is blasted and broken in pieces according to what the Prophet Isay saith chap. 40.6 7. All flesh is grass and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field the grass withereth and the flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it and so the Lord cometh to leave a man neither Root nor Branch For by a spirit of Bondage the Lord blasteth all flesh but when it cometh unto the goodliness of flesh that is consumed by a spirit of Burning 2. As God thus prepareth us for himself so he doth give himself unto us and taketh possession of us by his blessed Spirit the Father giveth himself and his Son by his blessed Spirit for the Spirit it is by which he doth visit the hearts of his people and this is the main Blessing of the Covenant of Grace For the better clearing of it it may be demanded How doth the Lord give himself unto his People Quest and his People back again to receive him 1. They being thus prepared Answ the Spirit of God taketh up his seat in the soul by making it a Temple unto himself in the Name of the Father and of the Son and so are they made an habitation of God through the Spirit Ephes 2.22 Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts c. Gal. 4.6 He speaketh not of sons by actual Regeneration but by Gods eternal Counsel The fame Spirit is also called the Comforter whom Jesus Christ hath promised to send Joh. 16.7 8 9. If I depart I will send you the Comforter and when he is come he will reprove the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment of sin because they beleeve not in me this the Holy Ghost convinceth men of to be the greatest misery of the soul that they have not beleeved upon Jesus Christ And look as a talent of gold or some weighty metal falling into a vessel of water dasheth out all that is in the vessel to make room for it self so the Lord Jesus Christ coming into the soul dasheth out all watry confidences and maketh room for himself And in very deed because the heart of man is not only like unto water but is hard as yee and strong therefore the Spirit of God cometh like fire and melteth the iron stone of the heart and softneth it into flesh so that now the soul is utterly at a loss not only in regard of his sins but in regard of his best works also and is most of all convinced of his unbelief Now this holy Spirit of God being thus shed abroad into the heart at the very first entrance of it into the soul as it doth chiefly convince the soul of unbelief so 2. The same Spirit worketh Faith in the soul to yeeld himself unto the Lord to receive the Lord Jesus Christ and this is a true saving work he now submitteth unto the will of God so that the Spirit of God becometh unto the soul not only as a Spirit of burning to consume all that is like stubble but doth also melt the iron stone of the heart and softneth it into flesh that the word may take deep impression in it Now there is room for Jesus Christ now Faith is wrought there and now a soul can plead with God by Faith in Prayer he seeth there is no former safe hold of his Covenant that he can plead nor any righteousness of his own but such as hypocrites will quarrel for and rise up to maintain as they did against John Baptist pleading their covenant and their righteousness with these things a poor soul is not satisfied but unto you that fear my Name shall the Son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings c. Mal. 4.2 Herein is implied such a reverent fear as distrusting our selves giveth all the honour to the Lord Jesus this Fear of the Lord accompanieth Faith and is of like nature to it both of them distrusting our selves and both of them giving all honour to Christ the one out of confidence in him the other out of reverence to him Thus it is in our Effectual calling the Spirit of God taking possession in our hearts and working this Faith in us thereby we submit unto the Lord and this is Faith in Jesus Christ that maketh us one with Christ for our Effectual calling bringeth us to be one with him 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful by whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ This fellowship standeth in two things 1. In the unity of the Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 2. In a lively Faith on our parts So that by Beleeving this is the first thing we do we yeeld unto the work of God when this stronger man cometh to wit Christ by his Spirit we yeeld up all our armour to him and herein standeth our coming on to be in Christ and in God the Father by this Spirit of God that taketh possession of the heart and hath not only burnt up root and branch of our Legal righteousness but hath also melted us unto a soft frame to yeeld up our selves unto the Lord and now we are fit for any duty the Lord having possessed us with his powerful presence herein lyeth our Effectual calling and this is true spiritual union between the Lord and our souls Now this Faith thus wrought in our Effectual calling is not built upon any conditional promise of Grace pre-existent in us nor can it be built upon any but upon some absolute free Promise of God unto the soul according to what we read Isai 43.22 to 25. Thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel thou hast not brought me the small cattel of thy burnt-offerings neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an offering nor wearied thee with incense Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins In all this we see the absolute freeness of the Grace of God But if the Promise be conditional it is a condition subsequent to Faith not antecedent before it You will say Object Though some may be converted by such an absolute Promise yet some other mans Faith may be built upon a conditional Promise and the condition preexistent I pray you consider it Answ If it be a Condition it is to some good Qualification or other some good work or other of the Spirit of God in the heart of a Christian Was this work wrought before Conversion or after Every Christian knoweth that all works before conversion are but dross and dung to apply promises to such works were indeed to build upon a
second in Trinity hereby laying a ground of a firm Mediation between God and us for Jesus Christ being of Gods Nature therefore he will be faithful unto God and being of our Nature therefore he will be compassionate towards us And here is the root of all the life and power of this Mediation to wit this Personal Union of the Son of man with the second Person in Trinity which is a firm and everlasting Union 2. By Gods giving him to be a Covenant Isa 42.6 I will give thee for a Covenant of the People for a Light of the Gentiles What is meant hereby the Lord meaneth that he giveth him to be a Mediator of this Covenant 1. To receive from God all the promises and gracious gifts whatsoever is requisite for him to be King Priest and Prophet and all these things he receiveth from the hand of the Father Col. 1.19 for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell thus he becometh a plentiful Redeemer And as the Lord gave him to be a Covenant so he giveth him also to work all things needful for our Redemption partly by his passion and obedience unto the Death of the Cross Phil. 2.8 and partly by fulfilling all the righteousness of the Law Mat. 3.15 The Lord Jesus Christ did fully accomplish whatsoever was requisite for him to accomplish in his own Person 2. He doth perform all things needful for the Application of this Redemption unto our souls Isa 26.12 And to this end he it is that sheadeth abroad his Spirit into our hearts Joh. 15.26 16.7 and when this blessed Spirit cometh he applieth unto the soul all this gracious Redemption of Jesus Christ by giving Jesus Christ and all the Fruits of his redemption and by working all those blessed works that the souls of his people come to be partakers of and so performeth all those conditions that are required on our parts if it be needful for us to have Faith he will work it in us if it be needful for us to live a life of Faith he will help us so to live for it is not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.9 Thus hath the Lord made him a compleat Mediator of this holy Covenant and whatsoever we receive we receive from him for unto him first as the head of the Church are all blessings given and unto us all promises in him are Yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 for though Christ be not a sinner in his own Person yet in respect of his Members he is many times lost in them though not in himself and poor in them though not in himself for us therefore he receiveth the Promises of God and that is the great security of them that they are laid up safe in him and belong unto us if we have union with the Head and in him we perform whatsoever God requireth whether we pray or preach or hear we do all in the Name of Jesus Christ going forth in his strength and power Col. 3.17 Thus is the Lord Jesus Christ a firm surety of this better Covenant stablished upon better Promises Heb. 8.6 In the first place Use 1 This may teach us a broad difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace In the Covenant of Works The Lord offereth Himself as a Father Diff. 1 his Son as a Redeemer his Spirit as a Sanctifier but this is still upon a condition of obedience if they shall keep his Laws and obey his voice then they shall be a peculiar treasure unto him above all people Exod. 19.5 6. This also they undertake to do Deut. 5.27 All that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee we will hear it and do it but O saith God that there was such an heart in them vers 29. When they rebelled he did not pardon them graciously but the Angel whom he sendeth with them he biddeth them beware of him and obey his voice and provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my Name is in him In the Covenant of Grace he will but not in this here is indeed a conditional Redeemer and Saviour and so it is expressed Isa 63.8 9 10. He was their Saviour in all their affliction he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love c. But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them with many of them God was not well pleased almost with none of them but overthrew them in the wilderness Thus in the Covenant of Works all is given upon condition of obedience The Lord giving himself Diff. 2 his Son and Spirit upon condition though it be but to Works yet he is pleased to receive them into some kinde of Relative Vnion expressed Jer. 32.32 Which my Covenant they brake although I was an Husband to them He was married unto them in Church-Covenant this was some kinde of union He was their God and they were his peculiar people and yet the Lord cast them off a generation of his wrath from this Marriage-Covenant between them and him from this union there springeth a kinde of Faith by which the soul cleaveth unto the Lord in some measure else there could not be this Marriage-Union and this Faith is that of which you read Psal 106.12 13. They beleeved his words they sang his praise they soon forgat his works they waited not for his counsel So also Exod. 14.31 it is said They beleeved the Lord and his servant Moses this is that Faith which men may receive and yet may Apostate from it spoken of Heb. 6.3 to 6. For a while some do beleeve and in time of temptation fall away Luk. 8.13 But all that Faith was never grounded upon any free promise of Grace but all was built upon Ordinances and Duties and upon no higher ground In the 2 Chron. 13.8 to 12. marvellously strong are the expressions of Abijah when Jeroboam came against him You think to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hand of David c. Have not you cast out the Priests of the Lord saith he c. But as for us the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him and the Priests which minister unto the Lord are the Sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business and they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening Burat-sacrifices and sweet Incense the Shew-bread also they set in order upon the pure Table and the Candlestick of gold with the Lamps thereof to burn every evening for we keep the charge of the Lord our God but ye have forsaken him And behold God himself is with us for our Captain and his Priests with sounding Trumpets to cry Alarm against you O ye children of Israel fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers for you shall not prosper Thus we see what Faith he did express and hereupon vers 18. the children of Israel
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
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
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
unless the Lord come in with his immediate power above the power of any Ordinance all that you have received amounteth not to the faith of Gods elect and unless it be the Spirit of God that enlighteneth we have received no saving light and when he doth come to seal up Jesus Christ unto our souls he ever speaketh in some promise of the free grace of God for the Lord justifieth no man upon an imperfect righteousness but in that work doth ever declare himself to be just and a justifier of him that is of the faith of Jesus Rom. 3.26 therefore seeing in this work he sitteth upon a throne to declare his own righteousness there is no place now for our righteousness to appear hence it is that if he justifie it is freely by his grace Rom. 3.23 thus God dealt with Abraham when he shewed him the innumerable stars of heaven and told him So shall thy seed be He believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness Gen. 15.5 it was the free grace of God which he mentioneth unto him But suppose the Lord should reveal a work unto you as a work there is in every soul that is justified if you should see any work in your soul yet unless the Spirit of God should above the power of the work breathe in it it is not possible that it should beget a Divine Faith it is only the work of the Spirit of God it is he also that shews you your acceptance with God and that manifesteth your sanctification and makes it a sign unto you of your justification otherwise neither word nor work can set on a promise with power upon the soul until the Holy Ghost confirm it it is his immediate work What then Object doth the Spirit do this immediately without the word No Answ if he speak peace unto the soul he ever doth it in some word of promise and if he testifie our acceptance it is in some word and in that respect it is mediate but he doth set on a power above the word and in that respect I call it immediate and therefore if a man shall seek to hammer out any thing by his own knowledge though he may add to his knowledge yet he can do nothing to the begetting of faith unless the Lord come in by a power above the word and when he doth speak in any word of his grace he doth not in the first place speak to you of your own righteousness but first convinceth you that you are a chief sinner as when he said to Saul Why persecutest thou me when he sends his Spirit it is first to convince the world of sin Joh. 16.8 9 c. and what of your sanctification next no of your justification next he will convince the world of righteousness that is of his righteousness and afterward of judgement and that is sometimes put for sanctification Mat. 12.20 A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench until he bring forth judgement into victory But it is the Spirit that doth all this and therefore let not men deceive themselves in any conclusions that they can make for their enlightened conscience is but a creature and unless the Lord come in with a greater light then your conscience will afford you all will be but lost work unto your souls you will build but castles in the air which in time of temptation will vanish away In the third place Use 3 this may teach all the servants of God that have received in any measure the first fruits of the Spirit to know that they have received an earnest of an everlasting possession that Spirit will never leave you till you become a full vessel and running over if he have given you one promise he will give you more and if he have given you Christ he will with him give you all things else In the fourth and last place Use 4 it may teach us That if we have received Christ and our hope be in him never to rest until we do more fully and clearly see that the Lord is our God until the Holy Ghost do fill your hearts with more power and stamp more of the image of Christ in you grow more and more sensible how dead and insufficient you are unto any thing that is good be meek and lowly in heart think meanly of your selves you cannot pray you cannot preach you cannot of your selves perform any Christian duty it is Christ that must work all our works for us know therefore that if you be lively and active it is because your life is hid with Christ in God he it is that stirreth up your faith to look up unto Christ to expect all help from his hand Sometimes you must look to be severed from the world and the more clear the truths of God are unto you the more they are hidden from the world for if a man cannot look upon a candle how shall he look upon a torch and much less upon the shining Sun Therefore it behoveth all the servants of God to grow up in the power of God and the strength of his might not holding forth insolency of Spirit nor uncharitable censoriousness such things are far off from expressing the Spirit of Christ but it is the part of the servants of Christ to be faithful meck lowly humble and couragious in the waies of the Lord and when you have done all be contented to be counted the off-scouring of the world as 1 Cor. 4.9 for it must be the part of all that fear God to take heed that you give none occasion to any to speak evil of us for if we do consider the great hope of our calling how should it cast holy shame upon our faces that we walk so unworthy of our calling for if there be any work of God upon our hearts it is no transient work if God begin He will perfect until the day of Christ the work of grace is an uncessant work but as in the first creation the Spirit of God hatched upon the face of the waters till the work of Creation was perfected so doth the Lord by his Spirit in his Saints he doth not leave hatching in their hearts till he hath separated light from darkness and made every thing fruitful in the soul We must not rest therefore in former weak beginnings but if we be born of God and under a Covenant of grace we must look to grow up in all well pleasing unto God that we may not be strangers to any of all the heavenly works of the grace of God but that we may grow up to abound in fruitfulness in them all Thus having explained Second Branch of the Doctrine how the Lord gives himself in a Covenant of grace unto Abraham and to his seed we now come unto the second part of the Doctrine which is that he received Abraham and his seed to be a peculiar people unto himself which although we have spoken somewhat unto in
Son and that he will adorne him with his grace as a bride of Jesus Christ Thus while the soul looketh towards Jesus Christ and grace in him the Lord doth secretly transform him into the image of Christ by working such qualifications in him and then beareth witnesse to that sanctification which is wrought in his heart thereby inlarging his soul with strong consolation in Jesus Christ and in the same way it is that the Lord doth strengthen the faith of his people to believe that all those things which God hath promised are accomplished in Jesus Christ and the Law fulfilled in me so farre as Christ is in me and therefore I come unto God in prayer to make good those promises unto me in a right way which would have been preposterously applied before Christ was given And this may serve for answer unto this fifth question We come now unto a sixth question Quest 6 If the Lord do give himself first in the Covenant of his Grace this may then be a doubt and a question in a Christian soul If God gives himself before any blessing before any promise in order of nature though he giveth himself alwayes in a promise or in a word that is equivalent to a promise as Cant. 5.9 16. ch 6.1 if we cannot claim any blessing from God at the first in any conditional promise therefore not by any condition in our selves but as we received all things from God so we claim all things from God in Jesus Christ and so do first seek for him and for all things in him If thus to what use then serveth the Law of God which requireth such and such conditions in us do we not abrogate the Law and make it of none effect and root it out from having any power over Christians And truely some under pretence of the Covenant of Grace have thought it altogether bootlesse to bind Christians unto the Law of God and to look at it as any part of the direction of their course because this is an imputation usually reflected upon the Covenant of Grace let us consider therefore and enquire to what use serveth the Law of God if God give himself first unto his people in the Covenant of his Grace Though the Lord giveth himself freely to the soul Answ and his Son and all the blessings of the Covenant of Grace without respect unto any work of the Law yet the Law is of special and notable use unto all the sons of men both unto them which are not yet brought home unto God by converting grace and also to those that are regenerate in Jesus Christ The Apostle Paul did observe that the question would arise upon the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace Gal. 3.16 17 18. for if the blessing of Abraham cometh upon the people of God by Jesus Christ to what end then serveth the Law which came 430 after it cannot disannul to make the promise of God of none effect to what end then serveth it some say it is of no use others say that it is of such use that they had rather renounce the Covenant of Grace then it but the answer is It is of especial use both unto spiritual and carnal men First unto carnal men and they are of two sorts some belong unto the election of grace though they he not yet called others are not written in the Lambs books of life but will in the end finally perish and yet the Law is of use unto both sorts of them 1. For those that are the elect of God it is of use unto them to aggravate their sin and to multiply it unto them as it were that is to say to aggravate the apprehension of the hainousnesse of sin upon their consciences and to set home the burden of their sins unto their souls thereby to drive them to feel their great need of the Lord Jesus Christ whom otherwise they should for ever have despised Thus the Apostle answereth in the place forenamed The Law was added because of transgressions that they might clearly appear and be aggravated thereby that a man might plainly discern how be hath made himself liable unto the wrath of God by so manifold breaches of so many Commandments in one kinde or other the Law giveth clear knowledge of sin and so much the more doth it set on the weight of it upon the conscience working fear in the heart Rom. 8.15 and hence it is that the Apostle telleth us Gal. 3.24 that the Law was our School-master to Christ as a School-master driveth his Scholar through fear unto this or that duty so the Law of God driveth the soul through fear unto Jesus Christ not that it doth reveal Christ a Saviour and Redeemer of free grace but the soul being once brought down under the sence of sin by the terrours of the Law will readily and diligently hearken unto the news of Christ a Saviour for being once made sensible of his own inability to redeem himself and unworthinesse to be redeemed from the wrath of God now is the Soul fitted to hear the voyce of the Gospel now is the news of Jesus Christ beautifull and glad tidings and of this use is the Law unto the Elect of God before they come under the Covenant of the Grace of God 2. But of what use is the Law unto other men Answ First In regard of disobedience it is of use unto them and 2. the obedience to it is of use 1. In regard of disobedience for if men had not known sin it had been some pretence though they had committed sin but when men have the knowledge of the Law and yet commit sin willingly now they have no Cloak for their sin Rom. 1. vers 21. compared with 32. where the Apostle speaketh of the great sin of the Gentiles and much more of the Jews who though they knew God and the judgement of God and that they which commit such wickednesse are worthy of death yet not onely do the same but have pleasure in them that do them When a man shall not onely do such wickednesse but blesse himself in it this aggravateth a mans condemnation if men will not come unto Jesus Christ that they might have life Joh. 5.40 what saith our Saviour in such a case vers 54. Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom you trust Moses will judge all those that please themselves in wickednesse and will not turn to the Lord Jesus Christ thus there is use of the Law unto disobedient persons their disobedience will leave them without excuse when they sin against their consciences against the means which the Lord hath administred unto them for though the Lord never gave them such grace as did accompany salvation yet such Illumination he did give them that they needed not to have broken his Law so many wayes with such wicked hands as they have done therefore when they have been enlarged to
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
is left utterly void and hath in himself neither root nor branch but seeth how unable he is to believe or wait nor can he tell whether Jesus Christ be his portion and now doth the Lord take possession and fill the empty soul If you shall ask me how this spirit cometh into the soul to make it thus to stoop unto Jesus Christ You shall find that the Lord useth to convey himself unto the soul in some word of promise of the Gospel that sheweth unto the soul the riches of the grace of God in Jesus Christ something or other is declared of Jesus Christ This word being taught in the publick Ministry of the Word or brought to remembrance in some spiritual duty as prayer or conference or the like for I will not limit the holy One of Israel yet usually it is done in the Ministry of the Gospel and though the Lord doth not limit himself yet he doth limit us to attend upon the means which he usually worketh by but whatsoever the way be this is the manner of Gods working he doth universally come into the soul in some word or other of his grace as for instance that in 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself or that in 1 Tim. 1.15 Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of which I am chief In some such word of Gods grace he cometh and putteth life into the soul and maketh it somwhat quiet and causeth it to see that there is hope in Israel and the Lord is able to save me and there is riches enough in Jesus Christ to save me By such kind of work it is that the Lord bringeth the souls of his servants effectually to Jesus Christ And now hath God the Father given us unto Jesus Christ and until now thou never camest home savingly This is the second act whereby God the Father giveth himself unto the soul 3. The third Act or work of God the Father which followeth both these So soon as ever the Lord hath given this self-denying spirit unto the soul and hath made it like unto a bruised reed or like a Traveller that is out of his way and willing to take any man by the hand that will lead him into his way again when the soul is in such a frame now God the Father cometh by a third work of actual reconcilement The first work was of conviction The second was a work of subjection And the third of reconciliation This is the third work of the Father though there is in all these works a concurrence of the whole Trinity yet some are more proper unto each person as our Catechisms teach us and we are not wont to scruple such expressions in them God the Father created us and we cannot expound it but as God the Father created us at the first so he doth again create you or else if we acknowledge it in the one and not in the other we do God the Father wrong Well he is then reconciled unto us having given us the Spirit of his Son and now he doth pronounce us reconciled unto him this is the work which is spoken of Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son And this is the work of God the Father according to that which is before alledged 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world c. now there are two acts of God as fruits that follow hereupon and both of them done at once upon the soul 1. Act of God is Adoption whereby he maketh us his Children as Gal. 4.4 5 6. When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons and because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father And as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God Joh. 1.12 So that now we are the brethren of Christ and the sons of the eternal God Adoption is properly the work of the Father but Jesus Christ being the natural Son of God we must be knit unto him before we can be accounted sons 2. Act of God is Justification It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth Rom. 8.33 34. This is the Fathers work and it is principally attributed unto him to forgive our iniquities and to reconcile us in Jesus Christ And look as it is in our natural being so soon as ever we have received natural life from Adam we become the sons of Adam and his sin is imputed unto us so it is in the new birth so soon as ever the life of Christ is shed abroad into our hearts so soon are we heirs with Christ and the righteousness of the second Adam is imputed unto us now to our justificacation as was the sin of Adam before to our condemnation The Doctrine it self is but an Use Vse 1 But I desire that we may all of us apply it unto our selves It will be helpful unto us for our instruction to teach us how we came to saving fellowship with God in Jesus Christ and wherein lieth our spiritual union with Jesus Christ how it is wrought and obtained and this is necessary for as it hath been observed by others so we may now gather it from what we have heard that there be four sorts of men that fall short of this union with Jesus Christ 1. You have some that bless themselves in their natural state it may be they are rich and honourable among men well they bless themselves in that state and will never go any further 2. There is another sort that are convinced of the danger of their natural estate they dare not rest there and hereupon they fall to reformations and so to duties of humiliation and the like wherein they find such a blessed change and so much comfort as doth satisfie them and indeed the Lord doth comfort men in their reformations for God will have no man lose by him Mat. 6.2 5. Hypocrites have their reward for their alms and for their prayers Herod when he heard John reformed many things and heard him gladly Mar. 6.20 here was a great change and doubtless much comfort yet these men never had the work of God the Father to burn up all that they have received by any strength of their own 3. A third sort go a step beyond these They have been convinced that they went forth to reformation in their own strength they plainly see it and discern it and therefore they know that it is impossible to be saved by the righteousness of the Law and that it is not of works neither of one kind nor of another They are convinced that faith only must do the deed and upon this ground they will take up faith to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation and that faith which
us therefore stand fast in our liberty We now come to the tenth Question Quest 10 How God the Holy Ghost gives himself to Abraham and his elect seed in the Covenant of Grace For if God give himself he doth not onely give his nature but his persons God the Father gives himself and God the Son gives himself and God the Holy Ghost gives himself unto the people of God Joh. 14.16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knows him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you if then the Holy Ghost be given as well as the Father and the Son How is he given Or how doth he give himself unto the Church and unto all the Israel of God Answ There be four several Acts or works whereby the Holy Ghost is given to the Church and to his people for though the Lord Jesus pray the Father for him and the Father sendeth him and the Son also sendeth him Joh. 15.26 yet the Holy Ghost himself doth comes upon his people Act. 2.2 c. and He comes by a fourfold act 1. First by indwelling or inhabitation in the Church 2. Secondly by an act of Sanctification 3. Thirdly by an act of Revelation and therefore he is called a Spirit of Revelation and that is proper to the Holy Ghost 4. Fourthly by an act of Consolation and therefore he is called the Comforter 1. First for Inhabitation so saith the Apostle Ephes 2.22 You are builded together in Christ for an habitation of God through the Spirit in this respect also it is the Apostle demandeth of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3.16 Know you not that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you so in the place fore-alledged Joh. 14.16 17. and when he saith dwell in you it noteth the constancy of his being in them he will abide in his dwelling place so 1 Joh. 2.27 the anointing there promised is the Spirit great is the necessity of his in-dwelling in us for two principal reasons The first is taken from the necessity of our union into one mystical spiritual body with the Lord Jesus Reas 1 which by this means is firmly and inviolably wrought 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit in as much as that one Spirit who dwelleth in Christ without measure dwelleth in us according to our measure and so we are all one mystical body and I cannot tell how better to compare it then to a musical Instrument wherein though there be many pipes yet one blast of the bellowes puts breath into them all so that all of them at once break forth into a kinde of melody and give a pleasant sound to the ears of those that stand by all of them do make but one Instrument and one sound and yet variety of musick So is this very case look at all the living members of Christ they are all compacted together and set into one stock and root by which means it comes to pass that though they be many thousands yet they all make a melodious harmony in the ears of the Lord of Hosts therefore for the combining of us into the unity of one Spirit necessary it is that the same Spirit that breathes in the humane nature of Christ should breath in us all and though the divine Nature of Christ be God the humane Nature is finite and yet hath the Spirit above the capacity of the creature and this same Spirit doth act and guide and move all our affairs in him and which is wonderful it comes to pass that the same Spirit breathing in Christ and in us we have not only a measure of the Spirit to do one duty but he doth concur with us in all spiritual duties which we undertake according to him for without him we can do nothing Joh. 15.5 This is the first reason of the inhabitation of the Spirit to keep alive spiritual union between Christ and us therefore is there one Spirit in us all Secondly Reas 2 another end of this inhabitation of the Spirit is to keep possession for the Lord in our hearts against all adversary power for if the Lord should leave his gifts only to keep possession there the devil would make very hard work with the best gifts that we have received he blasted all the precious gifts that Adam had received which were more perfect in degrees than any we receive and yet when all the powers of darkness and gates of hell are banded together against Jesus Christ and his servants there is not the least of the servants of God that falleth away finally and the Apostle John gives the reason of it 1 Joh. 4.4 Ye are of God little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world Neither are we preserved by faith only but by the mighty power of God 1 Pet. 1.5 The Spirit it is that setteth Faith awork and Christ it is that setteth the Spirit awork to keep us unto his heavenly kingdom And from this possession of the Spirit there comes a garison as it were to be kept in our hearts whereby our souls are kept alive so that the Spirit doth not only shed abroad his gifts into our hearts but he keeps our hearts in a sweet frame of sanctification 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed to thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us that goodly depositum his Evangelistical Gift that did accompany his own salvation and the salvation of the Church he must keep it by the Holy Ghost that dwelleth in us otherwise our gifts would soon vapour out into smoak and ashes whether it be faith hope zeal patience courage or whatsoever else is requisite for the salvation of Gods people the Spirit by his power dwelling in us acteth and preserveth them the sons of God are led by the Spirit Rom. 8.14 nor is this a confining of the Spirit of God unto poor houses of clay Solomons Temple could not contain him no not the heaven of heavens he dwelleth above all heavens unmeasurably yet he dwelleth also with him that is of an humble and contrite spirit Isa 57.15 though it were a poor kitchin-boy that hath such a spirit he dwelleth there to revive the spirit of the humble As those that dwell in earthly houses there they take up their rest and lay up their treasure and there they delight to converse even thus doth the Spirit of God and it is a wonderful Indulgence of the most High that dwels in temples made without hands so to be pleased to dwell in the sons and daughters of men to make good his own eternal counsel for their salvation There is I confess also some kinde of presence of the Spirit of God even in hypocrites that
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
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
As it is Dispensed to the Elect Seed effectually unto Salvation Act. 7.8 the former part of the verse And he gave him the Covenant of Circumcision THis blessed servant of God Steven being called to account concerning what he had said touching Jesus Christ his destroying the Temple it is the scope of his whole Discourse throughout this Chapter to justifie the Doctrine that he had taught that though he had taught Jesus of Nazareth should destroy that place yet in so teaching he taught no Blasphemy And this he doth in an Historical Narration make clear and evident 1. From the sweet Communion which their Fathers had with God before either Temple or Tabernacle was built and if so then he would not have them look at it as unsafe for them or as an utter ruine to Religion if that both the Temple and the Ordinances of the Temple were destroyed in themselves and fulfilled in Him Three passages of Abrahams communion with God Steven doth relate and maintain that he had them before any of Moses his Customes were known 1. God did effectually call him which call he did also obey 2 3 4. ver though as yet he knew no Circumcision 2. God giveth him a trial of his Faith wherein he found Abraham faithful 5 6 7. verses God promised to give him the land of Canaan for a Possession but he gave him not a foots breadth He promised to give it unto his Seed when as yet he had no childe and when God gave him Seed yet they should sojourn in a strange Land and be in Bondage four hundred years 3. God gave him the Covenant of Circumcision in the words of the Text. And Abraham in the strength of the Blessing of God begat Isaac and circumcised him according to Gods direction and all this before Moses gave any Ordinances unto them to keep and before either Temple or Tabernacle was built From hence we have heard that the soul may have very spiritual and gracious communion with God before it partake in any seal of Church-fellowship For Abrahams Faith was throughly tryed before he had the Seal of Church-Covenant given him We heard also this propounded which is the words of the Text that God gave unto Abraham the Covenant of Circumcision which Doctrine doth imply in it four principal parts all of them serving to clear Stevens meaning 1. The Author and manner of dispensing it God gave so it was by Gift 2. The Articles of it and they are to be inquired into 3. The Confederates and they are expressed God on the one side and Abraham and his Seed on the other side 4. The Seal of it Circumcision which was also the Seal of Church-Covenant These four parts do yeeld so many Notes the first of them was spoken unto in the last point formerly handled Now for the second and third parts to wit the Articles of the Covenant and the Confederates we comprehend them both in this one Note That in the Covenant which God made with Abraham Doct. God gave himself to be a God to Abraham and to his Seed and received Abraham and his Seed to be a People unto himself and the chiefest of this seed the Lord Jesus Christ he took to be the Mediator or Surety of this Covenant between them both This is the sum of the Articles and of the Confederates what the Articles be is not here mentioned but Gen. 17.7 they be for to speak of Circumcision before the Covenant it is but a seal to a blank where the Lord expresseth himself thus saying I will stablish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee As for other parts of the Covenant they were more properly given unto himself as to be exceeding fruitful and to be the Father of many Nations to inherit the land of Canaan c. those things were more peculiarly proper unto Abraham though they have also a moral and universal use and force in all the Faithful whom the Lord doth make fruitful and giveth them a Nail in his Tabernacle In the Covenant these three things are implied 1. God gave himself to be a God unto Abraham and to his Seed this is such an Argument as the strength and wisdome of men and angels cannot unfold It is a Catechism-point and by way of Catechism to be opened as the Lord hath revealed it I mean plainly and familiarly 2 God did receive Abraham and his Seed to be his People this is implyed and necessarily inferred by the rule of Relatives for if God do give himself to be a God to Abraham and to his Seed and doth not firstly require it of Abraham and of his Seed that they should give up themselves to be his People then it must of necessity follow that the Lord will undertake to receive them to be a People unto himself and so he will perform both his own part of the Covenant and Abrahams part also according to what we read Deut. 7.6 7 8. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special People unto himself Not because ye were in number more then any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because he loved you and would keep the Oath weâ— he had sworn unto your fathers therefore hath be brought you out with a mighty hand c. when as they were in a land of Idols and the Lord lifted up his hand to have destroyed them there yet he remembred and wrought for his own Names sake So that though they were far off yet the Lord to make good his Covenant brought them out of Aegypt and so from one Covenant to another by all which things it doth appear that the Lord will keep our part of the Covenant also and this is necessarily implied in that he promiseth to be a God unto Abraham and to his Seed and there is no Restipulation on Abrahams part we see this likewise held forth Deut. 29.1 13. where the Lord entereth into another Covenant with them in the land of Moab besides the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb and in this Covenant he doth establish them to be a People unto himself as well as give himself unto them to be their God ver 13. And as God required it of them to circumcise the outward man even the foreskin of their children so he will also circumcise them taking possession of them and circumcising their hearts taking away the stoniness of them and so fitting them to be a Temple for himself to dwell in 3. The Lord in this Covenant taketh the chiefest of Abrahams Seed even the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Mediator and Surety of the Covenant and unto him do all the Promises belong so the Apostle doth expound it Gal. 3.16 Unto Abraham and to his seed were the Promises made He saith not And to his seeds as of many but as of one And to thy seed
sanctification of the best hypocrite under heaven they may go far and yet at length fall away this is no Arminianism but if you search the Scriptures diligently you will finde these things to be true But such instances deceive the Arminians There is a fourth Difference between the Covenant of Works and of Grace in reâ—pect of the Mediator Diff. 4. Gal. 3.19 The Law was given and ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator Moses was a mediator according to their Works and this our Saviour telleth the Jews Joh. 5.45 You have one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust and as for Jesus Christ if he be given to be their Redeemer it is but according to their works if they shall obey his voice but if they shall sin against him he will overthrow them body and soul into the nethermost Hell But now in the Covenant of Grace Jesus Christ hath obtained a more excellent ministery to be the Mediator of a better Covenant stablished upon better promises Heb. 8.6 Thus we see in this first Use the difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace I might in the second place from hence also gather an Argument against the whole Body of Arminianism Use 2 for they look at no gift of God but meerly upon the Faith or Works of the creature foreseen if you speak of Election they tell you it is of Faith foreseen if of Glory it is upon condition of perseverance but we see how contrary it is unto this truth of God for he giveth himself first before he giveth any thing else accompanying salvation he gave us Christ in his eternal Counsel before Election and so doth he also in our Effectual calling not Faith before Christ to enable us to choose whether we will have him or not have him but he is God and first giveth himself and with himself Faith and so worketh our wils unto himself not otherwise leaving it to us to choose whether we will have him to be our God or no. Many things in Popery and Arminianssm come to be confuted from hence for in truth they hold forth no more but a Covenant of Works and if we will not grant Faith and good Works to be the cause of all the blessed gifts of God they will take it marvellously unkindly but they were as good deliver unto us another Gospel This may also serve to teach the people of God to bear a gracious respect unto those that are under a Covenan tof Works Vse 3 and not forthwith to condemn them as if there were no hope of their salvation for God never calleth any unto fellowship with himself in a Covenant of Grace but ordinarily he first bringeth them into a Covenant of Works The ignorant look to be saved by their good prayers and by their good serving of God After God may terrifie and humble their souls with the sense of their palpable wickedness Then they may reform and trust in their performances and then God may burn up all such false confidence Therefore those that are under a Covenant of Works may belong unto the Lord as well as thy self pray for them therefore Paul was under a Covenant of Works Steven prayeth for him and as most conceive that prayer was effectual unto his Conversion and Paul was as dear unto the Lord as Steven himself was Men under a Covenant of Works the Lord may bring them home unto himself by dashing all their works in pieces and shewing them the presidence of their spirit and the Lord will also come and pluck away the caul from their hearts and then they will have none in heaven but Christ nor in the earth in comparison of him and then the Holy Ghost convinceth them of this sin above all their other sins that they have not beleeved on Jesus Christ Do not therefore censure any such as to say there is no likelihood that they should ever come to have fellowship with Christ for if the Lord make them to fall down before him and to yeeld up their spirits unto the Lord in holy reverence and fear these have now received some fecret smoking affections besides a Spirit of burning which the Lord will not quench It may serve in the next place to clear up our judgements in sundry passages that do concern the Covenant of Grace Use 4 by Answers unto these six Questions following 1. Quest What is the first Gift that ever the Lord giveth unto his Elect First of all he giveth himself the Father Answ and the Son and the Holy Spirit this is the Foundation and if you shall lay Faith in the Foundation before these the foundation will lie uneasily and the spirit of a true Christian shall not lie long in peace Christ must therefore be first and with him Faith cometh in to receive him first he will make a Covenant with us and put his holy Spirit within us which worketh in us Faith and Fear that we never shall depart from him He giveth us his Son and all things else in him he giveth us in him pardon of sins in our Justification and in him some degrees of Glory also and in him right unto all the Promises of the Covenant no other Foundation but him take him first therefore for he is the first thing given But whether doth not the Lord give us some saving preparations before Jesus Christ Object Reserving due honour to such gracious and precious Saints as may be otherwise minded Answ I confess I do not discern that the Lord worketh and giveth any saving preparation in the heart till he give union with Christ for if the Lord do give any saving Qualification before Christ then the soul may be in the state of salvation before Christ and that seemeth to be prejudicial unto the Grace and Truth of Jesus Christ for if there be no Name under heaven given whereby we must be saved but only Jesus Christ nor his Name but in a way of fellowship with him then it seemeth to me apparently to follow that whatsoever saving work there be in the soul it is not there before Christ be there It is true John Baptist was sent to subdue all flesh by a Spirit of Burning which burneth up carnal confidence in the Covenant of Abraham and all their fruits of righteousness here were indeed preparations for Christ but these were not saving they were still children of wrath ye serpents ye generation of vipers notwithstanding all this Further John did indeed dispense poverty of Spirit unto which a saving Promise was made but then Jesus Christ was there also whether they knew it or knew it not that is not greatly material in this Argument but if the Kingdome of Heaven was there Jesus Christ was there first otherwise it will prove dishonourable unto the Name of Christ Indeed there is a saving preparation before consolation in Christ and the manifestation of our gracious union with him but for our first union there are no steps
a second thing is expressed An Hypocrite may have a Taste of Jesus Christ in the Promises and be so affected with him that he doth despise all other things in comparison of him so as that he cometh to resolve for his part never to forgo him and hath so much confidence in God that he saith with Haman Whom will the King delight to honour more then my self and this illumination he taketh to be a strong and effectual conversion unto the Lord. 3. The Promises have a work of Conviction upon the Soul if any man refuse and despise them they leave him unexcusable Prov. 1.24 25 26. c. Because I have called and ye have refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but you have set at nought all my Counsels and would none of my reproof I will laugh at your calamity c. thus is their bloud justly upon their own head that refuse and despise his Promises and they aggravate their condemnation another day and to this end the Apostle maketh use of a precious Promise of God Acts 13.38 39 40 41. Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you forgivenesse of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses beware therefore lest that come upon you which is spoken of by the Prophets Behold you despisers wonder and perish c. A strange Application of such a gracious Promise a sign there is a power in the Promises even unto this end Thus we see there is a marvelous gracious use of Promises before Union with Christ as to help Ministers and people with matter of Doctrine and Instruction and Exhortation so also to awaken men unto Illumination and Affection and Conviction and to seal them up unto everlasting destruction if they turn their backs upon them As the Promises are of use before our Union with Christ Ben. 2 so In our Union with him they are of great use for when the Lord giveth himself to the Soul he doth it in a promise He cometh unto the Soul riding as it were upon the Chariot of a Promise and begetteth faith in the Soul by the Promise or some such word of grace as is equipollent to a promise Ezek. 37.11 whereby we receive Jesus Christ though before him we can have no Promise yet in a Promise we do receive him This is the very first stroke of closing with Jesus Christ he giveth himself and we take him as he offereth himself even in a Promise such a like Dispensation of himself we read of Acts 3.25 26. Ye are the Children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our fathers saying unto Abraham And in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed unto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to besse you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Here is Christ offered in a Promise of free grace without any previous gracious qualification mentioned Howbeit many of them that heard the word believed and the number of the men was about 5000 about 3000 of them believed before so that here are 2000 that believe upon this gracious Promise the Lord Christ is offered to them and they receive him by faith Thus we see that Promises are not vain things but there are great use of them before our Union all Promises are of excellent use as also In our Union 3. After our Union with Christ they are of abundant useâ— They were of use before we were in Christ for Doctrine and for Instruction and for Exhortation but now they are of more efficacy in the same kinde and 1. They serve for Doctrine to teach us that there is not onely free grace in Christ but there are gifts of grace in Jesus Christ and all the Treasures of the good things of God are in him and all the blessings of the promises made unto qualifications are laid up in him also 2. They serve for instruction to direct us whither to look for qualifications and the blessings Promised unto them namely to the Lord Jesus Christ to receive the blessing through him and the qualification by the same hand for they are first fulfilled in him there is no good Condition but it is found in Jesus Christ no blessing belonging thereunto but it is found in Christ also in him therefore they are to be sought for so that though a poor Soul see himself wretched and blinde and naked yet he hath an husband in whom all riches is laid up this he is taught to know by the Promise and directed also to go to Jesus Christ that enjoying him he may enjoy all good things in him 3. They are of use to stirre up unto prayer for now I see that all these good things are in Christ and in him they must be enjoyed if they be enjoyed at all hereupon the Soul is set awork the holy Ghost concurring therewith to consider Is there so much grace in Christ and in him abundantly hath the Lord made so many gracious Promises unto such and such gracious qualifications whither then should I go either for the one or for the other but unto Christ that he may work in us a spirit of faith of love and of a sound mind and what else soever we stand in need of 4. They are of use to help us to know our spiritual state and means to discern thereof All these qualifications to which the Promises are made are fruits of the Spirit and will more or lesse declare unto you your sanctified state which is a marvellous blessing upon the promises made unto such conditions the Lord stirreth up the hearts of his people to seek for such conditions to which the promises are made and when the Lord hath given us them he then openeth our hearts to see what he hath given us and so to discern our sanctified estate Now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son thine onely Son from me so the Lord said to Abraham Gen. 22.12 wherein he bare witnesse to his work and this doth fill Abraham with strong Consolation together with the oath of God unto him for now the Lord doth not onely know it but causeth him to know it also so that if the Lord do but breath in such a fruit of the Spirit if he doth but give power to the Soul to do such a work unto which the promise is made and do make it appear unto the Soul to be indeed such by the revelation of his own blessed Spirit then doth the Lord fill the soul with consolation Psal 9.18 The patient expectation of the meek shall not perish for ever when the poor soul is meekned by Gods hand and the Lord letteth him so discern it that now he quietly resteth upon the Lord now the Spirit of God doth help David along to be supported with some stay and
perform many duties and might avoid much sin and yet will sin against their consciences and tread under foot those means of grace that were committed unto them It is then most righteous with God that they should be condemned 2. Of what use is the obedience of the Law unto such whom Gods Soul taketh no pleasure in Truely it is of sad and dreadful use unto unto them for it serveth to harden them in their sins though that be but an accidental use thereof their sins are thereby made out of measure sinful Rom. 7.13 They harden their hearts 1. by their obedience to the Law 2. by the Comfort which they take in that obedience both these do marvellously harden their hearts For the first of these The Apostle Paul Acts 23.1 had kept so good a conscience that he knew not any sin against the Law that he lived in but though he was unrebukeable he did count it all losse afterward Phil. 3.7 8. those things that before he thought had been his gain now he counteth them but dung that he may win Christ when a man attaineth to outward conformity unto the Law he is then ready to think it is indeed good for poor sinfull men to look for salvation by Jesus Christ but for himself he hopeth in his devotion and that he is able to save himself these are such as justâ—fie themselves before men to whom our Saviour speaketh Luke 16.15 and of whom he saith That Publicans and Harlots shall go into the Kingdom of heaven before them Mat. 21.31 32. for many times you shall have the most deboist and profane wretches more humbled and readier to hearken to the voyce of Christ and sooner convinced of the necessity of the Covenant of Grace then those that are but morally righteous by the Law Rom. 9.30 31 32. the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained to righteousnesse even the righteousnesse which is of faith but Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse hath not attained to the Law of righteousnesse wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law and chap. 10.31 They being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their own righteousnesse have not submitted themselves unto the righteousnesse of God Thus the Law becometh a snare unto them and that which is of singular and wholsom use unto the Children of God is made death unto them And as their obedience to the Law is thus a snare unto them so secondly the delight and comfort which they take in their obedience is a greater snare then the other The stony and thorny soyl did hear the word with joy and so those Hypocrites Isai 59.2 did delight to approach unto God but what followed upon the delight which they took in God and in holy Duties it made them ready to expostulate with God why he did not answer them according to their works the delight which they found did so fill their hearts with assurance of the grace of God that they looked at their Duties as so many tokens of the love of God unto their souls and then when men come to find more comfort in their obedience then in the grace of God in Jesus Christ it maketh them ready to expostulate with God touching the worth of their own Righteousness Isa 57.10 Thou hast found the life of thine hand therefore thou wast not grieved as long as a man findeth life and comfort in his own duties and performances what need can he see to be grieved for the want of Jesus Christ or at the best if he do grieve and find his heart comforted in grieving and delighting in the course of humiliation he then thinketh he hath no need of being farther solicitous about his spiritual estate Thus we see plainly that the Law of God is of marvellous use in the days of the Gospel of great use unto those that belong unto God to break their hearts for sin and to drive them to Jesus Christ and for others the disobedience of the Law leaves them without excuse that so disobey it again the obedience of it and comfort in that obedience doth harden the hearts of others from Jesus Christ But what say you then unto men that are under a Covenant of Grace and brought unto fellowship with Christ therein of what use is the Law of of God unto such is it utterly antiquated or is there any more to be done with it The Apostle answereth this Question Answ when he saith I am not without the Law to God but under the Law to Christ 1 Cor. 9.21 so minde you the Law is of use unto the Apostle Paul but how as the Law cometh under Christ so Paul cometh under the Law this is the sum of the Answer but that would be further explained What meaneth he when he saith I am under the Law to Christ In some sence a Christian is wholly freed from the Law In some sence he is yet under the Law So far as the Law is any way besides or out of Christ so far the Apostle is without the Law So far as the Law is under Christ so far he is under the Law Keep close to these two Principles and you shall safely avoid Rocks on every hand thus by the use of the Law shall you not go aside to a Govenant of Works nor by attendance unto Grace shall you need to neglect the Law How far is the Law under Christ when it hath brought the soul neerer unto Christ and in a remote manner prepared him the Law is in Christ and you subject to it in him 1. As the Law is given by Christ 2. As in Christ help is given to perform it First as the Law is given by Christ as 1 Thes 4.2 3. You know what Commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus for this is the will of God even your Sanctification c. and many other commandments he gave them all which are legal commandments and yet the Apostle gave them by the Lord Jesus so Mat. 5.17 to the end of the chapter our Saviour Christ would not have us think that he came to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfil them And to that end he doth there expound the spiritual and true meaning of the Law that whereas the Pharisees held forth the outward letter of the Law to be observed onely as thinking that unless a man did commit the Act of Murder he was not guilty of the breach of the sixth Commandment and if he committed not the Act of Adultery he transgressed not the seventh Commandment and so of the rest Our Saviour Christ expoundeth the Law more spiritually shewing that anger against a mans brother is the breach of the sixth Commandment and whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart and broken the seventh commandment thus Christ hath as it were revived Moses but as the Law is given by Christ it
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
whatsoever we have to do in the things of God that we should soon be weary of reaching forth our hands all the day long unto the Lord and to be constantly for God from God and with God in all our Actions our base spirits are soon ready to be withdrawing from the Lord therefore the Apostle biddeth us follow after Peace and Holiness without which no man shall see God so that great is the necessity of Holiness and worthy to be followed after for though a mans own heart and the world and men and Satan withdraw us from it yet follow after it for without it no man shall see God There is a kind of holiness which some men have attained unto many a fair day ago but 't is a thousand to one whether it be the holiness which doth accompany salvation for that Holiness is not easily attained unto but the other will easily cleave close unto a man Now if you shall ask me Quest 1 wherefore the Lord will have us pursue after Holiness and what needeth it if the Spirit of Holiness dwell in me by an everlasting Covenant if it did withdraw from us as it did from Adam it was another matter but though it may be quenched in us yet abideth it for ever what need then of gifts of Holiness That one word may be sufficient Answ which we find in 2 Tim. 2.21 If any man purge himself from these evils he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work This sheweth us why gifts of Holiness are requisite to be in Gods people namely that they might become meet instruments in the hands of God and fitted unto every good word and work therefore it is that the Lord will have us to be filled with all the gifts of Righteousness and fruits of his Spirit that we might be more fit Temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in and this is the principal Reason of the Point If then there be such gifts of holiness Quest 2 what need the Holy Ghost dwell in us is it not enough that he should shed abroad these things into our hearts cannot the Lord carry an end the work of our salvation by these gifts There is need that the Holy Ghost should dwell in us Answ notwithstanding 1. To keep these gifts in us 2. To act them in us 3. To witness these unto our souls for our comfort and the good one of another Some Scriptures for all these 1. That there is need of the Holy Ghost to keep these things in us 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us There is a very worthy thing committed to us how shall we keep it not by our own wit and wisdom careful watchfulness and faithfulness though such things ought not to be wanting but the charge is Keep those things by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us We stand in need of Gifts to be fit instruments in the hand of God we stand in need of the Spirit of God to maintain that which God giveth us and though Adams Gifts were in perfection yet not having the holy Ghost to keep them for him they all flie from him as soon as ever he had tasted of the forbidden fruit and left him naked and desperate Therefore in the Covenant of Grace the Lord giveth the Holy Ghost to keep strong possession in his servants against the strong man armed This is the first ground why the Holy Ghost dwelleth in us 2. It 's the Holy Ghost that acteth the gifts given to us and enableth them in us for the Holy Ghost who keepeth possession doth derive continued strength into our faith which putteth life into all the gifts of God And if you shall ask how love and patience and the rest of the gifts of God do work The Holy Ghost stirreth up faith to look unto Christ who returneth strength by his Spirit unto Faith and so faith worketh by love and by meekness and by all the rest of the fruits of the Spirit Thus the Spirit of God acteth according to what we read Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God come to any holy duty and it is the Holy Ghost that leadeth you along and atteth in you so Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my judgements and do them And holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost It is the Spirit of God that moveth us to any good work and that acteth the gifts of his grace in us 3. The Spirit of God doth not only keep these gifts for us and act them in us but it is the same Spirit of God that witnesseth to these gifts and sheweth what gifts he hath given us for such is the blindness of the nature of all the sons of men and it is a wonder to see that generally Christians when the Lord first worketh these gifts in them not one of a thousand but they think they are in a sad and fearful condition and so they are very uncomfortable but now left that we should alwayes mistake that which the Lord hath given us we have received the Spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given unto us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 he indeed taketh his own time to discover it to some sooner to some later but this is his intendment that he might honor his grace unto us by all the rich and gracious gifts which he hath given us He doth also reveal unto us the duties which he helpeth us to do Rom. 9.1 I say the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience also bearing me witness in the holy Ghost That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in mine heart For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh The Holy Ghost that wrought in him this brotherly-love the same Holy Ghost beareth him witness that he doth not lie and that he had continual sorrow in his heart and that he could have wished to have been accursed from Christ that they might be saved it grieved him so much that the whole Nation should be destitute of the Lord Jesus Christ Thus wee see how great need there is of the Holy Ghost to dwell in us to keep all the gifts of his grace in us to act them according to his will and to discover to us what gracious gifts the Lord hath wrought in us and what duties he hath helped us to do that we may be able to give account of them by the Holy Ghost that dwelleth in us and beareth witness with us So there is necessity both of the gifts of grace that we may be fit Temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in and fit instruments for him to work by there is need also the Holy Ghost
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
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
find that differences which tend unto the discerning of grace will be of much less dangerous consequence then the other for thereupon lieth the very foundation of a Christian mans safe estate How far there is difference in the Country I cannot give an account but I desire that you may all understand what I say If you demand Quest 1 upon what grounds cometh the soul to close with Christ aright whether upon a conditional or upon an absolute promise And are they not both free I answer Answ It is true they are both free but when God is said to do any thing to a work as to apply a promise to a work it is not so properly said to be a promise of grace but I will not enter into Dispute This you will find to be true that take a soul that is in union with Christ and apply all the Promises to him he will make you this answer before the Spirit of Grace cometh into him he is clear in this that there are none of all the Promises of God belonging unto him till the Lord who hath broken him do bind him up again for his heart will tell you that his duties and reformations have been such as have kept him from Christ You will say I hope you trust upon Christ I will he say with that faith by which I trusted upon works before If you tell him of promises made to faith he will say But not to mine that hath only sprung from my own reformations Consider all you that search the word of God this day when the soul cometh to deny that it hath true faith what promise can it apply unto that which it denieth it self to have A soul will be ready to refuse promises even when the Spirit of God hath taken possession but then it is his sin yet all the time before there is no reason but that the soul should refuse to apply Promises when there was nothing but a power of the spirit of Reformation and till we be cut off from the old Adam we shall be ready to quarrel and snarle that the Lord should deal thus with us and why did he suffer Adam to fall and put upon us such a Law to obey and then condemn us for that which we were never able to perform Truly there is nothing to help in this case but the Lord will take away thy crabbed spirit he will make thee to lie flat at his feet and to say If he will kill me here I am and if he will save thee he will make thee content to receive all from Christ and to be willing that he should do with thee that which is good in his own eyes And what can help a soul now but only an absolute promise Whereby the soul is raised to look to the Name of that Christ whom he hath all this while blasphemed and persecuted Thus we see upon what terms and grounds any one is jealous of building his comfort upon conditional promises and why we are so loath to say that sanctification is an evidence of a mans justification it is because men may produce sanctification and promises unto it when it is but legal righteousness Yet some men will say I have been driven out of my own legal righteousness and now I rest upon Jesus Christ and may I not take comfort in such faith and sanctification flowing therefrom I confess faith in Christ and sanctification flowing from it are precious treasures but how camest thou by them If thou knowest not how I cannot but think that thou stoalest them and camest not by them in the right way you will say Well though I have no righteousness nor faith of my own yet I can wait upon Christ How camest thou by power to wait upon Christ Here is a branch of the old Adam still springing forth afresh thou art confident in thine own strength and worth and if God deal otherwise with thee then thou expectest thou wilt be apt to wrangle with the Lord so far wilt thou be from stooping to his will Search the Scriptures and see if it be not the truth of God See whether it be thy qualifications taken up upon unjust grounds that will save thy soul thou hast not been drawn far enough all this while if thou sayest thou hast been drawn to reformation and faith and waiting If thou hast been indeed drawn it is a comfortable sign but truely the Promises do not belong unto thee until thou art brought unto a flat denial of thy self and thy will be made to lie prostrate before the will of God and is unable to satisfie it self in any thing besides Jesus Christ the want of either of which will leave a man still a member of old Adam that either he will cavil with God or else will go away and be jolly and frolick and free of spirit though he knoweth not what the Lord will do for him which is a plain sign that the Spirit of God is not there then there is no condition of which it can be said This is the spot of Gods children This is the seal of the servants of the Living God If then the Spirit of God come upon the wings of a promise it is an absolute promise and then you must not wonder if we be thus afraid that men should build their faith upon conditional promises if men build their consolation upon conditions of obedience hypocrites have gone beyond it if you have trusted in your own faith hypocrites will plead that they have gone beyond that also for they have waited upon God that they might believe And therefore see the reason why we do so much mistrust the building of our faith upon promises made unto conditions in us And I have given you the grounds from the word of God for I should be a Traitour to the Lord Jesus if I should speak from any other grounds And though it be true which I have formerly said that the fruits of the Spirir of grace in the heart of a Christian as Faith and Patience and Love cannot be denied to be evidences of a good estate yet let it first appear from whence they come first draw neer unto God in Jesus Christ and when any are brought on to Christ by self-denial such mens faith and love are indeed evident tokens of salvation and communion with Christ but until men be thus brought on they can have no Evidence from such graces Therefore you see why we are so fearful to build our faith upon qualifications for any self-denying soul will tell you that no promise will serve his turn to build his faith upon but some such as speaks of Gods wonderful and free grace if there be any promise made unto faith he will find himself very unable to apply it until the Lord by some word of his free grace hath wrought faith in him You may see here the unsafeness of any such building Use 3 as when we are convinced of our sins then we
the comfort of the Holy Ghost is more abundant and constant so it is more powerful Luk. 24.49 Behold I send unto you the promise of the Father tarry ye at Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high so Act. 1.8 You shall receive power from on high after that the holy Ghost is come upon you not by the gift of him nor by his inhabitation nor by sanctification nor by revelation only but in the power of all these that in the middest of strong opppositions you might have strong consolation therefore this is the ground of the Apostle Pauls thanksgiving 2 Cor. 1.5 and chap. 2.14 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so also our consolation aboundeth by Christ and thanks be to God who alwaies causeth us to triumph in Christ Thus you see the truth of the Point that the work of consolation doth in special manner belong unto the Holy Ghost yet for the further clearing of it there is a Question or two to be answered There is mention made Ephes 1.13 14. of the seal of the Spirit and of the earnest of the Spirit Therefore it may be demanded 1. What is the seal of the Spirit 2. What is the earnest of the Spirit What is the seal of the Spirit Quest 1 for so he is called Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption so likewise there is mention made both of the seal and earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1.21 22. For answer hereunto Answ to speak properly what I conceive the Scripture to hold forth I take the seal of the Spirit to be nothing else but the Spirit it self as the name of Christ is often put for Christ himself for you shall not read in Scripture that it is called the seal of the Spirit but they were sealed by the Spirit He hath sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 So that as the Spirit is the anointment and the earnest so he is also the seal when the Angel mentioned Revel 7.2 is said to have the seal of the living God it is meant of the Spirit But Quest how is the Holy Ghost said to be a seal and in respect of what workings of his is he so called I Answer Answ There is a threefold respect in which he is called The seal and he doth expresse the nature of a seal in them all 1. First He doth confirm and ratifie all the gracious promises of God unto the soul bearing witness in truth and power of them unto the soul and thereby begetting and confirming faith in the soul for the use of the seal is to confirm and this is the principal work of the Holy Ghost to confirm all the promises of God as an authentick seal There is a place of Scripture which being a little miss-translated leadeth I cannot say into a little but into a great inconveniency Ephes 1.13 In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed Calvin is much troubled about it and so is Piscator the truth is it implyeth thus much that in believing they were sealed this is the true English of those Greek words so that it is the Holy Ghost that comes in every promise of grace wherein Jesus Christ is conveyed unto the soul he setteth it home and confirmeth it to the soul by begetting faith in that grace and so setteth to his seal that it is true to thee and hence it is that the faith which is wrought by the Holy Ghost is said to be a seal Joh. 3.33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true so then the Holy Ghost setteth his seal to it when he gives us faith and thus he is the seal as he doth confirm all the word of Gods grace unto us and hence it is that faith is called the spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 Calvin disputes this point at large when he speaketh touching the authority of the word of God which though it be none of the most learned nor elegant of his works yet I think there be so many plain arguments that they may convince the most arrogant Atheist yet to make him believe it you cannot except the Holy Ghost set in to convince a gain-sayer for it is the Spirit that gives the seal and confirmation of every word of the Gospel And to speak a little more plainly in this point although the Apostle John 1 Epistle chap. 5. ver 7 8. speaketh of six witnesses that bear witness unto Jesus Christ yet you shall finde this to be true that there are none of all that do set it home unto the soul but the Holy Ghost only when the Father beareth witness he doth it by the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 10. c. God revealeth the hidden things of his love unto us by his Spirit c. when the Son doth shew us the Father and so setteth the soul at liberty and easeth our consciences thereby The Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 And it is the Spirit that setteth on his own work much more plentifully by the powerfull efficacy of himself upon the soul Act. 1.8 and for the water and the bloud who applyeth them as for the water of sanctification it is but a creature and it is not in the power of any creature to beget faith for the word of God it self cannot beget faith can any work of God do it no no it is neither the bloud of justification nor the water of sanctification that can beger faith but the Spirit only otherwise you will ever and anon suspect your faith and your sanctification and every Christian knows what I say That if a man have nothing but his works of sanctification to trust unto they will fail him unless the Spirit of God do breathe in them testifie the Lords acceptance of you All the works of creation though they may convince my judgement that there is a God yet they cannot beget lively faith in me unless the Holy Ghost set in with them for the word of God cannot do it no nor the Sacraments though they be seals but when are they seals only then when the Holy Ghost is conveyed in them and therefore we see why the Holy Ghost is called a seal because he doth confirm our faith in the works and word of God You will say But may not a soul comfort himself in the former experiences of Gods mercy True but the Holy Ghost must then breathe in them and his work it is also to bring them to remembrance Joh. 14.26 if he will reveal his loving kindness in these footsteps of his grace then they do come in to confirm your faith otherwise both word and works are dead unlesse the Spirit of God breathe in them he it is that revealeth free grace justifying the ungodly and afterward will let you know the works of your sanctification he
teacheth and none like him 1 Joh. 2.20 27. You have an unction from the holy One and ye know all things c. and in this respect every Christian is a sealed one of God more or less when as the Angel was sent to set the seal of God upon his servants Revel 7.2 3. he did not leave out weak Christians doubtless but did seal all the servants of God Christ is careful to keep his weak servants from inundations of evil as well as others so in Ezek. 9.4 The mark of God is set upon all that mourn for the sins of the times therefore in some work of this seal the Holy Ghost is not wanting to seal all believers otherwise thou couldest not believe that the Father hath drawn thee to Christ unless the Lord had revealed it nor couldest thou believe that the Father is thy Father unless the Holy Ghost hath sealed thee thou canst not know that thy faith is accepted of God that thy sanctification is in truth unless the Spirit of God do clear up these things unto thy soul though thou hadst many promises before thee yet unless the Lord by his Spirit apply them thou canst not see thy right in them But is not that my sin Object It is your sin Answ but it is such a sin as the power of the creature cannot help you out of for unless the Lord be pleased to discover Jesus Christ unto you and your faith in him and your deriving of your works from him you will neither know your justification nor your sanctification to be true therefore there is ever a sealing work of Gods Spirit upon the souls of his Saints though this may be done before the Holy Ghost come to seal you in his own proper work for you have many gracious workings of God about you before he come to seal his own work in your soul 2. The second work of the Spirit in respect whereof he is called a seal is his ingraving the likeness of Jesus Christ upon the soul for the Lord hath predestinated us to be conformed unto the image of his Son Rom. 8.29 and how come we to be so conformed even by the Spirit of God who writeth as it were Jesus Christ in our hearts as with the finger of the living God and hence Christ is formed in us Gal. 4.19 and this image of Christ the Holy Ghost writeth in us by making us conformable unto the death and resurrection of Christ and unto that end he doth breathe in both the Sacraments Rom. 6.4 5 6. for he is both a Spirit of mortification and vivification so as that through him we do not onely finde sin mortified but do live by the faith of the Son of God and the Spirit it is that doth preserve these gifts and acteth and stirreth up our faith to look unto Christ this is another use of the seal not only to confirm but to conform so that of his fulness we all receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 and we live yet not we but Christ liveth in us and this seal the Holy Ghost doth set on more or less in every Christian but in his own proper work he doth it with more power 3. The third work whereby the Holy Ghost doth express the nature of a seal is in distinguishing the Saints from other men Rev. 7.2 3. the servants of God were sealed and in sealing them he doth conceal them as a seal doth so that the world knows them not Joh. 14.17 and 1 Joh. 3.1 we are called the sons of God therefore the world knows us not c. and the more the Spirit doth distinguish a man from the wicked of the world the less they do discern him to be a gracious man the more lively grace is the more it is hidden from the world as men grow more in godliness so they grow more and more to be suspected by the world this is sealing work to distinguish and yet to conceal these things doth the Spirit of God as a seal upon the hearts and consciences of his people he begetteth and confirmeth all their faith more or less he doth conform them to the image of Christ more or less he doth also conceal and distinguish them from the world The second Question needful for the clearing of this point Quest 2 is How is the Holy Ghost an earnest For Answer Answ He is called an earnest in two respects 1. First As he bindeth the bargain between God and the soul he doth confirm all the promises of God to us and fasteneth them upon our hearts and settleth our hearts with an unmovable faith God having given us his Spirit doth give us all in him for he bindeth our union with Christ and our relation to the Father the Covenant of Gods grace unto us and us unto it the Gospel to us and us unto the Gospel 2. Secondly He is an earnest as he is the first fruits of the payment if a man give a pledge he meaneth to take his pledge again but if he gives money in earnest he meaneth not to take that again for it is part of the payment and the whole is but a greater payment of the same kinde so in like manner what is all our inheritance surely a fulness of the fruition of God the Father and of Jesus Christ and of the blessed Spirit of God this is all our inheritance that we look for in another world Eph. 1.14 He is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory here we have but a little portion of the Spirit a little earnest-peny but this little portion is an assurance unto us that he will make it up until we be able to receive no more Now for Application of this Point Use 1 let it first teach us how to speak of the seal of the Spirit all those that desire to speak the language of Canaan no man hath part in Christ but he hath the seal of the Spirit also for if the Holy Ghost had not given thee Christ in this or that promise thou couldest never have believed it True it is indeed there are many Christians yea and sealed Christians which are not sealed with the proper work of the Spirit I mean with that full consolation and universal conformity to Gods image every Christian hath not received that measure of power but every Christian waiteth for it and is sealed by the blessed Spirit having set home some word of Gods grace wherein Jesus Christ is brought unto the soul In the second place Use 2 let it teach us thus much that it will come short of bringing us unto Christ if we lay claim to a promise of God by any work of grace such as we can have before we have the seal of the Spirit I mean such a work of the Spirit as wherein he doth come in with power upon the soul above the power of the word and works of God for they are both creatures and
above the power of nature to reach unto and he doth also preserve them from many evils and tenders unto them the sure mercies of the Covenant but if they will maligne it and cast it behind their backs and choose other things before it such degenerate children of godly Parents their bloud shall be upon their own heads The Use hereof in the first place Use 1 may serve to justifie the righteousness of God in the confusion of the children of Christian Parents if thou seest any child of the godly perish write upon him He is either a persecutor or a worldling or a presumptuous hypocrite otherwise he had been an heir of grace The spirit of God dealeth fairly and sweetly and comfortably with them whence it is that they are oft-times sweetly trimmed up with many good gifts and parts that you would wonder to see how forward and dexterous they are in their places and how comes this is it not from the faithfulnesse of Gods Covenant that we might see and say That on Gods part there was no want unto his salvation but it was his own ungracious gracelessnesse that cast off grace in the means of it let Ishmael perish and Esau perish and all civil justiciaries perish and their bloud will be upon their own heads the Lord and his Throne is guiltless it 's not for want of grace offered unto them for though he had not purposed to save them meerly of grace yet he meant to let them see that he did not only deal justly with them but also graciously in some kinde What a warning should this be to the children of godly Parents take heed what you do Ishmael had a godly Father and Esau both godly Father and Mother therefore blesse not your selves in that Take heed also that you rush not upon another rock for you will be ready to say Notwithstanding the fair Covenant which I am under I cannot have grace unless God work it in me stand not with God upon those terms for either God will bring you home unto himself or else you shall fall upon such terms as that God will take you by the throat one day and make it appear that you did forsake the Covenant of grace upon such grounds as many a Reprobate in Hell would never have parted with it upon the like either you do maligne the grace of God or are prophane or else you stand upon your own righteousness and stablish that and then your heart begins to rise against your Parents and you think your self wiser then seven men that can render a reason or if you break not out upon these terms then you will begin to see that God hath enlightened your minde and to seise upon your heart and then you see that you can do something you can pray and you can hear with profit and the like and hereupon you come to build an undoubted hope of salvation you believe upon this that your soul is wrapped up in a bundle of life and peace and if any man come to shake your foundation you are like a stone-wall that beateth back all therefore if thus you fall off the Lord and his throne is guiltless and you are justly miserable it is the bloud of the Covenant that did sanctifie you but it will not save you because you did not look to be justified by it so that as you have despised the Covenant of God you are now cut off from the saving fellowship of it which else the Lord had called you to enjoy It was not the Jewes crucifying the Lord of life and glory in their ignorance that cut them off from God for notwithstanding that Christ prayed for them Luk. 23.34 Father forgive them they know not what they do but when they grow malignant and despise and contradict and blaspheme Act. 13.40 45 46. and put off from them the word of life now they are cast off Therefore let all the children of Christian Parents understand it and the danger of it do not think that you shall be saved because you are the children of Christian Parents but take heed of scorning of Religion and of high-prizing the world and if you be forward in spiritual gifts take heed of blessing your selves in them for if you have any thing of your own to build upon you will in time tread under foot the bloud of the Son of God wherewith you were sanctified if you be not justified by it work out therefore your salvation with fear and trembling otherwise by one means or other you will fall off from God upon such base and unworthy terms whereby it will appear that the Lord is just in rejecting you and you justly left in a state of perdition You will say Object But what shall we think of Infants Peter Martyr saith Answ If they die when they are Infants they are certainly saved I cannot say it so fully nor have I any thing against it this I can say That they are holy for so saith the Scripture and therefore they are in the Covenant generally sometimes Parents may cut off the free passage of their Cavenant from their seed though God give them one child and another they are not greatly sensible what need the poor Infant standeth in of a Covenant of grace they do not believe for their children nor humble themselves in respect of them and then no wonder if the child miscarry through the unbelief of his Parents Otherwise I do not know whether ever God reject any upon other grounds then what we have alredy laid down In the second place Use 2 for Use It teacheth all the servants of God that are under the Covenant to be careful to bring up their children under the wing of the Covenant it may be some of you have sold away great estates from them these were but the appurtenances of the birth-right but if you have parted with great inheritances for the liberty of the Ordinances you do your children no wrong for as ever you desire that they may have a share in the Covenant bring them under the Ordinances of the Covenant for faith comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 Received you the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith Gal. 3.2 and this is the door of the Covenant Jesus Christ believed on Joh. 10.7 9. Act. 14.27 therefore whatsoever inheritances you sell if it were the inheritance of a Kingdom bring them to the Ordinances of God if they cannot be brought to them and so you have done your part and then if your childrens blood be upon their own heads through their own forsaking of the Covenant the Lord is guiltless and his Covenant guiltless they have forseited their birth-right which is not to be bought again for many worlds In the third place seeing that Use 3 as the Lord receives the faithful seed of Abraham into the Covenant of his grace and in like manner taketh not only you but all of yours by vertue of the Covenant and seeing that