Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of Jesus as carrying on the great work of mans salvation from first to last / by Isaac Ambrose ...

CHAP. II.

SECT. Of knowing Jesus, as carrying on the great work of our Salvation from the Creation until his first Coming.

LOoking comprehends knowing, considering, desiring, &c. as you have heard; and accordingly that we may practise.

1. We must know Jesus carrying on the great work of our Salvation in the beginning, and from the beginning of the World: Come let us learn what he did for us so early in the morning of this World: He made it for us, and he made us more especially for his own Glory; but pre∣sently after we were made, we sinned and marred the Image wherein God made us; this was the saddest Act that ever was; it was the undoing of man, and (without the mercy of God) the damning of all Souls, both of men and women to all E∣ternity; and, O my Soul, know this for thy self, thou wast in the loins of Adam at that same time, so that what he did, thou didst; thou wast partaker of his Sins, and thou wast to partake with him in his punishment: but well maist thou say, Blessed be God for Jesus Christ; at the very instant when all should have been, damned, Christ interve∣ned; a Covenant of Grace is made with man, and Christ is the Foundation, in and through whom we must be reconciled unto God: Come soul, and study this Covenant of grace in reference to thy self; had not this been, where hadst thou been? nay, where had all the World been at this day? Surely it concerns thee to take notice of this great Transaction. After man had fallen by Sin, Christ is promised; & that all the Saints might partake of Christ, a Covenant is entred; this at the beginning of the World, was more dim, but the nearer to Christs coming in the Flesh, the more and more clearly it appear∣ed: Howsoever dimly, or clearly, thus it pleased God in Christ to carry on the great work of our Salvation at that time, viz. by a Promise of Christ, and by a Covenant in Christ, and for thy better knowledge of it, study the Promise made to Adam, and Abraham, and Moses, and David, and Israel. Come Soul, study these several breakings out of the Covenant of Grace;* 1.1 it is worth thy pains, it is a Mystery which hath been hid from Ages, and from Generations, but now is made manifest to the Saints. Here lies the first and most firm Foundation of a Christians comfort; if thou canst but study this, and assure thy self of thy part in this, thou art blessed for ever; O how in∣comparably sweet and satisfying is it to a self-studying Christian, to know the faithful engagements of the Almighty God, through that Son of his Loves, in a Covenant of Grace.

SECT. II. Of Considering Jesus in that Respect.

2. WE must consider Jesus carrying on the the great work of our Salvation in that dark time; it is not enough to study it and know it, but we must seriously muse, and meditate, and ponder, and consider of it, till we bring it to some profitable Issue: This is the Consideration I mean, when we hold our thoughts to this or that spi∣ritual subject, till we perceive success, and the work do thrive and prosper in our hands. Now to help us in this, —

* 1.21. Consider Jesus in the first Promise made to man; It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. When all men were under guilt of sin, and in the power of Sa∣tan; and when thou, my Soul, wert in as bad a case as any other, then to hear the sound of this glad tidings, then to hear of Jesus, a Saviour, and Redeemer, sure this was welcome News. Come, draw the case nearer to thy self; thou wast in Adams Loins, suppose thou hadst been in Adams stead;* 1.3 suppose thou hadst heard the Voice of the Lord walking in the Garding, suppose thou hadst heard him call, Adam, where art thou? Peter, Andrew, Thomas, where art thou? What? hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? Why then Appear and come to judgment, the Law is ir∣revocable,* 1.4 in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die; there is nothing to be look∣ed for but death temporal, and death spiritual, and death eternal; O what a fearful con∣dition is this! no sooner to come into the world, but presently to be turned over

into Hell? for one day to be Monarch of the World, and of all Creatures in the world, and the very next day to be a slave of Satan, and to be bound hand and foot in a darksome dungeon? for a few hours to live in Eden, to enjoy every tree in the Garden, Pleasant to the sight, and good for food, and then to enter into the confines of eternity, and ever, ever, ever to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels?* 1.5 It is no wonder if Adam hid himself from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the Garden: O my soul, in that case thou would'st have cried to the Rocks,* 1.6 and to the Mountains, fall on me, and hide me from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne. If God be angry, who may abide it? When the great day of his wrath is come, who shall be able to stand? And yet despair not, cheer up O my soul? for in the very midst of wrath God is pleased to remember Mercy; even now when all the world should have been damned, a Jesus is proclaimed and promised; and he it is that must die according to the Commination; for he is our surety, and he it is that by Death must overcome Death and the Devil; it shall bruise thy Head, said God to Satan, q. d. Come Satan, thou hast taken Captive ten thousands of souls? Adam and Eve are now ensnared, and in their loynes all the men and women, that ever shall be from this beginning of the world to the end thereof; now is thy day of triumph, now thou keepest Holy-day in Hell; but thou shalt not carry it thus. I foresaw from all Eternity what thou hast done, I knew thou wouldest dig a hole through the comely and beautiful frame of the Creation; but I have decreed of old a Counter-work; out of the seed of the woman shall spring a Branch, and he shall bruise thy head, he shall break thy Pow∣er, he shall tread thy Dominion under foot, he shall lead thy Captivity Captive, he shall take away sin, he shall point out to Men and Angels the glory of heaven, and a new world of free grace. In this promise, O my soul, is foulded and wrapped up thy hope, thy heaven, thy salvation; and therefore consider of it, turn it upside down look on all sides of it, view it over and over; there is a Jesus in it, it is a field that contains in the bowels of it a precious treasure, there is in it a Saviour, a Re∣deemer, a Deliverer from sin, death and hell: are not these dainties to feed upon? are not these rarities to dwell on in our meditations?

2. Consider Jesus in that next promise made to Abraham:* 1.7 I will establish thy Cove∣nant between me and thee, and thy Seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant, to be a God to thee and to thy Seed after thee: in respect of this Covenant Abraham is called the Father of the Faithfull,* 1.8 and they which are of the Faith are called the Children of Abraham: And O my soul, if thou art in Covenant with God, surely thou dost by Faith draw it through Abraham, to whom this promise was made; for if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abrahams Seed, and heirs according to the promise: Con∣sider, what a mercy is this,* 1.9 that God should enter into a Covenant with thee in the loins of Abraham? God made a promise of Christ, and inclusively a Covenant of Grace in his comforting Adam; but he makes a Covenant expresly under the name of Co∣venant, with Abraham and his seed. O muse, and be amazed! What? that the great and glorious God of heaven and earth should be willing to make himself a debtor to us? O my soul think of it seriously; he is in heaven, and thou art on earth, he is the Creator and thou art his Creature: Ah what art thou! or what is thy Fathers house that thou shouldest be raised up hitherto! The very Covenant is a wonder; as it Relates to God and us; what is it but a compact, an agreement, a tying, a binding of God and us; When Jehoshaphat and Ahab were in Covenant, see how Jehosha∣phat expresseth himself, I am as thou art, my people as thy people,* 1.10 my horses as thy horses: So it is betwixt God and us. If once he gives us the Covenant, then his strength is our strength, his power is our power, his armies are our armies, his attributes are our attributes, we have interest in all; there is an offensive and a de∣fensive Language, (as I may say) betwixt God and us; and if we put him in mind of it in all our straits, he cannot deny us. As it was with the Nations allied to Rome, if they fought at any time, the Romans were bound in honour to defend them; and they did it with as much diligence as they defended their own City of Rome; so it is with the people allied to God, he is bound in honour to defend his People, and he will do it if they implore his aid; how else, is it possible God should break his Covenant? will he not stir up himself to scatter his, and our spiritual enemies? Certainly he will. Thus runs the tenour of his Covenant, I will be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee. This is the general promise; I may call it the Mother-Promise, that carries all other Promises in its womb; & we find a Jesus in this promise, consider that it is God in Christ

that is held forth to us in this phrase, I will be as a God to thee: O sweet! Here is the greatest promise that ever was made; Christ God is more than Grace, Pardon, Holiness, Heaven, as the Husband is more excellent than the Marriage-Robe, Brace∣lets, Rings; the Well and Fountain of Life is of more excellency than the streams; Christ Jesus the objective happiness, is far above a created and formal Beatitude which issueth from him. O my Soul is not this worthy of thy inmost consideration? But of this more in the next.

3. Consider Jesus in that promise made to Moses and the Israelites, I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the House of Bondage. Much hath been said to this Promise before as matter of thy Consideration; but to contract it, consider in the Promise the sufficiency and propriety; 1. Here is sufficiency: it is a promise of infinite worth, an hid treasure, a rich possession, an overflowing blessing which none can rightly value; it is no less than the great, and mighty, and infinite God; if we had a promise of an hundred worlds, or often heavens, this is more than all; heaven indeed is beautiful, but God is more beautiful; for he is the God of hea∣ven: and hence it is that the Saints in heaven are not satisfied without their God; it is a sweet expression of Bernard, As whatsoever we give unto thee, Lord, unless we give our selves, cannot satisfie thee; so whatsoever thou givest unto us, Lord, unless thou givest thy self, it cannot satisfie us: and hence it is, that as God doth make the Saints his Por∣tion, so God is the Portion and Inheritance of his Saints. Consider the greatness, the goodness, the all-sufficiency of this promise, I am the Lord thy God! No question but Moses had many other rich promises from God, but he could not be satisfied without God himself: if thy presence be not with us, bring us not hence. And no wonder, for without God all things are nothing;* 1.11 but in the want of all other things, God himself is instead of all: It is Gods alone Prerogative to be an universal good. The things of this world can but help in this or that particular thing: as Bread against hunger, Drink against thirst, Cloaths against cold and nakedness, House against wind and weather, Riches against poverty, Physick against sickness, Friends against solitariness: but God is an alsufficient good; he is all in all both to the inner and outward man. Are we guilty of Sin? there is mercy in God to pardon us. Are we full of infirmities? there is Grace in God to heal us. Are we strong in Corruptions? there is power in God to subdue them in us. Are we disquieted in Conscience? there is that Spirit in God that is the Comforter, that can fill us with Joy unspeakable and glorious: And for our outward man all our welfare is laid up in God, he is the God of our Life Psal. 42.8. he is the strength of our Life. Psal. 27.1. he is a quickning Spirit, 1 Cor. 15.45 Which though it be in regard of the inner man, yet there it is spoken of the inward man, which the Lord shall quicken after death, and doth now keep alive by his mighty power; for in him we live,* 1.12 and move, and have our being.

O my Soul, that thou wouldst but ruminate, and meditate, and consider this promise in all thy wants & discontents: when means fail, and the streames run no more, O that thou wouldest then go to the Fountain, where the waters run sweeter, and more sure:* 1.13 for as Joseph said to Pharaoh it is not in me, God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace: So may Silver and Gold, and such things say to thee, It is not in us; God shall give enough out of himself: have God, and have all: want God, and there is no content in the enjoyment of all: It was the Apostles case as having nothing, and yet possessing all things:* 1.14 Surely he lived to God and enjoyed God, and he was an all-sufficient good unto him: God may be enjoyed in any condition, in the meanest, as well as the greatest, in the poorest as well as the richest: God will go into a wilder∣ness, into a prison with his people, and there he will make up all that they are cut short of. Thy discontents therefore arise not from the want of outward means, but from want of inward fellowship with God: and if thou dost not find a sufficiency, it is because thou dost not enjoy him who is thy all-sufficient good: O stir up Faith, and consider the Covenant, think seriously on this promise, I am God all-sufficient: I am the Lord thy God.

2. Here is the propriety of Saints, the Lord thy God. O what is this, that God is thy God? Heaven and Earth, Angels and Men may stand astonished at it: What, that the Great and Mighty God, God Almighty, and God all-sufficient should be called thy God!* 1.15 It is observable what the Apostle speaks, God is not ashamed to be called their God: Would not a prince be ashamed to take a Beggar, a Runagate, a base and adulte∣rous Woman to be his Wife? But we are worse than so, and God is better than

so; sin hath made us worse than the worst of women, and God is better, holier, high∣er than the best of Princes: and yet God is not ashamed to own us, nor ashamed that we own him as our own, I am thy God. It is as if the Lord should say, use me, and all my Power, Grace, Mercy, Kindness, as thine own: go through all my Attri∣butes; consider my Almighty Power, consider my Wisdom, Councel, Understanding, consider my Goodness, Truth, Faithfulness: consider my Patience, Long-suffering, Forbearance, all these are thine: as thus, My Power is thine, to work all thy works for thee and in thee, to make passage for thee in all thy straits, to deliver thee out of six troubles and out of seven; my Wisdom is thine, to counsel thee in any difficult cases, to instruct thee in things that be obscure, to reveal to thee the Mysteries of Grace, and the wonderfull things contained in my Law: my Justice is thine, to deliver thee when thou art oppressed, to defend thee in thy Innocency, and to vindicate thee from the in∣juries of men: what needs more? O my Soul, think of these, & all other Gods At∣tributes: say in thy self all these are mine: nay more, think of God in Christ (for otherwise what hast thou to do with God in a Covenant of grace?) and say in thy heart Jesus Christ is mine, my Saviour, my Redeemer, my head, my elder brother: his doings are mine, and his sufferings are mine, his Life and his Death, his Resurrection and Ascen∣tion, his Session and Intercession, all are mine: nay more, if Christ be mine, why then all good things are mine in Christ; I say in Christ, for they come not immediatly, but through the hands of a sweet Redeemer; and though he be a man who redeemed us, yet because he is God as well as Man, there is more of God and Heaven, and free-love in all our good things, than if we received them immediately from God: Ravens have their food, and Devils have their being from God by creature-right; but we have all we have from God in Christ by Covenant-right,: this surely, this very promise is the main and principal promise of the Covenant; it is the very substance, Soul and life of all: O then how careful shouldest thou be to improve the strength of thy mind, thoughts, and af∣fections on this only subject?

4. Consider Jesus in that promise made to David,* 1.16 He hath made with me an everlast∣ing Covenant, ordered in all things, and sure. 1. An everlasting Covenant: consider this in the eternal efficacy, and not in the outward administration? it is Christ that hath built and prepared a Kingdom, that shall never fade, a spiritual and an heavenly Kingdom which shall never cease: and as he hath prepared it, so if thou believest, he hath entred into a Covenant with thy soul to bestow it on thee; it is an everlasting Covenant, and he will give thee everlasting Life. 2. It is ordered in all things: the Covenant of grace is so marshalled and ordered, that it stands at best advantage to receive and repel all thy objections. Many and many an objection hast thou raised; how often have such thoughts been in thee? Oh I am miserable, I shall not live but die, my sins will damn me, I am lost for ever! And again, If God hath made with me a Co∣venant, why then have I something to do on my part? for this is the nature of the Cove∣nant, to bind on both parts; but alas I have failed, I can do nothing, I can as well dissolve a Rock as make my heart of stone a heart of flesh, I can as well reach heaven with a finger as lay hold on Christ by the hand of Faith! Have not such arguings as these been many and many a time in thy heart? O consider how the Covenant is ordered and marshalled in respect of the Author of it, of the Persons interested in it, of the parts of which it con∣sists, of the end and aim to which it refers: and in some of these, if not in all of these, thou wilt find thy Objections answered, removed, routed. 3. It is sure: God is not fast and loose in his Covenant? heaven and earth shall pass away, before one jot or title of his Word shall fail: consider O my Soul, he both can and will perform his Word; his Power, his Love, his Faithfulness, his Constancy, all stand engaged. What sweet mat∣ter is here for a Soul to dwell upon? what needs it go out to other objects, whilst it may find enough here? but especially what needs it to bestow it self upon vain things? O that so much pretious sand of our thoughts should run out after Sin, and so little after grace, or after this Covenant of grace!

5.* 1.17 Consider Jesus in that new Covenant or Promise which God made with Israel and Judah, I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and I will be their God and they shall be my People; and they shall teach no more every man his neigh∣bour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord; for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them, saith the Lord, for I will forgive their Iniquity, and I will remember their Sins no more. Oh what an errour is it, that there is no inherent righteousness in the Saints, & there is no grace in the soul of a believer, but only in Christ!

is not this the ordinary Scripture phrase?* 1.18 I will put my Spirit within you: and the water that I shall give you, shall be in you a Well of water springing up into everlasting Life: and the anointing which you have received of him, abideth in you: and Christ in you the hope of glory. Observe how the spirit of the Living Creatures was in the Wheels, so that when the Spirit went, they went, and when the Spirit was lifted up, they were lifted up; even so is the Spirit of Christ, acting, and guiding, and framing and disposing them to move and walk according to his Laws.* 1.19 The Kingdom of heaven is within you, saith Christ: and I de∣light to do thy Will, O God, (saith David) yea thy Law is within my heart. O my Soul, if thou art in Covenant whith God, besides the in-dwelling of the Spirit, there is a certain spiritual Power or Principle of Grace, which Christ by his Spirit hath put into thy heart, enabling thee in some measure to move thy self towards God. And this Principle is sometimes called a new Life, Rom. 6.4. Sometimes a Living with Christ, Rom. 6 8. Sometimes a being alive to God, Rom. 6.11. Sometimes a revealing of his son in man, Gal. 1.15. And somtimes a putting of the Law into our inward parts, and a writing of the Law within the heart, Jer. 31.33. O consider of this inward Prin∣ciple, it is an excellent subject, worthy of thy consideration!

2. I will be their God, and they shall be my people: Consider God essentially, and personally, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, God in himself and God in his Creatures: this very promise turns over heaven, and earth, and sea, and land, and bread, and cloths, and sleep, and the world, and life, and death, in∣to free grace. No wonder if God set this promise in the midst of the Covenant, as the heart in the midst of the Body, to communicate life to all the rest; this promise hath an influence into all other promises; it is the great promise of the new Covenant, it is as great as God is, though the heavens, and heaven of heavens be not able to con∣tain him: yet this Promise contains him; God shuts up himself (as it were) in it. I will be their God, 2. They shall be my People (i.e.) They shall be to me a peculiar People, Tit. 2.14. The word hath this Emphasis in it, that God looks upon all other things as acci∣dents in comparison, and his substance is his People; they are his very Portion: for the Lords Portion is his People, Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance. They are his treasure, his peculiar treasure:* 1.20 his peculiar treasure above all People: If ye will obey my voice in∣deed, and keep my Covenant, then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me, and above all people; for all the earth is mine: Observe O my soul, all the earth is mine, q. d. All people is my people; but I have a special interest in my covenanted people, they are only my porti∣on, my peculiar treasure. Blessed be Egypt my People, Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine Inheritance. I have made all People; Egypt and Assyria, and all the world is mine, but only Israel is my inheritance: the Saints are those that God satisfies him∣self in; the Saints are those that God hath set his heart upon; they are children of the high God, they are the Spouse that are Married to the Lamb, they are nearer God in some respects than the very Angels themselves, for the Angels are not in a mystical uni∣on so Married to Christ as Gods People are.* 1.21 O the happyness of Saints! I will be their God, and they shall be my People.

3. They shall teach no more every man his Neighbour, and every man his Brother, saying, know the Lord; for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them, saith the Lord. Consider of this! O poor Soul, thou complainest many a time of thy weakness, thou knowest little or nothing: why, see here a Glorious promise; if thou art but in Covenant with God, thou shalt be taught of God, and then thou shalt know God far more clearly than the Jews of old; he will open to thee all his treasures of wisdom and knowledg, he will bestow on thee a greater measure of his Spirit, so that out of thy bel∣ly shall flow Rivers of Living waters.* 1.22 We say a good Tutor may teach more in a day than another in a week, in a month; now the promise runs thus, that all thy Children shall be taught of God;* 1.23 not that private instruction, or publick Ministry must be exclu∣ded, we know these are appointed under the New Testament, and are subordinate to the Spirits teaching; but that the teachings of God do far surpass the teachings of men, and therefore the knowledg of God under the New Testament shall far surpass that under the old: herein appears the excellency of Christ's prophetical Office, He is such a Pro∣phet as enlightens every man within,* 1.24 that comes into the World: He is such a Prophet as baptiseth with the Holy Ghost and with Fire: He is such a Prophet as makes men's hearts to burn within them, when he speaks unto them: He is such a Prophet as bids his Ministers,* 1.25 Go, teach all Nations, and I will be with you; and I will make you able Ministers, not of the Letter, but of the Spirit: He is such a Prophet

as teacheth inwardly, clearly, experimentally, and sweetly: no man in the world can say this, or do this, but Jesus Christ, the great Prophet of the Church, whom God hath raised up like unto Moses, or far above Moses; Oh my Soul consider if thou art thus taught of God.

4. I will forgive their Iniquity, and I will remember their Sins no more.* 1.26 Consider of this! Blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven, and whose Sins are covered. Consider O my soul, suppose thy case and thy condition thus: As thou livest under Laws of men, so for the transgression of those Laws thou art called to account; the Judge weighs, and gives an impartial and just judgment, he Dooms thee to the Axe, or Rack, or Wheel; and because of the aggravation of thy Crime, he commands thee to be tortured leisurely, that Bones, Sinews, Lights, Joints might be pained, for twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years; that so much of thy flesh should be cut off every day; that such and such a Bone should be broken, such and such a day; and that by art the flesh should be restored, and the Bone cured again; that for so many years as is said, thou mightest be kept every day dying, and yet never die; that all this while thou must have no Sleep, nor Ease, nor Food, nor Cloathing convenient for thee; that Whips of Iron, Lashes and Scourges of Scorpions, that Racks, Wheels, Cauldrons full of melted Lead, should be prepared instruments of thy continual, horrible, terrible Tor∣ments; in this case, suppose a mighty Prince, by an Act of free and special Grace, should deliver thee from this Pain and Torture, and not only so, but should give thee a Life in perfect health, should put thee into a Paradise of Pleasures, where all the ho∣nour, acclamations, love, and service, of a world of Men and Angels should await thee, and where thou shouldst be elivated to the top of all imaginable Happiness, above Solo∣mon in the highest Royalty, or Adam in his first Innocency; where not this mercy? wouldest thou not thing it the highest Act of Grace and Love, that any creature could extend to his fellow-creature? and yet O my Soul, all this is nothing but a shadow of grace in comparison of the love and rich grace of God in Christ in the justification of a sinner. If thou hast a right to this promise, I well forgive thy Iniquity, and I will remember thy sin no more. Thou art delivered from eternal Death, and thou art entitled to an eter∣nal Kingdom; O know thy blessedness aright! Consider how infinitly thou art engaged to God, and Christ, and mercy, and free-grace! This promise sounds forth nothing but grace and blessing; grace from God, and blessing on us; it is grace, because nothing but grace and mercy can forgive: it is grace, because God, if he will, hath power in his hand to Revenge; he doth not pass by sin as men do offences, when they dissemble for∣giveness; they may forgive, because they have not power to avenge:* 1.27 it is otherwise with God; To me belonges Vengeance and Recompence, saith God: He is able to destroy and yet he chuseth to forgive; this is his Name, strong and gracious.

O my Soul thou art apt to complain, what? will the Lord forgive my Sins? What reason hath God to look on me, to Pardon me, to pluck me as a firebrand out of the Fire of Hell? why should God forgive me? But now consider (if thy heart be humbled) — the Lord will do it. —

1. Because he delighteth in Mercy; it is a pleasure to God to forgive Sins:* 1.28 never did we take more pleasure, nor so much pleasure in acting and committing of sin, as he doth in the pardoning of sin; he is the Father of Mercies,* 1.29 he delights in mercy as a Father in his Children; it doth him good to see the Fruits of his own mercy, in taking away the sins of his own people.

2. Because it is his purpose which he hath purposed within himself from all Eter∣nity; this was the great design of God (as you have heard) to make his grace glori∣ous in those whom he intends to save; he will have the praise of the glory of his Grace:* 1.30 he will not lose his glory; he will be admired in his Saints; he will make the World to wonder, when it shall be known what sin hath been committed by them,* 1.31 and pardon∣ed by him. And hence it is that Gods people are called Vessels of Mercy, that he might make known the Riches of his Glory on the Vessels of Mercy; for, as Vessels are or may be filled up to the brims, so the Vessels of Mercy shall be filled with Mercy, up to the Brim, that the Riches of his Glory in the pardon of Sin, may be seen and known to the wonder of all the world.

3. Because it is his Nature and Inclination to pardon Sin: this appears, 1. In the Proclaiming of his Name, the Lord, the Lord, Merciful, and Gracious, Long-suffering,* 1.32 abundant in Goodness and Truth, keeping Mercy for Thousands, forgiving Iniquity, and Transgression, and Sin.

* 1.332. In his gracious Invitations; Come unto me, saith Christ, if sin burden you, I will ease you. 3. In his patience and waiting for Repentance; he waits to this very end that he might be gracious,* 1.34 and that he may have mercy, for the Lord is a God of judgment.

* 1.354. Because it is his promise to pardon sin; I, even I, am he that blots out thy trans∣gressions for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins. This promise of Pardon is one of the great blessings of the Covenant of Grace; you hear the words in this very expres∣sure of it,* 1.36 I will forgive their Iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.

Now come, consider O my soul, of every particular in this gracious Covenant, and O be serious in thy Consideration; surely there is too much expence of thy spirit upon vain, and transitory, and worldly things; alas, alas, thou hast but a short time to live; and the strength of thy mind, that I call for, it is the most precious thing thou hast; O then let the business and activeness of thy mind, let thy inmost thoughts and deep affections be acted and exercised on this Subject; be careful that none of these waters run besides the Mill. If God and Jesus, and all thy good be included here, why should not thy whole soul be intent on this? Why shouldst thou spend it on the Creature? why shouldst thou be so subject to carnal griefs and fears? surely all these are fitter to be fixed on God in Christ, on Jesus in a Covenant of Grace.

SECT. III. Of Desiring Jesus in that respect.

3. WE must desire after Jesus, carrying on the great work of our Salvation in a way of Covenant before his coming in the flesh. It is not enough to know and consider, but we must desire. Thus is the order of Gods work, no sooner hath his Spirit clearly revealed the goodness of the Promise that we come to know, but the soul considers of it, turns it upside down, views it in all its Excellencies, weighs it in the Ballance of its best and deepest meditation. This done, the Affections begins to stir, and the soul begins thus to reason; O happy I, that I see the goodness of this gracious Pro∣mise; but miserable I, if I come to see this, and never have a share in it. O why not I Lord? Why not my Sins Pardoned? VVhy not my Corruptions Subdued? VVhy not the Law Written in my Heart, and put into my inward parts? Why may not I say, my Lord and my God? or I am my Beloveds, and my Beloved is mine? VVhy not this Covenant established between God and me? Now my Soul thirsts after this as a thirsty Land, my affections hunger after Jesus in a Covenant of Grace: Oh, I would fain be in Covenant with God; for this is all my Salvation and all my desire, 2 Sam. 23.5. — But here is an Ob∣jection. —

The Object* 1.37 of this desire is apprehended as absent and distant; we do not covet those things that we do enjoy; if they are present, we rather rest in them, than move to∣wards them, or desire after them; how then should David or any soul already in a Cove∣nant of grace desire after the Covenant; What is this? He hath made with me an ever∣lasting Covenant,* 1.38 ordered in all things, and sure, for this is all my Salvation and all my De∣sire.

* 1.39It is true, the Object of desire qua tale, is something absent, yet not alwayes absent in the whole, but in the parts and degrees of it; the very presence of a good thing, doth in some sort quicken the desires towards the same thing, so far forth as it is capable of improvements or augmentation: As we see in external Riches of the Body, none de∣sire them more eagerly than those that possess them; and the more gracious the Soul is, the more is the heart enlarged in the appetition of a greater measure of Grace; as the putting in of some water into a Pump, doth draw forth more: no man is so importu∣nate in praying, Lord help my unbelief, as he that can say, Lord, I believe: things may be desired in order to improvement and further degrees of them. Again, things present may be the Object of our desires unto continuance; as he that delighteth in a good thing that he hath, he desireth the continuance of that delight; so the soul of a man ha∣ving a reach as far as immortality, it may justly desire as well the perpetuity, as the presence of those good things it enjoyeth. —

Come then, O my soul, and whet on thy desires in every of these respects; as, 1. De∣sire after thy interest in the Covenant. 2. Desire after thy improvement of the Cove∣nant. 3. Desire after the continuance of thy Covenant-state. 4. Desire after Jesus the great business, or the all in all in a Covenant of Grace.

1. Desire after thy interest in the Covenant; O say in thy self, is it thus?* 1.40 is the Lord willing to receive me to his Grace? was that his voice in the streets, how long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity? turn ye at my reproof,* 1.41 behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you? was that his Proclamation, Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, encline your ear and come unto me,— and I will make an everlast∣ing Covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David? and are these the promises offered in the Covenant, I will put my Law into their inward parts,* 1.42 and I will write it in your hearts, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my People?* 1.43 Oh the Blessed condition of those People that are in Covenant with God! Blessed art thou O Israel, who is like unto thee, a People saved by the Lord; Oh happy is the People that be in such a case, yea, happy is that People whose God is the Lord. But ah! what can I say? no sin like unto my sin, no misery like unto my misery; alas, I am an alien to God, I am separated from his People, I am out of the Covenant; like a poor Prodigal, I dye for hunger, whilst those that are in my Fathers house have bread enough: Oh that I were in their condition! never did David long more for the waters of the well of Bethlehem, than my Soul now touched with the sense of Sin, doth desire to be at peace with God, and in Covenant with God; O I thirst, I pant, I gasp after him, I long for Communion, and Peace with him;* 1.44 with my soul do I de∣sire thee in the night, yea, with my Spirit within me do I seek thee early.

2. Desire after the Improvement of the Covenant; it may be God hath given thee an interest in it, but alas thy hold is so weak that thou scarce knowest the meaning of it; the Lord may answer, but yet he speaks darkly, as sometimes he spake to the woman, go thy way and Sin no more; it is a middle kind of expression,* 1.45 neither assuring that her Sin was pardoned, nor yet putting her out of hope but it might be pardoned; so it may be God hath given thee some little ease, but he hath not spoken full peace; go on then and desire more and more after confirmation: say in thine heart, O Lord thou hast begun to shew grace unto thy Servant, but oh manifest to me all thy goodness; thou hast given me a drop, and I feel it so sweet, that now I thirst, and long to enjoy the Fountain; thou hast given me a kiss of thy mouth, and now I pant to be united to thee in a more perfect and consummate marriage; thou hast given me a taste,* 1.46 but my appetite and desire is not thereby diminished, but enlarged; and good reason, for what are these drops, and tastes, but only the first fruits of the spirit? and earnests of the spirit?* 1.47 oh then what are those harvests of Joy? what are those treasures of wisdom, and free grace hid in God? I have indeed beheld a feast of fat things, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees, of wines on the lees well refined; but O what a Famine is yet in my spirit! O Lord I have longed for thy Salvation, I am ready to swoon for further union, and clearer ma∣nifestation of my share and interest in this Covenant of grace, come Lord Jesus come quickly.

3. Desire after continuance of the Covenant-state: many a sweet soul cannot deny but that the Lord hath shewed mercy on him, but he fears that he shall not hold out: he feels within such a Power of corruption, such strong temptations, so many lusts, that now he doubts, O what will become of my poor Soul? what will be the issue of this woful work? why come now and desire after perseverance: when Peter was ravished on the mount, it is good being here (sayes he) let us build three Tabernacles;* 1.48 his desire was to have continued there for ever; and it was the prayer of Christ in Peters behalf,* 1.49 I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not; what was this Prayer but Christ's vehement desire of Peters continuing in the faith? shall Christ desire, and will not thou desire after thy own perfection? O come with these Pantings, and Breathings after God; put forth thy desires in these or the like expressions, O Lord thou hast said I will betroth thee unto me for ever;* 1.50 and what means this but that the conjugal love of Christ with a gracious soul shall never be broken? what means this but that the bond of union in a believer to Christ is fastened upon God, and the spirit of God holds the other end of it, and so it can never be broken? 2. O Lord thou hast discovered in thy Word, that th s union is in the Father, who hath laid a sure foundation,* 1.51 the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his:* 1.52 and that this union is in the Son, who loves his to the end: and that this union is in the spirit who abides in the elect for ever. 3. Thou hast discovered, that the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee,* 1.53 neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee. 4. Thou hast said that the Saints shall be kept by the Power of God. q. d. The special Power I mean to put forth in this world,* 1.54 it is to uphold the spirits of my saints; the special work I have in the world to exercise my power about, it is to keep Christ and the saints together; it is through the power of God that heaven and earth is kept up, but if God must withdraw his Power from the one of

these, sooner should heaven and earth fall in pieces, than God would not uphold one gra∣cious soul that hath Ʋnion with his Son Jesus Christ. And if th••se be thy sayings, why then Lord I desire the accomplishment; O fulfil what thou hast said; it would break my heart if ever the Covenant should be broken betwixt me and thee: my desire is towards thee, and the more I enjoy thee, the more and more I desire and pant after thee; my desires are like thy self, infinite, eternal, everlasting desires.

4. Desire after Jesus, the great business, or the all in all in a Covenant of Grace: the most proper object of desire, especia••ly to man fallen, is Jesus Christ: hence it is that a poor sinner under the sense of sin, cryes out with the vehemency of desire, Christ, and none but Christ; give me Christ or I dye, I am undone, I am lost for ever. But what is Christ or Jesus to a Covenant of grace?* 1.55 I answer, he is the great business, he is the all in all. Christ hath at least a Six-fold relation to the Covenant of grace. 1. As he is more than a creature, he is the Covenant himself. 2. As he deals betwixt parties, he is the messenger of the covenant. 3. As he saw, and heard, and testifieth all, he is the witness of the covenant. 4. As he undertaketh for the parties at variance, he is the surety of the covenant. 5. As he standeth between the contrary parties, he is the Mediator of the covenant. 6. As he signifieth the covenant, and closeth all the Articles, he is the Testator of the covenant. Oh here is abundance of fuel for thy desire to work upon. 1. Consider the fuel, and then set on the flame thy desire,

* 1.561. Christ is the covenant it self. I gave thee for a covenant of the People, for a light of the gentiles. And I will preserve thee, and give thee for a Covenant of the People. Christ, God and Man, is all the Covenant: 1. Fundamentally, he is the original of the Covenant; the Covenant of grace takes i••s being and beginning from Christ; he is the covenant-maker, undertaker, manager, dispatcher, he doth every thing in the covenant; 2. Materially, the very substance of the covenant stands in this, I will be their God, and they shall be my People; now Christ he is both these in himself; he is God unto his People, and he is the People representatively unto God, and before God. 3. Equivalently; many branches or fruits of the Covenant are to be fulfilled to be∣lievers in their season, but as soon as ever they are Justified, Christ is said to be the Covenant, as a present pawn or earnest delivered into the hands of a man at the very instant of his justification; and this pawn is of equal value and worth with the whole Covenant when it is fulfilled to the uttermost. Thus Christ in every of these respects is the Covenant it self; he is very peace, and reconciliation it self, and this man shall be the Peace when the Assyrian shall come into our Land. As fire is hot for it self, and all other things hot for it,* 1.57 as they participate of it; so Christ is the Covenant it self, and all we are so far in Covenant to Christ, as we have any thing of Christ; want Christ, and want peace, and want the Covenant of grace.

2. Christ is the messenger of this Covenant. The Lord whom ye seek shall suddainly come to his Temple,* 1.58 even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in. Christ tra∣vels with tydings between parties of the Covenant. 1. He reports of God to us, he commends his Father unto us,* 1.59 my Father is the husband man; and this is the Fa∣thers will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I shall lose no∣thing; and he commends himself to us, it became the Lord Jesus to commend him∣self, I am the bread of Life, I am the Light of the world, I am the Door, I am the good Shepherd. It is a wonderful thing how Christ is a broker, (as I may say) for Christ; wisdom cryeth out, she uttereth her voice in the streets; come, eat of my bread, and drink of my wine which I have mingled: Ministers cannot speak of Christ, and of his Father, as he can do himself. O my Soul to excite thy desires, come, and hear Christ, speak of Christ, and of his Father, and of Heaven, for he saw all.* 1.60 2. He reports of us to God; he commends us to his Father; O righteous Father the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. Christ gives a good report of the Saints in Heaven; the Father and the Son are speaking of him (as I may say) behind back, and surely a good report in heaven is of high esteem; Christ tells over Ephraim's prayers behind his back, I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus,* 1.61 Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a Bullock unacustomed to the yoke, turn thou me and I shall be turned, thou art the Lord my God: and thereupon God resolves, Is Ephraim my dear Son? Is he a pleasant Child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still, therefore my bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord. Happy souls of whom Christ is telling good Tidings in heaven; for he is the Angel of the Covenant.

3. He is the witness of the covenant; he saw, and heard all,* 1.62 Behold I have given him for a witness to the people. And he is called the faithful witness. The Amen: The faithful and true witness. The covenant saith, The Son of man came to seek, and to save that which was lost; Amen, saith Christ, I can witness that to be true; the covenant saith, Christ dyed, and rose again for sinners; Amen saith Christ, I was dead, and behold I live for evermore; Amen.* 1.63 There's not any thing said in the covenant, but Christ is a witness to it; and therefore we read in the very end of the Bible, this Subscription (as I may call it) in relation to Christ: He which testifieth these things, saith, surely I come quickly. Amen.* 1.64

4. Christ is the Surety of the covenant.* 1.65 In as much as not without an oath he was made a Priest, — by so much was Jesus made a surety of a better Testament. The covenant of works had a promise, but because it was to be broken, and done away, it had no oath of God, as this hath; O doubting soul, thou sayest thy salvation is not sure, think on this Scripture, thou hast the oath of God for it; it is a sworn article of the covenant, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be Saved; and to this end is Christ a Surety. 1. Surety for God, he undertakes that God shall fulfil his part of the covenant, Fear not little flock,* 1.66 for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. And all that the Father giveth me,* 1.67 shall come to me, and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out. 2. Surety for us; and to this purpose he hath paid a ransome for us; and giveth a new heart to us; and he is inga∣ged to lose none of us. Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost.* 1.68

5. Christ is the Mediator of the covenant: the Apostle calls him Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant: He hath something of God, as being true God; and some∣thing of man, as sharing with us of the nature of man; hence he is Mediator by office,* 1.69 and layeth his hands on both parties, as a dayes-man doth; and in this respect he is a friend, a reconciler, and a servant. 1. A friend to both parties, he hath Gods heart for man, to be gracious, and he hath mans heart for God to satisfie justice. 2. A reconciler of both parties; he brings down God to a treaty of peace, and he brings up man by a ran∣some paid, so that he may say unto both, Father come down to my brethren, my kindred and flesh; and thou my Sister and Spouse come up to my Father, and my Father, to my God, and thy God. 3. He is a servant to both parties, Behold my servant, saith God,* 1.70 my righteous servant. Yea, and our servant, He came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransome for many.

6. Christ is the Testator of the covenant: He dyed to this very end, that he might confirm the covenant, Where a Testament is,* 1.71 there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator, for a Testament is of force, after men are dead, otherwise it is of no strength at all, whiles the Testator liveth. Christ then must dye, and Christs blood must be shed, to seal the covenant of grace; it is not every blood, but Christs blood that must seal the everlasting covenant, Heb. 13.20. And his blood being shed, he is then rightly called the Testator of the covenant.

O what fewel is here to set our desires on flame? come soul, and bend thy desires towards Christ, as the Sun-flower towards the Sun, the Iron to the Loadstone, and the Loadstone to the Pole-star; yea, the nearer thou drawest towards Christ, the more and more do thou desire after Christ; true desires never determine or expire:* 1.72 He that thirsts let him thirst more (saith Bernard) and he that desires let him desire, yet more abundantly. Is there not cause? O what excellencies hast thou found in Christ? Poor soul, thou hast undone thy self by sin, there's but a step betwixt thee and damnation; but to save thy soul, Christ comes leaping on the Mountains, and skipping on the Hills; he enters into a covenant with God; he is the covenant, the Messenger of the cove∣nant, the Witness of the covenant, the Surety of the covenant, the Mediator of the covenant, the Testator of the covenant, the great business, the all in all in a covenant of grace; If David could say,* 1.73 My soul breaks for the longings that it hath to thy judgements at all times, how mayst thou say, My soul breaks for the longings that it hath to thy mercies, and my Jesus at all times? Oh I gaspe for grace, as the thirsty land for drops of rain; I thirst, I faint, I languish, I long for an hearty draught of the Fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Oh that I could see Jesus flying through the midst of heaven, with the Covenant in his hand! Oh I long for that Angel of the Covenant; I long to see such another vision as John did, when he said, And I saw another Angel flie in the midst of Heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to Preach unto them that dwell upon the Earth. What? Is that Covenant in the hand of Christ?

and is my name written in that roll? Say Lord; Is my name written on the Heart of Christ? Oh! if I had the glory and possession of all the world, if I had ten thousand worlds, and ten thousand lives, I would lay them all down, to have this poor trembling soul of mine assured of this: Oh my thirst is insatiable, my bowels are hot within me, my desire after Jesus in reference to the Covenant is greedy as the grave, the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

SECT. IV. Of hoping in Jesus in that Respect.

WE must hope in Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation in a way of Covenant; now what is hope but a good opinion of enjoying its object; indeed a good opinion is so necessary for hope, that it makes almost all its kinds and differences; as it is greater or lesser, so it causeth the strength or weak∣ness, the excess or defect of this passion, hope: This good opinion is that which renders hope either doubtful, or certain; if certain, it produceth confidence or presumption; presumption is nothing but an immoderate hope without a ground: but confidence is that assurance of the thing hoped for in some measure, as if we had it already in hand. Hence it is that we usually say we have great, and strong, and good hopes, when we would speak them assured; which hath occasioned some to define it thus: Hope is a certain grounded confidence that the desired good will come; not to insist on this; all the question is, Whether those promises contained in the Covenant of grace belong unto me? and what are the grounds and foundations on which my hope is built? If the grounds be weak, then hope is doubtful, or presumptuous; but if the grounds be right, then hope is right, and I may cast Anchor, and build upon it.

In the disquisition of these grounds, we shall only search into those qualifications, which the Scripture tells us they are qualified with, with whom the Lord enters into a Cove∣nant of grace; and these we shall reduce, 1. To the condition of the Covenant. 2. To the promise of the Covenant. As —

1. If thou art in Covenant with God, then hath God wrought in thee that condition of the Covenant,* 1.74 a true, and lively, and soul-saving, and justifying faith. Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved. If thou believest, thou shalt be saved. The promise of life contained in the Covenant is made onely to believers; This is so sure a way of tryal,* 1.75 that the Apostle himself directs us thereunto, Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith; Ay, But how shall I examine, for there are many preten∣ders to faith in these dayes? Why thus, 1. True faith will carry thee out of thy self into Christ,* 1.76 I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; a faithful man hath not his life in himself, but in Christ Jesus: he hath his spiritual being in the Father, and in his Son Jesus Christ; he is joyned to the Lord, and is one Spirit; he seeth the Father in the Son, and the Son within himself, and also the Father within himself through the Son;* 1.77 Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you, except ye be reprobates? Ye shall know me (saith Christ) that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you. By faith we enjoy the glory of union. The glory which thou hast given me, I have given them that they may be one even as we are one, I in them, and thou in me; though we have not the glory of equality, yet we have the glory of likeness; we are one with Christ, and one with the Father by faith in Christ.—2. True faith will carry thee beyond the world; a be∣liever looks on Christ over-coming the world for him, and so by that faith he over∣comes the world through him;* 1.78 This is the Victory that overcometh the world, even your faith: Hence it is that the Saints are said To be cloathed with the Sun, and to have the Moon under their feet; when through faith they are cloathed with The Son of Righteousness, the Lord Jesus; then they trample upon all sublunary things, as nothing worth in comparison of Christ. 3. True faith is ever accompanied with true love: if once by faith thou apprehendest Gods love, and Christs love to thee, thou canst not but love that God, and love that Christ who loved thee, and gave him∣self for thee;* 1.79 We love him, because he first loved us; he that loveth not God, hath not apprehended Gods love to him; if ever God in Christ be presented to thee for thy justification,* 1.80 it is such a lovely object, that thou canst not but love him; He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love. 4. True faith purifies the heart, and purgeth

out sin; When God discovers this, that he will heal back-sliding, and love freely, and turn away his anger, then Ephraim shall say, What have I any more to do with Idols?* 1.81 if ever Christ reveal himself as the object of our Justification, he will be sure to present himself as the pattern of our Sanctification: the knowledge of Gods Goodness will make us in love with holiness; they shall fear and tremble, for all the goodness, and for all the prosperity,* 1.82 that I procure unto them, saith the Lord: The golden chain of Mercy let down from Hea∣ven, doth bind us faster to the service of our God. 5. Above all, observe the rise: true faith, if it be true, it is ever bottomed upon the sense and pain of a lost condition; spiri∣tual poverty is the nearest capacity of believing: this is faiths method, be condemned to be saved: be sick and be healed. Faith is a flower of Christ's own planting, but it grows in no Soul but onely on the margin and bank of the Lake of fire and brimstone; in regard there's none so fit for Christ and Heaven, as those who are self-sick, and self-condemned to Hell. They that be whole, need not a Physician (saith Christ) but they that are sick.* 1.83 This is a Foundation of Christ, that because the man is broken, and hath not bread, therefore he must be sold, and Christ must buy him, and take him home to his fire-side, and cloath him, and feed him there. I know Satan argues thus, Thou art not worthy of Christ, and therefore what hast thou to do with Christ? but Faith concludes otherwise, I am not worthy of Christ, I am out of measure sinful, I tremble at it, and I am sensible of it, and therefore ought I, and therefore must I come to Christ; this arguing is Gospel-logick, and the right method of a true and saving-faith: for what is faith, but the act of a sinner humbled, weary, laden, poor, and self-condemned? Oh take heed of their doctrine who make faith to act of some vile person never humbled, but applying with an immediate touch, his hot, boyling, and smoaking Lusts, to the bleeding blessed Wounds, and Death of Jesus Christ.

2. If thou art in Covenant with God, then hath God fulfilled in some part the pro∣mises of this Covenant to thy Soul: As —

1. Then hath God put the Law into thy inward parts, and writ it in thy heart: look as Indenture answers to Indenture, or as a face in the glass answers to a face, so the con∣formity of thy heart, and inwards to the Law of God; thou obeyest God's Will, and de∣lightest in that obedience; Thou sayest with David, I delight to do thy Will O God; yea,* 1.84 thy Law is within my Heart.

2. Thou hast a covenant-relation to God, and a covenant-interest in God; and thou art by covenant as one of the people of God. Christ hath thy soul, thy body, thy affections, thy love to the very uttermost; God hath a propriety, and a peculiarity in thee; thou art Christs by Marriage; thou hast past over thy self unto him to be his Jewel, his Spouse, his Diadem, his Crown, his Servant, his Child for ever.

3. Then art thou clearly taught to know the Lord; thou knowest him in another man∣ner than thou didst before; I will establish my Covenant with thee,* 1.85 and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. There is a double knowledge. 1. A speculative knowledge, and thus men may know much, but they are not affected according to the things they know. 2. A practical knowledge; and thus if we know the Lord, we shall see in him that excel∣lency and beauty, that our Hearts will be affectioned towards him, and we shall be able to say, that we love him with all our Heart, and with all our Soul, and with all our Strength.

4. Then hath God pardoned thy sins, and He will remember thy sins no more? But how should I be assured of that? Why thus, — 1. If thou hast sincerely con∣fessed, bewailed, and forsaken thy sins; Wash ye, make ye clean, put away the e∣vil of your doings from before mine Eyes, cease to do evil: — And presently it follows, come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord;* 1.86 though your sins be as Scar∣let, they shall be as white as Snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wooll.* 1.87 To the same purpose, Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have Mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly Pardon. 2. If thy heart, after many storms and troubles be calm∣ed, and quieted through saith in Christ; Being justified by faith, we have peace with God;* 1.88 What? hast thou peace with God? and hath God still'd thy soul with peace? this is an argument of thy sins pardon — 3. If thine Heart be singularly inflamed with the love of Christ; the Woman that Had many sins forgiven her by Christ,* 1.89 she loved him much. Upon that account she wept, and washed his feet with her tears, and so wiped them with the hairs of her head; she kissed his feet, and anointed them with Ointment, nothing was too good for Christ, who had forgiven her all her sins.—

4. If thy heart, and soul, and all that is within be singularly enlarged to praise God for his pardons;* 1.90 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who for∣giveth all thine iniquities. If thine heart feel his pardons, thy mouth will sing his praises; and hereby thou may'st be assured that God hath pardoned all thy sins.

Come now; are these, O my soul, the grounds of thy hopes? a lively faith in Jesus? an accomplishment in some measure of the promises of the Covenant? why, these are the fewel of hope; if this be thy case, act thy hope strongly on Christ, and on the covenant of grace; say not, hope is onely of things future, and therefore if I be already in covenant, What need I hope? For whether thou art in covenant or no, it is the main question here; nay, though it be granted that thou art in covenant, and that hope is swallowed up in the compleat presence of its object; yet it is not at all dimi∣nished, but rather encreased by a partial presence. As in massie bodies, though violent motion be weakest in the end, yet natural motions are ever swiftest towards the center: so in the hopes of men, though such as are violent and groundless, prove weaker and weaker, yet those that are stayed and natural (or rather gracious) are evermore stronger and stronger, till they procure the utmost presence and union of their object. The nearer we come to a fruition of a good, the more impatient we are to want it. O then hope in Jesus! draw on thy hope yet more and more in this Covenant of grace! be not content onely with an hope of expectation, but bring it on to an hope of confidence, or assurance; thou canst not fail if thou hangest thy hope on Jesus: Christ is not fastened as a loose nail, or as a broken rotten hedge in the covenant of grace; he is there As a nail in a sure place;* 1.91 and they shall hang on him all the glory of his Fathers house; the off-spring and the issue; all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flaggons. Come soul, thou art a vessel of small quantity, hang all thy weight on Christ, he is a nail that cannot break.

SECT. V. Of Believing in Jesus in that Respect.

5. WE must believe on Jesus carrying on this great work of our salvation in a way of covenant. Many a time Satan comes and hurles in a temptation, What? Is it likely that God should enter into a covenant with thee? yea, sometimes he so rivets in this temptation, that he darkens all within, and there's no sight of comfort in the soul: O but now believe! now if ever is the season for faith to act; little evidence and much adherence speaks saith to purpose. We read of some who could stay themselves upon the Lord, whiles they walked in darkness upon the margin, and borders of a hundred deaths.* 1.92 David fears no evil, though he walked through the valley of the shadow of death; for his faith told him, that God was with him. Heman could say, thy wrath lieth hard upon me, thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves; sure he thought, God could do no more to drown him; not only a wave or two, but all Gods waves were on him, and over him; and yet he believes, Lord I have called daily upon thee. Hezekiahs comforts were at an hard pinch.* 1.93 Mine eyes fail with looking upwards: O Lord I am op∣pressed;* 1.94 yet praying argues believing, Lord undertake for me. Christs sense of com∣forts was ebbe and low, when he wept, and cryed, that he was forsaken of God; yet then his faith is doubled, as the cable of an Anchor is doubled when the storm is more than ordinary,* 1.95 my God, my God.

Poor soul! thou standest wondering at this great condescention of God; What? That God should enter into covenant with me? What? that God should make such great and preci∣ous promises with me? Surely these comforts, and these priviledges, are too high for me, or for any soul breathing. — It may be so; and yet be not discouraged, for God will magnifie his grace, and therefore he will do this great thing; all that thou hast to do, and all that God requires of thee, in this case, is onely to believe; indeed thou hast no part in Christ, no part in the covenant of grace, if thou wilt not believe; faith is the condition of the covenant of grace; and therefore either believe, or no covenant.

I know it is not easie to believe; nay, it is one of the hardest things under heaven to perswade a soul into faith: What? Will the great God of heaven make a Covenant with such a wretch as I am? I cannot believe it. Why, What's the matter? Ah my sins, my sins, my sins! God is a consuming fire against such, he cannot endure to behold iniquity: little hopes that ever God should enter into a covenant with me. But to help on, or to allure a soul in, consider, O thou soul, of these following passages.

1. Consider of the sweet and gracious nature of God: that which undoes broken hearts, and trembling souls, it is misconceivings of God: we have many times low, diminishing, ex enuating thoughts of Gods goodness; but we have large thoughts of his power and wrath: now to rectifie these misapprehensions, consider his name, and therein his nature, the Lord, the Lord, Merciful, and Gracious, Long-suffering, and abundant in Goodness, and Truth, keeping mercy for Thousands forgiving Iniquity, Transgressions, & Sins; and will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children, and upon the Childrens Children, unto the Third and Fourth Generation. O terrible Text!* 1.96 sayes the Soul, alas I am guilty of thousands of sins; and if this be his Name I am un∣done, woe to me and mine, unto the Third and Fourth Generation. But consider again, and in this description of God we shall find an Ocean of Mercy to a Drop of Wrath; a Sea of Oyl to an half drop of scalding Lead. For,—

1. God doth not begin, the Lord, the Lord, that will by no means clear the guilty; but, the Lord, the Lord, Merciful, and Gracious, Long-suffering; this is the first and greatest part of his Name; God is loath to speak in justice, and wrath; he keeps it to the last; m••rcy lies uppermost in Gods heart; if the sentence must come, it shall be the last day of the Assize.

2 Many words are used to speak his goodness: Merciful, Gracious, Long-suffering and abundant in Goodness, keeping Mercy for Thousands, forgiving Iniquity, Transgression and Sin; here be six several phrases, to shew the Riches of his Goodness, but when he speaks his wrath, what haste makes he over it? there's only two expressions of that; it was a Theam he took no delight in; Judgment is his Work, his strange Work;* 1.97 for he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the Children of Men.

3. There's a difference in the expression; when God speaks of mercy,* 1.98 he expresseth it thus, abundant in Mercy; keeping Mercy for Thousands. But in visiting sins, it is not to thousands, but only to the Third or Fourth Generation. Surely Mercy rejoyceth against Judgment. God would shew Mercy to Thousands,* 1.99 rather than he would destroy three or four.

4. What if by no means God will clear the guilty? stubbornly guilty? yet never will he destroy humble souls that lye at his feet, and are willing to have mercy on his easie terms. How shall I give thee up Ephraim, how shall I deliver thee O Israel?* 1.100 how shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim? My heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together, I will not execute the fierceness of Mine anger, I will not destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not Man, the Holy One in the middest of ••••ee; O my soul! why standest thou at a distance with God? Why dost thou fancy a Lion in the way? O b••lieve in God, believe in Jesus! and believe thy portion in this Covenant of grace! have sweet and delightful thoughts of Gods nature, and thou wilt not, thou canst not sly from him: some are of opinion that a soul may fetch more encou∣ragements to believe, from the consideration of Gods gracious and merciful nature, than from the promise it self.

2. Consider of the sweet and gracious nature of Jesus Christ: our thoughts of God are necessarily more strange than of Jesus Christ, because of our infinite distance from the Godhead; but in Christ, God is come down into our nature, and so infinite goodness, and mercy is incarnate; art thou afraid, O my soul, at his name Jah, and Je∣hovah! O remember his name is Emanuel; the Lyon is here disrobed of his garment of terrour; his rough hair is turned into a soft wooll; see thy God disrobed of his terrible Majesty, see thy God is a man, and thy Judg is a Brother; mince Jehovah with Jesus, and the Serpent wi••l be a rod; O that Balsamy name, Jesus; that name that founds healing for every wound, settlement for every distraction, comfort for every sorrow: but here's the misery, souls in distress had rather be poring on hell than heaven; rather frighting themselves with the terrours of justice, than staying themselves with the fl••ggons of Mercy. O my soul, how canst thou more contradict the nature of Christ, and the Gospel-description of Christ, than to think him a destroyer of men? b••t wherein appears the gracious nature of Christ? I answer, in his being incarnate, O how could Jesus have manifested more willingness to save, than that the God-head should condescend to assume our nature? surely this is ten thousand times more condescention, than for the greatest King to become a sly, or a toad, to save such crea∣tures as toads and flyes. 2. In his tender dealing with all sorts of sinners, he professed th t he came into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He wept over Jerusalem, saying, O Jerusalem, Je••usalem,* 1.101 how

oft would I have gathered thee as an Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings? but ye would not. I would, but ye would not And when his Disciples would have had fire come down from Heaven to consume tho••e that refused him, he reproves them, and tells them, they know not of what spirits they were of. 3. In his care of his own; not caring what he suffered, so they might be saved. Alas, alas, that the Lord Jesus should pass through a life of misery, to a death more miserable, to manifest openly to the world the abun∣dance of his love; and yet that any soul should suspect him of cruelty, or unwillingness to shew mercy! Ah my soul, believe; never cry out, my sins, my sins, my sins; there is a gracious nature and inclination in Jesus Christ to pardon all.

3. Consider of that office of saving, and shewing mercy, which Christ hath set up; this is more than meerly a gracious inclination; Christ hath undertaken and set up an office to seek, and to save that which was lost; to bring home straying Souls to his Father, to be the great Peace-maker between God and Man, to reconcile God to man, and man to God, and so to be the Head and Husband of his People. Is not here a world of encouragement to believe in Jesus? what? to consider him as one who hath made it his office to heal, and relieve, and to restore, and to reconcile? Among Merchants I remember they have an office of security, that if you dare not adven∣ture on Seas, yet there you may be ensured, if you will but put in at that Office: in this manner Christ hath constituted and assumed the office of being a Mediator, the Redeemer, and the Saviour of men; he hath erected, and set up on purpose an office of meer love, and tender compassion, for the relief of all poor distressed sin∣ners: if they dare not venture otherwise, yet let them put in at this office. O what jealous hearts have we that will not trust Christ, that will not take the word of Christ without an office of security? surely Christ never so carried himself to any soul, that it need be jealous of his love and faithfulndess, yet this dear husband meets with many a jealous spouse: O my soul take heed of this! Satan hath no greater design upon thee than to perswade thee to entertain hard thoughts of Christ: believe! never say God will not take thee into Covenant, for to this purpose he hath erected an office to save and have mercy.

Consider of those tenders and offers of Christ, those intreaties and beseechings to accept of Christ, which are made in the Gospel. What is the Gospel? or what is the sum of all the Gospel, but this? O take Christ, and life in Christ, that thou may'st be saved: what mean these free offers, Ho every one that thirsteth come to the waters, and whosoever will, let him take of the Waters of Life freely: and God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, &c. God is the first suitor and solicitor, he first prayes the Soul to take Christ. Hark at the door! who is it that knocks there? who is it that calls now,* 1.102 even now? open unto me my Sister, my Love, my Dove, my Ʋnde∣filed, for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night? See him through the windows, this can be none but Christ: his sweet language of Sister, Love, and Dove, bespeaks him Christ; his suffering language, that his head is filled with dew, and his locks wih the drops of the Night? bespeaks him Christ; But harken the motion he makes to thy Soul; Soul! consider what price I have given to save thee; this my body was crucified, my hands and feet nailed, my heart pierced, and through anguish I was forced to cry, my soul is heavy, heavy unto death, and now what remains for thee but onely to believe? See all things ready on my part, remission, justification, sanctification, salvation; I will be thy God and thou shalt be of the number of my People; I offer now my self and merits, and benefits flowing there-from, and I intreat thee accept of this offer. O take Christ, and Life, and Salvation in Christ What is this the voice of my beloved? are these the intreaties of Jesus? and O my soul, wilt thou not believe? wilt thou not accept of this Gracious offer of Christ? O consider who is this that proclaimeth, inviteth, beseecheth? if a poor man should offer thee moun∣tains of gold thou mightest doubt of performance, because he is not of that Power; if a covetous rich man should offer thee thousands of silver, thou mightest doubt of performance, because it is contrary to his nature; but Christ is neither poor, nor covetous; as he is able, so his Name is gracious, and his nature is to be faithful in performance; his Covenant is sealed with his blood, and confirmed by his oath, that all shall have pardon that will but come in, and believe: O then let these words of Christ (whose lips like lillies are dropping down pure myrrhe) prevail with thy soul, say Amen to his offer, I believe, Lord help my unbelief.

5. Consider of those Commands of Christ, which notwithstanding all thy excuses and pretences, he fastens on thee to believe: And this is his Commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ. Surely this Command should infinitely out∣weigh and prevail against all other Countermands of Flesh and Blood, of Satan, Na∣ture, Reason, Sense, and all the World. Why this Command is thy very ground and warrant, against which the very Gates of Hell can never possibly prevail: when Abra∣ham had a command too kill his own only dear Son, with his own hand, though it was matter of as great grief as could possibly pierce his heart; yet he would readily and willingly submit to it; how much more shouldst thou obey, when God commands no more, but that thou shouldest belive on the name of his Son Jesus Christ? There's no evil in this Command; no, no, it comprehends in it all good Imaginable; have Christ, and thou hast with him the excellency and variety of all blessings both of heaven and earth; have Christ, and thou hast with him a discharge of all those endless and easless torments of Hell; have Christ, and thou hast with him the glorious Deity it self, to be enjoyed through him to all Eternity. O then believe in Jesus! suffer not the Devils cavils, and the groundless exceptions of thine own heart to prevail with thee against the direct Com∣mandment of Almighty God.

6. Consider of these Messages of Christ, which he daily sends by the hands of his Gos∣pel-Ministers. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christs stead, be ye Reconciled unto God. What a wonder is here!* 1.103 Would not an earthly Prince disdain and hold it in foul scorn to send unto his inferiour re∣bellious slaves for reconcilement? It is otherwise with Christ; he is content to put up at our hands all indignities and affronts; he is glad to sue to us first, and to send his Am∣bassadors day after day, beseeching us to be reconciled unto him: O incomprehensible depth of unspeakable Mercy, and Incouragement to come to Christ! That I may digress a little, say thou that readest, wilt thou take Christ to thy Bridegroom, and forsake all others? This is the Message which God hath bid me (unworthy Ambassadour) to deli∣ver to thee: the Lord Jesus expects an answer from thee; and I should be glad at heart to return a fit answer to him that sent me; say then, dost thou like well of the Match? wilt thou have Christ for thy Husband? wilt thou enter into Covenant with him? wilt thou surrender up thy Soul to thy God? wilt thou rely on Christ, and apply Christs merits particularly to thy self? wilt thou believe? for that is it I mean by taking, and receiving, and marrying of Christ: Oh happy if I could but Joyn Christ and thy Soul to∣gether this day! Oh happy thou, if thou wouldst this day be perswaded by a poor Am∣bassadour of Christ! Blame me not if I am an importunate Messenger; if ever I hear from thee, let me hear some good News, that I may return it to Heaven, and give God the Glory. Come, say on; art thou willing to have Christ? wouldst thou have thy name enrolled in the Covenant of Grace? shall God be thy God, and Christ thy Christ? wilt thou have the Person of Christ, and all those priviledges flowing from the Blood of Christ? sure thou art willing, art thou not? stay then; thou must take Christ on these terms; thou must believe on him (i e.) Thou must take him as thy Saviour and Lord, thou must take him, and forsake all others for him. This is the true Faith, the condition of the Covenant: O believe in Jesus, and the Match is made, the hands are struck, the Co∣venant established, and all doubts removed.

SECT. VI. Of loving Jesus in that respect.

6 WE must love Jesus, as carrying on this great work of our Salvation in a way of Covenant. I know Love is reckoned as the first and fundamental Passion of all the rest; some call it the first springing and out-going affection of the Soul; and therefore I might have put it in the first place, before Hope or Desire; but I chuse ra∣ther to place it in this Method, as (me thinks) most agreeing (if not to the order of Nature, yet) to the Spiritual workings, as they appear in my Soul. When a Good is propounded' first I desire, and then I hope, and then I believe, and then I love. And some describing this spiritual love, they tell me, it is an holy disposition of the heart,* 1.104 arising from Faith. But to let these niceties pass for a Spiders web (curious, but thin) certain it is that I cannot believe all these transactions of God, by Christ in a Covenant-way for me, but I must needs love that God, & love that Christ who hath thus firstly & freely loved my soul;

go on then O my Soul, put fire to the harth, blow on thy little spark, set before thee God's Love, and thou canst not but love; and therein Consider, 1. The Time. 2. The Properties. 3. The Effects of Gods love. 1. For The Time; He Loved thee before the World was made: hast thou not heard? and wilt thou ever forget it? were not those ancient Loves from all eternity admirable, astonishing, ravishing Loves? 2, He Loved thee in the very beginning of the world: was not the promise expressed to Adam in∣tended for thee? as thou sinnedst in his loins, so didst thou in his loins receive the Pro∣mise, It shall bruise thy head: And not long after, when God established his Covenant with Abraham and his Seed, wast not thou one of that Seed of Abraham? If ye are Christs,* 1.105 then are ye Abrahams Seed, and heirs according to the Promise. 3. He loves thee now more especially, not only with a Love of benevolence, as before; but with a love of complacency: not only hath he struck Covenant with Christ, with Adam, with Abraham in thy behalf, but particularly and personally with thy self; and O what Love is this? If a woman lately conceiving, love her future fruit; how much more doth she love it when it is born and embraced in her Arms? So if God loved thee before thou hadst a being, yea before the world or any Creature in it had a being, how much more now? O the height, and depth, and length and breadth of this immeasurable Love! O my Soul, I cannot express the Loves of God in Christ to thee; I do but draw the Picture of the Son with a coal, when I endeavour to express Gods love in Christ.

2. For the properties of this Love: 1. Gods Love to thee is an eternal Love. He was thinking in his eternity of thee in this manner, At such a time there shall be such. Man and such a Woman living on the earth: in the last times such a one (I mean thou that readest, if thou believest) and to that Soul I will reveal my self, and communicate my loves; to that soul I will offer Christ, and give it the hand of Christ to lay hold on Christ; and to that purpose now I write down the Name in the Book of Life, and none shall be able to blot it out again. Oh eternal Love! Oh the blessed transactions between the Father and the Son, from all eternity to manifest his Love to thy very Soul!

2. Gods love to thee is a choice Love; it is an elective, separating Love: when he passed by and left many thousands,* 1.106 then, even then he sets his heart on thee: Was not Esau Jacobs brother? saith God, yet I loved Jacob, and hated Esau. So, wert not thou such an ones Brother, or such an ones Sister that remained wicked and ungodly? wert not thou of such a Family; whereas many, or some are passed by, yet God hath loved thee, and pitched his Love on thee: Surely this is choice Love.

* 1.1073. Gods Love to thee is a free Love: I will love them freely, saith God, And the Lord did not set his Love upon you, and chuse you, because ye were more in number than any people, — but because the Lord loved you; there can be no other reason why the Lord loved thee, but because he loved thee. We use to say, this is a womans reason, I will do it because I will do it; but here we find it is Gods reason, though it may seem strange arguing; yet Moses can go no higher, he loved thee, why? because he loved thee.

Gods love to thee is the Love of all relations: look what a friends Love is to a friend, or what a Fathers Love is towards a Child, or what an Husbands Love is towards a Wife; such is Gods Love to thee; thou art his Friend, his Son, his Daughter, his Spouse; and God is thy All in All.

3. For the Effects of his Love: 1. God so Loves thee, as that he hath entered into a Covenant with thee. O what a Love is this? tell me, O my soul, is there not an infi∣nite disparity betwixt God and thee? He is God above, and thou art a Worm below: He is the High and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose Name is Holy: and thou art less than the least of all the Mercies of God: O wonder at such a condescention! that such a Potter, and such a Former of things should come on terms of bargaining with such clay as is guilty before him! Had we the tongues of Men and Angels, we could never express it!

God so loves thee, as that in the Covenant he gives thee all his Promises? Indeed what is the Covenant but an accumulation, or heap of Promises? As a cluster of stars makes a Constellation; so as a mass of promises concurreth in the Covenant of Grace; where-ever Christ is, clusters of divine promises grow out of him; as the motes, rayes and beames are from the Sun. I shall instance in some few. As, —

1. God in the Covenant gives the world. All is yours, whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas or the World,* 1.108 1 Cor. 3.22. First seek the Kingdom of God, and his righteous∣ness, and all these things shall be added unto you. These temporary blessings are a part of the Covenant which God hath made to his People; It is he that giveth thee Power to

get wealth, that he may establish his Covenant which he sware unto thy Fathers. Others,* 1.109 I know, may have the World, but they have it not by a Covenant-right; it may be thou hast but a little, a very little of the world; well, but thou hast it by a Covenant-right, and so it is an earnest of all the rest.

2. As God in the Covenant gives thee the world, so in comparison of thee and his other Saints, he cares not what becomes of all the world. I loved thee, saith God,* 1.110 there∣fore will I give men for thee, and people for thy Life: If the case be so, that it cannot be well with thee, but great evils must come upon others, kindred, people and nations, I do not so much care for them, saith God, my heart is on thee, so as in Comparison of thee, I care not what becomes of all the world: O the love of God to his Saints!

3. God in the Covenant pardons thy sins; this is another fruit of Gods love: Ʋnto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins by his own blood;* 1.111 it cost him dear to pardon our sins; even the heart-blood of Christ: such were the transactions betwixt God and Christ: if thou wilt take upon thee to deliver souls from sin (saith God to his Son) thou must come thy self, and be made a Curse for their Sin: Well (saith Christ) thy will be done in it; though I lose my Life, though it cost me the best blood in my heart, yet let me deliver them from sin: This exceedingly heightens Christs Love, that he should fore∣see thy sin, and that yet he should Love. Many times we set our Love on some outward unthankful Creatures, and we say, could I but have foreseen this untowardness, they should never have had my Love: but now the Lord did foresee all thy sins, and all thy ill requitals for love, and yet it did not once hinder his love towards thee, but he puts this in the Covenant, I will forgive their Iniquities, and remember their sins no more.* 1.112

4. God in the Covenant gives thee Holiness and Sanctification. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness, and from all your Idols will I cleanse you: this Holiness is our excellency in the eyes of Men and Angels: this is the Crown and Diadem upon the heads of Saints: whence David calls them by the name of excellent ones. Holiness is a Spirit of Glory, 1 Pet. 4.14. it is the delight of God:* 1.113 as a Father delights himself in seeing his own Image in his Children, so God delights him∣self in the Holiness of his Saints: God loved them before with a love of benevolence and good-will, but now he loves them with a love of complacency:* 1.114 The Lord takes pleasure in those that fear him; the Lord takes pleasure in his People. Holiness is the very Essence of God, the Divine Nature of God: O what is this, that God should put his own na∣ture into thee? You are partakers of the Divine Nature. O what a love is this that God should put his own Life into thee? that he should enable thee to live the very same life that he himself lives? remember that piece of the Covenant, I will put my Law into their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.

5. God in the Covenant gives thee the knowledg of himself: it may be thou knew∣est him before: but 'tis another kind of knowledg that God now gives thee than thou hadst before. When God teaches the Soul to know him, it looks on God with another eye: it sees now another beauty in God than ever it saw before: for all that knowledg that it had before, bred not love: only Covenant-knowledg of God works in the Soul a true Love of God. But how doth this Covenant-knowledg work this Love? I shall tell you my own experiences: I go through all the Virtues, Graces and Excellencies that are most amiable: and I look in the Scriptures, and there I find them in God alone: if ever I saw any excellency in any man, or in any Creature, I think with my self, there is more in God that made that Creature: He that made the Eye, shall not he see? And so he that made that Loveliness, is not he Lovely? Now when by these Mediums I have presented God thus lovely to my Soul, then I begin to feel my heart to warm. As when I conceive such an Idea of a man, that he is of such a carriage, behaviour, disposition, that he hath a mind thus, and thus framed, qualified and beautified, why then I love him; so when I apprehend the Lord aright, when I observe him as he is described in his Word; when I observe his doings, and consider his workings, and learn from all these together a right Idaea, opinion or apprehension of him, then my will follows my under∣standing, and my affections follow them both; and I come to love God, and to delight in God. O here's a sweet knowledg! surely it was God's Love in Christ to put this blessed Article into the Covenant of grace; They shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord.

6. God in the Covenant of grace gives thee his Son.* 1.115 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have ever∣lasting life. Nay more, as God hath given thee his Son, so he hath given thee

himself. O my Soul, wouldest thou not think it a marvellous love, if God should say to thee, Come Soul, I Will give thee all the World for thy Portion; or that I may give thee a testimony that I love thee, I will make another world for thy sake, and I will make thee Em∣perour of that world also. Surely thou wouldst say, God loves me dearly; ay but in that God hath given thee his Son, and given thee himself, this is a greater degree of Love. Christi••ns! stand amazed; Oh what love is this to the Children of men! Oh that we should live to have our ears filled with this sound from Heaven! I will be a God to thee and to thy Seed after thee, I am the Lord thy God; I will be their God, and they shall be my Peo∣ple. O my Soul, where hast thou been? rouze up, and recollect, and set before thee all these passages of Gods Love in Christ; are not these strong atractives to gain thy love; what wilt thou do? canst thou chuse to love the Lord thy God? shall not all this love of God in Christ to thee constrain thy love? It is the expression of the Apostle, The Love of God constrains us:* 1.116 God in Christ is the very Element of Love, and whither should Love go but to the Element? Air goes to Air, and Earth to Earth, and all the Rivers to the Sea:* 1.117 every Element will to its proper place: Now God is Love, and whither should thy Love be carried, but to this Ocean, or Sea of Love? Come my Beloved (said the Spouse to Christ) let us get up early to the vineyards,* 1.118 let us see if the Vines flourish, whe∣ther the tender grapes appear; there will I give thee my Loves: The flourishing of the Vine, and the appearing of the tender grapes are the fruits of the graces of God in the Assemblies of his Saints; now wheresoever things appear, whether in Assemblies, or in secret Ordinances, then and there (saith the Bride) will I give thee my Loves; when thou comest to the Word, Prayer, Meditation, be sure of this, to give Christ thy Love: What? doth Christ manifest his presence there? is there any abounding of his graces there? O let thy Love abound: by how much more thou feelest Gods Love towards thee, by so much more do thou love thy God again: many sins being forgiven, how shouldst thou but Love much?

SECT. VII. Of joying in Jesus in that respect.

WE must joy in Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation in a way of Covenant. I know our joy here is but in part; such is the excellency of Spiritual joy, that it is reserved for Heaven; God will not permit it to be pure and per∣fect here below: and yet such as it is (though mingled with cares and pains) it is a bles∣sed duty; it is the light of our souls: and were it quite taken away, our lives would be nothing but Horrour and Confusion: O my Soul, if thou didst not hope to encoun∣ter joy in all thy Acts, thou wouldst remain languishing and immoveable, thou wouldst be without action and vigour, thou wouldst speak no more of Jesus, or of a Covenant of grace, or of God, or Christ, or Life, or glory. — Well then go on O my Soul, and joy in Jesus; if thou lovest him, what should hinder thy rejoycing in him? It is a Maxime, that as Love Proceeds, so if there be nothing that retaines the Appetite, it alwayes goes from Love to Joy. One motion of the Appetite towards good is to be united to it, and the next Appetite towards good is to enjoy it: now Love consists in union, and joy in fruition; for what is fruition, but a joy that we find in the possession of that thing we love? Much ado there is amongst Philosophers concerning the differences of Love and Joy. Some give it thus; As is the motion of fluid Bodies which run towards their Center, and think to find their rest there; but being there, they stop not, and therefore they return, and scatter themselves on themselves, they swell and overflow: So in the passion of Love, the Appetite runs to the beloved Object, and unites it self to it, and yet its motion ends not there; for by this passion of joy, it re∣turns the same way; again it scatters it self on it self, and overflows those Powers which are nearest to it; by this effusion the soul doubles on the Image of the good it hath re∣ceived, and so it thinks to possess it more; it distills it self into that faculty, which first acquainted it with the knowledg of the Object, and by that means it makes all the parts of the Soul concur to the possession of it. Hence they say, That joy is an effusion of the Appetite, whereby the Soul spreads it self on what is good, to possess it the more perfectly.

But not to stay in the inquiry of its Nature, O my Soul, be thou in the exercise of this Joy; Is there not cause? come see, and own thy Blessedness; take notice of the great things the Lord hath done for thee. As,— 1. He hath made a Covenant with

thee of temporal mercies; thou hast all thou hast by free-holding of Covenant-Grace: thy Bread is by Covenant, thy sleep is by Covenant, thy safety from Sword is by the Covenant, the very tilling of thy Land is by a Covenant of Grace, Ezek. 36.34. O how sweet is this? Every Crum is from Christ, and by virtue of a Covenant of Grace.

2. He hath made a Covenant with thee, of spiritual mercies; even a Covenant of Peace, and Grace, and Blessing, and Life for evermore; God is become thy God, he is all things to thee; he hath forgiven thy sins, he hath given thee his Spirit, to lead thee, to sanctifie thee, to uphold thee in that state wherein thou standest; and at last he will bring thee to a full enjoyment of himself in Glory, where thou shalt bless him, and rejoyce before him with joy unspeakable and full of glory. O pluck up thy heart, lift up thy head, strengthen the weak hands and the feeble knees; serve the Lord with gladness and joyfulness of Spirit, considering the day of thy Salvation draweth nigh. Write it in Letters of Gold, that thy God is in Covenant with thee, to love thee, to bless thee, and to save thee. Yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and receive thee to him∣self, and then thou shalt fully know what it is to have God to be thy God, or to be in Covenant with God. I know these Objects rejoyce not every heart; a man out of Co∣venant, if he look on God, he is a consuming fire: if on the Law, it is a Sentence of Condemnation; if on the Earth, it brings forth Thorns by reason of sins; if on Hea∣ven, the Gate is shut; if on the Signes in Heaven, Fire, Meteors, Thunder, strike in him a terrour. But O my Soul, this is not thy case: a Man in Covenant with God, looks on these things with another eye; if he look on God, he saith, This is my Fa∣ther; if on Christ, this is my elder Brother; if on Angels, these are my Keepers; if on Heaven, this is my House; if on the Signes of Heaven, Fire, Meteors, Thun∣der, these are but the effects of my Fathers Power; if on the Law, the Son of God hath fulfilled it for me; if on Prosperity, God hath yet better things for me in store; if on Adversity, Jesus Christ hath suffered much more for me than this; if on the De∣vil, Death, and Hell, he saith with the Apostle, O Death! where is thy Sting?* 1.119 O Grave! where is thy Victory? Come poor soul, is it not thus with thee? what? art thou in Covenant with God, or art thou not? If yet thou doubtest, review thy grounds of hope, and leave not there, till thou comest up to some measure of assurance: but if thou art perswaded of thy Interest, O then rejoyce therein; is it not a Gospel-duty to rejoyce in the Lord, and again to rejoyce? The Lord is delighted in thy delights:* 1.120 he would fain have it thy constant frame and daily business to live in joy, and to be alwayes de∣lighting thy self in him.

This one Promise, I am the Lord thy God, is enough to cause thy appetite to run to it, and to unite it self to it by Love; and to scatter it self on it, and to overflow those pow∣ers of the Soul that are nearest to it, that every part of the Soul may concur to the pos∣session of it. Bless the Lord, O my Soul (saith David) and all that is within me bless his holy Name. So rejoyce in the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me, rejoyce in the Name of God. This is true joy, when the soul unites it self to the good possessed in all its parts: And was there ever such an object of true joy as this? Heark, as if Hea∣ven opened, and the voice came from God in Heaven; I will be a God to thee, and to thy Seed after thee: I am the Lord thy God; and I will be thy God. What? doth not thy heart leap in thy bosom at this sound? John the Baptist leaped in his mothers womb for joy, at the sound of Maries Voice; and doth not thy soul spring within thee at this voice of God? O wonder! some can delight themselves in sin; and is not God better than sin? Others more refined, and indeed sanctified, can delight themselves in remission of Sin, in Grace, Pardon, Holiness, Fore-thoughts of Heaven; how exceedingly have some gracious hearts been ravished with such thoughts? But is not God, the objective happiness, the Fountain-blessedness, more rejoycing than all these? Why? Dear soul if there be in thee any rejoycing faculty, now awake, and stir it up; it is the Lord thy God whom thou art to rejoyce in; it is he whom the glorious spirits joy in: it is he who is the top of Heavens joy, their exceeding joy: and it is he who is thy God as well as their God. Enough! enough! or if this be not enough, hear thy Duty as the Lord commands thee: Rejoyce in the Lord, Phil. 3.1.* 1.121 Be glad ye Children of Zion, and re∣joyce in the Lord your God, Joel 2.23.* 1.122 Rejoyce in the Lord all ye Righteous, for praise is comely for the upright, Psal. 33.1.* 1.123 Rejoyce in the Lord ye Righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness, Psal. 97.12.* 1.124 Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoyce, let th••m ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them; let them also that love thy Name be joyful in thee, Psal. 5.11.* 1.125 Let the Righteous be glad, let them rejoyce before

God, yea let them exceedingly rejoyce, Psal. 68.3.* 1.126 Glory ye in his holy Name, let the heart of them rejoyce that seek the Lord, Psal. 105.3.* 1.127 Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him, let the Children of Zion be joyful in their King, Psal. 149.3.* 1.128 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoyce O ye Righteous, and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart, Psal. 23.11.* 1.129 O what pressing Commands are these?

SECT. VIII. Of calling on Jesus in that respect.

1. WE must call on Jesus, or on God the Father in and through Jesus in reference to this gracious Covenant: Now this calling on God containes Prayer and Praise.

* 1.1301. We must pray: we must use Arguments of Faith challenging God, Turn thou me, and I shall be turned: Why? for thou art the Lord my God. This Covenant is the ground on which all Prayers must be bottomed; the Covenant we know contains all the Pro∣mises, and what is Prayer but Promises turned into Petitions? Thus prayed the Pro∣phet Jeremy,* 1.131 Do not abhor us for thy Names sake, do not disgrace the Throne of thy Glory, remember, break not thy Covenant with us.—VVhy? Art not thou he the Lord our God? And thus prayed the Prophet Isaiah,* 1.132 Be not wroth very sore, neither remember iniquity for ever, behold we beseech thee; and why so? we ar•• all thy Poople: q. d. Every one doth for its own: the Prince for his People, the Father for his Children, and the Shepherd for his Sheep: and will not God do for his own in covenant with him? Be thy soul in the saddest desertion, yet come and spread the Covenant before God: A Soul in the great∣est depth, swimming on this Covenant of Grace, it keeps it from sinking; whence Christ in his blackest, saddest hour, prayed thus, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Be thy Soul in trouble for sin and prevailing corruption: yet go to God, and plead his Promise and Covenant: say as Johoshaphat, Lord, I am so born down by the power of my sin, that I know not what to do, only mine eyes are unto thee; O do thou subdue mine ini∣quities. Be thy soul troubled for want of strength to do this or that duty; yet go to God and Christ in the Covenant of Grace, and say, Lord thou knowest I have no strength of my self, I am a barren Wilderness, but thou hast entred into a Covenant of Grace with me, that thou wilt put thy Law into my inward parts, thou wilt cause me to keep thy judgments, and do them. Ezek. 36.27.* 1.133 As sometimes thou saidst to Gideon; I have sent thee, there∣fore I will be with thee, Judg. 6.16.* 1.134 Many are apt to set upon their duties in their own strength; but Oh my soul, look thou to the promise of Grace, and of the Spirit, and put them in suit, and alledge them unto Christ. Many are apt to work out their sanctifica∣tions by their VVatchfulness, Resolutions, Vows, Promises made unto God; but alas, were there not more help in Gods Promises which he makes to us, than in our Promises which we make to him, we might lie in our pollutions for ever. O here's the way; in every want, or strait, or necessity, fly to God and Christ, saying, Thou art our Father, and we are thy People, O break not thy Covenant with us. I confess strong expressions and af∣fections are good in Prayer, but surely strength of Faith in the Covenant of God is the greatest strength of our Prayer.

Here it may be some Soul will object,* 1.135 O if I were assured that I were in Covenant with God, thus would I pray: but alas, I am a Stranger, an Alien, and so have been to this very day, I have no part in the Covenant.

I Answer,* 1.136 If thou art not actually in Covenant, yet thou may'st be in Covenant in re∣spect of Gods purpose and gracious intention. Howsoever, to encourage all to seek un∣to God, consider these Particulars.—

1. The Freeness of the Promise in this Covenant of Grace; Come and buy Wine with∣out Money or Money-worth,* 1.137 come, and drink of the Waters of Life freely.

2. The extent of the Promise in this Covenant of Grace: I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; hence the Gospel is compared to a Feast, and God invites universally: As many as you find,* 1.138 bid to the Marriage. As persons are in estate, so they invite, and so they feast: now Christ is a great King over all the Earth; he hath one House that will hold all; he hath one Table that will hold all: yea, he hath one Dish that will serve all; and answerably he invites all: Ho every one that thirsteth.

3. The forwardness of Christ, that gives to every one that asketh, according to his Promise.* 1.139 Hadst thou but asked (said Christ to the Samaritan VVoman) I would have gi∣ven

thee living water. Mark here the occasion of Christ's, words; Christ being weary and thirsty by reason of his Journey, he asked of the Woman a Cup of water to drink; no great matter; he asks but a Cup of water, and the Woman stands at the Well-side where was water enough; yet she gives not, but stands wondering that he being a Jew should ask water of her that was a Samaritan; well, saith Christ, thou deniest me a Cup of cold water, being weary and thirsty, but hadst thou asked of me, I would have given thee water of Life. Wonderful! Christ is more ready to give water of Life, the very Spirit of God, to a poor sinnner, than we are to give a cup of common water to a thirsty Soul. Go then, thou that hast denied the least mercy and kindness to Christ in any of his Mem∣bers, yet seek Grace from him, O look up unto Jesus! ask his Spirit, intreat him to make thy heart new within thee; plead the promise of his Covenant, and wait in hope.

2 We must praise: 1. If we would have the blessing, let us seek it with the same mind that God offers it (i.e.) with a purpose and desire to have Grace exalted; thus Mo∣ses sought pardon to this very end, that his mercy might appear; If thou wilt pardon their sin, thy mercy shall appear] and we shall be thankful unto thee for it;* 1.140 so the words are made out by expositros, which in the text are either passionately or modestly sus∣pended. These are prevailing requests with God, when we plead for the Glorifying of his own Grace. Father, Glorifie thy Name, said Christ; and presently there comes a voice out of the Cloud, I have Glorified it, and I will Glorifie it again.* 1.141 2. If we have the blessing already, then be sure to ascribe the Glory unto him, that hath made good his promise unto us: who is a God like unto thee,* 1.142 who passest by the transgressions of the rem∣nant of thy Heritage? We should make the praise of his grace to ring through the world, that Heaven and Earth might take notice of it, and wonder at the grace that hath been shewed us. I will mention the loving kindness of the Lord,* 1.143 and the Praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness towards the House of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them, according to his Mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving Kindnesses. See how the Prophet mentions the kindnesses, the loving kindnesses, the multitude of his loving kindnesses; the goodness, and the great goodness of God; he could hardly get off it; he would have God and Grace to have all the Glory: O my Soul, hath God entered thee into a Covenant of Grace? why then bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy Name;* 1.144 But of this more anon.

SECT IX. Of Conforming to Jesus in that respect.

9 WE must conform to Jesus, in reference to this Covenant of Grace: We are changed by beholding, into the same Image.* 1.145 If we look unto Jesus in this respect, this Look will have such an influence upon us, that we shall conform to Jesus. But wherein consists this Conformity? I answer, in these several perticulars:

1. God in Christ offers his Covenant to us; so we through Christ should embrace his Offer.

2. God in Christ keeps Covenant with us; so we through Christ should be careful to keep Covenant with him.

3. God in Christ hath highly honoured us as we are his People: so we through Christ should highly honour him as he is our God.

1. God in Christ offers a Covenant of Grace to us; so we through Christ should embrace this gracious Offer. His Offers have appeared from first to last: as, 1. To A∣dam. 2. To Abraham. 3. To Moses. 4. To David. 5. To Israel, and to Judah. Take notice of it in that great promise of the Covenant, I will be thy God: q. d. Come Soul, if thou wilt but have me, I am thine, here I offer my self, my son, my spirit, Ju∣stification, Sanctification, Adoption, Salvation: whatsoever I am, or whatsoever I have, all is thine, if thou wilt but accept of me: Look over all this wide, wide world, and if there be any thing in it that can please thy soul; and when thou hast gone through all the world, then come and take a view of me, and see me in my glory, beauty and excellency; view me in my Attributes, and see if thou findest not enough in me worthy of thy acceptance: all this, and more than this, nay more than eye can see, or ear can hear, or heart can conceive I offer to thee, if thou wilt but have me; Loe, I will he thy God. So Christians! God is

first with us, he is the first mover, he begins with us before we begin with him: I will bring them (saith God) into the bond of the Covenant. Now in this let us conform; doth he offer? O let us embrace the offer! doth he lead the way? O let us follow him step by step in that very way as he goes before us! Let us not prescribe unto God, let not us presume to appoint the Conditions of the Covenant; let us not seek to wind about the Promise of Grace to our own Mind and Will: let us not say, We will have it thus, thus and thus it shall be or else we will admit of no conditions of peace: But, O come, take God and Christ upon his own Terms; submit to that way of the Covenant, and to those conditions of peace which the Lord prescribeth; why? this is to conform to his gracious offers. There is much of this offer of Christ and conforming to Christ, and there∣fore give me leave to enlarge. As in the offer God usually scatters some little seeds of Faith in the hearts of those that he will bring to himself; so it is worth the while to ob∣serve the work of Faith in receiving and accepting of this gracious offer; only I shall not herein limit the Lord; but I will shew what some conceive the most usual and ordinary course of Faiths working, and of the souls conforming to Jesus Christ in its closing with Christ. As thus—

1. Faith hearing the great things proposed in the Covenant of Grace, it stirs up in the heart a serious consideration of their blessed condition, that are in covenant with God; Blessed art thou O Israel, a People saved by the Lord—What Nation in the Earth is like thy People,* 1.146 even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a People unto himself? Time was, (saith the Soul) that I counted the proud blessed, and the rich blessed, and the honoura∣ble blessed; time was when I placed my blessedness in other things, as in Riches, Pre∣ferments, Favour, Credit with men; but now these are become vile, and things of no value; Faith makes us change our voice, and to speak as the Psalmist, Blessed are the People whose God is the Lord.* 1.147

2. Faith stirs in the heart a longing desire after this condition; good being believed, cannot but be desired and longed for; Desire naturally springs from the apprehension of any good being made known; hence Faith (we say) is both in the understanding and in the will; as it is in the understanding, it opens the eye to see, and clearly to discern the Blessing of the Covenant; as it is in the will, it pursues and desires the attaining of the Grace revealed; nor are these desires faint desires, but very earnest, eager, violent; sometimes it is called a thirsting after God; and sometimes a panting after God; and sometimes a gasping after God: it is such a desire as cannot be satisfied by any thing with∣out God himself.

3. Faith stirs in the heart some hope to enjoy this condition; I say some hope; for Faith being as yet in the Bud, or in the Seed, though its desire be strong, yet hope of obtaining is but feeble and weak; hence Faith is taken up with many thoughts: fain would the Soul be joyned to Christ, but being as yet dismayed with the sense of Sin, it stands like the Publican, afar off; as yet Faith can scarce speak a word to God, only with Jonah, it can look towards his holy Temple. As a poor weak babe who lies in the Cradle sick, and weak, and speechless, only it can look towards the Mother for help; the cast of the eye expresseth in some sort what it would say; thus Faith being weak, it would speak to God, but it cannot, or dares not; only it hath its eye to∣wards Heaven;* 1.148 as Jehoshaphat sometimes said, Our eyes are towards thee. It feels a need, and fain would have; but sense of unworthyness, and the sense of the Law strikes such a fear into the heart, that it dares not come near. Consider Israels Case, and we shall find it parallel to this: God proclaims on the Mount, I am the Lord thy God: what was this, but Gods offer to be in Covenant with Israel? and yet the terrour of the Thunder was so great, that Israel durst not come near: a poor Soul hearing the Lord to offer himself to be in Covenant in him, Come soul, I am the Lord thy God. Why alas it dares not come near: What am I the Lord? or what is my Fathers House, that I should enter into a Covenant with the most high God? The Soul is unquiet within it self, it is hurried to and fro, and finds no rest; it hears of Peace with God, but feels it not; there is much ado with the Soul to sustain its hope; only Faith sets the mind again and a∣gain to consider the promises, invitati••••••, and all other incouragements which God hath given in his Word.

4. Faith stirs in the heart some resolves to go to Gods Throne, and to sue for Grace; Faith speaks within as they did,* 1.149 Who can tell whether the Lord will return? And, it may be the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. So, Who can tell? saith the Soul; It may be the Lord will, saith the Soul: and this begets some resolves

as those Lepers in Samaria knew they were sure to perish, if they sate still; therefore they resolved to try whether the Aramites would save them: Or as Esther, knowing all was undone if she would not stir, she would try whether the King would hold out his Golden Scepter: So the poor Soul, knowing there is no way but perishing, if it continue in its Na∣tural State, therefore it resolves to go to God: Doth the Lord say, Seek my Face? Why,* 1.150 thy Face Lord will I seek.—Doth the Lord say, Come unto Me? Why, Behold Lord, I come unto Thee; for Thou art the Lord our God. And now, the Soul betakes it self unto God, it sends up Complaints of it self, it laments its own sinful Rebellions, it puts out a whole Vol∣ley of Sighs, Groans, and strong Cryes towards Heaven; it confesseth with Grief and bitter Mourning, all its former Iniquities; it smites, with Repenting Ephraim, upon its Thigh; it lyes down at God's Foot-stool, it puts its Mouth in the Dust; it acknowledgeth God's Righteousness if He should condemn, and cast off for ever; and yet withal, it pleads for Grace, that it may be accepted as one of His: It sayes unto God; Lord, I have nothing to plead, why Thou may'st not Condemn me; but if Thou wilt receive me, Thy Mercy shall appear in me: O let Thy Mercy appear, take away all Iniquity, and receive me graciously. Thus the Soul lyes at God's Throne, and pleads for Grace.

5. As Faith is thus earnest in suing to God for Grace, so it is no less vigilant and watch∣ful in observing what Answer comes from the Lord; even as the Prisoner at the Bar, not only cries for Mercy, but he marks every Word which falls from the Judges Mouth, if any thing may give him Hope; or as Benhadad's Servants lay at catch with the King of Israel, to see if they could take occasion by any thing which fell from him, to plead for the Life of Benhadad: So the poor Soul that is now pleading for Life and Grace, it watch∣eth narrowly, to see if any thing may come from God, any Intimation of Favour, any Word of Comfort, that may tend to Peace. O let me hear Joy and Gladness.—I will hear what the Lord will say; for He will speak Peace unto His People.

6. As Faith waits for an Answer, so accordingly it demeans it self.

1. Sometimes God answers not, and Faith takes on, and follows God still, and cryes after Him with more Strength; as resolving never to give over, till the Lord either save or destroy: Nay, if the Lord will destroy, Faith chuseth to die at God's Feet; as when Joab was bidden to come forth from the Horns of the Altar, and to take his Death in another Place; Nay, (saith Joab) but I will dye here: Or, as when Christ saw no Delive∣rance come in His Agony, He Prayed more earnestly: So a poor Soul,* 1.151 in the Time of its Agony, when it is striving as for Life and Death, if Help come not at first Call, it prayes again, and that more earnestly. Faith is very urgent with God; and the more slack the Lord seems in answering, the more earnest is Faith in plying God with its Prayers: It will wrestle with God, as Jacob with the Angel; it will take no Denyal, but will crave still: Bless me, even me also; O send me not away without a Blessing!

2. Sometimes God answers in part; He speaks as it were out of a Dark Cloud; He gives some little Ease, but He speaks not full Peace: In this manner He speaks to the Wo∣man; Go thy way, and sin no more: He doth not say; Go in Peace, thy Sin is forgiven thee;* 1.152 No, no; but, Go thy way, and sin no more. Hereby Faith usually gets a little Strength, and looks after the Lord with more Hope; It begins to plead with God, as Moses did; O Lord, Thou hast begun to shew Grace unto Thy Servant; go on, Lord, to manifest unto me all Thy Goodness. Here Faith takes a little hold on the Covenant of Grace: It may be the Hand of Faith is feeble, shaking and trembling; yet it takes a little Hold, it receives some En∣couragement, it finds that its former Seeking is not in vain.

3. Sometimes God answers more fully and satisfactorily; He applyes some Promise of Grace to the Conscience by His Spirit; He lets the Soul feel & taste the Comforts of him∣self, or of such and such a Promise, more effectually than ever before: Fear not,* 1.153 (saith God) for I am thy God. Here Faith waxeth bold, and with a glad Heart entertains the Promise brought Home unto it. The Apostle calls this the Embracing of the Promises: Now,* 1.154 Embracing implies an Affectionate Receiving with both Arms opened: So the Soul em∣braceth the Promise, and the Lord Jesus in the Promise; and having Him, like Simeon, in his Arms, it layes Him in the Bosom, it brings Him into the Chamber of the Heart, there to rest and abide for ever. And now is the Covenant struck betwixt God, and the Soul: Now the Soul possesseth God in Christ, as her own; it rests in Him, and is satisfyed with Him, it praiseth God for his Mercy, as Simeon did, when he had Christ in his Arms; it commits it self wholly, and for ever to that Goodness and Mercy, which hath been revea∣led to it.

O my Soul, Hast thou come thus by little and little, to touch the Top of Christ's Golden

Scepter? Why then, Is thy Hand given to God? Then art thou entred into a Covenant of Peace? Christ's Offering, and thy Receiving the Covenant of Grace, bears a sweet A∣greement, an harmonious Conformity.

2. God in Christ keeps Covenant with us; so we through Christ should be careful and diligent to keep Covenant with God: In the Things of this Life, a strict Eye is had to the Covenants we make. Now, it is not enough for us to enter into Covenant with God; but we must keep it: The Lord never will, never hath broken Covenants on His Part; but Alas! we on our Parts have broken the first Covenant of Works: Take heed we break not the second; for then there remains not any more place for any more Covenants. As the Lord keeps Covenant with us; so let us keep Covenant with Him: and therein is the Blessing;* 1.155 The Mercy of the Lord is from Everlasting to Everlasting,—to such as keep his Covenant.

There is much also in this keeping of the Covenant; and therefore, give me leave a little to enlarge. Sundry Acts of Faith are required to this keeping of the Covenant: As thus,—

1. Faith in keeping the Covenant, hath alwayes an Eye to the Rule and Command of God: As in Things to be believed, Faith looks on the Promise; so in Things to be practi∣sed, Faith looks upon the Command. Faith will present no strange Fire before the Lord; it knows that God will accept of nothing, but what is according to His own Will.

2. As Faith takes Direction from the Rule; so in keeping of the Covenant, it directs us to the right End, that is, to the Glory of God. We are of Him, and live in Him; and by Faith we must live to Him,* 1.156 & for Him: For none of us liveth to himself, and no Man dieth to himself; for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; & whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's. Again, He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them. This God claims as His right and due: Thou shalt glorifie Me, saith God: Yes, saith Faith, I will glorifie thee for ever.

3. Faith in keeping the Covenant, shields the Soul against all Hinderances that it meets withal: As for instance, Sometimes we are tempted on the Right Hand by the Baits and Allurements of the World; All these will I give thee, saith the World, if thou wilt be mine; but then Faith overcomes the World, by setting afore us better Things than these: Sometimes we are tempted on the Left Hand, by Crosses, Afflictions, Persecutions, and Sufferings for the Name of Christ; but then Faith helps us to overcome, and makes us Conquerours through Christ that loved us, by setting before us the End of our Faith and Patience.* 1.157 It is said of Jesus, That for the Joy that was set before Him, He endured the Cross and despised the Shame.

4. Faith encourageth the Soul, that the Lord will have a Gracious Respect unto its keeping Covenant:* 1.158 In every Nation he that feareth Him, and worketh Righteousness, is ac∣cepted with Him. Surely this is no small Encouragement to well-doing: What would not a Servant do, if he knew his Lord will take it in good part? Now, Faith assures the Soul, there is not one Prayer, one Holy Desire, or one Good Thought, or Word which is spo∣ken or done to the Glory of God, but God takes notice of it, and accepts it in good part. Then they that feared the Lord,* 1.159 spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkned, and heard it; and a Book of Remembrance was written before Him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His Name.

5. Faith furnisheth the Soul with Strength and Ability to keep the Covenant: By Faith we get a Power and Strength of Grace. As thus: —

1. By Faith we look at Christ, as having all Fulness of Grace in Himself; It pleased the Father,* 1.160 that in Him should all Fulness dwell: All others have but their Measures, some more, some less, according to the Measure of the Gift of Christ; but Christ hath received the Spirit,* 1.161 not by Measure, but in the Fulness of it.

2. By Faith we know, that whatever Fulness of Grace is in Christ, He had it not for Him∣self only,* 1.162 but for us: He received Gifts for Men, said the Psalmist; not for Himself meer∣ly, but for Men: Of His Fulness we receive Grace for Grace, saith John: His Wisdom to make us wise, His Meekness to make us meek, and His Patience to make us patient.

3. By Faith we look at Christ, as Faithful to distribute such Grace unto us, as He recei∣ved for us:* 1.163 He is Faithful in all the House of God; He is Faithful in dispensing all the Trea∣sures of Grace committed unto Him, for His Churches Good: He keeps nothing back: His Faithfulness will not suffer Him to keep that to Himself, which He hath received for us.* 1.164 Hence as the Psalmist saith, He received Gifts for Men; so the Apostle renders

it, He gave Gifts unto Men: As he receives, so he gives;* 1.165 being faithful in all that is com∣mitted to Him.

4. By Faith we seek God, and beg Performance of his Promises according to our need: Do we want Wisdom, Meekness, Patience, or any other Grace? Faith carries us by Prayer unto the Fountain, and in this way waits and expects to receive the Grace we want. As the Child by sucking the Breast, draws forth Milk for its own Nourishment, and thereby it grows in Strength; so do we by the Prayer of Faith, suck from Christ, and from the Promise of Grace, and by that means derive Strength to our inner Man, to fulfil the Covenant which we have made with God.

6. As Faith strengthens us; so if at any times, by occasion or temptation, we fail in our Covenant-keeping, Faith recovers us, and restores us again to our former Estate: I do not say, the Covenant can be broken betwixt God and Us; we may offend God, and fail in the Service of God; but till we refuse God, and leave God, and chuse another Ma∣ster, Lord, and Husband besides God, there is no Dissolution of the Covenant of Grace. Now, this a true Believer cannot do; He may fall, and fall often; yet he doth not fall, but he rises again: he may turn aside, but yet he returns again into the way of the Cove∣nant. What a sweet Point is this? Christians, We may, and sometimes we do walk weakly, in keeping of Covenants; our feet slip, and we step aside out of God's Path; yet Faith brings us back again to God: It casts Shame on our Faces, that after all the Grace shewed us, we should so ill requite God: It reminds us of those Promises, Re∣turn unto Me, and I will return unto you. —Ye have done all this Wickedness,* 1.166 yet turn not aside from following the Lord: — For the Lord will not forsake his People, for his Great Names sake, because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his People. In the minding of these, and such other Promises, Faith doth encourage us to return unto God, to take words unto our selves, and to plead the Covenant of his Grace towards us: This VVork of Faith brought Peter back to Christ; whereas Judas wanting this Faith, lies down in de∣sperate Sorrow, never able to rise up, or to recover himself.

O my Soul! Art thou acquainted with these Acts of Faith, enabling thee in some good measure to keep Covenant with God? Then is there a sweet Conformity betwixt Thee, and Jesus.

3. God in Christ hath highly honoured us, as we are his People; so we through Christ should honour Him highly, as He is our God: This is the main End of the Covenant; and I shall end with this: O my Soul, be like to God, bear the Image and Resemblance of God thy Father, in this Respect: He hath humbled Himself to advance thee; O then hum∣ble thy self to advance Him; endeavour every way to exalt his Name.

We are willing to be in Covenant with God, that we may set up our selves, that we may sit upon Thrones, and possess a Kingdom: But we must think especially of set∣ting up the Lord upon his Throne: Ascribe Greatness to our God, saith Moses;* 1.167 make it a Name, and a Praise unto Him, that he hath vouchsafed to make us his People, and to take us into Covenant with Himself: Honour Him as he is God; but honour Him more abundantly, as he is our God: Who should Honour Him, if his People will not? The World knows Him not; The Wicked will not seek after God,* 1.168 — God is not in all his Thoughts. And, Shall God have no Honour? Shall He that stretched out the Heavens, and laid the Foundations of the Earth, and formed Man upon it, have no Glory? O yes! The Lord Himself answers; This People have I formed for My Self,* 1.169 they shall shew forth My Praise: Surely, God will have Praise from his own People, whom he hath taken unto Himself: He will be glorifyed in all those that come near Him.* 1.170

But, How should we honour God? I answer: —

1. We must set Him up as chief and highest in our Esteem: Kings acount not them∣selves honoured, if they be not set above other Men: And hence God's People have used such Expressions concerning God, as do single Him forth beyond the Comparison of all Creatures. Thus Moses; Who is like unto Thee amongst the Gods? Who is like unto Thee,* 1.171 glorious in Holyness▪ fearful in Praises, doing Wonders? Thus David; Thou art Great, O Lord God, for there is none like Thee, neither is there any God besides Thee, according to all that we have heard with our Ears. Thus Solomon; Lord God of Israel,* 1.172 there is no God like unto Thee in Heaven above, or in the Earth beneath; who keepest Covenant and Mercy with Thy Servants? Thus Micah; Who is a God like unto Thee,* 1.173 which passest by the Trans∣gressions of the Remnant of thine Heritage? And thus should we rise up in our Thoughts and Apprehensions of God, until we come to an Holy Extasie and Admirati∣on of God.

2. We must count it our Blessedness, and highest Dignity, to be a People in Covenant with God: Are we Honourable? Yet esteem this as our greatest Honour, that God is our God: Are we low and despised in the World? Yet count this Honour enough, that God hath lifted us up to be his People. Christians, if when we are counted as things of nought, we can quiet our selves in this, that God is our God; if when we are persecuted, imprisoned, distressed, we can say with Jacob, I have enough, because the Lord hath Mer∣cy on me, and hath taken me into Covenant with Him: surely then we do bear Witness of God before Heaven and Earth, that He is better to us than Corn, or Wine, or Oyl, or whatsoever this World affords.

3. We must lie under the Authority of every Word of God, and we must conform our selves to the Examples of God; that is, we must labour to become Followers of God, and imitate his Virtues. It is a part of that Honour which Children owe to their Parents, to obey their Commands, and to imitate their Godly Example: we cannot honour God more, than when we are Humbled at his Feet to receive his Word, than when we renounce the Manners of the world,* 1.174 to become his Followers as dear Children. O think of this! for when we conform indeed, then are we Holy as he is Holy, and Pure as he is Pure; and then, How should this but tend to the Honour and Glory of our Good God?

Thus far we have Looked on Jesus, as our Jesus, in that dark Time, before His Coming in the Flesh: Our next Work is to Look on Jesus, carrying on the Great VVork of Man's Salvation, in His First Coming or Incarnation.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Col. 1.26
• * 1.2

  Gen. 3.15.
• * 1.3

  Gen. 3.8, 9, ••
• * 1.4

  Gen. 2.17
• * 1.5

  Gen. 3.8.
• * 1.6

  Rev. 6.16.17
• * 1.7

  Gen. 17.7.
• * 1.8

  Rom. 4.11. Gal. 3.7.
• * 1.9

  Gal. 3 29.
• * 1.10

  1 King. 21.4
• * 1.11

  Exod. 33.15.
• * 1.12

  Acts. 17.28.
• * 1.13

  Gen. 41.16.
• * 1.14

  2 Cor. 6.10.
• * 1.15

  Heb. 11.16.
• * 1.16

  1 Sam. 23.5
• * 1.17

  Jer. 31.33, 34
• * 1.18

  Ezek. 36.27 John. 4.14. 1 John. 2 27. Col. 1.27. Ezek. 1.20.
• * 1.19

  Luk. 17.21. Psal. 40.8.
• * 1.20

  Deut. 32.9 Exod 19.5.
• * 1.21

  Isa. 19.28.
• * 1.22

  John. 7.38.
• * 1.23

  Isa. 54.13.
• * 1.24

  John. 1.9.33
• * 1.25

  Luk. 24.32. Mat. 28.19.20
• * 1.26

  Rom. 4.7
• * 1.27

  Dut 32.35 Exod. 36.••4
• * 1.28

  Micah 7.18
• * 1.29

  2 Co. 1.3
• * 1.30

  Eph. 1.6 2 Thes. 1.10
• * 1.31

  Rom 9.••••
• * 1.32

  Ex••d. 34.6
• * 1.33

  Mat. 11.28
• * 1.34

  Isa. 30.18
• * 1.35

  Isa 43.25
• * 1.36

  Jet. 31.34
• * 1.37

  Object.
• * 1.38

  2 Sam. 23.5.
• * 1.39

  Answ.
• * 1.40

  prov. 1.22, 23
• * 1.41

  Isa. 55.1, 3.
• * 1.42

  Jer. 31.33.
• * 1.43

  Deut. 33.29, psal. 144.15.
• * 1.44

  Jsa. 26, 9,
• * 1.45

  John. 8.11.
• * 1.46

  Rom. 8.23.
• * 1.47

  Ephes. 1.14.
• * 1.48

  Mat. 17.4.
• * 1.49

  Luk. 22.3
• * 1.50

  Hosea. 2.19
• * 1.51

  2 Tim 2.19
• * 1.52

  John. 13.1.
• * 1.53

  Isa. 54.10.
• * 1.54

  1 pet. 1.5.
• * 1.55

  Ru••kers tryal of Faith
• * 1.56

  Isa. 42.6. Isa. 41.9.
• * 1.57

  Micah. 5: 5.
• * 1.58

  Mal. 3.1.
• * 1.59

  Joh. 15.1. Joh. 6.29. Joh. 6.48. Joh. 8.12 Joh. 10.9 11. Prov. 1.20. Prov. 9.5.
• * 1.60

  Joh. 17.25.
• * 1.61

  Jer. 31.18, 20
• * 1.62

  Isa. 55.4. Rev. 1.5. Rev. 3.14. Luke 19.10.
• * 1.63

  Rev. 1.18.
• * 1.64

  Rev. 22.20.
• * 1.65

  Heb. 7.20, 22.
• * 1.66

  Luke 12.32.
• * 1.67

  John 6.37.
• * 1.68

  John 17.12. Heb. 12.24.
• * 1.69

  Job 9.33.
• * 1.70

  Isa. 24.1. Isa. 53.11. Mat. 20.28.
• * 1.71

  Heb. 9.16, 17.
• * 1.72

  Bern. delect. evang. serm.
• * 1.73

  Psal. 119.20.
• * 1.74

  Acts 16.31. Rom. 10.9.
• * 1.75

  2 Cor. 13.5.
• * 1.76

  Gal. 2.20.
• * 1.77

  2 Cor. 13.5. John 14.20. Joh. 17.22, 23.
• * 1.78

  1 John 5.4. Rev. 1.12.
• * 1.79

  1 John 4.19.
• * 1.80

  1 John 4.8.
• * 1.81

  Hos. 14.8.
• * 1.82

  Jer. 33.9.
• * 1.83

  Mat. 9.13.
• * 1.84

  psal. 40.8.
• * 1.85

  Ezek. 16.60, 61.
• * 1.86

  Isa. 1.16, 18.
• * 1.87

  Isa. 55.7.
• * 1.88

  Rom. 5.1.
• * 1.89

  Luke 7.47.
• * 1.90

  Ps. 103.1, 2, 3.
• * 1.91

  Isa. 22.23, 24.
• * 1.92

  Psal. 23.4. Ps. 88.7.
• * 1.93

  ver. 9.
• * 1.94

  Isa. 39.14.
• * 1.95

  Mat. 27.46.
• * 1.96

  Exod. 34.6, 7
• * 1.97

  Isa. 28.22.
• * 1.98

  Lam. 3.33.
• * 1.99

  Jam. 2.13.
• * 1.100

  Hos. 11.8, 9.
• * 1.101

  Mat. 23.37▪
• * 1.102

  Cant. 5.2
• * 1.103

  2 Cor. 5, 20.
• * 1.104

  Dr. Preston of Love.
• * 1.105

  Gal. 3.29.
• * 1.106

  Mal. 1.2, 3.
• * 1.107

  Hos. 14.4. Deut. 7.7, 8.
• * 1.108

  Mat. 6 33.
• * 1.109

  Deut. 8.18.
• * 1.110

  Isa. 43.4.
• * 1.111

  Rev. 1.5.
• * 1.112

  Ezek. 36.25.
• * 1.113

  Psal. 16.3. 1 Pet. 4.14.
• * 1.114

  Psal. 47.11. Psal. 149.4.
• * 1.115

  John. 13.6.
• * 1.116

  1 Cor. 5.14.
• * 1.117

  1 John. 4.16.
• * 1.118

  Cant 2.12.
• * 1.119

  1 Cor. 15.55.
• * 1.120

  Phil. 4.4.
• * 1.121

  Phil. 3.1.
• * 1.122

  Joel. 2.23.
• * 1.123

  Psal. 33.1.
• * 1.124

  Psal. 97.12.
• * 1.125

  Psal. 5.11.
• * 1.126

  Psal. 68.3.
• * 1.127

  Psal. 105.3.
• * 1.128

  Psal. 149.3.
• * 1.129

  Psal. 23.11.
• * 1.130

  Jer. 31.16.
• * 1.131

  Jer. 14.21, 22.
• * 1.132

  Isa. 64.9.
• * 1.133

  Ezek. 36.27.
• * 1.134

  Judg. 6.16.
• * 1.135

  Object.
• * 1.136

  Answ.
• * 1.137

  Isa. 55.2. Rev. 22.17.
• * 1.138

  Mat. 22.9.
• * 1.139

  John 4.10.
• * 1.140

  Exod. 32.32.
• * 1.141

  John. 12.28.
• * 1.142

  Micah. 7, 18.
• * 1.143

  Isa. 63.7.
• * 1.144

  Psal. 103.1.
• * 1.145

  2 Cor. 3.18.
• * 1.146

  Deut. 33.29. 2 Sam. 7.2.3.
• * 1.147

  Psal. 144.15.
• * 1.148

  2 Chr. 20.12.
• * 1.149

  Jonah. 3.9. Amos. 5.15.
• * 1.150

  Jer. 3.22.
• * 1.151

  Luke 22.44.
• * 1.152

  John 8.11.
• * 1.153

  Isa. 41.10.
• * 1.154

  Heb. 11.13.
• * 1.155

  Psal. 103.17, 18.
• * 1.156

  Rom. 14.7, 8. 2 Cor. 5.15. Psal. 50.15. Psal. 86.12.
• * 1.157

  Heb. 12.2.
• * 1.158

  Acts 10.33.
• * 1.159

  Mal. 3.16.
• * 1.160

  Col. 1.19.
• * 1.161

  John 3.34.
• * 1.162

  Psal. 68.18. John 1.16.
• * 1.163

  Heb. 4.2.
• * 1.164

  Psal. 68.18.
• * 1.165

  Ephes. 4.8.
• * 1.166

  Zech. 1.3. 1 Sam. 12.20, 22.
• * 1.167

  Deut. 32.3.
• * 1.168

  Psal. 10.4,
• * 1.169

  Isa. 43.21.
• * 1.170

  Lev. 10.3.
• * 1.171

  Exod. 15.11. 2 Sam. 7.22.
• * 1.172

  1 King. 8.22.
• * 1.173

  Micah 7.18.
• * 1.174

  Deut. 31.3. Ephes. 5.1.