The Mystery and Marrow of the Bible

SECTION I.

FIRST, As to the brief Analytical Explication of the Apostles recited words, Consider, That

The NEW COVENANT is here set forth, with a note of Excellency, and Attention; Behold. And is Described by the ^1. Time, ^2. Author, ^3. Federates, ^4. Name, and ^5. Nature thereof.

I. By the time when it should be made and established. The days come, saith the Lord, when I will make, &c. Heb. 8 9. The Apostle allegeth this out of Jeremiah: Jeremiah herein prophesied of future days, viz. the days of Christ, when this New Covenant should begin to Commence. These days were already actually come and fulfilled in Paul's days: Christ had stablished his New Covenant, Preparatorily by his public Ministry, Compleatly by his Death, Resurrection, Ascension and Effusion of his Spirit. As I have formerly evidenced.

II. By the Author, or Efficient Cause of it, The Lord;—saith the Lord, when I will make a New Covenant, &c. Heb. 8. 9, 10. of this Formerly.

III. By the Federates with whom the Lord would make this New Covenaut; With the House of Israel, and with the House of Judah, Heb. 8. 9, 10. Even with all Profest believers, Jews and G •… ntiles, and with their children: as I have already proved.

IV. By the Denomination or Name given to this Covenant.— I will make a A NEW COVENANT, Heb. 8. 8. In what sense its called a New Covenant, I have heretofore explained at large: as also the Nature of it more Generally.

V. By the Nature of this New Covenant, which is laid down, ^1. Negatively, ^2. Affirmatively, 1. Negatively, He declares what Manner of Covenant this New Covenant should not be, viz. Not such a Covenant as was the Sinai-Covenant, that Old Covenant. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers, &c. Heb. 8. 9. This New Covenant should not be according to that Covenant, not like that Covenant, but very different from it, and far before it. In all this Negative the Holy Ghost seems to have respect to the Form and Administration (of which I shall speak when I come to the Form of this New Covenant ) Not to the Matter and Substance of the New Covenant, which is after laid down in the Affirmative, That this may the better appear, He sets forth that Old Covenant divers ways, viz.

1. By the Author of it; God.— which I made.

2. By the Federates with whom God made it;— That I made with their Fathers, viz. with the Israelit •… s at Mount Sinai, after they were brought out of Egypt.

3. By the time when this old Covenant was made with them: In the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. The word [ Day ] here is not to be taken properly, precisely and strictly for the very Day when God brought Israel out of Egypt, for in that day this Covenant was not made, but about fifty days after: but Synecdochically, for that time that was a time of God's special love to their Fathers, Redeeming them strangers from Egypt, Conducting them wonderfully towards Canaan, and by the way bringing them into Covenant with himself: and therefore by God's Commemoration of these his great favors and kindnesses to them, he notably aggravates their unkind Covenant-breaking with him after mentioned.

4. By the evil event of this Covenant as to their Fathers, which is given in here as a Reason why God would afterwards make a New Covenant: This ill Event is twofold, 1 Their sinful Breach of this Covenant; Because they continued not in my Covenant. This hath reference, not only to that notorious breach of this Covenant at first in the Golden Calf, Exod. 32. but also toall their reitered and aggravated Idolatries afterwards till their Captivity in Babylon. They promised to do all that God in this Covenant required, Exod. 24. but they knew not their own weakness and the Laws exactness. They attained not to God's righteousness, because they sought it as it were by the deeds of of the Law. This Covenant required Duty, but furnished them not with Ability, &c. So that, this Covenant becoming faulty, defective and insufficient, through their infirmity and faultiness, this was one Cause why there was place sought for the Second Covenant. Heb. 8. 7, 8. This First Covenant becoming so weak, unprofitable and ineffectual to them, Heb, 7. 18, 19. 2. God's just displeasure and judgment upon them for this Breach of Covenant; And I regarded them not, saith the Lord. Under God's disregard of them, all sorts of punishments, judgments and afflictions that afterwards came upon them for their Idolatries and breach of Covenant with God from Generation to Generation, are comprised. The Hebrew phrase in Jeremiah is somewhat different from this of the Greek: Although I was an husband to them. Or, should I have continued an husband to them? Both, our Translation. But the Hebrew 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is better rendered by Pagnin and Montanus, Et ego dominatus sum in eos, And I Lorded it over them, that is, I used my Husbandly and Lordly authority over them, and so misregarded them. For this phrase, the LXX have, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and I disregarded them: which the Apostle also follows, Heb. 8. 9. So then, God's Lordly and Husbandly Authority not only obligeth to Covenant-keeping, but also afflicteth for Covenant-breaking. And, when God puts forth his authority against Covenant-breakers, he disregards them, counts them as not in Covenant with him: which disregard from God, compriseth in it as it were all sorts of God's judgments. Thus, though the phrases in Jeremiah and Paul differ, yet the Sense agrees.

2. Affirmatively and Positively. He shows what this New Covenant should be. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord, Heb 8. 10. The words import a surpassing eminency and excellency in this New Covenant, beyond what was in the Old. For this is the Covenant: The expression in the Hebrew and Greek is very emphatical. But what is this Covenant? Or wherein doth the Nature and Matter of it Consist? Principally in four exceeding great and precious Promises of God laid down here altogether, Heb. 8. 10, 11, 12. viz. Here God promiseth,

1. His Donation and inscription of his Laws in their inwards, Mind and Hearts. I will give my Laws into their Mind, and write them upon their Hearts, Heb. 8. 10. I will give my Law into their inward-part, and upon their Heart will I write it, Jer. 31. 33. Here note, 1. The Agent, God; I will give, I will inscribe —. 2. The Act twofold, Giving: I will give. —Inscribing: I will inscribe —. 3. The Object of this Act, about which this act shall be exerted and put forth, God's Laws: My Laws Distributively, as Paul hath it. My Law collectively, as Jeremiah hath it. Both importing the same thing, viz. God's Morral-Law especially, formerly written in Stony Tables; and the whole word of God Generally, wherein the Moral Law is expounded. The Moral Law is the Abridgement of the word of God: The word of God is the explanatory Enlargement of the Moral Law. 4. The Subject whereinto this Law of God shall be given, and wherein it shall be written by God: In their Mind, or Inward-part: The mind being most inward: and in their Hearts. That, denoting, The Understanding: This, The Will and Affections.

2. The great Federal Relation, Union, Communion and Interest betwixt God and his Federates rec procally. And will be unto them for a God, and they shall be to me for a people, Heb 8. 10. viz. I will be to them All, whatsoever, a God can be, or can need to be, to his Covenant-people: and they shall be to me All, whatsoever, a people in Covenant can or should be to their God. I will,—They shall: —God here promiseth both, undertakes for both: for himself, and for his Federates. O sweet and blessed New Covenant!

3. His Federate people's more excellent & more universal knowledge of the LORD, then formerly under the Old Covenant. This hath in it two things, viz. 1 The surpassing excellency of the New Covenant knowledge of the Lord, beyond that of the Old, And they shall not teach everyone his neighbor, and everyone his brother, saying, know the Lord, Heb. 8. 11. The word [ Not ] here, is not a Simple and Absolute Negative, as if hereby the New Covenant excluded all Human Teaching; For thats most repugnant to New Covenant Doctrine, as elsewhere I have shown; and shall afterwards farther manifest: But it is rather a Comparative (as its divers times used in Scripture, See John 9. 41. 1 Cor. 1. 17.) importing, That the former teaching under the Old Covenant should be comparatively as no teaching at all, as nothing to the Divine Teaching of God's Federates under his New Covenant. Then they were taught the Elements, first principles and ABC of Divine Knowledge, as a people in Minority: but now God's Federates shall be instructed in the abstruse and more perfect Mysteries of God, as a people in Maturity. Under the New Covenant, The Divine Revelation is more clear and complete, The Donation of the Spirit, more full, and proportionably the Spiritual illumination of their minds more perfect and accurate. 2. The Generality of this knowledge of the Lord among all sorts under the New Covenant; For all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them, Heb. 8. 11. God will indifferently illuminate small and great: One as well as the other must be beholding to him herein. Some particular persons under the New Covenant may be grossly ignorant, through natural In capacity or want of Ministerial Instruction, or contempt of the New Covenant, but here the Holy Ghost intends the whole New Covenant-dispensation, which generally shall introduce such a Knowledge of the Lord as the Generality of Federates never had under the Old Covenant. Now this promise, though it have wonderful accomplishments under the New Covenant, yet shall not have (as Pareus well advertiseth) its plenary accomplishment till we come to Heaven, when we shall all be perfectly taught of God, being beyond all human Instruction public and private, when we shall know as we are known, and see God as he is, 1 Cor. 13. 12. 1 John 3. 2, 3.

4. Finally, God promiseth (as a foundation, ground or cause of all the former Benefits,) His own gratuitous Propitiousness in Christ to them in the utter Remission and Oblivion, Forgiving and forgetting all sorts of their sins; For I will be propitiouslymerciful to their unrighteousnesses, and their sins and their transgressions will I remember no more, Heb. 8. 12. Here note, 1. The Agent or Author of this Benefit, God; I will be propitiously merciful, I will not remember —God alone is the God of Pardons, Neh. 9. 17. Who can forgive sins like him? Mich. 7. 18. or besides him? Mark 2. 7. Luke 5. 21. Pardon of sin is God's peculiar Prerogative. 2. The Act of grace expressed in two phrases, viz ( ¹ ) I-will-be-propitiously-merciful, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . The Greek word, (as also the Hebrew word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ier. 31. 34.) denotes such a mercy in God as hath respect to Christ's Propitiation, propitiatory expiation of, and Satisfaction for sin; who is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A Propitiation for our Sins, &c. 1 John. 2. 2. And 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A Propitiatory, or Mercy-seat, Rom. 3. 25. Whose offering up of himself once was so satisfactory to God, that it was an odour of a sweet smell to God, Eph. 5. 2. And that thereby he hath forever perfected them that are sanctified, Heb 10. 13, 14. ( ² ) I will not remember again, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . That is, I will never remember again to them, so as to impute them to them. I will forgive and forget. I will pass an Act of utter Oblivion upon them forever. This is God's free Pardoning and Remission of sin in and for Christ's Meritorious Satisfaction. 3. The Object about which this Act of Grace shall be exercised: which is expressed by two Hebrew words, viz. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Guavonam, signifying properly, Perversenesses, crookednesses, perverseiniquities, &c. And 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Chattatham, properly Errors, Stray-sins, wherein they miss the mark: both these are in Ier. 31. 34. But this Object is expressed in three words in the Greek, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which properly signify, Unrighteousnesses, Sinful-Errors, Unlawfulnesses. The words are very comprehensive, they take in all sorts of sins whatsoever: God will forgive and forget them all. 4. The Connection of this Promise to the Promises foregoing, in the Causal particle, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , For, Because. This lets us know, That God's gratuitous Mercy in purging away and pardoning all the sins of his people in Christ, is the foundation of all the fore-Covenanted Benefits.

Thus I have Analytically explained in brief the words wherein The NEW-COVENANT is described to us both by Jeremiah and Paul, Oh! How Significant, How Comprehensive, How Emphatical, How Proper and suitable, How sweet and Comfortable are these words for a New Covenant expressure! Hence we shall easily borrow much light for the clearing of all ensuing Particulars.

SECTION II.

SEcondly, As for those Generals to be noted and observed diligently, in this Narrative or Description of the NEW COVENANT by the Prophet and Apostle, touching the Matter or Substance of this New Covenant, I shall clearly and briefly represent them in this ensuing Aphorism.

In General, touching the Matter of the New Covenant, as here described by the Prophet Jeremiah and the Apostle Paul, we are diligently to note and observe these things, viz. 1. That, The matter of the New Covenant is here set forth very compendiously in words, but most comprehensively in sense. 2. That, The whole matter of the New Covenant is represented only in Promises. 3. That, All these New Covenant- Promises, in their express terms, run wholly upon Spirituals. 4. That, These New Covenant- Promises have a sweet Harmony and Correspondency with the Priesthood, Prophecy and Kingship of Christ's Mediatory office: In actual performance of which Promises to us, we also are made unto God Priests, Prophets and Kings by Jesus Christ. 5. That, The Matter of the New Covenant is so contrived in these Promises, as may sufficiently remove all the principal Doubts, Discouragements and Objections which either a bleeding heart-wounded Sinner, Or a distressed Saint, may make against his Salvation. 6. That, These New Covenant Promises are so expressed, as virtually to contain in them the Agreement and Difference betwixt the Old and New Covenant, yea the preheminencies of the New above the Old. 7. That, All these New Covenant Promises are wholly grounded upon the mere grace and good pleasure of God's will in Jesus Christ alone.

I shall a little explain these seven Generals, because the right and clear understanding of them is very Necessary and Advantagious to the true understanding of the NEW COVENANT.

I. That, The Matter of the New Covenant is here set forth very Compendiously in words, but most comprehensively in sense. This was one excellency of the Old Covenant promulgated at Mount Sinai by God himself, That i •… comprised all duties of Religion towards God, and Righteousness towards man, in Ten words, or Ten sayings: Proportionably this is a great excellency of the New Covenant, That it comprehendeth all saving Mercies and blessings from God to his Federates, and all answerable duties of his Federates to him, in four sententious Sayings, in four precious Promises. The words are very few, But the meaning much. Mountains of Sense, under Mole-hills of Sentences. These Sentences are but as four drops: The Sense under them is as a very Sea. The very first Article compriseth in it the whole Law of God, not only the Letter, but the Spirit of the Law; I will give my Laws into their mind, &c. Who then can fadom what is comprised in all the rest?

1. Here, we have, A secret and Mysterious Discovery of the blessed co-operation of Father, Son and Holy Ghost to the Felicity of the New Covenant Federates, Jews and Gentiles. The Father Promising pardon of their sins, for the Sons expiation of them, whereby the wrath of God is pacified, Heb. 8. 12. The Holy Ghost effectually applying Christ in the Renovation, Heb. 8. 10.

2. Here, we have the mere free grace of God and goodpleasure of his will displayed, as the prime Original and fundamental Cause of all the Federal happiness here promised.

3. Here, The Mediatory office of Jesus Christ is tacitly implied, in the proper and peculiar fruits of his Priesthood, Prophecy and Kingship: viz. Remission of Sins, wrought by his Priesthood; Knowledge of the Lord, by his Prophecy; and conformity of Mind and Heart to the Law of God, by his Kingship.

4. Here, The plentiful donation and effusion of the Spirit upon all sorts Jews and Gentiles is discovered: by the many effects of the Spirit upon their Minds, Wills and Hearts here promised.

5. Here, The sacred knot of Saving Benefits and Spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ is assured to the Federates: viz. Conviction, Illumination, Conversion, Regeneration, Effectual vocation, Sanctification, Conformity to God's Law, Cordial sincerity, Adoption into the number of God's people and children, Justification, Union and Communion with God; and Consequently all good things for the life present, and all Glory for the life to come. What is not promised, when God himself is promised?

6. Here, Consequently, all answerable New Covenant Duties, Dispositions, Inclinations, Affections, Endeavors, Actions, Deportments and Performances of these Federates towards God, are virtually, yet vigorously enjoined.

7. Here, Finally, in few words are couched all Necessaries to sinners happiness and eternal Salvation.

II. That, The whole Matter of the New Covenant is represented here only in Promises. This New Covenant is so Described by Jeremiah and Paul, that the Matter and Substance thereof is set forth in nothing but Promises. Mark it well; Here's not one Threatning expressed: Not one Commandment or Precept expressed: but all that is expressed is only Promises. It runs all upon Promises, it consists all in Promises; This New Covenant is a knot, a bundle of Promises, a rich chain or jewel made up of nothing but Promises. Here are four grand Articles of Promises: and thats all the Matter and Substance of the New Covenant here expressed. No wonder, that the New Covenant is said to be established upon Promises: for we find it in nothing else. All the New Covenant Mercies and Bles •… ings which God stipulates to his Federates, And all the New Covenant Duties which his Federates restipulate and condition with God; they are all digested into Promises, contained in Promises, and to be extracted out of Promises, either formally or virtually, Directly or Consequentially, Explicitly or Implicitly. Yea all New Covenant Duties required or restipulated, are proportionably to be collected from New Covenant-mercies promised. All our Duties, as well as God's Mercies are founded in his Promises. God promiseth his Federates shall Generally know the Lord; proportionably it is their Duty to know God. God promiseth many blessings; proportionably its their Duty to believe these Promises: The Promises and Faith are Relatives. God promiseth Remission and Obliteration of all their sins; proportionably they are to Repent of these sins, and accept that promised Remission by Faith. God promiseth to write his Laws in their Hearts; proportionably it is their Duty to love and observe sincerely the Laws of God in newness of life. God promiseth he will be their God, they shall be his people; proportionably its their Duty to accept him, and demean themselves every way towards him, as to their God, and wholly to devote and resign up themselves to in him soul and body, in life and death as his people. O what an admirable dispensation of grace is this! That all our Duties should flow from God's Blessings, all God's Blessings from his Promises; and all his Promises from the mere Grace and good pleasure of his will in Jesus Christ! Who can sufficiently value this New Covenant Administration in this regard? For,

1. Hence, How far doth this New Covenant excel the Old! The Old Covenant ran chiefly upon Precepts and Commands, requiring Duties from the Federates: This New Covenant runs altogether upon Promises, imparting Mercies & Blessings to the Federates.

2. Hence, God in this New Covenant affords Ability, as well as requires Duty. He requires Duty only implicitly and virtually; But he assures of Ability for that Duty expressly and formally; yea he first assures them of Ability, before he calls for any Duty. This is a sweet dispensation indeed, according to which all our Duties take their first Rise from God's Mercies It was not thus in the Old Covenant Dispensation; there was much Duty required, little Ability promised or afforded, but in case of failing the dreadful Curse denounced. Hereupon the Apostle, entering a parallel betwixt that Old and this New Ministration of God's Covenant, highly prefers this before that in many particulars: two whereof are observable here, viz. 1. That Old, was a Ministration of the Letter: this New, A Ministration of the Spirit. That is, In that Old Covenant there was a strict Law promulgated by God, written in Tables of stone, and repeated by Moses, there was Precept upon Precept, Commandment upon Commandment, but there was not any inward ability, inclination, disposition or aptness promised for the performance of these Commands. All this was but a Ministration of the Letter, a dead, lifeless, spiritless Ministration. But In this New Covenant heres ability, fitness and disposedness to perform God's Law; heres a Law within the heart answering to that Law without, inclining and enabling to observe and perform: heres the Spirit of the Law as well as the Letter. This is a Ministration of the Spirit. 2. That old, was a Ministration of Death and Condemnation: This New, A Ministration of Life and Righteousness. That is, the Old Covenant holding forth many strict Commandments, and a severe curse in case of failing, but giving no ability or sufficiency to the performance, discovers man's Sin, together with his deserved Death and Condemnation: so it terrifies him, fights with him, condemns him, kills him; Thus it is a Ministration of Death and condemnation. Thus, its all clothed with fire, fills with terror and amazement; so that Israel was affrighted and fled back, and Moses himself did exceedingly fear and quake. The fault is not in the Law, which is a perfect Rule: but in the infirmity of our flesh, we are not able to keep it. As a brittle glass or potsherd dashed against a Rock, is broken: the fault is not in the Rock, a Rock should be hard and strong, but the glass or potsherd is weak. On the other hand, this New Covenant discovers to us a way of satisfying Divine justice and fulfilling the Law by the Death and Obedience of our Surety Jesus Christ, for all our transgressions against the Law, so that these transgressions shall not be imputed to us, but Christ's righteousness, Heb. 8. 12. It also assu •… es of an inward principle and ability by the inscription of the Law in our hearts, whereby the righteousness of the Law may in uprightness be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. Thus its a Ministration of Life and Righteousness.

3. Hence, In this New Covenant God in effect undertakes all: not only for himself, but for his Federates also; He will, and They shall. In the Old Covenant, God undertook his part, Israel their part: but in this New Covenant God undertakes both parts; his own, that he will perform such Mercies; his Federates, that they shall perform such Duties; Why? Because he hath digested and molded this New Covenant only into Promises, which formally assures of Mercies from God, virtually assures of Duties from us, which derives all our Duties from Promised Mercies and Abilities. In all other Covenants betwixt Husband and Wife, Master and Servant, Man and Man, Nation and Nation, each party undertakes only for himself: but this Covenant of God is herein altogether singular and extraordinary, that God undertakes all both for himself and his Federates. O this is a sweet foundation of comfort to us against all our infirmities, frailties, insufficiencies and failings; that though we can do nothing, God will do all. Let God enable us to do what he commands and then let him command us what he pleaseth.

4. Hence, In all our Defects, Impotencies, Inabilities, &c. unto Spiritual performances, as Repentance, Mortification of sin, vivification of Grace, New Obedience, Walking with God in Communion, Self-resignation, &c. we see here whither to have recourse for supplies: viz. To the Promises, and promised Mercies in this New Covenant. Here God undertakes for our Ability: He hath implied and wrapped up all our strength and sufficiency in his Promised Mercies. Therefore we must not think to subdue this sin, to increase this grace, to dispatch this duty, &c. upon our own interest, by our own endeavors, resolutions, wrestlings, &c. but we must go to work upon God's interest, upon his Promise-interest in this New Covenant. Lord▪ thou hast undertaken for me in thy New Covenant; I have no power against all these strong lusts and corruptions, &c. but mine eyes are to thee, I rest on thee, do thou perform all for me.

5. Hence, Faith is of greatest importance and necessity for extracting all Influences from the New Covenant, and appropriating them to ourselves. All our Salvation and Happiness is contained in this New Covenant; All this New Covenant is contained in Promises, and nothing but Promises; God's Mercies are promised expressly, Our Duties are promised in those Mercies virtually and implicitly: Now wherewithal shall we extract all the virtue, strength and sweetness from these Promises. and make all our own, but only by Faith? What the Law of Works commands by Threatning, the Law of Faith obtains by believing. Faith is the hand, whereby we milk these Pr •… mises; Faith is the Arms, whereby we clasp and embrace these Promises; Faith is the mouth, whereby we suck the breasts of these Promises; Faith is the bucket, whereby we draw waters out of these wells of the Promises; Faith will reach though this well be deep; In a word, Faith is the spiritual Fire whereby we extract the celestial Spirits and Quintescence of these Promises. If this New Covenant were laid down in Threatenings and Menaces only, then Fear and Trembling would be of chief use: If it were set forthin Precepts and Commandments only, Then Love and Obedience would be of chief use: But since its represented in Promises only, therefore Faith, the daughter of the Promises is of chief use. Bring Faith to these Promises, and then take all thats in these Promises: and I am sure thats enough. Faith was of principal necessity and utility in all Covenant-expressures since the Fall: but most eminently in this New Covenant, which is all Promises, yea comparatively Faith (the Doctrine of Faith, of Life and Righteousness by Faith, &c. ) is not said to come, or to be revealed, till this New Covenant came and was revealed▪ Before, Faith did but sparkle like a twinkling▪star: but now Faith shines out gloriously like the Sun.

III. That, All these New Covenant Promises in their expr •… ss terms, run only upon Spirituals. View all these Artic •… es and bundles of Promises; heres not one express Promise about Temporals, about the Outward good things of this present life: but every of them is about Spirituals. I know, That all the good things of this life are virtually, implicitly and consequentially included in Spirituals, as the lesser in the Greater; but heres no express mention of anything but only of Spirituals, viz. of The Knowledge of God, The Law in the Heart, The Covenant interest in God, The Remission of sins, &c. Temporals are too low a Subject for the New Covenant to insist upon and be expressive in: it delights to soar aloft towards Heaven; and to raise up the Church (now come to ripeness and Maturity) from things below to things above; from Carnals to Spirituals; from perishables to eternals.

1. Hence, The New Covenant is deservedly said to be established upon Better Promises, viz. upon Better Promises then the Old Covenant was stablished upon. Why? For this Reason especially; Because The Old Covenant did principally run upon Promises of outward and Temporal Blessings, as The inheritance of the Land of Canaan, long life there, honor, wealth, peace and all outward prosperity there▪ &c. Now and then there were some few drops of Spiritual Promises sparingly sprinkled among them, but the main stream of the Promises ran upon Temporals: But here the whole current of the New Covenant runs only upon Spirituals. That, was a more Carnal, This, a more Spiritual Covenant: That, had more of earth in it, This, more of Heaven: That, bred low earth-creeping Principles, This, breeds sublime high heaven-aspiring Principles. The Old Covenant-people were happier then all other people, but the New-Covenant-people far happier then the Old Covenant-people.

2. Hence, As the New Covenant Promises, for the express terms thereof, were wholly of Spirituals: So the New Covenant Federates proportionably should tend chiefly (yea if it were possible, only) to Spirituals. Shall the New Covenant be only Spiritual; and shall the Covenanters be only Carnal? Shall the New Covenant be only above; and shall the Covenanters be only below? Shall the New Covenant be all for Heaven▪ and shall the Covenanters be all for Earth? When we come to the New Covenant, whither are we come? To a touchable Sinai, to a visible fire, to an earthly Canaan, to an earthly Jerusalem? &c. No, No. We are come unto Mount Zion; And unto the City of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem; And to an innumerable company of Angels▪ To the General assembly and Church of the First-born, which are enrolled in Heaven; And to God, the judge of all; And to the Spirits of just men made perfect; And to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant: And to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things then that of Abel. Behold, all things here are Sublime, Spiritual, Heavenly: And shall not we be elevated? shall not we be Spiritualized by 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 Spirituality ▪ Hath God under and by this New Covenant dispensation▪ Quickned us together with Christ, and 〈◊〉 •… s up together, and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus: and shall not we be elevated above this earth; shall not we seek and set our affections on things above? Shall not we have our Conversation, (our 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 whole business) in Heaven? Oh! Let our Minds, Wills, and Affection •… be all Spiritual; Let our Inward furniture, Principles and Dispositions, be all Spiritual; Let our Thoughts, Words, and Actions be all Spiritual; Let our Designs, Tendencies and Intentions be all Spiritual: Let us be wholly swallowed up with Spirituality. Then shall we be Covenanters Answerable to this New Covenant and Promises thereof, which are wholly Spiritual.

IV. That, These New Covenant-Promises have a sweet Harmony and correspondency with the Priesthood, Prophecy and King-ship of Christ's mediatory Office; In actual performance of which Promises to us, we also are made unto God Priests, Prophets and Kings by Jesus Christ. The greatest and most eminent public blessings which God in ancient time was pleased to confer upon his Church and people, were most usually imparted to them by Priests, Prophets and Kings, those three renowned sorts of officers. By a Priest and a King Melchizedek, was Abraham the Father of all the Faithful blessed. By A Priest, A Prophet, and A King was Israel brought out of Egypt; conducted through the Red-Sea on Dry ground; espoused to God at Mount Sinai by Covenant; Governed as a Church in the wilderness, and as the Commonwealth of God, by administration of Morals, Ceremonials and Judicials: and led as a flock through the wilderness, by the hand of Moses and Aaron: Aaron being Priest, and Moses both Priest, Prophet and King in Iesurun. By a Priest and a King was Israel brought to inherit the land of Canaan, and it was divided to them by Lot: even by Eleazar the Priest, and Joshua the successor of Moses, who was a mighty Prince in Israel. By Priests were all the Affairs of Religion managed in the Tabernacle and Temple from the days of Moses till the Death of Christ. By the Prophets and Prophetical persons were all the Holy Scriptures revealed from God, and recorded for the Church. By ( ^h ) Kings and Kingly Rulers was the Common-wealth of Israel guided and governed till Shiloh came. Now all these and such like dispensations were but Types and shadows of better things in Christ: who is the Priest of Priests, The Prophet of Prophets, The King of Kings: By whose Mediatory Priesthood, Prophecy, and Kingship, All sorts and degrees of blessings and Mercies are Procured, Revealed and effectually Applied to his Church and people for their Happiness in this and in the world to come.

This profound and excellent Mystery is very observably suggested to us in this Body of the New Covenant and Promises thereof. For. I. The Mercies here Promised are such, and so answerable to these Mediatory offices of Christ, that we may evidently conclude them to be the proper fruits and effects of his Priesthood, Prophecy, and Kingship, viz. 1. Remission of sins, upon pacifying of God for them: promised in the fourth Article, Heb 8. 12. Is the proper fruit of his Priesthood▪ 2. The supernatural and saving Knowledge of the Lord promised in the third Article, Heb. 8. 11. is the proper effect of his Prophecy. 3. The powerful conforming of our hearts to the will of God in all things, by his inscribing of his Laws in our inwards, Mind, and Hearts, efficaciously applying his Graces and benefits to the Soul, promised in the first Article, Heb. 8. 10. Is the proper Influence of his Kingly Office. 4. And The Federal Relation, Interest, Union and Communion betwixt God and his New Covenant Federates reciprocally, which is promised in the second Article, Heb. 8. 10. Is the Common and blessed Result of all these three together, viz. of his Priesthood, Prophecy and Kingship. Thus in the Matter of the New Covenant, as here expressed, we have an observable Idea, Model or Representation of Christ's Mediatory Office in all the three Primary branches thereof. II. These Promised New Covenant Mercies, being actually performed to us, do also imprint an Holy Image and resemblance of all Christ's offices upon us, So that we also are made unto our God Priests, Prophets and Kings, by Jesus Christ. The character and print of these offices is engraven upon us: when once this Matter of the New Covenant is actually applied to us, and effectually fulfilled in us. For, 1. When Christ, as our great High-priest, hath washed us from our sins in his own blood, and purged our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God, having forgiven us all our trespasses, Heb. 8. 12. He makes us Kings and Priests, or a Royal Priesthood to our God, to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 2. When Christ as our Prophet hath brought us savingly to know the Lord, Heb. 8. 11. He makes us also Prophets, by giving us an Annointing that teacheth us all things necessary to salvation, whereb •… we are also enabled to teach and instruct others. 3. When Christ as our King hath subdued our Minds and hearts so far as to make them Conform and answerable to his Law, Heb. 8. 10. Thereby he makes us also Spiritual Kings, to Rule over and Subdue our Corruptions more and more, and Conquer our Spiritual enemies.

1. Hence, The Matter of the New Covenant, these Spiritual Promises are an excellent glass wherein we may see the beauteous face of our Mediator Christ Jesus, and an excellent Map delineating forth unto us his Officers of Mediatorship: yea the vigor, force and Efficacy of those offices. What greater discovery can we have of their excellency and efficacy, then 1. In the fruits and effects thereof upon us, Remitting our Sins, as a Priest: Making us know the Lord, as a Prophet: and writing his Laws in our Minds and Hearts, as a King, Heb. 8. 10, 11, 12. 2. In transforming us hereby into the Similitude of his offices, to become Priests, Prophets and Kings by him unto our God. All the expressures of the Covenant of Faith, were as so many Draughts and Pourtraytures of JESUS CHRIST. The First Covenants with Adam and Abraham, declare his Natures: viz. That he should be man, expressly: The Seed of the woman—The Seed of Abraham: That he is God, implicitly: being able to Bruise the Serpe •… ts head, and to bless all the Nations of the earth. The After Covenants with Israel, David and the Captives, declare his Offices of Priesthood, Prophecy and Kingship: His Priesthood, under the Type of Aaron's: His Prophecy, under the type of Moses: and his Kingship, under the type of David's. But this New Covenant with Jews and Gentiles, declares the Influences, virtues and efficacy of all these his Offices of Priesthood, Prophecy and Kingship, In Remission of Sins and Justification, In knowledge of the Lord and supernatural illumination, In Conversion, Regeneration and Sancti •… ication. So that, as Jesus Christ and his Mediation can never be rightly understood wirhout the sound knowledge of the Covenants of Faith, especially of this New Covenant: So no expressures of the Covenant of Faith, least of all this New Covenant, can ever be judiciously understood without the solid knowledge of Jesus Christ and his Mediation.

2. Hence, The Effects of Christ's offices applied unto us, and Conforming us according to our Measure unto Christ, are singular Evidences of our Good New-Covenant-State. For, The Spiritual Mercies Promised in this New Covenant, are the Proper or Common effects of Christ's Priesthood, Prophecy and Kingship. When therefore Jesus Christ is become our Priest, our Prophet, and our King actually: Then we are become God's New Covenant Federates, not formally but effectually. Hereby then let us examine, whether we have a saving interest in the New Covenant.

V. That, The Matter of the New Covenant is so contrived in these Promises, as it may most sweetly and sufficiently remove all the principal Doubts, Discouragements and Objections, which either a Bleeding heart-wounded Sinner, or a Distressed Saint, may make against his own Salvation. For better clearing of this particular, which is of very great Consequence, I desire these three things may be seriously considered, viz. I. That, When God Converts a Sinner to himself, Most usually he prepares the Sinner for that great work of Conversion by previous Conviction of his Mind and Conscience of his Sin and Misery, and Contrition of Heart and Spirit for that Sin and Misery; So that the heart is wounded deeply and bleeds exceedingly. He first breaks the Heart: Then binds up the broken hearted, He first Captivates the Soul, and brings it into a spiritual Prison or dungeon under chains of guilt and horror: Then he proclaims liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, and the acceptable year (even the spiritual Jubilee-year) of the LORD: He first makes him mourn, and fills him with a spirit of Heaviness; And then appoints to him that mourns in Zion, to give unto him beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness. He first burdens the soul; and then gives Ease and Rest of Soul to the weary and heavy laden. He first pricks him in the heart; and then brings him to gladness and singleness of heart in Christ. He first gives him the Spirit of Bondage to Fear; and then the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father. This is God's ordinary way in a Sinners Conversion; Thus he dealt with the Prodigal Son, Luke 15. 13 to the end. With the Sinful woman, Luke 7. 37, &c. With Peters hearers, Act. 2. 36, 37, 41, 46. With Persecuting Saul, Act. 9. 3. to 20. And thus he will do with the Jews when their families shall more fully return unto the Lord and be called, Zech. 12. 10, 11, 12, 13. & 13. 1. This is God's usual way, to bring Sinners towards Heaven by the very Gates of Hell. II. That, Even after Conversion, God's people oft times meet with many •… ad and dangerous plunges, that greatly distract and distress them about their Spiritual State, and Eternal Salvation. Especially in these three Cases, viz. 1. In case of some sinful relapse. As it was, with David; his very bones were broken, the joy of God's Salvation was removed, and his sin was ever before him; with Peter his denial of Jesus Christ, cost many bitter tears. 2. In case of some violent Temptation of the Flesh, World or Satan, which sometimes staggers the Servants of God, and makes them call in Question their condition towards God. As David, beholding the prosperity of the wicked, and his own adversity, was almost gone, had almost condemned the Generation of the righteous, and concluded that he had washed his hands in vain, &c. 3. In case of some sad Disertion some passive Disertion, when God himself seems to hide his face, withdraw himself from them, and forsake them, in withholding the sweet gleams and influences of his wonted grace, favor and consolations from them. Whence they are apt sometimes to conclude, that God hath utterly cast them off, and will never more be merciful unto them, &c. As it was with Asaph; with Heman the Ezrahite; with Mr. Peacock in his last sickness, till within a little before his Dissolution; and with many others of the dear servants of the Lord. III. That, The Lord (to whom a broken heart is Sacrifices indeed, who will not despise a broken and a contrite heart, Psal. 51. 17. Who delights to dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble Spirit, to revive the Spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones, &c. Isaiah 57. 15, 16. & 66. 2.) The Lord, I say, that is the Father of tendermercies, and the God of all consolations, 2 Cor. 1. 3. Hath sufficiently provided against all these Spiritual Distress of wounded Sinners, and perplexed Saints, in his NEW COVENANT. For the Lord hath so wisely contrived the Matter of the New Covenant in a sweet conjunction of Promises; That, all the Principal, Considerable and most Dangerous Doubts, Discouragements or Objections, which a Bleeding Sinner, or a Distressed Saint, may commonly make against their own present Comfort or futu •… e Salvation, may hence receive very Satisfactory Resolutions. Their most perplexing and puzzling Doubts, Discouragements and Objections are about, 1. Their Sins. 2. The wrath of God. 3. Their gross ignorance of God, and all the things of God. 4. The Deadness, Hardness, Deceitfulness and Manifold Vileness of their own Hearts. 5. The want of all Spiritual Abilities, Excellencies and Duties which might commend them to God. 6. The great Distance betwixt them and God betwixt them and Christ. 7. The Difficulty and seeming impossibility of ever obtaining any Assurance of their Salvation. Now you shall see, what an Antidote this New Covenant is against all these. God, that knows the troubles of all men's hearts, hath such pertinent, fit and sufficient Cordials against all these faintings of soul in his New Covenant Promises, as if they had been devised for this and no other purpose in the world.

1. Doubt: About Sin. Oh (thinks the wounded Sinner, and the distressed Saint) Mine iniquities are increased over mine head, and my guiltiness is grown up unto the Heavens. They are more then the hairs of mine head, they are heavier then the sand. The acts of them in thought, word and deed, are innumerable; The venom, poison, and sinfulnesses of them are unutterable; The circumstances and black aggravations of them are intolerable. I have sinned against the God that hath made me curiously▪ and preserved me to this day graciously: I have kicked against the bowels of mercy, that should pity me: I have trampled upon the precious blood that should wash me, I have grieved the Holy Spirit, that should comfort and Sanctify me: I have despised the riches of free grace, that should save me. Oh my sin is ever before me! In the morning, In 〈◊〉 evening, In my house, In the field, In society, but especi •… in my solitariness: Oh how it grates upon my Spirit, how it flashes in my Conscience, how it kills and murders my Soul! Are there any Sins in the world, like my Sins? Is there any possibility they should be forgiven? Is there any Mercy, any Pardon, any Cure, any Comfort, any Hope, any Salvation, for such a Wretch, such a Miscreant, such a Monster of wickedness as I am?

Resolution. Stay a little thou sin-bruised Soul, yet theres hope in Israel concerning all this. O hark, wh •… t the blessed God hath Said, hath Promised, hath Covenanted, hath Confirmed by the irrevocable Death of Jesus Christ; I will be propitiously-merciful to their unrighteousnesses, and their sinful-errors and their unlawfulnesses will I remember no more. Read this Act of Divine grace, Ponder upon it deliberately, Mark it heedfully: if thou canst believe it and apply it to thyself, heres enough against all thy sins. We had better lose the Sun and Moon out of God's Firmament; then this glorions Promise out of God's Covenant. Here's Pardon, Divine Pardon, Free Pardon, Full Pardon, Final Pardon, for all thine iniquities: Now draw near, and touch the top of this Golden Scepter, and thou shalt live. 1. Heres. Pardon and Remission of sin offered. — I will be propitiously-merciful,—I will remember their sins, &c. no more. This non-remembering of sins, the Apostle interprets to be Remission of sins. What can be more seasonable, more suitable, more acceptable to a guilty Self-condemned sinner then Pardon? Pardoned sin shall not be anymore imputed; the Pardoned Sinner shall not be condemned, hath Peace with God, and is a Blessed Soul. O grasp this Pardon tendered: and then all thy sins shall be, as if they had never been. 2. Heres God's Pardon. I will be mecciful,—I will remember no more, —saith God. Thy sins that distress thee, thy great sins that kill thy heart, are in their utmost extremity but the sins of a finite man: But the pardon here promised, is the pardon of an Infinite God. Theres some proportion betwixt one drop of water, and the whole Ocean; or betwixt one grain of dust and the whole earthly Globe; but betwixt God's pardons and thy sins theres no proportion or comparison. He is A God of Pardons: can create and give Pardons, not as a man, not as a Judge, not as a King, but as a God. Dishonor not this God of Pardons, by doubting of his Pardons. Do not be merciless to thine own Soul, when God will be merciful to thine unrighteousnesses: Do not still pore upon thy sins, when God will remember them no more. What creature can charge thee, if God will clear thee and discharge thee? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's Elect? It is God that justifieth: who is he that condemneth? 3. Heres Free pardon. God saith; I will be merciful,—I will remember their sins no more. Why will God do it? Heres no other Reason given, but he will do it. He doth not say, Thou must bring so many Sighs, so many Tears, so much Contrition, so much Repentance, &c. or else h •… res no Remission: but, I will be merciful, I will remember no more; 〈◊〉 is, I will do all this freely for mine own sake. Thou must Repent, but God pardons the penitent for his own sake. Thy Pardon cost Christ dear, his liberty, his blood, his life, and herewith God was fully satisfied and pacified: But thy pardon shall cost thee nothing; come, Believe, Repent and take it freely. 4. Heres full pardon. God will not only pardon this or that Sin, but all Sin: Unrighteousnesses, Sinful-errors and Unlawfulnesses. Where God forgives one sin, he forgives all without exception. Do not these three words reach all thy sins of whatsoever Sort, Degree or Aggravation? 5. Heres Final Pardon also. God will not remember their sins anymore. God will not only forgive, but forget, and that forever. God will pass an everlasting Act of Oblivion upon all thine unrighteousnesses forever, which no tract of time shall repeal. Men may remember thy sins, to reproach and upbraid thee for them; Thou thyself mayest remember thy sins again and again to sigh and mourn for them, to loath and abhor thyself for them: but thy God will remember them no more; he will not mention them anymore unto thee, he will not upbraid thee with them, thou shalt never hear of them from him, to thy Shame, Confusion or Condemnation, but he will Hide th •… m from his face, under Christ thy true Mercy Seat forever, he will bury them out of his sight in the grave of Oblivion forever. Therefore, O thou sin-burdened Soul, prop up thy fainting Spirit with these reviving Consolations.

2. Doubt: About the wrath of God. Alas (thinks the bruised Sinner and perplexed Saint) By mine audacious rebellions against God, Christ, and the Spirit of Grace, &c. I have woefully implunged myself into God's deep displeasure. I have been such a desperate enemy to God, that I have provoked God to be an utter enemy to me. I have made myself a Butt for all the Arrows of his Threats, Curses and Judgments which are denounced in his Book. I cannot look up to him, but as to an angry •… in-revenging Judge, as to a Consuming fire. I am consumed with the burning heat of his indignation, For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my Spirit: The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. His wrath lieth hard upon me, and he afflicteth me with all his waves. My Conscience is full of horror! I tremble day and night: I am afraid of Darkness and Solitariness, lest God should turn Satan loose upon me: when I sit down to eat, when I lie down to sleep, when I bow down to pray, &c. me thinks the wrath and curse of God is still pursuing me and ready to overtake me. O wretch that I am, while I suffer his terrors, I am distracted.

Resolution. O why dost thou thus cast down thyself? and why is thine heart thus disquieted within thee? Once more cast an eye upon the •… ormer Consolation; I will be propitiously-merciful to their unrighteousnesses, and their sinful-errors, and their unlawfulnesses will I remember no more. Here thou art assured, 1. That, the Lord himself will Freely, Fully and Finally Pardon and Obliterate all sorts and degrees of thy sins, if thou wilt but accept this Pardon, this Promise. And if sin be pardoned, The storm of God's wrath is over. Where God remits the sin: he remits also the pu •… ishment. Comfort ye, Comfort ye, my people. Speak ye to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her war-fare is accomplished, that her sin is pardoned. Where sin is pardoned, God's wrath is removed; I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from him. Where sin is pardoned, the sinner is justified and at peace with God; Being justified by Faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Canst thou believe God's pardon here promised? then, all God's wrath is turned into love. 2. That, God will pardon thy sins, upon satisfaction of his wrath and justice for them in Christ. I will be propitiously-merciful to their unrighteousnesses: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , I will be propitious, I will be pacified, &c. The word (as was formerly noted) hath reference to Christ's Propitiation, whereby God is so fully satisfied and appeased forever, that there needs no more offering for sin while the world stands. This one Sacrifice of Christ hath more pleased and pacified God, then all the Levitical Sacrifices whatsoever. The stream of Christ's most precious blood, hath quenched the flame of God's wrath forever, to all that will accept Christ by believing. Be of good cheer therefore, Thy provocation of God's wrath is great: but Christ's pacification of God's provoked wrath is greater, for (by reason of the infiniteness of his person) it is infinite. Oh grasp this infinite Satisfaction: and then God cannot choose but have all thoughts of love, and peace, and fatherliness towards thee.

3 Doubt: About their gross ignorance of God, and of all the things of God. Alas! how should I be saved that know nothing of God, nor of his ways, I am altogether blind, sottish, inapprehensive, incapable of discerning spirituals: they are hidden Mysteries, Riddles, Paradoxes to me; I know not what they mean. O what shall I do, When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance of them that know not God.

Resolution. O thou ignorant and dark soul, God hath promised here also to open thine eyes, and give sight to the blind. Look into this New Covenant: Theres a sufficient Remedy; And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord; For all shall know me from the least, to the greatest. O what an Antidote against a blind, dark, blockish understanding! What an admirable knowledge of God, for sort, for degree, for extent, is here promised! Wash the eyes of thy understanding daily with the Spirits of this Promise, and see if the scales of ignorance shall not by little and little fall away. 1. The sort of the knowledge of God here promised, is more then Human; Its not such as everyone may teach his neighbor or brother, touching God: Therefore it must needs be Divine, such as God teacheth, touching himself. God will teach thee, God will anoint thee with eye-salve that thou mayest see, God will open thine understanding: he will anoint thee with the Holy Ghost, that annointing that shall teach thee all things. He will so teach thee, as man cannot teach thee, as flesh and blood cannot teach thee. He will illuminate thee, he will shine into thine heart, he will give thee a saving experimental knowledge of himself: He will so teach thee, as to make thee come to him, and come to Christ, and taste how pleasant the Lord is. No knowledge in the world can 〈◊〉 with such Knowlege of God, and of the things of God, as God himself will vouchsafe thee. And usually when God first converts a sinner to himself, he then most observably opens his eyes and turns him from darkness to light; then he rubs off the scales of ignorance, recovers sight to the blind touching God and Spirituals, that (like a prisoner brought out of a most darksom dungeon into the bright Sun-shine) he thinks himself as in another world. Then a man begins to know God and the things of God, to his own and others admiration. Here God assures such a sort of knowledge unto thee. 2. The degree of the knowledge of God here promised, is not only an initial, elementary, ABC-knowledge of God, according to first principles and fundamentals; as the Jews knowledge for the most part was, the Church being then till Christ, as a child under age, under Elements and Rudiments: but a more ripe, perfect and plenary knowledge of God, penetrating into the abstruse, secret and excellent mysteries of godliness. This is notably insinuated (thinks Calvin ) in that phrase; Know the Lord; which seems to denote the first rudiments of Faith, or celestial Doctrine, taught them by others, in the time of the Old Testament. But now the Federates under the New Covenant shall comparatively need no such elementary instruction, their knowledge shall attain such Maturity and perfection; God will make them Scholars in a higher form, &c. As for kind, so for degree, they shall be taught more perfectly. 3. The Extent of this knowledge to all the Federates; All shall know me from the least to the greatest. That is, This New Covenant-knowledge shall be very General and Universal to all sorts and degrees of Federates, small, and great, in comparison of the knowledge that was under the Old Covenant, which was but narrow and confined to the Jews, an handful of people to the Gentiles. As to this knowledge, No man's greatness shall help him, No man's meanness shall hinder him. The Spirit of God shall be poured forth so plenteously, that the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea. Here then God undertakes, To Instruct all sorts of his Federates, even the meanest of them, and consequently to teach thee that art so ignorant and incapable; To give them a sort of knowledge more then Human; To afford them a degree of knowledge more then Elementary, usual in former times: wherefore yield up thyself to God to be his Disciple; Despise not his word, Grieve not his Spirit; Then that God, that caused light to shine out of darkness, will shine into thine heart, with the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

4. •… oubt: About the deadness, hardness, deceitfulness and manifold vileness of their own hearts. Ah (thinks the wounded and perplexed soul) I have a most vile and naughty heart: its as hard and dead, as intractable and inflexible, to any good, as a very stone. How deceitful, How crooked, How rebellious, How unbelieving, How impenitent, How abominably wicked is it? Is it possible that any in the world should have so bad an heart, as I have? How can any of my thoughts words or works, How can any of my Prayers or Religious Services, be good or acceptable in the sight of God, which flow from so corrupt a fountain?

Resolution. Its most true, an unbelieving impenitent, rebellious, dead, hard stony heart, is a very vile heart: and naturally every man hath such an heart. But in this New Covenant God hath provided an excelleent and effectual cure for such a distempered heart;— I will give my Laws into their mind, and write them upon their Hearts, Heb. 8. 10. Note here three things, viz. God's Inscription of his Laws in their Mind and Hearts. His Preparation of the Mind and Heart for such Inscription. The Hearts Temper and Disposition after such Inscription. 1. God's Inscription of his Laws in their Mind and Heart. The Minds and Hearts of all by Nature are vile and naught: But the Laws of God are Holy, and Just, and Good: And these Laws God (who hath absolute Command, Sovereignty and Dominion over all men's Minds and Hearts,) will inscribe in these Hearts and Minds. Mark, God doth not write his Laws in their Minds and Hearts because they are good; but that they may be made good. An holy Law shall be written in an unholy Heart, to make it Holy; A just and straight Law, in an unrighteous and crooked Heart, to make it straight and righteous; A good Law in a bad Heart, to make the bad Heart good. The Laws of God shall be given and written in the Mind and Heart, that the Mind and Heart may have better Principles, Rules and Directions supernaturally, then ever they had naturally. And God's writing will be, ( ¹ ) Most gratuitous, without, yea contrary to desert, I will give,—I will write; his own mere will and good-pleasure is the cause why it shall be done: ( ² ) Most efficacious, he can make the heart take what Inscription and Impression he pleaseth: (3) Most advantageous, There shall be a draught of his own Laws delineated upon them. 2. God's Preparation of the Mind and Heart for this Inscription. This is implied and presupposed. When God saith, I will write my Laws, he implies, that he will fit and prepare the Heart for this writing. Mans Heart by Nature is extreme uncapable of God's writing, being so blurred and blotted with contrary Laws, so stony and obdurate. God therefore prepares the Heart for his own Laws: ( ¹ ) Partly by obliteration of all contrary Laws. The Law of Sin, The Law of the Members, The Law and Lusts of Satan, &c. These are contrary Laws to the Laws of God, they cannot be written both at once on the same Hearts; therefore, as in Table-books we first wipe out the old writing, ere we can write new, so God first wines out these old abominable Laws and principles out of the Heart, by Self-denial and Repentance, and then writes his own blessed Laws there. ( ² ) Partly, By Mollification and softening the Heart that it may take God's impression: till the heart be softened it will take no Spiritual Stamp, but afterwards it will receive any. God therefore takes away the heart of stone, and gives an heart of flesh. 3. The Hearts Temper and Disposition after such inscription of God's Laws therein, is universally conform to God's Laws written therein: Theres a Law withi •… answerable to God's Law without: The temper and disposition is now Holy, Just, Good, Spiritual, Heavenly. As the wax answers to the Seal, as the Printed characters answer to the stamp: So the heart and mind Answer to God's Laws, to Act or Omit, as God shall please. Then the heart bends towards the will of God, willingly, delightfully, sincerely, universally, constantly. If the heart be never so bad before; now all is mended by God's writing his Laws there. And therefore put thine heart into God's hand, beseech him, To prepare it for this writing, By Obliteration, By Mollification; To write his Laws therein; To make it Conform every way to his Laws and will: and then thou shalt have an holy, a good heart indeed. And all this God hath Covenanted to do.

5. Doubt. About the want of all spiritual Excellencies Abilities & Duties which might commend them to God. Alas (saith the bruised Soul) If I had any spiritual beauty & loveliness, if I had any true worth and excellency in me, If I had any Strength or Ability to believe, to repent to love and obey him, to resign up myself sincerely unto him: then I might draw near to him, then I might lay hold of his N. Cov. and of Jesus Christ therein, then I might hopefully wait for his acceptation of me: but I have no such thing in me, a poor, worthless, useless, strengthless creature. Ah, what shall I do, that I may be saved?

Resolution. To this I reply divers things, viz. I. Thou thinkest thou mightest come to God, and accept his Covenant, his Christ, &c. if thou hadst a spiritual excellency and worth in thee, &c. Alas poor Soul! Dost thou think, thou mayest not draw near to God and to this Covenant, without a Bribe? Dost think Christ Jesus will not be had, without Money and without price? Thou art quite mistaken. Dost thou thirst after him, dost thou earnestly desire him, and long for him? Then thou art one, whom he bids come to the waters: yea though thou hast no money, yet thou mayest come, buy and eat, yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price. God doth not sell himself, his Christ, his Covenant, his favors, his Salvation to the Sinner; but he gives all these freely. He doth not bring a Sinner into Covenant with himself, because he finds him excellent and worthy: but by bringing him into Covenant, of vile & unworthy he makes him excellent and worthy. If thou stayst from God and his Covenant, till thou beest worthy: thou shalt never come while the world stands. Accept & lay hold of this Covenant, and this Covenant assures thee, that God will write his Laws in thine heart, will make thee know the Lord, will forgive and forget all thy sins, will be thy God, and thou shalt be one of his people; and all this because he will do it; not for anything in thee, but for his own sake, for his Christ's sake. And these, these are the things that will make thee excellent & worthy indeed. Doth the patient come to the Physician because he is sound? or nor rather because he is sick: that he may be sound? Doth the beggar cry at the rich man's door, because he is full and well clothed, or not rather because he is hungry and naked: that he may be fed and clothed? And hast thou forgot Christ's saying: The whole need not the Physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to Repentance? II. This New Covenant, embraced by thee, will furnish thee with all Spiritual sufficiency and ability for Duties: as well as with spiritual excellencies. Hence thou shalt be enabled, To believe, To repent, To Obey, To do and be anything that God shall please. In his explicit. Promises of Mercy and Sufficiency of Spirituals to thee, thou hast his implicit Promises of thy Duties and Performances to him. He undertakes for both Parties: for himself, to give thee Mercy and ability: for thee, that thou shalt perform Duty to him from that Mercy. As, 1. That, Thou shalt know him: Because his Laws shall be in thy mind, and all shall know him. 2. That, Thou shalt believe in him and in Christ. 3. That, Thou shalt Repent sincerely of all thy sins. 4. That, Thou shalt love and obey him uprightly: and all because he will write his laws in thy mind and heart; which act of Grace will abundantly furnish thee and incite unto all these performances, that thou canst not choose but do them delightfully, because his Law is in thy heart, in thine inwards: 5. That, Thou shalt resign up thyself unto him acceptably: because thou shalt be one of his people. Thus thou art not to contrive so much to bring Ability and Duty to this New Covenant: as to fetch and derive all ability and duty from this New Covenant. Though this New Covenant find thee empty: it will send thee full and rich away.

6. Doubt. About the great distance betwixt them and God, them and Christ. For thus thinks the bruised and perplexed heart: Although I be now somewhat satisfied and quieted with all this that hath been spoken, yet there is such an infinite Distance and disparity betwixt God and me, Christ and me: that I tremble and quake to think of approaching near unto him, or his Covenant. For, He is the Holy, Holy, Holy JEHOVAH: I am a sinful lump of defiled dust and ashes: He is all light, and in him is no darkness at all: I am all darkness, and in me is no light at all, in me dwelleth no good thing: He is all Life: I am all deadness, sinful deadness: He is all beauty: I am all Deformity: He is all Majesty: I am all Meaness: He is all Might: I am all Weakness: He is all Justice: I am all Guiltiness: He is a Consuming fire: and I as dry stubble before a devouring fire: and will this great, this glorious, this infinite God cast an eye upon such a worm, such a dead dog, such a filthy dunghill of corruption as I am? How should I expect it?

Resolution. True: The distance, the disparity betwixt God and a Sinner, betwixt Christ and a Sinner is infinite: and God knows this most exactly: yet notwithstanding all this distance which he perfectly observes, God tells all poor sinners that will embrace his New Covenant and Promises thereof: And I will be to them for a God, and they shall be to me for a people. As if God had said: I will not stand upon any terms of Distance and Disparity betwixt myself and poor Sinners, though it be infinite: but I will pass by it all, it shall not come into Consideration with me, to exclude them from my New Covenant: For, I will not disdain to be theirs, Nor will I be ashamed to account them mine, I will condescend to them, I will deal familiarly with them in a Covenant-way, I will contract and Marry them unto myself, there shall be an indissoluble Relation stablished betwixt us: All that I am and have shall be theirs, And all that they are and have shall be mine. And all this, because so it pleaseth me. O glorious Promise! O blissful enjoyment! What can God Promise beyond himself: what can a poor Soul enjoy beyond, or equal to God? Oh said Austin: What is better then this Goodness: What is▪happier then this happiness? If God will not Object this distance against afflicted Sinners: why should they object it against themselves? Close then with God, O trembling Soul, and say to him: Behold the servant of the Lord, be it unto me even according to thy word.

7. Doubt. About the Difficulty and seeming impossibility of ever obtaining any Assurance of their Salvation. But alas (saith the wounded Sinner & perplexed Saint) though God should forgive my Sins, Remove his Wrath, Heal the blindness of my mind, cure the vileness of my heart, Furnish with Spiritual sufficiency and Ability, and become a Covenant-God unto me; though I say, God should do all this for me; yet if I have no Assurance hereof unto myself, if I have no evident discovery hereof within myself, what comfort or advantage can I have thereby? If Christ would audibly say to me as once to Zacchaeus, This day is Salvation come to this house; Or as once to the Palsy-man, and to the penitent woman; Thy Sins are forgiven thee: Or if Christ would disclose the certainty of my Salvation unto me by an Angel, by some voice from Heaven, by Revelation, or by some Miracle: Then I should walk sweetly and cheerfully in the joy of his Salvation, then I should run with patience and triumph the race that is set before me. But alas I am wholly swallowed up with doubts, fears, jealousies and sad apprehensions, that I am still in a lost and reprobate condition: I would not care what I did do, or endure: what I should gain, or lose; whether I should live or die: so I might but have a certain assurance of mine Eternal Salvation. But is it ever possible, that such Assurance should be rooted in my Staggering and Unbelieving Soul?

Resolution. To this also I reply: I. That, This New Covenant is so laid down in these Promises, as (being judiciously improved) may be a strong foundation of this desired Assurance to a perplexed Soul. For, 1. In his New Covenant here are four excellent Topics or Common-places of Assurance▪ viz. ( ¹ ) The Divine Inscription of God's Laws in the Heart: ( ² ) The Supernatural Knowledge of the Lord: ( ³ ) The gratuitous Remission of all Sin: ( ⁴ ) And the grand Covenant-Relation unto God. He that upon Good grounds can discover, These Laws of God written in his heart by the finger of God, This Knowledge of the Lord shining in the Mind by supernatural instruction, This Remission of Sin through the blood of Christ sprinkled upon the Conscience by Faith, And this Covenant-Relation and mutual interest established betwixt God and the Soul: He, I say, that can solidly discover in himself these things, may undoubtedly Assure himself of his own eternal Salvation: forasmuch as these New Covenant benefits, are in effect one and the same with effectual Vocation, Sanctification and Justification, which unquestionably determine in Glorification. 2. These Promised blessings of the New Covenant, are the peculiar and saving effects of Christ's Mediation, which as Priest, Prophet and King he enricheth all his Members withal. Now the enjoying of these peculiar and saving fruits of Christ's Mediation, is an undoubted evidence of the enjoyers endless Salvation. 3. All these grounds of Assurance & evidences of Happiness, Promised in this New Covenant are therein most infallibly ascertained to every sincere Federate. Not by Revelation, Miracle, voice from Heaven, or Testimony of an Angel, (all which Satan might counterfeit, and so undo the Soul forever:) But by God's own immutable Promise and Covenant upon record in writing both in Old and New Testament, in which it is impossible for God to lie, which is ten thousand times more sure, infallible and unquestionable then all. Wouldst thou believe an Angel or a voice from Heaven? and wilt thou not much more believe unto all assurance, the everliving God himself, and this his more sure word of Prophecy? II. That, Sometimes the elect of God, in the pangs of their New birth, (when their own sins and the wrath of God have lain heavy upon their Souls,) have so intensively desired, so fervently longed for this blessed Assurance of their Salvation, that they have wished earnestly for some extrardinary and miraculous expressure from God to that end, that their assurance of their Salvation might be past all possibility of Doubt or Question. But this Desire of theirs might possibly arise: 1. Partly, from their ignorance of, and unacquaintedness with, The Holy Scriptures, and the ways of God. They not understanding (in their Infancy of grace) what abundant unquestionable and infallible foundations of assurance are treasured up and provided for God's People in the Sc •… iptures: And how the Lord is never wont to work extraordinarily in Temporals or Spirituals, when his Ordinary Provisions are sufficient and abundant. 2. Partly, from the Subtilty of Satan, who might cunningly put young beginners in Grace, to seek for Assurance by Miracle or extraordinary unwarranted ways: that so he might take the advantage of their disapointments, to drive them to dispair, Saying, You see God will give you no Miracle, no voice from heaven to assure you of your Salvation, and therefore you are but reprobates and castaways, only to expect damnation. But at last they have comfortably overcome these infirmities and Temptations, upon further experience in the Mysteries of Christianity: and by judicious comparing the Holy Scriptures and their own hearts experiments together, have been invincibly established in Assurance of their Salvation, and in sweet Peace with God in Jesus Christ.

VI. That, These New Covenant-Promises are so expressed, as virtually to contain in them, The Agreement and Difference betwixt the Old and New Covenant, yea the Prehemineuces of the New above the Old. This Agreement, Difference, and Preeminence may thus in brief be evinced, from the words of the Covenant.

1. The Agreement betwixt the Old and New Covenant, for the Substance of them, is expressed in two Particulars especially, viz. 1. In the Sum and Glorious Abstract of the Covenants; I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a People. This is the Sum of both Old and New Covenant in express terms. 2. In the Laws of this Covenant promised to be written in their Hearts; And I will give my Laws into their minds, and write them in their Hearts. What Laws? Even the same Moral Laws which were given for a Covenant to Israel at Mount Sinai, which was the Old Covenant. God doth not say (as Calvin excellently observes) I will give another Law: but I will write my Law: viz. the same which was anciently given to the Fathers. He speaks of a Law of his that was famous, eminent, well-known amongst them: which best agrees to that Moral Law, which is as an Abridgement of the Scripture.

2. The Difference also betwixt the Old and New Covenant is here purposely expressed, and this, More Generally, and more Particularly. I. More Generally, in those words; I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah: Not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, &c. Here the Lord plainly declares in the General, that he would make A New Covenant with them, which should be another manner of Covenant, a very different Covenant from that Old Covenant. II. More Particularly▪ He states this Difference in three Points expressly, as Calvin hath very well noted, viz. 1. In the Inscription of God's Laws. In both Old and New Covenant there is a writing of God's Laws: but, In the Old Covenant they were written in Tables of stone, In this New Covenant upon the fleshy Tables of their Mind and Heart. That, was only a literal and ineffectual writing, that shown Duty▪ but gave no Ability: This, is a spiritual and efficacious writing, that affords Ability for the required Duty. 2. In the Instruction of the Federates. In that Old Covenant they had mostly an Human Instruction, and that but in Principles of the Knowledge of the Lord; they were Alphabetarians, children under age, capable only of Elements and Rudiments. But under this New Covenant the generality of the Federates have a more then Human, even a Divine Teaching promised them touching the Lord, they are come to age, shall be put up into an higher Form, and have in sight into higher mysteries. 3. In the Ablation or taking away of Sins. In the Old Covenant there were many Sacrifices for expiation of Sin which were repeated every year, every day, being unable to take away Sin, but rather becoming renewed Remembrances of Sin, year by year, day by day: But in this New Covenant, Christ by that one Sacrifice of himself once offered, and never to be repeated, hath purged away the Sins of his Elect forever, So that they shall need no more Sacrifice for expiation, and that God will remember them no more.

3. The Preeminence of the New Covenant also above the Old, doth stand in all those three points of difference fore-expressed: In all which this New Covenant far excelleth. But of this more hereafter in the General Inferences.

VII. That, All these New Covenant Promises are wholly grounded upon the mere grace and good pleasure of God's will in Jesus Christ alone. The Covenant▪ Expressions evince: 1. That, All these Promises are founded upon the mere Grace and good-pleasure of God's will. Because God's will is still declared as the Cause of God's making them: — I will give my Laws.—I will write them.—I will be their God.—They shall be my people.—All shall know me.—I will be merciful,—I will remember no more. Heres no Cause, no Reason, no Motive at all drawn from the House of Israel or Judah, from the Federates themselves, but all from God. 2. That, All these Promises are also gratuitously made in Jesus Christ alone, and with reference to his Meritorious Mediation. Partly, Because All these Promised blessings have an excellent suitableness and Answerableness to Christ's Priestly, Prophetical and Kingly offices: as hath been already shown. Partly, Because Remission of sins and justification here freely promised by God to his Federates, and laid down as a ground why God will perform all the fore-promised blessings, hath a special reference to Christ's plenary Satisfaction of God's justice for the sins of all his Elect, whereby God is appeased and pacified towards them forever.

SECTION III.

THirdly, Having Analytically explained the words wherein the Prophet and Apostle describe this New Covenant, and having unfolded such Generals as much conduce to the right understanding of the Matter of the New Covenant; Now in the last place I shall proceed to the Opening of the Matter of the New Covenant; More Particularly, and this with the greater evidence and perspicuity.

THE MATTER or Substance of the NEW COVENANT, as here described by Jeremiah and Paul, is wholly contained in Promises. Heres nothing else expressed, Not one Precept or Commandment, not one Threatning; but all Promises, And those Promises from God unto his Federates. Yet these Promises are not mere Absolute Promises, as some others are; but Conditional Promises, having implicitly in them certain conditioned Duties which the Federates should perform towards God, Answerable to his Blessings Promised unto them. Explicitly these Promises contain God's Covenant-Mercies to his Federates: Implicitly they also contain the Federates Duties towards God. This must needs be so; 1. Because, These Promises here laid down are Covenant-Promises. God calls them, his New-Covenant; — I will make a New-Covenant.—But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord; I will give my Laws into their mind, &c. And whats this Covenant: but these Promises? Now all Covenant-Promises, in the Nature of them, are Conditional: either expressly Conditional, when the Condition is expressed; As Gen. 6. 18, &c. & 17. 1, 2, &c. Deut. 5. 2, 3, 4, 6, &c. Psal. 132. 11, 12. Or Implicitly Conditional, when the Condition required and expected on the part of the Federates is only implied. As Gen 3. 15. And here Heb. 8. 10, 11, 12. For in Covenants there is still a mutual Agreement betwixt the Federates upon certain Terms to be performed by each party. It cannot rationally be imagined, that God should be tied by his Promises, and his Federates altogether remain at liberty unobliged, for that would destroy the very Nature of a Covenant. 2. Because, The explanations of this New Covenant, in the Books of the New Testament, do express the conditions required and to be performed by us towards God, which in this Description of the New Covenant are only implied: As, Knowledge, Faith, Repentance, New obedience, Self-resignation to God, &c. As hereafter in the second Aphorism of this Section will more at large appear. Now God's explanations of his New Covenant, are (next unto the Description of the body of the Covenant itself) the best discovery and indication of the Nature of the Covenant, both in regard of God's Promises and Stipulations, and of his Federates Restipulations.

Now therefore, THE MATTER of this NEW COVENANT consists, 1. In certain Mercies or Blessings therein promised expressly on God's part to his New Covenant-Federates. 2. In certain Duties therein implicitly here required from, and restipulated by the New Covenant Federates unto God. These two I shall lay down and explain in two distinct Aphorisms.