The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 1 · Chapter 4 · Section 12
SECT. XII.
7. A ſeventh comfort for you who have God to be your God in Covenant, is If God be ours, then all the immunities and priviledges annexed to the Covenant are ours.this, Then all the immunities and priviledges annexed to the Covenant of grace, for the people of that Covenant, they are yours.
I will ſpeak ſomething unto both theſe this day, that you who are the people of God, may ſee more of your happineſſe in having God to be your God.
1. The immunities or liberties by the Covenant of grace for ſuch as are in Covenant.Ten immunities by the Covenant. From the revenging wrath of God.
They have ten excellent and moſt comfortable liberties by it.
1. They have immunity from the revenging wrath of God. There is (you know) Ira patris, & ira judicis:
A paternal anger or wrath; from this they are not free; In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlaſting kindneſs will I have mercy on thee, ſaith the Lord thy Redeemer, Iſa. 54. 8.
A judicial anger or wrath, which conſiſts in two things. 1. In a reſolution, by no means to cleare the wicked, to acquit, to paſſe by offences, to be pacified. 2. In a pouring forth the vials of his juſt vengeance upon tranſgreſſors, according to the demerits of their ſinnes and wickedneſſes; There is a cup in the hand of the Lord, and the wine is red, it is full of mixture, and he poureth out of the ſame, but the dreggs thereof, all the wicked of the earth ſhall wring them out, and drink them, Pſal. 75. 8. This judicial wrath of God, it is expreſſed againſt ſinners partly in this life, in the dreadful terrours of conſcience, and in the dreadful deſtruction of ungodly men who are conſumed by the wrath of God, as the dry ſtubble is by the flaming and devouring fire; and partly in the life to come, which is called Gods reſerved wrath, and his prepared wrath, and the day of wrath, Rom. 2. 5. Nahum 1. 2. He reſerveth wrath for his enemies. Matth. 25. 41. Depart from me ye curſed into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels.
From this judicial wrath of God (whither preſent or future) are all the people in Covenant with God, freed and delivered by Chriſt who is their Atonement, Rom. 5. 10, 11. Propitiati…n, 1 John 2. 1. Rom. 5. 9. Much more being now justified by his blood, we ſhall be ſaved from wrath through him, 1 Theſ. 1. 10. Jeſus who delivered us from the wrath to come. 1 Theſ. 5. 9. God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain ſalvation by our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
Now this our immunity is a ſingular comfort unto us. It is a great matter to be delivered from the wrath of man; what is it then to be freed from the wrath of God! You may obſerve in others, how dreadful the expectation of future wrath is unto ſinners, and how unſupportable the burden of it is unto their conſciences; how it turns all their delights into gall and wormwood; how it ſhakes the foundations of their ſouls, and fills them with reſtleſſe amazements, and horrours, and deſpaires; And you read of that hell of his wrath on them in hell, which makes the damned to gnaſh their teeth, to cry out and roare, to curſe, and blaſpheme, which they cannot endure, and which they cannot eſcape.
But you who are the people of his Covenant, as you ſhall never fall under the power of that future wrath of God, ſo you ſhall never taſte one drop of Gods judicial revenging wrath any one moment of your preſent life; whatſoever your troubles, and croſſes, and ſadneſſes may be, yet there is no judicial wrath in them; Chriſt hath fully drunk off the cup for you, and ſatisfied the juſtice of God, who by his blood is reconciled and well-pleaſed with you.
2. They have immunity from the dominion of ſinne; Sinne ſhall not have dominion From the dominion of ſinover you, for you are under grace, Rom. 6. 14. Here you ſee expreſly, that there is a freedome from the dominion of ſinne, even upon this account, that we are under the Covenant of grace. Though you be not totally freed from the inhabitation of ſinne (for ſinne doth dwell in us, whiles we dwell on earth) and though you be not totally freed from the rebellion of ſinne (for peccatum hoſtis eſt quamdiu eſt, The fleſh luſte…h againſt the ſpirit, Gal. 5. 17. and there is a law in our members, warring againſt the law of our minds, Rom. 7. 23. yet you are totally freed from the dominion of ſinne, which conſiſts in the effectual Rule, Command, and Sovereign ſtrength of ſinne, and a free, and full, and willing ſubjection or obedience unto the Law and authority of ſinne; and verily this freedome or deliverance, is a wonderful mercy and happineſſe unto the people of God whither you conſider,
1. The great and utmoſt diſtance twixt you and God.
2. The baſen…ſſe of ſervitude, in which every one lives, over whom ſinne hath dominion; for of whom a man is overcome, of the ſame he is brought in bondage, 2 Pet. 2. 19. You were but very ſlaves to your luſts, and to the devil, whiles ſinne did rule over you.
3. The height of enmity. As you were the baſeſt of ſlaves, ſo you were the worſt of enemies; living not only as aliens without God, but as deſperate enemies, oppoſing and fighting againſt God.
4. The ſuperfluity of naughtineſſe (a full contrariety) your whole hearts, and your whole lives, were nothing elſe but a conſtant diſhonour unto God, and contradiction to his Will and Glory.
5. The certainty of deſtruction which would infallibly have attended you, had not the mercy and grace of God reſcued and delivered you; I ſay, certain deſtruction to your ſouls; as there is a certain deſtruction to the life of our bodies, if we fall into the ſea and lie under it.
6. The ſweet and immediate communion 'twixt the deliverance from the dominion of ſinne, and admiſſion to the Kingdome of Chriſt: It is a tranſlation from death to life. The Apoſtle joins theſe together in Coloſ. 5. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkneſſe, and hath tranſlated us into the Kingdome of his dear Sonne.
3. They have immunity or freedome from the damnation meritoriouſly depending upon the guilt of ſinne. As ſalvation depends upon the merits of Chriſt, ſo From damnation for ſinne.doth damnation depend on the merit of ſinne. There is ſo much merit in ſinne, as to render us obnoxious, not only to temporal deſtruction, but alſo to eternal deſtruction; for the wages of ſinne is death, even that death which ſtands in oppoſition to eternal life, Rom. 6. 23.
But from the effectual redundancy of this damnation upon your perſons, you are every one freed who are in Covenant with God; For there is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt Jeſus, Rom. 8. 1. And whoſoever believeth in him, ſhall not periſh, but have eternal life, John 3. 15. And the ground of this your immunity from the damnation due unto you for your ſinnes, is the ſatisfaction which Chriſt hath made for your ſinnes unto the juſtice of God; and thereupon the obtaining of riches of mercy from your God, who (according to his Covenant with you) blots out, and forgives all your ſinnes, and never remembers them any more.
For this is a ſure truth, that remiſſion of ſinnes, and actual damnation for ſinnes, are incompatible, or inconſiſtent. Now whether this be any cauſe of comfort that you and your ſinnes are parted, and that you and hell are for ever ſeparated, I leave it to any one of you to judge: for mine own part, I do look upon four things as very great mercies. 1. That I am delivered from the power of ſinne. 2. That I enjoy the pardon of ſinne. 3. That I ſhall never be damned for ſinne. 4. That I ſhall be ſaved, notwithſtanding all my ſinnes.
4. They have immunity or freedome from juſtification by the Law, from all legal From juſtification by the Law.tryals for life: Although you are not freed from the Law as it is a rule for life, yet you are freed from the Law as it is a Covenant of life; although you are not freed from the Law as it is the image of the good and holy will of God, yet becauſe you are under the Covenant of grace, you are freed from the Law as it is a reaſon of ſalvation and juſtification. The Covenant of grace takes you off from that Court and that Bar which pronounceth life upon your own good works; and pronounceth death upon your own evil works; Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is juſtified by faith without the deeds of the Law. Gal. 3. 11. No man is juſtified by the Law in the ſight of God, for the juſt ſhall live by faith. As the Law calls for perfect and perſonal righteouſneſſe of our own; ſo the Law will not juſtifie you, it will not give life unto you, unleſſe it finds that righteouſneſſe in you; you live not, if you be not perfectly righteous; abſolution is pronounced upon your own perfect innocency, and condemnation is pronounced upon any defect or breach: And verily upon this account, no man living can or ſhall be juſtified; therefore here is comfort, that being in Chriſt, and in this Covenant of grace, ye are juſtified from all things from which ye could not be juſtified by the Law of Moſes; See the Apoſtle, Acts 13. 39. Your life doth not lie now in your own righteouſneſſe, but in the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt; nor doth it depend upon your own works, but upon the obedience of Chriſt. That expreſſion of Luther is an excellent expreſſion, Chriſtus ſolus me juſtificat contra mea mala opera, & ſine operibus meis bonis. Though my works have been very good, yet not thoſe, but Chriſt doth juſtifie me; and though my works have been very ill, yet the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt can and will juſtifie me; my evil works ſhall not damne me, and my good works cannot acquit me; it is Chriſt, it is Chriſt, and not the Law which juſtifies me.
5. They have immunity or liberty from the rigour of the Law: The Law in the rigour of it exacts of us a moſt abſolute obedience, a moſt exquiſite and full obedience, From the rigor of the Law.it will not abate us the leaſt grain or ſcruple, if it be not every way adequate, (for matter, and manner, and meaſure) your obedience will not paſſe, nor will it be accepted according to the rigour of the Law; Curſed is every one who doth not continue in every thing that is written to do it. But when once you are under the Covenant of grace, when once God is your God, and you are his people, neither you nor your ſervices are judged by the exactneſſe of your ſervices, but by the ſincerity of your hearts: Though much be wanting which the Law preſcribes, yet if that be preſent, which your merciful God and Father delights in, viz. uprightneſſe of Spirit, your ſighs and groans, and tears, and deſires ſhall paſſe and be accepted inſtead of more full and ample performances, 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be firſt a willing minde, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. Mal. 3. 17. I will ſpare them as a man ſpareth his own ſonne that ſerveth him. Pſal. 51. 17. A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not deſpiſe. Zach. 4. 10. Who hath despiſed the day of ſmall things?
6. They have immunity from the terrour or coercive power of the Law: Namely, From the coercive power of the Law.from obeying the commands of it upon the meer principles of ſlaviſh fear of the threatnings annexed unto the breach of the Law. You do now obey the Law, not as ſlaves, but as ſonnes; not out of fear of wrath, but out of love to your Father. That Spirit of bondage, (Rom. 8. 15.) and that ſpirit of fear, (2 Tim. 1. 7.) is removed, and a ſpirit of love comes in the room thereof. Though there were no rewards to allure, and though there were no ſevere threats to terrifie you, yet you would ſerve your God with willing minds, and with willing hearts, 2 Chron. 28. 9. Pſal. 110. 3. There is ſuch a heavenly ſutableneſſe and ſuperconnaturalneſſe 'twixt the Law of your God and your hearts, that it is your delight to meditate in it, and to walk up unto it in all things; there is no conſtraint on you but the love of your good God.
7. They have immunity from the curſe of the Law: Chriſt hath redeemed us From the curſe of the Law.from the curſe of the Law, being made a curſe for us, Gal. 3. 13. Indeed afflictions, and fatherly chaſtiſements, or corrections, may befall the people of God in this life, (whom the Lord loveth he chaſtneth, and ſcourgeth every ſonne whom he receiveth, Heb. 12. 6.) but no curſes befall them. Though the cup be bitter, yet there is no poyſon in it; though it be a croſſe, yet it is not a curſe; their wounds are healing wounds, and their afflictions are inſtructions, and their loſſes are their gains; for nothing comes as a curſe which doth us good.
8. They have immunity from the Kingdome and power of darkneſs: You are no From the Kingdome of darkneſſe.longer under the Prince of the power of the Aire, the ſpirit that worketh in the children of diſobedience, Epheſ. 2. 2. The Divel is diſpoſſeſſed, and caſt down, and caſt out; he is ſtill your enemy, but he ſhall never be your Lord more; he may tempt you and diſquiet you, but command and rule over you he ſhall never do. Though the Divel be very buſie and active with you, yet he ſhall never regain poſſeſſion, never con…uer your graces, never part you and your God, never hinder you of your inheritance.
9. They have immunity from death; there is the firſt death, and the ſecond From death.death; or there is a three-fold death; there is the death of the ſoul, and the death of the body, and the death of ſoul and body. 1. Spiritual death, that is, the death of the ſoul. 2. Corporal death, that is, the death of the body. 3. Eternal death, that is, the death of ſoul and body. Now all the people of God are freed from ſpiritual death by the grace of Chriſt, and from eternal dea…h by the blood of Chriſt, and from corporal death, though not abſolutely or ſimply, yet reſpectively, ſo far forth as ſinne hath made it dreadful, and our enemy, and prejudicial to us; Though you muſt dye, yet your death is but your ſleep, and is but your ſtrait paſſage into life: The death of death is removed from you by the death of Chriſt. Vide Heb. 2. 15. 1 Cor. 15. 55, 56, 57. O death, where is thy ſting? O grave, where is thy victory? The ſting of death is ſinne, and the ſtrength of ſinne is the Law, but thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord J…ſus Chriſt.
10. What can I ſay more? they have immunity from all evil in this life, and in the life to come; you are freed or delivered from an evil conſcience, which never From all evil.leaves accuſing and condemn…ng; from this preſent evil world and the corruptions thereof, from every evil work and way, from evil men, from all the evil which remains for evil men in hell.
God in this Covenant ſecures you againſt all; why? what comforts are there in theſe things! and what confidence! and what encouragements! and what ſupport unto your ſouls! Why do you fear ſo often? and why are your hearts troubled? Surely, you do not know your ſelves to be the people of God, or elſe you do not fully know the liberties and immunities of the people of God.
Sometimes you fear the heavy wrath of God; but why do you ſo? He is your God and your Father, and full of compaſſions and loving kindneſſes; he will not deal with you as a revenging Judge, but as a loving and merciful Father; he is at peace with you, and reconciled unto you: Sometimes you fear the damnation and curſe belonging unto ſinne; But why do you ſo? Chriſt hath dyed and ſatisfied for your ſinnes, and he was made a curſe for you, and there is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt. Sometimes you fear becauſe of the powerful motions and conflicts, and rebellions of ſinne in your hearts: but why do you ſo? ſeeing that ſinne ſhall not have dominion over you, and Chriſt in you is daily mortifying and deſtroying the body of ſinne; neither ſhall any Lord reigne in you, but your Saviour who dyed for you.
Sometimes you fear becauſe of the imperfection of your graces; but why do you ſo? It is not your weakneſſe or want of holineſſe, but Chriſts perfect righteouſneſſe which is imputed unto you for life, and for juſtification.
Sometimes you fear becauſe of the weakneſſe of your obediential ſervices and performances; but why do you ſo? your God in Covenant works all his works in you, and he owns your perſons, and will accept the weakeſt offerings of an upright heart in and for Chriſt.
Sometimes you fear becauſe of the ſtrong temptations of Satan; but why do you ſo? grace ſufficient ſhall be given unto you, and your God will ſhortly bruiſe Satan under your feet.
Sometimes you fear men becauſe of their malice and power; and why do you ſo? your God will reſtrain the rage of man, and fruſtrate the counſels of the Heathen, and break the armes of the ungodly, and knows how to deliver you.
Sometimes you fear to dye; but why are you afraid of death? which is but the laſt Stile to go over, and then you are at your Fathers houſe; death to you is but an end of your ſinnes and miſeries, and only a quick paſſage into your eternal happineſſe.
Secondly, The priviledges which you enjoy by being under the Covenant of grace, Priviledges by being in Covenant.by having God to be your God in Covenant.
There are divers rights and poſſeſſions, and liberties, and priviledges which you do enjoy, and none but you who are the people of God, and have him to be your God: And I will propound theſe
1. In the general: Where be you pleaſed to take notice of five things.In general.
1. Whatſoever priviledges believers have, thoſe are yours who are the people of God: The priviledges of faith are yours; all that faith can pretend unto from a Whatſoever priviledges believers have, are yours.right in Chriſt, and a title by Chriſt as Mediator, in reſpect of ſuffering, of ſatisfying, of purchaſing, of victorious conqueſt, of interceding, they are all of them yours; whatſoever advantage a ſoul may get by Chriſt, and whatſoever advantage Chriſt is to a believing ſoul, that is yours.
2. Whatſoever priviledges belong to the friends of God, they do belong unto you: All the people of God are ſtiled the friends of God, James …. 23. and the friends What priviedges belong to the friends of God, are yours?of Chriſt, John 15. 14, 15. Cant. 5. 1. Friends (as friends) have free acceſſe, courteous welcome and entertainment, liberty of ſpeaking, familiarity of converſe, delightful communion, confident imparting and openings of their hearts one to another, chearful counſel, and helps of one another; th…ſe in a ſpiritual way do you enjoy with your God, and from your God, who becauſe you are the people of God, are therefore the friends of God.
3. Whatſoever priviledges do belong to the ſonnes and children of God, theſe alſo do belong to you; for you are all the children of God by faith in Chriſt Jeſus, The priviledges of the children of God are yours.Gal. 3. 26. I will be a Father unto you, and ye ſhall be my ſonnes and daughters, 2 Cor. 6. 18. You are the children of the Lord your God, Deut. 14. 1. Children have the priviledges of nearneſſe, of reſidence in their fathers houſe, of dependance on their father, of preſence, of confidence, &c.
4. Whatſoever are the priviledges of the Kingdome of God, thoſe are yours who are the people of God. It is a Kingdome of righteouſneſſe, of peace, of joy, of The priviledges of the Kingdome of God are yours. The priviledges of the heirs of this Kingdome are yours. In ſpecial: You have twelve priviledges. Liberty of appeal.ſafety, of bleſſing, of honour, of immortality, &c.
5. Whatſoever are the priviledges of the heires of this Kingdome, thoſe alſo do belong to you. Foraſmuch as if you be children, you are then …, Rom. 8. 17. All the Charter and conveyances, and aſſurances, and hopes, and at length poſſeſſions of the heavenly inheritance are yours.
2. In ſpecial, you have twelve excellent priviledges, which I will touch upon a little.
1. You have liberty of appeal, and that appeal is accepted and ratified; you have the liberty to appeal
1. From the Judgment-ſeat, to the Mercy-ſeat.
2. From the merits of ſinne to the merits of Chriſt.
3. From a condemning conſcience to an acquiting God.
4. From the Law to the Goſpel.
5. From your own unworthineſſe to Chriſts righteouſneſſe.
6. From your own feeling unto Gods promiſes.
When you ſee your ſelves caſt at the barre of juſtice, you may decline the ſentence by flying unto the Throne of mercy; O Lord, juſtice condemns me, but let mercy ſuccour and ſave me; when your hearts are overwhelmed in the apprehenſion and conſideration of your many ſinnes, and the great guilt of them, you may then appeal to the infinitely precious and ſurpaſſing merits of Chriſt; wh…re ſinne abounded, grace did much more abound; and as ſinne hath reigned unto death, even ſo doth grace reigne through righteouſneſſe unto eternal life by Jeſus Chriſt our Lord, Rom. 5. 20, 21. When your conſcience condemns you for ſinnes paſt, then may you appeal unto your God for mercy to pardon you: God be merciful unto me a ſinner, ſaith the Publican. Pardon my ſinne O Lord, for it is great, ſaith David.
When the Law indites and purſues you as guilty, then may you appeal to the Goſpel as the Sanctuary to receive and ſecure your diſtreſſed ſouls; when your hearts faile you becauſe of your own unworthineſſe, then may you appeal to the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, and ſo be juſtified in the ſight of God.
When you feel your ſelves (as to your own ſenſe) utterly deſtitute, left, loſt, forſaken, then may you appeal to the ptomiſes of God, and there finde your ſelves ſtill owned and loved, and plentifully and graciouſly aſſured.
2. You have this priviledge, that all your communions with God are by a Your communions with God are by a Meditour.Media…or, and Advocate, and Interceſſor: Or you pray not in your own names, but in the Name of your Chriſt and Mediator; and you plead not in your own names, but in the Name of your Chriſt; and you ſpeed not in your own name, but in the Name of your Chriſt; nay, you believe and hope not in your own names, but in the Name of Chriſt.
There are two ſad things for any man: 1. To be left alone unto himſelf, ſo as to have no part in Chriſt. 2. To go alone in his approaches to God without a Chriſt to plead for him, to have no Chriſt to own him, to ſtep in for him, to undertake for him. But this is your priviledge, and this is your comfort who are the people of God, that you never deal with your God but by a Mediator; when you appear before your God, Jeſus Chriſt appears with you, and he appears for you; when you do invocare, then he doth advocare; when you put up your petitions, then doth he make interceſſion; he is your Advocate with the Father, and he ever lives to make interceſſion for you.
3. You have this priviledge, that you trade altogether at the mercy-ſeat, and You trade altogether at the mercy-ſeat.at the Throne of grace: God deals with you in no other Court but that of mercy, and anſwers you from no other Throne but that of grace, and you deal with God at that Seat and that Throne only: When you have any ſinnes to be pardoned, you may go to your merciful God, and to your gracious God, and your merciful God will pardon them, and your gracious God will freely pardon them: When you would have any kinde of good and help, you may go to your good and kinde God, and he will give it; and to your gracious God, and he will freely give it.
4. You have this priviledge, that you may go to your God when you will: You may go to your God when you will.There is no ſpace of time whatſoever but the door is open to you, and your God is at leiſure to ſpeak with you. You have liberty of acceſſe, and that liberty is never reſtrained; let your occaſions be never ſo urgent, never ſo many, you may freely ſpeak with your Father; yea, though there be ten thouſand Petitioners before him, yet you may put in your requeſt, and ſhall be owned, and heard.
5. You have this priviledge, that you may not only come into the preſence You may with confidence wreſtle with God.of your God, but you may with confidence urge him, and importune him, and wreſtle with him, and ſtill renew and reinforce your requeſts; you may take hold of him, and challenge, and expoſtulate with him, and ſtay him, and not let him alone, nor let him go untill he bleſſeth you: And ſo large allowance of bleſſedneſſe is granted unto you, that you may (in ſome ſort) command God; it is the Higheſt Expreſſion that you read of, Iſaiah 45. 11.
6. You have this priviledge, by having God to be your God, and by being his You may enter into, and ſurvey all the treaſures of heaven, and lay claime to them.people, that you may enter in and ſurvey all the rich treaſures and jewels of heaven; and when you have ſo done, you may lay claime unto them all, and ſay, O Lord, all theſe are mine by thy promiſe, and by my right in Chriſt. Thou art mine, and thy mercy is mine, and thy Chriſt is mine, and thy grace is mine, and that glory is mine; all this is the purchaſe of Chriſt, and all this is mine.
7. You have this priviledge alſo, that all the ſeals of the Covenant of grace All the ſeals of the Covenant are reſtrained to you alone.are reſtrained unto your ſelves alone: As the Covenant is none but yours, and with you, ſo the ſeals of the Covenant are none but yours, and unto you only: The ſeals of the Covenant are to confirme you, and to aſſure you, and to revive and comfort you, and to eſtabliſh you; there is not any ungodly perſon on the earth who hath right unto the ſeals of the Covenant, and the reaſon is becauſe he hath no intereſt in the Covenant it ſelf; you onelyonly are the people of the Covenant, and therefore you onelyonly have right to the ſeals of the Covenant.
8. You have this priviledge, that you may expect help from your God, for all the works which you owe to God: You may go to him for grace, for ſtrength, You may expect help from God in all your works.for ſufficiency to work in you both to will and to do; both to believe and to ſuffer, Phil. 2. 13. and chap. 1. 29. Give thy ſtrength unto thy ſervant, Pſal. 86. 16. He will give ſ…rength unto his people, Pſal. 29. 11. Gods promiſes are joyned with his commands; this thou wouldeſt have me to do, O Lord give thy Spirit unto me, and cauſe me to do it.
9. You have this priviledge, that your all is in another; Your life ſtands in the life of another; and your righteouſneſſe in the righteouſneſſe of another; Your all is in another.and your ſatisfying in the ſatisfaction of another; and your defence in the death of another; and your title and claime in the obedience and purchaſe, and right of another, and your acceptance in another; your life lies in the life of Chriſt; and your righteouſneſſe is the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, and your ſatisfying is the ſatisfaction of Chriſt, and your defence and anſwer to all inditements and accuſations is the death of Chriſt, and your claime and title is the obedience and purchaſe of Chriſt; your power is in the power of Chriſt, and your acceptance is in Chriſt. This is a priviledge indeed, that you are wholly made up in another, and by another; that you ſhall never be found in your own righteouſneſſe, but onelyonly in the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, and ſhall never be tryed by your own righteouſneſſe, but by the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, &c.
10. You have this priviledge, that you live upon free coſt all your days: The You live upon free coſt.Covenant of God will finde and provide enough for you; you never need to load your ſelves with anxious thought or care; For your God and Father careth for you; all your burdens, and all your cares are taken off; Be careful for nothing, caſt all your care on him, for he careth for you. He layeth up for his children, and he layes out upon his children; his Covenant will finde food for your bellies, and rayment for your backs, and mercy and ſalvation for your ſouls, &c.
11. You have this priviledge, that all the gracious and ſweet manifeſtations of All the gracious manifeſtations of heaven are to you only.heaven are unto you only: None know the Father but you, none taſte of the loving kindneſſe of God but you, none ſup with Chriſt but you, none partake of the joys and comforts of the Holy Ghoſt but you, none have that hope and aſſurance of glory but you, none eat of the Manna but you who have a new name given unto you; heavenly banquets for the ſoul are provided onelyonly for you.The Angels of God, miniſtring Spirits for you.
12. You have this priviledge, that the very Angels of God are miniſtring Spirits ſent forth to miniſter for you who ſhall be heirs of ſalvation, Heb. 1. 14. They pitch their tenth, and encampe round about them that fear God, Pſal. 34. 7. This ſeems an high priviledge, and yet you have an higher than this; For as the Mountains are round about Jeruſalem, ſo the Lord is round about his people from henceforth, even for …ver, Pſal. 125. 2.
13. What can I ſay more? Is this any priviledge that whileſt you live, you God will be your God in life and death.may live upon your God and Father, and when you dye, you ſhall go to … God and Father? This alſo is yours who have God to be your God in Coven…; God will be your God in life, and God will be your God in death, and God will be your God after death; whiles you live he is yours, and with you; and when you dye, he is yours, and you ſhall be with him reigning in glory for ever and ever, and ever.
Thus have you heard a few things of your happineſſe in reſpect of your Immunities and Priviledges, by having God to be your God in Covenant. I will … comfort more unto you, and then put an end to this ….