The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 1 · Chapter 4 · Section 16
SECT. XVI.
THe laſt Uſe from this diſcourſe of the Covenant, ſhall be of direction, wh…t 5. Uſe.courſe any ſinner ſhould take that he may be brought into this Covenant of Direction, what courſe a ſinner ſhould take to be brought into this Covenant.grace; The neceſſity and happineſſe whereof he hath heard ſo much.
The Directions which I would commend unto you for this, are theſe.
1. Go unto God, and beſeech him to be your God, and to make you to be his people; Beg of God to be your God, and make you his people.for none can make God to be a God in Covenant unto him, but God himſelf; and none can take God to be his God in Covenant, but from the ſtrength of God alone. Hence it is, that as to the firſt entrance into the Covenant, we (for our parts) are rather paſſive than active; and are rather Covenanted than Covenanting; God muſt make us to be his, before we can come to be his; yea he muſt make us willing to be his, before we can be willing to be ſo; and therefore (if you have obſerved it) not only the making of a new Covenant is ſettled and raiſed by the gracious Will of God, but the bringing of us into that Covenant, doth totally depend upon the gracious and powerful pleaſure of the ſame God; I will be their God, and they ſhall be my people: As to bring in a ſinner unto Chriſt, it is not ſufficient that he is the effect of his purchaſe; but it is likewiſe required that he be the fruit of his conqueſt. Jeſus Chriſt muſt by his Spirit reſcue him out of the poſſeſſion of ſinne and Satan; So to bring a ſinner into Covenant with God, it is not enough that the ſinner lies within the intention of grace, but it is moreover requiſite, that God do put forth the mighty efficacy of his grace to ſubdue the heart and will of the ſinner unto himſelf.
For the carrying on of this Direction, I would lay down ſix Poſitions.
1. That there is not in any ſinner a ſelf-ſufficiency to cloſe with God in a way There is not in any ſinner a ſelf-ſufficiency to cloſe with God in Covenant.of Covenant; for as the Covenant of grace is a truth of meer ſupernatural Revelation (no light of nature reveals it, or diſcovers it) ſo the bringing of the ſinner into this Covenant, is a meerly ſupernatural work. There is nothing in the ſinner actively to contribute towards it; nay, all that is in the ſinner, is naturally averſe and contrary unto it; his natural judgement doth reaſon againſt it, and contradict it; and his natural will doth reſiſt and oppoſe it, unbelief being predominant in both; and therefore the work being only the work of a God, the ſinner hath no way to take but to go to God to work his own work in him, and for him.
2. The heart of a ſinner, how ever it be naturally averſe to God, and to fall The reſiſtance of the heart is conquerable by the power of God.in with him, yet the diſobedience and reſiſtance of it, is conquerable and ſub…uable by the Almighty power of God, with whom nothing is impoſſible, and for whom nothing is too hard; He can quicken the dead, and give ſight to the blinde, and eares to the deaf, and deliver from the power of darkneſſe, and take away the heart of ſtone, and give an heart of fleſh; And as it is in his liberty to forme creatures into what kinde of being he pleaſeth, ſo it is in his power to make any creature yielding unto any part of his Will as he reſolveth: he can abaſe the pride of mans heart, and break the hardneſſe of mans heart, and heale the ſtoutneſſe and the ſtubbornneſſe of mans will, and turn it which way ſoever he pleaſeth, and faſhion it (by a Commanding Power) into the obedience of his own Will.
3. There is no ſinner (for ought that I know, living under the Goſpel) who No ſinner living under the Goſpel, can infallibly conclude he is excluded from the Covenant.can infallibly determine it, that God hath peremptorily excepted againſt him, and abſolutely excluded him from the Covenant; (that is) That God will never be a God to him, nor will he ever make him to be one of his people: Although at the preſent a ſinner may certainly know that he is out of the Covenant, and he is none of his people; yet he doth not know that God will never be his God, and that he ſhall never be one of Gods people; becauſe, Firſt, God reveals no ſuch thing. Secondly, God doth reveal that ſome who are not his people, ſhall yet be his people. Thirdly, God ordinarily calls them to be his people who were not his people. Fourthly, The times and ſeaſons of that call are unknown to the children of men; even theſe ſeaſons alſo doth God reſerve unto himſelfe, and keep in his own hand and breaſt; therefore we ſhould pray to God to bring us into Covenant; for who doth know what his purpoſe of grace may be, and what his thoughts of mercy are towards him?
4. The ſinner, although he doth not know the ſecret intention of God, yet he Though the ſinner know not the ſecret intention of God, yet he knows his gracious invitations.doth know the gracious invitation of God; to leave his ſinnes, and to believe in Chriſt, and to come into Covenant with him, and that he will ſhew mercy to him. Let the wicked forſake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon, Iſa. 55. 7. I think that there is no ſinner living under the Goſpel, but he lives under an external call; the Covenant of grace is (in ſome meaſure) made known unto him, and the glorious riches of mercy and grace, and he receives many a ſummons to come into Chriſt, to believe, to accept of God to be his God, and to be one of his people; and alſo he knows upon what gracious termes God is contented to be his God: Now, becauſe God is pleaſed in and by the Goſpel, not only to reveal the Covenant of grace unto ſinners, but alſo to treate indefinitely with ſinners, and to offer mercy, and life, and ſalvation unto them, if they will come duplicate page duplicate page in and accept of himſelf in Chriſt. Truely here is a very heartening, encouraging ground at the leaſt, to pray him to be our God, and to make us to be his people.
5. God himſelf doth propound this very way of prayer and ſeeking of him, as a means to find him to be our God, and to make us to be his people. When he God himſelf doth propound this way of prayer and ſeeking him, as a means to find him to be our God.ſets out himſelf in relation to this Covenant-work in Ezekiel 36. from verſe 25. to 36: he addes in verſe 37. thus ſaith the Lord God, I will yet be enquired of by the houſe of Iſrael, to do it for them, &c. as if he ſhould ſay, All this I promiſe to be unto you, and to do for you; and do you enquire of me, or pray unto me, and all this you ſhall receive from me, &c. So here in Iſa. 55. having declared the Covenant which he would make with us from verſe 3. to verſe 6. and in particular, that Chriſt ſhould have Nations runne unto him that did not know him; he preſcribes this duty of praying and ſeeking of him, verſe 6. S…ek …e the Lord whiles he may be found; and call ye upon him whil…s he is near; as if he ſhould ſay, Thus graciouſly do I repreſent my ſelf what I will be; therefore ſeek me, and call upon me, and I will be thus unto you.
6. Nay, once more God doth promiſe expreſly, that upon our praying he will God doth expreſly promiſe upon our praying …e will be our God.be our God, and that we ſhall be his people. And truly this puts the cleareſt light, and fulleſt life into this Direction; See a place for this, Zech. 13. 9. Th…y ſhall call upon my Name, and I will hear them; I will ſay, It is my people; and they ſhall ſay, The Lord is my God. But now remember one thing, that as prayer is a means for this work, ſo it muſt be a cordial and affectionate praying; not a formal ſuperficial, careleſſe form, but the deſires of the heart muſt be in that praying, and the fervency and wreſtlings of the heart: If your hearts were but ſet on this, to have God to be your God, and to become his people, and if you did ſeek this with your whole hearts: O God I cannot be ſatisfied untill thou art pleaſed to become my God, &c. the Lord would certainly anſwer the deſires of your hearts.
2. If you would have God to be your God in Covenant, you muſt then break Break your Covenant with ſinne.your Covenant with ſinne.
There are two Covenants which are inconſiſtent with this Covenant of grace. 1. One is the Covenant of good works. 2. The other is the Covenant with bad works; If one will ſet up his confidence on his own good works, he makes void the Covenant of grace; and if one will ſet his heart upon his ſinne, ſaying, I will not leave my ſinnes, I love them, I will not forſake them; This man diſables himſelf, he doth debarre and exclude himſelf; God will not be his God, he will not make a Covenant with him; and indeed this ſinner will not make a Covenant with God.
There are three things which God ſtands upon if we will have him to be ours in Covenant.
1. He inſiſts upon your wills; you muſt be willing to be mine, ſaith God, to be married unto me, to take me for your Husband.
2. He inſiſts upon your hearts; you muſt love me, I muſt have your heart, your love muſt be mine.
3. He inſiſts upon your ſervice; you muſt be willing to obey and ſerve me; I muſt be your Lord, and you muſt be my ſervants.
But … one of theſe will be, if you keep up a Covenant with ſinne: you will never be willing to be his, if you reſolve to keep your ſinnes; and you cannot love the Lord, if you love your ſinnes; neither can you ſerve him, if you will obey ſinne as your Lord; There is an abſolute incompatibility for this, both on Gods part, and on your part, and on the Covenants part.
1. On Gods part; for he cannot nor will not make any agreement with unrighteouſneſſe, nor hold communion with any who will hold communion with darkneſſe; he is of purer eyes than to behold ſinne; much more than to agree with ſinne; it is contrary to his nature, it were diſhonourable for him ſo to do, to admit a competition with that which he ſo much threatens; and which his ſoul doth hate and abhorre.
2. On our part; your hearts cannot be brought to hold up a Covenant with God, and yet to hold up a Covenant with your ſinnes; you cannot love God, and that which is contrary to God; you cannot love ſinne, and that which is contrary to ſinne at the ſame time; for if you love the Lord, you will hate ſinne; and if you love ſinne, you will hate the Lord.
3. On the Covenants part; the Covenant of God is to change the ſinful heart, it is to ſubdue iniquity, it is to cleanſe us from all our uncleaneſſes, it is to make us an holy people …nto the Lord; ſo that of neceſſity you muſt reſolve on it to break off your Covenant with ſin, if you will have God to be your God in Covenant, 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come one from among them, and be ye ſeparated ſaith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, ver. 18. and will be a Father unto you, and ye ſhall be my ſonnes and daughters, ſaith the Lord Almighty: Mark this place, it ſhews expreſſely the way of coming into the Covenant; you muſt not make agreement with darkneſſe, nor with Idols, you muſt ſeparate from them, you muſt have nothing to do with any uncleaneſſe, (that is,) you muſt reſolve never to joyne your ſelves to any ſinne, never to love or ſerve it; and then ſaith God, I will receive you; what's that? that is, then I will be your God, I will take you into Covenant, I will own you for mine, I will be a Father unto you, and ye ſhall be my ſonnes and daughters: Are you ſure that you will be ſo? yea, for thus ſaith the Lord Almighty, Ezek. 11. 18. They ſhall come thither, and they ſhall take away all the deteſtable things thereof, and all the abominations thereof, verſe 19. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new ſpirit within them, &c. verſe 20. That they may walk in my Statutes, and do them, and they ſhall be my people, and I will be their God. Therefore examine your hearts what ſinne lies there, which makes a breach, which keeps up enmity 'twixt you and God, and put it farre away, &c.
3. If you would have the Lord to be your God in Covenant, then judge your Judge your ſelves for your breach of Covenant with God.ſelves for your ancient breach of the firſt Covenant with him, and for your ſins ſince that, and confeſſe your abſolute unworthineſſe to be admitted and received into another Covenant with him.
O when a ſoul comes to be afflicted for ſinnes, and to acknowledge it ſelf unworthy of mercies, this ſoul is in a right poſture for mercies. God made a Covenant with us in Adam, and ſtated life upon us in caſe of obedience; but we preſently brake Covenant with him, and proved unfaithful, and dealt treacherouſly with him, fell off from him for a thing of naught, and all the dayes of our lives have we been ſinning, and diſhonouring and provoking of him, ſo that had we our deſert, ſo farre might God be from accepting of us into a new Covenant, that he might juſtly condemn us for our tranſgreſſing of the old Covenant; if we did ſeriouſly and ſadly review theſe things, till our hearts were humbled within us, and that we ſaw our life to be the free gift of God again, and that we ſtood at his mercy only to ſpare us and pity us, and accept of us; and in this poſture come to God, and cry out, O ſave me for thy mercies ſake: Lord, I have undone my ſelf, I have left thee, I have loſt thee, I have dealt unfaithfully with thee, I have ſinned exceedingly againſt thee, I have gone farre from thee; yet I come back to thee; I hear thou art a merciful God, though I am a ſinful wretch; I hear that thou art a gracious God, though I am an unworthy ſinner; I hear that thou haſt made a new Covenant to relieve and ſuccour them who have violated the firſt Covenant; I hear that this Covenant is full of grace and mercy, and pity, and help, and happineſſe; I come to thee to make peace with thee, to be reconciled unto me, to ſhew me favour; I periſh if thou reject me; I live if thou accept of me; I can bring nothing, I can challenge nothing; only thou ſayſt, That thou wilt have mercy on whom thou wilt have mercy; and may not a poor miſerable unworthy ſinner be made capable of thy mercy? may he not be received unto mercy? why elſe didſt thou give Chriſt? why elſe didſt thou ſet up a Covenant of grace? O Lord receive me graciouſly, and love me freely, and for thine own ſake become my God, and make me to be one of thy people: Verily, this is a moving way, and this is a taking way, for God doth look upon the humble and contrite ſpirit, and he will hear the deſire of the humble, He will prepare their hearts, and cauſe his ear to hear, Ezek. 16. 61. Thou ſhalt remember thy wayes, and be aſhamed, &c. ver. 62. And I will eſtabliſh my Covenant with thee, and thou ſhalt know that I am the Lord.
4. If you would have God to be your God in Covenant, then you muſt get Get faith.faith; for God is a God in Covenant only with believers: and there are three degrees of faith neceſſary unto this work; one is a faith of acceptance; a ſecond Three degrees of faith neceſſary.is a faith of dependance; a third is a faith of reliance; I will explain my ſelf in all theſe.
1. A faith of acceptance is neceſſary to put us into the Covenant, and to finde A faith of acceptance.God to be our God; that is, we muſt have ſo much faith as to accept of Chriſt, and to unite us unto Chriſt; for in that union twixt us and Chriſt, in this relation of God to us is he to be found; By him we have acceſſe unto the Father, Epheſ. 2. Out of Chriſt you ſhall never finde God to be reconciled unto you, nor to be your God: As to Chriſt, God firſt is a God in Covenant, and Father in Covenant; ſo to us, God becomes our God and our Father upon our being in Chriſt. Chriſt received the Covenant for himſelf, and for all who are his; he is as it were the head, and the principal in the Covenant; all his come into Covenant under him as in relation to him.
2. A faith of dependance upon Chriſt particularly for his great ſatisfactions A faith of dependance.unto God; that is, we muſt depend upon the blood of Chriſt, and by faith offer that up as a ſatisfaction for all our ſinnes and tranſgreſſions which have all this while kept God and us at diſtance and difference; his blood is the ſacrifice by which Gods juſtice is ſatisfied; and truly untill divine juſtice be ſatisfied for our ſinnes, there is no hope of a Covenant to be made 'twixt God and us; and therefore by faith look upon the blood of Chriſt, and offer up that blood by faith; Lord, here is the blood of the Covenant, here is the blood of Chriſt to ſatisfie for my ſinnes, and to expiate my ſinnes; now in this blood of his become my God in Covenant.
3. A faith of reliance upon the mediation of Chriſt as the atonement and A faith of reliance.peace, and reconciliation; Chriſt did make peace by his blood, and he did reconcile us by it, Coloſ. 1. 20, 21. And we who were ſometimes afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Chriſt, Epheſ. 2. 13.
I know not a more exact way to get God to be our God, than by getting into Chriſt, in whom alone our re-union with God is to be found, and by whom alone God and we are knit together again; not without cauſe is he called the Mediator of the new Covenant, who undertakes between God and us, (as you ſhall hear ere long) he undertakes to take away all which may keep up the difference 'twixt us, and he undertakes to preſent all which may make a reconciliation betwixt us; he doth make the way ſo open, and ſo clear, that our entrance into Covenant will certainly follow, if once we were poſſeſſed of him by faith; his blood being ſhed for the remiſſion of our ſinnes, and likewiſe to procure a reconciliation 'twixt God and us; and therefore above all things ſtrive for faith to unite you to Chriſt, and then by faith plead out the reconciliation purchaſed by Chriſt.
5. Apply your ſelves unto the Ordinances of Chriſt▪ which are the means to work all theſe things in you, and particularly this faith which is ſo neceſſary, and ſo immediate Apply your ſelves to the Ordinances of Chriſt.to our admiſſion into the Covenant. Epheſ. 1. 13. In whom you alſo truſted after that you heard the Word of Truth, the Goſpel of your ſalvation; the Goſpel is that Ordinance by which God makes known the Covenant of grace, and by which faith is wrought to bring us into Chriſt, and by him into Covenant with God, and by which our faith is ſo enlarged and confirmed, that at length we come to know that God is indeed our God in Covenant.
6. I will adde one direction more as an help to bring us into the Covenant, Seriouſly meditate,and taking of God to be our God; and that is a ſerious meditation of God himſelf, and of the nature of this Covenant of grace.
1. A ſerious meditation of God; there is nothing in him to diſcourage you Of God.from coming into Covenant with him; and there is all in him to encourage you.
1. There is nothing in him to diſcourage you from coming into Covenant with him: There is nothing in him to diſcourage us.He doth not in this Covenant treat with you for any perſonal ſatisfaction, for the wrong which you have done him, neither doth he inſiſt for any goodneſſe that you ſhould work in your own hearts, nor doth he except againſt you for any unworthineſſe in you, nor doth he diſtinguiſh you away for the greatneſſe of your former tranſgreſſions, nor yet doth deny you hope and acceſſe, although you have a long time denied him audience unto his gracious offers, nor doth he capitulate with you in your own name, but by a Mediator, who is moſt pleaſing to him, and prevalent with him.
2. There is all in and from him to encourage you to come into Covenant There is all in and from him to encourage you.with him; for he doth expreſſe himſelf to be a merciful God towards ſinners; to be a gracious God to the ſinners that come to him, to be a tender God eaſily moved at the tears and cryes of thoſe who would be his people; to be a willing God to accept of you, and to cloſe with you; and therefore he firſt makes known this Covenant, and he firſt offers to treat with you about this Covenant, and he makes the termes of agreement as fair as grace it ſelf can frame them; and he out of his own coſt provided and ſent Jeſus Chriſt to be both the Meſſenger of the Covenant, and the Mediator of the Covenant; and beſides all this, he affords unto you the Goſpel to work faith in you, that ſo you may become the people of his Covenant; and moreover, he makes promiſes unto you of every thing which belongs to the making of a people to be the people of his Covenant; yea, and he promiſeth his own Spirit to them that ask him, by whoſe mighty operation we come indeed to be his people. Truly a ſerious meditation of all this, might conduce much to perſwade our hearts to come in unto him, and take him for our God in Covenant.
A ſecond meditation of the nature of this Covenant of grace, both as to the Of the nature of this Covenant; both, As to the compoſition of it.compoſition of it, and to the happineſſe in and by it.
1. This Covenant of grace is ſo modell'd and framed with as winning and alluring a way for ſinners, as poſſibly can be drawn out by the wiſdome of a kinde and good God. It is made with all advantages to the ſinner, ſo that if there be any looſing or damnifying, it falls rather to God than to the ſinner; all the expreſſions of it are upon the account of Gods grace. And it is made with ſuch tender reſpects to poor ſinners, that all the active part to make them to be the people of God is undertaken by God himſelf; he undertakes to make us to be his people, to give himſelf, to give Chriſt, to give his Spirit, to give a new heart, to give the Spirit of prayer, to give the Spirit of faith, to give pardoning mercy, to give all▪ O how might all this (if ſeriouſly and rightly meditated upon) melt in our hearts to God, and make us willing to take him for our God!
2. And as the Covenant of grace is framed to allure in the ſinner, ſo when the ſinner is brought in, it ſettles upon him the only true happineſſe, and all true happineſs And as to out happineſſe in and by it.with certainty, and to all eternity. As ſoon as ever you take God to be your God, and are become his people, immediately is bleſſedneſſe ſettled upon you as your portion, and as your portion for ever: Pſal. 34. 12. Bleſſed is the Nation whoſe God is the Lord, and the people whom he hath choſen for his own inheritance. Pſal. 144. Happy is the people whoſe God is the Lord▪
CHAP. V.
Iſaiah 55. 3.
And I will make an everlaſting Covenant with you, even the ſure mercies of David.
I Have diſcourſed of the Covenant of grace as it ſtands in oppoſition to the Covenant of works; and likewiſe of the vital nature of it, the very marrow and ſumme of it, in thoſe expreſſions, I will be to you a God, and you ſhall be to me a people.
I am now in the third place to open unto you this Covenant in the adjuncts or properties of it, which do (as it were) blazon and ennamel this Covenant, or ſet it out in beautiful colours to the eyes of us poor and diſtreſſed ſinners; as God appeared unto Moſes in his glory, when he made himſelf known unto him in his gracious Attributes; ſo this Covenant appears in The adjuncts or properties of the Covenant.wonderful glory when it is opened in the admirable adjuncts or properties of it.
There are twelve adjuncts given unto this Covenant.
1. It is a new Covenant.
2. It is a plentiful or perfect Covenant.
3. It is a bountiful and giving Covenant.
4. It is a free or gracious Covenant.
5. It is a well-ordered Covenant.
6. It is a pure or holy Covenant.
7. It is a ſure or ſtedfaſt Covenant.
8. It is the laſt Covenant.
9. It is an everlaſting Covenant.
10. It is the beſt Covenant.
11. It is a clear and open, and plain Covenant.
12. It is the only Covenant.