Looking Unto Jesus

SECT. I. Of knowing Jesus carrying on the Great work of our Salvation in that Eternity.

LOoking comprehends knowing, considering, desiring, hoping, believing, loving, joying, calling upon Jesus, and conforming to Jesus. If then we will have an inward experimental Look upon Jesus, we must act, and exercise all these particulars.

1. We must know Jesus, carrying on the great work of our salvation in that eternity before all time. Come, learn what this Jesus is, 1. In his relation to God, and so he is God's Son, eternally begotten before all worlds. See above, and learn it thoroughly, who it is that was begotten, for the person, when it was for the time, how it was for the manner, and what was the mutual kindness and love of him that begot, and of him that was begotten: O the height and depth of this knowledge! 2. Come, learn what this Jesus is in his relation to us before all worlds, and to that purpose study close that great transaction betwixt God and Christ for our salvation. 1. Study that project of God, that he would glorify his grace; and to this end, that he would predestinate Christ, and in Christ he would choose some of the souls of men, and amongst the rest, that he would choose thee, whom notwithstanding sin, he would make holy, and without blame before him in love. 2. Study the counsels of God concerning man before all worlds: O 'twas an hard question, how sin should be pardoned, the sinner reconciled, and yet God glorify his justice? none but the wisdom of God could ever find out a way to have had mercy on the man, and yet to take vengeance on the sin; but herein appeared the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, he devised the way to translate this man's sin (suppose thine own sins) on another's person, who was able to bear them; & to interest this man's person (suppose thine own self) in another's righteousness, who was able to cover him. 3. Study the foreknowledge of God, how the Lord knew his from everlasting with a knowledge of love and approbation; after the project was laid, and the counsels of God were agreed upon it, then God fore-knew, or fore-saw whom to embrace in his eternal love: And, O my soul, if thou art one of his, if God in Christ hath of his own free love set thee apart to life and salvation, then know it for thyself, it is inward experimental knowledge we speak of. 4. Study the purpose of God concerning thy salvation; this purpose of God speaks the stability, and certainty of they salvation in Christ; his purpose is in, and from himself, who is God, and not man and therefore cannot repent; hath he said, and shall he not do it? hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? 5. Study the decrees of God, they are all one with Predestination, the book of life, the seal of God: what hath the Lord decreed, predestinated, booked, sealed thee for salvation? O how blessed is the people that know this joyful sound! they shall walk in the light of they countenance, O Lord. 6. Study the Covenant of grace, remember how the business of eternity lay thus: here is every man lost (said God to his Son) but thou shalt in fullness of time go, and be born of flesh and blood, and die for some of them, and satisfy my Justice, and they shall be thine for a portion,, and they shall be called the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord. To whom the Son answered, be it so Lord, I will go and fulfil thy pleasure, and they shall be mine forever. Observe, and be acquainted with this Covenant in that very Dialogue: first God demands of his Son that he lay down his life, and for his labor he promiseth that he shall be his seed, and God shall give him many children. And secondly, the Son consents to lay down his life, and saith, here I am to do thy will O God, thou hast given me a body. What, O my soul, that the Father and Christ should transact a bargain from eternity concerning thee? that there should be any communing betwixt the Father and the Son concerning thy happiness and salvation? Surely this is worthy thy pains, and study; O hear it, and know thou it for thy good.

SECT. II. Of considering Jesus in that respect.

2. WE must consider Jesus, carrying on this work of salvation in that eternity. It is not enough to study, and know him, but according to the measure of Knowledge we have attained, we must ponder, and muse, and meditate and consider of him: now consideration is an expatiating, and enlarging of the mind and heart on this or that subject: consideration is a fixing of our thoughts, a steadfast bending of our minds to some spiritual matter, till it work on the affections, and conversation. We may know, and yet be inconsiderate of that we do know; but when the intention of our mind and heart is taken up about someone known object, and other things are not for the present taken notice of, this is consideration. O that, if it were possible, we could so consider Jesus in this first period of eternity, as that for a while at least we could forget all other things! Christians! I beseech you be dead to the world, be insensible of all other things, and look only on Jesus; it is said that men in a frenzy are insensible of what you do to them, because their minds are taken up about that which they apprehend so strongly; and if ever there was any object made known to take up the mind of a spiritual man, it is this, even this: not but that other objects may be deeply and seriously minded of men; it is reported of Archimedes, who was a great Mathematician, that when the City was taken wherein he was, and the warlike instruments of death clattering about his ears, and all was in a tumult, yet he was so busy about drawing his lines, that he heard no noise, nor did he know there was any danger: but if such objects as those could take up the intention of his mind, so as not to regard other things, how much more should this consideration of Christ? If a carnal heart, a man that minds earthly things, be so taken up about them, because they are an object suitable to him, how much more should a gracious heart, that can see into the reality of these things of God & Christ from everlasting, be so taken up with them as to mind nothing else? come then, O my soul, and set thy consideration on work, as thus.—

1. Consider Jesus: in his relation to God, how he was the eternal Son of the Father: I know in some respects we have little reason thus to look on Jesus: as we are sinners, and fallen from God, there is no looking on an absolute Deity: alas, that Majesty (because perfectly and essentially good) is no other then an enemy to sinners as sinners; so as we are sinners, and fallen from God, there is no looking on the Son of God; I mean on the Son of God, considered in the notion of his own eternal being, as coequal, and coessential to God the Father: Alas! our sin hath offended his justice, which is himself: and what have we to do with that dreadful power, which we have provoked? But considering Jesus as Jesus, which sounds a Savior to all sinners believing on him: and that this Jesus contains the two natures of Christ, both the God-head, & man-hood; now we that have our interest in him, may draw near, and (as we are capable) behold the brightness of his glory. To this purpose the Scriptures have discovered to us God the Son, how he is the second person in the Trinity, having the foundation of personal subsistence from the Father alone, of whom by communication of his essence he is begotten from all eternity; when there were no depths I was brought forth,—before the mountains were settled, and before the hills I was brought forth. Ante colles genita eram, before the mountains I was begotten, as some; or, ante colles filiata eram, before the mountains I was sonned his son, as others translate it.—why thus O my soul, consider Jesus, the Son of God, but in this consideration be not too curious; thou hearest of the generation of the Son, and of the procession of the Holy Ghost, but for the manner how the Father begets the Son, or how the Father and Son do spire, and send forth the Holy spirit, be not too busy to inquire; thou mayest know a little, and consider a little, but for the depth and main of this great mystery of grace, let the generation of the Son of God be honored with silence. I remember one being too curious, and too inquisitive, what God was doing on that long Evum of eternity before he made the world? it was answered, he decreed to make hell for such curious inquisitors. Be not therefore too nice in this consideration: keep within bounds of sobriety and humility; and then as thou art able to comprehend, the Scriptures will discover that before God made the world in that long-long Evum of eternity, he was doing these things,—

• 1. Some things in relation to himself.
• 2. Some things in relation to his creatures.

1. Some things in relation to himself; and those things were either proper, or common to the three persons. 1. The things proper to each of the persons were those internal, incommunicable actions of God, as 1. To beget; and that belongs only to the Father, who is neither made, nor created, nor begotten of any. 2. To be begotten; and that belongs only to the Son, who is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten. 3. To proceed from both; and that belongs only to the Holy Ghost, who is of the Father, and the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. And these were God's actions in that eternity before all worlds: the Father was begetting God the Son: the Son was begotten of God the Father, the Holy Ghost was proceeding from God the Father, and God the Son. But what, were these actions of God, never in action during all that eternity? yes; as they are called internal actions, so they are permanent; look as the Sun doth always beget his beams, and both Sun and beams do send forth the heats: So the Father from all eternity ever did, and now doth, and ever will beget his Son, and both the Father and the Son ever did and now do, and ever will aspire and breath forth the Holy Ghost: And therefore Orig • n saith well, Our Jesus is the brightness of God's glory; now the brightness of glory is not once begotten, and then afterwards leaves to be begotten; but as often as the glory riseth from whence the brightness springeth, so often doth the brightness of glory arise. Before the hills, was I brought forth. Some translate thus, ante colles generat, and not as others, generavit me, before the mountains were settled he begetteth me. Surely the Son of God is ever begetting, and the Holy Spirit is ever proceeding.

2. The things common to the three persons in that eternity were those internal actions of God, wherein the three persons did communicate: as 1. That one was in another, and possessed one another; the Father remaining with the Son, the Son with the Father, and the Holy Ghost in, and with them both. Thus we read of Christ, the Lord possessed me, in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. And in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God. And I am in the Father, and the Father in me. 2. That one glorified another, the Father glorified the Son, and the Son glorified the Father, and the holy Ghost glorified both the Father and the Son: And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

3. That one delighted in another, the Father delighted in the Son, the Son delighted in the Father, and the Holy Ghost delighted in them both; then I was by him, as one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him. I was daily his delight, in the Original, delights intimating that the Son was variety of delights unto his Father: rejoicing always before him, Christ speaks in terms very quaint and familiar, always rejoicing, q. d. greatly sporting: it is a Metaphor or simile taken from little ones which sport and play before their parents. O see how the Father and the Son rejoice in one another's fellowship: nay, see how they spend that long eternity before the creation in nothing but rejoicing and delights: The Father delights in his Son, and the Son rejoiceth in his Father. Consider O my Soul, thou hast sometimes had a tickling to know, what God was a doing before the Creation? why now be sober, and satisfied with this knowledge: God spent all that time (if I may call it time) in delighting himself in Jesus; why, this was God's work to delight in his Son, and he so delighted in him, that he desired no other pleasure than the company and beholding of him; which accordingly he twice told from heaven, while Christ was on earth, saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased: —in whom I am well pleased. The first sound was at his Baptism, Matth. 3.17. and the second at his transfiguration, Mat. 17.5.

2. Some other things God was a doing in relation to his creatures; they will fall in at our next consideration: only this by the way. As God and Christ rejoiced in the fruition of one another without communicating the notice thereof to any creature; so in the next verse we find them rejoicing in the salvation of men: and my delights were with the sons of men. Amidst the other considerations, O my soul think of this: what, that God from all eternity should delight in thy salvation; why this consideration sets out to purpose the heart and desire of God to save thy soul: for, 1. Delights arise out of the strongest and choicest desires; men are pleased with many things in which they delight not. 2 God and Christ are mentioned here to delight in this work, and in no other work of theirs, not in the Angels, not in the world, nor in anything in it. 3. This their delight is mentioned next to their delighting in each other. 4. This delight is aforehand, whilst God's heart was only in the expectation, and his mind but laying the plot of thy salvation, all these argue how great a matter this was in God's esteem, and how much his heart was in it, even from everlasting. O let these fall into thy consideration?

2. Consider Jesus merely in his relation to us: consider him in that great transaction betwixt God and him for our salvation. And that we may settle our thoughts, and dwell here,—

1. Consider the Project. The great God having entertained thoughts within himself, to communicate himself out of his aloneness everlasting, he lays this plot, that all he would do in that respect, it should be to the praise of the glory of his grace. O my soul consider, meditate and muse on this plot of the Almighty; it is contained by the Apostle in a very few words, do thou weigh them all: here is, 1. The Praise. 2. The glory. 3. Of his Grace. 1. Praise is a setting forth of this or that, by word, or deed, or gesture; it contains in it reverend respect, an high esteem, a strong admiration. 2. Glory is the glorious being, or essence of God, the glory of God in himself. Sometimes we read of the glory of his power, that is, his glorious essence which is most powerful, and sometimes of the glory of his Majesty, that is, his glorious essence which is most Majestical; and sometimes of the glory of his grace, that is, his glorious essence, which is most gracious and merciful; but, 3. Why the glory of his grace? mercy and grace meet both in love, only they differ thus, mercy is love as it helps the miserable, and grace is love as it gives good things, freely without desert; here then is the great design which God from everlasting carried on, that the glorious essence of his free love, free grace, should be especially manifested to his Saints, that so thy might admire it, esteem it, honor it, and sound forth the praises of it. All the other designs of God were but subservient unto this. Some reckon up three great designs of the Almighty communicating himself; as 1. The glory of his Saints. 2. The glory of Christ. 3. The glory of himself, and especially the glory of his grace. 1. That his Saints should be glorious, and to that purpose he made heaven and earth, and he makes them Lord of all, all things are yours. 2. That Christ should be glorious, and to that purpose he makes the Saints, and gives them to Christ, all things are yours, and you are Christ's. And certainly saith the Apostle, at the last day, Christ shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe. 3. That God himself should be glorified; he made all things for himself. —Bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth, even everyone that is called by my name, for I have created him for my glory. Now this is the high design of God, to which all the rest are subservient; mark the steps, all things are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's (i.) For God, and for his glory: the two former designs are to which, but not for which God worketh: he that buildeth an house, that he may lay a sure foundation, and that he may raise the frame, he gives it the due filling which belongs to it: but these are not his proper ends, his main design: but that he may have an house for his habitation: So God works, many things to our glory, and that in us Christ may be glorious; but the proper end, that high design which he hath in all, it is his own glory. And yet O my soul, consider a little further, the plot of our salvation, of the Saints glory, and of Christ's glory, as it aims at the glory of God, so especially at the glory of his grace: As if we see that one doth this or that in wisdom, it is the glory of his wisdom: if he do it in strength or power, it is the glory of his power: if he do it out of grace, it is the glory of his grace: so God designed the salvation of our souls out of his mere grace, favor, love, he must needs intend to have his grace notified in us, and to have it (being known) accordingly admired, and praised, and honored by us; not but that God must be glorified in his wisdom, power, justice, holiness, and his other attributes; ay, but especially in this, it is the grace of God in which he most delighteth, even as virtuous Kings affect, above all their other virtues, to be had in honor for their clemency, and bounty. So it is with our God the King of Kings, Lord of Lord's; all he doth is to this end, that his grace may be manifested to his greater glory. And to this end is the glory of Christ, and the glory of Christians referred. Why Lord, that this should be thy plot, to save my soul, that my soul should praise the glory of thy grace? that thy grace should before all worlds think on me for good? O how should I but think on thee, and thy free grace? How should I but admire it, adore it, praise it, exalted it above Sun and Moon, and Stars? how should I but cry out with the Apostle, Oh the depth of the riches of thy grace! for of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever, and ever, Amen.

2. Consider the counsels of God about thy salvation: he worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: and with him is counsel, and with him is understanding. This counsel (as we have discovered) was primarily about that reconciliation of the riches of his grace, and the glory of justice. Consider this, O my soul, thy sin put all the attributes of God to a kind of conflict; hereupon was that great and mighty counsel▪ how God should make way for his love and goodness, and yet satisfy his truth, and justice? at last the wisdom of God found out that glorious and wonderful expedient, the Lord Jesus Christ: is not this the meaning of the Apostle? whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his Blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins. Pouder, and weigh these words! God sets not forth Christ to be a propitiation to declare only his mercy in the forgiveness of sins: how? is there anything but mercy in the forgiveness of sins: yes, there is something else, there is righteousness also, and therefore he hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation, that he might declare his righteousness; nay, see it repeated, to declare I say his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus: not that he might be merciful, but that he might be just in justifying him that believeth in Jesus. This Text Luther had a great deal ado to understand, and he prayed much, before he could get the right meaning of it.

This is the great mystery of the Gospel; no wonder if a poor man could not reach it: This is that which set the infinite wisdom of God on work from all eternity, how to find a way to save sinners, and to be infinitely righteous notwithstanding. — Nay, yet O my soul consider, a little further; not only is the mercy of God in this way glorified, but the glory of his justice is as much, yea more then if the sinner were eternally damned: — It is made good thus.—

1. When God appointed a surety, his Son, and charged our debts upon him to satisfy his justice: in that God would not spare his Son the least farthing token, I mean, not the least degree of punishment; hereby the Lord shows a stronger love to justice then if he had damned ten thousand, thousand creatures. Suppose a Malefactor comes before a Judge, the Judge will not spare the Malefactor, but commands satisfaction to the Law; this shows that the Judge loves justice: but if the Judges own Son be a delinquent, and it appears before all the Country, that the Judge will not spare him, the Judge now doth more honor justice in this, than in condemning a thousand others: So when the Lord shall cast many thousands to Hell there to be tormented forever, and ever, and ever, this shows that God loves justice; but when his own Son shall take our sins upon him, and God will not spare him, (that is the very word in the Scripture, he spared not his own Son ) this, surely this declares God's love to righteousness more than if all the World should be Damned.

2. Suppose the sinner that is reconciled had been Damned, then the justice of God had been but in satisfying, and never had been fully satisfied: but in that way that God hath found out to save a sinner, his justice is not only satisfying, but it comes fully to be satisfied, to have enough. As for instance; suppose a man to be a creditor to one, who owes him 100000 l. this man is poor, and the utmost he can pay is but a penny a day; suppose the creditor should lay him in the Goale until he had paid the utmost farthing, it is true he would be receiving day after day, but he would never be paid so long as the debtor lives; now if another rich man should come, and lay down an 100000 l. at once, the creditor is presently satisfied. Why here is the difference betwixt God's satisfying his Justice upon sinners, and upon Jesus Christ; God comes upon the sinner, and requires the debt of punishment, because he did not pay the debt of obedience: God casts him into Prison, and the utmost he can pay, is but (as it were) a penny a day; and hence the poor sinner must still be paying, and paying, and paying to Eternity: this is the ground of their Eternal punishment in Hell, because in any finite time they can never pay enough: But now comes Jesus Christ, and he fully pays the debt at once, so that justice saith, I have enough, I am satisfied: Surely this is the greater Glory to the very justice of God.

These were the counsels of God from all Eternity, how he should make way for his love and goodness, and yet satisfy his Truth and Justice. O my soul, consider and wonder! Jesus Christ was the Expedient, and in Christ not only God's mercy, but his justice is Exalted, yea more Exalted, and more Glorified in thy salvation, then ever it could have been in thy Damnation.

3 Consider the fore-knowledge of God; he knew from everlasting whom he would set apart for life and salvation. All the Saints of God from first to last, they were then present to him, and before him, and he did look on them in his Beloved Christ. Before there was a World, or a man, or any creature in it, he fore-knew Adam, and Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob, and all the Patriarchs, and all the Prophets, and all the Apostles, & all the Disciples of Christ, and Believers in Christ; And O my soul, if thou art one of God's Elect, he foreknew thee with a knowledge of love and approbation, he had thee in his Eye, and Heart: he had thoughts on Jacob, when he was yet unborn, and had done neither good nor evil. Assure thyself, the Lord works not without prevision or fore-knowledge of the things effected; that cannot be in God, which is not to be found in a wise and prudent man; he that builds an house hath the frame of it first in himself: and the Psalmist tells thee, that the eyes of God did see thy substance yet being imperfect: in this Book of knowledge were all thy members written, when as yet there was none of them! yea, he knew thee with a knowledge of singular love; he embraced thee in his Eternal love, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated▪ • will not say, that this love was actually bestowed on thee till due time, yet it was prepared for thee from all Eternity: and hence it is called, an everlasting love; The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.

O muse, and meditate, and ponder on this love! it contains in it these particulars: as, 1. The eternal good will of God: what else is the love of God towards the Elect, but his everlasting good will to show them mercy, to do them good, and to save their souls? hence the Angels sung that Antheam at Christ's birth, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men. 2. The Eternal pleasure and delight of God in the sons of men; the greatest delight that God hath, or ever had, it is in communicating himself to his Son firstly, and next unto his Saints: nay, such delight he takes in letting out his mercy to his Saints: as that he was well-pleased with the death of his own Son, as a means conducing thereunto. O wonderful! one would think that the death of Christ should be the most abhorring to the heart of God of anything in the world, and yet saith the Scripture, It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he took a pleasure and delight in the very bruising of Jesus Christ: the Lord saw this was the way for him to communicate himself in the fullness of his grace unto his Saints, and therefore though it cost him so dear as the death of his own Son, yet he was well-pleased with it. 3. This love of God contains in it a fore-knowledge and approbation of all those effects of his love, whether they be temporal concerning this life, or Eternal concerning the life to come. Concerning these effects of his love, saith John, Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. q. d. Behold it, stand amazed at it, that children of wrath should become the sons of the most high God: for a beggar on the dunghill, a vagabond, a runagate from God, a prodigal, a stranger to God, whom the Lord had no cause to think on, to be made a Son of God Almighty, O divine love! Pause a while, and muse on this! O my soul, that God should fore-know thee from all Eternity with a knowledge of love and approbation, it is admirable to consider, I say it is admirable to consider.

4. Consider the purpose of God concerning thy salvation: God hath not appointed (or purposed) us wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. As when we have a will to do anything, there follows upon this in the mind a settled purpose to effect it; so when God hath loved some to life, there is in God a settled purpose of bringing them to it: that the purpose of God according to Election might stand, or be sure; it imports God's stability, and steadiness, and constancy, and firmness in saving souls. There is much inconstancy and fickleness in the love of man, or in the love of a woman, but the love of God to his people is a steady love; as the Bridegroom rejoiceth over the Bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee; not only so doth thy God, but so shall thy God rejoice over thee. God's purposes are without any alteration, the love of Christ after thousands of years is still as the love of a Bridegroom upon the wedding day; indeed then ordinarily love is hot, and appears much; so is Christ's love, and so is God's love ever hot; there is no moment of time from Eternity to Eternity wherein God rejoiceth not over his Saints, as the Bridgroom over his Bride; not only as an husband over his wife, but as a Bridegroom over his Bride, we may say of this purpose of God, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end.

O my soul, muse and meditate on this purpose of God, and by consequence on the sure mercies of David; it may be it is not always alike sure to thee; the love of God as the shining of the Sun doth not always in the fruits of it shining out so gloriously, but the Sun keeps his course in a steady way: what though it be sometimes clouded? what though at times it shine not so gloriously as at high-noon? yet the purpose of God according to Election must stand. All the Devils in Hell cannot frustrate God's purpose concerning only one soul: this is the Fathers will which sent me (saith Christ) that of all which he hath given me I should lose none.

5. Consider God's decree concerning thy souls salvation, and the means to it. As the purpose of God, so the decree of God speaks the stability and certainty of the thing decreed. The foundation of God standeth sure; (i) The decree of God touching man's Salvation is unchangeable. If the Laws of the Medes and Persians were so absolute, that they could not be reversed, then much less can the decrees of God be reversed: no man that is not Elected can be Elected; and no man that is Elected can possibly be damned. My sheep hear my voice (saith Christ) and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck t ••• out of my hand. And it must needs be so, for God's decree is grounded on the Eternal and unchangeable will of God; and hence we say that there is a certain number of the Elect known only to God, which cannot possibly be increased or diminished. I know whom I have chosen, saith Christ. And yet thou canst not, O my soul, hence infer, that thou mayest be secure; for in this decree the end and the means are joined together of God, and they cannot be separated by any man: if thou beest not godly, never expect to be happy: God's decree of Predestination is as well for the giving of grace, as for the giving of glory.

6. Consider the Covenant struck betwixt God and Christ for thy salvation. If thou wouldst fain be acquainted with the very Articles of it, go on then, take Scripture along, and first on God's part thou mayest observe, and meditate, and consider of these particulars. —

1. That there was a designation and appointment of Christ from all Eternity to the office of Mediatorship: whence Christ is said to be sealed by the Father, for him hath God the Father sealed: and chosen of the Father, behold my servant whom I uphold, mine Elect, or chosen one.

2. There was a commandment from the Father to the Son, which he must obey, and submit unto. As first, he had a command what to teach his people, as the Prophet of the Church, for I have not spoken of myself (saith Christ) but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. Secondly, he had a commandment to lay down his life fore those that were given him, no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself; I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this Commandment have I received of my Father.

3. There was a Promise from the Father to the Son: the Father covenants with him in these things; first, that he will give him the Spirit in abundance. Behold my servant whom I uphold;—I have put my Spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. — And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord. Secondly, that he will give him assistance and help in this great work of Redemption. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand; what's that? why, I will strengthen thee with my power, I will so hold thy hand that thou shalt not be discouraged in the work; He shall not fail, nor be discouraged tell he have set judgment upon the Earth. Thirdly, that he will give him a blessed success, that he shall not labor in vain, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands: he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. Christ's suffering were as a woman's travail, though she suffer many pains and pangs, yet she sees her Child at last; so shall Christ see many believing on his Name: they are the promise made by the Father to the Son, that Nations that know him not shall run unto him. Fourthly, that he will give him and his Redeemed ones everlasting glory; to Christ himself there is a promise of glory, he hath glorified thee. And to the Members of Christ there is a promise of glory; and this promise of glory to them was made known to Christ from everlasting: it was one of the secrets of God, and Christ brings out that secret from the bosom of his Father, and reveals it to his Disciples. It is my Fathers pleasure (said he) to give you the Kingdom; Christ knew his Fathers will by the Covenant passing betwixt his Father and him, and this will of the Father concerning glory promised to the Saints Christ doth bring forth to light. These were the Articles of the Covenant on God's part; now O my soul, see them on Christ's part in these particulars.—

1. There was an acceptation of the office to which he was designed by the Father; he did not take the office of Mediatorship upon himself, but first the Father calls him to it, and then the Son accepts it: Christ glorified not himself to be made an high Priest, but he that said unto him, thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee; he called him, and then the Son answered, Lo I come.

2. There was a promise on Christ's part to depend and trust upon God for help: And again I will put my trust in him, they are the words of Christ to his Father. And Isaiah brings in Christ as looking for help from God, for the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded — And behold the Lord will help me, who is he that shall condemn me? whereto agrees that other passage, and my God shall be my strength.

3. There was a promise of submission to his Fathers will in bearing the reproaches and injuries that should be done to him, and to lay down his life for those, that were given to him by the Father: the Lord God opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back, I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, I hid not my Face from shame and spitting, and therefore my Father loves me because I lay down my life. Christ first thus Covenanted with his Father, and then he was careful to discharge the same, and at last he tells God, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

4. There was an earnest expectation of that glory which the Father promised Christ and his members: And now O Father glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the World was. And Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me, for thou lovedst me before the Foundation of the World. —These were the Articles of the Covenant on Christ's part, and hence it is that God is called the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, viz. by reason of the Covenant.

O my soul, with what delight mayest thou consider, muse, and ponder on these Articles? what, that God should make a Covenant, and enter into these, and these Articles with his own Son for thy good, and for thy Eternal good? what, that God should bring in the second person in the Trinity to be the head of the Covenant as on thy part? what a mercy is this? O run over and over this meditation, a thousand, and a thousand times! O consider thy hope of Eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began! If thy soul question what promise was there made before the World began? to whom was the promise made? who was there before the World began for God to make any promise to? why now thou hast learned it was only to the Son of God, the second person in the Trinity. There was a most blessed transaction between God the Father and God the Son, before the world began, for thy everlasting good; and upon that transaction depends all thy hope, and all thy salvation. O this is worthy of thy deep, and sad, and serious, and inmost meditation. I have been particular and large in this passage of Looking unto, or considering Jesus, but I shall be brief in the rest.

SECT. III. Of desiring after Jesus in that respect.

3. WE must desire after Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation in that Eternity. It is not enough to know & consider, but we must desire. Now, desire is a passion looking after the attainment of some good which we enjoy not, and which we imagine to be fitting for us. In this respect we cannot desire after Jesus, as now to carry on that work of our salvation before the World began, for that work is already perfectly done; But these things we may desire after, as, 1. After the manifestation of that work in us. 2. After God and Christ the complotters and actors of that great work for us. 3. After the full and utmost execution, whereby God effectually works in time according to all his workings, or decrees before time.

1. We must desire after the manifestation of this work in us. We have heard of marvelous, excellent, glorious things done by Jesus Christ for his Saints from all Eternity; & oh what desires now should be in us to know that we are of that number? when I hear and consider that there was such a project, and such counsels, and such love, and such a purpose, and such decrees, and such a Covenant betwixt God and Christ for salvation of souls; and withal, that they are but few in comparison concerning whom God and Christ hath all this care, will not this whet on my desires? and make me cry, and cry again, Oh that these loves were mine! how happy were I, if I had a share in these eternal thoughts of God? Methinks we should not hear of such transactions, but it should stir up our hearts in infinite desires; methinks we should pant after assurance, and still be wishing, Oh what is truth? and what is Christ? and what did Christ for me before I was, or before the World was? I would I knew him, I would I could enjoy him, I would I were assured that he had one good thought of me in that Eternity! Christians! if you have any share in those transactions, sooner or later you will feel these desires? nay, if my sinful heart deceive me not, upon the very consideration of these things I feel myself another creature in my desires then I was before. Tell me, you that have took a full view of God & Christ, and of all these wonders of Eternity: do you not sensibly differ from yourselves in your affections? Is not the world, worldly pleasures, worldly profits, and worldly honors fallen too; yea, ten in an hundred with you? have they not lost their price? would you not rather be assured that your names are written in the Book of Life, then to have all the world yours; yea, and all the Devils in Hell subject to your commands? Certainly, if these revelations work nothing in your hearts, if your affections be so strong and hearty to the world, and the vanities of it; if your desires be so impure, and strongly working downwards, that God's ancient loves, and everlasting workings, have no power on your hearts, it is a very sad condition. If David may have his wish, it runs thus, Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us; he would have the manifestation of God's Eternal love; one smile of his countenance (as an image of that countenance which God had towards him before the world began) was more gladness to his heart, then all that which the men of the world had, in the time that their corn, and their wine increased.

2. We may and must desire after God and Christ, the complotters and actors of that great work for us; what, hath the Gospel revealed this truth, that before the Creation God and Christ were busied about our good? yea, and hath Christ especially, that came out of the bosom of his Father, & brought the treasures of his Fathers counsel to the world, discovered such love to men? how then should our desires be after God in Christ? Whom have I in heaven but thee? & there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. A right beholding of Christ in his eternal workings, will cause a desire of Christ above all desires; the heart now thirsts for nothing but him that is all, all power, all love, all holiness, all happiness: tell such a soul of the world, and gold, and glory; O what are these? the soul will quickly tell you, the world is dung, and gold is dung, & glory is dung, all is but loss & dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Give me God, & Christ, saith the soul, or I die; Oh my desires are to him who hath done all this for me. Is not this the period still of thy expression at the end of every discourse, would Christ were mine? thou hearest it may be, some worldlings talk, such a one, and such a one hath got so much in these times; he that was yesterday as poor as Lazarus, he is this day like that nameless rich man, clothed in purple, and fine linen, and faring sumptuously every day; ay, but dost not thou reply either in word or heart, would Christ were mine, and then I had got more then he? Poor soul, dost thou not gasp only after Christ, when thou fetchest (as I may say) the very deepest breath? canst thou read over the generation of Jesus the Son of God, the time when he was begotten, the manner of his begetting, the mutual kindness and love of him that begets, and of him that is begotten? and dost not thou pant, and breath, and gasp after Jesus at every period? canst thou read over Jesus his acts and decrees in reference to thyself? canst thou turn over those many leaves, in every of which is discovered those everlasting loves of God in his projects, counsels, foreknowledge, purpose, decree, covenant for thy souls happiness? and art thou not ready at every discovery to sing David's Psalm, as the heart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee O God; my soul thirsteth for God, for the living God, O when shall I come and appear before God? O my soul, hadst thou but these pantings, thirstings, breathings after God and Christ, thou mightest comfortably conclude, these are the fruits of God's Spirit, it is the Spirit of the Lord Jesus which makes those sighs and groans in thee, which cannot be expressed. He and thee sigh together, one in another, and one after another; O therefore look, Look unto Jesus, and sigh, and desire after him.

3. We may and must desire after the full and utmost execution whereby God effectually Works in time according to all his workings or decrees before time. God that purposed and decreed from all Eternity, he will not have done the full execution of that purpose or decree till that after-Eternity, in that world without end. Indeed some part is a fulfilling now, but the main, the great part is yet to come: why then as we see the Plot, let us desire after the full accomplishment, let us desire after the glory without end, to which we were predestinated before the beginning. It was Paul's desire to be dissolved, & to be with Christ. As men burdened, so should we desire and groan after the enjoyments of God in the world to come. O my soul, that thou were but cast in the Apostles mould, that they affections were but on the wing, that they might take flight and steer their course towards heaven, and thereupon that thou mightest say, yond is the glorious house, the goodly building, made without hands, which God from all Eternity, decreed to be my home, my rest, my dwelling place to all Eternity; and in yond stately Fabric, is many an heavenly Inhabitant before I come: there are Angels, and there are all the souls of Sain • s, that from Adam to this day have had their pass out of this sinful world: yea, there is Jesus the Son of God; and there is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost; and if I am predestinated to this fellowship, Lord, when shall I have run through the means that I may come to this end? O my end! where is my end? where is my Lord, my God, my Comforter? where is my rest? where is my end? I cannot be at rest without my end, and therefore come Lord Jesus, come quickly, be like a Roe, or a young Hart upon the Mountains of Spices. Christians! why are not your Spirits always breathing thus after the glory, to which you are predestinated? why do not you long after full enjoyment? the utmost execution of God's decree? why are not your hearts, your souls, your spirits already in heaven? Surely there be your relations; your Father is there, your elder brother is there, and there are many, I dare say most of your other younger brethren: again, there is your interest, your estate is there, if you believe: and therefore, Where should your hearts be, but where your treasure is? come then, come, set in tune those desires of your souls, set your affections on things above, especially on that one thing Jesus Christ: Looking unto Jesus.

SECT. IV. Of hoping in Jesus in that respect.

4. WE must hope in Jesus, as carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in that Eternity. It is not enough to know and consider, and desire; but we must hope, and maintain our hope as to our own interest. Now hope is a passion, whereby we expect, probably or certainly some future good. All the question is, whether that salvation, concerning which the great transaction was betwixt God and Christ, belongs now to me? and what are the grounds and foundations on which my hope is built? I know some exceedingly abuse this Doctrine; If God had before all worlds appointed me to salvation, why then I may live as I list; I need not hear, or pray, or confer, or perform any holy Duty, for I am sure I shall be saved. And thus at once they take away all grounds of hope. It is true, God's decrees are unchangeable, but they do not afford any such inferences or deductions as these: you might as well say, the Lord hath appointed me to live to such a time, and before that time I shall not, cannot die, and therefore I need no meat nor drink, nor clothes, nor any other thing: Ah silly, foolish, devilish, arguing! God's decree is for the means, as well as for the end; whom God hath decreed to save, them also hath he decreed to call, to justify, to sanctify, before he save: O my Soul, look to the grounds whereon they hope is built: if those be weak, thy hope is weak: but if those be strong, thy hope will prove most strong; and certain, and prudent.

In the disquisition of these grounds, say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven? or who shall descend into the deep? seek not above or below: it is not possible for thee to go bodily into Heaven, to see the Records of Eternity, and to read thy name in the Book of Life, but search into these fruits and effects of thy election As—

1. If thou beest within God's decrees for salvation, then, sooner or later, God will cause the power of his Word to come with authority and conviction upon thy conscience: knowing brethren, beloved your election of God, for our Gospel came not unto you in Word only, but also in power. The Apostle speaks thus of others; he might know they were the Elected of God, either by his judgment of charity, or by a spirit of discerning, which was vouchsafed to some in the Apostles times; but how comes he immediately to know this truth? by this glorious effe • t, our Gospel came not in Word only, but also in power. Oh 'tis good to consider with what power the Word preached falls into thy heart; doth it convince thee, humble thee, mollie thee, soften thee? this argues thou belongest to God. The Word preached will be more than the word of a man, more than a mere human Oration, or verbal declamation, where it comes in power: Oh! it will be like fire in thy bowels, like a two edged Sword in the secret places of thy heart; thou wilt cry out, verily God is here: Oh the power! the conviction, the meltings of my soul that I feel within me!

2. If God hath ordained thee to Salvation, then, sooner or later God will effectually call thee. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called; this calling is a calling of the Soul from sin, from amongst the rest of the World unto Jesus Christ; it is such a call as enables the soul to follow Christ; as Matthew being called by Christ, he arose and followed Christ. These two are linked together in Paul's golden chain, predestination and effectual vocation. We are bound to give thanks always unto God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord; and why so? because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation.—Wherunto he called you by the Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. All those that belong to God's election, are sometime or other effectually called by the Word and Spirit of Christ; and it must needs be so, because as the Lord hath put a difference betwixt his Elect and others before the world was, and he will make a final difference betwixt them and others, after the end of the World; so he will have them differenced and distinguished whilst thy are in this World by this inward, effectual, operative calling; they are men of other minds, wills, affections, dispositions, conversations; they are called from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. As the Apostle, ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. — Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

3. If thou art chosen for salvation, then sooner or later thou shalt have true soul-saving justifying faith; As many as were ordained to eternal life believed. When God hath a people to call home to himself, he either brings them to the means, or the means to them, and those that belong to the Election of Grace believe; O my soul, hast thou this saving faith? not a fancied faith, a dead faith, an easy faith, but saving faith; such a faith as was wrought in thee by the Word and Spirit with power; such a faith as was not in any power to give, nor in any power to receive, until God enable thee by his Spirit; then here is thy ground that thou art ordained to eternal life: for whom he calls he justifies; and we are justified by faith. Not that the essence of faith justifies, but faith justifies instrumentally, in that it lays hold upon that which justifies, even the righteousness of Christ Jesus.

4. If thou art decreed for salvation, then sooner or later the Lord will beget and increase in thee, grace, holiness, sanctification: Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit. God predestinates his people unto holiness; he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the World, that we should be holy, and without blame before him. If God appoint thee to eternal life, he doth here in this World appoint thee to an holy gracious life. No sanctification, no election; no grace, no glory; thou art to be a precious Jewel here, ere God will make thee up at that great day. Observe the chain, Rom. 8.29. If I be sanctified, with the Divine Nature, in which glory is begun, then I am justified; if justified, then I have been called according to purpose; if called, then I was predestinated; and if predestinated to means, then I was foreknown, as one whom God would choose to the end, even immarcessible and eternal glory.

5. If thou art appointed and prepared for glory, then God will give thee a thankful heart for so great a mercy: thou canst no more keep in the heart from over-flowing, when thou art sensible of this everlasting love, then thou canst put bounds to the Sea: See Paul praising God for the Election of himself and others, after I heard of your faith and love, I cease not to give thnaks; and Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. And what glorious triumphs doth Paul in the person of all the Elect make over all kind of enemies that can be thought of? he challengeth every adversary to put forth his sting, and why? even because God hath Elected, and nothing can separate them from this unchangeable love; & this was it that begot his thanksgiving, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. O my soul, how is thy heart affected with praise and thankfulness in this matter? he that bestoweth great things, looks for great return of thanks, especially this being all thou canst do.

6. If the project, counsel, love, purpose, decree, and Covenant of God with Christ concerned thee, and thy souls happiness, then God will crown thee with perseverance, and a steadfast continuance in the way of grace thou wast first set in: final apostasy, and total backsliding from the ways of God, can never befall those that are thus chosen, they went from us, because they were not of us, said the Apostle; and if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect, said Christ; but it is certainly impossible, and why? I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall never depart from me. Oh what a blessed mercy is this, when there are so many hours of temptation in the world, so many blustering storms and tempests that are able to raise up the very roots, did not that immortal seed preserve them. Of this sign we are sure, if any of the former belongs to us; but to this we cannot actually seal till the end of our life.

Come now, are these, O my soul, the grounds of thy hopes? hath God's word come with power on thy heart? hath the Lord so effectually called thee, that thou hast left all to follow Christ? dost thou believe on the Lord Jesus for life and for salvation? art thou holy? is thy life holy? dost thou walk exactly, as the grace of God which bringeth to salvation teacheth? Canst thou with enlarged thankfulness amplify the love and grace of God in thy election; surely these effects are the very fuel of hope, they are the blessed and clear evidences so thy souls election; and therefore hope well, take strong consolation; it is clear as the Sun, that God hath predestinated thee to life, and that thy name is written in the Book of Life, and that none in Heaven, or on Earth, or in Hell, shall be able to blot it out again. Away with all sad, dumpish, dejected thoughts: Look unto Jesus: hope in Christ, that, that very salvation concerning which that great transaction was betwixt God and Christ, belongs even to thee, and that one day thou shalt see it, and enjoy the happiness of it to all Eternity

SECT. V. Of believing in Jesus in that respect.

5. WE must believe in Jesus, as carrying on that great work of salvation for us in that Eternity. It is not enough to know, and consider, and desire, and hope, but we must believe. Now this is the nature and property of faith, to apply all these ancient and future doings and dealings of God to ourselves, as if they were now present. Some difference there is betwixt hope and faith; as hope hath respect to that which the Word pomiseth, rem verbi; but faith respects the word itself, verbum rei; hope eyes chiefly the mercy and goodness of the promise, but faith eyes mainly the authority and truth of the promiser; hope looks upon its object as future, but faith only looks upon the object as present; both make a particular application to themselves, but hope in a waiting for it; and faith in a way of now enjoying it. Hence faith is called, the substance of things hoped for; it is the substance, or confidence of things hoped for, as if we had them already in hand: faith gives the soul a present interest in God, in Christ, in all those glorious things in the Gospel of Christ; even in the things of eternal life. Faith is an appropriating, an applying, an uniting grace; it is a blessed thing to have the sight of God, there is much power in it; but to see God in his Glory as my God, to see all the Majesty, greatness, and goodness of God, as those things that my soul hath an interest in; to see how the eternal counsels of God wrought for me to make me happy, why this is of the nature of Faith; And herein lies the sweetness of faith, in that we believe not Christ only to be a Savior, and righteousness, but my Savior, and my righteousness; And therefore Luther affirmed that the sweetness of Christianity lay in pronounes; when a man can say, my Lord, and my God, and my Jesus. I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

O my soul! believe for thyself; believe, and be confident of it that those Eternal projects, counsels, love, purpose, decree, and covenant betwixt God and Christ were all for thee: hast not thou a promise? Nay, was there not a promise before the world began? and that very promise the promise of eternal life? Mark the words, in hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the World began. Here's a promise, and a promise of Eternal life, and a promise of Eternal life made by God, by God that cannot lie, and that before there was a World, or any man in the World; If thou enquirest, to whom then was this promise made? Sweet soul, it was made to Christ for thee; many promises thou hast in Scripture made more immediately to thyself, but this was the grand promise, and all the other promises they are but a draught of that grand promise that God the Father made to his Son before the World began.

O cries the Soul, I cannot believe: what? is it possible that God in his Eternity should have any thought of me? What, of me, being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil? What, of me, born in these last times of the world, the least of Saints, the greatest of Sinners, less then the least of all God's mercies? that of such a one the great God, the Majesty of Heaven and Earth should have a thought, a project, a counsel, a knowledge of approbation, a purpose, a decree: Nay, enter into a Covenant with his Son for my salvation? I cannot believe it. Alas! What am I to God? or what need hath God of me? If all the Nations of the Earth are to him, but as a drop of a bucket; and as the small dust of the Ballance; O what a minime am I of that drop? or what a little, little atom am I of that small dust; and is it probable that the greatness of God the goodness of God, the power of God, the wisdom of God, the Eternal Counsels of God, should work for me, to make me glorious, blessed, happy, to make me one with himself, and one with his Son, and one with his Spirit? what care take I of every dust of the Earth, or of every sand one the Sea-shore? and yet these are my fellow-creatures; there's a thousand times more disproportion betwixt God and me, and would God take care of me before I was, or before the World was? what, would he busy himself and his Son, about such a worthless wretched worm? would he decree Christ to come from the Father for me, to be my Redeemer, my Jesus, my Savior? I cannot, I dare not, I will not believe.

O stay my soul; and be not faithless, but believing, I will take thy argument in pieces: As, 1. Thou sayst, hath God any thoughts of me? Yes: saith God, I know the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts of peace, and not of evil; and before the World was, my thoughts, and my delights were with the Sons of men. 2. Thou sayst, I have no thoughts, no care of my fellow-creatures, as of the dust, or sand, or atoms? and what then? my thoughts are not as your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord; for as the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. What if thou hast no thoughts or care of the smaller creatures? yet God extends his thoughts, and care, and providence not only to thee, but even to them: neither can a Sparrow fall to the ground, nor an hair from thy head, nor a leaf from the tree, without the providence of our heavenly Father? 3. Thou sayest, I dare not believe, I am astonished at, confounded in these thoughts of God's eternal love; it is too high for me, I cannot believe it. I answer, herein thou sayst something: I know it is an hard thing to believe these great things in reference to thyself: But see now how God and Christ stoop and condescend to make thee believe: God stands much upon this, that the hearts of Saints should confide in him: he accounts not himself honored, except they believe, and therefore mark O my Soul, how Christ suits himself to thy weakness; what is it that may beget this Faith, this confidence in thy Son? what is it (saith God ) that you poor creatures do one to another, when you would make things sure between yourselves? why, thus; —

1. We engage ourselves by promise one to another. And so will I, saith God: poor soul, thou hast my promise, my faithful promise; I have made a promise both to Jews and Gentiles, and thou art the one of these two sorts; the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Be only satisfied in that ground of thy hope, that thou art called of God; and then every promise of Eternal life is thine, even thine. Thou mayest find a thousand promises scattered here and there in the book of God; and all these promises are a draught of that promise which was made from all Eternity, and therefore it is so much the more sure; it is as if Christ should say, wilt thou have engagement by promise? this is past long ago; my Father hath engaged himself to me before the World began; yea, and I have made many, and many a promise, since the World began? Read in the Volume, and thou wilt find here and there a Promise, here and there a draught of the first Copy of that great Promise, which my Father made unto me from all Eternity.

2. When we would make things sure to one another, we write it down; And so will I, saith God: thou hast the Scripture, the Holy Writ, those Sacred Volumes of Truth and Life, and therein thou hast the golden Lines of many gracious Promises; are they not as the Stars in the Firmament of the Scripture? thou hast my Bible, and in the Bible thou hast many blessed glorious Truths: but of all the Bible, methinks thou shouldst not part with one of those promises, no, not for a World. Luther observing the many promises writ down in Scripture, expresseth thus, the whole Scripture doth especially aim at this, that we should not doubt, but hope, confide, believe, that God is Merciful, Kind, Patient, and hath a purpose and a delight to save our souls.

3. When we would make things sure to one another, we set to our Seals. And so will I, saith God: thou hast my Seal, the Broad-Seal of Heaven, my Sacraments, the Seals of my Covenant; and thou hast my privy Seal also, the Seal of my Spirit. Grieve not the Holy Spirit, whereby ye are Sealed unto the day of Redemption.

4. When we would make things sure to one another, we take Witnesses. And so will I, saith God: thou shalt have witnesses as many as thou wilt, witnesses of all sorts, witnesses in heaven, and witnesses on earth, for there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one.

5. When we would make things sure to one another, we take an oath. And so will I, saith God: God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, q. d. there is no such need of an oath, but I will be abundant to thee, because I would have thee trust me, and confide in me thoroughly: and as I swear (saith God ) so will I swear the greatest Oath that ever was, I swear by myself: God swears by God: he could swear by no greater, and therefore he swear by himself: and why thus, but for their sakes who are the heirs of promise? he knows our frame, and members, that we are but dust; and therefore to succor our weakness, the Lord is pleased to swear, and to confirm all by his Oath.

6. When we would make things sure to one another, we take a pawn. And I will give thee a pawn saith God: and such a pawn, as if thou never hadst anything more, thou shouldest be happy: it is the pawn of my Spirit. Who also hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts, q. d. I will send my Spirit into your hearts, and this Spirit shall be a pawn, an earnest in your hearts, of all the good that I intend to do for you forever.

7. When we would make things sure to one another, something it may be is presently done, as an engagement of all that which is to come. And thus will I deal with thee, saith God, who livest in these last of times: why thou seest the greatest part of thy Salvation already done, I made a promise from all Eternity of sending my Son into the World to be made a curse for sin; yea, and if thou believest, for thy sin; and this is the greatest work of all that is to be done to all Eternity. Surely, if I would have failed thee in anything, it should have been in this; it is not so much for me now, to bring thee to Heaven, to save thy Soul, as it was to send my Son into the World to be made a curse for sin: but when I have done so great a work, & have been already faithful in that Promise, how shouldst thou but believe my faithfulness in making good all other promises? If a man should owe thee a thousand pound, and pay thee nine hundred, ninety, and nine, thou wouldst think surely, he would never break for the rest; why God hath paid his nine hundred, ninety, and nine; and all the Glory of Heaven is but as one in comparison of what he hath done; we may therefore well believe, that he who hath done so much for us, will not leave the little undone.

Come then, rouse up O my Soul, and believe thy interest in those eternal transactions betwixt God and Christ: is not here ground enough for thy Faith? if thou art but called, the promise of God is thine: or if thou darest not rely on this promise (which God forbid) thou hast his Indenture, his Seal and Witnesses of all sorts, both in Heaven and Earth; or yet, if thou believest not, thou hast an Oath, a Pawn, and the greatest part of thy Salvation already done to thy hand; nay, I will tell thee more poor soul then thus; even Christ himself from all Eternity hath engaged for thee that thou shalt believe; O then put not Christ to be challenged of his engagement by refusing the Gospel! surely when thou believest, thou makest Christ's word good; he that believeth not makes God a liar; though in another sense, and for ought he knoweth, even in this, that he frustrates Christ's undertakings in the Covenant. And therefore believe; yea, and cry, Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief; increase my Faith, till I come to full assurance of Faith. Faith in this sense is the very Eye of the Soul, reading is Name Written in the Book of Life; it is an apprehension of our particular Election. O believe, till thou comest up to this fullness of persuasion of God's Love in Christ.

SECT. VI. Of loving Jesus in that respect.

6. WE must love Jesus, as carrying on that great work of our Salvation in that Eternity. And this is the fruit, or effect of Faith; if once we believe that all those designs, and transactions were for us, even for us; O then how should we but love that God, and love that Christ who thus firstly and freely loved us? God loved us before we loved him; for he loved us in that Eternity before all Worlds, surely then we are bound to love him: First, and above all things. As the Diamond formeth and fashioneth the Diamond, so love formeth and fashioneth Love; or as fire converteth Fuel into Fire, so this ancient love of God and Christ may well cause our love again. O Christ! didst not thou love us? who doubts it, that but reads over the project, council, foreknowledge, purpose, decree, and covenant of God and Christ? who doubts it that but reads the eternal design of God, that Christ should go out of himself, and suffer an ecstacy through the vehemency of his love? that Christ should so far abase his Majesty as to die for us, that we might not die, but live with him? O then how should this but kindle in our hearts a most ardent love towards God and Christ? what more effectual motive to work man's love, then to be prevented by the love & bounty of another? That this fruit doth spring from the sense of our Election, Bernard observes, who is righteous but he that requiteth the love of God with love again? which is never done, except the holy Ghost reveal unto a man by faith, God's eternal purpose concerning his future salvation. And hence it is that the heart is most in frame, when it is a considering the eternal love of God in Christ: As David said of Jonathan, thou hast been very pleasant to me, thy love to me was wonderful; so a poor soul gathering up all the goodness of God in that Eternity, and feeding upon it, and the variety of it, it breaths out in that expression, thou hast been very pleasant to me O God, thy love to me hath been wonderful. O my soul, that thou couldest so live by faith on these eternal passages, as that thou mightest attain to the highest fruits of faith, not only to love God and Christ, but to love them with a burning love, with a mighty love, such a love as lies in the most vigorous prosecution after Jesus Christ, and in the most faithful resignation of thyself to God; such a love as works the most delightful aspect of God and Christ, as makes a man to behold God and Christ with all cheerfulness; such a love as works a man to extol the praises of God. O in these things lies the strength of love.

But alas! this is, or at least this should be thy grief, that thou canst not love so well, and so warmly as thou art beloved: Christ comes towards thee Skipping like the Hart, or Roe on the Mountains of spices, but thy love towards Christ is creeping like the worm in the unwholesome valley. Indeed the best affections have their fits of swooning: it may be for the present thy love is cold: O but come up to this fire, consider how God and Christ loved thee in every of these. —

1. His project to save they soul sprung out of his love: love was the first wheel that set all the eternal works of God a going; what was that great design of God, but only an expression of his love? it was his pleasure to communicate himself, and the rise of that communication was his love.

2. The Counsels of God were all in love; had not love been as President of the Counsel, where hadst thou been? when all the attributes of God were at a stand, it was the love of God in Christ that resolved the question for thy salvation.

3. The foreknowledge of God was a foreknowledge of love and approbation: in his eternal love he embraced thee as his own; he foreknew thee, (i.) of his free love he set thee apart to life and to salvation; God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the World: he chose us in Christ, but not for Christ; nothing at all moved him to Elect thee but his own good pleasure and free love.

4. The purpose of God was a resolution of love, it speaks his love to be a constant, settled abiding love; no unkindness shall alter it, for having loved his own, he loves them unto the end, nay, he loves them without end, from everlasting to everlasting.

5. The decree of God was an order (as I may call it) or an act of love, to give in time that grace unto his elect, which before all time he decreed should be an effectual means to bring them unto glory.

6. The covenant betwixt God and Christ was an agreement of love: God and Christ struck hands to save our souls; grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began. Grace was given us, that is, the gracious love and favor of God in Christ was given us before all secular times. This was God's meaning from everlasting, this was the design, yea the greatest design that ever God had, to set out the infinite glory, and the riches of his love in Jesus Christ. No question but he had other great designs in doing such great things as he hath done; but above all the designs that ever God had in all his works, this is the chief, to honor his mercy, to glorify the riches of his love and grace: had it not been for this he would never have made the World; and therefore in that World to come it will be the delight of God to show his Saints and Angels what he is able to do for a creature; yea, he will to all Eternity declare to them, to what an height of excellency and glory his love and mercy is able to raise poor souls, so that the very Saints and Angels shall admire, & adore, and magnify the name of God everlastingly for it.

O my soul, canst thou ponder on this, and not love him dearly who has thus loved thee? Come, stir up the gift that is in thee; if thou art a Christian thou hast some sparks, though now (it may be) under the ashes: come, rub, chase, and warm thy affections at this fire; love, like a watch, must be wound up, or else it will fall downwards: what dost thou? why stand'st thou idle in the heat of the Day? Christ hath fire in his hand, 'tis but looking up, and reaching out thy hand to take it from him: O take it with both thy hands, and be thankful for it. Prayer, ejaculation, contemplation, judicious observation of the Spirits season, are thy best instruments to kindle this fire of love in thee.

And methinks thy heart should begin now to melt, methinks it should receive more easy impressions from the object before it, methinks these eternal works and acts of God and Christ towards thy poor soul, should begin to overcome thee, and to burn thy heart as with coals of Juniper. Why Lord, is it thus? was I Elected from all Eternity in Christ? was I ordained to a glorious inheritance before there was a World? was this business to make me happy, one of the chief deep counsels of God? was this one of the works of his wisdom that he was exercised about before the World began? was this the great design of God in making the World, and in making Heaven, the place of glory, to glorify himself, and to glorify such a poor wretch as I am? O then how should this but mightily inflame my heart with the love God, and love of Christ? how should I choose but say as the Martyr did, Oh that I had as many lives, as I have hairs on my head, to lay them down for Christ? Ah what flames of Divine affection, what raptures of zeal, what ravishments of delight, what ecstasies of obedience can be enough for my blessed God, and dearest Redeemer.

SECT. VII. Of joying in Jesus in that respect.

7. WE must joy in Jesus, as carrying on that great work of our salvation in that Eternity. This joy is a passion arising from the sweetness of the Object that we enjoy. O my soul, dost thou believe? and art thou now cast into a pang of love? how then should thy joy but come on? As Christ said to the 70. In this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven; so rejoice not thou in this, that the world is thine, that riches are thine, that thou hast subdued men and devils; but herein rejoice, that thy name is written in the Book of life. O what a comfortable point is this! that the Father and Christ should transact a bargain from Eternity, concerning thee by name, that the Father and the Son should commune together concerning thy heaven, as if their language had been thus; Father, what shall be given to thy justice to ransom such a one, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Mary, Martha, Hannah, &c. why no more but this, thou shalt die my Son, and whosoever believeth in thee shall live forever. Why then saith Christ, I will engage for such, and such a one; I will enter into Bond for such and such a person; Abraham shall believe in time: See, I have writ down his name in the Book of life. And who art thou that readest? art thou a believer? dost thou believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Christ said the same of thee, and entered into a bond for thee, and entered they name in the Book of life; See the certainty of this in Phil. 4.3. Thou Thomas, Andrew, Peter, Christ knows thee by name, and thy name is written in the Book of life. O go thy way, and rejoice, and take strong consolation! is there not cause? why, I tell thee thy name is in the Book of Heaven, and if this may add to thy joy, know there is none in Heaven or Earth shall ever be able to blot it out again. No, no poor soul, there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus: God hath decreed thy salvation, and God's decree shall stand, let Men and Devils say what they will to the contrary, The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations: it is as possible for God to deny himself, as it is possible for thee a believer to perish. We are kept (saith the Apostle) by the power of God through faith to salvation; and therefore rejoice, and again rejoice; yea, raise up thy joy to that pitch of triumph, which is joy elevated; and elevated so high, that it comes to victoriousness, and magnanimous conquest of heart over all things; say with the Apostle, what, my name written in the Book of life? who shall lay anything to the charge of God's Elect? —who then shall separate me from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? nay, I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord.

SECT. VIII. Of calling on Jesus in that respect.

8. WE must call on Jesus, or on God the Father in and through Jesus. This also is included in looking, as David while Praying, unto thee do I lift up mine Eyes, O thou that dwellest in the Heavens. Now this calling on God, or looking to God, contains Prayer, and Praise. 1. We must pray that all these transactions betwixt God and Christ, may be assuredly ours, and that God would clear up our Titles more and more; yea, and seeing all good things tending to Salvation, were from all Eternity prepared for us, we are therefore to pray; that by prayer we may draw them down from Heaven; for what though our Evidences be clear? Yet this must not cast out means; God doth not use to bestow his saving Graces on lazy sluggards; those therefore who from the certainty of Predestination do pretend that the duty of Prayer is superfluous, do plainly show that they have no certainty at all. Aquinas was Orthodox in this, the Predestinate must Pray, because by these effects of Predestination, the Salvation of Souls is best ascertained. The same Spirit which Witnesseth to our Spirit that we are his Chosen, is also the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication; and therefore he that believes that he is one of God's Elect, he cannot but pray for those things which he believeth, that God hath prepared for him before the foundation of the World. — 2. We must praise God: what, that God should look on us, and Predestinate us to Life? That he should pass by so many on the right hand and on the left, and that I should be one whom the Lord did Elect? what, such a vile, and sinful Wretch as I am? was there ever like Love? was there ever like Mercy? may not Heaven and Earth stand amazed at this? O what shall I do to be thankful enough to this dear God? Thus thou that knowest thy interest in Christ, study praise and thankfulness. Say in thyself, who made me to differ from those Cast-away Souls? Alas! we were all framed of the same Mould, hewed out of the same Rock, It is storied of one of the late French Kings, that in a serious meditation, considering his own condition of being King and Ruler of that Nation, Oh (said he) when I was born, a Thousand other Souls were born in this Kingdom with me, and what have I done to God more than they? O my Soul, what difference betwixt thee and those many Thousands of Reprobates that live with thee in the world at this day? nothing, surely nothing but the free mercy, goodness, and love of God in Jesus Christ. O then praise this God, yea, sound forth the Praise of the Glory of his Grace. Remember that was God's design, and that is thy Duty.

SECT. IX. On conforming to Jesus in that Respect.

2. WE must Conform to Jesus: we must fix our Eyes on Jesus for our Imitation, that also is the meaning of this looking in the Text. And in respect of our Predestination the Apostle speaks expressly, he did Predestinate us to be conformed to the Image of his Son: This is one end of Predestination, and this is one end of looking unto Jesus, nay it is included in it. A very look on Jesus hath a Power in it to conform us to the Image of Jesus. We are changed by beholding, saith the Apostle: Oh when I see God's love in Christ to me even from all Eternity, how should this but stir up my Soul to be like Jesus Christ? where there is a dependence, there is a desire to be like even among men; how much more considering my dependence on God in Christ, should I desire to be like Christ in disposition? all the question is, what is this Image of Christ, to which we must be conformed? I Answer, Holiness and Happiness: but because the latter is our reward, and the former is our duty, therefore look to that.

But wherein consists that? I Answer, in that resemblance, likeness, and conformity to Christ in all the passages forementioned: And in every of those must we conform to Christ. As —

1. Christ is the Son of God; so must we be God's Sons. As many as received him, to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God. O what duty lies upon us in this respect; If I be your Father, where is mine Honor? and if ye call on the Father, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. God looks for more honor, fear, reverence, duty, and obedience from a Son than from the Rabble of the World: if thou art God's Son, thy sins more offend God then the sins of all the reprobates in the world; why alas, thy sins are not mere transgressions of the Law, but committed against the mercy, bounty, and goodness of God vouchsafed unto thee; thy sins have a world of unthankfulness joined with them, and therefore how should God but visit? you only have I known of all the Families of the Earth, therefore will I visit you for all your Iniquities. O think of this, you that are God's Sons; and conform to Christ, for he was an Obedient Son.

2. Christ the Son of God delights in the Father, and his delight is also with the Sons of men; so must we delight in the Father, and delight in his Children. Delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desire of thy Heart. And the Saints that are on the Earth are they, in whom is all my Delight, saith David. It is storied of Dr. Taylor, that being in prison he could delight in God; and he rejoiced that ever he came into Prison, because of his acquaintance with that Angel of God, as he called Mr. Bradford. O this is Heaven upon Earth! not only God, but the very Saints of God are sweet Objects of delight. Mark them, and if they be Saints indeed, they are savory in their Discourse, in their Duties, in their Carriages; their Example is powerful, their society profitable, how should we but delight in them?

3. God and Christ laid this Plot from all Eternity, that all he would do, should be to the praise of the glory of his Grace: So must we purpose this as the end of all our actions, whether we eat, or drink, or whatsoever we do, we must do all to the glory of God. But especially if from God we receive any spiritual good, then give all again to the glory of his grace. Blessed be the Name of God forever and ever (said Daniel) for Wisdom and might are his; — and I thank thee, and praise thee O God of my Fathers, who hast given me Wisdom and Might: an excellent spirit of Wisdom and Might wrought in Daniel, and he acknowledges all to the Giver: wisdom and might are his. Christians! if you feel grace in your hearts, I beseech you acknowledge it to Christ: He does all, he subdues Lusts, heals Wounds, stays inward Issues, sets broken Bones, and makes them to rejoice; and therefore let him him the glory of all; do you acknowledge grace in it's latitude to the God of all grace.

4. God and Christ counseled about our Salvation; there was a great conflict in the Attributes of God; justice and mercy could not be reconciled, till the Wisdom of God found out that glorious and wonderful expedient, the Lord Jesus Christ: so let us Counsel about our Salvation: the flesh and the spirit whereof we are compounded, draw several ways, the Flesh draws Hell-ward, and the Spirit Heaven-ward; come then, call we in heavenly and spiritual Wisdom to decide this Controversy; you may hear its Language in Job 28.28. Behold the fear of the Lord, that is Wisdom; and to depart from evil is Understanding. If we would draw heavenward, and save our souls; come then, let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, fear God, and keep his Commandments, for this is the whole duty of Man. Keep his Commandments in an Evangelical sense (i) look at the expedient, Jesus Christ, who hath kept them for us, and in whom, and through whom, our imperfect Obedience is accepted with God.

5. God and Christ loved us with an everlasting Love. So must we love him who hath first loved us: this is the nature of spiritual Love: that it runs into its own Ocean, O love the Lord all ye his Saints! who hath more cause to love him then you have? who hath been loved so much? or who hath so much come under the power of love as you have? hath not Christ loved you, not only with a love of well-wishing, which is from everlasting (some call it the love of Election, the fountain-love, the well-head of salvation) but also with a love of complacency? hath not Christ shed abroad his love into your hearts, and shall he lose by it; will not these cords of love draw up your hearts to love him again? sure it's but reason to love him, who hath first loved you, yea, and loved you when you were unlovely, and had nothing in you worthy of love. Christians! then it was that Christ loved you in rags, it is meet therefore that you should love him in Robes.

6. God and Christ appointed, or purposed us unto salvation, his love was a sure, and settled, and firm, and constant love: the purpose of God according to Election must stand. So must we love him, and cleave unto him forever: I have inclined my heart to perform thy Statutes always even to the end. David's heart was much taken with the Statutes of God, and therefore he gives this expression of the fullness of his heart, always and even to the end. it is a kind of pleonasme, his resolutions were such that he would never depart from his God.

7. God and Christ decreed, booked, and sealed our salvation: and so must we put to our seal that God is true (i.) we must believe in Christ? for when we believe, we make Christ's word good. He that believes not, makes God a liar, (as you have heard) in that he frustrates, or endeavors to frustrate Christ's undertaking in his predestination.

8. God and Christ entered into Covenant concerning our salvation: So must we enter into Covenant with him; we must take him to be our God, and give up ourselves to be his people: — Why thus we must in all particulars conform to Christ. The sum of all is this, we must be like Christ in grace, and gracious actings.

O my soul, see to this grace, see to this conformity to Jesus Christ in gracious actings, and this will enable thee to read thy name written in the Book of Life. O abhor, & repel that Devils dart, I am predestinated, and therefore I may live as I list; how contrary is this to the Apostle, he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love? and as the Elect of God put on bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forgiving one another, —Even as Christ forgave you? this conformity to Christ in grace is the very effect of our predestination: O look unto Jesus, and be in grace like unto Jesus: why, Christ is full of grace, a vessel filled up to the lip, or very brim, thou art fairer than the children of men, and grace is poured into thy lips. Christ was as it were grace speaking, Luk 4.22. Grace sighing, weeping, dying, Heb. 2.9. Grace living again, and now dropping, or rather raining down floods of grace on his living members, Ephes. 4.11. Christ is the great Apple-tree, dropping down Apples of Life, Cant. 2.3. and all that falls from this tree, as apples, leaves, shadows, smell, blossoms, are but pieces of grace fallen down from him, who is the fullness of all, and hath filled all things. Christ is the rose of Sharon, and every leaf of this rose is an Heaven; every white and red in it is grace and glory, every act of breathing out it's smell from everlasting to everlasting is Spotless and unmixed grace; why then my soul, if thou wilt conform to Christ, conform in this: Be holy as he is holy; of that fullness of grace that is in him, do thou receive even grace for grace.

Christians! where are we? O that ever men should hear of so much grace, and of such acts of grace in that eternity before all worlds, and yet no impression of grace upon their hearts! O that God and Christ should both be in that business of Eternity: that heaven, hell, justice, mercy, souls, and deep wisdom, should be all in that rare piece, and yet that men should think more of a Farm, an Ox, an house, a pin, a straw, or of the bones of a crazy livelihood; O look up, look up, if thou art Christ's, Consider what he hath done for thy soul; why, thou art predestinate to be conformed to the Image of Christ.

Thus far we have Looked on Jesus as our Jesus, in that Eternity before all time until the creation: Our next work is to Look on Jesus, carrying on the great work of man's salvation in the Creation, the beginning of time, until his first coming.

SECT. I. Of Christ Promised by degrees.

IN this period, as in the former, we shall first lay down the Object; and then direct you how to look upon it.

The Object is Jesus, carrying on the work of man's salvation in that dark time before his coming in the flesh.

No sooner is the world made, & the things therein; but man was created, that way might be made for God to show his grace in the salvation of his Elect. And now was it that God's eternal project, and counsel, & fore-knowledge, and purpose, and decree, and Covenant with Christ was to come into execution. Indeed at the first there was no need of Christ; for man at first was made in holiness, the image of God, and to bear rule over the rest of the visible creatures; though this his state was but of a little standing. It was the received opinion in in former times, that our first parents fell the very same day in which they were created. Augustine amongst the rest writes, that they stood but six hours: but though we cannot describe the certain time, very probable it is, that it was but short: This we find, that Moses having set down the creation of man, without the interposition of anything else, he comes immediately to the fall; and the Devil no doubt took the first occasion he possibly could, to bring man to the same damnation with himself. Well then, long it was not but Adam by his sin deprived himself, and all his posterity of the image of God: All mankind was in his loins, so by the order and appointment of God all mankind partake with him in the guilt of his sins: Hence is the daily & continual cry, not only of Adam, Abraham, David, Paul, but of every Saint, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? But sweet souls, stay your complaints, here's Gospel-news.—

In this sad hour of temptation God stepped in: he will not leave man without hope; he tells the Devil who begun this mischief; I will put enmity between thee, and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. At the very instant, when God was pronouncing judgment upon the several delinquents in the fall; nay, before judgment was pronounced on the persons tempted, Jesus is hinred, the Covenant of grace is proclaimed. O the infinite riches of the mercy of God in Christ!

But you will say, how comes Jesus in? how carried he on the great work of our salvation in this dark time?

I answer, 1. By assuming and taking upon him the form and shape of man, and so discharging some special offices in that respect: We read often of Christ's apparition before his Incarnation, and then especially when he had to do with this great Nego • iation of man's Eternal happiness. Some think it not improbable that Christ assumed the form of man when he first created man; and so he made man, not only in his own image which he had as God, In holiness, and true righteousness, but in respect of that form which he had assumed. Howsoever this we find, that after man had sinned, Christ then appeared, first to Adam, then to Abraham, then to Isaac, then to Jacob, then to Moses, &c. — first, he appeared to Adam in the garden, and they heard the voice of the Lord God, walking in the garden in the cool of the day. God as he is God hath neither voice to speak, nor seat to walk, but assuming the form and shape of a man he exercised both: and so he was the first that published that first promise to the World, It shall bruise thy head. — 2. He appeared to Abraham in the plain of Mamre, where the Lord talked with Abraham, and Abraham calls him the Judge of all the Earth, which can be ascribed to none but Christ the Judge of quick and dead. Some from that saying of Christ, your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad, do gather that Abraham saw Christ, not only with the eyes of faith (as all the rest of the Patriarchs and Prophets did) but also in a visible shape which he assumed, like unto that whereunto he was afterwards to be united; And so it was Christ that renewed the Covenant with Abraham, saying, I 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 to thy seed after thee. — 3. He appeared to Isaac, Gen. 26.2. and to Jacob, Gen. 32.24, 30. and to Moses, Exod. 20.1, 2, 3. and to many others, of which I shall comment in order. And these apparitions of Christ were as praeludiums of his Incarnation. But this is not the way I shall insist upon.

2. Christ carried on the great work of our salvation in that dark time, not by himself exhibited (as when he was Incarnate) but only promised. The great King would first have his Harbingers to lead the way, before he himself would come in person. As the Lord had observed this method in creating the World, that first he would have darkness, and then light, and as still he observes this method in upholding the world, that first he will have dawning, and then clear day; so in the framing and upholding of his Church, he will first have Christ held forth in Ceremonies, Rites, Figures, Types, Promises, Covenants; and then like a glorious Sun, or like the day-spring from on high he would visit the world, to give light to them that sit in darkness. To this purpose we read, that as Christ, so the Covenant of grace (which applies Christ to us) was first promised, and then promulgated: the Covenant of promise was that Covenant, which God made with Adam, and Abraham, and Moses, and David, and all Israel in Jesus Christ; to be Incarnate, crucified, and risen from the dead; and it was meet that the promise should go before the Gospel, and be fulfilled in the Gospel, that so a great good might earnestly be desired, before it was bestowed. In a time of darkness men desire light; as the morning-watch watcheth and longeth for the morning, so the obscure revelation of Christ in a promise, raised the hearts of the Patriarchs to an earnest desire of Christ his coming in the flesh. But in this obscurity we may observe some degrees; before the Law given by Moses the promise was more obscure; the Law being given, even to the time of the Prophets, the promise was a little more clear; in the time of the Prophets, even to John the Baptist, it was clearer yet; as the coming of the messias did approach nearer and nearer, so was the promise clearer and clearer still: Just as the approach of the Sun is nearer or further off, so is the light that goes before it greater or lesser. In like manner was the Revelation that went before Christ more dim or clear, as the rising of the Sun of righteousness was more remote, or nigh at hand. It was the good pleasure of God to manifest the riches of his grace by degrees, and not all at once; we see to this very day, that God in his several approaches of mercy and goodness draws nearer and nearer to his Church: Even now in this marvelous light of the Gospel we have our divine Ceremonies and Sacraments, we see him afar off, we know but in part; but time shall come (even before his second coming) that we, or our children shall see him more clearly, perfectly, immediately. My present business is to hold forth Jesus in the Covenant of grace as promised, and because the promise receives distinction of degrees according to the several breakings out of it to the dark world, we will consider it as it was manifested.

• 1. From Adam till Abraham.
• 2. From Abraham till Moses.
• 3. From Moses till David.
• 4. From David till the Babylonish Captivity, or thereabout.
• 5. From the Captivity, or thereabout, till Christ.

In every of these periods will appear some further and further discoveries of God's mercy in Christ, of the Covenant of grace, of our Jesus carrying on the great work of man's Eternal salvation in that dark time.

You heard before of the Covenant betwixt God and Christ concerning our salvation; but that was not the Covenant of grace which God immediately made with man as fallen; but a particular Covenant with Christ to be the Mediator. Or so far as it was a Covenant of grace, it was then made betwixt God and Christ, and after to be made betwixt God and us: for a time we were hid in the womb of God's Election, and not being then capable to enter into Covenant with God, Christ undertook for us, but yet so that when we come to be regenerate, we are then to strike Covenant ourselves. And hence we read expressly of God's Covenanting with sundry particular persons, as with Adam, and Abraham, and Moses, and David, &c. Of which in the next Sections.

SECT. II. Of the Covenant of promise as manifested to Adam.

THe Covenant of grace in this sense is nothing else but a compact made betwixt God and man, touching reconciliation, and life Eternal by Christ. Now the first breaking forth of this gracious Covenant was to Adam and Eve, immediately after the fall, expressed in these words, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

This promise as it is the first; so the hardest to be understood: it contains in it good news of the overthrow of Satan's Kingdom, and of man's freedom by the death of Christ. But the obscurity is such, that Luther exceedingly complains, the Text which of all men should rightly be known, is of no man that I know (saith he) especially and accurately unfolded: amongst the Ancients there is not one that hath explicated this Text according to the dignity of it.

The occasion was this. The Lord looking down from heaven, and seeing how Satan had prevailed against man, and in some sort undone the whole fabric of the creation, he resolves upon Satan's ruin, and man's preservation; And the Lord God said unto the Serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed. This literally is understood of the Serpent, but Spiritually of the Devil; both were as means to draw man unto sin, and therefore they are joined as one in the punishment; The Lord cut off the feet of the Serpent (say the Rabbies) and cursed him; and he cast Samael (the Devil) and his company out of heaven, & cursed them. Indeed man being in the transgression, must also have his punishment, as it follows verse. 17, 18, 19. and yet that God might manifest the riches of his grace, he includes in the Serpents malediction this everlasting Gospel. I will put enmity between thee and the woman, &c.

For the sense of the Words we shall open these terms, as, 1. Who is the Serpent? 2. Who is the woman? 3. What is the seed of the Serpent? 4, What is the seed of the woman? 5. What is that Hu [in our Bible translated it?] 6. What is the Serpents head, and the bruising of it? 7. What is the heel of the seed of the woman, and the bruising of it? 8. Amongst whom was the enmity, or rather enmities? for in the Text we find many Armies; I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, &c.

1. Who is the Serpent? I find diversity of opinions among Interpreters: Some say, it was only the Serpent, and that which belongs unto Satan is but mystically understood: others say, it was only Satan under the notion of a Serpent, as sometimes he is called the great Dragon, And the great Dragon was cast out, that old Serpent called the Devil, and Satan, which deceived the whole world. Others say, it was both Satan and the Serpent; as men are said to be possessed of Satan, so was the Serpent possessed of the Devil. Satan could not provoke our first parents to sin by any inward temptation, as now he doth by the help of our corruption: nor could he enter into their bodies or minds, because of the holiness and glory that was in them; and therefore he presumed to take a beast of the earth, and by disposing of his Tongue he speaks within him. But what? must the Serpent have punishment, that was only Satan's instrument in the temptation? yes:

Such was God's love to man, that he condemns both the Author and instrument of that that evil: as one that in anger breaks the sword wherewith his son, or his friend was wounded; so God's breaks Satan's sword: the Serpent is punnished according to the letter of the Text, and Satan is punished in the spiritual meaning of the Lord.

Who is the woman? Some are all for Allegories, and thy will tell you, that the Serpent and the Woman are the superior & inferior faculties of the Soul; and that ever since the Fall there hath been a continual War betwixt these: but I look at this Commentary as vain and trifling, though it be fathered on some of the Ancients, and of no small note; others say, this Woman is the Blessed Virgin, in relation to which, they read the last words thus, she shall bruise thy head; this reading is not only allowed, but confirmed by the Council of Trent, and in some of their Prayer-books, thy call her The Mother of the Lord, the Tree of Life, the breaker of the Serpents head, and the Gate of Heaven. But I look on this Commentary as ignorant & Idolatrous, and wholly derogatory to the Kingdom of Christ. Others are not so easily mislead, and therefore say, that the Woman wheresoever mentioned in this Text, is Eve, and none but Eve; she it was whom the tempter had seduced, and in just judgment for her familiarity with the tempter, God meets with her, I will put enmity (saith God) between thee and the Woman.

3. What is the Seed of the Serpent? in Scripture phrase Seed is sometimes taken collectively, for many at once; as when the Lord said to Abraham, I will be thy God, and the God of thy Seed: and to thee and thy Seed will I give this Land: and I will multiply thy Seed as the sand of the Sea: and sometimes it is taken singularly for one only person; thus Eve called her Son Seth, for God, said she, hath appointed me another Seed instead of Abel: and so it is said of Christ, in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed. Now in this place the Seed of the Serpent is taken collectively, for all the families of Devils, for the Devil and his Angels (as Christ calls them) and for all the Sons of the Devil (i.) for all reprobate men whose Father and Prince is the Devil; as Christ told the Jews, ye are of your Father the Devil, and the lusts of your Father ye will do: and as John tells us, he that committeth sin is of the Devil — in this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the Devil: and thus both Devils and reprobates are reckoned as the seed of the Serpent.

4. What is the Seed of the Woman? —The Seed of the Woman is that posterity of the Woman which do not degenerate into the Seed of the Serpent: that is the meaning of the first sentence, I will put enmity; —and then it follows, between thy Seed and her Seed: and for this sense we have these arguments. 1. The opposition of the Seeds, for as the Seed of the Serpent is taken collectively, so the Seed of the Woman must be taken collectively, that the opposition may be fit. 2. The enmities fore-spoken do strongly evince it: now the enmities pertain both to Eve and to all her posterity (if godly) to the end of the world; hence all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, saith the Apostle; And I will put enmity (saith God) between thee & the woman; is that all? no, but also between thy Seed and her Seed: and who can deny but these enmities have been ever since betwixt Satan's brood and the Saints? we are all wrestlers against Principalities and Powers, and Rulers of the darkness of this World, and against spiritual wickednesses in high places.

5. What is that Hu] in our Bible translated, it?] it shall bruise thy head? Some observe this Hu, it] is of the masculine gender; and Zera, Seed, is of the masculine gender; & Jesaphera, shall bruise, is of the masculine gender, which confutes the Translation, that renders it thus, she shall bruise thy head: and which confirms our Translation which is thus, he, or it, or that same Seed, (i.) one singular person of that same Seed, shall bruise thy head. Well then, who is this he? or what one is he?] even Jesus the Son of the Living God. Here is the first hint of Jesus that ever was read, or heard of in this world. This was the Proto-evangel, or first Gospel that ever was published after the Creation. O blessed news, fit for God's mouth to speak, and to break first to the world now fallen! O dear parents! how would you have dispaired, if before sentence you had not heard this blessed tidings! O our first Parents upon Earth! where had you and we been, if this blessed Text had not been? Come, set a Star upon it, write it in letters of Gold, or rather write it on the very Tables of our Hearts: here is the blessedst news that ever was, or ever shall be; but for this we had been all Fire-brands of Hell; yea, but for this, Adam and Eve, and all their Sons and Daughters that are now gone out of this World, had been smoking and frying in Hell-fire. Away with all gross mistakes, Erroneous conceits, and as you love your Souls, yield to this blessed sense! This it] or he] is one of that same Seed, and this one of that same seed is Jesus, and only Jesus, and none but Jesus; and for this sense we have these arguments.

1. Some observe that this Sentence is separated from the former with a Period or great stop: however God goes on to speak of the Seed of the Woman, yet he says not, and that Seed shall bruise thy head, for so we might have thought he had spoken of that Seed collectively as he did before; but stopping there, and not repeating the same word again, he gives it thus; it or he shall bruise thy head; (i.) some individual person of that same Seed, some singular one of that same common Seed of the Woman shall bruise thy head; as David alone of all the Host of Israel goes forth to fight with Goliath, and overcomes him; so Christ alone of all the Seed of the Woman was so to fight with the Serpent by his own power as to overcome him, and to bruise his head.

2. The Seventy in their Translations of this place (with which agrees the Chaldee Paraphrast) renders it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he] which needs most denote some singular person, or Son of the woman; and the rather because the Seed spoken of before is rendered 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to which if the relative had rightly agreed, it should have been 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; Hereto we may add, that to this it] or he] the Seed of the Serpent is not opposed as it was in the former sentence; but the Serpent itself, one singular Antagonist; here is singularis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a duel, or a combat of two, hand to hand, only Christand the Serpent; he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

3. The bruising of the head doth plainly discover this it, or he is Jesus Christ: for non can bruise the Serpents head but only God: the God of peace (saith the Apostle) shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. Now there was none of the Seed of the Woman, that was ever God but only Christ, God-Man, Man-God, blessed forever; and therefore it must needs be Christ; and only Christ that can bruise this Serpents head: O there's a Divine Power, a power and virtue of God in it to bruise the Serpents head; observe but the manner of this Duel: Christ treads on the Serpent; and by this means he comes to have a bruise in the heel, whilst with his heel he bruiseth the Serpents head; a wonderful thing that Christ should lay at the Serpents head with no other weapon but only with his heel; it were much for any man to strike at any common Serpent with a bare and naked foot: rather would he take a dart, or club, or any other Weapon; but with a foot to bruise Satan's head (that great and fierce, and monstrous Serpent) this exceeds any man's power or any man's daring to attempt: hence it is that someone person of more than human strength must do this deed, and who is that of the Seed of the Woman but only Jesus Christ?

4. God himself in other places of Scripture doth expressly declare that this Seed here promised is Christ, and only Christ: mark but where this promise is repeated to the Patriarchs, as when the Lord said to Abraham, in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed: and when the Lord said to David, I will raise up thy Seed after thee, which shall be of thy Sons, and I will establish his Kingdom; and you may see it clear that this Seed is Christ, and only Christ, concerning that promise to Abraham, the Apostle so interprets it, now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made; he saith not, and to Seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy Seed, which is Christ: and concerning that promise to David, the Prophet so interprets it, He shall sit upon the Throne of David, and upon his Kingdom to order it, & to establish it, —who is that? in the former verse, his name is Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, (i.) Christ and none but Christ; for unto us a Child is born, and unto us a Son is given, &c. and who is that but Jesus Christ?

5. The accomplishment of this Promise in Christ is expressly and clearly made out in the New Testament. Was not Jesus Christ of the Seed of the Woman, born of a Virgin? was not his heel bruised, himself Crucified? and did he not bruise the Serpents head, break the Power and Dominion of Satan? What saith the Gospel? for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil.—And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the Devils are subject unto us, through thy Name: and he said unto them, I beheld Satan as Lightning fall from Heaven; behold I give unto you power to tread on Serpents, and Scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. — And now is the judgment of this world, now shall the Prince of this world be cast out. — And for as much as children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil. In these and many other places we find this very promise fulfilled in Christ, and only in Christ; and therefore he, and only he is the Seed of the Woman (that Hu, it, or he ) that shall bruise the Serpents head. Yet I will not deny, but by way of participation this promise may pertain to the whole Body of Christ; Through him that loved us we are more than Conquerors, saith the Apostle; we may Conquer Satan, though not in our own strength, but Christ's; and so in a secondary sense, by way of communication with Christ, under this Seed all the faithful are and may be contained; 1. Because the Head and Members are all one Body, both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified are all one. 2. Because the faithful are called the seed of Christ, when thou shalt make his Soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. 3. Because Satan doth not only bruise the heel of Christ, but of all the faithful, all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 4. Because Satan's overthrow by Christ our Head is diffused to all the Members, and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. In this sense many of the ancient and modern Divines do extend this seed to the whole Body of Christ: but primarily, originally, especially, and properly, it belongs only to Christ, and to none but the Lord Jesus Christ. He only is the seed by whom the promise is accomplished, though the faithful also are the seed to whom and for whom the promise was made.

6. What is the Serpents head, and the bruising of it? 1. For the Serpents head, it is the power, rage, reign and Kingdom of Satan: It is observed that in the head of a Serpent lies the strength, power, and life of a Serpent; so by a phraise of speech fitted to the condition of this Serpent that was Satan's instrument, God tells the Devil of the danger of his head, (i.e.) of his power and Kingdom: now this power and Kingdom of Satan consists more especially in sin and death; for the sting of death is sin, and the power of death is in Satan. Hence sin and death are usually called the works and wages of Satan; they are his own, he owns them, and carries them at his girdle. 2. For the bruising of this head, it is the overthrowing of Satan's power; he shall bruise thy head, (i.e.) Christ shall break thy power; Christ shall destroy sin, and death, and him that had the power of death, that is the Devil. I say Christ shall do it, though as I have said in a secondary sense the faithful shall do it; Christ overcomes by his own power, and the faithful overcome by the power of Christ; the victory is common to all the seed, but the Author of victory is only Christ the Head and chief of all the seed: ye have overcome the evil one, but how? not of yourselves, no, it is the God of peace that bruiseth Satan. Well then, here is the sense, the Serpents head is bruised, (i.e.) the Devil, and sin, and death, and hell are overthrown; not only the Devil in his person, but the works of the Devil, which by the fall he had planted in our natures, as pride, vain glory, ignorance, lust, &c. nor only Satan's works, but the fruits and effects of his works, as Death and Hell; so that all the faithful may sing with Paul; O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? thanks be to God which giveth us victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.

7. What is the heel of the seed of the woman, and the bruising of it? 1. For the heel, it is the humanity of Christ, according to which properly Christ hath an heel: Or (as others) it is the ways of Christ, which Satan, by all the means he could possibly would seek to suppress. 2. For the bruising of his heel, it is the miseries, mockings, woundings, Death and Burial of Christ, all which he endured in his heel (i.e.) in his humanity; or it extends further, to all the hurts, reproaches, afflictions, persecutions of the faithful by the Devil and his agents: all which are but as a bruise in the heel, which cannot endanger the spiritual life of their souls. It is observed, that the Serpent hath but one head, but the seed of the woman hath two heels; so that the one may be some help, while the other is hurt; besides, an hurt in the heel is far from the head and heart; and though it may be painful, it is not mortal. Indeed, Christ's heel was bruised (i.e.) He was delivered to death, even to the death of the Cross; yet he rose again from the dead; neither had the Devil any advantage by his death; for as angry Bees stinging once, make themselves droanes, so the Devil, now he may hiss at us, but he cannot hurt us; by that wound which Christ received at his death, he wounded all his enemies irrecoverably; the very sight itself was Christ's triumph; even then was the Kingdom of darkness utterly overthrown; sin, death, and Satan were conquered, and taken captive, and whatsoever might be brought against us, was taken away, as the least bill, or scroll. O blessed riddle! Out of the Eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. In reference to the promise, thou shalt bruise his heel, Christ is said to be the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World. Here's good news betimes.

8. Amongst whom was the enmity, or this hostile war? we find in the Text three Hosts, and three battles: As —

1. Betwixt Satan and the woman; I will put enmity between thee and the woman: (i.e.) Betwixt thee the seducer, and her whom thou hast seduced. This enmity is opposed to the amity and familiarity, which had been between the woman and the Serpent, and upon that account the woman, and not the man is named; not but that enmity must be betwixt the Devil and man, as well as betwixt the Devil and the woman: but because the woman had more tampered with Satan, and being deceived by Satan, was first in the transgression, therefore is she only named, I will put enmity between thee and the woman.

2. Betwixt Satan's seed, and the seed of the woman: I will put enmity, not only between thee, and the woman, but also between thy seed, and her seed, q.d. This enmity shall not cease with the death of the woman, but it shall continue to her seed, and to her seeds seed, even to the end of the World. We see to this day how the Serpent and Serpents seed are striving and warring against the Church; and a wonder it is (considering the malice of the enemy) that there is a Church upon Earth, but only that we have Christ's promise, The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the World.

3. Betwixt Christ and the Serpent. O this a bloody conflict on both sides, he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 1. He shall bruise thy head; Christ shall break thy power, thy power, (i.e.) the power of the Serpent, or of the Devil himself: he fights not so much with the seed, as with the Serpent; if Satan be overthrown, his seed cannot stand. 2. Thou shalt bruise his heel; thou shalt afflict him and his, thou shalt cast out of thy mouth a flood of persecutions: thou shalt make war with him, and all them which keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

1. That a Savior was promised from the beginning of the world. 2. That this Savior should free all his Saints from sin, death, and hell; the head and power of the Devil. 3. That to this end this Savior should be a Mediator; for God would not grant an immediate pardon, but the promised seed must first intervene. 4. That this Mediator should be of the seed of the woman, that is, a man; and yet stronger then the Devil, endued with a Divine power, and so he is God. 5. That this Man-God should according to his Priestly office be a Sacrifice for sin, the Serpent should bruise his heel, he should suffer and die for the people; and yet accordingly to his Kingly office he should overcome Satan; for he should bruise his head, overthrow his Kingdom, and make us more than Conquerors in him that loved us. 6. That this promise of Christ and of our justification is free; God of mere mercy, and free grace brings forth this promise, there could be now after the fall no merit in man; and even now he promiseth remission of sins, and life Eternal in, for, and through the Lord Jesus Christ. No question but in belief of this promise the Patriarchs and Fathers of old obtained life, glory, and immortality: By faith the Elders obtained a good report: by faith Abel obtained witness that he was righteous: by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see Death: by faith Noah became heir of the righteousness of Christ; & how should it but revive us in these last times, to hear, that the first thing that ever God did after the World was fallen, it was this act of mercy, to make a promise of Christ, and to reconcile lost man to himself through the same Jesus Christ? surely he began to do that soon, which he meant to be always a doing, even to the end of the World. Thus far of the promise, as it was manifested from Adam to Abraham.

SECT. III. Of the Covenant of promise as manifested to Abraham

THe second breaking forth of this gracious Covenant, was to Abraham; and now it shines in a more glorious light then it did before: at first it was propounded in very dark and cloudy terms, not easy to be understood, and most things sparingly expressed; but in this second rise and manifestation, we have it laid down in plainer terms, I will establish my Covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generation, for an everlasting Covenant, to be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee. —For the right understanding of this, we shall examine these particulars.—

• 1. What a Covenant is?
• 2. What is the establishing of this Covenant?
• 3. Betwixt whom is the Covenant to be established?
• 4. For what time is the established Covenant to endure?
• 5. What are the privileges of this Covenant?
• 6. What is the condition of this Covenant?
• 7. Who is the head, both as undertaker, and purchaser, and treasurer, upon whom this Covenant is established?

1. What is a Covenant? It is a contract of mutual peace and good will, obliging parties on both hands to the performing of mutual benefits and offices. Thus was the Covenant betwixt God and Abraham, there was a mutual stipulation in it, on God's part to perform his promises of temporal, spiritual, and Eternal grace; and on Abraham's part to receive this grace by faith, and to perform due obedience and thankfulness to God. Hence a little nearer, we say the Covenant is a mutual compact, or agreement betwixt God and man, whereby God promiseth all good things, especially Eternal happiness unto man; and man doth promise to walk before God in all acceptable, free, and willing obedience, expecting all good from God, and happiness in God, according to his promise, for the praise and glory of his grace. Others, describing the Covenant of grace (for with the Covenant of works we will not meddle) they give it thus, The Covenant of grace is a free and gracious compact, which God of his mere mercy in Jesus Christ hath made with sinful man, promising unto him pardon of sins and eternal happiness; If he will but repent of sin, and embrace mercy reached forth by faith unfeigned; and walk before God in willing, faithful, and sincere obedience. —In this description many things are considerable. As, 1. That the Author of this Covenant is God; not as our Creator, but as our merciful God and Father in Christ Jesus. 2. That the cause of this Covenant is not any worth, or dignity or merit in man, but the mere mercy, love, and favor of God. 3. That the foundation of this Covenant is Jesus Christ, in and through whom we are reconciled unto God; for since God and man were separated by sin, no Covenant can pass betwixt them, no reconciliation can be expected, nor pardon obtained, but in and through a Mediator. 4. That the party Covenanted with, is sinful man; the fall of our first Parents was the occasion of this Covenant, and God was pleased to permit the fall, that he might manifest the riches of his mercy in man's recovery. 5. That the form of this Covenant stands on God's part in gracious and free promises of forgiveness, holiness, happiness; and on man's part in a restipulation of such Duties as will stand with the free grace and mercy of God in Christ. 6. That the stipulation on man's part required, is repentance for sin, belief in the promises; and a yielding of fear, reverence, worship, and obedience to God according to his word. These I might insist on, but my purposed brevity will not permit.

2. What is the establishing of this Covenant? Some say, this speaks the duration of it, of which anon; I suppose it intends also the confirmation of it. We find that the Lord had before made a Covenant with Abraham, Gen. 15.4, 5. And now he doth not abolish the former, and make another; but rather, he renews, confirms, and establisheth the former. It may be there was some hesitation or doubting in Abraham; so we see Gen. 15.1, 2. But now God would assure him infallibly of his will and purpose: O when a man hears that God will vouchsafe so much favor as to enter into a covenant with him; he is ready to say as Gideon did, alas, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in all my Fathers house; and who am I that I should be raised up hitherto? that God should make such promises as these to me? And hence, to prevent such Objections, the Lord will confirm and establish his Covenant; as sometimes by his Promises; sometimes by an oath, sometimes by the blood of Christ himself; sometimes by seals. So here in this very place, God adds the seal of Circumcision, Ye shall circumcise the flesh of your fore-skin (saith God) and it shall be a token of the Covenant betwixt me and you. As sometimes he said of the Rain-bow, I do set my Bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a Covenant between me and the Earth; — That the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh —For I will look upon the Bow, that I may Remember the everlasting Covenant. After this manner are the signs and seals of the Covenant? Circumcise yourselves saith God, and when I see the Circumcision, I will remember my Covenant, and I will make good to you all the promises thereof. — But what is Circumcision to the Covenant? much every way; Circumcision was not without shedding of blood, because the Covenant was not yet established in the Blood of the Messiah, sure there was much in this, howsoever the rite of itself was nothing, yet as it led the faithful Patriarchs to the Blood of Christ, and as it assured the purging away of sin by the Blood of Christ, and as it signed the Circumcision of the heart by the Spirit of Christ, so it found acceptance with God; no sooner he looks on it, but he remembers his Covenant, and confirms it, and makes it good to Abraham, and to his seed after him.

3. Betwixt whom is the Covenant to be established? between me and thee, (saith God) and thy seed after thee The two heads of this Covenant are God and Abraham; on God's part are the whole Trinity of persons, the blessed Angels, and all the Host of Heaven; on Abraham 's part are all his seed, and his posterity, yet with this limitation, that all are not Israel, which are of Israel; neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children of Abraham; but in Isaac shall thy seed be called; that is, they which are the children of the flesh, are not the Children of God, but the Children of the promise are counted for the seed. No question this Covenant was not to be extended to the Ishmaelites, Idumeans, or Kethureans. Abraham 's carnal seed; these quickly departed both out of Abraham 's family, and Abraham 's faith; No, no, saith God, I will establish my Covenant with Isaac for an everlasting Covenant, and with his seed after him, wi • h Isaac, and with his seed (i.) with the spiritual seed of Abraham; now under the seed, 1. all believing Jews, and 2. All Gentil s are comprehended, all may be called the spiritual seed of Abraham that walk in the steps of the faith of Abraham; and indeed thus runs the Promise, in thee shall all the families of the earth he blessed. Gen 12.3. And in thee shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed, Gen 8.18. these families and Nat • ons must needs comprehend the Gentiles; the Apostle is very plain: As it is written, I have made thee a Father of many Nations. —That he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised. —That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith. Christians I here is our happiness the Covenant was not written for Abraham's sake alone, but for us also, if we believe in him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. You may think all this while we are only discovering the privileges of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and of the Jews; no, blessed be God, Heaven is no freer to a Jew, than to a Gentile; there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, male nor female, &c. But if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and Heirs according to the promise.

4 For what time is the established Covenant to endure? it is not for a few days, or months, or years, but forever and ever; it is an everlasting Covenant; and indeed the word established sounds this way; I will establish my Covenant, that is (say some) I will have it stand and continue forever; as it was said of David, I have made a Covenant with my crosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, thy seed will I establish forever; and again, my mercy will I keep for him for evermore, my Covenant shall stand fast with him. —

Now this Covenant is said to be everlasting, a parte ante. (as we say) and a parte post. 1. A parte ante, as being from everlasting, in respect of the promise made to Christ for us, which was done (as you have heard) before the foundation of the world; it is not an infant of days; this Covenant bears the same date with the divine being itself; As the mercy of God is from everlasting, so the Covenant of grace is from everlasting; the Writs, Evidences, and Charters of our Salvation were concluded, and passed the sign and seal of the blessed Trinity from eternity; the Gospel and this Covenant is not of yesterday, no, no, it is an old counsel of the infinite wisdom of God.

2. A parte post, as continuing from everlasting to everlasting. Hence it is called a Covenant of salt, because it corrupteth not, it faileth not: hence all the blessings of the Covenant are said to be everlasting; forgiveness of sins is everlasting, being once forgiven they are never remembered anymore; peace and joy is everlasting, your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you; salvation is everlasting. Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation; decretal Covenant-mercy was not a lease, but a making the fee-simple (as we call it) of grace and glory to the Saints forever: death may put an end to other Covenants, as betwixt man and man, or betwixt man and wife: but this Covenant betwixt God and us stands fast forever; though Abraham be dead, yet God is Abraham 's God still, and by virtue of this Covenant Abraham shall be raised up at the last day.

5. What are the privileges of the Covenant? I answer, the privileges of the Covenant are many, as they are great things, and great blessings which our great God promiseth, so they are very many and numerous; the Covenant is full of blessings, it is a rich storehouse, replenished with all manner of blessings; it is not dry, nor barren, but like the fat Olive or fruitful Vine, it is a Well of salvation, a fountain of good things, a treasure full of goods, or unsearchable riches, which can never be emptied, nor come to an end. Hence it is that our finite narrow capacities can never apprehend the infinite grace that this Covenant contains, yet as we may see things darkly in a Map, so let us endeavor as we are able to view them in some Map, or brief compendium; that by the little we do see, we may be raised up to the consideration of things not seen, which shall be revealed in due time.

The privileges of the Covenant are folded and wrapped up in the promises of it; every promise contains a privilege, but the time of unfolding every promise is not yet come; then only shall the promises of all sorts be unfolded, when the heavens as a vesture shall be folded up. In the mean time we have a right & interest in the privileges of eternity by virtue of the promise; and hence the very terms of Covenant and promise are taken for the same, Ephes. 2.12. Rom. 9.4. I shall for the present confine myself only to those promises and privileges of the Covenant which were manifested to Abraham. And they were, Of things

• Temporal.
• Spiritual.

1. Of things Temporal. Thus we read God promiseth Abraham, I will make of thee a great Nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing, & I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, and unto thy seed will I give this Land. We may add hereto the repetitions that God makes of these promises over & over; lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, North-ward, and South-ward, and East-ward, and West-ward, for all the Land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the Earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the Earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. —And the Lord brought forth Abraham abroad, and said, look now towards Heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them; and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be. —And the Lord again appeared to Abraham, and said, — I will make my Covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly, — and thou shalt be a Father of many Nations, neither shall thy name anymore be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham, for a Father of many Nations have I made thee; and I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make Nations of thee, and Kings shall come out of thee,—and I will give unto thee, and thy seed after thee, the Land wherein thou art a stranger, all the Land of Canaan for an everlasting possession. — By myself have I sworn saith the Lord, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the Stars of the Heaven, and as the sand upon the Sea-shore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. See here the temporal blessings that God promises Abraham; they are heaped together in Gen. 12.2, 3. —As,

1. I will make of thee a great Nation, and this he promiseth once and again; it seemed a thing incredible, because Abraham was old, and Sarah was barren and old, & it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women; yet for all this God is all-sufficient; Abraham shall have his desire, he shall be a Father, not only of a few Children, but of a numerous Nation, yea of many Nations; Ishmaelites, and Midianites, and that famous Nation of the Jews (of whom it is said, what Nation is so great ) must all descend from Abraham: Scripture and heathen Authors use three things proverbially, to signify an huge and exceeding great number, the dust of the Earth, the sands of the Sea, and the Stars of Heaven: and all these are brought in to resemble the number into which the Seed of Abraham should break forth.

2. I will bless thee, saith God; and this blessing had relation to his wealth and riches, Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver and in gold. No question those riches came from this blessing; the blessing of the Lord it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. This was God's care of the children of Abraham, that he would give them riches, but lest their hearts should be lifted up, and they should forget the Lord in the midst of their riches, he learns them and bids them remember this lesson; say not in thine heart, my power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth; but remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth; that he may establish his covenant, which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. True riches come from God, and by virtue of this covenant; O that none of us had any wealth, but such as comes by virtue of a promise, and of the covenant of grace!

3. I will make thy name great, saith God; no Monarch was ever so famous in conquering nations, or the whole world, as Abraham for his faith and obedience; God hath magnified his name amongst the Hebrews, who for these three thousand years and upwards have acknowledged none (except Moses ) greater than Abraham; the Jews could say to very Christ, art thou greater then our father Abraham? — whom makest thou thyself? and God hath so magnified his name amongst Christians, that all believers look upon it as a glory to be called children of Abraham; nay, we cannot be Christ's, we have no part in Christ, unless we are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to promise.

4. Unto thy seed I will give this Land, saith God, as an everlasting possession, Gen. 17.8. but how should that which the Israelites possessed only for a time, be called an everlasting possession? The answer is, that the word translated everlasting, doth not ever signify that which shall have no end, but an age, a term, or continuance; as it was said of Samuel, he should appear before the Lord, and there abide forever, (i.) as long as he lived: and I will praise the Lord (said David) forever and ever, (i.) whiles I live will I praise the Lord, as long as I shall have any being I will sing praises unto my God. And the desolations of the captivity were called perpetual desolations, (i.) long desolations, even for seventy years.

Touching these blessings, or privileges, I have no more to say but this, that God gave more of the temporal, less of the spiritual, to the natural seed in the first ages; but in the latter ages more of the spiritual privileges, and less of the temporal; yea, and thus it is this day for the most-what among the Christian seed of the Gentiles; for ye see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.

2. Of things spiritual, thus we read, fear not Abraham, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward; I am God all-sufficient or omnipotent, the almighty God, & I will be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. O what precious promises are these? 1. I am thy shield, to keep thee from all evil; such a shield that no creature can pry through, such a shield as shall cover thee over; nay, such a shield as shall cover thee about; as sometimes God spoke of Jerusalem, I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about. So here, I will be a shield, a wall of fire round about; not only a wall to keep thee safe, but a wall of fire to consume all them that are against thee; as a fire which stands about like a wall, doth not only defend those that are within, but it burns those without that come near unto it; so is God to his people. 2. I am thy exceeding great reward; I am the almighty God; I will be a God unto thee. This is the very soul of the covenant, and of all the promises of God: q. d. quantus, quantus sim vester ero; all I am is thine, myself, my goods, my grace, my glory; whatsoever is in me, all that I have, and all my attributes are thine; my power, my wisdom, my counsel, my goodness, my riches, whatsoever is mine in the whole world; I will give it thee for thy portion; I, and all that I have are thine, for thy use; Christians! was not this an exceeding great reward? who can understand the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of this reward? surely happy is the people that is in such a case, yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord, but more of this hereafter.

6. What is the condition of this covenant? I answer, the condition of the covenant of grace is faith, and only faith; to this purpose it is said of Abraham, he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness. This text is often alleged by the Apostles; the word believed imports, that he thought the Word of God to be sure, certain, stable, and constant; it is such a belief as is opposed to fainting, as it is said of Jacob when he heard the report of his sons that Joseph was alive, his heart fainted, because he believed not; but when he believed, his heart revived; and David saith of himself, I had fainted, unless I had believed. So that it is a lively motion of the heart, assenting unto, and trusting in God, and in the word of God as firm and constant. This was the very condition of the covenant which God required of Abraham; q. d. Abraham, dost thou believe that such a Messiah shall be sent into the world? art thou able to believe? yes, I believe Lord, said Abraham; well saith God, I will put thee to the trial; I will give thee a Son, though thou art as a dead man, and Sarah as a dead woman; yet I will promise thee a son, art thou able to believe? again, thou seest the land of Canaan, thou hast not one foot in it, yet I will give thee this land in the length and breadth of it for thy possession, art thou able to believe this? you will say, what are these to the condition of the covenant, which is only to believe in God, and to believe in Jesus Christ? O yes, 1. These were shadows of the great promise, Christ; and therefore that act of faith, whereby Abraham believed that he should have a son, and that his Children should possess the land of Canaan was likewise a branch, a shadow, a pledge of that main act of faith whereby he believed the promised seed, in whom himself & all the Nations of the earth should be blessed. But 2. Let this be remembered that Abraham did not only believe the temporal promises, but every promise; as I will be thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward; now who is our shield but Christ; and who is our reward but Christ? but especially he believed the promise of the seed, and who is the head of the seed but Christ? yea, he believed in that promised seed in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed; and who was that but Christ? your father Abraham (saith Christ) rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad. He saw it? how could he see it? thou art not yet fifty years old (said the Jews) and hast thou seen Abraham? or could Abraham see thee, or thy day? yes, even then he saw it when he believed in Christ? he could see it no other ways but by an eye of faith? & therefore no question he believed in Christ, and that was counted to him for righteousness.

But (may some say) if faith alone be the condition of the covenant, then what need is there of any obedience, or works of holiness? — this was the old plea of loose libertines in the Apostles times, to whom James gave answer, But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead: a good tree (saith Christ) is known by its fruits; and so is right and sound faith; let a man believe in truth, and he cannot but love; and if he love, he cannot but be full of good works; thus Abraham was justified by faith, Abraham believed God (saith the Apostle) and it was imputed to him for righteousness; but was not this faith accompanied with works; observe but (saith the Apostle) when God bade him offer his son, did he not do it? and was not that an exceeding great work, surely his faith wrought with his works, and by faith was his works made perfect.

7. Who is the head both as undertaker, and purchaser, and treasurer upon whom this Covenant is established? I answer, Christ, and none but Christ. All the promises of God in him are Yea, and Amen, unto the glory of God by us. This was very darkly held forth in the first manifestation of the Covenant to Adam, but now in this second breaking forth of it, it is very fully expressed and often repeated; thus Gen. 12.3. in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed; and Gen. 18.18. all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in Abraham, and Gen, 22.18. in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. In comparing these texts we have a clear understanding thereof; in thee, in Abraham shall all the families, and nations of the earth be blessed; but lest Abraham himself should be thought author of this universal blessing, therefore is the explication, in thee, (i.) in thy seed; and this seed, saith the Apostle very expressly, is Jesus Christ; now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made; he saith not, and to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed which is Christ. So then here is the sense; out of thy posterity shall spring the Messiah, by whom not only thy posterity, but all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. You may remember in the first promise Christ was called the seed of the woman; but now the seed of Abraham; Christ was the Son of Eve, or (if you will) the Son of Mary, and so the seed of the woman; and Mary was a daughter of Abraham, and so Christ, and Mary, and all upwards were of the seed of Abraham. But where shall we find mention of the passion of Christ in this expressure of his Covenant to Abraham? in the first manifestation it was included in that phrase of bruising his heel, and surely this is essential to the covenant of grace in any overture of it: some answer that this is thrice put on in the passage of this covenant with Abraham: first, in the federal confirmation by the sm • aking furnace, and burning lamp, that passed between those pieces of the sacrifice: as the sacrifice was divided, so was Christ's body torn: and as the smoking furnace, and burning lamp passed between the divided pieces, so the wrath of God run betwixt (as I may say) and yet did not consume the rent and torn nature of Christ. 2. In that federal confirmation by the sign of circumcision: there could not be circumcision without shedding of blood, and where God commands shedding of blood in any of his ancient ordinances, it doth certainly reach to the blood of Christ, and his everlasting testament. 3. In the resolved Sacrifice of Isaac, which was a plain type of the death of Christ. See it in these particulars. 1. Isaac was Abraham's son, his only son; his innocent son, the beloved son of his Father, and yet Abraham freely offers up his son; so Christ was the son of God, his only Son, his innocent son, like to us in all things, sin only excepted; and the beloved son of his Father, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; and yet God more freely offers up his Son out of his own bosom. 2. Abraham by God's commission rose early in the morning to sacrifice his Son; and the Jews by God's permission rise early in the morning to condemn the Son of God: and hence he is called the Hind of the morning, compassed with dogs that hunted and pursued his life. 3. Abraham must offer his Son upon the Mount, the very Mount on which Solomon's Temple was built, which typified the body of Jesus Christ, Joh. 2.19. So God offered his Son upon the Mount, if not on the same Mount (as Augustine thinks) yet on a Mount not far distant from it; Golgotha was the very skirt of Moriah; the one being within the gate of the City, and the other not far without, the very nearest to the City of all. 4. Abraham first laid the wood on Isaac, and then he laid Isaac on the wood; so God first lays the Cross on Christ, He bearing his Cross, went forth into a place called the place of a skul, and then he lays Christ on the Cross, there they crucified him saith John; or there they bound him to the Cross, and fastened his hands and feet thereto with nails. 5. Isaac must be offered alone, the servants must stay at the foot of the hill, little knowing the business and sorrow in hand; so Christ must tread the wine press alone: the disciples fear and fly, and little consider the agony of their Master. 6. Abraham carries in his hand the sword and fire against his Son, so God carries in his hand the sword and fire; the sword signifying the Justice of God, the fire his burning wrath against the sins of men; and both these were bent against Christ, in whom the justice of God is satisfied, and the flame of his wrath extinct and quenched. That this was a plain type of Christ's passion is hinted at in the blessing that God speaks to Abraham after this trial, by myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy Son, thine only Son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. All believers are blessed in the death of Christ, who was that seed of Abraham, typified by Isaac, Abraham's Son; for as Abraham intended, so God truly sacrificed his Son, his only Son, to take away sin.

Thus far of the Covenant of promise as it was manifested from Abraham to Moses.

SECT. IV. Of the Covenant of promise as manifested to Moses.

THe next breaking forth of this gracious Covenant was to Moses. The revenging justice of God had now seized on mankind for many generations, even thousands of years, so that now it was high time for God in the midst of wrath to remember mercy, and to break out into a clearer expression of the promise, or Covenant of grace. To this purpose the Lord calls up Moses to Mount Sinai, and there of his infinite love and undeserved mercy he makes, or renews his Covenant with him and the children of Israel. I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, thou shalt have no other gods before me.

For the right understanding of this, we shall examine these particulars.

• 1. whether the Law was delivered in a Covenant-way?
• 2. In what sense is the Law a Covenant of grace?
• 3. How may it appear that the Law in any sense is a Covenant of grace?
• 4. Why should God in the Law deal with us in a Covenant-way rather then a mere absolute supreme way?
• 5. What are the good things promised in this expressure of the Covenant?
• 6. What is the condition of this Covenant on our part, as we may gather it hence?
• 7. Who was the Mediator of this Covenant?
• 8. What of Christ, and his death, do we find in this manifestation of the Covenant?

For the first, whether the Law was delivered in a Covenant-way? it is affirmed on these grounds. 1. In that it hath the name of a Covenant. 2. In that it hath the real properties of a Covenant. 1. The name of a Covenant as it appears in these Texts. And the Lord said unto Moses, write these words, for after the tenor of these words, I have made a Covenant with thee, and with Israel: and he was there with the Lord forty days, and forty nights, he did neither eat bread, nor drink water, and he wrote upon the tables the words of the Covenant, the ten Commandments.— And he declared unto you his Covenant, which he Commanded you to perform, even the ten Commandments, and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. — When I was gone (says Moses) up into the Mount to receive the two tables of stone, even the tables of the Covenant which the Lord made with you, then I abode in the Mount forty days and forty nights; I neither did eat bread nor drink water.—And it came to pass at the end of forty days, and forty nights, that the Lord gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the Covenant.—So I turned and came down from the Mount, and the mount burned with fire, and the two tables of the Covenant were in my two hands. It appears plainly and expressly in these Texts that the Law is a Covenant.

2. The Law hath the real properties of a Covenant, which are the mutual consent and stipulation on both sides. You may see a full relation of this in Exod. 24.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, all the words which the Lord hath said will we do: and Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel? and he sent young men of the Children of Israel, which offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen unto the Lord; and Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons, and half of the blood be sprinkled on the Altar, and he took the book of the Covenant, and read in the audience of the people, and they said, all that the Lord hath said, will we do, and be obedient; and Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words. This very passage is related in the Epistle to the Hebrews, when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people, according to the Law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet-wool, and hissop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, saying, this is the blood of the Testament, (or Covenant) which God hath enjoined unto you. In the words you may observe these properties of a Covenant? 1. That God on his part expresseth his consent and willingness to be their God: this will appear in the preface of the Law, of which hereafter. 2. That the people on their part give their full consents, and ready willingness to be his servants. Both these appear in that, 1. Moses writes down the Covenant Covenant-wise. 2. He Confirms the Covenant by outward signs, as by the blood of Calves and Goats; whereof one half he puts in basons, to sprinkle it on the people; and the other half of the blood he sprinkles on the Altar; that sprinkling on the people signified their voluntary Covenanting with God, and the blood sprinkled on the Altar signified God's entering into Covenant with the people. Thus we have real Covenanting when the Law is given.

2. In what sense is the Law a Covenant of Grace? I answer, The Law may be considered in several senses; as 1. Sometimes it signifies largely any heavenly doctrine, whether it be promise or precept, and in this sense the Apostle tells us of the Law of works, and of the Law of faith. 2. Sometimes it signifies any part of the Old Testament in which sense Jesus answered the Jews, Is it not written in your Law, I said ye are gods? Now where was that written but in the book of the Psalms? 3. Sometimes it signifies the whole economy, and peculiar dispensation of God's worship unto the Jews, according to the moral ceremonial, and Judicial Law, in which sense it is said to continue until John, the Law and the Prophets were until John: but since that time the Kingdom of God is preached. 4. Sometimes it is taken synechdochically for some acts of the Law only. against such there is no Law. 5. Sometimes it is taken only for the Ceremonial Law, the Law having a shadow of good things to come. 6. Sometimes it is used in the sense of the Jews? as sufficient to save without Christ; and thus the Apostle generally takes it in his Epistle to the Romans, and Galatians. 7. Sometimes it is taken for that part of the Moral Law which is merely mandative and preceptive, without any promise at all. 8. Sometimes it is taken for the whole moral Law, with the preface and promises added to it; and in this last sense we take it, when we say it is a Covenant of grace?

3. How may it appear that the Law in this sense is a Covenant of grace? it appears, 1. By that contract betwixt God and Israel before the promulgation of the Law. If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my Covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine? and ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and an holy nation. Whereunto the Prophet Jermy hath reference, saying, obey my voice and do them according to all which I command you, so shall you be my people, and I will be your God. Both these Scriptures speak of the moral Law, or ten Commandments, containing the preface and promises; and how should that Law, be any other but a Covenant of grace, which runs in this tenor, I will be your God, a • d you shall be my people; my peculiar treasure; a Kingdom of Priests, an holy Nation, if you will but hear and obey my Commandments? Surely these privileges could never have been obtained by a Covenant of works; what? to be a Kingdom of Priests, an holy Nation, a peculiar treasure to the Lord? what? to be beloved of God as a desirable treasure (for so it is in the original) which a King delivers not into the hands of any of his Officers, but keepeth it to himself? this cannot be of works; No no, these are privileges vouchsafed of mere grace in Jesus Christ; and therefore Peter applies this very promise to the people of God under the Gospel, 1 Pet. 2.9.

2. It appears by that contract betwixt God and Israel in the promulgation of the Law; then it was that God proclaimed himself to be the God of Israel; saying, I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the House of bondage. Some hold this to be the affirmative part of the first Commandment; in which the Gospel is preached, and the promises therein contained are offered. We say it is a preface to the whole Law, prefixed as a reason to persuade obedience to every Commandment. But all universally acknowledge that it is a free Covenant, which promiseth pardon of sin, and requireth faith in the Messiah; when God saith to Israel I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, doth he not propound himself as their King, Judge, Savior, and Redeemer? Yea, and spiritual Redeemer, from their bondage of sin and Satan, whereof that temporal deliverance from Egypt was truly a type? the Lord begins his commandments with an evangelical promise? and it is very observable, that as these words, I am the Lord thy God, are prefixed immediately to the first Commandment, so in sundry places of Scripture they are annexed to all the rest; ye shall fear every man his Mother, and his Father; and keep my Sabbaths, I am the Lord your God: ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another, and ye shall not swear by my Name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the Name of thy God; I am the Lord. — Neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor, I am the Lord. — In a word thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, I am the Lord; or if that contain only the second Table, therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them; I am the Lord. Add we to this,