The True Way to the Tree of Life, Part · Section 8
VIII. Direction.
HOwever thou art by Nature, O Natural man, in a most Sinful and wretched state, and hast remained therein from thy very Birth unto this day, for which thou hast cause to be abased to the very dust: yet know thou for thy Comfort, thy Case is not Desperate, there is Hope in Israel concerning this; God hath in this valley of Achor, in this valley of trouble, opened a door of Hope for thee, and of his mee… love and mercy hath Revealed in his Covenant of Faith in Christ, a way how thou mayst be recovered out of this thy sinful and wretched state of Nature, into an Holy and Happy state of Grace; and how all Gods Elect, though lapsed in the first Adam, may be restored in a second Adam, Tit. 3. 4, 5, 6, 7. Gal. 3. 21, 22. Rom. 3. 20, 21, 22. 26, 27.
I shall Illustrate this further to thy singular encouragement and comfort, O Natural man, in certain distinct Positions. viz.
1. The LORD God, of the meer good pleasure of his will, according to his eternal Purpose which he purposed in himself, elected a certain number out of mankind unto himself, to the Adoption of children, that they should be holy and without blame before him in love, to the praise of the Glory of his Grace. Ephes. 1. 4, 5, 6.
2, Though the only wise and righteous God (who can bring good yTanta quippe est omnipotens ejus bonitas, ut etiam de malis possit facere bona, sive ignos…endo, sive sanando, sive ad utilitates piorum coapando atque vertendo, sive etiam justissimè vindicando. Omnia namque ista bona sunt, & Deo bono atque Omnipotenti dignissima, nec tamen fiunt nisi de malis. Quid igitur melius, quid Omnipotentius eo, qui cum mali nihil faciat, benè etiam de malis facit? Aug. de Continent. lib. Cap. 6. p. 995. C. Tom. 4. Basil. 1569.out of cvil: Else he could not suffer it to be) permitted Adam, the common Root of Mankind; and in him, as in his loins, all mankind; and among them all his elect; to fall into Sin and misery, for the greater manifestation of the surpassing glory of his Freedom, Mercy, and Justice towards mankind: yet hath he not cast away his people whom he foreknew, nor left his Elect to perish in that lapsed state, but hath most graciously and wisely contrived a way, how all his Elect shall be recovered out of this state of Sin and misery into a state of Holiness and Happiness for evermore. Compare Mat. 10. 29. 30. Act. 2. 23. and 4. 27. with Gen. 3. 1. &c. Rom. 5, 12, 13, 14. Rom. 11. 2. Ephes. 1. 4. to 12. Col. 1. 19, 20.
3. God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, was pleased to contrive lapsed man's Recovery, out of the exceeding riches of his meer Grace and mercy. Eph. 1. 3. to 12. and 2. 4 to 10.
Nothing at all foreseen in lapsed man could move or encline God at all, to Contrive his Restitution, Eph. 2. 8, 9. Tit. 3. 4, 5, 6, 7.
4. Gods Contriving of lapsed mans Recovery, is rendered a Divine favour so much the more eminent and singularly illustrious, in that God would not vouchsafe the like favour to the lapsed Angels, though by Nature they were far more Noble and Excellent Creatures, Compare Psal. 8. 4, 5. with Heb. 2. 16.
Angels fellzvide Augustinum. lib. de fide, ad Petrum. Diacon. C. 3. p. 221. A. B. from their happy state, by their own free will without other seducement, and found no mercy: Man fell through the malicious and subtile Seducement of that old Serpent the Devil, and found mercy.
5. Our ever blessed God hath, immediately upon the fall of man; and afterwards from age to age in diverse remarkable periods of time, revealed in his precious Promises and second Covenant, the Covenant of Faith, enlarged more and more till it came to be most compleat in his New Covenant, his most Gracious purpose and pleasure of Restoring lapsed man again from his state of Sin and misery. As these, and like Scriptures do abundantly testifie; viz. with Adam Gen, 3. 15. Noah, Gen. 6. 18. 22. with Heb. 11. 7. Abram, Gen. 12. 2, 3. with 15. 9. to the end. and 17. 1. to 15. and 22. 15, 16, 17, 18. Israel, Deut. 5. 2. to 22. with Exod. 20. 1, 2. &c. and 24 4. to 9. David, 2 Sam. 7. 11. to 17. and 23. 5. with Psal. 89 3. &c. and 132. 11. &c. with the Jews captived in Babylon. Ezek. 34. 20. 23, 24, 25. and 36. 24. to the end, and 37. 1. 21. to the End. Ier. 32. 1. 2. 3. 36. to the end. Finally, in the New Covenant in Christ exhibited, the height and top- Turret of all Gods Covenant-Expressures with his people, Ier. 31. 31. to 35. with Heb. 8. 6. to the end of the chapter. All which Covenant-Expressures I have elsewhere aIn my Treat. of Gods Covenants with man, &c. London printed An. Dom. 1657.at large explained, which the diligent Reader may peruse.
6. Our most gracious God revealing his good pleasure in his second Covenant, the Covenant of Faith, for lapsed man's restauration, hath opened a door of hope, of life and salvation for him, who before was in an hopeless, desperate, dead and damnable condition. For such was the condition of Adam, and of all mankind in him, after his Fall, until the seed of the woman was promised to bruise the Serpents head. Compare Gen. 2. 16, 17. with Gen. 3. 6, 7. and 15. Rom. 5. 12. And until Natural man lay hold upon this promise, and this seed of the woman, (which is our hope, 1 Tim. 1. 1.) by believing, he remains hopeless still, Eph. 2. 12.
7. Gods mysterious contrivance of lapsed mans recovery from his sinful and wretched state of Nature, brought upon mankind by the breach of the Covenant of works, Gen. 2. 16, 17. Rom. 5. 12. and 6. 23. And revealing this his recovery in a gratuitous Covenant of Faith, which Faith he promiseth by his Spirit to work in them, Rom. 3. 27. Ezek. 36. 26, 27. Luk. 11. 13. Eph. 2. 8. Gal. 5. 22. is a mercy of mercies utterly beyond all blessing and praise, that the creature can present unto the LORD.