The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Doctr. TThat the people of God have the promiſe of God to enable them to God will enable his people to walk in his wayes.walk in the ſtatutes of God; I will cauſe you, &c. Zech. 10. 12. I will ſtrengthen them in the Lord, and they ſhall walk up and down in his Name, ſaith the Lord. Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleaſure. Iſa. 26. 12. Thou haſt wrought all our works in us. Chap. 45. 24. Surely ſhall one ſay, In the Lord have I righteouſneſs and ſtrength.
For the opening of this excellent and comfortable Truth, I will ſhew unto you five things.
1. The many parallels 'twixt Gods command of our duties, and Gods promiſe of help for theſe duties.
2. The parallels 'twixt promiſes to, and inſtance… in Gods people.
3. The ſeveral wayes how God doth cauſe or enable his people to walk in his ſtatutes and do them.
4. How far the Lord doth engage his ſtrength of grace to enable his people to walk in his ſtatutes.
5. The Reaſons both in reſpect of God, and in reſpect of his people, why he will cauſe them to walk in his wayes, or ſtatutes, &c.
1. The parallels 'twixt Gods commands and his promiſes, or 'twixt the Parallels betwixt Gods commands and his preceps.duties commanded by him, and the helps promiſed to enable his people.
Firſt, The Lord commands his people to know him, and his wayes: 1 Chron. 28. 9. Know thou the God of thy Father, &c. And God doth promiſe to cauſe them to know him: Jer. 24. 7. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord. And Jer. 31. 34. They ſhall all know me from the leaſt of them to the greatteſt of them, ſaith the Lord.
Secondly, The Lord commands his people to truſt upon him: Pſal. 62. 8. Truſt in him at all times. Iſa. 26. 4. Truſt ye in the Lord for ever, &c. And God doth promiſe to enable his people to truſt on him: Zeph. 3. 12. I will leave in the midſt of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they ſhall truſt in the Name of the Lord.
3ly The Lord commands his people to fear him: Deut. 6. 13. Thou ſhalt fear the Lord thy God and ſerve him. So Deut. 8. 6. Thou ſhalt keep his Commandements, and walk in his wayes and fear him: This likewiſe hath God promiſed unto his people: Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts that they ſhall not depart from me.
Fourthly, The Lord commands his people to love him: Deut. 11. 1. Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God. Pſal. 31. 23. O love the Lord all ye his Saints! and God doth promiſe to give them an heart to love him: Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumciſe the heart, and the heart of thy ſeed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy ſoul.
Fifthly, The Lord commands his people to pray unto him, and to call upon his Name: Call upon me, Pſal. 50. 15. Pray without ceaſing, 1 Theſ. 5. 17. I will that men pray everywhere, 1 Tim. 2. 8. And the Lord hath promiſed to give unto them a ſpirit of prayer: Zech. 12. 10. I will poure upon the houſe of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jeruſalem the Spirit of grace, and the Spirit of ſupplication.
Sixthly, The Lord commands his people to mourn for their ſinnes, and to loath their ſins, and to turn from their ſins: Iſa. 22. 12. In that day did the Lord call to weeping, and to mourning. Jam. 4. 10. Humble your ſelves in the ſight of the Lord: And this God doth promiſe to give unto his people: Zech. 12. 10. They ſhall look upon him whom they have pierced, and they ſhall mourn for him as one that mourneth for his only ſon, &c. Ezek. 7. 16. They ſhall be on the mountains as the Doves of the valleys, all of them mourning every one for his iniquity. Pſal. 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil. Rom. 12. 9. Abhor that which is evil: This alſo is promiſed: Ezek. 36. 13. Then ſhall ye remember your own evil wayes, and your doings that were not good, and ſhall loath your ſelves in your own ſight for your iniquities, and for your abominations: Ezek. 18. 30. Turn your ſelves from your tranſgreſſions. Hoſe. 14. 1. Return unto the Lord: All this is likewiſe promiſed to be given unto the people of God: Iſa. 30. 22. Ye ſhall defile the covering of thy graven images of ſilver, and the ornaments of thy molten images of gold, thou ſhalt caſt them away as a menſtruous cloth, thou ſhalt ſay unto it, Get thee hence. Jer. 24. 7. They ſhall return unto me with their whole heart.
Seventhly, The Lord commands his people not to ſuffer ſinne to reign in them: Rom. 6. 12. Let not ſin reign in your mortal body: And he promiſeth that ſin ſhall not reign in them: Rom. 6. ver. 14. Sinne ſhall not have dominion over you.
Eighthly, And he commands his people to make to themſelves a new heart, and a new ſpirit: Ezek. 18. 31. Make you a new heart, and a new ſpirit: and he promiſeth to give theſe: Chap. 36. 26. A new heart will I give you, and a new ſpirit will I put within you.
Ninthly, What ſhall I ſay now? The Lord commands his people to walk in his ſtatutes, 1. Impartially. 2ly Willingly. 3ly Affectionately. 4ly Uprighlty. 5ly Sedfaſtly: And all this he doth promiſe to cauſe them to do.
1. Impartially: Deut. 30. 8. Thou ſhalt return and obey the voice of the Lord, and do all his Commandements.
2. Willingly: Pſal. 110. 3. They people ſhall be willing in the day of thy power.
3. Affectionately: Iſa. 60. 9. Who are theſe that flee as a cloud, and as the Doves to their windows! Zech. 8. 21. The inhabitants of one City ſhall go to another, ſaying, Let us go ſpeedily to pray before the Lord, and to ſeek the Lord of Hosts; I will go alſo.
4. Uprightly: Jer. 31. 9. I will cauſe them to walk by the Rivers of water, in a ſtrait way, wherein they ſhall not ſtumble; for I am a Father to Iſrael, &c. Iſa. 61. 8. I will direct their work in truth. Zech. 8. 3. Jeruſalem ſhall be called a city of truth. Iſa. 30. 21. Their ear ſhall hear a word behind them, ſaying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
5. Progreſſively, and ſtedfaſtly: Job 17. 9. The righteous ſhall hold on in his way, and he that hath clean hands ſhall be ſtronger and ſtronger. Iſa. 40. 30. They that wait upon the Lord ſhall renew their ſtrength, they ſhall mount up with wings as Eagles, they ſhall run and not be weary, they ſhall walk and not faint.
2ly The parallels 'twixt Gods promiſes, and experimental inſtances, Parallels betwixt Gods promiſes, and the Saints experiences.wherein you may find that God hath enabled his people there to walk as he hath promiſed.
Firſt, He hath enabled them to know him: Gal. 4. 9. After that you have known God, or rather are known of God. 1 Joh. 5. 20. He hath given us an underſtanding that we may know him that is true. 1 Joh. 2. 21. I have not written unto you, becauſe ye know not the truth, but becauſe ye know it.
Secondly, They are enabled to truſt upon him: Pſal. 9. 10. They that know thy Name will truſt upon thee. Pſal. 18. 2. The Lord is my Rock, and my Fortreſs, and my Deliverer, my God and my Strength, in whom I will truſt. Pſa. 22. 4. Our Fathers truſted in thee. 25. 2. My God, I truſt in thee. 31. 1. In thee O Lord, do I put my truſt. 52. 8. I truſt in the mercy of God.
Thirdly, They are enabled to fear him: I fear God, ſaid Joſeph, Gen. 42. 18. One that feareth God, ſaid God of Job, Job 1. 1. They that feared the Lord ſpake one to another, Mal. 3. 16. I fear the Lord thy God, ſaid Jonah, Chap. 1. 9. The Churches walked in the fear of the Lord, Act. 9. 31.
Fourthly, They are enabled to love the Lord; ſo David, Pſal. 116. 1. I love the Lord. And Pſal. 18. 1. I will love thee, O Lord my ſtrength!
Fifthly, And they are enabled to pray unto him, and to call upon him: David, Hezekiah, Daniel, Paul; and to mourn for their ſins; David, Peter, and Mary Magdalen; and to hate ſin, David, Paul, Pſal. 119. 104. I hate every falſe way; and to forſake ſin, Hoſe. 14. 8. And 1 Theſ. 1. 9. Ye turned to God from Idols, to ſerve the living aad true God, and Rom. 6. 22.
Seventhly, And ſo for all the reſt of the Particulars, you have clear inſtances that the people of God have been enabled to walk willingly, conſtantly, affectionately, uprightly, and ſtedfaſtly in his waies.
3ly. The ſeveral wayes how God doth cauſe or enable his people to walk in his Statutes, and to do them.
He doth cauſe them to walk in his Statutes,How God enables his people to walk in his ſtatutes.
Firſt, By giving unto them his Spirit, who doth
1. Change their hearts, and infuſeth into them all Holy and Heavenly Graces, which are ſo many inward principles enabling them to acts or works of obedience; as our ſinfull and corrupt principles make us willing and ready to walk in the wayes of ſin; ſo holy and ſpiritual principles do make us willing and ready to walk in paths of righteouſneſs.
2. Excite and quicken their hearts, and ſtir them up to works of obedience by ſecret motions and workings, and by ſetting the Commands and Promiſes of God upon their hearts with ſtrong impreſſions, by which they are led out unto a willing, and cheerfull, and upright performance of obedience.
3. Comes in with his Special and Immediate Aſſiſtance to all the works which they are to do; he helps their infirmities, and guides their feet, and ſtrengthens their hands: The ſervants of the Lord are ſtrengthened with might by▪ his ſpirit in the inner man. Ephe. 3. 16. In the day when I cried unto thee, thou heardeſt me, and ſtrengthenedſt me with ſtrength in my ſoul.
Secondly, By giving faith unto them, and enabling of them to live by faith in all their particular walkings and workings: Beloved, there is a living by faith for mercy, and there is a living by faith for duty.
A man lives by faith for duty when he goes out of himſelf, as inſufficient to afford him ſtrength to perform it, and applies himſelf unto, and relies upon Jeſus Chriſt, and the promiſe to give him the ability, becauſe this and that duty o… work of obedience the Lord requires of me, (ſuppoſe it be to mortify ſin, or to walk in ſome parts of new obedience) and I finde my ſelf inſufficient and without ſtrength thereunto, hereupon I do by faith
1. Apply my ſelf unto Jeſus Chriſt, in whom is fulneſs, and who filleth all: Lord Jeſus, without thee we can do nothing; and if thou be pleaſed to ſtrengthen me, I can do all things: O give ſtrength unto thy ſervant; Simile. thou art my head, and the head is to give help and ſtrength to the members of the body for all the works which they are to do: I rely upon thee, thy grace is ſufficient, let thy power be made manifeſt in my weakneſs: Why, ſuch an act of faith as this, ſuch a living by faith on Chriſt, will finde ſtrength to cauſe us to do the work which God requires at our hands.
2. Unto the Promiſe of God, wherein God hath graciouſly engaged himſelf to be an alſufficiency unto his people, and to be their ſtrength, and to ſtrengthen them, and to work all their works in them and for them: Hereupon the weak Chriſtian goes to God when he is to perform any work of obedience, and he relies upon him by faith; my God will help me, I have his promiſe to ſubdue iniquity, and I have his promiſe to cauſe me to walk in his Statutes and to do them. Lord! faithful art thou who haſt promiſed, and thou art able and willing to perform whatſoever thou haſt promiſed: I have no might nor power to do this which thou commandeſt, but in the Lord there is righteouſneſs and ſtrength. O Lord, remember thy promiſe, Remember thy word upon which thou hast cauſed thy ſervant to hope: Be thou the help and ſtrength of my ſoul; work in me to will and to do of thy good pleaſure. Pſal. 119. Upon this the Lord hears, and anſwers his ſervants, and fulfills their deſires, and becomes their ſtrength and alſufficiency.
Thirdly, By meeting them in their way and work with ſpecial Evidences and Teſtimonies, and fruits of Love and Peace, and Acceptance and Joy. Iſa. 64. 3. Thou meeteſt him that rejoyceth and worketh righteouſneſs, thoſe that remember thee in thy wayes. 56. 7. I will make them joyful in my houſe of prayer; their burnt offerings and ſacrifices ſhall be accepted upon mine altar. Joh. 14. 21. He that hath my commandements and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me ſhall be loved of my father, and I will love him, and will manifeſt my ſelf unto him. Now when the travailer in the wayes of Gods Statutes, meets with theſe ſweet fruits, and taſts, and manifeſtations of love, and peace, and joy, they do make a ſtrong impreſſion upon his heart; they do contribute a ſpeciall ſtrength unto him to walk on in thoſe good wayes. Nehem. 8. 10. The joy of the Lord is your ſtrength. Pſal. 116. 2. Becauſe he hath enclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
Fourthly, By holding out unto them, and aſſuring them of the great reward of happineſs for all who do walk on in his Statutes.
Beloved, three things are certainly true.
1. That there is a Reward for the righteous; God will render eternal life to them that continue patient in wel-doing. Rom. 2. 7.
2. That it is lawful for the Chriſtian travailer to look at the great Reward: Moſes had reſpect unto the recompence of reward. Heb. 11. 26. What God doth promiſe freely to give unto his people, upon that they may lawfully look.
3. That great Reward propounded, and promiſed, and aſſured, hath an influence upon their hearts, it doth work ſtrongly upon their heart that they faint not, that they give all diligence unto the end, that they take heed unto their wayes, that they keep on in the path of life; it makes them to run and to ſtrive that they may obtain an incorruptible crown. 1 Cor. 9. 25, 26. and that eternal weight of glory. 2 Cor. 4. 17.
Fifthly, By Revealing his Arme in his Ordinances, and bleſſing them with Power and Strength unto his people; David ſpeaking of the Ordinances, ſaith, Pſal. 84. 5. Bleſſed is the man whoſe ſtrength is in thee, in whoſe heart are the wayes of them. Ver. 7. They go from ſtrength to ſtrength.
You finde many Attributes given to the Ordinances of God, they teach and direct us, they enlighten and convert us, they uphold and ſtrengthen us, they quicken and comfort us, they animate and encourage us, they raiſe and revive us, they edifie and build us up; all theſe effects they do produce, when the Lord is pleaſed to accompany them with his preſence and bleſſings: And experimentally we finde them unto our ſouls; God teacheth us by his word, heales us by his word, helps us by his word, revives, and quickens, and enlargeth, and ſtrengthens us by his word; we walk in the light of it, and run in the ſtrength of it, and conquer in the power of it, and renew our might in the comfort of it, and hold up by the promiſes of it; and are ſtill more and more able to do the work of God, by the ſeveral influences from the word of God: The ordinances of God do weaken our corruptions, and ſtrengthen our graces, and comfort our conſciences, and bear down all diſcouragements and oppoſitions; they do enable faith in God, and inflame love to God, and preſerve fear of God, and kindle zeal for God, and increaſe our delight in God; and all theſe do cauſe us to walk in the Statutes of God, and ſtill to do them.
4ly. How far forth God doth (in his promiſes) engage the ſtrength How far God engages himſelf to keep his people to walk in his wayes.of his grace, and help to cauſe his people to walk in his Statutes and do them.
To this I thus anſwer; When God doth promiſe to cauſe his people to walk in his Statutes, and to do them, he doth thus far engage himſelf.
Firſt, To ſhew them his wayes, and to teach them what they are to do, and how they are to walk. Eſa. 2. 3. Many people ſhall go and ſay, Come ye and let us go up to the mountaine of the Lord, to the houſe of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his wayes, and we will walk in his wayes. Pſal. 25. 8. Good and upright is the Lord, therefore will he teach ſinners in their wayes. Ver. 9. The meek will he guid in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way. 32. 8. I will inſtruct the…, and teach thee in the way that thou ſhalt go, I will guid thee with mine eye. Eſa. 30. 21. Thine ears ſhall hear a word behind thee, ſaying, This is the way walk, ye in it.
Nay he teaches in particular what they are to do. Titus 2. 11. The grace of God that bringeth ſalvation hath appeared to all men. Ver. 12. Teaching us that denying ungodlineſs and worldly luſts, we ſhould live ſoberly, righteouſly, and Godly in this preſent world.
Nay, and he teaches them not only as to the matter, but alſo as to the manner of their walkings. Ephe. 5. 8. Walk as children of light. 4. 1. Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.
Nay yet more particularly.
Walk in Love. Ephe. 5. 2.
Walk in Wiſdome. Coloſ. 4. 5.
Walk Circumſpectly. Ephe. 5. 15.
Walk Humbly with thy God. Micah 6. 8.
Walk in the Spirit. Gal. 5. 16.
Walk according to the Rule. Gal. 6. 16.
He that ſaith he abideth in him, ought himſelf alſo to walk even as he walked. 1 John 2. 6.
Secondly, To bring or enter them into his wayes: The Lord doth promiſe not only to take them off from their old ſinfull wayes, (Jer. 3. 17. They ſhall not walk an… more after the imaginations of their evill heart) but alſo to walk and to know, and approve this way to walk in. Pſal. 143. 8. Cauſe me to know the way wherein I ſhould walk. 85. 13. Righteouſneſs ſhall go before him, and ſhall ſet us in the wayes of his ſteps. 119. 30. I have choſen the way of truth, thy judgments have I laid before me. Ver. 59. I thought upon my wayes, and turned my feet unto by Teſtimonies.
Thirdly, To enable them (as for the whole courſe of their life) to hold on walking in his wayes or Statutes. Eſa. 26. 7. The way of the juſt is uprightneſs. Pſal. 119. 102. I have not departed from thy judgments, for thou haſt taught me. Ver. 112. I have inclined my heart to perform thy Statutes alway unto the end. Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts that they ſtall not depart from me.
Fourthly, He thus far alſo engageth himſelf that if at any time they fall, he will raiſe them up, and if they wander into by-paths, he will bring them back into the right way. (Pſal. 119. 176. I have gone astray like a lost ſheep, ſeek thy ſervant.) Jer. 3. 22. Returne ye back-ſliding children and I will heal your backſlidings; Behold we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God. Ezek. 34. 16. I will ſeek that which was loſt, and bring again that which was driven away, and will binde up that which was broken, and will ſtrengthen that which was ſick.
Fifthly, He will eſtabliſh them unto the end, in their walking in his Statutes. 2 Theſ. 2. 16. Now our Lord Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, and God even our Father, &c. Ver. 17. comfort your hearts, and eſtabliſh you in every good word and work, 3. 3. The Lord is faithful who ſhall eſtabliſh you, and keep you from evil. 2 Tit. 4. 18. The Lord ſhall deliver me from every evil work, and will preſerve me unto his heavenly kingdom. Prov. 2. 8. The Lord preſerveth the way of his ſaints.
5ly. Why God makes his promiſe to cauſe his people to to walk in his Why God promiſes to make his people to walk in his Statutes.Statutes, &c.
Firſt, Becauſe they are (of themſelves) inſufficient and unable to do any thing that is good. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Not that we are ſufficient of our ſelves to think any thing as of our ſelves, but our ſufficiency is of God. John 15. 5. I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the ſame bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. Jer. 10. 23. O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himſelf; it is not in man that walketh to direct his ſteps.
Secondly, Becauſe if God leaves them unto themſelves, tbey are not only unable to walk in his Statutes, but will certainly wander from the way of his Statutes. When God left David to himſelf, how wofully did he treſpaſs againſt God? When God left Hezekiah to himſelf, preſently his heart was lifted up with pride: When Peter was left unto himſelf, how fearfully did he deny his Maſter?
Thirdly, To ſhew the difference twixt the Covenant of works and the Covenant of Grace; that is the miniſtry of the Letter, and this is the miniſtry of the Spirit. 2 Cor. 3. 6.
That Covenant of works is a Commanding Covenant, but it is not an Helping How the Covenant of Works and of Grace differ.Covenant; the Covenant of Grace is a helping Covenant, as well as a commanding Covenant: God herein doth ſhew us what we are to do, and likewiſe inables us to do.
Fourthly, Becauſe God will have all the glory of all good to be aſcribed unto himſelf; therefore will he be the cauſe of all good. Rom. 11. 36. Of him, and through him, are all things; to him be glory for ever. If we could walk or work by our own ſtrength with out God, then we might boaſt in our ſelves, but God will have no fleſh to boaſt and glory in it ſelf. 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another? and what haſt thou that thou didſt not receive? now if thou didſt receive it, why doſt thou glory as if thou haste not received it?
Fiftly, To comfort and encourage his poor and weak ſervants, under the breadth, and depth, and length of their obedience: When they conſider how much God requires at their hands, and for how long a time, even all the dayes of their life; and then conſider their own weakneſs, alas ſay they, who is ſufficient for theſe things? How ſhall we be able to perform all thoſe ſervices which God requires?
But then when they finde that God (the mighty God) is with them, and he engages himſelf to be their ſtrength and help, and that his grace ſhall be ſufficient, and he will put forth his own hand to their works, this raiſeth and encourageth their hearts; why! I ſhall have Gods help to do all Gods work, &c.
Sixthly, To draw up their hearts unto himſelf, and to ſet their faith a work upon him when they are to do any duty: O ſirs, we ſhould end all our ſervices in a promiſe of acceptance, and begin all our work in a promiſe of aſſiſtance; we ſhould end with glory to God, and begin with the grace of God. God hath promiſed to cauſe us to walk in his Statutes, and to do them. And why hath he made this promiſe? but becauſe you ſhould look up to your God by faith, and rely on him for ſufficiency of grace and ſtrength, to carry you out to his Name and power, &c.