A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace, Treatise · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. How Chriſtians anſwer to the call of Chriſt, and ſo come to have Fellowſhip with him.
IN the matter of Salvation it pleaſed God to deale with man by way of ſtipulation and promiſe, and ſo likewiſe in his calling to the participation of the Covenant. For though this Vocation be every way free, gracious and abſolute, as the Spirit worketh where he liſteth, yet in the Goſpel, which is the inſtrument of Vocation, it pleaſeth God to propound both the condition, which he requireth, and the promiſe which he hath made. The promiſe, as an argument to move us the rather to give our ſelves unto Chriſt, and to doe what is required. The preſcription of what he requireth, as that condition, without which we cannot obtaine, and by which moſt certainly we ſhall obtaine what good is promiſed. Effectuall Vocation on Gods part is the powerfull invitation and aſſured drawing of the weary and thirſty ſoule unto Chriſt, that in him it might finde refreſhing and comfort.
The anſwer on our part, is a free and willing comming untoMat. 11. 28, 29. Joh. 6. 44. and 6. 35, 37. Chriſt, that in him we might be ſatisfied; the embracing of Jeſus Chriſt, and lodging him in our boſome. And therefore that which firſt of all receiveth that Vocation, is faith, whereby we believe, that if a man performe the condition, he ſhall poſſeſſe the promiſe, if he come unto Chriſt, he ſhall be ſatisfied: but if he performe not the thing required, he ſhall not enjoy the promiſe; he ſhall not be ſatisfied, if he drinke not the water of life. And not only ſo, but he ſhall continue poore, naked, blinde, miſerable, captive, a priſoner, an alien from the Covenant, and without God in the world: nay, he ſhall be puniſhed with contrary evils, according to the nature of the Covenant divine, where there is no promiſe without a commination contrary to it. This faith is grounded upon the free and gracious Covenant, whereby God is pleaſed to binde himſelfe firſt unto us, before he binde us unto himſelfe, that his promiſe might be apprehended as the ground of our faith, upon which we ſhould firmely beleeve: And upon theIſai. 55. 1, 2. Joh. 7. 37. Rev. 22. 17. free and gracious invitation of Chriſt generally made to all and every poore, thirſty, languiſhing, faintie ſoule, parched with the ſenſe of wrath, and withered for lack of the ſap or fruit of grace, to come unto him for eaſe and ſweet refreſhing, to the contentation and ſatisfying of their ſoules: to come and drink of the waters of life freely. Where let it be obſerved, that Thirst and Drineſſe, in phraſe of Scripture, doth note the want of good things, asIſai. 29. 8. Pſal. 42. 1. Iſai. 32. 2. and 55. 1. Pſal. 143. 6. on the contrary, abſolute good, whereby the deſire of ſoule and body may be ſatisfied, is uſually compared to waters. To thirſt, is from a totall defect of the Spirit of Grace, or a defect of the whole Spirit of Grace tormenting the ſoule, to deſire it. And ſo not to thirſt for ever, and the graces of the Spirit to remaineJoh. 4. 14. and 7. 38. in us for ever, or that water, to be in us a fountain of water ſpringing up to life eternall, is one and the ſame. In Heathen authors, to thirſt, is exceedingly to deſire, but for the moſt part that deſire comes from ſome tormenting want. Artemidorus, foreign. And Cyrus willing to declare his ardent deſire of doing good to others, ſaith, foreign, i. Sitio aliis gratificari. In which ſignification it is uſed by the Latines alſo. Cic. pro Planc. Deinde ſitientem me virtutis tuae deſerüiſti. Apud Horat. Sitis argenti. Apud Juvenal. Sitis famae. Apud Claudian. Sitis praed…. And the oppoſition that is betwixt thirſt and water will evidence the ſame. For water, if we reſpect the uſe which it affordeth to the earth and to bodies, doth make fruitfull barren fields, purifie things polluted, q…ench or water them that are drie, and ſweetly refreſh them that boyle with heat: And therefore if water metaphorically ſignifie comfort and refreſhing, wherewith the ſoul is recreated and rejoyced: Thirſt, which is oppoſite to water, doth denote a ſoul dried up with grief, ſpent with the heat of Gods indignation, and tormented with the vexing or moleſting want of grace and conſolation. To be weary and heavie laden, is to be faint or tired under ſome burden, labour,Deut. 25. 18. … Sam. 17. 2. and 23. 10. Pſal. 6. 7. See there. journey, diſeaſe or work. But tiredneſſe and fainting, wearineſſe and trouble are no parts of health or …aſe; no more then the ſight, feeling, or knowledge of the diſeaſe is any part of the cure: wearineſſe and fainting is neither part, degree, nor preparative to refreſhing, if in it ſelf conſidered.
And here the doubt touching the precedency of faith and repentance may eaſily be determined. For if faith be taken largely or generally for a beliefe of the promiſe, if we repent and receive it, then faith is before repentance: for there can be no turning without hope of pardon, nor comming home by hearty ſorrow, without ſome expectation of mercy. Thus the Exhortations run, Turn unto the Lord, for he is mercifull and gracious. Repent, for the Kingdome of God is at hand. But if faith be taken more ſtrictly, for that faith or beliefe whereby we receive, embrace, or reſt upon the promiſe of God in Chriſt Jeſus for pardon and forgiveneſſe, then repentance goeth before pardon: for no remiſſion is promiſed toMark …. 4. Luke 24. 47. be enjoyed but upon condition of repentance; and if the penitent only be immediately capable of pardon, then pardon is received by a penitentiall faith. If repentance be neceſſary to Juſtification, of neceſſity it muſt goe before juſtifying faith; becauſe faith and juſtification are immediately coupled together. It is impoſſible to come unto Chriſt without repentance, but to come unto Chriſt is to embrace or receive him ſoundly and effectually to the refreſhing of the ſoul. Comming unto Chriſt is a lively motion of the ſoul, wherein ariſing from ſin, it draweth nigh or approacheth unto Chriſt, that in him it might be ſatisfied. The motion is one, but the points are two. For in drawing nigh unto Chriſt, the ſoul ariſeth from ſin: which may be called repentance. Of the ſignification of the word, I will move no queſtion at this time: but take repentance for a comming unto Chriſt by true, godly ſorrow, from whom we had formerly departed by ſin and wickedneſſe, to the extreme hazard of our ſouls.
The Author of repentance, is God in Jeſus Chriſt. Repentance2 Tim. 2. 25. Jer. 31. 18. is the gift of God, but the act of man. It is man that repenteth and not God: but it is God that giveth repentance, inableth, and moveth man to repent. Regeneration is the act of God: repentance the act of man. In ſubject they both agree; for he that isEzek. 36. 25. regenerate doth alſo repent, and ſo on the contrary: but in their formall conſideration and peculiar nature they are diſtinct. Chriſt alſo as Mediatour is the principall cauſe of repentance: for him hath God exalted to give repentance unto Iſrael. And ſeeing repentanceAct. 5. 31. Act. …1. 18. is not to deſperation, but to life and Salvation, it cannot be without all reſpect of Chriſt, in whom only we have deliverance from the condemnation and dominion of ſin. Repentance is the effect of Chriſts death and interceſſion. As he hath purchaſed pardon of ſin for us, ſo repentance alſo, otherwiſe we ſhould beIſai. 53. 5. partakers of ſome ſaving grace, or bleſſing, which Chriſt did not purchaſe for us.
The Spirit of God is not undeſervedly called the Spirit of Chriſt as Mediatour, convincing the Conſcience of ſin and unrighteouſneſſe, and diſcovering unto the heart the grace of the Goſpell. The Word of the Kingdome or Covenant is the inſtrument of repentance, as that which diſcovereth ſin, and holdeth forth hope of pardon, and intreateth, perſwadeth, and encourageth the weary and burdened to draw nigh to God by Jeſus Chriſt.
FINIS.