the Covenant of God do not stand out in refusing to be humbled for your refusalls You that have been Rash and Rotten sleight and Carnall and hypocriticall in taking the Covenant be not so in your confessions of and humiliations for this great sin of yours whereby God is provoked labour to be deep and down right serious solid and substant all in your mournings and lamentations over your sin your selves and the Kingdom You that have broken the Covenant of your God over and over again Lach. 12.10 labor to get your hearts broken for this sin and to that end look upon him whom you have pierced whose skin and whose flesh and whose heart and whose soul you have broken by Covenant breaches Heb 6.6 not while he hung upon the Crosse onely but as the Apostle Have crucified him a fresh to your selves and put him to an open shame Oh look upon him his tears his wounds his blood c. Till vour eyes run down with tears your hearts be wounded and your souls even melt into blood within you And from thence even turn your eyes also to look upon them whom ye have pierced your slain wounded Bretheren Behold those many thousands that lye slain in the high places of the field Behold those many hundreds thatly sick and bleeding almost to the death of the wounds which your sins especially your treacherous dealing in the Covenant of God have made upon their bodies Oh cry with David I have sinned these poor sheep what have they done Let thine hand I pray thee Oh Lord my God be upon me and upon my fathers house Oh would it not melt any heart that were not harder then the Rock in the Wildernesse to see so many poor Creatures bleeding languishing dying slain under the guilt of our Covenant-prophanation I may say unto you as once Pharaohs servants said to him Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed Know you not yet that England is almost destroyed Oh it would break your hearts to hear the reports of the Western and many of the Northern parts of the Land How sad how black how desolate What a face of ruine and destruction there is to be seen upon them The Beasts of the field cut off The wayfaring man ceaseth The Inhabitants driven from their habitations and the little remnant stript naked bare seeking for Bread to relieve your souls with perill of their lives Lam. 5 9. under unspeakable miseries and afflictions doubtlesse to see what thousands feel it would make us weary of our lives while in a word those Countries and places which before the Destroyer were as a Garden of Eden behinde him are as a desolate Wildernesse Bretheren we have almost broken the Nation in pieces there is yet a little life left Oh lift up your voices for the remnant that remains Labour to break your hearts into a thousand pieces A broken heart is the sacrifices of the Lord. Psal 52.17 So many pieces so many sacrifices Oh take these and upon the Altar which God hath set up The Lord Jesus Christ is our Altar upon this Altar let us offer these Sacrifices And the Lord poure out upon us the Spirit of Compassion and Compunction the Spirit of Grace and Supplication That this day as the rest may be a day of Attonement and Reconciliation wherein our God may be pacified towards us and reconciled unto us in the Lord Jesus A broken and a contrâ—â— heart O God thou wilt not despise The Second Sermon Preached at Milk-street upon Saturday Evening September 30. For the preparation to the COVENANT The second Vse Exhortation SInce Covenant-violation is a matter of so high a Quarrell as for the avenging whereof God sends a Sword upon a Church or Nation for which it is more then probable the Sword is upon us at this prefent A nos 7.4 it having almost devoured Ireland already and eaten up a great part of England also Let us engage our Counsell and all the Interest we have in Heaven and Earth for the taking up of this Controversie Let us consider what we have to do what way there is yet left us for the Reconciling of this Quarrell else we and our Families are all but the children of death and destruction This Sword that is drawn and devoured so much Christian Protestant flesh already will it is to be feared go quite through the Land and in the pursuite of this Quarrell cut off the remnant till our Land be desolate and our Cities waste and England be made as Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of the fierce anger of Jehovah Somewhat I have spoken already in the former Use to this purpose Jerem. 3.13 viz. To acknowledge our iniquites that we have transgressed against the Lord our God To get our hearts broken for breaking the Covenant to lay it so to heart that God may not lay it to our charge c. But this looks backward Somewhat must be done de futuro For time to come That may not onely compose the Quarrell but lay a sure foundation of an After Peace between God and the Kingdom And for that purpose a Means lies before us an Opportunity is held forth unto us by the hand of Divine Wisdom and goodnesse of known use and successe among the People of God in former times which is yet to me a gratious intimation and a farther argument of hope from Heaven that God hath not sworn against us in his wrath nor sealed us up a People devoted to destruction but hath yet a minde to enter into terms of peace and reconciliation with us to receive us into Grace and Favour to become our God and to own us for his People if yet we will go forth to meet him and accept of such honourable termes as shall be propounded to us And that is by renewing our Covenant with him yea by entring into a more full and firme Covenant then ever heretofore For as the Quarrell was raised about the Covenant so it must be a Covenant more solid and substantiall that must compose the Quarrell as I shall shew you hereafter and that is the service and the priviledge that lies before us the work of the next day So that me thinks I hear this Use of Exhortation which now I would commend unto you speaking unto us in that Language Jere. Jer. 50.5 50.5 Come let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shall not be forgotten It is the voyce of the Children of Israel and the Children of Judah returning out of Captivity Vers 4. The children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together Seeking the Lord whom they had lost and enquiring the way to Sion from whence their Idolatry and Adulteries had cast them out themselves become now like the Doves of the Valley mourning and weeping because they had perverted their way and forgotten the Lord their God Vers 4.5 Going and weeping they shall go and seek the
is between a King and a Begger and yet there is but creature and creature greater is that distance between Heaven and Earth and yet these but creature and creature and yet greater is the distance between an Angel and a Worm and yet still there is but creature and creature But now the distance that is between God and us is infinitely wider For behold There is the Mighty Almighty Creator Isai 40.15 Psa 62.9 Before whom all the Nations are but as a drop of a bucket and the small dust of the ballance and the poor nothing-creature vanity and altogether lighter then vanity And yet this is not all yea this is the shortest measure of that distance whereof we speak The distance of Creator and Creature loe it is found between God and the Angels in Heaven and the Spirits of just men made terfect in respect whereof the Psalmist saith of God Psa 113.6 He humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven It is a condescention for that infinitely glorious Being who dwells in Himself and is a undantly satisfied in the beholding of his own uncomprehensiâ—le Excellencies to vouchsafe to look out of himself and behold the things that are in Heavâ—n the best of those glorious Inhabitants that stand round about his Throne Who therefore Revel 4.8.9 10 11. conscious of that infinite distance wherein they stand make their addresses with the greatest self abasements Covering their faces and casting themselves down upon those heavenly pavements But behold upon us poor wretches that dwell here below in these houses of Clay There is found that which widens this distance beyond all expression or apprehension Sin set us farther beneath a Worm then a Worm is â—eneath an Angel I had almost said bear with the expression I use it because no other expression can reach it Sin sets us as much beneath our Creatureship as our Creatureship sets us beneath the Creator Surely there is more of God to be seen in the worst of a Creature then there is of a Creature to be seen in the best of sin There is nothing vile and base enough under Heaven to make a simile of sin And now therefore if it be such a condescention for the great God to behold the things that are in Heaven how infinite condescention is it to behold the sinfull things that are on Earth And if sinlesse Saints and spotlesse Angels do tender their services which yet are as spotlesse as their persons with such Reverentiall depâ—rtment what abhorrency and self annihilation can be sufficient to accompany our approaches to this God of Holinesse in such high and holy engagements in whom when God looks out of himself he can behold nothing besides our Creatureship of our own but that which his soul hates Heb. 12.29 Let us therefore have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably in this so excellent an Ordinance with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire The acceptable serving of God is with reverence and godly fear The Lord teach us to bring fear that so we may finde acceptation Again in the third place The third Qualification Sincerity To that end labour to approve your selves to God in this service in the uprightnesse and sincerity of your hearts The want of this God layes oft to the charge of the 〈◊〉 as in other duties so especially in this which is now before us They lied to him with their tongues For Psal 78.36 37. their heart was not 〈◊〉 with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant And this stood between them and their acceptance God tells the Prophet Ezekiel as much Son of man Ezek 14.3 these men have set up their Idols in their hearts and put the stumbling block of their 〈◊〉 before their face should I be inquired of at all by them They come with their hearts full of their Lusts so many Lusts so many Idols and for this God refuseth to be inquired of by them Should I be enquired of is as much as I will not be inquired of c. It is a denyall with disdain should I Or if they be so impudent to enquire he will not answer or if he give them an answer it shall be a cold one he will give them their answer at the door better none Vers 4. and 7. I will answer them according to the multitude of their Idols i. e. According to the merit of their Idolatry Calvin super hunc loâ—um Afferant materiam suae damnatioâ—is c. Psal 66.18 they bring the matter of their own damnation with them and they shall carry away nothing else from me but the answer or obsignation of that damnation Oh it is a dangerous thing to bring the love of any sin with us to the Ordinances of God If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer and so may we say to our own souls if I regard iniquity the Lord will not accept my person he will not regard my Covenant If God see any thing lie neerer our hearts then himself he will scorn us and our services If therefore you would be accepted out with your Idols Gen. 35.2 cast â—ut the love of sin out of your hearts and be upright with your God in this holy undertaking It is the main Qualification in the Text They shall enquire the way to Sion with their faces 〈…〉 i. e. In sincerity with uprightnesse of Spirit with the full set and bent of their souls As it is said of Christ when he went tâ— his Passion Luk 9.51 He stedfastly set his face to go up to Jerusalem He went with all his heart to be crucified with a strong 〈◊〉 spirit Beloved we are not going to crucifying work 〈◊〉 it be to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts but to â—â—arriage-work to joyn our selves to the Lord in an everlasting Covenant c. Let us do it with our faces Sion-ward yea let us stedfastly set our faces Reformation-ward and Heaven-ward and God-ward and Christ-ward with whom we enter Covenant this day A man may enquire the way to Sion with his face toward Babylon a people or person may enter Covenant with God with their hearts Rome-ward and Earth-ward and Sin-ward and Hell-ward Gen. 27 12. Friends look to your hearts Peradventure said Jacob my father will feel me and I shall seem to him as one that mâ—â—ks and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing Without all peradventure may we say Our father will feel us for he sâ—archeth all hearts and understandeth the imaginations of the thoughts If we be found as they that mock shewing much love with our mouthes while our hearts are far from him we shall bring a curse upon our selves yea and upon the Kingdoms also and not a blessing It is reported to the honour of Judah in the day of their Covenanting with their God 2 Chro. 15.55 They had sworn
procuring of such a Peace as might render both King and Parliament Church and State truely happy and glorious which is the Cordinall desire wherewith every good Christian and Loyall Subject doth travell that wisheth and studies the recovery and preservation of these three Kingdoms what further security this Sacred Covenant may adde believe and waite There is another Accommodation which may do as much mischief and is the more dangerous by how much more it is secret which it concerns thee with all care and diligence to prevent and that is an Accommodation with base sinfull Lusts which fight against thy soul and the Kingdoms safety How low they have brought the Kingdom is too apparent to every eye what they have done to thy soul is best known to God and thine own Conscience God calls not onely upon Parliament and Assembly but upon Familes and Persons for a Through-Reformation If thou compound thou destroyest thy self and three Kingdoms One sinner destroyes much good Eccle. 9.18 This Covenant conscienciously made and kept will prevent this evill For thy encouragement and direction wherein these three Sermons are prest The first discovering the great Quarrell of Covenant-violation either in refusing prophaning or breaking thereof The second answering according to my Model such Objections against the taking of this Covenant as I met withall and laying down some encouragements and engagements to the taking of it The third holding forth such directions as may serve for thy help so to make and so minde thy Covenant as thou mayest do it both to Acceptation and Perpetuity If God please to adde his blessing neither I in publishing nor thou in reading shall have cause to be ashamed of our pains If God be dallied withall in this Covenant I tremble to think what will become of us It is the strongest Physick that ever the Kingdom took and I am almost confident That as in the publike State it will either put a period to our distempers or to our Being so in thy personall condition It will either blast thy Lusts or slay thy Soul My Reason is Because God is engaged If we be found conscientious of this Covenant he is engaged to us against our enemies without and our Lusts within and they shall not be able to stand upon us If after so solemn an Obligation we shall be found to mock God we have engaged him against us and adde the Almighty to the number of our enemies a swift and a powerfull Witnesse and Avenger of our perfidiousnesse Nor will Refusall of this Covenant help us when God shall come to interpret It will be found I fear in most but a depart from us And when God shall answer the daring sinner in his own language woe to the poer wretch that ever he was born I have therefore three humble Requests to make First To our truely Honourable and worthily Honoured Senators That in the Wisedom and Zeal of good King Hezekiah 2 Chro. 30.1 in a concernment of the like nature They would be pleased with their Commands for the taking of the Covenant To send forth also such timely Laws and Directions into the Kingdom as may prepare the people and fence this holy Ordinance from that contempt and prophanation which will otherwise be unavoideably cast upon it The second is to my Brethren in the Ministry That to the same end they with the good Priests and Levites in Hezekiahs time would be active and diligent to put in execution those Directions and Ordinances and to do what else may be found in their severall places advantagious to the sanctifying of their people for so holy a service lest if they sin through their neglect they translate the peoples guilt upon their own heads Yea I could wish That all the faithfull Ministers of Christ through the Kingdom as they are the Lords Remembrancers to the people and the peoples Remembrancers to God would frequently in their Sermons minde people of the Vow of God that lies upon their souls and in their prayers make frequent mentions of it to God with holy Davids holy jealousie and compassion over his people in the day of their willing and liberall contributions to the House of God O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and of Israel our Fathers keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people Orâ—stabâ—â—th and prepare their heart unto thee 1 Chro. 29.18 That so the memory of so solemn and sacred an engagement may not die off from the heart of the Kingdom for ever Lâ—stly To every soul that shall enter into this holy League and Covenant my request is That they would look about them Life and death is before them if we break with God now we have just cause to fear God will stand to Covenant no more with us but will aveâ—ge the Quarrell with our utter destruction if we be sincere and faâ—â—â—full tâ—â—s Covenant will be a foundation of much Peace Joy Glory and Security to us and our seed to the coming of Christ which that it may be shall be the earnest Prayer of him who is Thy servant for Jesus sake Tho. Case The first Sermon Preached at Laurence Church on the Fast-day Septem 27. 1643. Leviticus 26.25 And I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrell of my Covenant THis Chapter contains a gradation of sins and a gradation of punishments higher degrees of plagues threatning to overtake higher degrees of Sin And if you will not yet for all this hearken unto me then will I punish you seven times more for your sins four times repeated over in this Chapter The words read they are the top or rather the sum of both 〈◊〉 violation the top or sum of all the evils of sin mentioned in this Chapter and the sword with it's concomitants the top or sum of all the evils of punishment threatned And so you have the division of the words before I thought of it scil The peoples sins Gods judgements Their sin the abuse and violation of Covenant Gods Judgement the Sword c. In the one they walk contrary to God in the other God walks contrary to them From whence observe Doct. Covenant violation is matter of a high Quarrell between God and a people which God threatens to avenge with the sword You see there are two Branches in this Doctrine I. Covenant abuse is matter of an high Quarrell between God and a people II. God threatens to avenge this Quarrell with the Sword 1. For the first That Covenant-violation is matter of high Quarrell between God and a people Quarrell you finde in the Text and high you finde it in the sâ—ituation of the Text This standing as I shewed you at a top of the gradation of the sins here specified or being the summa totalis of them all Abuse of Covenant It is this first Branch I shall chiefly pursue The second I shall but touch upon as time and occasion will serve In the managing therefore
a monstrous nature namely perjury which is a blasphemy against the Truth of God and against the God of Truth while His Sacred Name is sworne by and himself cald in to witnesse to a Lye and so that sin or sins which in reference to the Law of God is disobedience in reference to love of God inviting pardoning healing is rebellion in reference to our promise is treachery is now at last in reference to the Oath aggravated into perjury and blasphemy This is much but this is not all Reason 4 Consider the Parties entring this Oath and you will finde a fourth and yet a strong ground and reason The parties swearing why Covenant-violation is so high a quarrell The parties striking this Covenant which are God and his People and this doth exceedingly aggravate the sin since by how much the parties interested in the Covenant are more high and honourable by so much the more solemne and venerable is a Covenant esteemed So Covenants entred into between Kings and Kings and between Kingdoms Kingdoms are accounted more solemn and sacred then those that are past between private persons What is it then think ye when a Kingdom yea Kingdoms on one side and the great Almighty God on the other side swear mutually one to another And the more Sacred the Covenant the more prophane the Violation Oh for a People to swear not onely By God but to God and yet dally or prevaricate this must needs be a mockery of an high provocation If God so threaten the breach of Oaths wherein he was but witnesse how impatient will he be of those forseitures wherein he is both Witnesse and Partie A People or Person swearing By God to God Reas 5 And yet once more consider the End of a Covenant between God and a People 1 1. End of a Covenant and you will see more matter of provocation in the prophanation of it Now the end is twofold Primarie or Essentiall Secondarie or Consequentiall The Primarie or Essentiall End is to knita sure indissoluble knot Jer 50.5 between God and his people Come let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant c. Let us joyn A Covenant is the joyning Ordinance the Marriage knot as it were wherein God and a People are made one for as in Marriage 1 Cor 6.16 17. two saith he shall be one flesh so in a Covenant he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit Those be high and glorious expressions which our Saviour useth in that heavenly Prayer John 17.21 22 23. That they may be all one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us That the world may know that thou hast sent me And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them That they may be one even as we are one I in thee and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one All one and one in us and one as we are one and made perfect in one These be expressions and priviledges of unspeakable worth and excellency and these are the fruits of a Covenant rightly struck between God and a People when both sides do it with all their heart and with all their soul as God himself renders it more then once or twice in Scripture I will be their God and they shall be my People Jere. â—4 7 c. 31 33. c. 30.22 c. 32.38 i. e. I will be to them what they can expect from a God and they shall be to me what I expect from a People All I am and have shall be for their good And all they are or have shall be for my glory and so the Spouse triumphs Cant. 2.15 chap. 6.3 I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine This is the first and main end of a Covenant 2 2. End And the second is like unto it which is to put an end to all strife Heb. 6.16 An Oath for confirmation is an end of all strife i. e. If here be any doubts or haesitations or diffidence on either side an Oath by the swearing party is or should be the removeall of that doubt or distrust whatsoever It should I say be so managed and entertained as that it should put the matter out of question to make all sure Whether it be in matters of fact de praeterito for the time past or engagements de futuro for the time to come so it is between God and man Man swears to God to secure God as it were that there shall â—e no more tergiversations or treacherous dealings as in times past Let us joyn in a perpetuall Covenant that shall never be forgotten q. d. Other Covenants have been forgotten this shall never we will backslide no more break Covenant no more or rather a People or Person swear to God to secure themselves against themselves to prevent and shut the dore against all future sollicitations importunities and Temptations whatsoever That when any of their old Lovers should come and bespeck their affections they may be able to put them all by that there might be no possibility of yeelding or hearkning to the voyce of this Charmer charm he never so wisely while the soul may answer them all as sometime Jepthah did his daughter though with more warrant and lesse trouble of minde Judg. 11.35 I have opened my mouth to the Lord and I cannot go back And with David Psal 119.106 I have sworn and will performe it I will be as good as my word though I die for it That I will keep thy righteous judgements And again Thy vows are upon me O God I will render praise unto thee I am not mine own to dispose of I have given my heart and my loves and my self unto another and I do not repent of what I have done if it were to do again I would do it and were I worth a thousand times more then I am he to whom I have sworn should have it all And so on the other side God swears to his People That â—s I may so say he may leave himself no possibility of recanting or recalling his word Heb. 6.13 Vers 16. if he had a minde to it The Apâ—stles expression hints such a kinde of supposition God when he could swear by no greater swore by himself Why That by two immutable things sc His Word and his Oath in which it was impossible for God to lye Impossible for him to lye A very strange expression As if God would lock up himself under an Oath from all possibility of lying or recalling the word out of his mouth he would not trust himselfe as if the Apostle should say with making a bare promise but claps an oath upon it also that so if be would yet he could not go back This seems to be implyed in this expression out the truth is though we need such bolts and locks to keep us from starting God doth not he hath as much and more mind to
forefathers To the end that we may be ashamed of all our former Idolatries and Superstitions our monstrous mixtures of Popery and will-worship in the Ordinances of Christ and that we have not sooner enquired after the minde of Christ how he will be worshipt in his House But now unlesse we be ashamed i. e. Deeply and throughly humbled for all that we have done unworthy of Christ and his Worship and the Covenant of our God we shall never see the inside that is the Laws and the Ordinances and the Forms of this House which are both various and curious for so the variety and repetition of the words imply The Prophets are not to reveal these unto us unlesse we be ashamed God will either withdraw them from us or which is worse withdraw himself from them so that our eyes shall never behold the Lord in the beauty of Holynesse we shall not be admitted to see the beauty and glory of such a Reformation as our souls long for And as God will see us in this posture before he reveal to us the Modell and Platforme of Reformation so also till we be in such a posture of deep Humiliation for our former abominations Shall we never be stedfast and faithfull in the Covenant of God Till our hearts be throughly broken for Covenant-breach we will not passe much for breaking Covenant upon every fresh temptation Yea till that time we be humbled not for a day onely and so forth But unlesse we labour to maintain an habituall frame of goodly sorrow upon our hearts for our Covenant-violations shall we ever be to purpose conscientious of our Covenant A sad remembrance of old sins is a speciall means to prevent new when every solemn remembrance of former vilenesse can fetch teâ—â—s from our eyes and blood from our hearts and fill our faces with an holy shâ—â—â— the soul will be holily shie of the like aâ—ominations and of all occasions and tendences thereunto Râ—m moring mine affliction and my misery â—am 3. â—9 20. the Wormewood and the Gall. My soul hath theâ— still in remembrance and is humbled within me When old sins cost dear new sins will not finde an casie entertainment when old sins are new â—fflictions when the remembrance of them is as Wormewood and Gall the soul will not easily be bewitcht to drink a new draught of that poysoned Cup any more Christian beleeve me or thou mayest finde it by experience too true when thou hast forgot old sins or canst remember them without new affliction of soul thou art neer a fall Look to thy self and cry to God for preventing grace There will be great hopes we shall be faithfull in our nâ—w Covenant when we come with a godly sence and sorrow for our abuse of old and laâ—our to maintain it upon our spirits But so much for the first direction I come to the second Secondly â— Direction See old scores crost If you would have this Covenant to be a perpetuall Covenant Labour to see old scores crost do not onely mourn for thy Coâ—enant-unfaithfulnesse but labour to get thy pardon written and sealed to thee in the blood of Covenant There iâ— vertue enough in the blood of the Covenant to expiate the guilt of thy sins against the Covenant I will â—rinkle clâ—an water upon you Ezek 36. â—â— â—nd you shall be clean from all your filthynesse and from all your Idols will 〈◊〉 leanse you Their sins of Idolatry were sins especially against their Covenant Idolatry being the violation of the marriage knot between God and a people yet even from them doth God promise to cleanse them upon their repentance and conversion The blood of the Covenant compared to water for the cleaning vertue thereof should cleanse them for their Covenant deâ—â—ments The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 2 John â— 7 Thou hast played thâ— Harlot with many Lovers Jer. 3.1 yet return again to me saith the Lord. It is a mighty encouragement to renew our Covenants with God That he is so ready to pardon the Breach of olâ— and â—â—e sence of this pardon is a mighty engagement and strengthning to keep our Nâ—w-Covenants Oh for God to say to a poor soul Bâ— of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee Matth. 9.2 Isai 44.22 〈◊〉 31.33 And I have blotted out thy sins as a cloud and thy transgressions as a thick cloud All thy unkindnesses and unfaithfulnesses thy treacherous dealings against the Covenant c. shall be forgotten they shall do thee no harme c. This will mightily strengthen the hands and fortifie the heart and even make it impenetrable and impregnaâ—le against all the sollicitations and importuniâ—iâ—s of old temptations See a notable instance of this Hos 14.4 I will 〈◊〉 their back-slidings I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him I will be as the dew to Israel c. 〈…〉 His branches shall spread c. 〈…〉 They that dwell under his shaddow shall return c. 〈…〉 What follows these gratious promises Why Ephraim shall say What have I to do any morâ— with Idols He that before was so unseparably joyned to Idols Châ—p 4.17 〈◊〉 31.18 that he could not be divorced from them Ephraim is joyned to Idol All the blows that God gave him though God should have beaten him to peices as he himself afterward confess'd could not beat him off from his Idols in so much that God at length gave him over as an hopelesse child Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Yet no sooner doth this Ephraim hear of a pardon and of the love of God to him but the bonds between him and his Idols are dissolved and away he thrusts them with indignation Ephraim shall say what have I do do with Idols Or as the Prophet Isaiah expresseth it Yâ—e shall dâ—file the covering of the graven Images of silver Isai 30.22 and 〈…〉 of thy mâ—lten Images of Gold Thou shâ—lt cast thâ—m away as a mâ—â—strous cloth thou shalt say unto it get thee hence And thus it is with a people or a person Râ—m â—5 Isa 51.8 when once God 〈◊〉 abroad his Law in their hearts and makes them hear joy 〈◊〉 gladnesse in speaking or sealing a pardon upon their souls they that before were joyned to their Idols drunkennesse uncleannesse covetuousnesse pride wayes of false worship old Superstitious Customes and Ceremonies and the like So that there was no parting of them or those who had long been grapling and conflicting with their strong corruptions and old temptations and in those conflicts had received many a foil and got many a fall to the wounding of their consciences and cutting deep gashâ—s upon their souls now they stand up with a kinde of omnipotence upon them no temptation is able to stand before them They say to their Idols whether sinfull company or sinfull customes Get ye hence and what have I to do any more with Idâ—ls What
It is God that must uphold your desires and resolutions And therefore 1. Be much in Prayer and 2. Set your selves in the presence of God He lives unchangeaâ—â—le that lives in the unchangeable God In the sixth and last place Sixth and last direction Look up to Christ If thou wouldest make an everlasting Covenant with God that shall never be forgotten Look up to Jesus Christ go to Jesus Christ he must holy and he must strengthen and he must keep thee or else thou wilt never be able to keep thy Covenant hear him else Without me yee can do nothing Joh. 15 5 And as Christ speaks thus on the negative so you may hear the Apostle speaking by blessed experience on the affirmative I can do all things through Jesus Christ which strengthneth me Phil. 4 12 Observe I pray Without me yee can do nothing Through Christ I can do all things Nothing All things There is a good deal of difference between two men take one without Christ and be his parts never so excellent his resolutions never so strong his engagements never so sacred He can do nothing unlesse it be to break his Covenants and Vows as Sampson brake his Cords like threds scorcht with the fire and take the other with a Christ standing by him and be he in himself never so weak and mean unlearned and unguifted loe as if he were clothed with omnipâ—â—eatie He can do all things he can subdue such corruptions conquer such temptations perform such Duties and in such a manner do such things suffer such things and in all these keep his Covenant with God as to other men and to himself before were so many impossibilities He could not before now he can Nothing before All things now All things fit for an unglorified Saint to do All things God expects from him All things in a Gospel sence All things comparatively to other men and to himself when he was another man See I beseech you how without a Christ and through a Christ makes one man differ from anâ—â—â—er yea and from himself as much as can and cannot All things and nothing Impetencie and omnipotencie Without me you can do nothing Through Christ I can do all things If therefore you would make a Covenant with Eternitie to 〈…〉 Study Christ more then ever Labour to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified And therein these two things 1. Interest in Christ 2. Influence from Christ First 1 1 Go to 〈…〉 â—â—st Joh. 15.4 Labour to get interest in Christ Interest is the ground of Influence Vnion the Fountain or Spring of Communion so Christ As the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vice no more can yâ—â— except yee abide in me There you have the truth and the 〈◊〉 of it No fruit from Christ without being and abiding in Christ There is truth Illustrated and 〈◊〉 by the Vine and the Bâ—anel There the simile which is prosecuted and enlarged by our Saviour in the 5 6 7 Verses And as all Communi◠〈◊〉 from Vnion so look what the Vnion is such is the Communion Christ was filled with the fulnesse of God 〈◊〉 16. 〈◊〉 17.23 â—ol 2 9. because united to God The Saints receive of the fulnesse of Christ because united to Christ I in them and thou 〈…〉 onely here is the difference Christs Vnion with his Father was Pâ—â—â—â—nall Infinite and Substantiall And therefore the 〈◊〉 were answerable Joh. 3 34. For God gave not the spirit by 〈…〉 unto him c. But the Saints Vnion with Christ being of an inâ—â—iâ—ur naturâ— their Communications also are proportionable yet such as serve poor Creatures to all blessed 〈◊〉 purposes And therefore with Paul 〈◊〉 9. Labour to be found In Christ That so on may 〈…〉 the power of his Resurrection and 〈…〉 his Sufferings All the Power and Vertue that is in Jesus Christ it is onely for thâ—m that are in him as the Branch in the Râ—â—â— as the Members in the Bâ—dy Christ is câ—lâ—d th◠〈…〉 God 〈…〉 God Isal 49.8 I will 〈…〉 Covenant of the People i. e. As Calvin well expounds it 〈…〉 the surety or undertaker of the Covenant of that second new Covenant between God and his People not the Jews onely but the Gentiles also A suretie on both sides The suretie of Gods Covenant to them 2 Cor. 1.20 for all the promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen i. e. He sees them all made good to the heirs of promise and Christ again is the suretie of their Covenant unto God for he undertakes to make good all their Covenant and Vows and Promises unto God Joh. 17.12 Gal. 2.30 Those that thou gavest me I have kept saith Christ And I live saith Paul yet not I but Christ liveth in me So that it is Christ who makes the Covenant good on both sides as Gods to his people so his peoples to God And so it follows in that place of Isaiah I have given thee for a Covenant to the people to establish the earth Establishment must come from Christ the undertaker the suretie of the Covenant as he paid the Debt for the time past so he must see the Articles of the Covenant kept for the time to come For want of such an undertaker or suretie the first Covenant miscarried It was between God and the Creature without a Mediator and so the Creature changing the Covenant was dissolved but the second Psal 19.19 God meant should not miscarry and therefore puts it into sure hands I have laid help upon one that is mighty speaking of Christ And I will give thee for a Covenant to the People God hath furnisht Christ wherewith all to be a suretie to make good his Covenant to his People and their Covenant to him But now he hath this stock of All-sufficiencie for none but these that are his Members he actually undertakes for none but those that are actually in him These that thou hast given me I have kept He keeps none but them whom the father hath given him given him so as to be in them and they in him I in them so John 17.23 and they in me so Chap. 15.5 Well if thou wouldst be unchangeable in thy Covenant get interest in Christ who is the Covenant The unchangeable Covenant The Amen the faithfull and true witnesse Revel 3.14 Hâ—b 13 8 Phil. 3 9. Yesterday and to day and the same for ever Get interest Count all things losse and dung that thou maist win Christ and be found in Christ Yea do not onely labour to get interest but prove thy interest take not up a matter of so infinite concernment upon trust all that thou doest Covenant to God and that God doth Covenant to thee depends upon it and therefore Work it out with fear and trembling Phil. 2.13 2 Pet. 1. â—0 and give all diligence to make it sure unto thy soul Study evidences and be content
with none but such as will bear weight in the ballance of the Sanctuary such as the Word will secure such as to which the Word will bear witnesse that they are inconsistent with any Christlesse man or woman whatsoever And pray with unweariable suppliceations that God will not onely give thee interest but cleer thy interest and seal up interest upon thy soul and thee to the day of Redemption And then secondly 2 2 Go to Christ for influence Studie influence when once in Christ then hast thou right and liberty to draw vertue from Christ For behold All the fulnesse that dwels in Christ is thin all that life and strength and grace and redemption that is held forth in the promise it is all laid up in Christ as in a Magazine and by vertue of thy interest in and union with the Lord Jesus it is all become thinâ— Hence you hear the believing soul making her boast of Christ as before for righteousnesse Isa 45.24 so also for strength In the Lord I have righteousnesse and strength as righteousnesse for acceptance so strength also for performance of such duties as God in his Covenant doth require and expect at the beleevers hands I have no strength of mine own but in Christ I have enough In the Lord I have righteousnesse and strength Christ is the Lord-keeper or Lord high Steward or Lord-Treasurer to receive in and lay out * Psal 68.18 â—e received â—phe 48 begâ—e gifts c. for and to all that are in Covenant with the Father And this is one main Branch of Gods Covenant with the Redeemer that he give out to the Heirs of promise wherewithall to enable them to keep their Covenant with God so that they never depart from him As for me Isa 59.25 this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My spirit that is upon thee and my words which 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 saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever They be the words of God the Father to the Redeemer concerning all his Spirituall Seed The Redeemer shall come to Sion Vers 24. And that spirit and these words of life and grace which were upon the Redeemer must be propagated to all his believing Seed by vertue whereof their Covenant with God shall in its proportion be like Gods Covenant with them for indeed the one is but the counterpart of the other unchangeable everlasting I will make an everlasting Covenant with them Jer. 32 40 that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart away from me Now therefore my Brethren since there is enough in Christ study how to draw it out Indeed it will require a great deal of holy skill to do it It requires wisedom to draw out the excellencies of a man Counsell in the heart of a man is deep Prov. 20.3 but a man of understanding will draw it out It is a fine art to be able to peirce a man that is like a Vessell full of Wine and set him a running but to draw out influence and vertue from the Lord Jesus is one of the most secret hidden Mysteries in the life of a Christian indeed we may complain John 4. The Well is deep and we have nothing to draw withall But labour to get your Bucket of faith that you may be able to draw water out of this Well of Salvation Isa 12. Labour by vitall acts of a powerfull faith set on work in Mediation and Prayer to draw vertue and influence from Jesus Christ the Mouth of Prayer and the breathings of Faith from an heart soakt and steept in holy Meditations applyed to Jesus Christ will certainly though perhaps insensibly draw vertue from him Behold Faith drew vertue from Christ by a touch of his Garments shall it not much more draw out that rich and precious influence by applying of him in the promises and in his Offices unto our souls Consider oh Christian who ever thou art even thou that art in Christ consider God hath not trusted thee with grace enough before hand for one moneth no not for a week a day Nay thou hast not grace enough before hand for the performance of the next duty or the conquering of the next temptation nor for the expediting thy self out of the next difficulty And why so But that thou mayst learn to live by continuall dependance upon Jesus Christ as Paul did Gal. 2.20 The life that I now live in the flesh I live it by the faith of the Son of God Paul lived by fresh influence drawn from Christ by faith every day and hour study that life it is very Mysterious but exceeding precious Had we our stock before hand we should quickly spend all and prove bankrupts 1 Cor. 1.36 God hath laid up all our treasure of Wisedom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption in Jesus Christ and will have us live from hand to mouth that so we might be safe and Gods free grace be exalted Rom. 12.16 It is of faith that it might be by grace to the end your promise might be sure to all the seed Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of this heavenly calling look up to Jesus Christ who is the Covenant of his Father and your Covenant loe he calls you Look unto me Isai 48.22 and be yee saved all the ends of the earth Surely they are worthy to perish who will not bestow a look upon Salvation Oh look humbly and look beleevingly and look continually look for Interest look for Influence look for Righteousnesse look for Strength and let Jesus Christ be All in All to thy soul thou wilt never be any thing nor do any thing in Christianity till thou comest to live in and upon Jesus Christ and him onely Humbly entreat the Lord and give him no rest That he will make a Covenant with thee in Christ which shall keep thee and then thou wilt be able to keep thy Covenant Look up to Christ for Covenant-grace to keep Covenant-engagement and so shalt thou do this service in a Gospel-sence to Acceptation to Perpetuitie I have now done with these three Quaeres What Why How How to Acceptation Perpetuitie I know much more might be added but the work to which we are to addresse our selves will take up much time the Lord set home what hath been spoken Onely give me leave to tell you thus much in a word for the close of all As this Covenant prospers with us so we are like to prosper under it The welfare of the Kingdom and of thy soul is bound up now in this Covenant For I remember what God speaks of the Kingdom of Israel brought into Covenant now with the King of Babylon to serve him and to be his Vassals 〈◊〉 17.13 14. Vers 16.17