The Covenant of God Entered with Mankind, Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX.
Miniſters of Chriſt muſt bring their people up to the termes of the Covenant, preſſing the necceſſity of Faith and Repentance.
THen it farther yet follows; that the Miniſters of Chriſt are to call their people unto theſe duties, before mentioned as conditions. They muſt urge and preſſe the neceſſity of Faith and Repentance. Theſe are the termes of the covenant, and ſtipulation, to which God in covenant doth engage, in which the Apoſtles of Chriſt ſpent their paines, Testifying both to Jews and Gentiles, repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Acts 20. 21. And this muſt be the buſineſſe of thoſe that make it their buſineſſe to preach the Goſpel in all ages. Men muſt be taught to obſerve what Chriſt commands and teaches, Matth. 28. 20. Theſe Chriſt teaches, and gives in charge; Thus he begun his Miniſtery, Mark 1. 15. Repent ye, and beleeve the Goſpel. They muſt ſo preach that men may not periſh; that they may not be the ſavour of death, But they only that beleeve, ſhall not periſh, John 3. 16. They that repent not, muſt periſh, Luke 13. 1. They muſt ſo preach Chriſt, that men may have their intereſt in Chriſt, that they may not be caſt off by Chriſt, But Faith gives this intereſt: He dwells in our hearts by Faith, Epheſ. 3. 17. Workers of iniquity muſt be caſt off, Mat. 7. 23. Depart from me all ye that work iniquity. It is no plain dealing in any of the Miniſters of Chriſt to make tender of promiſes, to hold forth priviledges, and conceale the termes, upon which they may be obtained; to ſpeak of ſalvation to men in ſinne, without ſo much as the name of ſanctification, or application to God in a way of Repentance; to tell men in the Prodigals courſe, of the Fathers bowels, and readineſſe to meet them with kiſſes; without mention of the Prodigals humiliation or coming in, to tell them of the many ſinnes forgiven to the woman in the Goſpel, Luk 7. 47. without once mention of thoſe many tears, that were ſhed in evidence of her repentance.An Objection anſwered. They ſay, that theſe are the ſtrongeſt motives to work men from ſin. This I gladly yeeld when the promiſe is tendered, and with it repentance urged. I know it was the way of the Prophet,The danger of ſevering the promiſe from the duty. Eſay 55. 7. and therefore a prevalent way; Let the wicked forſake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him returne unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. The way alſo of the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 6. 17. Be ye ſeparate, ſaith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. But the ſevering of the promiſe from the duty, ſo that Chriſt is heard only in a promiſe, not at all in a precept, when they heare that Chriſt will ſave; but are never told that they muſt repent. Theſe are but deluſions; Promiſe-Preachers, and no duty-Preachers; grace-Preachers, and not repentance-Preachers, do but (as the Apoſtle hath long ſince given warning) deceive with vain words, Epheſ. 5. 6. This will never work men from ſinne, but ſtrengthen men in ſin, Ezek. 13. 22. Becauſe with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous ſad, whom I have not made ſad, and ſtrenthened the hands of the wicked, that he ſhould not returne from his wicked way, by promiſing life. Theſe promiſes of life thus tendered, we ſee are lies, for men in ſinne, are men for death, Ezek. 18. 31. Theſe promiſes, ſtrengthen the hands of men in ſinne, that they return not from it. It is the obſervation of many, that the falſe Prophets ſo branded in the Old Teſtament, vented no errours in Faith, but only miſapplications of truths. They promiſed peace, where the Lord had promiſed no peace; and therefore a falſe Prophet among the Jews is diſtinguiſhed from a falſe Teacher among Chriſtians, 2 Pet. 2. 1. Theſe latter bring in damnable hereſies, and ſo did not the former; But as ours outſtrip them, in that they bring in errours in faith, ſo they joyne with them in miſapplications of truths. If thou be a whoremonger, a blaſphemer, a drunkard, a mad man in iniquity (ſaith one, or words to that purpoſe) and there be no manner of change wrought in thee, yet come and take Chriſt, &c. Does any Goſpel-Text, ſpeak of ſuch a mans taking of Chriſt, without any manner of change wrought? Are not thoſe the enemies of Chriſt, that riſe in hoſtile rebellion? Pſal 68. 21. And while they deſpiſe him, can they receive him? We would not have ſuch a ſinner (if we can poſſibly imagine a great ſinner) kept from Chriſt Jeſus; but he muſt come in at the Goſpel-door, He muſt come in the way of his call, He muſt come to receive whole Chriſt in each function of his, He muſt come for every gift,Whole Chriſt muſt be received, and all of his gifts embraced. which Chriſt poures out, He muſt come for repentance from Chriſt, as a Prince, as well as remiſſion of ſins as a Saviour, Acts 5. 31. God hath exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince, and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Iſrael, and forgiveneſſe of ſinnes. He muſt come by the way of Faith for forgiveneſſe, This both Prophets and Apoſtles, Old Teſtament and New Teſtament-Goſpel calls for, Acts 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witneſſe, that through his Name, whoſoever beleeveth in him ſhall receive remiſſion of ſinnes. They muſt come by repentance and converſion in order to forgiveneſſe, Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your ſins may be blotted out, when the times of refreſhing ſhall come from the preſence of the Lord. I do not ſay that there is no promiſe in Scripture made to a wicked man, that is the greateſt Goſpel-paradox; But I ſay, they are not made good, to wicked perſons. They are made to the wicked, made good,Promiſes are made to the wicked, made good only to the beleeving and penitent. that is, performed, to the beleeving and penitent. To finde a promiſe made, and made good, that is, tendered and performed to a man unbeleeving, impenitent is indeed a labour. One replying to this queſtion, What, if I have not thoſe conditions in me, as to feel my ſelf hungry, thirſty and heavy-laden? anſwers, If you finde not theſe or ſuch conditions in you; Objections anſwered. then you are not to apply your ſelf to thoſe promiſes, that are made to ſuch as have thoſe conditions in them; But you are to ſeek out for other (and more ſuitable) promiſes, which are abſolute and without condition. It is worth asking where thoſe ſuitable promiſes are to a man void of faith? For that before by the Authour was mentioned, or to a man impenient, and not ſo much as hungring after them, ſuch a one I meane, that upon good grounds, is able to charge the want of theſe upon his ſoul, I am ſure they are under heavy Scripture-woes, even Goſpel-menaces, and can they at the ſame time be fitted to receive the mercy of a promiſe? Where are his promiſes that hungers and thirſts not, when Chriſt ſaith, Wo to you that are full, for you ſhall hunger? Where is his promiſe that mourns not, but goes on frolick in his way, When Chriſt ſaith, Woe unto you that laugh now, for ye ſhall weep and lament, Luke 6. 25. Where is the unbeleevers promiſe, when the Lord ſayes, He that beleeveth not, is condemned, already; becauſe he hath not beleeved in the name of the only begotten Son of God, John 3. 18. Where is the impenitent mans promiſe, when the Pſalmiſt ſaith, The wicked ſhall be turned into hell, Pſalme 9. 17. and the Apoſtle, That no unrighteous perſon ſhall enter into the Kingdome of heaven, 1 Cor. 6. 9. But inſtance is given, Iſa. 43. 25. I am he that blotteth out thy tranſgreſſions for mine own name ſake. But this is not the unbeleeving, the impenitent mans tranſgreſſions, they ſtill ſtand on record, and the bond uncancelled. This excludes motives from us, not graces wrought in us, when God juſtifies a beleever, it's for his own name ſake, or elſe he is a loſer in his glory, when he juſtifies thoſe that beleeve in Jeſus, Rom. 3. 26. and Faith gives not glory to God, as Rom. 4. 20. but takes glory from him. As Peter ſaid of the creeple that was cured; His name, through faith in his name, hath made this man ſtrong, Acts 3. 16. So we may ſay of every ſinner, juſtified and pardoned, His Name, through faith in his Name, hath acquit and freed him. When God pardons a penitent man, it is not for the merit of his returne that he pardons him; if this were ſo, Peter who is ſo zealous, to advance his name in the place quoted; had not preſently urged; Repent and be converted, that your ſins may be blotted out, when the times of refreſhing ſhall come from the preſence of the Lord, Acts 3. 19. It is not for his honour to pardon any other. This is with him a rule which he will for ever follow, Thoſe that honour me, I will honour, and they that deſpiſe me, ſhall be lightly eſteemed, 1 Sam. 3. 30. The ſame Author ſaith, Conditions and qualifications are mentioned in ſome promiſes; and therefore we may ſafely inferre, are underſtood in all promiſes of life and ſalvation, unleſſe God deny himſelf, He hath threatned death and condemnation againſt an unqualified man; namely the unbeleeving and impenitent; and therefore hath not promiſed them life and ſalvation. Beleeving penitent ones, have the promiſes of life to be made good to them, excluſively to all others. To lead the ſinner to Chriſt for the gaining of the qualifications of grace in the way of his Ordinances, is to lead him right; He is the Author of our faith, and he is a Prince to give repentance. But to perſwade a ſinner to look for life, in the want of all theſe, or to tell him of Aſſurance of life without ſenſe of theſe, is to deceive him. That happy Doctrine of free grace, ſo timely abuſed, even as ſoon as clearly preached, is now no leſſe abuſed; Then, inferences were made from it, for encouragement to abound in ſin, Rom. 6. 1. Now inferences are drawn to cry down duty, Righteouſneſſe imputed muſt overthrow righteouſneſſe inherent. The Apoſtle would not ſuffer the former; the Miniſters of Chriſt muſt not bear the latter.