The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 1 · Chapter 4 · Section 15
SECT. XV.
Uſe. 4 THere is yet one Uſe more which I would make from the conſideration of the happineſſe of being the people of God in Covenant, and of enjoying God to be our God in Covenant.
And that Uſe ſhall be a Uſe of Exhortation, even unto them who are not (as yet) Exhortation to them that are not in Covenant with God; To get into a Covenant-relation.the people of God in Covenant; That they would not content themſelves in that eſtate, to be Forrainers, and ſtrangers, and enemies, but that they would begg, and ſtrive to come into a Covenant-relation with God, that they would take him for their God, and ſubmit themſelves unto him as his people in Covenant.
Now this Exhortation I ſhall direct unto two ſorts of ſinners. 1. Unto ſuch as to this day have obſtinately refuſed to become the people of God. 2ly. Unto ſuch who are troubled for their obſtinate diſobedience, and would fain become the people of God, but are afraid that God will never admit them into Covenant, that he will never be a God to them, &c.
1. Unto ſuch who hitherto have obſtinately refuſed to become the people of God, and to own God for their God in Covenant. What is the Almighty that we ſhould ſerve Such as obſtinately refuſe this Covenant-relation.him, ſpake they in Job 21. 15. Who is the Lord, that I ſhould obey his voice? ſaid Pharaoh, Exod. 5. 2. Let us break his bands aſunder, and cast away his cords from us, Pſal. 2. 3. They would not walk in his wayes, neither were they obedient to his Laws, Iſa. 42. 24. I will poure out my Spirit upon you, I will make known my words unto you: I called and ye refuſed, I have ſtretched out my hand, and no man regarded, ye have ſet at naught all my counſels, Prov. 1. 23, 24, 25. Moſes refuſed to be called the ſon of Pharaohs daughter, Heb. 11. 24. This ſhewed his contempt of worldly honours ſtanding in Oppoſition to the enjoyment of communion with the people of God. But many refuſe to become the ſons of God, and to become the people of God, although they hear of the infinite happineſſe in being the people of God, and in the enjoyment of God to be their God; They look upon it as their great loſſe to part with their ſinful luſts, and they look upon it as their exceeding prejudice and diſgrace to be counted the people of God, and they look upon it as their heavy burthen to be brought into the Covenant, and yeilding up themſelves unto God alone.
For ſuch a ſort of ignorant and perverſe people, I would pray unto God that he Conſiderations to awaken them.would open their eyes, and convince their hearts, and awaken them from the ſleep of death. And if they be capable of any faithful counſel and advice, I would preſent a few ſerious Conſiderations unto them, which perhaps may perſwade …h…m to hearken, and to deſire to come into Covenant with God.
1. You are never able to ſtand out, and live under the Covenant of Works. There You are not able to ſtand out and live under the Covenant of works.are but two Covenants which we muſt abide by; In one of them all men of neceſſity muſt be found: either in the Covenant of Grace, or in the Covenant of Works; Theſe are like the two Maſters of whom Chriſt doth ſpeak, that one cannot ſerve them both either he will hate the one and love the other, or elſe he will hold to the one, and deſpiſe the other. Matth. 6. 24. So no man can be under both theſe Covenants at once; if he refuſe the one, he chuſeth the other; and if he chuſeth the one, he refuſeth the other: If you refuſe to come into the Covenant of Grace, of neceſſity you remain under the Covenant of Works; and then you are as ſurely loſt and deſtroyed, as you now live: for the Covenant of works condemns and curſes the ſinner (curſed is every one wh… c…ntinues n…t in every thing that is written to do it, Gal 3. 10.) And you are exceedingly ſinful; the Law of God findes you ſo, and your own conſciences teſtifie againſt you as ſo; Neither have you any way to eſcape that curſe of the Law, nor the wrath of God revealed againſt all unrighteouſneſſe, and ungodlineſs, but in the Covenant of Grace (becauſe there only a Saviour and mercy is to be found) but you perverſely refuſe to enter into that Covenant with God.If you will not conſent to a Covenant-relation, you cannot e…pect the Covenant advantages.
2. If you will not conſent unto a Covenant-relation, it is but preſumption to expect the Covenant advantages.
The Covenant advantages are the hopes and enjoyments of lovingkindneſſe, of pardoning mercies, of the joyes of the Holy Ghoſt, of peace in conſcience, of ſpecial protection, of ſanctified bleſſings, and of eternal glory and ſalvation. But theſe do neceſſarily preſuppoſe a Covenant-relation (that is) That we muſt take God for our God, and become his people. For to none but theſe hath God ever promiſed, and on none but theſe hath God ever ſetled or intended to ſettle ſuch choice bleſſings: For others God ſaith, What haſt thou to do to take my Covenant into thy mouth, ſeeing thou hateſt to be reformed? If you will have none of me, you ſhall have none of my mercies; and if you will not be my people, I will not be your God. Never deceive your ſelves with vain confidences, I will never pardon you, I will never bleſſe you, I will never juſtifie you, I will never ſave you: If the woman will not conſent to marry the man, it is but a vain ſimplicity in him to preſume of his intereſt in her eſtate, ſo, &c.
3. For any ſinner wh… hears of this Covenant of grace, and yet excludes himſelf, It is exceeding folly to exc…ude our ſelves from this Covenant-relation.(as every one doth who refuſeth to ſubmit unto the terms of relation) this doth declare exceeding folly; O what folly is it to ſlight our only help, our only hope, our only remedy, our only ſalvation? To reject all happineſſe, and our only happineſſe.
Exceeding impiety: Certainly our hearts are unſpeakably hardned, or are utterly and exceeding impiety.Atheiſtical, or helliſhly deſperate, that we care not though we looſe our precious ſoules, and forſake our mercies, and forfeit heaven: aſſuredly we have ſordid thoughts of God, and of the happineſs of enjoying God for our God, and of all that God promiſeth to give, in that we refuſe to be his people, and had rather enjoy our filthy and damning luſts.Their condition is unſpeakably miſerable, helpleſſe, and hopeleſſe.
4. Your condition is, and will be unſpeakably miſerable, helpleſs, and hopeleſs: And this appears in four particulars.
Firſt, You will utterly deprive your ſoules of all hopes and pleas for mercy and glory.
Secondly, That you wilfully do this, though God treats with you in a way of mercy and grace, for mercy and grace.
Thirdly, That you now ſtand alone, and muſt do ſo in your accounts before God, without a Mediatour to anſwer for you; you alone muſt anſwer God for all your ſins, and for all your abominations.
Fourthly, That God will magnifie the power of his wrath and juſtice upon you for deſpiſing of him, and of his grace, and of his mercy, and of all his glory, &c. of all ſinners, you will fall under the heavieſt condemnation.
3. Unto ſuch who fain would be the people of God, but are afraid that God will never Such as would fain be in Covenant, but fear God will not admit them; Should conſider It is poſſible for them to be the people of God.admit of them into Covenant, that he will never be a God unto them.
To theſe I have ſix things to preſent, which I would deſire them carefully to remember.
1. Do not deſpaire, though as yet you find not your ſelves to be the people of Gods Covenant; it is poſſible for you to be his people; And there are three grounds to keep you from deſpaire.
1. One becauſe God hath made them to be his people which were not his people: which in time paſt were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but have now obtained mercy 1 Pet. 2. 10.
2. A ſecond, becauſe God hath looked mercifully upon as grievous ſinners as ye have been, and hath brought them into the Covenant, Ezek. 16. 6. When I paſſed by thee, and ſaw thee polluted in thine own blood, I ſaid unto thee when thou waſt in thy blood, Live, yea I ſaid unto thee when thou waſt in thy blood, Live, verſe 8. Now when I paſſed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold thy time was the time of love, and I ſpread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedneſs, yea I ſware unto thee, and en…red into a Covenant with thee, ſaith the Lord God, and thou becameſt mine.
3. Becauſe you have an expreſſe promiſe that God will make you to be his people, which were not his people, Hoſea 2. 23. I will have mercy upon her, that had not obtained mercy, and I will ſay to them which were not my people, Thou art my people, and they ſhall ſay Thou art my God.
2. Great ſinners are not abſolutely excluded from coming into this Covenant of Great ſinners are not abſolutely excluded.grace; O Sirs, this Covenant is only for ſinners, and this Covenant contains an infinite Mediator, and ſuper-abundant riches of grace and mercy, ſo that the Lord gets him a Name, and a praiſe, and an honour amongſt all the Nations of the earth; and God in this Covenant doth promiſe to pardon abundantly, to forgive iniquity, tranſgreſſion and ſinne, to cleanſe from all filthineſſe, and from all Idols, and to pardon all iniquities whereby we have ſinned, and have tranſgreſſed againſt him; Thou haſt wearied me with thine iniquities, and made me to ſerve with thy ſinnes; yet I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy tranſgreſſions for mine own ſake, and I will not remember thy ſinnes: Thou haſt ſpoken, and done evil things as thou couldeſt; ſhe is gone upon every high Mountain, and under every green Tree, and there hath played the harlot, and I ſaid after ſhe had done all theſe things, Turn thou unto me! So that it is not the greatneſſe of former ſinnes which make you utterly uncapable of being received into this Covenant: Though a mans ſinnes have been high in their guilt, and multiplyed in the practice, and ſtretched out by many aggravating circumſtances, yet if now his ſoul doth mourn ovet them, and lament; if now he is willing to give a bill of Divorce unto them, if he ſees his former abominations, and loaths them, I dare aſſure him that God will take him into this Covenant; the Covenant of grace and mercy is ſet open for him; Come in ſaith God, I will be merciful unto your Tranſgreſſions, and I will receive you graciouſly, your ſinnes ſhall be mentioned no more.
3. Though a ſinner hath no deſervingneſſe in him, no worthineſſe at all, yet he may be received into this Covenant of grace: When a poor ſinner hears of A ſinner that hath no worthineſſe at all, may be taken into Covenant.all that goodneſſe which God is, and which God will extend to ſuch as will enter into Covenant with him, and of all thoſe mercies and bleſſings, &c. O ſaith he, I ſhall never have this God, and I ſhall never enjoy theſe bleſſings! what am I but a very ſinful creature, worthy to be excluded, and to be denyed, but unworthy to enjoy ſuch a God, and to p…ake of ſuch mercies; ſinnes I have enough for which God may loath me, but worthineſſe have I none, to give me favour and acceptance in the eyes of God.
S…l. Let me give anſwer to remove this fear and this vexation out of the heart of the troubled and doubting ſinner.
1. A perſonal worthineſs is not expected, nor impoſed by God for admiſſion into A perſonal worthineſſe is not expected for admiſſion into this Covenant.this Covenant; he never ſaid to any ſinner, If you be worthy of mercy, then I will ſhew you mercy; and if you be worthy to enjoy me, then I will be your God. Never did this come into the thoughts of God to make a new Covenant upon termes of worthineſſe on our part; nor in any one place of Scripture hath God let fall ſuch a paſſage, or ſuch a heavy condition upon the ſinner; for then no ſinner could ever have had any hope of coming into this Covenant; ſinfulneſſe and unworthineſſe being neceſſarily inſeparable.
2. A perſonal worthineſſe is inconſiſtent with a Covenant of grace; for a A perſonal worthineſſe is inconſiſtent with the Covenant of grace.Covenant of grace is a giving Covenant, and it is a freely giving Covenant; God loves you here freely, and he here forgives you freely: I will love them freely, Hoſea 14. 4. I am he that blotteth out thy ſinnes for mine own ſake, Eſay 43. 25. This were a ſtrange thing indeed, that God ſhould make a Covenant of grace to relieve the ſinner againſt the Covenant of works, and yet ſhould make our works the foundation and reaſon of his grace! No, ſaith the Apoſtle, There is a remnant according to the election of grace; And if by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwiſe grace is no more grace; but if it be of works, then it is no more grace, otherwiſe works is no more works. God admits not into this Covenant upon the reaſon and account of works, nor doth he let out the good of this Covenant upon any ſuch account; this were not to advance his grace, but to deſtory his grace.
3. The acknowledging of our unworthineſſe is more proper and anſwerable to The acknowledging of our unworthineſſe is more proper to this Covenant, than a pleading out worthineſſe▪this Covenant, than a pleading or a fancying of our worthineſs. I will go home to my Father, and ſay, Father, I have ſinned against heaven, and against thee, I am not worthy to be called thy ſonne: Mark, he comes home confeſſing his ſinnes, and acknowledging his unworthineſſe, and he was accepted and pitied, and embraced, and received, &c. O Lord, though our iniquities teſtifie againſt us, do thou it for thy Names ſake; for our back-ſlidings are many, we have ſinned againſt thee; ſo they plead: This indeed is the right poſture for one who would be admitted into this Covenar, not to come like a proud Phariſee, but like an humble Publican, God be merciful to me a ſinner; not to come as the Jewes did for one to Chriſt, he is worthy; but as the Centurion did unto Chriſt, I am not worthy that thou ſhouldeſt come under the roof of my houſe. O Lord, I have been a wretched ſinner, and the greateſt of ſinners; I deſerve nothing but wrath and hell; I beſeech thee to look on me in mercy, for mercies ſake pity me, for mercies ſake own me, for mercies ſake be my God, and make me one of thy people, &c. Merita mea miſericordia tua, ſaith Bernard, my merits are only thy mercies! Thou art the Lord meriful and gracious, O ſave me freely, accept of me freely, &c.
4. It is not unworthineſſe which hinders any from this Covenant, but unwillingneſſe; It is not unwo… thineſſe, but unwillingneſſe which hinders from the Covenant.Not the want of deſerts, but the want of an heart; for this covenanting is not a bargain, but a match, where willingneſſe of conſent is only inſiſted upon; My ſon (ſaith God) give me thy heart, and hearken unto me and your ſouls ſhall live; and if you be willing and obedient, ye ſhall eat the good of …he Land. If a mighty Prince ſhould offer himſelf to match with a poor maid, alas, it is not worthineſſe that he intends or expects, nothing doth he require of her but to be willing to take him; ſo when the Lord treats with ſinners to come into Covenant with him, it is not their worthineſſe which he articles about; all that he requires is to be willing to take him for their God, and to be willing to become his people.
4. Though a ſinner finds in himſelf a wan… …f holy qualities, and many vile A ſinner may come and be accepted into Covenant, though he find in himſelf a want of holy qualit…es, and many vile corruptions.corruptions not yet mortified, yet he may come and be accepted into Covenant with God: If a poor ſinner be willing to have his heart changed, though as yet he findes not that change: and if he be willing to have his ſinnes mortified and ſubdued, though as yet he doth not finde them ſo: this ſinner may come, and deſire to be admitted into Covenant, and God doth not except againſt him.
Objection. When we are perſwading ſinners to come into his Covenant, O no, ſay they! they are afraid, and dare not come as yet; but could they once finde ſome change wrought in their hearts, and ſome power over their ſinnes, and ſome ſtrength to walk better before God, then they would hearken and come!
Solution. But do you indeed underſtand your ſelves or this Covenant of grace, that you thus argue and diſpute your ſelves out of an intereſt in the Covenant? I pray you whence doth grace come? out of what Spring doth it ariſe? would you be Gods unto your ſelves, before you take God to be your God? is your healing and ſalvation in your ſelves, or of your ſelves? In me is thy ſtrength, ſaith God; Is it poſſible for the dead to quicken themſelves? is not our change only from the Spirit of the Lord? and is not the new heart, and new ſpirit undertaken and promiſed in the Covenant? will you preſume to give your ſelves, that which God only undertakes to give unto you?
Nevertheleſſe a few words for your relief.For,
1. The firſt gift which God gives unto ſinners, is himſelf in Chriſt; He doth The firſt gift which God gives to ſinners is himſelf in Chriſt.not firſt give you grace and ſtrength againſt ſinne, and then become your God; but firſt he becomes your God, and being ſo, he promiſeth to give grace and glory to you; as communion with Chriſt is not precedent unto, but a ſubſequent of union with him; y… have not the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, and the redemption of Chriſt firſt, and after them the enjoyment of Chriſt himſelf; but firſt you have Chriſt, and after that you enjoy communion in all his benefits; So firſt God is your God, and then comes in all the graces of the Spirit, and power againſt ſin, and ſtrength for new obedience.
2. God doth not expect that you ſhould bring, but receive; not bring holineſſe to him, and power to him, but receive holineſſe from him, and power from God doth not expect that you ſhould bring, but receive.him; Doth the Phyſician expect that his Patient ſhould bring phyſick to him, or receive phyſick from him? Do we bring water to the fountain? no, but we do fetch it from the fountain. The Lord doth not impoſe this on you, that you ſhould firſt make your ſelves holy, and then come into Covenant; but this is it which he ſaith, Take me to be your God, and I will make you holy, and I will ſubdue your iniquities: the giving, changing, ſtrengthening, working part belongs to God; the craving, the willing, the receiving part belongs to you. God is willing to give theſe, and if you be willing to receive theſe, This is enough for admiſſion into Covenant.
3. To ſay all: The qualities of grace are not the neceſsary an…ecedents for entrance The qualities of grace, and the fruits and conſequents of the Covenant.into, but they are the gracious fruits and conſequents of the Covenant. When you are brought into Covenant, then are all graces brought into your hearts; then if you ſeek unto your God, and truſt on him, he will ſend forth his Spirit into your hearts.
5. The knowledge of God to be our God in Covenant, i… not prerequired before The knowledg of God to be our God inwe take God to be our God in Covenant. I confeſſe ſome knowledge of God is prerequired, as this, That God is willing to take a ſinner into Covenant; till Covenant, is not prerequired before we take him to be our God.this be laid in, the ſinner will never cloſe with God; but to know that this God is my God, this is neither prerequired, not is it poſſibl… for any ſinner to attain unto this, before he doth take God to be his God in Covenant. Y…t is this an ordinary perplexity and hinderance with many broken-hearted ſinners; O if we could but be aſſured that God were our God, then we would venture to come into Covenant with him! and did we know our ſelves to be his people, then we would cloſe with him!
Beloved,For,
1. It is impoſſible to begin the Covenant with a reflexive act. Can any woman It is impoſſible to begin the Covenant with a reflexive act.know ſuch a man to be her husband, untill ſhe hath taken him to be her husband? Would ye build the top of the houſe before you have laid the foundation? Reflexive acts are the laſt acts; never are they the firſt acts in the Covenant; Nay, it were a very deluſion and falſehood, to know that God is your God, before you take him to be ſo: he is not your God, neither are you his people, untill you conſent to take him for your God.
2. The only way to know your interest in the Covenant, is to accept of the Covenant: The only way to know your intereſt in the Covenant, is to accept of it.As to know that your ſinnes are pardoned, the way to this, is to believe the promiſe of pardon; and to know that Chriſt is yours, the way is firſt to receive and embrace Chriſt by faith: So the way to know that God is your God, is firſt to take him to be your God, to become his people.
6. God will refuſe none from this Covenant, who are indeed willing to have God will refuſe none from this Covenant, who are willing to have him to be their God.him to be their God in Covenant: as Chriſt ſpake in Revel. 22. 19. Whoſoever will, let him come and drink of the water of life freely: ſo ſay I, Whoſoever is willing to have God to be his God, and to cloſe with God as God manifeſts himſelf a God in Covenant, let him come, God will be his God in Covenant.
Queſt. How is that? will you ſay.
Sol. Thus it i… The Lord ſaith, I am God Almighty; I … the Lord, the Lord, graci…u…, and merciful, long-ſuffering, abundant in … and truth, forgiving iniquity, tranſgreſſion, and ſinne; Will you accept of ſuch a God to be your God? O with all our hearts! we are undone unleſſe the merci…ul and gracious God be our God! And ſaith God, I am an holy God; I the Lord am holy; the Lord thy God is an holy God; I am of purer eyes than to behold ſinne, I hate and abhorre it; and if you will have me to be your God, you muſt be holy as I am holy; your hearts muſt be holy, and your lives muſt be holy; you muſt be willing to renounce and forſake every one of your ſinful luſts, and every one of your ſinful wayes; Are you willing to be holy in all manner of converſation? if your hearts can anſwer to the Lord; O Lord! I have been a ſinful wretch, and I have a ſinful heart, which is the burden of my ſoul! I am content to be made holy, I beſeech thee make me holy; I ſhould bleſſe thee with all my ſoul, if thou wouldeſt be pleaſed to give thy holy Spirit to me, if thou wouldeſt change my heart by thy renewing grace, if thou wouldeſt cleanſe me from all my uncleanneſſe, if thou wouldeſt mortifie and ſubdue in me every ſinful luſt and affection; And ſaith God, I am the great and mighty God, the Lord of all, the Lord of Lords, and I give Lawes to all my people, and will be feared and obeyed, and I will have you to ſet up my Will for your Rule, and I will have you to do the work which I appoint you, and to walk only in ſuch pathes of righteouſneſſe and obedience as I require and preſcribe.
Are you willing to receive the Law from my mouth? and to obey my win? and to do all that I command you? though men diſlike it, and men reproach you for it, if now you can anſwer, O Lord we are willing, thus to take thee for our God, and in all theſe reſpects to be thine, then God will own you as his people in Covenant.
Queſt. But O Lord, how ſhall we be able to compaſſe this, and to attaine all this?
Sol. Nay, that is not the queſtion ſaith God, but are you willing thus to take me for your God? if you be cordially willing thus to take me, I will be your God, and I am your God; and according to my Covenant, I engage my ſelf unto you, to give you holineſſe, to change your hearts, and to give you mercy, to pardon your ſinnes, and to give you grace and power to mortifie your luſts, and to give you ſtrength to obey my Will, to walk in my Statutes, and to do them all.
O Sirs, this willingneſſe, ſuch a willingneſſe as this to accept of God to be our God, this is accepted, and this is enough to enter you into this gracious Covenant with God; and truly, this willingneſſe to accept of God to be your God, comes from God willingneſſe, and Gods goodneſſe, and Gods power, and Gods grace to make you to be his people; None have this willingneſſe wrought in them, but thoſe only whom God will take into Covenant with him.
Some are willing in their ſtraits, to have the merciful God to be their God, but they are not willing to have the holy God to be their God. Some are willing to have the gracious God, and the rewarding God to be their God, but they are not willing to have the commanding and ruling God to be their God; Theſe indeed would not have God to be their God in Covenant; but if you find willing hearts in all reſpects to cloſe with God, as he wholly and fully manifeſts himſelf to be a God in Covenant, that he ſhould univerſally form you up unto himſelf, fear not, come to him, he will certainly be your God.