and call when he invites us to come and enter into Covenant with him he doth not offer himselfe to be a God to us to blesse us without being a God over us to order and govern us but links these two both together If we will have his blessing his peace we must bee under his Dominion Look as in a Common-wealth or Kingdom none hath the benefit of the Law but those that subject themselves to the Law none have the protection of authority but those that obey it so here God doth not promise to pardon our sins leaving us still at our own liberty to live as we list but if he doe at all make a Covenant with us he will be a God to us as well to rule us as to save us To say live as yee will sinne as yee will and yet you shall be saved is the Devils Covenant not Gods and therefore it is that when the Lord calls us into a Covenant with himselfe he bids us come out from among the wicked separate your selves and touch no uncleane thing saith the Lord 2 Cor. 6.17 and in this way he promises to receive us and to be a God unto us How vile soever we have been before time it hinders us not from entring into Covenant with God but if we will now become his people we must henceforth walke no more as we had wont to doe we must henceforth be separate from our uncleannesse Ephes 4.17 Esay 1. ver 6.7 8. Come let us reason together let us make an agreement but withall wash you make you clean c. This is the Lords manner of invitation so that faith sees a necessity of submitting to Gods authority because it may not take hold of one part of the Covenant without the other If we will have God to bee our God to pardon us and to blesse us wee must have him a God over us to govern us after his own will 2. Faith opens the understanding convincing us by arguments how just how equall and reasonable it is that God should rule and we obey by faith we see the invisible things of God that is his eternall power and Godhead which before we saw not by faith we see him in his Excellency and Majesty cloathed with glory and honour riding upon the Heavens attended upon with thousand thousands of Angels ministring unto him By faith we see him moderating the whole world by his wisdome and power Psal 103. We look at him as King of Kings as Prince of all the Rulers of the earth Neither doe we by faith thus see God as he is in himselfe but as he is to us as having power in his hand either to save or destroy so that there is no resisting we know now that if we fall upon that stone by our rebellion it will grinde us to powder now there is no more question made who shall have the dominion though in times past we had said this man shall not reign over us Luk. 19. yet now it is our chiefe desire that his Kindome may come into us and beare sway in us Faith sets before us also the benefits and kindnesse of God towards us and so perswades us by those mercies of God to give up our selves as a sacrifice in humble obedience unto his will Rom. 12.1 Faith reasoneth in the heart as David did I will prayse thee O Lord with my whole heart yea I will glorifie thy name for ever for great is thy mercy towards me thou hast delivered my soule from the lowest grave Psal 86.12 13. Faith makes us speak to God as the Israelites did to Gideon when he had delivered them out of the hand of the Midianites Come say they unto him and reign over us both thou and thy son for thou hast delivered us out of the hand of Midian Iudg. 8.22 Now God is counted worthy of all honour and service Apoc. 4.7 5.12.13 Worthy to be exalted and glorified thus faith urgeth it as a thing most reasonable that God so glorious in himselfe having power over us to save or destroy and when he might have destroyed us yet hath saved us from so great a death and prepared for us so great salvation should be glorified by us wee submitting our selves unto the obedience of his will 3. Faith makes us look at the Lords government as a mercifull goverment bringing peace and blessing unto those that are under it it looks at this King of Israel as a mercifull King
that will have life and wring it out of the hand of justice in stead of life shall have the wages of death as his deserved and just reward See 2 Tim. 1.18 It is mercy which the best must look for at that day Vse 2. This may be a ground of incouragement to such as are or at least seem to themselves to be afar off aliens to God strangers to his Covenant let them draw neer and seek to be partakers of this grace so freely offered the blessings whereof are great of infinite value yet are they as free as great in respect of greatnes they might seem to be above hope but in respect of the freenesse of them they are under hope by this consideration the Lord encourageth his people to seek unto him for acceptance Receive us graciously Hos 14.2 and if any say but alas how can we which have forsaken our God and gone after our Idols and done such abominations be accepted by him hereto the Lord answers I will love them freely he looks for no worth in us for which he should shew grace unto us but only that we must accept that which is so freely offered It s usuall with such as most desire and long after grace to be most fearfull and doubtfull of obtaining Oh there is so much unworthinesse in them how can they hope to finde acceptance with God they can see nothing in themselves for which God should accept them and t is true but though you can see nothing in your selves yet you may see enough in God Looking downward you see unworthinesse in your selves but look upward and then behold riches of free grace in God Grace is never the further off because you can see no worthinesse in your selves nay the more you discerne your selves unworthy the more neer is the aboundance of grace to be manifested in you if ye trust unto it say not therefore you are unworthy thereby nourishing distrust in your selfe but say rather though I be unworthy yet I will commit my selfe to that free grace of God which is vouchsafed to unworthy ones nay I say more such as are not unworthy shall never taste of this mercy and grace of God it s given to none but to unworthy ones The very thought and opinion of our own worthinesse dwelling in us excludes us and cuts off from grace here is then a prop to our weak faith this puts a plea into the mouthes of all dejected souls let them look to this sweet name of grace here take hold here rest here cast anchor in this harbour we shall be safe in the midst of all stormes and as the Church in Lam. 3.8 considering the greatnesse of her affliction shee said Her hope was perished from the Lord yet considering again how her heart was humbled within her she re-assumes her hope which before was perished my soule saith she is humbled within me therefore have I hope shee hoped then even when her hope was perished so let us do when our hope is perished in respect of any goodnesse in our selves yet considering the free kindnesse and grace of God let us stir up our hopes and say as she did I have hope because the Lord is gracious freely offering grace to the unworthy were it not for this Name of grace we should never tell how to open our mouthes before the Lord If he should say unto us what can you say for your selves why I should not condemne you We must answer truly nothing Lord nothing in our selves onely thou art gracious who freely pardonest the sins of thy people I cannot desire to be accepted of thee for any thing that is in me but I commit my selfe to thy free and rich grace which is able to do for me abundantly above that I can aske or thinke And here to adde a word more concerning the absolute promises of which I have spoken something before we may by that which hath been spoken discerne the right use of those promises they are to be incouragements or attractives to draw us to rely upon free grace in such times when we are most discouraged in our selves there be severall seasons in which both kinds of promises both absolute and conditionall are of speciall use there is a time wherein the soule is apt to slumber being overtaken with a spirit of security apt to presume and to walke negligently there is a time also of dismayednesse and dejection of Spirit every thing causing feare though we walke in conscionable care before God Now when that security and carelesness prevails in us then is a time for us to look unto the conditionall promises and the qualifications expressed in them not giving rest unto our selves untill we finde them in our selves contrariwise when the soule lyes under fear pressed downe with sence of our owne vile unworthinesse then is a time to looke unto the absolute promises considering with our selves though we be poore lost wretched miserable yet the Lord hath promised for his own sake to succour us and to do us good To apply absolute promises to one of a loose carnall and sensuall spirit it is as if you should give him a cup of poison to drink but to apply the same to a poor dejected spirit sensible of its owne vilenesse here it is as new wine which glads the heart of man Every thing is beautifull in its season as Solomon speaks so are these promises in their severall seasons the absolute promises to incourage the weak and dejected the conditionall to search to waken and stirre up the secure Vse 3. To exhort us to honour this free grace of God by which we are taken into Covenant with him all that God doth towards us being done for the praise of this glorious grace of his Ephes 1.6 This is Gods end and this was Pauls practice 1 Tim. 1.13 14. ever seeking to magnifie this grace and Ephes 2.4 and Isai 63.7 where there is mention of rich mercy great love exceeding riches of grace great goodnes tender love great mercy multitude of loving kindnesses Reserve we therefore the whole glory of our salvation intire unto grace alone mixe nothing with it adde nothing to it adding and mixing debaseth it as water mixed with wine or copper with gold It was Davids expression which he used when he had received those ample promises from God for thy words sake and according to thine own heart saith David hast thou done all these great things unto thy servant 2 Sam. 27.21 so thinke we all that mercy and goodnesse which the Lord hath done for us he hath not done it for our sakes or according to our worthinesse but according to his owne heart according to the purpose of his grace towards us say therefore Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name be the praise it is enough for us that we have life the blessing the comfort let grace alone have all the glory Vse 4. To stir us up to imitate this free grace of God
it He can do it Jude 24. Jude 24. and he is faithfull and will do it 1 Thes 5.24 1 Thes 5.24 it being his covenant and promise and he cannot deny himself In the covenant of works Gods highest end is the glorifying of Differ 5 his justice In the Covenant of grace it is to glorifie his Grace In the Covenant of Works God reveales himself a just God rewarding good and punishing evill condemning sin but in the Covenant of Grace he shews himself a God gracious and merciful forgiving iniquity c. as Jer. 31.31 32. Jer. 31.31 32. I will be mercifull to your iniquity c. The Covenant of Works forgiveth no sin there is nothing but strict justice in that Covenant In this Covenant God looks not at any mans repentance and turning from sin but only considers whether he hath sinned As in Courts of Justice where there are tried matters of life and death there is no regard had whether the party be penitent or no but whether the fact be committed and if found guilty he is led to execution so in Gods Court of Justice which he keeps according to the tenor of the Covenant of Works Justice acts and doth all Justice indictes Justice examines Justice pronounceth sentence Justice executes the punishment and so whosoever hath sinned receives according to the evil that he hath done And hence it is that when Adam had sinned the inquisition is not whether he repented him of the evill that he had done but what hast thou done Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I said unto thee thou shalt not eat And the Lord finding that he had offended pronounces curses and death But in the Covenant of Grace it is otherwise There God looks at the repentance of his people and accepts of humiliation and faith in Christ Hence is the counsell of the Apostle Acts 2.37 Acts 2.37 Repent and be baptized c. When they saw the horrible sin which they had done in killing the Lord of life they being the children of the Covenant he tels them that yet there was mercy for them they might obtain forgivenesse of sins Hence also Jonah 3.10 Jonah 3.10 when God saw their repentance and that they turned from their evill wayes he also turned from the evill which he said he would do to them and did it not The voyce of the Covenant of Works is like the first speech of Nathan to David Thou art a childe of death the voyce of the Covenant of Grace is like his after speech when he saw Davids humiliation and repentance The Lord hath put away thy sin In the Covenant of Works God speaks as Ezek. 18. Ezek. 18. The soul that sinneth it shall die In the Covenant of Grace he speaks as Ezek. 33.11 Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a sinner They are both expressed in one place Exod. 34.6 Exod. 34.6 The Lord gracious and mercifull slow to anger yet not acquitting the wicked but visiting iniquitie c. In one Covenant God condemnes both sin and sinner in the other he condemnes the sin but spares and gives life to the sinner to glorifie his grace thereby In the Covenant of workes he aymes to make his power and justice knowne as Rom. 9.22 cap. 2.5 Rom. 9.22 cap. 2.5 But in the other to glorifie grace as Isa 48.9 Eph. 1.6 The reason of this difference is because God will be glorified in all his attributes as he is glorious in all so he will have the glory of all to be seene He will have his power and wisdome knowne in the creation of the world his goodnesse knowne in the continuance and preservation and ordering of it his faithfulnesse in keeping covenant with us according to the covenant made his justice in a covenant of works his grace in a covenant of grace which he makes with us in Christ Jesus Vse 1 This may smite feare and terrour into the hearts of all such as are strangers unto the Covenant of grace such as never yet entred into a new Covenant with God by that new and living way which is opened to them in Christ Let such consider what hath been said that in the covenant of workes under which yet they stand there is no grace shewed but strict justice without any mercy Let such therefore bethinke themselves what a God they must meet withall and with whom they must have to do even with a just God a God of judgement a God of vengeance that will not spare their misdeeds what ever justice can require of them they must satisfie to the utmost mite were it so that mercy and justice might sit on the bench together that justice might be tempered and mixt with mercy your sentence might be the more tolerable But these two sit in two severall Courts Justice without mercy and therefore when nothing but justice shall judge you who can stand what flesh may abide it In Psal 78.5 Psal 78.5 with the cup of the Lords wrath is said to be full mixt but in Rev. 14.10 Rev. 14 10. it is said to be pure wine unmixt both together imply that it is both mixt and unmixt how both mixt of all sorts of plagues but unmixt without any drop of mercy pure wrath without any dram of mercy to allay the bitternesse of the cup of wrath and how bitter then will this cup be more bitter then gall yet this must all the wicked of the earth drinke and wring out the very dregs of it Psal 78.5 Psal 78.5 This is an hard saying but a true saying as God is true Therefore Isa 27.11 Isai 27.11 God speaking of the wicked people of the Jewes saith he He that made them will not have mercy on them neither shew them any favour And in Ezek. 5.11 Ezek. 5.11 He threatens that his eye shall not spare neither will he have any pitie And Hos 1.6 Hos 1.6 I will no more have mercy c. And James 2.13 They shall have judgement without mercy As God will be made marveilous in his mercy toward those that are vessels of mercy prepared unto glory 2 Thes 1.10 2 Thes 1.10 so as men shall wonder at the aboundance of grace shewed towards them so on the contrary God will be admired and wondred at in his judgements upon all sinfull and ungodly ones he will make their plagues wonderfull Deut. 28.59 He will deale with his own servants onely in a way of grace with these onely in a way of justice And if so what will their end be Justice will spare neither high nor low it is impartiall and alike towards all Justice will passe by no transgression but will have an account for all greater or lesse wicked thoughts idle words foolish jests Justice will not remit any part of the punishment which the Law calls for but it will have the full to the utmost furthing Let this strike
all their hearts who are yet under a Covenant of workes with a feare of this just God who will judge them without mercy And let this cause them to fly to the throne of grace and there to enter into a new Covenant with God As the Angel counselled Lot so doe I counsell thee hasten to get shelter under the wing of grace that thou mayst be freed from the wrath of the just God Vse 2 Seeing Gods end in the Covenant of grace is to glorifie his grace in us we may by this in some measure discerne what part wee have in the grace of this Covenant And wee may doe it by this if our aymes and Gods aymes our ends and Gods ends meet in one when we come to seek grace in his sight Many an one comes before God begs mercy and yet obtaines it not as Prov. 1.28 Prov. 1.28 because they aske amisse they seek it not in Gods way Consider therefore what seekest thou in begging mercy at his hand Dost thou seek onely to have thy sin pardoned onely to be saved from wrath this will not argue thy peace that thou art under grace But dost thou as well seeke the glorifying of his grace towards thee as the obtaining of thine own peace with him if God have put this disposition of heart into thee that thou couldest be content to lie downe in the dust and to take shame for thy sin before Angels and men so that the aboundant riches of his grace may be glorified in taking away thy sinne if thy desire be not onely that thou maist see his salvation but that the Lord himselfe may be made marvellous and his grace magnified in thee then thou art herein another David a man after Gods own heart thy thoughts are as Gods thoughts thy intents and ends the same with Gods ends Take this therefore as a pledge of his grace towards thee Never couldest thou so desire the glorifying of that grace if God had not a purpose of grace towards thee Naturall desires of our own good may perhaps worke a desire to have our sin forgiven but nature though elevated to the highest cannot reach this to desire the glorifying of grace as our end Vse 3 For comfort unto such as see their own unworthinesse and are discouraged thereby from seeking after grace with God They are so vile in their own eyes that they thinke it is impossible that ever such as they are should find favour and acceptance with God But let me aske cannot the riches of grace when it shall set it selfe on purpose to glorifie it selfe to the full cannot such grace make thee accepted Thou darest not deny it Hold here then grace can make thee accepted if it will please to glorifie it selfe now then consider this is the very end which the Lord aymeth at in saving his people scil to glorifie his grace in such as seeing their owne unworthinesse doe fly to grace alone to be accepted in Christ Jesus I say more If thou wert not unworthy there could not be any communication of grace to thee for were there not unworthinesse in us there could be no grace shewen from God When God will glorifie himselfe in a way of justice he will abase all the haughtinesse of man no excellency of man can then stand in his presence so on the contrary when God will glorifie himselfe in a way of grace there is no unworthinesse of man can hinder it he will exalt the most vile the abject the most despised and contemptible that not we but grace it selfe may be glorified 1 Cor. 1.27 28. 1 Cor. 1.27 therefore doe not wrong the grace of God but fly thereto in the sense of thine own basenesse and this is the readiest way to find acceptance It may serve for direction unto all such as desire to enjoy the Vse 4 blessings of this grace which God offers in his Covenant let them seeke it with the same minde that God offers it with a purpose and desire to have grace exalted and magnified doe not onely seeke it that you may be exalted by grace but that grace may be exalted in you Goe to God for grace with the same minde as Moses did and then we shall obtaine it as he did Now Moses sought it for this end that his mercy might appeare Exod. 32.32 Exod. 32.32 If thou wilt pardon their sin thy mercy shall appeare this reading I chuse and embrace as the best as if he should say they have indeed committed a great sin but the greater their sin is the more shall thy mercy and grace appeare if thou wilt forgive Thus Moses prayes and see how it prevailes with God In ver 10. the Lord seemed to have been resolved to consume them and bids Moses let him alone that his wrath might wax hot against them I will destroy them saith God I will not be intreated for them yet Moses notwithstanding goes before God confessing their vile and hainous sin but withall prayes Oh yet forgive and then thy mercy shall be magnified And this prayer of his prevailed with God he stayed his hand he changed his minde as ver 14. and destroyed them not These are prevailing requests with God when wee plead for the glorifying of his owne grace In Joh. 12.28 Joh. 12.28 our Saviour prayes to his Father Father glorifie thy Name and there comes a voice out of the cloud I have glorified it and will glorifie it againe so let us seeke grace from God for this end that it may be glorified in us Father glorifie thy grace and then the Lord in his time will answer us I have both glorified it and will now glorifie it againe In this way wee cannot misse of obtaining the thing wee seeke for at Gods hand Differ 6 In the Covenant of workes God deales alike with all that are alike in themselves Looke how he deales with one so will he doe with another if they walke in the same way The same work shall have the same reward whether in good or in evill They that are alike in sin shall be alike in punishment Justice which is Gods rule in the Covenant of workes maketh no difference between persons that are equall in themselves It hath its ballance in its hand to give to every one according to their workes It is no respecter of persons Therefore God speaking of Bâ—asha 1 Kings 16.2 3. 1 King 16.2 3 saith that because he walked in the wayes of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin therefore God would make his house like the house of Jeroboam They both make Israel to sin and therefore they are both alike in punishment so also he speakes of Jerusalem Ezek. 23.31 Ezek. 23.31 that because shee walked in the way of her sister that therefore he would give her cup into her hand Hence saith the Apostle Rom. 2.6 to 17th Rom. 2.6 to 17 â—h That every soule that continues in well-doing shall have glory and honour
Jewes but now it is extended to the Gentiles also and free to bee revealed to all nations There was a long time wherein the Gentiles knew nothing of this covenant between God and man but walked in darknesse and in the vanity of their mind and therefore they are called The Gentiles which knew not God 1 Thess 4.5 1 Thess 4.5 And Gentiles in the flesh Ephes 2.11 Eph. 2.11 And said to be without Christ without promise without covenant yea to be without hope Ephes 2.12 Eph. 2.12 For being without Christ who is our hope they must needs bee without hope also We may see in the Scripture how that during all the time of the old Testament all the holy things of God by which life and salvation are conveyed are appropriated to the Jewes alone The law is called their Law John 8.17 John 8.17 And the inheritance of the children of Jacob Deut. 33.4 Deut. 33.4 To them were committed the Oraccles of God Rom. 3.2 Rom. 3.2 To them pertained the covenants and the promises c. Rom. 9.4 Rom 9.4 Thence also the Gospel in the first dispensation of it was promised unto them and also preached unto them and from them came to the Gentiles Salvation is from the Jews Ioh. 4. Hence also the spirituall things of the Gospel are called their spirituall things Rom. 15.27 Rom. 15 17. The calling of the Gentiles was such a mystery to the Jews though beleevers that when Peter preached to Cornelius and his family they contend earnestly with Peter about it Acts 11.2 Acts 11.2 And the Apostle himselfe durst not adventure to goe unto them till confirmed in the thing by vision and voyce from heaven The Jewes before Christs comming were the onely people of God except some few gleanings of the rest of the nations as the first fruits of the rest that should be called The Jews onely were the children the Gentiles were counted but as swine and dogges as our Saviour calls the Syrophanician woman Matth. 15. Matth. 15. The Jewes were the righteous Nation Exod. 19.6 Exod. 19.6 The Gentiles called Sinners of the Gentiles Gal. 2. Gal. 2. They were carried to serve dumb Idols in stead of the true and living God yea they sacrificed to Devils and not to God 1 Cor. 10.20 1 Cor. 10.20 Thus before Christs comming in the flesh the covenant of grace was dispensed onely unto the Jewes but now it is published to every creature or is free so to be Matth. 28.19 Goe and preach to all nations c. Now it is made manifest though before it was kept secret Before God was known in Israel but now his name is great in all the world Rom. 16.25 26. The Gentiles that were farre off are now made nigh by the bloud of Christ Eph. 2.13 Ephes 2.13 Hence also saith the Apostle Rom. 3.29 Hee is the God of the Gentiles also and not of the Jewes onely The covenant is now revealed unto all Quest When began the separation between Jew and Gentile Answer It was foretold by Noah Gen. 9.27 Gen. 9.27 God shall inlarge Japhet and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem but the accomplishment of it was long after and that in two degrees First the foundation of it was laid in Abrahams calling out of Vr where hee worshipped strange Gods Joshuah 24.2 into the land of Canaan Secondly the full accomplishment of it was at the bringing up of the children of Israel out of Egypt when he gave them the ceremoniall law When Abraham was brought forth of Vr then was the foundation laid of that partition wall and when God brought them forth of Egypt then was the wall fully finished and set up Quest How long continued this separation Answer This separation lasted till the time of Christs ascension and therefore it is that though Christ came and preached the Gospel of peace amongst men yet he did it only to the Jewes as he speaks Matth. 15.24 Matth. 15.24 I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Thence also is Christ called a Minister of Circumcision Rom. 15.8 But afterward Paul calls himselfe a Minister of the Gentiles Rom. 15.8 Rom. 15.8 This separation lasted long from Abrahams calling to Christs ascension was about a thousand eight hundred yeares and from the Israelites going out of Egypt was above a thousand foure hundred yeares Why did not God reveale the covenant of his grace as generally before Christ as since Christs comming Quest It was so because it so pleased him Matth. 11. Answer It was his good will to reveale it to any And if any ask Why not to all It was to shew the freenesse of his grace in which he is not bound to any he may shew mercy where he will shew mercy Rom. 9.15 Rom 9.15 he may reveale his grace to whom he will and conceale it from whom hee will In the Jewes therefore whom God chose to manifest his grace unto the Lord would shew forth a pattern of his free election of grace chusing them rather then any other people On the contrary on the Gentiles hee would shew forth an example of his just rejection leaving them to deserved wrath Why did God at last reveale his covenant to the Gentiles Quest To make his grace and goodnesse the more conspicuous and Answer 1 glorious in extending it selfe to such a rejected and forsaken people Rom. 11.32 He hath shut up all under unbelief that he might have mercy upon all That God should look upon such a people as they were this setteth forth the riches of his grace more abundantly For the further glorifying of Christ that his Name should bee Answer 2 more glorified Psal 2.8 Psalm 2.8 Isai 66.19 To teach us a double lesson First Humility secondly Vse Thankfulnesse First Humility the doctrine of grace is revealed to us that were Gentiles in the flesh without Christ without hope wee were aliens an abject a base and rejected people not the posterity of Abraham or Isaac Let us remember our base estate remember the rock whence we were hewen the wild nature of that Olive which wee grew upon and let this make us humble and lowly in our own eyes We are ready to think we are the onely people If we begin to be arrogant then call to minde what we were strangers from God and aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel This we had need to remember our selves of Paul thought it needfull to put the Ephesians in mind of it Ephes 2.11 Ephes 2.11 and the Romans cap. 11. and the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6.11 there is the same spirit in us we had need therefore to looke back to what we were that so we may not be high minded but feare least for our pride and unprofitablenesse we be left in the same estate we were in Secondly Thankfulnesse unto God that whereas our Fathers sate in darknesse for many hundred yeares
Chron. 2.11 So because the Lord loveth his people that hee taketh into covenant with himselfe therefore he will be King over them to rule and govern them Hence the Prophet joynes these two together Isai 49.10 Isai 49.10 God that hath compassion upon them will lead them hee out of compassion taketh the guidance of his people upon himselfe When hee will manifâ—st his wrath against a people then hee suffers them to walk after their own wills but here is infinite grace and mercy when hee taketh them into his owne government Consider this in a few particulars First consider what power we are under by nature we are under the dominion of cruâ—ll tyrants Satan the God of this world is Lord over us and we are holden under his power who labours to make a prey of our souls Ephes 2.2 Ephes 2.2 Acts 26.18 Now what a blessed change is this to be brought from under his pâ—wer and to be translated under the government of the gracious God Secondly consider how unable we are to guide and governe our selves as Jer. 10.23 Jer. 10.23 It is not in man to guide his own way The best souls would wander into the way of eternall perdition if they were left unto themselves And therefore when the Lord will become our guide to lead us in the way of life what a benefit and mercy is it It is a benefit to a traveller that when he is ready to misse his way then he meets with a guide to direct him how much more when we are ready to misse the way to eternaâ—l life We are as sheep a foolish creature which is apt to wander and this David found Psal 119.178 Psa 119.178 and therefore prayes to the Lord to lead him Thirdly as wee are not able to guide our selves so there is no other creature that can guide us aright unto life as the Lord speaks Isa 51.18 There is none to guide her among all the sons which she hath brought forth c. They may perhâ—ps guide our feet but our hearts will bee erring and wandring still As the Israelites though they had Moses himselfe that great Prophet to guide them and shew them the good way yet they erred in their heaâ—ts Psal 95.10 Fourthly consider the peace accnmpanying and following the guidance of the Lord Jer. 6.16 Ask for the old paths saith the Loâ—d which is he good way and you shall find rest to your soules Who can expresse the sweet peace of the people of God when their hearts are framed to a willing obedience to the guidance and government of the Lord Whereas when they are led by themselves and their own hearts then there is nothing but confusion and disturbance It is a misery that cometh upon a people when God will not guide them but withdrawes his government over them When there was no King in Israel then they had many miseries many troubles much more is it so in spirituall regards when God leaves us to the wandrings of our own hearts how many miseries and sinnes are we subject unto This was their curse Rom. 1.24 Rom. 1.24 to be given up unto themselves and then they ran into all manner of wickednesse And this was the misery of the Gentiles Acts 14.17 Acts 14.17 that God suffered them to walk in their own wayes Hence the Church complains Isai 63. last Isai 63. last Wee are as they over whom thou never barest rule as it is in the old translation when they had complained before how they had erred from the wayes of God their hearts had been hardened from Gods feare now they shut up all in this Wee are as they over whom thâ—u never barest rule there is the misery they complaine of Or if wee read the words as the new translation renders them it is all one in effect We are thine therefore bow our hearts to the feare of thy Name They that is our adversaries as verse 18. are a people over whom thou never barest rule they are a forlorne and forsaken people this the Church lookes at as their enemies misery Therefore it is the blessing of the people of God when God will take them into his government Vse 1 Seeing this is one of the blessings of the Covenant of grace to have God above us and over us to guide and rule us this must teach us when we enter into Covenant with God not to count our condition then a state of libertie as if wee might then walke after our owne desires and wayes as if there were none to command us and rule over us Indeed there is a spirituall liberty from our enemies but there is subjection required to the Lord. Wee must not looke onely after gifts mercies kindnesses pardon and such tokens and pledges of grace but looke also for this to be under God and to set up him on high to be a God and Lord over us And let us not count this our misery but our blessednesse that wee are brought under his gracious government Herein the Lord sheweth his marvellous kindnesse that he will take the care of us Would wee not wonder to see such a Prince as Solomon to take his subjects children to tutour them and traine them up under him Now wee are but poore ants and worms upon earth but the Lord of heaven offereth to take the government of us upon himselfe This is infinite mercy whither would our unruly hearts carry us if he should leave us to our selves Who is there that hath any experience of the sinfull evills that are in his heart but will acknowledge this to be a benefit that the Lord should rule over him with an out-stretched arme If God leave Hezekiah but a little how is his heart lift up with pride so that he must have a Prophet sent to him on purpose to humble him If God leave David to himselfe to what evills is he not ready to fall And is there not the same spirit in us The more contrariety and opposition that there is in us to the will of God the greater mercy it is that he will be King over us Learne therefore to count it no small blessing and when God beginneth with us to over-rule the rebelliousnesse of our hearts and to bring â—hem into order take heed that we spurne not with the heele nor lift up our selves But let us humble our selves and submit our selves to him that he may take the guidance of us into his owne hands Heare the rod and kisse it and take it as a mercy that he is pleased to take the care of us to correct our wandrings and bring us back into the wayes of our owne peace Take heed of walking contrary lest he say to us as to the Israelites that he will reigne over us no more For tryall and examination whether we be a people in Covenant Vse 2 with God and have taken him to be our God For if God be our God then he must be God over us
I will forgive let every soule say within it selfe Surely then I will try I will seeke I will sue for mercy that I may be forgiven But what should I doe that I may be forgiven Quest 1. Enter into thine owne heart Answ and search out all the sinnes of heart and life which thou art privie unto Lament 3.40 Lam. 3.40 This is the Lords owne direction Jer. 3.12 13. Jer. 3.12 13. when the Lord first promised that he would shew himselfe mercifull and not let his wrath fall upon them yet presently addes But know thou thine iniquitie for thou hast fallen by rebellion c. 2. When thou hast found out thy sin goe then before the Lord and confesse and judge thy selfe before him as Ezra 9.6 Ezra 9.6 Confesse thy selfe worthy to be destroyed Doe as the Prodigall did Luke 15. Luk. 15. I am no more worthy to be counted thine 3. Present before the Lord the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus bring no satisfaction of thine owne make no mention of thine own righteousnesse or good deservings but fly onely to the bloudy sufferings and sacrifice of Christ to find acceptance reconciliation through him without that bloud there is no forgivenesse Heb. 9. Heb. 9. 4. Come not before God with an heart purposing still to continue in thy sinne but together with prayer for pardon joyne prayer for a spirit of grace and holinesse to make thee a new heart and a new spirit that sin may live in thee no more be willing to bind thy selfe by Covenant to the Lord to glorifie that grace shewed on thee if he will please to be gracious towards thee in taking away this sin Hos 14.3 with 9. Hos 14.3 with 9. Thus come before the Lord and then as men that have any great legacy left them by the will of another they will intreat for it they will plead the Testament of the Testatour and if that will not prevaile they will bring it into the Court of Justice and there sue for it So let us doe beg intreat require the performance of this legacy of the new Testament which grace hath bequeathed unto us and if this obtaine not then bring our cause into the Covenant of grace and there sue and plead before the throne of grace There bring out the words of the Testament and say Lord here is thine owne Covenant and promise hold the Lord fast to his promise which he hath made and plead with him and say Lord why are thy mercies restrained from me where is thy faithfulnesse why dost not thou pardon mine iniquitie Though I be worthy to perish yet remember thy Covenant make good thy promise in which thou hast caused thy servant to trust Such importunitie the Lord will not take ill he delights thus to be overcome by the pleas of his people Doe thus and he that hath promised will also fulfill and will take away all thine iniquitie and receive thee graciously Hos 14.3 Vse 5 For singular comfort to all the people of God who doe in any faithfulnesse and truth of heart endeavour to walke according to the Covenant they have made with him To all such this word of Consolation doth belong that their iniquitie is pardoned their sin is forgiven It was a word of comfort Christ spake to the palsie man Mat. 9.2 Mat. 9.2 Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee So Isai 40 1 2. Isai 40.1 2. And thence was that speech of Christ to Mary in Luke 7.48.50 Thy sinnes are forgiven thee goe in peace There is peace indeed when Christ promiseth sin to be forgiven Now so it is to all the covenanted people of God their sin is forgiven here is their comfort See Psal 103.17 18. Psal 103.17 18. If wee keepe his Covenant his loving kindnesse and mercy is ours to forgive us our sinnes Shall man saith Eliphaz be more just then God shall man be more pure then his maker Job 4.17 Job 4.17 So may we say in this case Shall man be more faithfull then God more mindfull of his Covenant and promise then his Maker No God is the faithfull God keeping Covenant and mercy with those that feare him If we then which are so apt to breake our Covenant with God and men if wee be carefull to keepe Covenant with him how much more will God performe this promise of his Covenant towards us to pardon our sinnes If wee be not unfaithfull towards him he cannot be unfaithfull towards us Nay though we were in part unfaithfull yet cannot he deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2.13 2 Tim. 2.13 Quest But how may I know that my sinnes are forgiven me Answ 1. A plainer evidence I cannot give then this before named scil a carefull conscionable and constant endeavour to walke in Covenant with God Psal 103.17 18. Psal 103.17 18. But I have many failings in the keeping of my Covenant Object Yet so long as you doe not renounce your Covenant Answ and breake the bond till you doe agree to the loosing of the knot in which you have bound your selfe chusing to turne back after your former liberties the substance of the Covenant is not yet broken though some article of the Covenant may be violated There be some trespasses against some particular clauses in Covenants which though they be violated yet the whole Covenant is not forfeited 2. An affectionate and cordiall love to the Lord Jesus who hath washed us from our sinnes in his bloud is a sure signe that our sins are forgiven us Luk. 7.47 when wee so thinke of Christ as that nothing is too much for him nothing enough all we doe or can doe is too little for him and as nothing to that which our soule desireth this love never goes alone but is accompanied with this blessing of forgivenesse And sure thus it is with those that feele in any measure the efficacy of Christs bloud easing their consciences from the guilt of sin They could be content to wash Christs feet not with teares onely but with their hearts bloud and to dye for love of him who hath loved them and given himselfe for them to save them from their sinne 3. The mortification and dying of sinne in our hearts is a signe that our sinnes are forgiven us When Christ takes away Jacobs sinnes he also turnes away ungodlinesse from Jacob Rom. 11.26 27. Rom. 11.26 27. If sin live in us the guilt of it remaines still upon us I meane if it live in us in full strength 4. If we have a tender heart to mourne over Christ whom wee have pierced Time was when we could tread under feet that precious bloud by which we are sanctified But now it melts the heart to thinke that that bloud which wee have so despised should yet be sprinkled upon us to wash us from our sinne This kindnesse of Christ towards us makes our hearts to mourne over him Zach. 12.10 Zach. 12.10 They shall mourne over
him or for him not for our selves but for him mourning that we have pierced him and grieved his Spirit by our sinnes 5. An heart willing to forgive and to doe good unto those that have done evill against us Mat. 6.14 Mat. 6.14 when wee cannot onely forbeare them but forgive them and beare a loving heart to them that have been unloving towards us This disposition of heart in us springs from an higher fountaine of grace which hath been shed downe upon us in forgiving our sinnes When the heart can reason with it selfe to suppresse revengefull desires when they are stirring in us and can argue as Mat. 18. and Eph. 4. Mat. 18. Eph. 4. the Lord is willing to forgive me my debts and ought not I also to forgive my fellow-servant that hath offended me Such a disposition of heart is a fruit and token of the forgivenesse of our sinnes Mat. 6.14 The grace that hath been shewed us in the forgivenesse of our sinnes workes an answerable disposition in us making us ready to forgive the sinnes of our brethren 6. A free and full confession of sinne when we deale openly with the Lord freely willing to open all our whole heart before the Lord discovering knowne sinnes secret sinnes the most prevailing beloved and inward corruptions willing to take the shame of all unto our selves and still to be more vile in our selves that mercy might be glorified in our forgivenesse When we can bring out the whole pack and not keepe a sin back so farre as wee know any thing by our selves but lay all open and naked before the face of God till there be no more to be found such confession hath a promise of forgivenesse 1 Joh. 1.9 1 Joh. 1.9 There may be a forced confession as was that of Saul when he was so fully convinced of his sinne that he would no longer deny it 1 Sam. 15. And of Judas who out of extremitie of horror and rage of conscience was made to confesse his wickednesse in betraying innocent bloud There may be also a formall superficiall and partiall confession when we doe in a generall fashion confesse our selves sinners which confession hath no promise of forgivenes because these confessions are ever accompanied first with a desire if possible to maintaine our own innocency secondly with a spirit of unbeliefe and misgiving heart fearing lest our own mouth should judge us and wee become witnesses against our selves Thirdly with a spirit of pride loath to confesse our selves to be so vile as we must acknowledge our selves to be if we should confesse all our sinnes against our selves But when a man is willing to search out all his sin unto the last that he may lay open all his heart and confesse all his iniquitie against himselfe before the Lord being vile in his own eyes and desiring to be more vile loathing himselfe for all his abominations of such an one that can thus come before the Lord in humble confession of his sinnes I doubt not to say unto him Goe thy way in peace thy sin is forgiven thee If God give us a heart thus humbly to confesse it is unto us a signe there is in God a heart mercifully to forgive Exhortation to all the Saints that have tasted of this rich grace Vse 6 in the forgivenes of their sinnes Let them ascribe glory unto him that hath shewed this mercy on them extolling that grace which hath forgiven them this the Lord lookes for he would have his grace glorified by us Eph. 1.6 Ephes 1.6 The Lord himselfe publisheth this as his own glory that he is a God forgiving iniquitie transgression and sin Exod. 34.6 Exod. 34.6 And the servants of God have herein given glory unto him as Micah 7.18 Micah 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee who passeth by the transgression of the remnant of thine heritage We should make the praise of this grace to ring through the whole world that heaven and earth may take notice of it and wonder at the grace that hath been shewed on us This grace can never be sufficiently glorified by us To teach us willingly to become servants unto this God of all Vse 7 Grace who dealeth thus mercifully with his people See Hos 14.5 Hos 14.5 When the Lord there promiseth to heale the rebellions of his people by taking away their iniquities from them marke what this workes in them ver 9. What have wee say they any more to doe with Idolls with our former sinnes we will serve them them no more we will henceforth serve thee our gracious God which promisest to heale all our backslidings His will wee be him will wee serve And thus much of the second Benefit The third Benefit of the Covenant is the renewing and sanctifying of our natures by the graces of the Spirit The Lord having first justified us by his grace in the forgivenesse of our sinnes he theâ— goes on to sanctifie us that we might be an holy people unto him to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all our dayes Luk. 1. Luke 1. When he hath made us imputedly righteous he will have us inherently righteous also And by the promise of this benefit the Lord answers another scruple which his people might be subject unto We might thinke with our selves this is indeed a great benefit which the Lord hath promised hithâ—rto namely to forgive all my sin But though the Lord should performe all this mercy unto mee forgiving unto me all my former sins unto this day yet I have such a vile sinfull nature within mee that I shall returne and sin againe as wickedly as ever I did before and so shall bring a new guiltinesse upon my self Hereto the Lord answers No it shall not be I will renew alter and change that sinfull and wicked nature that is in you I will make your heart a new heart so as you shall be enabled to doe my will and walk in my wayes I will sanctifie you to be an holy and pretious people to my self This renovation and sanctification of our nature stands first in cleansing away our sinfull corruption and then in an infusion and filling of us with the holy graces of the Spirit As a vessell which wee intend for any honourable use first wee scoure and rinse out the filth that is in it and then we sweeten it with other things and so make it fit for service and use Satan had defiled us with his loathsome filthinesse but so many as the Lord sets apart unto himselfe to be vessels of honour in his house those hee cleanseth from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and seasoneth them with all the sweet and gracious gifts of his Spirit Hence it is that we are said to be made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 2 Peter 1.4 and to be renewed with the renâ—wing of the holy Ghost Titus 3.5 And we are said to be created new in Christ Jesus Eph. 2.10 because
the Lords part but through our sinfull breaking with him Israel hath sinned wee have sinned and therefore it is that we are fallen and come down so low Secondly Are we in want and doe we desire to enjoy a sufficiency of these outward blessings would we be set in a way in which wee may be sure to be provided for we have the way here set before us we heare that these blessings are promised in Gods Covenant The promising of them is one branch of that Covenant which the Lord makes with his people The way then is this First to enter into a Covenant with God and then to walk in Covenant with him as becomes his people 1. Enter into Covenant with him Art thou in hunger nakednesse or if not in such extremities yet wantest thou those things which thy condition stands in need of It may be thou art a stranger to the Covenant betwixt God and his people and hast lived an alien from God Thou hast with the Prodigall forsaken thy Fathers house departed away from God living viciously and sinfully and therefore the Lord hath brought thee to the same condition as the Prodigall was brought unto in these thy necessities doe thou then as the Prodigall did when he was in necessity and knew not what to doe he then bethinks himselfe In my Fathers house saith he there is bread enough but I am ready to perish for hunger I will therefore arise and goe to my Father and humble my selfe unto him desiring to be as one of his hired servants Think with thy selfe what provision the Lord makes for those that are of his houshold his children and servants have bread enough Arise therefore out of thy sin by repentance goe unto him and sue to be taken into his family and to be one of his servants and then will the Father call for roabs to cover thy nakednesse and bring out the fatted calfe to satisfie thy hunger thou shalt be fed with food convenient for thee Thy bread shall not faile and thy water shall be sure Though he suffer aliens to want yet his family shall bee provided for but then remember this withall to walk in Covenant with God walk as becomes one of the family of heaven and of the houshold of God be faithfull and diligent in his service have a care of his honour doe nothing to blemish his name bee carefull to please him in all things be zealous for his glory Be thankfull that he hath taken thee to bee one of his Be faithfull in thy particular calling as therein serving the Lord and not to serve thine own turn Study to bee usefull and serviceable to others of Gods servants which are of the same houshold of faith with thee and in this way of the Covenant look for and expect the blessing of it Doe good saith the Prophet and thou shalt be fed assuredly Psal 37.3 If yee be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good things of the land Isai 1.19 and if at any time thou be put to straights and wants doe as Jacob did put God in minde of his Covenant and promise Lord thou saidst saith Jacob that thou wouldest doe me good Lord say thou thou hast said thou wilt care for me and provide things needfull for thy servants and therefore though I be not worthy of the least of all thy mercies not worthy to be fed with the crums which fall from thy childrens table yet because thou hast said that thou wilt satiate thy people with thy goodnesse make good thy word which thou hast spoken Let thy mercy come unto me as I trust in thee Thus doe and then lay thy life upon it thou shalt not want Bread shall be given thee and thy waters shall not faile thou shalt have thy daily portion provided for thee Though thou hast not much laid up in store for many yeares or dayes yet thou shalt have thine Omer day by day And as those in Nehem. 11.23 12.47 they had by the Kings appointment every day a set portion so shalt thou have thy daily allowance daily bread with all such other things as concern this present life II. As in the want so in the enjoyment of outward good things the former consideration gives us direction also doe we enjoy them hath God made good his promise unto us have we a portion convenient for us Then 1. Learn hereby to acknowledge God in these gifts of his goodnesse and grace towards us see his hand in them and know that it is he that gives us all things to enjoy 1 Tim. 6.18 say not it is our own hand that hath done this Though these outward things be but the blessings of the left hand the lesser blessings of the Covenant yet the Lord would be acknowledged even in these This is one reason why the Lord promiseth these things to us in his Covenant that we might learn thereby to acknowledge that they come not unto us by chance or fortune as Heathens thought calling them therefore Bona Fortunae nor yet as carnall Christians think by our own providence or wisedome but look at them as blessings comming from the Lord himselfe This lesson the Lord teacheth us Deut. 8.17 18. Say not it is mine own hand which hath prepared me this abundance but it is the Lord which gives thee power to get substance c. and when we are wanting in acknowledging his hand in them the Lord complaines of our neglect as we may see in Hos 2.8 shee did not know that I gave her her corne and wine and oyle and multiplyed her silver and gold c. And thence it is as I think though others interpret the place otherwise that in Iob 31.27 where Iob speaks of his great substance and riches hee saith his mouth did not kisse his hand That is he did not applaud himselfe nor did he ascribe it to his own handy works Some other would have said this hand hath done it as Isai 10.13 which had been a kissing of his hand and an honouring of himselfe and not a giving glory to God But Job abhorred this so should we let us in our heart acknowledge that it is not our own hand but the Lord which hath given us all our abundance of good things In them see his bounty towards us As he hath let the streame of his bounty run forth towards us so should wee run back and acknowledge the bountifulnesse of the Lord for the wheat and for the wine which he hath given us Ier. 31.12 Should God withhold his hand we might labour long enough and put all our gettings into a broken bag Hag. 1. The race is not alwayes to the swift nor the battle to the strong nor riches to men of understanding and of strength but the Lord gives to every one as pleaseth him And as we should see Gods bounty towards us in these so wee should see his Grace also in them Look at them as blessings of Grace which are communicated to us by
the Covenant of Grace which he hath made with us in Christ They are not so unto the wicked who are not in Covenant with the Lord but to the Saints they are in Gen. 33.5 when Iacob speaks of his children these saith he are the children which God of his Grace hath given thy servant Iacob saw Grace in this so should we see Grace in every outward blessing wee enjoy Object But these outward blessings are common to good and bad and no man can know love or hatred by these things which are before him how then may I know that God gives me these things out of Grace and love Answ 1. If we come by them in the way of the Covenant we walking before God in the way of holy obedience and dependance upon him It s certain they doe then come to us as blessings and are given us by vertue of his Covenant And therefore it is that in Deut. 28.1 2 8 12. If thou shalt diligently observe the Commandements of the Lord thy God saith Moses then shall he command the blessing to come upon thee and all these blessings shall overtake thee c. he doth not say thus shall thou be enriched thus shalt thou encrease in goods c. but thus shall the Lord blesse thee and these blessings shall come upon thee to note unto us that when we walk with God in this way of obedience conscionably then what ever good things come unto us they come as a blessing The Lord not only gives the blessing it selfe but hee gives it as a blessing and a blessing of Grace comming through his Covenant 2. If they be as bands and cords of love betwixt God and us as bands to draw us nearer unto him and as cords to tie us faster unto him causing us to love him more and to honour him in the use of those good things which we have received from him doubtlesse they doe then come from his Grace towards us and are blessings of the Covenant I have loved thee saith the Lord in Jer. 31.3 and with mercy have I drawn thee If God draw us unto him by any meanes there is mercy in it and there is a blessing in it Take this as a rule for ever what ever brings us to God is a blessing as contrariwise whatever separates us from God is a curse And that which causeth love comes from love If these things work love in our hearts towards God then doe they come from his love towards us Consider then are our hearts carried away from God by the things we enjoy this is dangerous But are our hearts thereby more drawn and knit unto him then own them as blessings of the Covenant as springing from the fountaine of Grace which God hath opened to us in Christ 2. Seeing these outward good things are given to Gods people by Covenant as blessings and as springing from Grace this must teach us to be content with such a measure of them as our Father seeth meetest for us though we have lesse in outward things yet there is the same grace in that little as if we had an hundred fold Sometimes there is much love seen in a little thing and so it is in these gifts which God gives to his children The gift may be small but the love is great from which it comes This love should satisfie whether the gift we receive from it be lesse or more As a younger childe which his Father loves tenderly though he have not so large allowance and liberall maintenance as his elder brother that is grown to yeares yet he comforts himselfe in this he saith in his heart I know my Father loves me as well as any childe he hath and thus satisfies himselfe in his Fathers love though his yearely allowance bee not equall with some other so should we Though we have not so much wheat and wine and oyle c. yet we may satiate our soule with the Lords goodnesse Ier. 31.12 14. that goodnesse of his being the same towards us in our little as if our portion were much more abundant And this contentation we should the rather labour for because if we be not satisfied with that lesser portion which the Lord bestows upon us untill we abound it is suspicious and we have cause to doubt whether our contentment be not more in the gift then in the grace and love of the Giver For if it be his love that satisfies us why are we not satisfied when we have lesse as if we had more if we have food and rayment having them from the gift of his Grace let us therewith bee content Satisfie us with thy mercy saith Moses Psal 90.14 Moses could be satisfied with mercy though he had but little else there is a satisfying sufficiency in it if wee can but see it and rellish it in the things we enjoy Let us make sure of this that what we have it may come from the hand of Grace and then let us be contented with it be it lesse or more 3. Doth the Lord thus provide for his servants in these outward things let us then serve him with our outward man Hee blesseth us with all kinde of blessings in spirituall things pertaining to our inward man and in outward things pertaining to our outward man to the end that we might serve him and glorifie him in both he feeds and cloaths our bodies he maintaines the health and strength of them therefore give them up as a living sacrifice unto him Râ—m 12.1 Let him be magnified in our body Phil. 1.20 Our body must be for the Lord as the Lord is for the body 1 Cor. 6.13 And it is the Apostles exhortation Let us glorifie him both in body and Spirit for they are God's 4. This same consideration before named may teach us how to use the good things of this life which we doe enjoy For 1. Doe we receive them from Grace doe not then abuse them unto sinne to pride wantonnesse excesse c. This is to turn the Grace of God shewed in giving of them to us into licentiousnesse In Hosea 2.8 the Lord complaines there that when he had given them corne and wine silver and gold they bestowed them upon Baal abusing them to Idolatry and to sinne And it s noted as the sinne of wicked Athaliah that the dedicate things which should have been to the honouring of God these shee bestowed upon Baalim 2 Chron. 24.7 When we thus abuse his blessings unto sinne we turne that against God which we have received from him for good And in so doing we may justly feare least they become testimonies against us in the day of our account Therefore do not so requite the Lord Deut. 32. Remember from what hand wee have received them and take heed we abuse them not 2. Hence learn to return part of our substance unto God Give up that unto him which we have received from him The Lord gives us leave to eat and to drink and to cheere our
but legall Christians and legall Preachers as allowed this way All her assurance was from revelation it was revealed unto her that shee was one of the Elect of God and shee knew all things by immediate revelation from above but I fear she knows not that her glorious revelations were but Satanicall delusions Let her damned heresies shee fell into denying the resurrection c. and the just vengeance of God by which she perished terrifie all her seduced followers from having any more to doe with her leaven which shee spred among them Beware of her sinne least yee perish in her plague Vse 2. Is there a condition of the Covenant Then let this provoke us all who look for the blessing which it brings to be faithâ—ull with God in keeping our Covenant with him take heed we fall not short of the condition least we be deprived of the blessing this is that which the Apostle teaches us Heb. 4.1 Seeing we have a promise left us of entering into his rest there is the blessing promised let us feare least through unbeliefe any of us should be deprived there is the condition required The words through unbeliefe are not in the Text expressed but they are evidently implyed as appears both by the coherence with the third Chapter and by that which followes Chap. 4.2 To be deprived of such a blessing is a heavy losse such as can never be recompenced and the preventing of this losse so far as concernes us is by keeping of our Covenant which the Lord commands us to walk in If we forsake the condition we forsake the promise and therefore it is also that when God took Abraham into a Covenant with him he did not only tell Abraham what he would be unto him a God to blesse him but he brings Abraham to walk in Covenant with him Thou also shalt keep my Covenant saith the Lord Gen. 17.9 Thou shalt walk before me and bee upright Gen. 17 1. When God takes us into Covenant with him we are said to be brought into the bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20. to teach us that now we must look at our selves as tyed and bound unto God in a Covenant never to be broken we are not now any longer at our own liberty to walke as we list but must observe our Covenant to walk therein when we walk so that we may truly say before the Lord our heart is not turned back from thee neither have we dealt falsely with thee in thy Covenant as it in Psal 44.17 18 this keeps the heart in a comfortable expectation of the blessed hope which is set before us Thus Paul I have kept the faith I have finished my course and now henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Let us carefully walk in the condition and then the promise will be sure not only sure in it self but suâ—e to us 2 Pet. 1.10 These bonds of the Covenant are not like the fetters of a prison they are like the pleasing bonds of wedlock vincula nuptiarum which every one gladly enters into Oh let us love these bonds give up both our hands unto the Lord yea and our hearts also to be bound in them for ever these are sweet bonds they work no griefe seek not therefore to break them Psal 2. nor cast them from you say not we will be our own and walk by our will such lawlesse and licentious spirits as will be at liberty they shall be at liberty to their wo they shall have such a liberty as Jeremy threatned to the rebellious Jewes a liberty to the sword to the famine and to the pestilence Jer. 34. a liberty to goe to hell to their eternall destruction a liberty with a curse granted unto them in wrath which shall end in chaines of everlasting darknesse and bring them into that prison from whence there is no going out Therefore let all such as look for the blessing and life promised in the Covenant Let them walk faithfully in the condition of it and in this way expect the mercy which is promised Thus wee have shewed First That there is a condition of the Covenant Secondly Why the Lord hath put a condition unto it 3. The third point follows to shew what the condition is which though it hath been obiter mentioned before yet is now to be spoken of more particularly The condition then of the Covenant of Grace is faith Rom. 4.16 Rom. 10.9 10. If thou believest in the Lord Jesus thou shalt be saved so Acts 18.31 Joh. 3.16 hence in Rom. 3.27 The Gospel is called the Law of Faith because as the Law of works doth put works as the condition of that Covenant so the Gospel puts faith as the condition of the new Covenant Quest But why is faith made the condition of the Covenant Answ 1. The blessing of life promised is not in our selves but in Christ Christ is life and he which hath the Sonne hath hath life and he which hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5.12 We are dead Colos 3.3 and our Works are dead Heb. 9.14 there is no life in them they cannot bring life unto them that doe them nor can wee quicken our own soules but Christ is the life of men Joh. 1.4 Colos 3.4 and the way to receive Christ and the life which is in him is only by faith Ioh. 1.12 unbeliefe rejects Christ and puts him away But faith as an hand puts forth it selfe to receive him in whom our life is If we had life in our selves and could have found it in our own works it had then been needlesse to appoint faith as the condition of the Covenant but being that both we our selves are dead in sinne and our works are dead works nothing but death to be found in either therefore it s required that wee believe in Christ that we may receive life from him 2. The condition of the law is now become impossible unto us through the infirmity of our flesh Rom. 8.3 and therefore the Apostle saith that the Law cannot possibly give life Gal. 3.21 Therefore the Lord would go that way with us no more the Lord saw by Adam what would be the fruit of that condition if we had been put upon the same as Adam was we should have done as he did we should have shewed our selves men like men transgressing the Covenant as Hoseah speaks Hos 6.7 This condition being above our ability to performe the Lord hath in goodnesse appointed another which is possible through grace to be fulfilled by us having now received a spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 It is now given us to believe Phil. 1.29 this is possible 3. It is by faith that it might be by grace Rom. 4.16 The Covenant is stablished upon the condition of faith that it might appeare to be by grace that wee obtain the blessing the condition must answer the nature of the Covenant therefore being a Covenant of grace the
1 King 20. It counts those subjects happy that are free of this Kingdome and those servants happy that stand before this King 1 King 10. It makes the soule lament its bondage under other Lords as in Esay 26.13 Lord saith the Church there other Lords besides thee have ruled over us but in thee is our onely hope having felt the misery of those former slaveries in which it hath been holden having been in the Iron Furnace of Aegypt and sate by the waters of Babel and wept there having been under such cruell Lords now they are weary of the yoke of the oppressor and now the blessing of the Lords government the Laws of God which were before counted as cords and bands fitter for bondslaves then for free-men are now esteemed holy and just and good Rom 7. Faith believes that which the Lord hath said that he hath given us his Commandements for our good that it may goe well with us for ever Deut. 12. 4. Faith reconciles the heart unto God it doth not only believe that he is reconciled unto us but also reconciles us unto God whereas before we hated him and would none of him and thrust him away from us as the Israelites did Moses Acts 7.27 Yet now the soule having by faith believed his goodnesse towards us is thereby reconciled unto him it layes down all weapons of defiance and submits in love Like as a Traytor having found the gracious favour of his Prince in pardoning his treacherous practises his naughty heart which was before so full of treachery is now overcome with this undeserved favour so we also having been in times past rebels against God haters of him enemies unto him having had our mindes set upon evill things Col. 1. are now overcome by his goodnesse towards us our heart is turned to him our hatred is turned into love faith working love causing us to love him for that great love wherewith hee hath loved us in Christ 1 Joh. 4. So that now we come to God as they did to David in 1 Chron. 12.18 Thine are we we are wholly thine And thus faith slayes the hatred and puls down the partition wall which was betwixt God us reconciles the enmity and makes of two one working peace and love so that now the believing soule desires nothing more then to bee subject to his government and grieves when it is hindred that it cannot doe that which he hath commanded And thus the Covenant is made up in both parts of it offered unto us by God and received of us by faith 1 King 20.34 2. As faith closeth with the Covenant and brings us into Covenant with God so it doth also act and work in us to enable us to walk with God according to the Covenant which we have made with him there is a keeping of Covenant required of us as well as a making of Covenant with God Gen. 17 7 9. in Psal 50.5 the Saints are said to make a Covenant with God but in Psal 103.18 they are said to keep his Covenant so there is both a making and a keeping of Covenant and both these are done by faith faith doth first enter us into Covenant with God as we have seen above and then by the same faith we are carried on to a keeping of the Covenant made and that according to both parts of the Covenant before laid down 1. Whereas God enters into Covenant with us to heale our back-slidings to blesse us with all kinds of blessings convenient for us Now the work of faith is to carry on the soule in a continuall dependence upon God for all the good which he hath promised If we be in danger faith looks unto God for safety and deliverance 2 Chron. 14.11 Acts 27.25 It believes the promises of deliverance and depends upon them If we have sinned and done the things wee should not faith brings the soule back unto God againe in a way of repentance and looks to the faithfulnesse and stability of his Covenant hoping still to finde mercy and forgivenesse with him albeit we have sinned against him and so in all other occasions which befall us in this life according as any evill presseth upon us or any blessing is wanting unto us faith hath recourse to the promise and Covenant of God waiting upon him for all that mercy which we stand in need of in every kind And when we doe thus put forth our faith in the exercise and acts of it depending by it upon God in all our occasions this is the life of faith which the Scripture speaks of this is to live by faith Hab. 2. and to walk by faith 2 Cor. 5. And this life of faith is then especially seen when the course of Gods providence and dealing with us seemes to make against his promise herein the life of Abrahams faith was seen that though his body grew more impotent and dead every yeare yet God having promised him a Son Abraham believes even above hope notwithstanding the deadnesse of his body and of Sarahs womb And so Moses God having promised good to Israel though for the present he saw nothing but wants and necessities and mortality among the people so many thousands dying in the Wildernesse yet was he so confident of Gods goodnesse towards that people that he was bold to promise good to Jethro his Father-in-Law in case he would joyn himselfe unto them and be one of them Come with us saith Moses unto him and we will doe thee good for God hath promised good unto Israel Num. 10.29 When Moses promised to doe him good hee might have said You may bring me to sorrow and misery enough here you are in a miserable Wildernesse where you sometimes want water and have nothing to eat and here you die and your carkases fall in the Wildernesse what good can I expect that you can doe for mee and yet Moses by the power of faith is confident to promise him good God saith he hath promised good unto Israel Moses looks beyond the present workes of Gods providence and considers the stability of Gods promise and that doth he rest upon God not being as man that he should lye or repent 1 Sam. 16. therefore Moses concludes Let the Lord for the present doe as he will let all things seem to crosse his promise never so much yet this I am sure of God hath promised good to Israel and therefore good shall come and thus doth faith enable the soule to walke in Covenant with God depending upon him for that mercy and goodnesse which he hath promised God saith I will be a God unto thee to blesse thee and to doe thee good and this I require of thee that thou trust to me and depend upon me for all the good thou standest in need of and faith doth so it rests upon Gods promise And thus faith fulfills this part of the Covenant 2. As for the other part of the Covenant I will be a God over thee and thou shalt glorifie
stands firme betwixt him and us he mediates with the Father for us when he sees him provoked by our sin he mediates with us also by his Spirit bringing us back to God in a way of repentance so renewing our Covenant towards him and helping us to take new hold of his Covenant towards us Christ is a Priest for ever to be Mediator of an everlasting Covenant Vse 1. Here is a spring of everlasting consolation to those that are in Covenant with God this fountaine of comfort will never be dryed up Let other things end or change as they will yet God is ours in an everlasting Covenant never to be broken off death may put an end to other Covenants betwixt man and man but this Covenant betwixt God and us stands fast for ever Though Abraham be dead yet God is Abrahams God still and by vertue of this Covenant betwixt God and him Abraham shall be raised up and live againe This may stay the minds of weak ones in time of desertion when they seem to be dead livelesse lost and cast off as if God would remember them no more yet then consider Gods Covenant is an everlasting Covenant so that if ever you gave up your selves to God by Covenant to be one of his this Covenant shall continue and abide for ever If ever you found your selves infolded in the bands of this Covenant know for certaine the Lord will not loose you he will remember his Covenant and promise and will return and love you again and that with an everlasting love what he hath been unto you the same he will be for ever and ever You will say perhaps you have sinned and now he is angry with you for your sin suppose it be so he may be angry with his dearest ones as he was with Moses Deut. 1.37 but he will not alwayes chide Psal 103.9 nor will he cast off for ever Lament 3.31 he will be pleased againe and will love you with an everlasting love see Psal 89.28 29. to 38. Here is a ground of everlasting consolation in this everlasting Covenant Vse 2. For exhortation First Let this stirre us up for ever to magnifie that riches of mercy which hath taken us into the bond of this everlasting Covenant There is no end of this mercy and goodnesse Oh that there might be endlesse prayses sounding from us with enlarged desires to publish this grace shewed on us If this Covenant had been for a little season it had been the lesse mercy but that we should have the High God to enter into an everlasting Covenant to be our God for ever who can sufficiently admire this goodnesse When God had made that large promise to David concerning his House and Kingdom for ever 2 Sam. 7.16 See how David was taken up with admiration Lord saith he who am I and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto namely to the Kingdom And yet this was but a smal thing in thy sight O Lord God and therefore thou hast spoken of thy servants house for a great while vers 19. This enlargement of Gods love to Davids house for a great while even to stablish it for ever this enlarged Davids heart and mouth towards God as not knowing how sufficiently to set forth the praise of his goodnesse Truly such is the mercy shewed us in making this Covenant with us that if we might live unto eternity we should think we never had day enough or time enough to magnifie this everlasting mercy shewed on us 2. Let it admonish us to be constant in our Covenants and in all duties of love according to what we have Covenanted and promised It s mentioned as one of the sinnes of the Gentiles that they were Covenant-breakers Rom 1.30 Let it rest with Gentiles let it never be said that it is the sinne of those that professe themselves the children of an everlasting Covenant 3. Let all those that are as yet without and have no part in this Covenant of God Let them seek to partake in it come within the bond of it it brings an everlasting blessing which failes not In the things of the world the more continuance any thing is of the more esteem it is of Inheritances are preferred before leases c. All the things of the world are but temporal the things of God which he passeth over to his by his Covenant are eternal â— Cor. 4.1 the things which are temporal please us so long as they last but when they are past the comfort of them is vanished with them and many times it irkes us that we had them and now have them not but the things of this Covenant are everlasting if we be once possessed of them we shall never grieve for the losse of them they shall never be taken away because they are given to us by an everlasting Covenant Come off therefore from the dying and perishing things of the world and seek the things of this everlasting Covenant in them is continuance and we shall be saved Esay 64. 4. The fourth property is that it is a holy Covenant Deut. 19.24 Luke 1.72 And it is so called an holy Covenant in these respects 1. In respect of the parties contracting and entering Covenant one with another which are the holy God and his holy Saints First the holy God that God to whom the Seraphins cry Holy Holy Holy Esay 6. he is one party that is confederate in this Covenant Secondly his holy Saints are the other party in it Psal 50.5 For God doth not take the wicked by the hand as Job speaks Iob 8.20 to enter into Covenant with them He doth not allow them so much as to take his Covenant into their mouths Psal 50.17 He is the God of the just of the righteous and holy people he is the King of Saints Apoc. 15. he will have no fellowship with the wicked 2. In regard of the parts of the Covenant whether we look at the promise on Gods part or at the condition on our part First the promise on Gods part is holy Psal 105.42 he remembers his holy promise he hath spoken it in his holinesse Psal 60.6 And the substance of his promise is holinesse which he hath promised to work in the soules of his people he hath promised to sanctifie us to take away the stony heart to poure clean water upon us to cleanse us from all our filthinesse and to make us holy Ezek. 36.25 26. Zach. 3.3.4 Secondly the condition on our part which iâ— faith by which we lay hold of the Covenant is holy also therefore called by the Apostle holy faith Iude 20. It is a most holy grace of the Spirit purifying both heart and hand not daring to touch or lay hold of the Covenant with unwashen hands 3. In respect of the Commandement it commands holinesse Be ye holy saith the Lord for I the Lord your God am holy Levit. 11.44 19.2 20.7 and therefore it is that Gods calling is termed