obedience unto it will supply comfort unto him but if we be dead unto the Law we have no life in it nor by it but only in Jesus Christ from whom we expect our comfort indeed we are troubled that we should sin against the grace of God otherwise we look not at our obedience or disobedience to make us accepted or rejected 4. And finally the soul doth not claim his right unto any conditional promise by his performance of the condition nor doth he deny himself the blessing that the promise may reach forth unto him though he be wanting in obedience to this or that Commandment pregnant for this purpose is the example of Jacob which we mentioned before Gen. 32.9 10. who though he had a plain and a full promise of God to do him good if he would return to his Country and to his kindred yet when he did return according to the word of God he claimed not his interest in that promise for that he had done as God commanded him but I am less then the least of thy mercies and yet he cometh unto the Lord for the performance of his promises but not upon this ground only for the sake of mercy and truth Deliver me I pray thee for thou saidest I will surely do thee good ver 11 12. so that mind you though the soul can make use of a conditional promise and come to God for the blessing of it yet not expecting it in the least manner by vertue of his obedience and truly this is the freedom of a Christian soul whereas another man if he have kept the Commandment and performed the condition he then looketh for acceptance from God as if the Lord make this promise that he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find mercy this man confesseth his sin unto God and forsaketh it and therefore he looketh for mercy but this is not the manner of Gods people and yet if they look for any mercy it is in the way of God but not because of their own goodness their hope is in the faithfulness and free grace of God they may make mention to the praise of God how he hath guided them and carried them an end in his own waies yet they challenge nothing from any thing that they have done but put the Lord in mind of his free promise that as of his free grace he hath freely promised so from the same grace he may make good what he hath promised Vse 1 If any therefore shall accuse the Doctrine of the Covenant of free Grace of Antinomianism and say it teacheth men freedom from the Law of Moses and if they commit any sin they plead they are not bound unto the Law we see how false such an aspersion would be for all the people of God know that the Lord is an avenger of every such wickedness There is none under a Covenant of Grace that dare allow himself in any sin for if a man should negligently commit any sin the Lord will school him throughly and make him sadly to apprehend how he hath made bold with the treasures of the grace of God Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid none that have a portion in the grace of God dareth therefore allow himself in sin but if through strength of temptation he be at any time carried aside it is his greatest burthen 2 Sam. 12.8 9. compared 13. Hath not the Lord saith Nathan done these and these things for thee wherefore then hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord then David confesseth I have sinned It pierced him to the heart to consider it that he should abuse his Neighbours wife and kill her husband and commit such wickedness against God that had dealt so graciously with him So that the children of the Covenant of grace will only tell you that they are free from the Covenant of the Law but not from the Commandment of it for as it is given by Jesus Christ and ratified in the Gospel and as Christ hath given us his Spirit enabling us to keep it we are under it so far as to take our selves bound by the authority of it and if we do transgress against it we know it is sin in the sight of God and therefore it is that the soul in such a case is sensible of the wrath and displeasure of God whether it be his own sin or the sin of his brethren therefore he runneth unto God for mercy which he would not do if he did not know that his desert according to the Law did utterly cut him off from mercy else would he never pray for pardon of sin nor rejoyce when the Lord helpeth him to do that which is right and just in his sight nor bless the Lord for strengthening him unto obedience unless he thought it to be his duty and therefore It is of use also to teach the servants of God how far they are freed from the Law Use 2 to wit from the Covenant of it so that they neither look for justification nor salvation from it And let it not be grievous to any soul that a Christian should say He doth not fear condemnation by his disobedience he will be apt to fear in this kind untill he be assured of the favour of God but when he knoweth his portion in the Covenant then indeed he doth not fear condemnation by his sin nor doth he think that the Lord will cleave unto him because of his fruitfulness he casteth not off his comfort nor looketh at himself as divorced from Christ because of his barrenness before the Lord nor doth he look for his daily bread from all his obedience but expecteth all goodness and blessing from the treasures of the free grace of God Use 3 This may also serve to teach men some kind of discernment of their own spirits and state if you look for justification no longer then you are obedient and fear eternal condemnation when you are disobedient if you be afraid of divorce from Christ because of your sins or if you look for any blessing and challenge right to any promise by vertue of any well-doing of your own in such a case either thou art under a Covenant of works or at the least thou art gone aside to a Covenant of works and if ever the Lord open your eyes and bestow his free grace upon you you will know your redemption from such dependances as these be I know a Christian man that hath not been clearly taught the distinct differences of the two Covenants may be misled into dangerous waies that might tend unto the utter undoing of his soul but it is a sin of ignorance and the Lord will not leave his servants but clear up his truth and grace unto them May serve to teach the servants of God Use 4 that desire to walk in a way of constant comfort how to build their faith and their hope truly if they be grounded upon your own obedience or righteousness or
formerly they have pitched upon their good duties they will now pitch it upon Jesus Christ but still it is the same faith for the root is not yet burnt up their old corruption still remaineth in them and so here is your old faith translated from one object to another it was fastened before upon duties and reformations and now upon Jesus Christ And now a man is ready to plead and say If God had not loved me he would never have set me upon such reformations nor have enlarged me with such comforts as he hath done if he had not been well pleased with me in Jesus Christ but though he may be sometimes burnt up touching his hope in reformation yet he will translate his faith to Jesus Christ but how came you to do that brother Why I saw my hopes in my own reformation would not serve my turn and therefore I believed in Jesus Christ and now shall nothing draw me from Jesus Christ nor pull me from my confidence for I have built upon some word of God and some promise of his unto such reformation as I have set upon and is not this true faith in Jesus Christ This is far from true faith it is no other but a strong fallacy whereby the Devil doth cheat men and in truth this faith is but a faith of a mans own making that I may so speak it is no more but a spirit of burning at the best that hath burnt up his confidence in his own works and taught him to resolve to believe on Jesus Christ 4. There are a fourth sort that fall far short of Jesus Christ also and yet go beyond all these they go beyond works and beyond this faith also which we have spoken of which was not a lively faith in Jesus Christ whereby we are justified but men justifie themselves by it God doth not justifie them now this fourth sort come plainly to see that their faith is shaken and they dare not look God in the face to justifie the truth of their faith before him It is true many an heavenly spirited man cannot tell what will become of him nor can he tell whether his faith be sound but many an hypocrite also is so far convinced that he cannot tell what will become of him nor can he say that his faith is right nor that he is able to believe what faith the soul now in such a case as this He will say I see it is not my reformation nor my faith that will serve the turn what is it then I see that now I must wait upon Christ that I may believe and unto him must I seek for help Is not this soul in a state of everlasting fellowship with Jesus Christ Truly this is that which the Lord many times bringeth the souls of his servants unto but he leaveth them not here if he mean to do them good For I would examine again how camest thou to wait upon Jesus Christ Thou hast been driven out of conceit of thy former faith and so hast been forced and hast seen a necessity to wait upon Jesus Christ for faith or else thou canst not believe force of argument hath constrained thee thus far If thou hast taken up a course of waiting only upon this ground here is a spark of old Adam still kept alive in thee thou art able to seek and wait upon Jesus Christ and yet I cannot promise thee that thou hast any part or portion in him But a soul will say Hath not the Lord made gracious promises to all those that seek for him Hath he not said that all they are blessed that wait for him Isa 30.18 and am not I wrapped up hereby in a bundle of grace and peace Mind you there is no promise of life made to such as wait and seek in their own strength who being driven unto it have taken it up by their own resolutions though I grant it is true that every one that waiteth for and seeketh the Lord aright is driven unto it by the Lord but if ever the Lord mean to save you he will rend as it were the caul from the heart I mean he will pluck away all the confidence that you have built upon as a man would rend the entrails of a beast from him so the Lord will bring you to a flat denial of your selves and that you have neither good will nor deed as of your selves and you know not what God will do with you but this you know that whatsoever he doth he is most righteous When the Spirit of God cometh as a Comforter he will in this manner convince the soul of a man that he hath heretofore hung upon his reformations for hope and comfort but now he is brought plainly to see and flatly to deny that he had not so much as one drop of the fatness of the true Olive in him when he most trusted unto his own excellencies Now a man being thus far brought on doth not only deny himself in his Judgement but in his will and is ready to say as David sometimes did If the Lord say he hath no pleasure in me here I am let him do unto me as seemeth him good the Lord is righteous in all that cometh upon me this only the soul hath for his support in such a case the Lord is able to do all for me that I stand in need of If he shew me no mercy he is just if he be gracious I shall live to praise him Now when a mans will is thus subdued that he hath no will of his own to be guided by but the will of God this is true brokenness of heart when not only the judgement but the heart and will is broken The soul being thus convinced that neither his working nor believing nor waiting nor seeking as of himself will do him any good there is no mercy that he can challenge for any goodness sake of his own then cometh the Holy Ghost in some declaration of Gods free Love and taketh possession of the heart and then the soul beginneth to pant after Jesus Christ and nothing in heaven but him nor in the earth besides him The soul being thus wrought upon beginneth to put forth it self towards the Lord Jesus but the Holy Ghost had taken possession before and so helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8.26 27. he alone must help us and no other observe it I pray you for it is most necessary to know it to be impossible that a conditional promise should save the soul A man is convinced that there is no condition will quiet his spirit until the grace of God in Christ be manifested to him This is the first Use The second Use may give light touching a controversie if it be stirring in the Country I know not whether it be I fear it is and yet hope that if matters were rightly understood there would be no material difference for if the Question be not about grace but about the discerning of grace you will
no small matter to be cut off from Adam that 's contrary to nature Rom. 11.24 as saith the Apostle For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive-tree this is marvelous strong work when the Spirit of God cometh to act contrary things to nature for nature is fully possessed that what God commandeth I am able to do it nature will not be perswaded to the contrary If I hear God command any thing I will do it saith a carnal heart and if I cannot do it I will believe and if I cannot believe I will wait that I may believe this is still but nature Now when the Lord cometh indeed to engraft us into Jesus Christ this is quite contrary to nature Why wherein is it so contrary to nature I answer whereas nature is active for it self now it cometh to passe that whereas a soul hath been stirring and busie in his own strength at length the Spirit of God by the mighty power of his Grace being shed abroad into the soul doth burn up root and branch not only the root of Abraham's Covenant but all the fatness of the root of the wild Olive by which we are fat and lively to spiritual work in our apprehensions so that we work in our own strength untill the Lord come and cut us quite down and make us to see that there is not in us the least good thought as of our selves and therefore unless the Lord be wonderfully gracious to us we cannot be saved till it come unto this the soul is not fit for Jesus Christ Thus the Spirit of God may work powerfully in the hearts men and burn up their root and branch and this a spirit of burning may do and yet leave the soul in a damnable condition for ought I know and such as many a soul may be in and yet never come to enjoy saving fellowship with Jesus Christ Therefore as this is one arm of God stretched forth for the salvation of his people when he draweth them home to Jesus Christ so 2. Secondly there is a further work of God when he giveth the spirit of adoption which reacheth beyond all the former work he hath cut us off from our selves and now we stand in a state quite contrary to nature and if any saving-work be wrought in us it is quite contrary to nature if any thing fall upon the heart and soul of a man to bring his will to this passe to lie down at Gods feet that he knoweth not what to do and yet whatsoever the Lord calleth him unto he is willing if it were possible to be done he would run through fire and water to do it but he findeth himself unable to do any thing and now he will tell you that to believe is as impossible for him as to build a world Why then bid him wait wait saith he I but I cannot wait and if I seek the Lord I cannot find him and I see others of the servants of God wrought upon graciously but dead hearted I nothing will work upon me Now in such a case as this the Spirit of adoption cometh into the heart of a Christian and taketh possession of the soul for Jesus Christ and so draweth the soul unto Jesus Christ and maketh it there to stay and there to lie down and to be willing to be drawn yet neerer and neerer to Jesus Christ and to be carried an end by him to take all from him and to give all the glory to him This spirit of Adoption doth give a man a son-like frame to lie prostrate at his Fathers will like unto the Prodigal son Luk. 15.17 18 19. who when he came unto himself and saw how unable he was to provide for himself and how unworthy he was that his father should do any thing for him he came and lay down as it were at the feet of his father for he is unable and unworthy of any mercy now this stooping of the heart unto God and yielding unto him to do with us as seemeth good in his own eyes is such a prostration of the heart wherein the Lord hath taken possession of the soul that now a man is led unto fellowship with Jesus Christ that there is none in heaven but him none in the earth in comparison of him that the soul desireth after and now a man waiteth upon Christ to see what he will do for him and though he cannot tell you that he waiteth yet he doth wait that he may be helped of God to depend upon him thus he receiveth all from Christ and giveth all unto Christ This is the Fathers drawing of the soul which is expounded to be the hearing and learning of the Father of which John speaketh chap. 6.45 He that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me which is when the Lord hath drawn the soul out of his natural corruptions legal reformations pretences of faith and waiting upon Christ in his own strength for faith if it be wanting then when the soul doth lie at his feet to disposed of according to the will of God and is in some measure subject unto the Lord though not so much as he could be desirous he were and therefore now the soul doth not content and bless himself in his faith not any other gifts or works of his own but yieldeth himself humbly unto the Lord to work in him both will and deed of his own good pleasure and to teach him how to seek and wait and believe and long after Jesus Christ these things he waiteth for otherwise until he be thus taught of God the soul will alway think that he can do something and is not able to come out of himself to an utter denial of himself but if any man will come unto Christ he must deny himself even all his own gifts and parts and good works whatsoever for a man is never utterly denied until there be nothing left of which a man can say This I am able to do or this is an excellent thing in me and when it cometh unto this passe then will the soul lie down at the will of God and acknowledge that if the Lord would never shew him mercy just and righteous are his judgements Now when the soul and will of a Christian are convinced of these things as well as his judgement that now he waiteth upon Christ as well that he may be able to wait and seek the Lord as he doth for any other good thing from the Lord he waiteth now upon the Lord for a poor spirit and cannot perk up himself as a bruised reed cannot do Thus when it cometh unto saving-work the will and soul of a man is so cast down that a man cannot tell what to make of himself but there he lieth to see what the Lord will do with him whether he will reach forth the hand of salvation unto him In this case the soul
work of some enemy to deceive him though he all this while seeth his need of Christ and hath none in heaven but him none in earth in comparison of him of the want of whom he is sensible yet the soul knows not whether all this humiliation which is wrought in him come from the wrath or mercy of God and whether God hath not in all this given him only a taste of the very torments of Hell and the pledge of them to his everlasting perdition Thus may the poor soul be affraid notwithstanding all this gracious work wrought in him above all the power of the creature though the Lord hath not said much of it unto him yet he hath done it and happy we that ever the Lord hath owned us so far Now here is the special work of the Son he doth bring us back again to the Father and reveals what the Father hath done unto us even his rich grace that hath taken all this pains with us for as no man knows the Son but the Father so neither doth any man know the Father but the Son and be to whom the Son will reveal him Mat. 11.27 So that the Lord Jesus doth enlighten the soul by the anointing of his blessed Spirit to see what it is that the Lord hath done for him in mercy which heretofore he thought was done in wrath whence the soul begins to see the Fathers love even the goodness of a God in what hath passed upon him far beyond what he could have asked or thought for And therefore now begins with some more hope and liberty to call God Father for from this work of the Son there doth arise the two characters of a Son in the soul both which are comprized in this one that is liberty and there is a double liberty wherein a son doth stand 1. First He hath ease from all his doubtful fears or at least from a great part of the burden of them some refocilations some kind of quietness falleth upon the heart of a wearyed sinner whence the heart is eased beyond his thoughts although as yet his comfort stands rather in expectation then in actual fruition as our Saviour saith Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28.29 He doth not promise sudden rest He will give you present ease but learn of me for I am meek and lowly and you shall find rest unto your souls The Lord will give rest unto the souls of his people at the present he gives them ease and an expectation of much more plentiful fruition of rest and peace which they have begun to taste of And how doth the Lord ease the soul in such a case so as that they feel the burden a great deal lighter How doth the Son quiet and still and refresh the soul Is it by the sight of his own hungering and thirsting after righteousness What saith the Lord in such a case Or how doth he satisfie the soul He telleth us plainly where our satisfaction is Joh. 7.37 38 39. If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink So that if a man thirst how shall he satisfie himself in his thirsting This is the main question in many a soul May I not draw consolation out of this that I do thirst after the Lord Jesus You shall find that the Lord doth not bid me go satisfie my self by seeing my thirst If a man shall say I am exceeding thirsty and I shall tell him that he is a man of a healthful constitution because a man in a Frenzy is thirsty and knows it not this will not satisfie his thirst How therefore comes the soul to be freed of his burdens He thirsteth after Christ and none of all the creatures can quench his thirst therefore our Saviour proclaims this in the last and great day of the Feast when most of the Jewes were present for this Feast lasted eight days If any man be now athirst and not satisfied with all the Ordinances they had now enjoyed he doth not send them back again nor doth he bid them satisfie themselves with their own thirstings neither doth he tell them that their blessedness lyeth in that they do thirst though there be a blessedness in it but how then shall they be satisfied Let him come to me and drink So that this is the Christian Liberty which the Lord brings us unto when he works in us unquenchable desires after Christ if you would comfort a soul and tell him you do thirst after Christ that you could not have done if Christ had not wrought it in your soul you say true and there may be more in such a soul then he is aware of yet Christ is not wont to leave the soul to quench his thirst with his thirst but you will say Is not hungering and thirsting a sign of health For a surfetted body doth not hunger true yet the Lord doth not direct the soul to content himself with his own act but Come unto me But will the Lord Jesus give him drink He promiseth that he will Let him come to me and drink And he saith moreover He that believeth on me out of his belly shall flow rivers of water of life this he spake of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified so as that which now the Son doth is not the proper characteristical work of the Spirit but Jesus Christ doth come unto the soul and comforts it in some measure and which is a second degree of liberty giveth some liberty of hope that the Lord will at the length be pleased to fill him with his blessed Spirit which the Lord did more abundantly pour out upon the Disciples after his Resurrection And there is yet a more abundant fulfilling of all when he doth come unto the proper work of the Spirit and therefore he distinguisheth his own work from the work of the Spirit Joh. 14.16 17 18. and 16.7 13. he saith of himself that He will not leave them comfortless but he putteth this difference between his own work and the work of the Spirit Joh. 16.25 Hitherto I have spoken unto you in parables but the time comes when I shall shew you plainly of the Father yet he had spoken much unto them and told them that he loved them and that the Father loved them but all is but a kind of parable in comparison of what the Lord will further reveal when he doth more fully send forth his Spirit into their hearts In the mean while himself setteth on some word or other of his grace whereby he gives the soul such a taste of himself more then reprobates can have as makes him thirst after more and more of Christ until he be satisfied with the riches of the grace of God 3. Thirdly When the Son hath thus brought us unto the Father and shewed us his fatherly love
grace Object doth one grace hinder another such is Bellarmines reason against justification by grace what saith he doth grace fight against grace if we say We be justified by our works it is grace that gives us those works and a will unto them thus doth he confess Our Divines answer is That if our justification be of grace it is not of works and if it be of works it is not of grace so in like manner if the Lord do shew himself in a matter of grace let all our works be silent for if Abraham hath whereof to glory it is not before God so then if grace appear it is not in our works and therefore if God do speak any comfort unto sanctification he will put his servants quite off from the conceit of their own holiness Thus we finde it 2 Sam. 7.18 Lord saith David what am I or what is my fathers house c. though at that time the Lord took notice of his sanctification and so indeed it is usual with the faithful when the Lord pronounceth any mercy to them they see no reason in themselves why the Lord should vouchsafe it as you see when the light of the Sun shineth upon a candle it dampes the light thereof so it is in this case when the riches of Gods mercy shineth upon the soul he is not so taken up in the consideration of his own works and holiness because his heart is lifted up higher in the consideration of the grace of God and yet let me say thus much There is a kinde of revelation that is under the Law Ezek. 18.5 6. If a man be just and do that which is lawful and right and hath not eaten upon the mountains neither hath lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel c. he is just he shall surely live saith the Lord God Thus a man is pronounced just upon his righteousness that is to say so far just as the Law declares him just if either he keep the Commandment or if he break the Commandment and come and bring his Sacrifice then his sin shall be forgiven him Lev. 5.10 13 16. somewhat sutable unto what we read Mat. 18.23 24 25. c. when the servant was required to make payment to his Lord and had nothing to pay he falleth down and worshippeth his Lord saying Have patience with me and I will pay thee all so out of compassion he forgave him the debt just as when the Lord taketh hold of a man by sickness and is ready to expose him to death then he cryeth Lord be merciful to me and I will become a new man and all the world shall know it and all my friends shall see it then the Lord out of compassion delivereth him from his sickness according to Psal 78 34 35. c. when God slew them then they sought him and returned and required early after God and though they did but flatter him with their lips yet he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not Thus the Lord may let men see that he doth forgive them and no small comfort sometime doth arise and all this from some works that they have done but when the Lord revealeth himself graciously by his Spirit in our justification he doth banish the sight of our works so that the soul doth look at himself as the chiefest of all sinners as not having so much as the crawling or creeping of any work of sanctification Yea when the Lord revealeth to his people their sanctification the manifestation of his love unto their souls upon that point doth take them off from the sight of their own works and move them to wonder that ever the Lord should manifest himself graciously to such as they are Now for the Use of this Use 1 Let me apply it to teach Christians not to be afraid of the word Revelation you have heard of many that have attended to Revelations that have been deceived it is true for the Devil himself will transform himself into an Angel of light he will be foisting in delusions yea many times when the soul waiteth for the revelation of Gods mercy the Devil will be apt to foist in such revelations from whence many delusions may grow but yet on the otherside let not men be afraid and say That we have no revelation but the word for I do believe and dare confidently affirme that if there were no revelation but the word there would be no spiritual grace revealed to the soul for it is more then the Letter of the Word that is required to it not that I look for any other matter besides the word But there is need of greater light then the word of it self is able to give for it is not all the promises in Scripture that have at any time wrought any gracious change in any soul or are able to beget the faith of Gods Elect true it is indeed whether the Father Son or Spirit reveal any thing it is in and according to the word but without the work of the Spirit there is no faith begotten by any promise the word of God and all his works may beget you some knowledge if you be not mistaken in them but to beget the faith of Gods elect that may be able to stand against all the powers of darkness and to crush all the temptations of that wicked one it is not all the works of God nor all the word of God of it self that is able to beget such faith if there be any it is but an historical faith a dead faith that is not able to bring the soul neerer to God I beseech you therefore consider of it as a mystery of God indeed yet marvelous plain in Scripture as I conceive That neither the word of grace nor all the works of grace are able to clear up the grace of God unto the soul it is the Spirit of God that must do it he must reveal the grace of God if ever we see it otherwise it is not possible that we should believe for though we should attain unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulness of knowledge we shall not attain unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulness of faith As for our works in justification the Lord will dash them to pieces and cast them out of his sight and though faith comes by hearing yet it is the Spirit in the word that maketh the New Testament a lively Letter otherwise as not the flesh of Christ so nor the word of Christ profiteth any thing it is the Spirit that quickeneth therefore look for this revelation of the Spirit to shew you the need of Christ and the Lords offering and presenting Christ unto you and his drawing your hearts to believe upon him otherwise you neither can have any faith nor can you discern any gift of God bestowed upon you In the second place Use 2 Let this teach and exhort us not to look for any revelation out of the Word for
the Spirit comes in the mouth of the Word and the Word in the mouth of the Spirit take heed therefore of all Revelations in which the Word of God is silent for the Spirit of God will speak Scripture to you when he comes he will not bring a new Gospel and new Revelations but he alwaies speaks in the Word of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which is given unto us therefore if any Spirit shall speak and not according to the Word it is but a delusion rest not therefore in any assurance nor revelation unless thou hast a word for it In the third and last place Use 3 This may teach and exhort us in Justification to look for no word but such as holdeth forth some absolute Promise of Free-grace for the Lord looketh for no work in our Justification but the Works of the Son it is the work of his free grace to justifie the ungodly therefore if any man having been in desperate anguish of soul have built his faith upon some Promise made unto some such work as he findeth in himself this is no other but a legal righteousness for when the Lord doth pronounce Grace in a way of Justice he will pronounce it unto that soul that he is most ungodly and that he himself doth justifie him freely for example take that promise which we read Acts 10.43 44. To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever beleeveth on him shall receive remission of sins there is a promise of remission of sins unto them which believe But was this faith in them before Nay but while he spake these words the Holy Ghost fell upon all them which heard the word and this Holy Ghost it was that did beget that Faith by this Promise whereby they did receive the Promise So in like manner if the Lord do promise that he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall finde mercy as Prov. 28.13 if he doth manifest his free grace in such a promise to any soul that soul will look at his old confessions as marvellous poor works and will not challenge this mercy promised by vertue of them for when the Holy Ghost doth apply a conditional promise to the soul he doth work the condition by the promise in the soul therefore when the Lord comes to testifie his acceptance of our persons it is freely of his Grace and thou canst not build any thing thereof upon any of thy works and if he do acknowledge our sanctification in any word of his grace he will let us see that every such gift or work of grace is freely given unto us so as that we shall be ready after all this to say with David Who are we or what are our fathers houses that the Lord should ever accept such as we are and such poor sacrifices as we offer unto him Thus having spoken of three distinct Works wherein the Holy Ghost doth give himself unto the soul to wit 1. In a work of Inhabitation 2. In a work of Sanctification 3. In a work of Revelation It now remaineth The fourth work of the Spirit that we speak unto the fourth work wherein the Holy Ghost gives himself unto the soul and that is a work of Consolation This is one of the great Characters of the Holy Ghost and this the Lord Jesus doth in special ascribe unto the Spirit Joh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter so vers 26. and this is no other but the Spirit of Truth Joh. 15.26 thus doth he stile the Holy Ghost the Comforter Why had the disciples no comfort before think you was there no comfort in the Fathers drawing them to Christ and revealing Christ in them Mat. 16.17 Was there no comfort in Christ his revealing the Father to them doubtless there is comfort in all these works the work of the Father mentioned in Joh. 6.44 is the same with what we read Isai 54.13 All thy children shall be taught of God and great shall be the peace of thy Children though it be but peace for the future yet light is sowen for the righteous herein and gladness for the upright in heart Psal 97.11 there is some ground-work of light and comfort in the Fathers work and some sparkles of it do appear for the Father reveals the Son and the Son is no sooner seen but hope is seen for Jesus Christ is our hope 1 Tim. 1.1 and hope it self I mean the grace of hope is a comfortable blessing so that the soul hath supportance in the very work of our being drawn to Jesus Christ and moreover the Father addeth further comfort in his Justifying grace for by it we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 and chap. 8.34 it is God that justifies who shall condemn such gracious supports and more then transient tastings of his mercy not such as hypocrites may have but such as do more or less stay with the Saints and people of God so that at the least there doth ever remain a seed of consolation in the hearts of all those whom God hath by his Spirit drawn home unto his Son And when the Son receives the soul he doth amplifie this comfort he reveals the Fathers work unto the soul Mat. 16.16 17. Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona flesh and bloud hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in heaven and Luk. 10.20 Rejoyce in this because your names are written in heaven So that there is consolation also in the work of the Son but you shall finde it true that it is by the Holy Ghost that both of them work and that either of them comfort the soul with those beginnings of consolation that afterwards break forth into more abundant riches of increase But what doth the Holy Ghost do more 1. For Answer He doth bear witness with a more abundant measure of consolation Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost He doth so clearly reveal our acceptance through the righteousness of Christ that from thence springeth peace unto the soul which groweth up until it passeth understanding and bringeth us unto joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 therefore he is called by way of eminency The Comforter because when he comes he doth so clearly ratifie unto you your righteousness to be in Jesus Christ 2. Secondly The comfort of the Holy Ghost is more constant and abiding as Christ speaking of the Comforter promiseth unto his Apostles Joh. 16.22 I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you not but that God may sometimes eclipse it for the trial of his servants yet ordinarily it is more constant and leaveth faith even then more constant and firm Nehem. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength when the Holy Ghost taketh in hand to comfort his people he doth abundantly strengthen them with his consolations 3. Thirdly As
imply that the Lord giveth himself to be the staffe and strength of them so that you shall see the presence of God in them he will not only give a man Wife and Children and Ordinances and Providences but he himself will be in all these and blesse his people in the enjoyment of them all so as that they shall enjoy God in all Psal 16.5 6. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance He saw the Lord in what he did enjoy and when he had any thing it was in God and when he wanted any thing it was supplied in him The like did Jacob finde when his brother Esau came against him with 400. men and the Lord turned him from the fierceness of his wrath here was the Covenant of Abraham the Lord gave him the mouth and arms and tears of his brother Esau what saith Jacob to all this Gen. 33.10 I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God He saw the power and mercy of God in changing the countenance of his elder Brother and that is it which sweetneth all that a man doth enjoy the loving kindness of God in all is the Blessing of all and this likewise doth Jacob acknowledge Gen. 33.5 These are the Children which God of his grace hath given me and so he looked at them as Gods wives and children and servants and cattel and this is the very life of the Covenant of Grace when as the Lord is wrapped up in all his Blessings when as he giveth himself and in himself his Christ and in Christ Peter and Paul and all things unto his Church This is the main thing given God himself the God of the Covenant his Persons Nature Ordinances Providences and now Abraham is made the Lord of the world and so the Apostle doth interpret it Rom. 4.13 The Promise that he should be heir of the world was not to Abraham nor to his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith and this is that which Abraham did receive in receiving the Lord to be his God 2. In the order of giving the Covenant there is something to be observed 1. God giveth first and not the Creature it was not Abraham that gave unto God first for which of all the creatures shall offer a Covenant unto the mighty God Rom. 11.35 Who hath given unto him first and it shall be recompensed unto him again the Lord hath the pre-eminence in giving for what should Abraham give unto God if God give not something unto him first he is the first giver 2. He is also the first thing in order that is given For doth he give the world first or ordinances first or any other spiritual or temporal blessings first No doubtless the Lord is the first thing that he giveth by his Covenant and with himself all things else also Rom. 8.32 and there is the precedency of Jesus Christ he is given and in him all spiritual blessings as the Apostle saith Eph. 1.3 Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus And this for the order in giving the Covenant not obedience first nor faith first nor any thing else first but Himself is Donum primum primarium and in him all his goodness 3. For the Manner of giving in that he giveth himself there is implied both the freedom and eternety of the gift Firmness therefore and that unto eternity In that he giveth himself it must of necessity be done freely for what can any creature give to purchase God if a man could give thousands of worlds they were not enough to redeem or purchase one soul and if he had millions of worlds to give what were they all to purchase so great a gift as God himself is therefore it must needs be of free gift for the creature can do nothing to prevent God God indeed may give with a purpose to receive back again but he looketh to receive no more then what he first giveth us and giveth us strength of Will and Deed to give him back again He required this of Abraham that he should walk before him and be upright Gen. 17.1 but the very truth is though Abraham shall perform these things in an Evangelical manner yet God himself doth undertake in this Covenant to be the Author and Finisher both of his Faith and Obedience Heb. 12.2 And this doth argue the marvelous freedome of the Covenant of Grace for the Lord offereth it out of his Grace without the foresight of Faith or Works for he undertaketh to give both Will and Deed of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 But it may be said Object Did not the Lord except it that he should give himself back again or else the Lord would not give himself Truly then it had not been of Free-grace Answ But as you see sometimes great Princes will take in a neighbour-Nation into league with them and not tell them of it so doth the Lord deal with his elect ones he maketh a Covenant with Christ and taketh us into that Covenant otherwise he should not at all intend it effectually nor ever give himself unto us for we are not able to give our selves unto him till he first take us For if Abraham did give himself it was because God did take him first and therefore it is that the Apostle telleth us that the Lord took hold of Paul that he might take hold upon the Lord Phil. 3.12 I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus is not he the Father that hath bought us hath not he made us established us Deut. 32.6 If we give up our selves unto the Lord it is because the Lord hath taken hold upon our hearts first But doth not the Lord require of him to circumcise his seed the eighth day Object So he doth indeed Answ but the Lord giveth him that also God the Father seeth it needfull for their everlasting Salvation therefore he doth give him Circumcision and giveth him the grace to circumcise his children I know that the Lord doth call for many things under a covenant of Grace but then the Lord doth 1. Work those things in them And 2. He will have them know that those things are nothing without the working of his Grace It is true he may circumcise Isaac but who shall circumcise the heart of Isaac it is a small matter to circumcise the flesh so it is a small matter for us to baptize with water but who must wash us from our sins save only the Lord our God so that he doth secretly intimate that what his poor servants do outwardly he would do it inwardly and effectually The children of Israel shall at the Lords commandment march about the city Jericho seven daies together and not speak a word and hereby the wals of the city shall fall down flat of what use were these weapons to such an
end what would the Lord shew his people hereby hereby he teacheth them to know by what ability and power to bring mighty things to pass they shall do duties as the Lord commandeth them but he himself will breath in them to make them effectual For though we do never so much yet we cannot reach unto the accomplishment of any good thing not by might nor by strength but by my Spirit the Lord therefore by his Spirit must work all our works for us Here is the freeness of Gods Covenant in that the Lord giveth himself first Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me You may speak of Conditions in this kinde but the Lord doth undertake both for his own part and for our parts also for as the Covenant is free so the Lord will freely maintain and preserve all his Elect and all from the immutable Nature of God it is not possible that God should lye I am Jehovah I change not Mal. 3.6 therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed Hence springeth our Eternity and perseverance unto it Rom. 11.29 for the gifts and callings of God are without repentance And I am perswaded saith the Apostle Paul that he that hath begun this work will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 The Lord took your Father Abram and brought him from the other side of the floud Josh 24.3 and he being called obeyed Heb. 11.8 Thus mind ye the Lord dealeth in the Covenant of Grace he looketh towards those that look not towards him as is held forth Hos 3.3 where the Lord biddeth the Prophet love a woman that was an adulteress and say unto her Thou shalt be for me and I will be for thee this is a branch of the Covenant when the Lord doth undertake to receive Abraham and his seed unto himself his giving himself unto them doth breed a reciprocal returning of them unto him Now it may be demanded How the Lord did take Abraham and his seed to be his people Quest By a double Act As Answ 1. Of Preparation not on Abrahams part nor on his seeds part but on his own part the Lord prepared them 2. The Lord did invest him with the Blessings of this Covenant 1. For Preparation the Lord prepareth them by a double work of his Spirit which are manifest in all the seed of Abraham 1. By a spirit of bondage whereby he cutteth off the seed of Abraham from all worldly intanglements and delights thus God took Abraham and brought him from beyond the floud and so doth he take men off from their countreys and fathers houses he separates them from all such things that he might draw them unto himself thus he dealt with the children of Israel and called them to be a singular People unto himself Deut. 7.6 7 8. Thus doth the Lord deal with all those whom he receiveth to be a people unto himself by this spirit of Bondage he draweth them from all their sinful lusts and passions so as that they can finde no life in them nor any hope of mercy at all in any thing by this Bondage the Lord setteth home unto the consciences of men the weight and danof their sins and bindeth them under the sense of his wrath unto fear of Damnation The Romans first received the spirit of Bondage to fear before ever they came to receive the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.25 But thus the Lord doth even shut a Soul out of doors that he may open to him another and a better way 2. The Lord also prepareth his people by a Spirit of burning which upon a Spirit of Bondage he doth shed abroad into the hearts of men this we read of Mal. 4.1 Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up and it shall leave them neither root nor branch It is spoken of the Ministery of John Baptist which did burn like an oven against all the Scribes and Pharisees and left them neither the root of Abrahams Covenant nor the branch of their own good Works He cutteth them off from the Covenant of Abraham Mat. 3.9 Think not to say within your selves that you have Abraham to your Father for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham and so by cutting them off from the Root he leaveth them no ground to trust on From their good Works also the Lord Jesus Christ cutteth them off Mat. 6.2 When thou dost thine alms sound not a Trumpet before thee as the Hypocrites do that they may have the glory of men and vers 5. When thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites are c. and vers 16. When ye Fast ye shall not be as the Hypocrites are of a sad countenance c. This was a Spirit of Burning which the Lord conveyed by the Ministry of Christ and of John Baptist to burn up all the Hypocrites like stubble and the beauty of their works were blasted by it and this is Gods usual manner of dealing Now there are many under a spirit of bondage that never came under a spirit of burning and they being convinced of sin and of the danger thereof yet hope to wrestle it out and work it out by their own performances till the spirit of Burning come and consume all that false confidence But when the spirit of Burning cometh he then blasteth all the fruits and branches of their righteousness and burns up all that a man hath wrought or can work And this is that which the Prophet Esay chap. 4.4 speaketh of that the Lord will purge away the filth of the Daughter of Zion with a Spirit of Judgment and of Burning the one is a spirit of Sanctification and the other is a consuming Fire which forceth them not to build any comfort upon any works that they have done this may Hypocrites reach unto in their judgments so as that they may be convinced that they have neither root within them nor branch growing upon them and yet in the mean while they may not come unto a Spirit of Adoption but hereby also the Lord useth to prepare his people Some bless themselves in worldly courses and never came unto a spirit of bondage Some do finde comfort in their performances and never saw the vanity of their own Righteousness But there are those whom the Lord doth carry further unto a spirit of burning even unto a sensible feeling of Gods wrath burning against whatsoever is as stubble and such is a mans own gifts and parts and worth so that now the poor soul findeth that he hath no Root not any sure mercy of the Covenant of Grace that he can rest upon no green branch of righteousness remaining but all
Christ may be magnified it 's no matter by whom I therein rejoyce yea and will rejoyce saith the blessed Apostle Phil. 1.18 If any man therefore aimeth at Gods glory then only when it may be an honour to his profession no thank to you brother for that much close work may be found so long as both are carried an end together but if when I hear that my brother glorifieth God I could have wished that such a thing had been done or spoken by me and it is the worse because it is not done by my hand if that which is the rich goodness of God to my brother be not my rejoycing it is because of the Core of hypocrisie in my heart Thus have we seen particularly the difference between Legal and Evangelical holiness We proceed still in this fourth Use to a fifth Question If Jesus Christ be the first Gift that is given to the children of God before he giveth right unto Promises or to me to challenge promises yea before he giveth me any other gifts of his saving grace then any soul may ask this Question Of what use are promises Quest if they be not to bring me to Christ yea specially to what end are conditional promises made that is to say Promises to such and such Qualifications if I may not take a Promise in the one hand and a Qualification in the other hand and bring them both to God and lay hold upon Christ with both hands in the strength of this Promise made to this Qualification Thus ariseth the Question if God give Jesus Christ first before any other blessing as we read before To Abraham and to his Seed were the Promises made he meaneth unto Christ and all the Promises are in him Yea and in him Amen no having of Promises therefore before Christ to what purpose are they given then if not to bring me unto Christ It is a point needful to be known because we read promises in Scripture daily and certainly great use is to be made of them and if we shall make no other use of them but to bring us unto Christ and God hath not sanctified them unto that end then we shall take them all in vain and the Name of God that is called upon them There is a threefold use of Promises in Scripture to wit 1. Before union with Christ Answ 2. In union with Christ 3. After union with him Before union with Christ Benefit 1 there is a threefold use of Promises 1. They are of use for Doctrine to teach all the people of God what great and glorious things are laid up in Jesus Christ even the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3.8 and this all the Promises of God do hold forth if the Lord promise to be your Father your Husband your Shepherd your Head your Root if he promise to be any other blessing in the world to you what ever promise you read or hear the Lord sheweth you by it the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ and that is no vain use of Promises for a man to know by them the great good things that are treasured up in Jesus Christ by the Father therefore they are called great and precious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 Why so because they declare the great and precious priviledges and blessings in Jesus Christ therefore it is that the Lord will have all his people to look at him in his Word and Promises and to know what great good he hath in store for all them that trust in him and seek after him in Jesus Christ Thus all the promises of Grace declare his excellency as Cant. 5.10 My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand so do all the Promises declare him to be a plentiful Saviour and a mighty Redeemer of all his people 2. As they are of use for Doctrine so for instruction it is good for the honour of God to know them but instruction is a further thing and distinct from Doctrine 2 Tim. 3.16 by instruction men are taught not only what to know but what to do to know and see whither they should resort for the enjoyment of all those precious blessings that God hath laid up in Jesus Christ and this is a precious use of the promises that by them the soul should be thus instructed whither to go for life and salvation such instruction we finde Isa 45.22 Look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth here is a direction to me before I look whither to look I do not onely see great things and so vanish away but I am directed to look and be saved thus are we taught of God likewise by his blessed Apostle Acts 2.38 39. Repent and be baptised into the name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of sins for the Promise is unto you and to your Children and to as many as the Lord our God shall call thus are we taught by the Promises whither to look for life and salvation 3. The Promises serve also for exhortation as the Scripture last alleadged holdeth forth for so many blessings as you see propounded in the Promises so many invitations are there to perswade and provoke mens Souls to come unto Jesus Christ as old Jacob sometimes provoked his sons saying Why stand ye gazing one upon another behold I have heard that there is corn in Egypt c. Gen. 42.1 2. so saith the Lord to the sons of men in his Promises Why stand you gazing in the want of this and that blessing is there not pardon of sin and all manner of blessings in Jesus Christ thus is the Soul exhorted not onely to look for mercy but not to rest till he may enjoy it Though it be not the Promises that can by their own power without the Spirit carry men an end yet this is the end to which God giveth them to stirre up the Sons of men not to rest in beholding the good things in the Promises but to exhort them to provoke themselves and one another to look after the Lord thus did the Apostle Peter exhort the Jews and testified to them of the free grace of God in his Promises Acts â— 40 and indeed the promises in themselves are strong grounds of Exhortation to stirre up the spirits of all Gods people to look to Jesus Christ and to come unto him in whom such abundance of rich grace is laid up Thus do the promises of God furnish both Ministers and People with Doctrine with Instruction and with Exhortation in their kinde Now there is a threefold effect that they have in some of all sorts good and bad that live in the bosome of the Church 1. They have a power of Illumination they will enlighten the mindes even of Hypocrites and men that are endued with no more but common gifts as well as the people of God of such the Apostle speaketh Heb. 6.4 who were once enlightned c. and had tasted of the good word of God 2. When not onely enlighting but
besides the waiting of a Christian upon him who hath made the promises doth make him yet more patient and hopefull and this is a fourth use of conditional promises 5. They are of use to work all these qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised By the exceeding precious promises we are made partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and this is no small work or use of these promises that from them should spring all our gracious qualifications for the Lord having promised such blessings in them these promises being received and enjoyed and meditated on by us we beholding them and the glory of the Lord Jesus in them are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 this great power there is in the promises to help an end the work of God in the soul of a Christian so that though they were never given to bring us to Christ yet to this end they were given to work all those qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised 6. They are of use to provoke and stirre up Christians to all such duties to which blessings are promised they stirre them up effectually The Lord maketh a Promise 2 Cor. 6.17 18. that such as touch no unclean thing he will receive them and be a father to them and they shall be his sons And mark what use the Apostle maketh of this conditional promise chap. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God Implying that the having of these promises stirreth up Gods people unto duties and the Lord is wont to breath in them and so to set forward the work of cleansing in the hearts and wayes of his servants 7. They are of use further to strengthen faith for the Lord that hath made such promises will accomplish them for his servants Genes 32.9 10. Jacob there putteth the Lord in minde of his promise and saith O God of my father Abraham God of my father Isaac and the Lord which said unto me Return unto thy Countrey and to thy kindred and I will deal well with thee and he was now returned according to the appointment of God but what now doth he plead the condition minde in the next words I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Yet now though hepleadeth not any worth at all yet seeing the Lord hath promised such a mercy to him he prayeth for it vers 11. Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother thus his faith is strengthened though he doth not plead his worthinesse to receive mercy So also do absolute promises strengthen faith and the prayer of faith 2 Sam. 7.13.14 c. the Lord there promiseth David that he would build him an house and that he would not take his mercy from his Children this stirreth up and strengtheneth the faith of David vers 28 29. Now O Lord thou art that God and thy words be true and thou hast promised this goodnesse unto thy servant therefore now let it please thee to blesse the house of thy servant c. this well ordered and sure Covenant of God was all his stay and all his salvation though his house was not so with God 2 Sam 23.5 So when the Lord promiseth to heal the back-slidings of his people Hosea 14.4 their hearts are strengthened to come unto the Lord and to say O Lord thy words are true let it please thee to heal the back-slidings of thy servants Thus by the promises of God the faith and faithfull prayers of Gods servants are both of them strengthned together Now let me further say thus much Let us rightly discerne what use to make of the principal part of the Scriptures take heed you do not close with promises before you have Jesus Christ specially take heed you make not use of promises to a qualification to give you your part in Jesus Christ neither be taken aside to make account that the Lord did give you himself gratiously in a conditional promise for these are aberrations from the Covenant of Grace Consider therefore well what the Promises be and what use the Lord would have us to make of them It is not for a woman to take her husbands inheritance before she take his person and you know that all the blessings and all the promises are as it were the Inheritance of the Lord Jesus given unto him and to no other but in his name and therefore there is not any Soul under Heaven that can challenge his right in Christ at the first by any promise till Christ first be given if you know that you are in Christ you may then know that the promises are yours otherwise you shall not be able to know your right in Christ by your right in the promises and therefore do not turn them upside down beyond the scope and intendment of the Covenant of Grace we may take occasion by them to admire the goodnesse and grace of God as David did Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee thus ought we to consider of them and whither to look that we might enjoy them and the blessings in them If you shall say We have been converted and we have had gratious changes wrought within us be not deceived such work may reach no farther then conviction and you may come at the last to turn your backs upon Jesus Christ Consider therefore did ever the Lord give himself to be one with you whensoever the Lord doth strike up the bond of Union it is in an absolute and free-promise of his grace Trust not therefore unto every leaning of your Souls upon conditional promises for so you may build upon a Covenant made upon a work and in the end you and your Covevenant will fail together but when you read how the Lord hath made such promises to such and such qualifications then consider that those things are indeed requisite to be found in you but who is there in heaven or earth that is able to work them in you there is none but Jesus Christ and unlesse you have him to be in you you cannot have any of these things wrought in you But will a poor Soul say I am not able to reach the Lord Jesus Christ therefore all the promises of the Gospel do fall heavy upon a man and he seeth that they are too burdensome and weighty for him he doth not say Here is the qualification and here is the blessing promised to it and therefore I will take it to my self but one that is taught of God doth forthwith go and pray unto God that he will set him in the way of those blessings and that so he will make him partaker of them he prayeth that God will give him his
of the Law of God they would neither have faith nor sence of Gods fatherly displeasure when they negligently break these laws neither would they be sensible of Gods acceptance of their conformity thereunto but we know what the Apostle Paul saith 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. and truly the Lord doth often bear witness unto the integrity of his servants against the oppositions of men so he did to Abraham to David to Paul and to sundry of the Saints of God though the servants of God are not wonted thereupon to build their safe estate yet this kind of Gods acceptance of their waies and obedience they do discern yet in their best obedience which they do perform they see the need they have to go unto God for justifying grace because if they have failed in any one circumstance their best righteousness is polluted therefore they have need of Jesus Christ to cover the failings of their most strict performances This Nehemiah was sensible of when he had been very faithful in reforming the abuses of the Sabbath and of many other Ordinances of God and though the Lord had helped him to undertake the reformation with much dexterity and success yet for all this he runneth unto Christ for acceptance and pardon Nehem. 13.22 Remember me O my God concerning this and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy and what would he have done if he had been conscious of some gross sin He would then much more have run to the Lord Jesus Thus the Law is established by faith for there is no justified person but he is very apprehensive of his sins and so of his continual need of Christ whose blood cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 and who is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness vers 9. who is an Advocate if any man sin and a propitiation for our sins Chap. 2.1 2. and what do all these things argue but that a Christian being under the Covenant of the Grace of God doth submit himself unto this yoak of God Thus far then a Christian is under the Law to Christ so far as the Law is under Christ he is under the commandment of Christ and under the power of Christ and under the displeasure of Christ if he negligently sin against the Law and unto Christ he runneth for pardon and cleansing and unto Christ he cometh for acceptance of his obedience so that he hath no use of the Law but unto Christ and in and under Jesus Christ But how is a Christian not under the Law So far forth as the Law is not under Christ I mean so far as it is without Christ freely justifying of us by his grace so far a Christian is freed from under the Law In one word a Christian man under a Covenant of Grace is not under a Covenant of Works Rom. 6.14 You are not under the Law but under Grace he meaneth not under the Covenant of the Law nor under the power and authority of the Law as of their husband Rom. 7.1 2 3 4. The husbandly Jurisdiction of the Law is taken away The Law is not made for a righteous man 1 Tim. 1.9 that is not the Covenant of the Law for else we are under the Commandments of the Law to Christ but the Jewish Teachers taught more to wit the Covenant of the Law unto salvation not but that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully he meaneth the Covenant of the Law but how shall a man use it lawfully for it is not given unto a righteous man but he reckoneth up the breakers of every commandment and unto them it is given to the lawless and disobedient to the ungodly and sinners to the unholy and profane to murtherers of fathers and murtherers of mothers to man-slayers and whoremongers and to them that defile themselves with man-kind to men-stealers to lyars to perjured persons and if there be any other things that are contrary to sound Doctrine the Covenant of the Law is given unto such and unto none but such to convince them of their sins against the Law to humble them to the death and to drive them out of themselves and considence in themselves But how doth it appear that the Covenant of the Law is not given to the children of God from hence it is manifest 1. Because a Christian man neither looketh for Justification and Salvation from his Obedience to the Law nor feareth Condemnation though he fail in his Obedience and this is a fruit of his exemption from under the Covevenant of the Law for if a man should look for Life by his Obedience to the Law and fear condemnation by the breach of it this would bring a man under the Covenant of the Law for the sanctification of the Covenant of the Law is life to them that obey and to them that disobey death and the curse But a Christian looketh not for Life by his Obedience and that is plain Psal 143.2 Enter not into Judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified so Rom. 3.20 By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified for by the Law is the knowledge of sin therefore no hope of salvation from our Obedience to the Law But methinkes you will say a Christian may fear his condemnation because of his Disobedience to the Law Truly this is a great snare and this Doctrine will be scandalous to many a poor soul but without cause Indeed if God give a man to be under the Covenant of Grace and not to see it then he may fear but if a man know himself to be under the Covenant of Grace then he doth not fear condemnation from his disobedience notable to this purpose is the considence of David Psal 49.5 where the Prophet calleth upon all People in the world to take notice of it Both men of high degree and men of low degree Wherefore should I fear in the dayes so of evil when the iniquities of my heels shall compass me about wherefore truly if there be any fear in the world one would think this might procure it what should a man fear if not this David professeth it and would have all to know it that there is no cause therein why a Christian man should fear Wherefore should I fear c. though it should follow you to the stocks or to prison yet there is no cause why it should make you fear Men that trust themselves in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a ransom for him that he should live for ever and not see corruption had David had nothing but the wealth of his Kingdom he might
have feared well enough but here is his confidence vers 15. God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave for he shall receive me But will not this make a Christian wanton against God and cause him to abuse his libety to hardness of heart no no brethren this is the kindly melting of a godly heart to consider a Redeemers love drawing him from the power of the grave and that he should by his sins pierce the Lord Jesus Christ this melteth his heart more then all his other sins specially considering the abounding Grace of God which where sin hath abounded grace aboundeth much more thus when a man doth not look for life by his own Righteousness but knoweth the Redemption of souls to be more precious then so this sheweth a man not to be under a Covenant of Works and then his very iniquity shall not make him afraid there is such a state in Christianity and let all men know it But will it not make men think the worse of Christian profession No David will have all to know it that they may see the difference between all worldly confidences and the confidence of Christians all their glory will leave them to be like the Beasts that perish and cannot redeem their souls that the Lord onely might be exalted 2. As a Christian looketh not for salvation by his obedience to the Law nor feareth condemnation by his disobedience so neither doth he seek for any blessing from his obedience nor fear any curse from his disobedience he seeketh not for blessings from his obedience and therefore if there be any promises of blessing made to any obedience though God should help him to as much obedience as might be he doth not look for any blessing from that obedience Rom. 4.4 5 6. To him that worketh the reward is not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousness even as David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works He looketh not for his blessedness from his works though he should perform all the conditions to which the promises are made yet he expecteth all his blessing from free justification and union with the Lord Jesus Christ Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin this is the blessedness of Christians It is true the Lord doth bless the workings of his servants and accept them Mat. 25.34 35 36. The king shall say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was an hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and you gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Thus Christ blesseth them but they are not sensible of their good deeds so as to expect blessings for their obedience sake and therefore they make answer and say Lord when saw we thee an hungry and sed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink c. neither do they fear the curse of God or that their sins should separate them from God those that are under the Law are cursed indeed if they do not continue in all things that are written in the Law to do them but this curse is removed from the elect by Jesus Christ 3. This also is a third effect of the freedom from the Covenant of Works that a Christian doth not look for conjugal comfort from his obedience nor fear conjugal divorce from his disobedience In a Covenant of works it is with a man as it was with Leah Jacob's wife who expected love and fellowship from her husband because of her fruitfulness Gen. 29.32 when she brought forth her first-born she said Now therefore will my husband love me and when she brought forth her third son ver 34. Now this time will my husband be joyned unto me but thus doth not a man under a Covenant of Grace for when he hath done all he can he is ready to say I am an unprofitable servant Luk. 17.10 and doth not challenge God for any of his dealing with him he seeth he deserveth not his daily bread and so looks for no reward from his good works though the Lord will graciously acknowledge his servants in what they do according to his will yet they are not wont to plead any such thing which is very observable in the practise of Jacob Gen. 32.9 10. c. O Lord God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac the Lord which saidst unto me Return unto thy country and to thy kindred and I will deal well with thee I am less then the least of all the mercies and truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant So he doth not press his performance of Gods Commandment to procure blessing but acknowledgeth his unworthyness and looketh for Grace from the Promise of God Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother for thou saidest I will surely do thee good Nor doth a child of God fear divorce by his disobedience though it have been very great Sometimes the people of God have not onely rejected the servants of God but the Lord himself 1 Sam. 8.7 but when Samuel had pressed hard upon them for their sin Chap. 12. and they were truly humbled then Samuel said unto them vers 20 21 22. Fear not ye have done all this wickedness yet turn not aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your heart and turn you not aside for then you should go after vain things that cannot profit nor deliver for they are vain for the Lord will not forsake his people for his great Name sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people therefore fear you not he will not cast you off So that mind you a poor Christian doth not fear divorce from his disobedience for if we should look for blessing from the one or cursing from the other we were not under Christ but under the Law but he that is freed from the Covenant of Works is freed also from expecting salvation or fearing damnation from what he doth he knoweth the Lord will hide his face from him if he doe evil but he knoweth the Lord will not cast him off for ever yet he dares not commit sin but being under Grace he is the more affected if he shall at any time displease God and procure chastisement to himself and by this means the Lord doth mortifie his distempers On the other side if he do well he will not say Now my husband will cleave unto me and dwell with me no no we are freed from the Law Rom. 7.4 which we were not if we look for conjugal love from God for our obedience to the Law it is true if a man be married to the Law his
of bondage according to that power which was given to the faithful witnesses Revel 11. Besides this spirit of bondage the Lord hath another work which is called a spirit of burning Mal. 4.1 The day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of hosts and it shall leave them neither root nor branch This is a spirit of burning let us speak unto it a little The Prophet saith It shall leave them neither root nor branch There are two things in the root 1. First is the root of Abraham's Covenant which this people much trusted upon and that is it of which John Baptist speaketh Now the ax is laid to the root of the tree c. and this he spake Mat. 3.9 after he had said Think not to say with your selves We have Abraham to our father ver 8. So that all the confidence that they had in Abraham's Covenant and Temple and Tabernacle and such things is burnt up and so they have no root left them to stand upon And this is one thing intended by the root But 2. There is something more in it for with this spirit of burning the Lord by the power of his Spirit doth cut us off from any power of our own natural gifts or parts and spiritual gifts also whereby we thought to lay hold on Jesus Christ and we are cut off hereby from all that confidence that we have in our own sufficiency when once the Lord intendeth to bring a soul unto himself for there is an usual prefidence that we have of our own state though the Lord have cut us off from hope in the righteousness of our parents and from boasting of his Ordinances yet we think there is some power still left us and therefore we hope and will seek that the Lord may reveal himself to us in mercy and peace but when the Lord cometh neerer unto us he will shew us how unable we are to take up the least good resolution we shall be like bruised reeds and not find our selves able to hold up our heads for Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost So that Christ will not seek us until we be lost and therefore he saith Mat. 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and follow me and according hereunto it is that those converts Act. 2.37 do cry out when they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do Hence it is also that the poor souls that came unto Christ Mat. 12.20 were like bruised reeds that could not hold up their heads for the Lord in this case bruiseth them and layeth them low that they see no more hope of mercy no likelihood that God should shew them any hope Thus doth the Lord burn up the root of Abraham's Covenant wherein men trust and the root of all our self-sufficiency that now we find our selves dried up and our strength consumed that now we are not able to think as of our selves a good thought And again The Lord by this spirit of burning doth burn up all our branches also how fair and green soever they have been all our fastings and humiliations and alms-deeds and prayers such things as the Pharisees much boasted in Mat. 6.1 2 3. c. but these things are all burnt up This is a spirit of bondage partly as it worketh a trembling and fear and partly as it worketh to the burning up of all the hope that we have in our selves There is a spirit of bondage I confess that only worketh unto fear and now all the hope is that a man setteth upon reformation but if the Lord love a mans soul he will not let him stay there but goeth further with him and sheweth him that his prayers fastings are all empty and fall short of the life and power of Jesus Christ I but yet the soul is not quite out of hope though the Law cannot save me if it cannot I must get me to Jesus Christ then and lay hold upon him for salvation as if all were to be had by faith in Jesus Christ if once he can lay hold upon him and nothing else were required but faith in Jesus Christ and my laying hold upon him I see plainly saith a man in this case that there is no hope in me as hath been rightly observed therefore he trusteth upon Jesus Christ and giveth himself to Jesus Christ but now if the Lord love thy soul he will not suffer thee there to rest the spirit of burning will not leave thee so How comest thou by faith in Jesus Christ Why Thou tookest it up of thy own accord thou thoughtest all thy gifts and duties were in vaine and therefore now thou wilt believe in Jesus Christ Is it so easie a matter Can any man come unto Christ except the Father draw him And is thy faith any more then a resolution of thine own when thou wast convinced of the emptiness of thine own gifts and abilities When this spirit of burning hath blasted this thy faith also and that by the clear evidence of the Gospel put upon it now saith the soul I see that I am not in Christ though I said I would trust in Christ yet I see it is not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven now I see it is not my faith that will reach Jesus Christ it is not a faith of my own undertaking that will serve the turn I see now Christ alone must work this great work in me and Christ in the way of his own Ordinances therefore I must look for it in his word and in the fellowship of the Sacraments therefore I will look up unto the Lord in all these and wait for him and seek him therein And so the poor soul maketh account that in time he shall find Jesus Christ in the Ordinances and so hammereth out a faith from thence and therein blesseth himself Now minde you the Spirit of God when the Lord God the Father will draw home the soul throughly to Jesus Christ will burn up all thy confidence for if thy soul be not utterly lost so long as it hath any root or power in it self though I cannot work I will believe and if I cannot believe I will wait that I may believe and so here is still the old root of Adam left alive in us whereby men seek to establish their own righteousness whereof the Apostle Paul often maketh mention This old root putteth forth it self and will not suffer the soul to be wholly for Christ and for Christ alone and all because there is a spring of Adam still in the soul whence it is that the soul is marvelous apt to have hope and confidence more or less from some vertue or power in himself therefore it is
are only fitted to some work of God and therefore only attain to some work of common Grace but not such as doth accompany salvation you will finde this difference between them and Gods own children the Spirit of God indeed comes upon them as he did upon Saul 1 Sam. 10.10 so that he prophesied and more then so he doth sometimes continue with them for a season and so journeth a while in them according as sometimes it is said Jer. 14.8 he is like a stranger or a wayfaring man that tarrieth for a night thus we read 1 Sam. 16.14 The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evill spirit from the Lord troubled him a sign the Spirit of God had been with him before So Zedekiah when he smote Micaiah on the cheek and said Which way went the Spirit of God from me to speak unto thee 1 King 22.24 a sign it may be that he had sometimes found the Spirit of God but now he was departed however it be the Spirit of God is in them but for a season until he be grieved by them and then he doth depart and indeed did never bestow any regenerating grace upon them but only fitted them for some kinde of service for his Church or the Common-wealth So likewise Jehu and Judas and Demas did much for a season by the Spirit of God he did enlighten their minds and open their mouthes and gave free passage to their administrations and you may sometimes wonder how men have been assisted in the pulpit both in prayer and preaching that have been notorious in wickedness thus it pleaseth God to come and sojourn in them and work great works by them such as may be of great use among his people and may leave themselves without excuse but you see where the difference lieth even as it lay between the anointing of Saul and Jehu David and Solomon the anointing of Saul was with a Vial of Oyl and of Jehu with a Box of Oyl 1 Sam. 10.1 2 King 9.1 the word in the Original is the same in both places and it was not an empty Ceremony Gods Ceremonies are accompanied with gifts sutable unto them his Spirit came upon them both and they did mighty service in their times but when David was to be anointed God commanded Samuel to fill his horn with oyl in 1 Sam. 16.1 and in like manner did Zadok unto Solomon 1 King 1.39 Now an horn is not of a brittle Metal but a glass is soon broken the horn is the beauty and power of the Beast so that when the Spirit is conveyed in the horn and power of Jesus Christ it now giveth beauty and strength unto the soul and is not dryed up nor broken in pieces but abideth in the Saints unto the heavenly Kingdom This is the first work of the Spirit of God he doth give himself unto his people in a way of Inhabitation he dwelleth in them and unites them to Christ and keeps them from being drawn away from God by men or Angels I mean evil Angels and preserves alive all their gifts and graces and acts and quickens them so as may be for the edification of those that are with them in Church and Commonwealth 2. Secondly as the Spirit of God gives himself in a work of Inhabitation so doth he give himself in a work of sanctification and that is a work usual in all our Catechisms the Holy Ghost doth sanctifie and preserve us Let us look into some places of Scripture for the proof of it 2 Thes 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you through sanctification of the Spirit c. he chose us to be saved through a course of sanctification it is not the cause of election but the way of salvation in which the Spirit leadeth us so 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience So that it is the Spirit that sanctifieth us to be obedient and a notable place to this purpose have we in the delivery of the Covenant of Grace Jer. 31.33 I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their heart he means the law of holiness and righteousness and he will so write it in the hearts of his people that it shall be carried an end with power in them accordingly doth the Apostle testifie concerning the Corinthians 2 Cor. 3.3 Ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart it is the Spirit of God therefore that writeth these laws in our hearts and leaveth an impression of some measure of power to be guided by them He worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure he stampeth upon the soul such gifts of his grace as make us serviceable in our course to his heavenly Kingdom and hence it is that we read Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit with in you and cause you to walk in my statutes c. this is a spirit of sanctification To make it somewhat more plain The Spirit of God is said to be our sanctifier partly as he doth work the work of the two other persons and partly as he worketh his own work though in all these works they all concur yet they have their several characters wherein they more peculiarly shine forth whatever work any of the persons do they do it by the Spirit and yet he doth a peculiar work wherein though they concur yet he is eminent in it It is the proper work of the Father to draw us unto Christ Joh. 6.44 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope that is the proper work of a Father to beget he sheddeth abroad the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour Tit. 3.6 thus doth the Holy Ghost sanctifie us as the Father doth regenerate us and frame us to be new creatures though it be the Father's work in us yet he worketh it by the Holy Spirit And for the work of the Son the proper character of a son is liberty a servant is in bondage a child in the way of child-like liberty may expect much from his Father this the Lord Jesus properly giveth Mat. 11.28 Come unto me and I will give you rest freedom and ease of Conscience he gives his servants and how doth he work this ease and liberty but by his Spirit the same Spirit that is in him dwelleth in us and breaths a kind of liberty in us which it hath from Jesus Christ For where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 and where he is you may see the soul hath liberty from the anguish of Temptations so that is there any ease any liberty It is from Jesus Christ the Son of liberty who hath spoken
the opening of the point let us further premise these three things before we come to the Use of it 1. First That the Lord did take Abraham and his seed to be a peculiar people unto himself 2. Secondly How did he so take them to be his people 3. Thirdly Who are meant by those whom he did so take to make them a peculiar people unto himself 1. For the first of these That he did so take Abraham and his seed c. we finde it plain in Deut. 7.6 7 8. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself c. and ver 8. Because the Lord loved you and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers The like we read in 2 Sam. 7.23 24. Thou hast confirmed to thy self thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever and thou Lord art become their God and this mercy doth he magnifie toward them when they had no thoughts of him but as he sometimes called his Apostles when they were mending their nets so he called his people Israel when they were making bricks in Aegypt then he said to Pharaoh Let my people go and again If thou slay my son my first born I will stay thy son thy first born and as he sometime took Abraham himself out of Caldea so he took his seed out of Egypt that they might serve him in the Wilderness Now secondly Quest 2 If you shall ask how the Lord called them I answer Answ chiefly two waies 1. First By solemn outward Covenant and that partly in the loyns of Abraham and partly in mount Sinai and yet more solemnly in the plains of Moab Deut. 29. for that was a Covenant of Grace wherein the Lord promised to circumcise their heart and the heart of their seed Deut. 30.6 2. And secondly In one word by this Covenant he doth draw them into union with himself and with his Son from whence it comes to pass that we have communion with him both relative in adoption and justification and positive in sanctification and in fulness of time perfect glorification In the third place Quest 3 What is meant by Abraham and his seed doth God call all the seed of Abraham into a Covenant of grace with himself The answer is shortly this Answ Abraham doth here principally stand as the father of the faithful and so received Circumcision as the Father of the faithful not only of such as were Circumcised but also of such as were uncircumcised The Covenant he received when he was uncircumcised and the seal when he was circumcised that he might be the father of the faithful among Jewes and Gentiles and all the Jewes are not the seed of Abraham but the children of the promise are counted for the seed for they are the seed unto whom the promises are made and he saith it not Unto thy seeds as of many but To thy seed as of one even Christ Gal. 3.16 so that unto Christ and unto all those that have the seed of Christ in them is this Covenant made You will say unto me Object But is it made unto the carnal seed also have they no portion in the Covenant of grace was not Ishmael circumcised as well as Isaac and is it not said Unto them were committed the covenants of God Rom. 9.4 so that both the Covenants were committed to them that fell away from God and hath not God said to those that were circumcised Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my mind could not be towards this people and the Lord rejecteth them Jer. 15.1 and 6. ult and 7.29 and yet these whom God rejecteth were made partakers of the seal of the Covenant would God call them to the seal and not to the Covenant would he call them to prophane the Covenant the point is weighty shortly and plainly to speak something to it 1. First they had their part in the Covenant of Grace this they had that they were all called to the solemn receiving of the covenant Deut. 29.10 to 15. Ye all stand this day before the Lord your God c. that thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God c. this was the Covenant of grace now thus far are all the carnal seed of Christian Parents called into the outward fellowship of the Covenant But why would God call them to the outward fellowship of the covenant Object and seal of it and mean while not give them the blessing and kernel of the Covenant this is weighty and considerable how it standeth with the faithfulness of God For answer Answ The Blessings of the Covenant are not far from them for there are two sorts of blessings Some do consist in the outward letter of the Ordinances the Gospel of grace the Sacraments and seals of it and sundry common gifts of the Spirit that are plentifully dispensed in the fellowship of the Church besides a liberal and bountiful use of the creatures for they are all serviceable to the People of God and all these things do flow from the Covenant of grace which God hath made with their Fathers When as Abraham had understood that God would establish the Govenant with Isaac and thereupon made a sad prayer unto God that Ishmael might live in his sight Gen. 18.18 20. the Lord answereth him As for Ishmael I have heard thee behold I have blessed him and will make him fruitful c. and which is wonderful he had the liberty of all the Ordinances until he cut himself off from them Unto this Covenant belong those gifts which the Lord bestows on men from the bloud of Christ Heb. 10.29 so that it is not a meer blank for by it here are sundry spiritual and outward blessings the patience and bounty of God is abundantly poured out upon the carnal seed of Christian Parents as in the wilderness when the displeasure of God was ready to kindle against that carnal generation and he was ready to cut them off he remembred the covenant of his mercy to Abraham and oft times spared them so that if you see much patience extended to the children of Christian Parents and many gifts bestowed upon them whereby they become very serviceable sometimes in the Commonwealth sometimes in the Church know that all these things spring from the Covenant of God with their Fathers I Object but if the very life and kernel of the blessing be wanting if Ishmael do not live in Jesus Christ what will all these blessings do him good will they not aggravate his damnation For answer Answ minde you this that the Lord may be justified he doth not only call them to Church liberty and fellowship nor only bestow upon them sundry gifts of grace and great bounties and manifold preservation from evil but likewise he doth offer them the sure mercies of David for so God doth distinguish the sure mercies of the Covenant Isai 55.3 Encline your ear and come unto me hearken and
your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David wherein you see the Lord putteth it upon such terms that if the soul come not by it it is because he would not not that any can come when they will as by the power of their own will but this the Lord will leave upon the children of Christian Parents that they shall not say that God forsook them until they have forsaken him and that when there lay no necessity upon them but voluntarily they did despise the grace of the Covenant for do but observe the causes wherefore the Lord hath discovenanted the children of gracious Parents 1. The first that ever fell off from the Covenant of grace made with Abraham it was Ishmael and what was the ground of it he mocked Isaac Gen. 21.9 10. what mocking was it in regard of humane frailty no no it was a plain persecution and that implies such a persecution as was cast upon him in respect of the Covenant of grace made with him as if he should say Here is the child of promise or the like insomuch that Sarah could not endure he should tarry any longer in the house for this was not humane frailty but humane insolency against the Covenant whereas happy he if he might have fallen under the wing of it 2. The second that you read of who fell from the Covenant fell not upon those terms but the love of worldly sensual blessings did choak the affections of Esau toward the Covenant of grace which was the chief blessing of the first born in the days of Abraham and Isaac but he coming in hungry selleth his birthright for a mess of red pottage Gen. 25.31 c. Thus Esau despised his birthright so this sort of children despise the grace of God not out of a malicious frame of spirit but they are choaked with the cares of this world and the best seed that was sown in them becomes unfruitful and this is the case of all the good husbands of the world that despise the Covenant of grace for when once a man is taken up with the profits and pleasures of this life he then cares not a rush for the Covenant of grace mount Sion is not now commodious for him so prophanely do they undervalue the Covenant of grace in comparison of sensual lusts and do men thus fall from the Covenant of grace because it is a duty above the power of nature no no the very common gifts they had might have restrained the one of these from mocking and the other from selling his birthright for a mess of pottage it is evident that the children of Christian Parents when as they come to fall off from God they do not fall upon such things as they are not able to prevent but either they scorn and persecute the things of God or else they prefer sensual lusts before them 3. A third way whereby the children of Christian Parents fall from the Covenant of grace is a self-confident cleaving unto those gifts of grace which by the Covenant they have received besides these causes of their falling from the Covenant of grace I have observed no more in Scripture nor have I found any more in mine own experience When men are invested with many spiritual blessings sweetly indowed with many sprinklings of the bloud of the Covenant whereby they come to be great in knowledge and sometime excel in a spirit of prayer and some are good at one thing and some at another and being full of such gifts it may easily come to pass that they may grow so confident of these that they will not subject themselves unto the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus And this was the rejection of the whole house of Israel Rom. 10.3 They being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God and hence the Covenant of grace is unto them turned into a Covenant of works they are now become the children of the bond-woman and not the children of the free-woman for they that have their faith in themselves and not in Christ they fall under a Covenant of works So that minde you the Lord is just and righteous in all these his dispensations I said before God did receive Abraham and his seed into this Covenant I mean the faithful seed and they are received into the second sort of blessings of the Covenant which are truly saving for the Lord receives them into inward fellowship with his Son so as that they shall be justified sanctified and glorified But are the carnal seed then rejected no but they partake in many bounties of God and grow up and live in his sight what in the enjoyment of outward blessings only no of spiritual blessings also I but the Lord gives them not the spiritual blessing of saving grace by the Covenant doth he not and why is it not because he doth not offer it to them but because they fall off from it upon such terms wherein there lay no necessity upon them that they should so fall off Ishamel needed not have mocked Isaac Esau needed not have sold his birth-right for a mess of pottage never let them pretend the necessity of corrupt nature corrupt nature putteth no such necessity upon us to sell away such blessings upon such terms And for others that trusted in their own righteousness had not the Lord convinced them that it was not their own righteousness that could save them did not David say If thou Lord mark iniquity Lord who shall stand Psal 130.3 and in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified Psal 143.2 so that it is not the blindness of mans nature that excuseth but this flows from a malignant and affected self-confidence therefore now they are justly disinherited for the Jewes were not rejected until it was made plain to them that their righteousness would not stand before the Lord therefore saith the Apostle Act. 13.46 It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken unto you but seeing you put it from you c. and he had said before They contradicted and blasphemed and why was it necessary that the word should be spoken unto them truly that God might be faithful in his Covenant for if all the children of Christian Parents may not have liberty in the means of grace then the Lord should be wanting to his Covenant so that if they be Jewes by nature the Lord is bound by Covenant that they shall not for want of means perish nor upon such grounds as are far above the nature of creatures to reach unto for though it be above the power of the creature to repent and believe yet it is not above the power of nature to abstain from prophaneness and malignity and such strong confidence in their legal righteousness therefore doth he call them to Church-priviledges and common gifts and graces things that are
liveth Touching our estate He is called a witness 1 Joh. 5.6 It is the Spirit that beareth witness because the Spirit is truth there are six witnesses mentioned in that text three in heaven the Father the word and the Holy Ghost three in earth the Spirit the water and the bloud but it is the Spirit that beareth witness in all these But doth not the water and the bloud bear witness truly they do but it is in the hands of the Spirit and that is plain by the 9. ver wherein the Apostle giveth us to understand that if any thing be confirmed by any of those witnesses it is the witness of God because indeed the Spirit witnesseth in them all You will say Object Doth not a Divine work yield a Divine Testimony and are not the water of sanctification and the bloud of justification Divine works and will they not reach a Divine Testimony It is not a Divine Testimony Answ unless the Spirit of God bear witness in and by it for are not the heavens and the earth Divine works which the power of the creature cannot reach unto all are Divine works even to the least hairs of our head for we cannot make one of them white or black and yet an argument from the creature is no Divine Testimony unless the Spirit of God set it home if it be from the least work when the Spirit of of God beareth witness in it there is a powerful Testimony the Magicians of Egypt do profess when Moses brought the Plague of Lice that it was the finger of God when as in greater works they did not acknowledge it but thought they could do the like and what was the reason that they were confounded in the Lice truly because the Spirit of God would on purpose breath in that work to confound them in so mean a creature all which sheweth us thus much that it is not in the power of Divine works though they be never so immediate that are able to work Divine faith in us unless the Holy Ghost breathe in them and then though it were but some creeping work or word it would breathe a strong testimony to some former work of God so that it is the Spirit of God that doth make Divine Testimony both in heaven and in earth otherwise howsoever the judgement may be by some means convinced yet a lively faith will not be wrought To speak something unto particulars the Father beareth witness and the Son beareth witness of himself and many great works which He wrought bear witness of him all his life long Take you now the Father's work which is to draw the soul unto Christ through a spirit of bondage to make us sensible of our need of him for every man that hath heard and learned of the Father comes unto Christ Joh. 6.44 and no man can come unto Christ except the Father draw him so Mat. 16.17 Flesh and bloud hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven so Gal. 1.15 16. When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me now though these be the work and witness of the Father yet doth he not work them immediately but by his Spirit as he saith expresly 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Eye hath not seen nor ear hath heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him but God hath revealed them unto us by the Spirit c. In like manner when the Father doth discover Christ unto us and draw us unto Christ it is by the Spirit that he doth these things When the Son bringeth on the soul unto Christian liberty for liberty is the property of the Son and reveals the Father's love unto the soul Joh. 16.27 a son-like spirit doth this it is the Spirit of his Son that maketh us cry Abba Father Gal. 4.9 7. Also the Spirit beareth witness by a testimony from it self which it doth set on more clearly then either of the former testimonies according to Joh. 16.25 The time comes when I shall speak no more to you in proverbs but I shall shew you plainly of the Father He comes with power and speaketh peace more plentifully unto the soul Act. 1.8 Psal 85.8 Isai 57.19 All which sheweth us that the Spirit setteth on his testimony with more clearness power and certainty unto the soul therefore he is called the unction by which the Saints know all things 1 Joh. 2.20 by his testimony we have more full assurance of all things concerning our spiritual estate It is he also that doth bear witness in the water and in the bloud for otherwise though the Spirit be never so much broken in the sence of sin as Davids was and he saw it Psal 51.17 it was the Spirit that gave him to see it and yet he still begs the upholding of the free spirit ver 12. for without him neither the water of sanctification nor the bloud of justification will clearly establish the heart in the peace of God Faith it self is not able to beget more assurance of faith nay it is not all the word of God that is able to put life into faith though the whole word of God beareth witness unto faith wherefore is the word excluded from the number of the witnesses all is certainly carried home unto the soul by the word whether the Father reveal the Son or the Son reveal the Father all is by the word likewise also whatsoever the Spirit doth reveal it is by the word Joh. 14.26 He shall bring all things unto your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you he makes the word take deep impression upon the soul but the word of God of it self doth not testifie though it be the counsel of God for the Lord would not have his people to scramble out a testimony from the word nor from his works for they will not afford it unless the Spirit be in them but when the Spirit doth accompany them then will the soul finde matter to build upon otherwise though sanctification may convince a gainsayer yet Divine faith is only wrought by the Spirit breathing in the word of life Thus have we seen that it is the Spirit that beareth witness in all the six Witnesses unto the state of a Christian It is the Spirit also that beareth witness unto all things else that are needful for us to know in our times 1 Joh. 2.20 Joh. 14.26 The anointing teacheth you all things the Comforter shall teach you all things Great is the power of the Spirit to beget and encrease faith by the word of God and by the works of his providence he causeth the soul to trust in God and to say He that hath delivered me out of six troubles will not he deliver me out of the seventh otherwise if the Spirit do not set in though judgement be convinced yet the heart is not enlarged to believe David could not gainsay Nathan when he told him from the Lord that God
had put away his sin he should not dye yet still he prayed for mercy Psal 51.1 and for establishment with Gods free Spirit ver 12. and Make me to hear the voice of joy and gladness ver 8. why had he not heard it already it was a most gracious word that Nathan spake true but he is not yet clear in it it is that Holy Ghost that must make him to hear the voice of joy and gladness otherwise though a man hath much experience of Gods goodness to him and sits and talks of the wonderful things that God hath done for him to the warming of the hearts of all that hear him yet the soul cannot reach that abundant satisfaction which he doth desire till at length the Lord comes in some Ordinance of his and beareth witness freely of love bestowed upon us and such a testimony will marvelously settle and establish any soul in the world so that it is the Spirit that beareth witness unto faith and nothing can do it but the Spirit only and yet if the Spirit should breath out of the word it were but a delusion Isai 8.20 To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to that it is because they have no light in them And therefore the Lord couples his word and his Spirit together Isai 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace though it be creating work yet it is by the fruit of the lips so likewise Isai 59.21 My Spirit that is upon thee and my words that I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever Thus the Spirit of God in the word is mighty to begin and mighty to carry an end spiritual work in the soul Now the ordinary manner of the revelation of the Spirit is if he reveal Gods free justification of us it is by revealing his free grace in a promise not made to works no not to faith it self but rather as a thing to be created by the word of a free promise unto sanctification indeed he doth bear witness in any promise as if the question be about Abraham's sanctification how did the Lord reveal it we may see Gen. 22.12 By this I know that thou fearest me seeing thou hast not withheld thy son thine only son from me but for his justification the Lord had revealed that in another promise Gen. 15.5 6. wherein God brought him forth and bids him Look now towards heaven and tell the stars if thou be able to number them and he said unto him So shall thy seed be and among them he shews him that seed that shall be a blessing unto all nations this is a thing beyond his capacity but this he believed and it was counted unto him for righteousness now in this the Lord reveals nothing but his free grace without any respect unto any goodness in Abraham faith was in him before and had put forth it self by faith when he was called he went out not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 but a man is justified not by the habit of faith only but by every act of faith and as often as this is revealed so often is the grace of God revealed unto the soul for it is nothing that God seeth in Abraham for which he doth reveal his justification to him but this he doth freely of his grace and so Abraham receives it Rom. 4.4 5 6. c. To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousness which shews us that Abraham looks at himself as an ungodly man when he considereth his justification not but that Abraham was now godly in Scripture account before but he looketh at him that justifieth the ungodly as David describeth the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works for thus the Lord setteth it home unto the heart without works saying Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered so it is free blessedness that the Lord reveals unto the soul and lest you should think that these things were peculiar to Abraham and David c. he tels us ver 23 24. that it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also c. As it was with the Father of the faithful so it is also with all believers which are his children that as he considered not his own body that was dead nor the deadness of Sarah's womb so neither should we consider this or that in our bodies or souls for if we were thus and thus fitted for justification then the reward would be of works and so a debt unto us now though works be there when justification is again and again revealed yet it comes not into sight for a double reason First Reas 1 Because when the Lord appears as justifying the soul he sits upon a throne of justice and a throne of grace together not accepting any righteousness but that which is compleat and adequate Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus it is not justice for God to pronounce a man just upon any other righteousness besides the righteousness of his Son for if God should mark what we have done no flesh living should be justified in his sight Psa 143.2 but through the righteousness of Christ which is perfect the Lord justifies every one that believeth in him and that act of faith whereby a man taketh hold on Christ and receiveth Christ that is it which quieteth the soul for it is not meet that the Lord should justifie any simple work of mine for if the Lord should justifie me so mine own cloathes would defile me and if I should come before him with any work which he hath wrought in me to be accepted for it this would be preposterous and out of place for he will have a full righteousness to accept me before he will pronounce me righteous and therefore I am first called to his Son for as there is no more required to make me a sinful man but that I be found in Adam so there is no more required to my justification but that I should have union with the second Adam Secondly Reas 2 As the Lord doth sit upon a Throne of justice when he justifies a soul so he doth also upon a Throne of grace Rom. 3.24 We are justified freely by his grace therefore he will not justifie any man upon works lest they should boast before him and therefore you shall finde it to be true that if the Lord be to declare his acceptance of the sanctification of his people he will not do it in respect of the worth of their works but according to the grace of his promise But is not my sanctification a work of free