The saints interest in God opened in severall sermons, preached anniversarily upon the fifth of November. By John Goodwin pastor of S. Stephens Coleman-street.

CAP. IV. Whereing foure severall Grounds or Reasons of the Churches propriety in God, are laid downe, and opened.

AMongst many consi∣derations that might be laid downe as grounds or reasons of this interest and propriety of the Church in God, I shall only insist upon foure which are most obvious, and nearest at hand to every mans thoughts.

The first is, the love, and affection that God bare unto this Church, and people of his, yea,

even before they were either Church or People unto him, or he theirs, in any such relation as now they stand. It is true that now he loves them, be∣cause they are his in that peculiar maner that now he hath made them his, by the great cost and charge both of his Son, and Spirit bestowed on them: And yet I con∣ceive hee loves them as much (or rather more) because he is theirs, then because they are his. An upright and just man loves his promise and up∣right dealing more, then he doth his possessions or estate, as David in effect affirmeth, in Psal. 15.4.

Now God loving his People because they are his, loves them as a wise and upright man loves his inheritance or posses∣sion; which kinde of love, in the expression of it, is capable of subjection to a Superiour, and must give place when time is: but loving them because he is theirs, and they have a propriety in him, hee loves them as he doth his owne truth and faithful∣nesse, in the performance of his promise; which is a soveraigne love, and to be commanded & over∣ruled by nothing what∣soever.

And if God had not loved his Church and

People before they be∣came either the one or the other unto him, it is certaine hee would never have loved them; because it is impossi∣ble that any, or all o∣ther meanes whatsoever either in heaven or earth, should. ever have made a Church or People unto him of persons defiled with sin, without the con∣currence and assistance, nay, without the precur∣rence and ducture of his owne love thereunto. Of this love of God towards his Church, before their Church-making or draw∣ing neare to him in any such relation, the Scrip∣ture speaketh exprefly.

John 3.16. So God loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, &c.

That love of God, in the wombe whereof Je∣sus Christ as given unto the world, and conse∣quently unto those, of whom his Church is rai∣sed and built, (for no man can imagine these to bee here excluded, though neither doe I conceive them to bee solely and precisely intended) was conceived, must needs go before the raising of this Temple unto him, be∣cause this was actually done by Jesus Christ as given (at least in pro∣mise.) So John 6.37. All that the Father giveth me

shall come unto me, and ver. 44. No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. And again ver. 45. Every man therefore that hath heard, and learned of the Father, commeth unto me. Now all these, and such like acts of God, acted and exercised upon men, not yet actually brought home to Christ, but for and about the bringing of them home to him, as giving to Christ, drawing to Christ, teaching, &c. are apparently the fruits, or acts of such a love in God towards them; which hath precedency both in order of nature, and time

also, before that love of his wherewith he loveth them as being in Christ; that is, as being made a Church and People unto him. Thus it is evident, that there was in God a love towards his Church and People before the light of either of these, or the like relations arose upon them. Let us then proceed in our Demon∣stration.

The nature and pro∣perty of love (we know) that is reall and in truth, is to be bountifull, as S. Paul affirmeth: The Fa∣ther loveth the Son, saith Christ, John 3.35. and hath given all things into his hand. When the love

and affection of God is cast upon the creature, Himselfe, Son, Spirit, and all he hath, shall not stay behinde. Love, and Gift, affection, and expression in God we shall still finde together, John 3.16. So God loved the world that he gave, &c. and 2 Thes. 2.16. Even the Father which hath loved us, and given us everlasting con∣solation. So S. Paul speak∣ing of Christ, saith thus; Who hath loved me, and given himselfe for me. Gal. 2.20. Now the love of God to his Church being the great∣est and most transcendent love, he must finde out an expression or gift answer∣able

to it, otherwise there would be losse of some part of the glory belong∣ing to it. For he cannot be praised and magnified but according to such a measure thereof as is ma∣nifested to the creature. The gift that should ex∣presse the height, depth, breadth, length of this love to the full, can be no other then himselfe, and that as God; all other would be defe∣ctive. If there had beene any thing greater, any thing better then him∣selfe, it is like we should have had it, and that had been fittest for his pur∣pose herein.

I am drawne to use

such an expression unto you, (which I confesse might otherwise seeme somewhat hard, and strange) because I finde one of like importance in a matter not much unlike, or rather indeed very neare to that we now speake of, in that Scrip∣ture Heb. 6.13. When God (saith the Apostle) made the promise to Abraham, because he had no greater to sweare by, he sware by himselfe. [Because he had no greater, &c.] if that be the spirit of the words which I conceive, (neither can I apprehend what other it should be with any tolerable con∣gruity of Reason) they

are a straine of speech to be heard out of the mouth of an infinite God, fearefully high and glorious. Because he had no greater to sweare by, therefore he sware by him∣selfe, clearely implying, that if he had a greater then himselfe, he would have sworne by him. For this is the reason deliver∣ed in plaine and expresse tearmes why he sware by himselfe, because he had no greater: As if the in∣finite Al-sufficiency of God himselfe did not give him that satisfaction which he desired, for the confirmation of his oath, made to the heires of promise, in respect of the

weaknesse and marvel∣lous backwardnesse of their hearts to beleeve, unto perfect establish∣ment and assurance: but he would have had a greater if it might have beene, and have passed by himself; if there had been infinitum, infinito infinitius, this had been an only choice for him in this case.

To say that the words imply only this, Gods greatnesse above all o∣thers, makes the sense but cold and waterish. For it is not the scope of the Holy Ghost here to declare the greatnesse of God, but rather the greatnesse of his desire to

satisfie the heires of promise (as they are called) that is his Church and Peo∣ple, with the strongest and mightiest consolati∣ons touching the truth and stablenesse of that promise of life by Christ. And for this purpose the words in the sense given are (as is evi∣dent) of mighty impor∣tance. So desirous he was, that his children should be filled with faith, and the strong con∣solations of it, that if hee had had any greater, or more effectuall meanes for the bringing it to passe, they had been used; and the words thus un∣derstood, are but an ex∣pression

and breaking out of the mighty power of that love of his towards his Children, which all this while we speake of, which moves him to give his owne selfe unto them; if he had any great∣er then himselfe, they should have had it; but for himselfe they shall be sure of. As we heard be∣fore of Christs love men∣tioned by S. Paul, Who loved me, and gave him∣selfe for me: Like love, like bounty, like affecti∣on, like expression. Thus you see the love and affe∣ction in God towards his Church to be one cause or reason why he gives them this interest and

propriety in himselfe, which the Doctrine spea∣keth of.

A second Ground of the point is, [ 2] The gift, or bestowing of Iesus Christ upon the world, So God loved the world, that hee gave his only begotten Son, &c. as you heard before, Iohn 3. Though the love of God to his Church was the Basis, or prime cause of that propriety it now hath in him, yet was it not either the on∣ly or immediate cause thereof. This affection of his, notwithstanding they were yet afarre off (as S. Paul speakes) and lay at as great a distance as is between heaven and

earth, from being a Church or holy People unto him, from having any such peculiar interest or propriety in him. Sin had separated (and that with a high hand) be∣tweene him and them, and had fixed a great gulfe betwixt the one and the other (moveable on∣ly by him that hath pow∣er to remove the earth out of his place) which kept them asunder from comming one at the o∣ther. God could not reach or come at his creature with any other expression of his love, till this gulfe was removed, till sin that hindered was taken out of the way:

much lesse was it possi∣ble for the creature to have made any approach neare unto him to have gained any thing upon him, or in him, till then.

Now to fill up this vaste, dreadfull, and de∣vouring gulfe, and so to make the way passable from God to the crea∣ture, and from the crea∣ture back again unto God, there was nothing else to be found in hea∣ven or earth of any pro∣portion, or any wayes commensurable thereun∣to, but only one, that might lawfully count it no robbery to be equall with God, being God himselfe blessed for ever. The

infinitely wise, just, and righteous God, could have found no other consideration of value and weight sufficient to have built a dispensation of that most righteous and just Law of his upon, [In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death] but only the death of his owne only begot∣ten.

Had all other creatures in heaven and earth con∣sented together in one to have given out their strength and beeings to the uttermost, to have raised a consideration, or reason amongst them why God should have passed over those words

of his, as if they had ne∣ver beene spoken, should have let fall that solemne intermination or threat∣ning of his to the ground, never to have executed what he had threatned, the wisdome of God doubtlesse, and zeale to his glory would have de∣spised it, and laughed it to scorne (whatsoever possibly it might have amounted unto) and would have beene more ready to have fallen up∣on Mediators and Offen∣ders together with fiery indignation, then any wayes relented, or stood so much as to consider what he had to doe, up∣on the tender of any such

propositions unto him. It was no worke, no under∣taking for creatures to salve the glory of an infi∣nite Wisdome and Maje∣sty, in case he should let such words of his goe for nought, and vanish into the winde, which were uttered with such solem∣nity, upon such just and righteous grounds in the sight of heaven and earth. It might justly have been thought that God had prized such words as those at a low and under rate, and con∣sequently undervalued himselfe in the bargaine, if he had sold them at any such rate or price as the creature could have gi∣ven.

But the death and suf∣ferings of his owne Son, this was a price that weighed somewhat like in his hand: upon consi∣deration hereof it was no waies grievous unto him, to dispense with his Law, and suspend the executi∣on thereof for ever, as far as it concernes those that shall unfainedly acknow∣ledge this inestimable grace of his, who hath thus bought them from under so heavy a curse and condemnation. It is not the least prejudice or disparagement to the in∣finite Wisdome or Maje∣sty of God, or the least diminishing of the autho∣rity of any of his Lawes,

or threatnings whatsoe∣ver, to let Lawes and threatnings sleep upon such a Pillow as this is, and not to be put into execution upon the inter∣cession of such a conside∣ration as this.

And thus we see how the gift of Iesus Christ like∣wise was of absolute ne∣cessity to bring about this great and wonderfull thing in the world, that sinfull men and women, the generation of which the Church of God is made, should have this deare interest and propri∣ety in him. God not∣withstanding his love to his People, before they were a People unto him,

had yet no other way to communicate himselfe in any grace or favour unto them, much lesse to make them his Church, and give them so deepe an in∣terest in him, but only by the living way of the death and sufferings of his owne Son, his zeale to his owne glory in do∣ing what he had said, in executing what he had threatned, would have eaten up and devoured all this affection to them, had it not fed upon the death of Christ, and been therewith satisfied.

[ 3] The third Ground or Reason is the great and gracious Covenant that God himselfe hath made

with men to this effect or purpose: He hath made over himselfe unto them as by a deed of gift, by an everlasting Covenant, for a possession, portion, or an inheritance. He hath power to dispose of himselfe in this kinde, or any other, (for unto whose will can he be in subjection but unto his owne?) and this is the gracious disposition he hath pleased to make of himselfe, he thinkes him∣selfe well bestowed on men, and will not repent of it for ever. There is nothing in the Covenant, nor about the making of it, that any wayes can give occasion to the re∣voking

or altering of it. He was at liberty in the making of it, and was no wayes forced upon it, the creature was far enough from soliciting him ther∣unto, from enforcing any such thing upon him, as far in will, as in power otherwise. This Cove∣nant is that which holds and keepes him close to his Church, when other bands are somewhat loose, as Psal. 105.8. He hath alway remembred his Covenant. So ver. 42. When the People had provoked him in the Wildernesse, and he ne∣verthelesse wrought still for them, and did them good, the Holy Ghost

gives this reason for it, For he remembred his holy Promise.

Now this Covenant of God by which he hath disposed himselfe to his Church in respect of the different expressions of it, may be conceived to be two-fold: (Though it is true that both these are in effect and for sub∣stance but the same)

First, Conditionall.

Secondly, Positive, and absolute.

The former is made and established, not with the Church of God alone, but together with them, with the whole world. There is no crea∣ture under heaven, but

God hath thus far con∣ditioned or covenanted with it, that if it will be∣lieve and accept of Jesus Christ from his hand, he will receive it, and be a God unto it. This Cove∣nant (or rather this ex∣pression of the Cove∣nant) the Scripture often mentioneth. Goe ye into all the world (saith our Saviour to his Apostles) and preach the Gospel to every creature under hea∣ven. Marke 16.15. He that beleeveth and is bapti∣sed, shall be saved, &c. Preach the Gospell to every creature, namely, that is capable of the things you preach, or of the great blessing offered

in your preaching to the world.

Happily he useth a terme of a far larger ex∣tent in signification, then strictly to include and ex∣presse the persons intend∣ed, namely, reasonable creatures, Men and Wo∣men, for this reason: That so the Apostles in the first offer and tender of the Gospell to men, might not be any wayes straightened in respect of Conscience, nor any wayes discouraged in re∣gard of hope, but what kinde of people soever they should meet with in the world, though for their vilenesse and bru∣tishnesse of their lives and

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dispositions, they seemed beasts or any thing what∣soever, rather then men or women to them; yet if they had but the Image or Superscription of crea∣tures upon them, they should neither scruple the lawfulnesse of ten∣dring the offer of grace unto them, nor be dis∣couraged cōcerning hope of their accepting it.

It is a phrase of some∣what like importance with that 2 Tim. 4.2. where S. Paul injoynes Timothy to preach the word, and to be instant in season, and out of season. The expression doth not imply that he would have Timothy doe any

thing (no not preach) unseasonably, or out of time: but only this, he would not have him too scrupulous, or too full of discretion, in distinguish∣ing and chusing times, or places, or company, when, where, or to whom he should preach: he would have him esteeme all times, places, and companies seasona∣ble for that worke, where he could finde any to heare him, and not aske any questions about such matters as these for con∣science sake. But this by the way.

Now, by preaching of the Gospell, in this place, to every creature, our Sa∣viour

meanes nothing else but the propounding and pressing that great and gracious Covenant of God to every man and woman in the world which he hath establish∣ed with the world in Christ; namely, that upon their believing and receiving the Gospel and Grace tendered, he will reject none of them, whatsoever they be, but will receive them into Grace, and be their God, and save them. For all this (and much more) is evidently contained in that conditionall pro∣mise, Whosoever believeth shall be saved, &c. So in that of S. Iohn often men∣tioned,

this conditionall Covenant is clearely ex∣pressed. So God loved the world, that whosoever be∣lieveth in him should not perish, &c.

Secondly, [ 2] as for those that take hold of the for∣mer Covenant, and per∣forme the condition thereof, that is, that true∣ly believe God makes a positive, and absolute Covenant with them (without any further con∣dition) that he will be their God, and that they shall be his People. The truth is, this Covenant is directly and manifest∣ly included in the for∣mer. For a promise, or a Covenant conditionall,

the performance where∣of is suspended upon the performance of such, or such a thing, by him with whom it is made, puts off and loseth the nature of conditionall, and passeth over into that which is positive and absolute, when the condition is performed. As for ex∣ample, David covenant∣ing with his Souldiers, that whosoever should smite the Iebusites first, should be Captaine, or Chiefe. 1 Chron. 11.6. made in effect an absolute Covenant with Ioab, ha∣ving now performed the condition, to make him Captaine. The like is to be thought of Caleb

and his promise with his Souldiers also touching the mariage of his daugh∣ter, Iudg. 1.12.

And yet this absolute Covenant of God with those that actually be∣lieve, whereby he cove∣nanteth, conveigheth, and maketh over him∣selfe unto them, though it be substantially and fully included in the conditionall, or generall Covenant, (as hath been said) yet is it sometimes distinctly expressed by it selfe, Exod. 6.7. I will take you for my people, and I will be your God: with divers such like.

Now that this Cove∣nant of God with men, and

with his Church, besides the gift of Christ unto death, and that affection in God which procured it, was necessary as a meanes for him to con∣veigh himselfe over to his Church in such a manner as hath been de∣clared, may appeare, First, [ 1] because it was not meet that he should force himselfe or his Son upon such a creature as man is, or compell him by a strong hand of power without gaining in his will and affection there∣unto, to receive and own him for his God.

Nay, [ 2] secondly, the truth is, though God be of an omnipotent and ir∣resistible

power, yet can he not compell any crea∣ture whatsoever, indued with understanding and will, to receive and owne him against their will, be∣cause it is by an act of the Will that he is, and must be received: and so long as there remaineth an un∣willingnesse in a man to receive, or owne him for his God, impossible it is that he should be re∣ceived or owned by him. So that now God must finde out a sutable and fitting meanes to worke the heart or will of his creature to a desire, or willingnesse of receiving him.

Thirdly, and lastly,

there was no other way or meanes conceivable (at least none so con-na∣turall, proper, and sweet) for such a purpose, but only to propound and offer himselfe in a free and gracious Covenant unto it: And so in plea∣ding his owne infinite worth and excellency in∣comparably above the emptinesse and vanity of other things, to fall in with the effectuall work∣ing of his Spirit, and hereby to awaken, quic∣ken, raise, and strengthen the heart and soule of his creature, to a willingnesse of embracing and accep∣ting his offer, that is him∣selfe. Thus you see ano∣ther

Ground or Reason of the point, The graci∣ous Covenant of God.

[ 4] The fourth and last Ground we shall now in∣sist upon, is the perfor∣mance of the condition required in this Cove∣nant, by the Church and People of God, namely, Their faith in God, or de∣pendance upon him: which is nothing else but their acceptance of him, according to his offer, for their God. This is ano∣ther thing that makes him theirs, in that full and compleate manner that he is. He requires (upon the matter) nothing else of men to make himselfe theirs, or to give them

the entire propriety (we speake of) in himselfe, but barely that, without which it is simply & ab∣solutely impossible that he should be theirs. God cannot be the God of any man, but his that is wil∣ling to take him, and have him for his God. Da∣gon could not possibly have been the God of the Philistims, nor Chemosh the God of the Ammo∣nites, &c. except they had been willing to ac∣knowledge and have them for their gods. All violence and compulsion in the world, exercised upon them, could not have made these Idols or false gods theirs, had

they not been willing and consented to have acknowledged and own∣ed them in that relation.

Now then this wil∣lingnesse in men to take, owne, and acknowledge the true God for their God (without which it is simply impossible, as hath been said, that God should be theirs) is all that is required to make him theirs, or to give them this speciall and pe∣culiar propriety in him. To believe in Christ, or rather in God through Christ, 1 Pet. 1.21. Iohn 12.44. is nothing else, being interpreted, but by the meanes or encourage∣ment of the Lord Christ

given unto them, really and unfainedly to take, and acknowledge the great God of heaven and earth for our God, and to addresse our selves unto him accordingly, as well inwardly with Love, Feare, Reverence, Dependance, &c. as out∣wardly in all manner of conversatiō sutable here∣unto. And all this in the roote and first spring of it in the soule, is nothing else but a willingnesse of minde to take and owne him for our God, or to trust him, and make our dependance upon him. This disposition being truly begotten, and effe∣ctually raised in the soul,

containes all those other things mentioned in the loines of it. Begotten and raised it is by the meanes of Jesus Christ, and the word of salvati∣on through him preached unto us: which word the Holy Ghost taking as it were in his hand, and managing it upon the soule, overcommeth the evill of the heart with the goodnesse thereof: and smiting the crooked spirit of unbeliefe (which is the grand indispositi∣on of the soule to accept of God for our God) with the glorious bright∣nesse and power of the truth of it, createth a right spirit of Faith in

the stead, which is no∣thing else in the first breaking of it in the soul, but an aptnesse and wil∣lingnesse to believe, that is, to accept and enter∣taine the true God for our God. For before there can be a distinct and compleat act of Faith, or of accepting God for our God put forth in the soule, there must be in the order of Nature, an inclination or willingness to such an act going be∣fore. Otherwise God should forsake his usuall method of proceeding à minus perfectis, ad per∣fectiora, from lesse perfe∣ction to greater.

Now as the first and

weakest act of Faith, or accepting God for our God, being a reall per∣formance of the conditi∣on required in the Cove∣nant whilest it is yet se∣cret, in the hidden man of the heart, gives a right and propriety in God ac∣cording to the tenour thereof: so doth the se∣cond act, or outward te∣stifying to the world, a mans faith or depen∣dance upon God, draw out the particular and speciall benefits, and ad∣vantages of this their in∣terest in God. This sets God on work to expresse himself freely unto them: he cares not now if all the world know that he

is theirs. This faith of theirs in him openly ma∣nifested, makes them fit and meet to be beloved; I meane openly in the sight of heaven, and earth and hell.

True, God loves his Church and People (as was said) before they be∣lieve, or else they could never come to believe, Thine they were, (saith Christ) and thou hast gi∣ven them unto me. But till they come to believe in him, other expressions of affection to them are but ordinary, as to other men. Though they bee his (in some sense) yet he will not owne them openly till they be wor∣thy

to be reputed his, that is, make their de∣pendance upon him.

The first differencing expression of himselfe to be theirs, and they his, is the giving of faith unto them: and when this is given, and begins to worke and be active in them, he cares not then what, or how great bles∣sings he gives them after∣ward. The stumbling block is now removed out of the worlds way, all the world cannot but confesse it just and equall that God should bee theirs that trust in him. He was but a Heathen man that said, it is right and equall that men

should come to those gods for help whom they serve. And so the Scripture still gives the reason of those speciall and extraordinary fa∣vours vouchsafed by God unto his Church, to be their faith or depen∣dance upon him. Esay 26.3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staid on thee, because hee trusteth in thee. And Chap. 57.13. The winde shall carry them all away, vanity shall take them, but he that putteth his trust in me, shall possesse the Land, and shall inherite my holy Mountaine. See Joh. 14.21. and Gen. 22.16, 17. &c. The Jews, upon that

passage, Exod. 29.43. And Moses saw all the worke, (meaning of the Tabernacle, with all things belonging to it, and the service thereof) and Moses blessed them, have this observation: Worke is a great thing; For Shecinah (i.e. the Di∣vine presence, or Maje∣sty of God) dwelled not in Israel, till they had done the work (as it is written Exod. 39.43.) When the Faith of Gods Church worketh by love, and manifests it self unto the world, God is now at liberty to shew, and manifest himselfe from heaven to be theirs, by mercies poured out

in abundance upon them, and by doing the greatest thing for them. And this for the fourth and last reason of the point.

Notes

• 1 Cor. 1.13.
• Joh. 3.16.
• Joh. 17.6.