Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 15
CHAP. XV. Handling carnall Mans eſtrangement from the Covenant.
THe third Alienation, declaring the miſery of carnall and ſinfull man, is an Alienation from the Covenants of God, termed ſtrangers from the Covenants of promiſe. Mans happineſſe is built upon his intereſt in Gods gracious promiſe; the ſtrangers to this promiſe are the moſt unhappy of all perſons. Carnall men are aliens to Chriſt, to the members of Chriſt, to Chriſts common-wealth, and to all the prerogatives and priviledges thereof; ſtrangers to the Covenants of promiſe made in and through Chriſt: God made, and often renewed, and repeated his Covenants and promiſes with the Iſraelitiſh people, concerning their ſalvation in and by Chriſt. In the beginning the Lord made this Covenant with our firſt Parents, promiſing that the wGen … 15.ſeed of the woman, which is Chriſt, ſhould breake the ſerpents head; the Lord renewed it with Abraham, and his ſeed, ſaying, I xGen. 17.7.will eſtabliſh my Covenant between me and thee, and thy ſeed after thee in their generations for an everlaſting Covenant to be a God unto thee, and thy ſeed after thee; and of the Iſraelitiſh people in this reſpect, ſpeaks Moſes, What Nation is there ſo great who hath God ſo nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for, and what Nation is there ſo great that hath Statutes and Judgements ſo righteous as all this Law which I ſet before you this day. Now to theſe Statutes, Oracles and Promiſes, the Gentiles before the comming of Chriſt were ſtrangers, they no way appertained to them; and to the ſaving fruit and benefit of this Covenant of Grace, Salvation and everlaſting life, all profane men ſince the comming of Chriſt, remaining without Chriſt, being no living Members of the myſticall body of Chriſt, no loyall Subjects in the common-wealth of Chriſt: To this Covenant, I ſay, they continue ſtrangers: it doth not appertaine unto them, they cannot claime Salvation by it: Whence obſerve, That,
All corrupt and carnall perſons are strangers to Gods Covenant of Grace and Salvation in and thorough Chriſt Jeſus: Doct.Adam feeding upon the Tree of forbidden fruit, was excluded from the Tree of life; man feeding upon, and filling himſelfe with the forbidden fruit of ſinne, is excluded from Chriſt, and all the promiſes of God in Chriſt, and all benefit comming by Chriſt. Ʋnto the yPſal. 50.16.wicked, to the man whoſe heart is empty of grace, void of the true feare of God, and farre from the life and power of godlineſſe, God ſaith, What haſt thou to doe to declare my Statutes, to talke of my Doctrine, or of the rules and wayes of my worſhip, or that thou ſhouldeſt take my covenant into thy mouth, that thou ſhouldeſt vaunt and boaſt thy ſelfe to be of the number of that ſacred people, whom I have adopted to my ſelfe by peculiar Covenant, or that thou ſhouldeſt expect Salvation by my free and gracious promiſe, wherein thou haſt no intereſt; Such as keepe not Gods precepts, preſume in vaine of Salvation by Gods promiſe; he that obſerves not Gods Commandement, hath nothing to doe with Gods Covenant: Therefore ſuch men though they live within the pale of the Church are termed zNum. 20.10. Iſa. 30.1. Ezek. 2.8.Rebels, rebellious children and a rebellious houſe; a Rebell though he live within the kingdome, yet hath nothing to doe with the priviledges of the kingdome, theſe belong to the loyall and obedient Subjects of the Kingdome: under the Law a aDeut. 21.10.rebellious Sonne, though he had a place of abode in his Fathers Houſe, yet had he no title to his Fathers goods, nor to any immunities belonging to the Houſe, but being ſtubborne and rebellious, a glutton or a drunkard, one that would not obey his Fathers voyce, he was to be ſtoned to death: Profane and carnall men though they live and have their abode within the pale of Chriſts Church, yet rebelling againſt Chriſt, breaking the bands in ſunder, and caſting away the cords of Gods Law from them, being ſtubborne and rebellious, and refuſing to obey the voyce of the Lord, the Priviledges of Chriſts Kingdome, the Covenant of ſalvation by Chriſt, appertaines not unto them. Sometimes they are termed bHeb. 12.8.baſtards; baſtards have a place within the houſe with ſonnes, but the inheritance belongs not unto them; Iſhmael had a place in Abrahams houſe with Iſaac, yet being the ſonne of a bond-woman, the inheritance came not to him, but to Iſaac; thus carnall men not being regenerate and borne of God, not being the genuine and true children of God, but hypocrites and bond-men to Satan, and their owne luſts, they are no heyres nor co-heyres with Chriſt, they are ſtrangers to the Covenant of grace. Of them therefore the Lord ſaith, that they cHoſ. 6.7.like men, or like Adam have tranſgreſſed my Covenant, and have made forfeiture of all, as Adam did, or they have tranſgreſſed my Covenant, as the covenant of a man, regarding their covenant with me no more then a covenant betweene man and man, and they have dealt treacherouſly againſt me; they have ſleighted me, they have not deſired friendſhip and conſortſhip with me; but they have depraved my worſhip and apoſtatized from mee, and of ſuch the Prophet Jeremy ſaith, They dIer. 22.9. Prov. 2.17.have forſaken the Covenant of the Lord their God, as the Harlot in Salomon forſooke the guide of her youth, and forgat the Covenant of her God; thus theſe men committing ſpirituall fornication with the world, forſake Chriſt, the guide of their ſoules, and forget the Covenant of their God, become altogether unmindfull of that new obedience, which they have vowed and promiſed, loſing all claime and title unto, and outing themſelves of all the benefit which the Covenant of God importeth, becauſe as the Pſalmiſt ſaith, they ePſal 78.10.keep not the Covenant of God, and refuſe to walke in his Law; and to this Saint Iohn ſpeaks fully, If we ſay that we have fellowſhip with Christ, intereſt in Chriſt, communion with Chriſt, promiſe of ſalvation by Chriſt, and f1 Iohn 1.6.walke in darkneſſe, live ſinfully, and converſe prophanely; we lye and doe not the truth, we deceive our ſelves, we preſume of intereſt in Chriſt, and claime to Gods promiſe, which belongeth not unto us. The prophane mans eſtrangement from the Covenant of God is manifeſt.
1. In regard of Ignorance, Grounds of carnall mans eſtrangement from the Covenant. 1. Ignorance.which makes them uncapable of entring into Covenant with God. All carnall men are ignorant men, the g1 Cor 2.14.naturall man receiveth not the things of God, they are fooliſhneſſe unto him, neither can he know them, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned. He that wants a bodily eye, diſcernes not bodily things; he that wants a ſpirituall eye, perceives not ſpirituall things; where there is no ſutableneſſe between the ſence and the thing to be perceived, there is no perception, according to the Logicians rule, quicquid recipitur, recipitur ad modum recipientis. The naturall man having no ſpirituall eye, no principle of heavenly and ſacred light within him, he cannot truly and ſavingly perceive the things of God: Of ſuch therefore the Pſalmiſt ſaith, they are all gone aſide, they hPſal. 14.3, 4.are altogether become filthy, all the workers of iniquity have no knowledge; they know not their ſinnes, as a ſicke man his diſeaſe, grieving for them, complaining of them, and deſiring eaſe and freedome from them; they know not their nakedneſſe, and emptineſſe of all ſpirituall good, deſiring to be filled with the good things of God, as Hagar knew the emptineſſe of her bottle, and wept for water; they know not their neceſſity of Chriſt, hungring and thirſting after him, as the Elders of Gilead knew their neceſſity of Ieptha, and deſired him to be their Captaine, and made him head over them: they know not God, as a Father regenerating them, as a Phyſician healing them, as a King of mercies pardoning them; they know not Christ, as a Prophet inſtructing them, as a Prieſt ſanctifying them, as a Prince of peace ruling within them, and reconciling God unto them; they know not the word of God, as a light guiding them, as dew ſoftning their hearts, as fire purging their ſoules, as food nouriſhing and ſtrengthening them in all grace, and being thus ignorant, they are farre from Gods Covenant; ſuch blinde men are in covenant with Satan the Prince of darkneſſe: Nahaſh the Ammonite would not make a covenant with the men of Iabeſh Gilead; but on this condition, that he might i1 Sam. 11.2.thruſt out all their right eyes. The God of this world, the Devill, k2 Cor. 4 4.blinds the eyes of the underſtanding of all that are in covenant with him, that the glorious light of the Gospell may not ſhine into them; but ſuch as are in covenant with God, are men of knowledge and ſacred underſtanding: God gives them the meanes of knowledge outwardly, and works knowledge in them inwardly: I lIer. 3 14, 15.am married unto you (ſaith the Lord) there is his covenant with them, and I will give you Paſtors according to mine owne heart, which ſhall feed you with knowledge and underſtanding, there is the miniſtration of the meanes of knowledge to them. Thy maker (ſaith the Prophet) is thy mIſa. 54.5, 13husband, there is the covenant of wedlock between God and his Church, and all thy children ſhall be taught of God, there is the inward illumination of their underſtanding; and againe, this ſaith the Lord ſhall be the covenant that I will make with the houſe of Iſrael, I will nIer. 31.34.put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and they ſhall all know me from the leaſt of them unto the greateſt of them. Naturall fooles are unfit to enter covenant, with men, ſpirituall fooles are as unfit for Gods covenant, there is no communion between light and darkneſſe, there is no covenant, no fellowſhip between God, who dwels in light inacceſſable, and them that are overwhelmed with the darkneſſe of ignorance.
2. In regard of Alienation from Chriſt the foundation of the Covenant All the promiſes of grace and ſalvation are in Chriſt, in him they are o2 Cor. 1.20.Yea and Amen, ſure and certaine, firm and durable; incline your …are, and come unto me (faith the Lord) heare and your ſoule ſhall live, and I will make an everlaſting covenant with you, even the pIſa. 55.3.ſure mercies of David, which is Chriſt, in and through whom God ſhewes himſelfe a father of mercies to all beleevers: Ye (ſaith Saint Peter) are the children qActs 3.25, 26of the Prophets, and of the Covenant, which God made with our fathers, ſaying unto Abraham, And in thy ſeed ſhall all the kindreds of the earth be bleſſed. VntoUnto you firſt God having raiſed up his Sonne Jeſus, ſent him to bleſſe you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities: God communicates all bleſſings through Chriſt Jeſus, every thing turnes to a curſe to him that is without Chriſt, the choiſeſt Nectar proves bitter as gall to him that hath not Chriſt to ſweeten the ſame unto him: Now every prophane man is rEph. 2 12. Rom. 16 18. Luk. 16 14. Luk. 19.14.without Chriſt, an enemy to the Croſſe of Chriſt, a despiſer of the Doctrine of Chriſt, an oppoſer of the Kingdome of Chriſt, no friend of Chriſt, no true member in Chriſt, no lively ſtone built upon Chriſt the living ſtone; and being out of Chriſt, they are ſtrangers to Gods gracious promiſe.
3. In regard of Enmity againſt God, who is the Authour of the covenant, and the fruition and enjoyment of whom is the ſupreame ſubſtance, and comfort of the covenant, the chiefeſt and choiſeſt good of the ſoule of man, ſIer. 32.30.They ſhall be my people, and I will be their God, ſaith the Lord, and I will make an everlaſting Covenant with them: I will be their God, ſaith he, I will be all in all unto them; I will be their King to command them, their Father to make proviſion for them, their Husband to marry them, their Friend to ſolace them, their ſhield and buckler to protect them, their Captaine to fight for them, to vanquiſh all that doth oppoſe them, the tPſal. 7….26.ſtrength of their heart, and their portion forever, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeakes. Now carnall men are without God, alienated from the life of God; and as our Saviour ſaid in another caſe, God is not a God of the dead, but of the living: ſo in this caſe, he is not the God of them that are dead in ſinne, but of them that live the life of grace. Prophane men are aliens and enemies to God by their evill works, haters of God, hating him in his Lawes of holineſſe which he hath preſcribed to them; in his works of holineſſe upon the ſoules of his children,Rom. 1.29. Rom. 8.7. and in the holy labours of his faithfull and holy Miniſters, and having enmity againſt God, they have nothing to doe wi…h the covenant of God.
4. In regard of Agreement with ſinne, which is the breach of the Covenant: Carnall man and ſinne are at a very full agreement, with this they agree as the palate with ſweet meat, ſtolne waters (ſaith Salomon) are ſweet, uProv. 9 17.and bread eaten in ſecret is pleaſant; with this their hearts accord, as the hand with the glove, the …are with the muſicke, the foot with a plaine path, or the fiſh with the water, it is no burthen, no trouble to them, their foot is wRom 3 …5.ſwift to run this race, it is a xProv. 10 23.sport to them to doe evill, you drink up iniquity like Iob 15.16.water, it is the centre to which they move, it is the element wherein they deſire and delight to live. Now ſinne is the breach of the covenant between God and the ſoule, as adultery breaks the covenant of wedlocke between man and wife, They are zIer. 11.10.turned backe (ſaith the Lord) to the iniquity of their Fathers, and have broken my covenant. Raigning prophaneneſſe undoubtedly excludes man from Gods promiſe;Iſa 28.18. he that is, as the Prophet ſpeakes, at an agreement with death, and in covenant with Hell, ſinning ſecurely, and without feare, cannot be in covenant with God; he that is not afraid to offend God, cannot be at peace with God.
5. In regard of the abſence of the Spirit, the principall applying cauſe of the covenant and promiſe to the ſoule of man: He (ſaith our Saviour of the Spirit) aIohn 16.4.ſhall receive of mine, and ſhall ſhew it unto you; that is, the Spirit ſhall make application unto you of the benefits which come by me; he ſhall make my death effectuall to mortifie your luſts, and my bloud efficacious to purge away your ſinne, and my reſurrection powerfull to revive and quicken your ſoules; he ſhall make you partakers of all the promiſes, favours and bleſſings of God, diſpenſed through mee to man; and for this the Spirit is called the Spirit of bRom. 8 15.adoption, aſſuring us of the fatherly love of God in Chriſt towards us: The c1 Cor. 1.21. Eph. 1.13.earneſt and Seale of our inheritance, aſſuring us of our ſalvation through Chriſt: Now carnall men are deſtitute of the Holy-Ghoſt, they are dIude v. 1….ſenſuall (ſaith Jude) having not the Spirit; having not the Spirit as a dweller poſſeſſing them, as a teacher inſtructing them, as water waſhing them, and having not the Spirit of God, they have nothing to doe with the eRom. 8.9.Covenant of God, becauſe God gives his Spirit to all ſuch as he receives into his Covenant.
6. In regard of the want of faith and obedience, the condition of the covenant on mans behalfe. The promiſe is made to them that beleeve, fGal. 3.9. Mar. 16.received through faith, and they which be of the faith are bleſſed with faithfull Abraham (faith the Apoſtle) And he that beleeveth, faith Chriſt, ſhall be ſaved, but hee that beleeveth not ſhall be damned: Faith apprehends the promiſe, and purifies the heart, and makes man capable of all the promiſes of God, godlineſſe having the promiſe of this life, and of the life which is to come: Now carnall man is deſtitute both of faith, and of a godly life, his faith like Jeroboams hand is withered, he cannot reach it forth to apprehend Chriſt, and the promiſe of life in Chriſt. Though carnall man live within the pale of the Church, and come to the Houſe and Table of the Lord;Mat. 22. yet like him in the Parable that came to the wedding feaſt without a wedding garment, he hath not put on Chriſt, Chriſts righteouſneſſe doth not cloathe him, and therefore is an unwelcome gueſt, the dainties there provided doe neither profit him, nor belong unto him; his faith is a dead faith, gIam 2.20.it doth not purifie him, it makes him not victorious over Satan and the world; he continues as a dead man in the houſe, having no claime nor title to the things of the houſe:Mat. 25. The fooliſh Virgins wanting oyle in their lamps were not acknowledged by Chriſt, he did not open to them, he gave them no admiſſion: Profeſſion without faith and obedience gives no intereſt in Chriſt, nor finds any acceptance with Chriſt; he that breakes the conditions of the covenant, can juſtly claime nothing by the covenant.
The covenant from which prophane men are excluded, is the Covenant of grace, by which God appointeth a heavenly inheritance to his adopted children, through the death of his Sonne Jeſus Chriſt interveening.
The matter of this covenant, is the promiſe of God, to become our God in Chriſt, and the promiſe of man to beleeve in God through Chriſt, and to walke with God in newneſſe of life.
The forme of this covenant conſiſteth in a mutuall obligation of God to man, and of man to God: The Object of this covenant is properly the elect effectually called, it is offered to all to whom the Goſpell is preached, the elect alone have the true and comfortable fruition of it. The moving cauſe of this covenant is the meere mercy and free favour of God; the impulſive cauſe hereof, is the merit of Chriſt, by whoſe interceſſion alone all the elect are reconciled unto God; the finall cauſe, is the glory of God, and the ſalvation of his choſen; the Adiunct of it, is perpetuity, an everlaſting covenant, a covenant of wedlocke which never ſhall be ended. And to this covenant all corrupt and carnall men, as long as they continue ſuch, are ſtrangers; they are ſtrangers to the comfortable and experimentall knowledge of it, they doe not know themſelves reconciled unto God in Chriſt Jeſus; they are ſtrangers to the matter of it; they doe not know God to be their God, their treaſure, their crowne and comforter, neither doe they know themſelves to be Gods peculiar people, by a lively faith in God, by fervent love towards God, by holy and humble walking, and gracious communion with God, nor by Chriſtian application of themſelves, with all their might to the ſervice of God; and ſtrangers they are to the fruits and effects of the covenant mentioned by the Prophet Ieremy, as inſcription of the Law in their hearts, illumination of their underſtandings, remiſſion of their ſinnes, holy and conſtant feare not to offend God, ſtedfaſt perſeverance in the wayes of God, and divine diſpenſation of all things to worke for the beſt unto them, and thus they are very unhappy ſtrangers to the covenants of promiſe.