Elisij Campi, A Paradise of Delights: or an Elixier of Comforts. Offered to BELIEVERS, In two short Discourses OF  

I. The Confirmation of the Covenant from Heb. 6.17.18.  
II. The Donation of Christ from Romans. 8.32.   
By R. W. Minister of the Gospel and sometime Preacher at Tamerton-Foliot, in the County of Devon.  Gen. 17.7. 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 to thee and to thy seed after thee. 2. Cor 5 2●. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him. Colos. 3.11. Christ is all. 
London Printed by S. G. and B. G. and sold by John William's Bookeseller in Plymouth. 1672.   

To the Virtuous and Pious, my beloved, honoured friend Mrs. ELIZABETH CALMADY,. Wife to the Worship. Worthy, and much honoured Josias Calmady, of Langdon, in the Parish of Wenburie, and County of Devon, Esquire.  
Grace, Peace and comfort and all Covenant blessings be multiplied with, and through Christ Jesus.  
Much Honoured, and beloved in the Lord,  
Such as I have, I give, had I any thing of more worth, to present you with, you should have it, the best is due: and I desire to be honest.  
Poor Ministers have nothing else, wherewith to requite their obliging friends, but prayers and Books.  
But why say I nothing else: This, as it is an honest requital, so, may be a meet compensation, Prayers ascend, and mercies descend upon him that prayeth and upon those that are prayed for, the prayer of Faith can do much with God, fetching blessings from Heaven, Prayer (saith one) is the Christians hand, 
Oratio justi clavis caeli, ascendit precatio, & descendit Dei miseratio.  that reacheth to Heaven, and taketh every good thing out of God's Treasury: The effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 
Jam. 5.16   
Now any Grace-gift from God, or blessing of his love, any Spiritual gift obtained by prayer is incomparably better than any thing that man hath to give, so that a poor Christian who hath an interest in God, and acquaintance with him may be so far beneficial to his greatest benefactors, as to oblige t●em.  
Books there are in this Scribbling age, many (more than a good many,) some filthy, some frothy, and frivolous; some Heterodox and pernicious, others, (however Orthodox, yet) rather w●r●ie then worthy: though there are (blessed he God) not a few, of great worth, and excellent useful of precious matter well clothed with words, set forth in a handsome dress, fitted for Edification, and for laudable, holy insinuation, to get within the Reader, for the conveying light into the understanding, and Spiritual life, and Heavenly heat into the heart and affections, prepared, and published, by men of much learning and piety.  
Now a good Book may (if good use be made of it) prove a good gift indeed, and of greater advantage than a great bag of gold.  
The prayers of many (I doubt not) as well as mine, an sent up to heaven for you; (The good God receive them, and answer them with a gracious and plentiful return of blessings upon your heart and head.)  
This little Book is (I hope I may say) sent from heaven to you, by the hand of an unworthy servant of Jesus Christ, in the work of the Gospel.  
Books (no doubt) you have many, and those good, yet this little one, added to the rest, may not make your store to be more than enough; and (for aught I know) it may be as suitable, as useful; and through divine grace as beneficial to you, as any other.  
The Wind bloweth where i●lisieth, the Spirit of God compared to the Wind hath his influence according to his own choice of means, choosing sometimes to blow in an oaten Pipe refusing a silver Trumpet, tha● the efficacy of the blast may b● ascribed to him, and not attributed to the instrument tha● he makes use of.  
The Lord accompany this Ink-work of mine, with the powerful working of his own spirit, to a great increase o● spiritual light, and life, an● strength, and warmth i● your soul, and to your establishment in Christ, and to the furtherance of your joy o● faith.  
Receive this gift from God thank fully, accept (I pray you) this labour of love, and ●rvice of debt, favourably from  
Your obliged, devoted friend and servant, ROBERT WINE. Eastlake in Devon. Aug. 24 1670.   

God's Covenant [OURS.]  HEB. 6. v. 17, 18. 
Wherein God willing more ahundantly to show to the Heirs of Promise the immutability of his Counsel, 
Text.  confirmed it by an Oath:  
That by two immutable things, wherein it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us.  
THe Author of this Epistle, 
Connection.  (the Apostle Paul) having in the latter end of the former Chapter sharply reproved the Hebrew; for their childish ignorance, doth in the beginning of this Chapter exhort them to an increase of knowledge, and to steadfastness in the Faith, and to fruitfulness in their Profession, and to a striving up to a full assurance of hope in a due exercise of Faith and Patience; propounding to them for their imitation, the example of their Forefathers, and asserting for their encouragement, the infallibility of God's Promise; so that there is not only a possibility, or probability, but a certainty of obtaining, if they be not slothful, but followers of them, who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises.  
Then he urgeth a special example of Abraham, showing  
1 What God did for, and t● Abraham; (he made him a Promise, and confirmed it with a● Oath.)  
2 What Abraham did with respect to God's confirmed Promise and what he found thereupon (he patiently endured, and the● he inherited the Promise.)  
Now in urging this great example of Abraham to enforce his Exhortation, he intimateth, that if they do as Abraham did, they shall find what Abraham found, and tells them, that they have the same assurance that Abraham had, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  viz. God's Word, and his Oath; These are the two immutable things wherein it is impossible for God to lie.  
And now in my Text this is evidently carried, that the confirmation of the Covenant to Abraham, was intended not for him only, but for all Believers, as Heirs with him of the same Promise; and that God gave the Promise to them, and swore to them in promising, and swearing to Abraham, that so by giving them his Word and Oath  
1 He might show the immutability of his counsel or purpose.  
2 We might have strong consolation: [We, who have stead for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us] i. e. on Christ, or on Life Eternal, the object of our hope, (this is a metaphorical description, or a paraphrase of Believers) so that this point lies clear in the Text.  
God's Covenant confirmed to Abraham, Doctr. is confirmed to all Believers to the World's end, (to all Abraham's Seed throughout their Generations.  
This Doctrine is clearly offered from the Text, for if the promise made to Abraham were not intended for, and belonging to Believers in after Generations, than the confirmation of it to Abraham had not tended to the consolation of New-Testament Believers, as here this is expressed to be the end of God's Oath to Abraham, that we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, etc. (this is (as I said) a description or paraphrase of Believers.)  
Now with respect to the Doctrine in prosecution of it: First, I shall hint something explicatorily: Secondly, I shall prove the point: Thirdly, I shall make some improvement of it by application.  
By way of explication, 
Explication.  I shall show 

1 What the Covenant is.  
2 How it is confirmed.  
3 Who are Believers to whom it is confirmed, who are Abraham's Seed, to whose consolation the confirmation of the Covenant tendeth.    
1 What this Covenant is. 

It's kind. 
The Covenant; what.   
It's substance.    
1 As to the kind of it, 
It's kind.  it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a Testament, or Testamental Covenant; wherein Legacies of Grace are bequeathed, wherein good things are freely given by God in and through Jesus Christ unto his people: It is called in Scripture, the Covenant of Promise, God's Covenant of Peace, the Covenant of God's love, a Covenant of Grace; it is a Covenant or Promise founded in Christ the Mediator, and a Testament that is put in force by the death of Christ the Testator; and this Testament or Covenant is an unchangeable dispensation, an everlasting Covenant.  

It's substance.  2. As to the substance of the Covenant, it is diversely expressed in Scripture, in the sundry branches or particular promises; but we have a very full account of it in few words, Genes. 17. where we find, that God's Promise or Covenant established with Abraham, and his Seed after him in their Generations, is this, That he will be a God to him, and to his Seed after him for ever. The expression is short, but very full and comprehensive, there could not be any thing more put into the Covenant, for nothing is excluded where God is included: Here is a promise of blessings Spiritual, Temporal, and Eternal. This short expression carries in it all the Covenant of Promise, which God gave from the first man to the manifestation of Christ; it is (as one saith) the Epitome or sum of the whole Gospel; it is God's promise of pardon and peace, of righteousness and life, of Justification, and Sanctification, and Salvation, of all grace and blessing here and hereafter. This is the substance of the Covenant, and it is substantial indeed, hath substance enough in it.  
How is this Covenant confirmed?  

Covenant confirmed, how?  It is confirmed by God's Word, and Oath, and Seals, and by the Death of Christ.  
1 We have God's Word, his written Word, to show for it; he hath given it us under his hand in many places of Scripture.  
2 There is God's Oath for the confirmation of the Covenant; his Oath to Christ, The Lord swore, 
Heb. 7.21.  and will not repent, thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedeek. The sense or meaning of that Scripture is this, God swore to Christ that his Priesthood should be for ever available and effectual for the salvation of sinners; that he would justify, and bless, and save sinners through him (according to the Covenant of Promise) accepting his Sacrifice for them; and there is God's Oath to Believers, 
Heb. 6.13, 14, 17.  in this Chapter as in the Text, so in the thirteenth and fourteenth verses.  
3 This Covenant is confirmed by God's Seals, both external and internal; external the Sacraments; Circumcision is called (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) the Seal of the righteousness of Faith, 
Rom. 4.11.  which is the great promise of the Covenant of Grace, and is Synecdochically put for the whole Covenant. The internal Seal is the Spirit, persuading and assuring our hearts of the truth of the promise, and of our interest in it.  
4 The Covenant is confirmed by the Death of Christ: He was appointed to be the Mediator of the Covenant, to mediate as a Surety, and he hath mediated by Blood, hath fulfilled the Law of a Redeemer, and fully answered his engagement of Suretyship; so that God cannot now in Justice withhold any thing that he hath promised to give, nor refuse to do any thing which he hath promised to do upon Christ his dying.  
Christ having died according to that agreement betwixt his Father and him, is to be satisfied for his dying, as well as by his death he hath satisfied his Father; now nothing will satisfy Christ but to have the end of his death, which is, that they for whom he died be justified and saved; 
Isai. 53.11.  He shall see of the travel of his Soul, and shall be satisfied: So that Christ his death makes the Covenant sure, without all question, to be performed.  
3 To whom is the Covenant confirmed? Our Doctrine saith, 
Covenant confirmed to whom?  to all Believers, the Seed of Abraham.  
Now, who are Believers interessed in the Covenant? to whose consolation the confirmation of the Covenant tendeth? Why? they are all such as have a true justifying Faith, 
To believers.  who are called the seed of Abraham, (are his spiritual seed) ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus; 
Gal. 3.26. ●9.  and if ye be Christ's, than a●● ye Abraham's seed, and Heirs according to the Promise: 
Rom. 4.16.  Therefore it is of Faith, (or through the righteousness of Faith, as v. 13.) that it might be by Grace, to the end that the Promise might be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the Law, but to that also which is of the Faith of Abraham, i. e. not only to the believing circumcised Jews, but also to the believing uncircumcised Gentiles.  
Now I shall show you what Faith is, and how it is evidenced, that you may understand who are Believers, Abraham his seed interessed in the Promise (not to mention the divers acceptions of the word Faith, nor the several sorts of Faith) it is a justifying Faith that we are speaking of, 
Faith, what.  the Faith of God's Elect, which is subjected in the understanding, and in the will.  
1 Faith in the understanding is a right apprehension and certain knowledge of its object, which is either general or special; general the whole Word of God; more special the promise of Grace, or the Gospel-promise of Remission, and Reconciliation, and Justification, and Salvation by Christ Jesus, or Christ put to death in the flesh, and quickened by the Spirit, with all the benefits of his Death and Resurrection. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.   
2 Faith in the heart and will, is a firm assent unto, and confidence and acquiescence in the promises of the Gospel, called a confident persuasion and assurance.  
What hath been hitherto spoke of Faith, amounts to this short definition; [It is a fiducial knowledge of the promise of Grace through Christ Jesus.]  
I shall now show you more distinctly in two or three particulars, what is carried in the notion of believing in Christ.  
1 It implies a knowledge and acknowledgement of Christ, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  appointed by God to be the Mediator between God and Man, and a clear assent to all Gospel Revelations concerning him the Saviour of sinners, touching his Person, and Natures, and Offices, and touching his Mediatory transactions, ●nd touching the necessary and sa●ing effects of his Mediation.  
This knowledge and acknowledgement are necessary and essential unto Faith, there must be Faith doctrinal and assertive, as a foundation of that which is fiducial and applicative.  
2 To believe in Jesus Christ, implieth an utter denial of any other Saviour or Saviour's, Mediator or Mediators, of any other way by which we may come unto God.  
3 It is not only a knowledge and acknowledgement of, and assent unto the Revelations of God concerning Christ the only Saviour, but it carries in it a fiducial receiving of Christ offered to us in the Gospel promise; this is formalis ratio fidei, the formality of true justifying Faith lies in this; there are these two things formally constitutive of such a Faith.  
1 An acceptation of Christ in the promise.  
2 The Souls innitency or recumbency on Christ received.  
This is truly and properly to believe on Jesus Christ; and they who have such a saith are true believers, the seed of Abraham, and heirs of the Promise.  
There is a carnal and a spiritual seed of Abraham.  
Carnal Professors that have not faith, or true grace, are the carnal seed; and such as do not only profess faith and repentance, but are also real believers, and truly gracious, are the spiritual seed.  
Now therefore that you may not be deceived in this great matter, (as we are alas too apt to deceive ourselves, and in danger to be deluded by Satan) that you may know whether you be believers, and may take comfort in the Doctrine which we are now handling, I shall ho●d forth to you a few of the properties and effects of faith, 
Faith, low evidenced.  which are evidential of the truth of it.  
True faith is a purifier of the heart, and of the conversation; Purifying their hearts by faith: 
Acts 15.9.  Faith purifieth as from the guilt 〈◊〉 sin, by receiving Christ his righteousness, so from the filth an● power of sin, by conflicting against corruption, and by degrees in●stering it, and working it out; 〈◊〉 very one that hath this hope (whic● is a concomitant of faith, 
1 Joh. 3.3.  and th● daughter of faith) purifieth himself, and the heart being purifie● the conversation will he suitable● Faith in the heart purifies it, an● reforms the life; he that trul● believes in Jesus Christ, washell his heart from wickedness, and 〈◊〉 careful to keep himself from th● defilements of sin.  
2 True faith is a living lively active faith that discovereth it se●● by action, setting the soul o● working, according to all the discoveries of the mind of Christ● and this it doth, because it is a loving faith. True believers tha● by faith have taken in the love o● Christ, are carried out in love t● such a loving Redeemer, who hath purchased them with his own precious blood, and are constraine● in themselves to give themselves up unto him, who gave himself for them; love sets the soul on work to keep his Commandments.  
3 Faith in Jesus Christ, acted on him, fetcheth virtue from him, to make the soul to grow in every grace, and increase in all holiness: Where Christ is made righteousness to the soul, by imputation of God's part, and by Faith's application on the souls part, there he is also sanctification by the influence of his Spirit, or an emanation of grace which Faith draws from Christ, to whom the soul is united.  
4 True faith acted on Jesus Christ, carries on believers to confess Christ, and to own his Institutions, and to stick to him in doing their duty, against all discouragement by trouble and persecution in the world, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you, 
Luc. 22.32.  as wheat is sified; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not, saith Christ to Peter; Peter's faith did not utterly fail, though it failed very much in the High-priests Hall, and fell (as I may say) into 〈◊〉 swoon; but certainly no fears o● dangers could have made Peter to deny Christ, had Faith been active and done its part: It was Faith that made Moses to choose reproaches and persecutions for Christ, rather than the glory of Egypt. Faith is our Victory, whereby we overcome the World, it being that which raiseth the soul above all the hopes and fears of the World: See faith's working in Paul, and what power it had to carry him on thorough sufferings for Christ: For the which cause also I suffer those things; 
2 T●m. 1.12  nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded, that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day.  
5 True faith is a joy-creating grace: The Apostle prays for the Romans, 
Rom. 15.12.  that they may be filled with all joy in believing: Joy is the Daughter of faith; when faith lays hold on remission of sins through the blood of Christ, the soul must needs rejoice in the Lord its Saviour, who hath delivered it from the guilt of sin, and the curse of the Law: Peace and Joy, in some degree, is an immediate fruit and effect of true faith acted on Christ.  
Thus I have finished the explication of the point, showing what the Covenant is, and how it is confirmed, and to whom it is confirmed.  
I come now to prove our Doctrine [That God's Covenant of Grace is confirmed to all Believers. 
Proof. ]  
You have seen the Position clearly grounded in the Text: See further proof; 
Gal. 3.29.  If ye be Christ's (the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, as ver. 26. if ye be believers) then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise: To Abraham and his seed were the promises made, 
Gal 3.16.  he saith not, and to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, that is Christ, viz. Christ complexive●● taken, and in aggregation; Chri●● in his Mystical Body, as you ha●● it expounded by the same Apost●● 1 Cor. 12.12. So also is Christ; 〈◊〉 you read the whole verse you wi●● easily see, that here we must understand Christ mystical, the Bod● of Christ his Church.  
The promises are made, th● Covenant is confirmed to all tru● Believers the Members of Christ.  
Now for application of the point; 
Applicat.  First, I shall draw up two or three inferences for information; next, I shall give out some words of exhortation or counsel: Thirdly, I shall close up all with a use of consolation. Use 1  
1 If the Covenant of Grace belong to Abraham's seed, 
Information. Infer. 1.  and to them only, then there is no Universal Redemption; for Christ is the Mediator of the Covenant only for those who are within the Covenant: Surely he did not undertake to mediate by blood, to die, that the Covenant might be made good to any but those whom God had included in the Covenant of promise: The Covenant of God's mercy is not by virtue of Christ his mediation fulfilled to any without God's donation, 
Commensurartur opera Trinitatis, Patris, in eligendo, filii in redimendo & Sp. S in convertendo.  and beside his intention, but God hath given the Covenant of his love only to a certain seed; therefore Redemption by Christ (which is clearly the great fruit and effect of Christ his mediation) belongs not to all, but only to a certain seed, God hath indeed given all things unto Christ, but not so as he hath given his chosen to him; 
Joh. 17.2.  Thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to all them whom thou hast given him. There is a world of men to be considered in contradistinction to those whom God hath given unto Christ to be saved by him; I pray not for the World, saith Christ, 
Joh. 17.9.  but for them which thou hast given me. (Surely Christ did not die for those for whom he would not pray.  
And whereas the benefits of Christ his death, are either more common, 
Permortem Christi, ad omnes aliqua bona, ad aliquos (electos scarosque solos) omnia bona per veniunt.  or else more special a●● saving; it is not to be denied, b●● there are some benefits of Chri●● death, in which any man may ha●● a share, but we grant not to eve● man a saving advantage by i● Christ died not for the redemption of all; we may, and do gran● that Christ died for all sufficiently but not for all efficaciously: The●● was merit enough in the Death 〈◊〉 Christ, his blood was a sufficient price for the redemption of all 〈◊〉 but as to the counsel and purpose● of God, intending and appointing Christ a Redeemer, and the death of Christ for redemption, and in regard of the real effect and fruit of Christ his death; so we deny the universal claim to it, the saving benefit of it is not extended to all.  
But it may not be amiss (by the way) to answer an objection or two against this great truth inferred from our Doctrine.  
Object. It is said expressly, Object. 1 
1 Tim. 2.6.  That Christ gave himself a ransom for all.  
Ans. 1. 
Sol. ●adem e●ectionis personalis, & redemptionis efficacis peripheria.  Either it is to be understood of the universality of God's ●●lect; for all God's chosen and covenanted one's he gave himself; ●●r)  
2 By [all] we are to understand not every individual person, ●●t every sort or rank of men, as 〈◊〉 is to be understood in ver. 1. and 〈◊〉 where it is said, that pray●s and supplications must be made ●●r all men; and that God will ●ave all to be saved. This is the ●postle's meaning, that God will ●●ve some of all kinds and all ranks ●●f men, and therefore his will is, ●hat prayers be put up for all sorts; ●nd thus v 6. he saith, That Christ ●ave himself a r●ns me for all. (or)  
3 Christ gave himself a ransom ●●r all, i.e. he paid a price sufficient for the redemption of all; ●or)  
4 It may be said, that Christ is ●n some sense a ransom for all, ●ut not in that sp●●ial sense, as he ●s a ransom for hi● people, (as a very able godly Divine makes out ●he difference) H● hath brought others under the conditional Gos●●● Covenant, that they shall be sav●●● by his death if they will believe 〈◊〉 but he hath brought the children promise under the absolute Gos●●● Covenant, purchasing for them 〈◊〉 condition of their receiving this bl●●sing, viz. the grace of Faith, 〈◊〉 the power to believe, as well as 〈◊〉 blessing promised, which is sal●●tion.  
Christ is said to be the Saviour 〈◊〉 all men, Object. 2 
1 Tim. 4.10.  especially of them that believe.  
This Text I conceive is fitly interpreted to be understood of G●● his providence in preserving a●● and providing for all, 
Sol.  yet with intimation of a special peculiar respect that God hath to believe●● even in temporal salvations, an● common preservations, and especially that God save them likewise with an eternal salvation. Th● context gives this sense; for 〈◊〉 had said before, that godliness ha●● the promises of the life which no●● is, and of that which is to come 〈◊〉 God's providence reacheth to a●● men in outward preservation, but ●he promise of Eternal Salvation ●s to believers.  
And as for all such Texts as speak of Christ his suffering for all, and his dying for all, doubtless they are to be understood (according to the School distinction) of the sufficiency of Christ's death, and not of the efficiency or efficacy of it.  
Well, here is the business, the Doctrine that we are prosecuting, overthrows that Assertion of Universal Redemption; for it cannot be thought, that by virtue of Christ's Death any should have the benefit of the Covenant of Grace unto whom God did not intent it, or that he intended it to any besides those whom the Scriptures speaks to be the subjects of the Covenant, or within the compass of it; so that the Covenant not being made of God to all, but only to a certain seed, it follows, that Redemption by Christ, which (being taken largely and according to the extent of it) is all spiritual grace and blessing both in this world, and in th● world to come; (and so is th● whole matter of the Covenant 〈◊〉 it follows I say, that this belongeth not to all, but only to a certain seed.  
This first great truth inferred from our Doctrine, is a point o● such consequence, that I thought fit to insist a while on the vindication of it; and now I conclude this with Augustine his plain determination and confident Assertion; Omnis qui Christi sanguin● redemptus est, homo est; non autem omnis qui homo est, Christi-sanguin● redemptus est.  
I come to a second inference.  
2 If the Covenant confirmed to us be the same which was made to Abraham, 
Infer. 2.  and by oath confirmed to him, than there is but one Covenant in substance, which runs thorough the Book of God, since the fall of Adam: Peter saith to the Jews, 
Acts 3.25.  Ye are the children of the Covenant which God made with Abraham. There is but one grand Covenant of promise given by God from the first man, to the manifestation of Christ, which is held forth to us under the Gospel, and shall continue without alteration.  
This is held forth to us in Psalm 105. 
Psa. 105 v. 8, 9, 10, 11.  He remembered his Covenant for ever, his Word which he commanded to a thousand Generations; which Covenant he made with Abraham, and his Oath unto Isaac, saying, Unto thee will I ●ive the Land of Canaan for an everlasting inheritance.  
This promise concerning the Land of Canaan (which may, as I think, with more colour than any other clause of the Covenant, be questioned whether it belong to the New-Testament) is said to be a Covenant for ever, a word commanded for a thousand Generations, and for all everlasting inheritance or possession.  
This must needs extend to the times of the Gospel, and by Canaan promised for an everlasting possession to Abraham's seed, we must understand all that of which Canaan and the good things thereof were a Type, viz. all the blessings of the New Testament Church, and of heaven itself.  
There is an oneness or sameness of God's Covenant given to Abraham and Believers in the Old Testament, and to Abraham's seed, believers in the New Testament; and though we read of a First Testament, 
Heb. 9.18.  as implying a second; and of a New Covenant, as standing in opposition to an old one; 
Heb. 13.24  yet this truth inferred from our Doctrine is not hereby shaken, for there is a various acception of the term Covenant, sometimes it is taken for the Covenant itself, and sometimes for the dispensation of the Covenant: Now we have not in the forequoted Texts, Testament opposed to Testament, but one dispensation is set against another, in respect of the different dispensation or administration the same Covenant is called Old and New.  
3 If the Covenant confirmed 
Infer. 3.  to Abraham be confirmed to Abraham's seed, to all his seed, and only to his seed, than the Seals of the Covenant appertain to this seed, and are limited to this seed, and belong in an extension to all this seed: The Seal is nothing without the Covenant, but together with the Covenant it is of great importance and necessary use, to confirm and ensure the Covenant where it is given: You know the use of a Seal in Covenants among men; when a Bargain, Grant or Covenant is made without fraud, and truly drawn up in writing, and signed and scaled, we account it sure; and the Seal for assurance goes along with that which is to be assured, and is nothing worth separated from the written contract or Covenant, and will do no good to him that hath nothing else to show.  
Now by the Seals of the Covenant of Grace, I understand the New Testament Sacraments, which are God's Seals confirming his Covenant to his covenanted one's.  
Divines do generally affirm the Sacraments to be seals of the Covenant of Promise; this is in the very definition, and it is the received Opinion, and concurrent judgement of the Orthodox, agreeable to the Word of God, that Sacraments are instituted to signify and seal up to us Gospel Grace, serving to strongthen our Faith in the promises, being seals of the Covenant of Promise.  
Now where God gives his Covenant, he gives his seal for confirmation; so that all in Covenant have a right to the seals or seal of the Covenant, and none but they; so that to give the seal to those that have no Covenant given them, is indeed to set a seal to a blank, (that which Anabaptists do frivolously urge against the baptising of Infants) and to deny the Seal where the Covenant is given is very injurious, and a great sin against God, and his covenanted one's.  
I do not now make it my business particularly and fully to declare how far the right to the seals extendeth, nor within what compass it is to be limited as to particular subjects, I do only now draw up a general inference from the Doctrine, inferring thence the extent of such a right to all Abraham's seed, and the limitation of it to this seed only, as having an interest in the Covenant; and my drift herein is, to show how our Doctrine and inference from it lays a clear ground for Infant Baptism, for the baptising of Infants in the Church of Christ: Baptism, the seal of the Covenant, belongs to Abraham's seed, who are included in the Covenant made with Abraham, and Heirs of the same Promise.  
But all Elect Infants in the Church are Abraham's seed, included in the Covenant of Promise: The Promise is to you, and to your children. 
Acts 2.39.   
Ergo Infants in the Church are to be baptised (Baptism being come in the room of Circumcision) as well as Infants in Abraham's time, and afterward in the Church of the Jews were to be circumcised upon account of Covenant Interest.  
And I pray mark this (which will serve to make good our Major Proposition) in Acts 2.39. The Promise is made the ground of Baptism, and the command to baptise reacheth as far as the Promise; Be baptised every one of you, for the Promise is to you, and to your children; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those that are brought forth by you; the word noteth children of each Sex, and every Age: Look to Genes. 17.9 and you shall find, that children are Abraham's seed, included in the Covenant, to whom the Token and Seal of the Covenant is to be given, 
Gen. 17.9.  Thou shalt keep my Covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee in their Generations. This command concerneth the same seed that is spoken of ver. 8. to which the promise is made; and that he there meaneth a spiritual seed, is apparent from the matter of the Promise, which is, Canaan to be an everlasting Inheritance to his seed; which everlasting Inheritance must be understood to be Heaven, which was figured by the earthly Canaan; and this is not promised to all Abraham's seed after the flesh, but to all his spiritual seed; so that the command of keeping the covenant lies upon all Abraham's seed throughout all Generations: And look I pray into ver. 10. This is my Covenant, etc. every Manchild among y●u shall be circumcised. Thou shalt keep my Covenant, i.e. shalt observe the Token of my Covenant (Every Manchild shall be circumcised) and you know that every child of eight days old was appointed to circumcision. Are not children here accounted Abraham's seed, included in the Covenant, to whom the token of the Covenant is to be applied by an express and strict command from God? And are not children of believers in Covenant now as well as then (the Covenant being given for an everlasting Covenant to Abraham and his seed) and is not the command of keeping the took of the Covenant still obliging to Abraham's seed; so that what is now the token of the Covenant, must be observed instead of Circumcision? as the token than was circumcising of the child, so the token now is baptising of the child.  
Well, here is the business, all Elect Infants in the Church are included in the Covenant or Promise; and so have right to the token and seal of the Covenant Baptism, and therefore are to be baptised upon account of Covenant Interest, and we are to baptise all the Infants of baptised Church members and visible Professors, because we are bound in the judgement of charity to judge of every particular Infant, that it belongs to the Election of Grace, and so is an Heir of the Promise, (though we cannot judge so of any with the judgement of certain●y.)  
2 I come now to a Use of Exhortation, 
2Vse. Exhortation  to give out some words of counsel,  
I Believe that which the Scripture clearly holds forth concerning this Covenant which we have spoken of. 
Couns. 1.   
I Believe that God hath made a second Covenant with man, 
Believe the Covenant.  a Covenant of Grace; since by his fall, by transgression, he cut himself off from God and happiness, and made himself uncapable of life by the first Covenant, which was a covenant of works; if this were not held forth in the word, than there were no consolation of the Scriptures, nor no ground of hope given to sinners in them: For the word speaks most clearly, that we cannot be justified and saved by a covenant of works, by the deeds of the Law; By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified: 
Rom. ●. 2●. Gal. 〈…〉.  The Scripture hath concluded all under sin; and under sin and death we must all lie for ever, were it not for the Covenant of Grace, wherein God freely offereth life and salvation by Jesus Christ unto sinners, upon condition of Faith and Repentance, which he hath promised likewise to give; woe, woe to all the Posterity of Adam, were there not such a Covenant of God's love and mercy, in which he hath promised righteousness and life eternal through his Son, to all those that receive him. This Covenant we must believe, or else we can have nothing whereupon rationally to build hope of salvation.  
2 Believe that all Abraham his spiritual seed, and none but they, are comprehended in this Covenant, favingly interessed in it.  
3 Believe the confirmation of the Covenant to all this interessed parties, by the written Word of God, and by his Oath, and by his Seals, and by the death of his Son, whose blood is called the Blood of the Covenant. 
Heb. 10 29.   
4 Believe that Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the Covenant, by whose mediation all the promised good is procured for us, and shall be performed to us; so that we must take up the Covenant, and the comfort of it, in and through him.  
This is the first counsel to persuade souls to believe the Covenant of Grace, and to yield a full assent to all that which the Scripture holds forth concerning it. Because otherwise they will never regard it, or look after it, nor can ever have any benefit by it: Suffer yourselves to be convinced of the misery of being out of this Covenant, 
Couns. 2. See the misery of being out of Covenant.  and of the necessity of being under it, and interessed in it, that you may have life and blessedness.  
Poor creatures that are out of this Covenant, are without God, and without Christ, and so without that which can relieve their misery by sin, and make them happy: What ever their enjoyments are in the world, how far is the soul from happiness, while it is far from God the Fountain of Blessedness? All good is comprehended in God, and all true happiness is comprised in our fruition of God; sin hath set us at the greatest distance from God, and so at the greatest distance from happiness: The Blood of Christ brings us near to God, and an interest in the Covenant of Grace, gives God to be our God, and so renders us happy.  
Truly, conviction in this case is most necessary, for a man will never seek that which he doth not know he hath lost, or which he thinks he may well enough be without; but a knowledge of our loss by sin, and a conviction of the necessity of r●finding what we have lost, will cause answerable affections: When a soul is convinced that it hath lost God, and lost happiness, will it not cry out, that it i● undone, and have a strong desire to recover this loss, and so seek an enjoyment of God in Christ above any thing in the world?  
3 Study the Covenant of Grace, 
Couns. 3. Study the Cov●nant.  labour for a clear understanding of it, that you may know its nature, its matter, its Author, its rise, its subjects, its privileges, its goodness and excellency, its necessariness, its perpetuity, its ends, and the condition of enjoying it.  
It is very sad, that whereas it concerns us as much as our souls are worth, to have a knowledge of and interest in the Covenant, yet people generally are ignorant of it, so that they understand not what it is, nor whence it is, nor why it is, nor what need they have of it, nor what benefit comes by it, nor to whom it belongs, nor upon what terms it is to be enjoyed, etc. Is this ignorance for want of means of knowledge? or is it an inconsiderable point, the knowledge whereof doth not at all, or very little concern us?  
Ah beloved! the matter is very weighty, and the knowledge of it very necessary, and the Revelations of God concerning it very clear; but here is the cause of men's ignorance, they will not be convinced of the necessity of this most necessary knowledge and interest, and so regard not to know the things that concern their everlasting peace.  
Oh how greatly doth it concern all souls, that in themselves are liable to death and damnation, to study God's gracious Covenant of Life and Salvation? If this were well studied by us, we should see more in it then we do, and should have more affection to it then we have, and should be more diligent and studious to apply it then we are; we should see it to be worth the laying hold on, and should not be so loath as we are to renounce lusts, profits, and pleasures, and vanities, (which our hearts are naturally in league with) that we may receive this Covenant of God's mercy concerning pardon, and peace, and all manner of blessings here, and eternal salvation hereafter.  

Couns. 4. Apply the Covenant.  Having studied this Covenant sofar, as to see the goodness, and the desirableness, and excellency of it, let desire be carried to it, and labour diligently to apply it.  
What is it to me that there is such a Covenant of God for the healing, and recovering, and saving of wounded lost destroyed sinners, if it belongs not to me? What comfort can the knowledge of that which is excellent and precious afford me, if I have no part in it? Therefore let me labour truly and thoroughly to apply this precious Covenant.  
This counsel hath two branches.  

1 Apply the Covenant truly.  
2 Apply it thoroughly and surely.   

Apply it truly.  1 Apply the Covenant truly; take heed of a misapplication, see that there be not any material error in applying the Covenant.  
Now I shall lay down some rules, 
Directions.  give you some directions for a right application of the Covenant.  
1 You must have eyes to see what you take, must not be ignorant of the Covenant which is to be applied; we say a blind man may catch a Hare (it is possible, though not probable) but a blind ignorant soul cannot apply the Covenant of Promise; as it is fabulously reported of Ixion, that he embraced a dusky dark Cloud instead of bright beautiful June: So do ignorant souls embrace the delusions of Satan, and the phantasms of their own deluded spirits, instead of the true real Covenant of Promise; therefore before I exhorted you to application, I advised you to study the Covenant of Grace.  
2 You must apply the Covenant, as God's Covenant of Grace offered to sinners.  
There are three specialties in this to be taken notice of.  

1 It is God's Covenant.  
2 A Covenant of Grace.  
3 A Covenant offered to sinners.   
1 It is God's Covenant, not man's; and seeing it is God's Covenant  
It is worth the laying hold on, for God doth not covenant to give to the Heirs of Promise small petty things, but great matters indeed: 
2 Pet. 1.4.  The Apostle saith, that God hath given us exceeding great and precious promises; such are the things promised to be given, exceeding great and precious. God gives like himself, gifts worthy the giver; God's Covenant of Promise is the riches and treasure of the heirs of promise.  
This is one consideration to draw us in to the Covenant, to make us desirous of it; it is worth the having.  
2 Seeing it is God's Covenant, we may be sure it shall be performed. A man's covenant with God or man may be broken, because either he may be unable to make it good, or he may prove false and deceitful: (and oh what falsehood is there found with men, and how common a sin is covenant-breaking?) but now we cannot question God's performance:  
1 Because there can be no want of power for the fulfilling of his Covenant; To thee, O Lord, 
Ps. 62.11.  belougeth Power. We are taught in the Lord's prayer to ascribe this unto God, Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power. God is Almighty, so that there cannot be any check given to his Power by the greatest difficulty that can be imagined; there is nothing too hard for God to do, nothing at all difficult to him: Hereby Abraham his Faith in the Promises was born up, because he was persuaded that what God had promised, 
Rom. 4.21.  he was able to perform.  
2 There can be no failing of God's truth and faithfulness; he is not as man, that he should lie, nor as the son of man that he should repent; 
Dent. 32.4.  The Lord is a God of truth.  
These considerations will make the soul desirous to apply the Covenant, when it considers, that it is God's Covenant, and a covenant concerning very great matters, and a covenant that shall surely be performed by the Almighty, faithful, unchangeable God. And as this consideration may serve to draw the soul to the Covenant, so it may give direction, and be helpful, respecting the right manner of applying it.  
1 If it be the Covenant of God, it is to be applied humbly, and with self-denial, and self-abasement; O Lord, I would have it, I desire to close with it, but truly I am most unworthy of it: Blessed and glorious God, what am I that thou shouldst tender to me the covenant of thy love?  
2 If it be God's Covenant concerning great and precious things that he will give, than it is to be applied earnestly: We are too earnest and greedy to catch at the things of the world (which we look upon as great matters, though they are not so indeed) Oh if we did understand the things which concern the wealth, and peace, and happiness of our souls, than we should be as earnest to lay hold on the riches of God's Covenant, the good things therein promised, which are great matters indeed.  
3 If it be the covenant of God Almighty, and unchangeable, who abideth faithful for ever, then apply it fiducially, without staggering at the promise, as being confident of the performance.  
Thus much of the first particular, (it is God's covenant.)  
The second specialty to be taken notice of in the second general rule of direction is this.  
2 It is God's covenant (of Grace) this is to be considered.  
Now this consideration will be of special use in the application of the Covenant. Nothing moved God at first to make this Covenant, but his own goodness, herein he expressed his love, and discovered his free grace, which was the ground of the Covenant; and truly that is it which carries it on to full accomplishment, by every step, and in every parcel of it: The whole business of saving from first to last, is merely of grace. Now see what a direction and help this will be in the application of the Covenant.  
1 If it be a Covenant of Grace, than we must go out of ourselves to take it, and must take it wholly as a Covenant of Grace: I say, we must go out of ourselves, i.e. we must be taken off from our own bottom, so as to have no confidence in ourselves, nor any conceit of our own worthiness; we must come off from our graces and duties, from our own righteousness, must have no Opinion of that, though the work of grace in us, clear to us, may be our warrant to apply the Covenant to ourselves, when we find this effect of the Covenant in our own souls, this condition of enjoying the promises, yet our graces and duties must not be looked upon, as giving us any right to it, or rendering us any way worthy of it; no, it must be a selfdenying application, taking it by Faith, as purely from grace.  
2 This consideration (that it is a Covenant of Grace) will help to carry on the self-judging, self-condemning soul, to an application of it.  
A precious sweet Covenant (saith a poor heart that hath a sight of its own sinfulness and vileness) oh it is a blessedness to have an interest in it, but I vile wretch am unworthy; what have I to do with the Covenant of the great and holy God? it belongeth to holy ones, to those that have better hearts than I have, and are more in duty than I am, and perform duties in a better manner than I do, and that have greater abilities to serve and glorify God.  
Now let such a soul consider the freeness of the grace of God in the Covenant: Dost thou judge thyself before the Lord, and mourn over the corruption, and carnality, and laziness, and barrenness, and deadness of thy heart? Dost thou bewail thy unworthiness and unprofitableness, and thy backwardness to holy duties, and thy miscarriages in them? Are thy sins thy souls burden, and thy weaknesses the matter of thy grief and complaint? Why? to thee the Covenant doth belong, which is a Covenant concerning Sanctification, as Justification, and a Covenant of Grace, holding forth the mercy and goodness of God to those that have need of it, and not to those that deserve it: The good God gives his Covenant as a [gift of grace] to all those whom he takes into Covenant; therefore let humble souls,  sinners arise, and go to God, who calls them, and holds forth grace to them in his Covenant.  
There is yet a third specialty in our second general rule of direction, which he that would rightly apply the Covenant must take notice of.  
3 This Covenant is a Covenant offered to sinners, to those to whom the poison of Adam's corrupted nature is propagated, and by whom much sin hath been acted, to such as are full of sin, and loaden with guilt, even to Publicans and Harlots, to a Manasseh, to a Mary Magdalen; God's Covenant is held out to such, if they come in by repentance, and bring Faith to lay hold on it: 
Isai. 55.7.  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of iniquity his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, for he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Paul tells the Corinthians, 
1 Cor. 6.9.  that some of them were Fornicators, and Idolaters, and Adulterers, and Covetous, and Drunkards, etc. but they are washed, and justified, and sanctified. Now this was Covenant grace, this was the performance of the Covenant to them. This is to be considered by those that have been great sinners, to keep them from presumption on the one hand, and from despair on the other hand.  
1 The Covenant is held out to sinners, not to proud self-admiring Pharisces, or presumptuous offenders, but to humble self-judging Penitents, to repenting sinners; If we do not see our selve● sinners, if we have not a d●● humbling sight and sense of sin we cannot apply the Covenant 〈◊〉 Grace.  
2 The Covenant is held out to sinners, even to the greatest sinners that repent; therefore let no● any self-judging soul despair o● receiving the mercy and grace o● the Covenant: 
1 Jo. 1.9.  If we confess o● sins, God is just and faithful to fu●give our iniquities, and to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness. Come to me all ye that labour, 
Mat. 11. 2●  and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  
Thus you see what use is to be made of this consideration, with respect to the application of the Covenant: it is a Covenant offered to sinners; therefore we must see ourselves to be sinners, and judge ourselves for our iniquities, that we may take it; and having a sight of our own unworthiness, and being wounded with the sense of sin, we must not out ourselves off from the Covenant, wh●se the Word of God doth not ●ut us off; as I willsay to the impenitent, secure, presumptuous sinner, Why meddlest thou with the Covenant? Hands off, it belongs not to thee; so I would say to any humble, mourning, penitent, self-judging sinner, Poor soul, why standest thou so far off? Behold, the Lord calls thee, and offers his grace to thee, therefore draw thou near, and lay hold on the Covenant of his mercy and love.  
You have seen a second rule that is to be observed by those who desire duly to apply the Covenant.  
Remember that it is God's Covenant of Grace offered to sinners.  
3 That you may not misapply the Covenant, or catch at that which belongs not to you, keep this in mind, That [God's Covenant is made only to Abraham, and his seed.] Now Abraham's seed, children of Promise, included in the same Covenant with Abraham, are (in general) all the Elect; but God's Election is a secret which cannot be known, à priori, but only by God himself, who alone knows who are his, yet we may have a knowledge of it à posteriori, when we find that we are called with a holy and effectual calling. Now I say you must apply the Covenant, as being Abraham's ●eed, finding a true work of grace in your hearts, the saving effects of the Covenant upon your souls, whence you may conclude your Covenant relation to God, and interest in his precious promises, or else you do not apply the Covenant truly and honestly, but unjustly, laying a false claim to it.  
4 As we must make God in his Covenant our end, so we must make Christ, as Mediator, our way; and therefore in applying the Covenant must look to him, and act Faith primarily on him, by whom the grace of the Covenant is purchased for us, and in and through whom it is conveyed to us; we must accept of Christ for our Lord and Jesus, that we may receive the Covenant of Grace, and Peace, and salvation through him.  
5 We must know, that the Covenant is propounded and offered conditionally, Faith and Repentance, and New Obedience, are the condition of Pardon and Salvation.  
It is certain none are saved but by Covenant, by a Covenant of Grace, but it is by the Covenant kept; therefore I must not think without any more ado, to take this Covenant to myself, not having any regard to the fulfilling of the condition of the Covenant in myself; where there is not Faith and Repentance, a true work of grace and holiness, there can be no right application of the Covenant.  
So much now as to the first branch of the fourth General Counsel, Apply the Covenant truly.  
2 Apply the Covenant thoroughly; 
Apply surely and thoroughly.  see that you make sure work of it, make sure to yourselves your Covenant interest.  
Seeing there is such a Covenant of Grace so precious, and so necessary for us, which belongs to the seed of Abraham, and to them only, why should we be content to live without assurance of our interest in it? They who are in Covenant, are for Heaven, and they that are out of Covenant, are for Hell. Oh how desirous should we then be, to be resolved and assured whether we be in Covenant or no? How can we think or speak of God with comfort, or without fear and trouble in our spirits, while we are uncertain whether he be our God or no, whether he be our friend or our enemy: Let us labour therefore to be at a certainty in this point; an infallible certainty of our interest in God's Covenant may be had: Oh let us strive to it.  
Now to quicken you in this case, to excite you to diligence in making up to a thorough application of God's Covenant, even to the full assurance of Faith, I shall hint to you something of the benefit, and comfort of assurance, the unspeakable advantage that hence accrues to the soul. 
Fruits of assurance.   
1 This assurance of Faith will sweeten to us all Providences, and every condition of life, 
2 Cor. 4.16, 17, 18.  while a Christian lives by Faith in a clear apprehension of the love of God, who hath made an everlasting Covenant with him, no outward changes can work any great change in his spirit, or make much impression pression upon him; assurance of God's love will make a Christian to sit down under changes, quietly and comfortably, with the Prophet Habakkuk rejoicing in the Lord, and joying in the God of his salvation.  
2 Assurance of God's love will sweeten to us our enjoyments in the world, be it more or less that we have of these things, if it be but a little Oil in the Cruse, and a hand-full of meal in the Barrel, assurance of a Covenant interest in God will make it enough to us, and render it good; for want of this poor hearts are full of fears, and cares, and discontents, even in the midst of abundance of outward things which they possess; but this (I say) will sweeten our enjoyments to us; for being assured of God, we know that what we have comes from love, and is a pledge of greater love, and is that which our God sees to be good for us, and is blessed to us.  
3 This assurance will give the foul boldness to come unto God, and make it familiar with him, and much sweeten and heighten Communion: This will fill us with comfort in our approaches to the Throne of Grace, when we can confidently call God, Father; Am I in great straits, or do I lie under some sore afflictions? is this, or that wanting to me? what a comfort is it now, that I have a God to go to, a God in Covenant with me that can secure and deliver me, that can supply my wants, and is able to do for me exceeding abundantly, above all that I can ask or think.  
4 Assurance of a Covenant interest in God, will take off the fear of Death; a true believer that applies the covenant with assurance of Faith, doth not put the day of Death far from him, as being loath to see it, and even afraid to think of it; no, but he desires to be dissolved, and to be with Christ; he knows that Death is Vltimus morborum medicus, that which cures all diseases, cures the Pride, and Covetousness, and Hardness, and Frowardness, and Unbelief, and sluggishness of the heart, cures the body of the Dropsy, Scurvy, Gout, Stone, etc. frees it from all diseases, pains, and griefs; he knows that Death will let him into a clear, full, and everlasting enjoyment of God, and therefore he is glad when his glass is run; whereas the awakened Soul, that hath no upprehension of an interest in God, cannot but be troubled at the thoughts of Death, and even affrighted at the grimm countenance of that King of Terrors; As one of the Kings of England once in his straits cried out, A Kingdom for a Horse, a Kingdom for a Horse; So will an awakened Soul cry out, when Death presents itself; Oh a Kingdom, a World, ten thousand Worlds, (if I had them) for assurance of an interest in the Covenant of Grace: but Oh, how comfortable and delightfully may an assured Soul think of Death, which is a passage to his everlasting rest and happiness, in the nearest, sweetest, fullest enjoyment of his God and Saviour for evermore.  
5. The thoughts of the Judgement to come will be sweet to those that have a known interest in the Covenant of Gods his love, for the Judge is their friend, their brother, their head, their husband, and the day of Judgement, 
Acts 3.19. Eph. 4.30.  shall be to them the time of refreshing; the day of their Redemption of their full Deliverance from all misery and corruption, the day of their public absolution, and perfect justification, and the time of the manifestation of God's love to them in the fullest measure.  
6. He that is certain of his interest in God's Covenant, is certain of his interest in Salvation, and so the thoughts of Heaven must needs be delightful to him while he is certain that it is the blessed rest prepared for him, the place of his everlasting abode in happiness yea, this assurance gives the Soul a present possession of Heaven, brings Heaven down (as I may say) into the bosom of a believer while he is upon Earth; Faith is the substance, 
Heb. 11.1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  (the subsistence) of things hoped for; it gives a real existence or being to that which is held forth in the promise; an assured Soul hath Heaven within it.  
Thus you see the benefit of assurance: some special advantages and comforts that thence accrue to the Soul, which should be a great inducement to put us upon care and pains to get it, doth it not bring a sufficient reward with it? Doth not the profit and comfort that comes by it, far exceed the greatest profit in the World, and the greatest comfort that Earth affords?  
Therefore, though the Covenant may be savingly applied by Faith, where assurance is not, yet let us strive to assurance, that we may live and die comfortably, in assurance of God, his everlasting love towards us in Christ Jesus.  
Now I shall show you, how assurance may be attained, and how it may be discerned from presumption.  

Way to assurance.  1. Concerning the way and means to attain assurance.  
We must be much in exercising and acting all Grace, must be diligent in trading with our stock of Grace, that we may attain to the riches of assurance, 
Col. 2.2.  as the Apostle calls it; The diligent hand maketh rich.  
That we may have comfort and assurance, we must beware of negligence, and sluggishness, and laziness in duty, and of remisseness in the exercise and actings of Grace. True is that which a reverend Doctor (now with God) hath told us in a Treatise of his. That it is the lazy Christian commonly that wants assurance: and, that the way of painful duty is the way of fullest comfort.  
Sloth and idleness stops the fountain of comfort, causeth Christ to withhold his comforts; Parents are not wont to smile, but frown upon their Children, when they are negligent and careless of their duty, and neglective of their observance toward them.  
All the honour that God hath from us, is from the exercise and actings of Grace; and the more we strive to honour God, the more will he comfort us with the manifestations of himself, and the revelations of his love in our hearts; Active Christians shall have most of God's love, and of the manifestation of his Grace to them; He that hath my Commandments, 
Joh. 14.21.  and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be beloved of my Father, and I will love him, and manifest myself t● him.  
Again, sloth and negligence causeth want of peace and comfort for this reason, because Grace is not sensible, apparent, and evident to the Soul, but in the exercise and actings of it; as the fire that is in the flint is not discernible, till you smite and force it out: In acting Faith upon Jesus Christ, and the promises of God, and in acting love toward God and Christ, you will know that you have the grace of Faith and Love; will know that ye believe, and that ye love God, and so will know that God loveth you; for we love God because he loved us first, and our believing is a fruit of the promise of Grace.  
2. We must be much in the application of the Covenant with a faith of adherence and innitency, cleaving to the promises, and casting ourselves by Faith through Christ, upon the mercy and grace of a Covenanting God, till the love and grace of God be revealed from faith to faith.  
3. We must take heed that we do not grieve, but please the spirit of God, the Comforter, that reporteth the love of the Father unto Souls, and sealeth them up to the day of Redemption; The way to assurance of God's love, is to comply with, and give content to the witnessing sealing Spirit.  
4. If we desire, that God should bestow upon us the riches of full assurance; then, let us be thankful for the least glimpse of Light, that he maketh to shine into us; let us not look at any of the consolations of God, as small, but let us be thankful for any pledge of his favour.  
The Lord in making out his love to the Soul, deals (saith one) as Boaz dealt with Ruth: he first gave her liberty to glean in his fields, then to glean even among the sheaves, than invited her to eat bread with him, and to dip her morsels in the vinegar, and at last; he took her to be his Wife, to lie in his bosom: so doth God discover his love to believers, first, more sparingly, and as at greater distance, then draws nearer, and reveals himself more clearly, showing himself more friendly to them, and familiar with them; and then at length he gives his Spirit into their bosom, to assure them of his love, and of their interest in all his grace.  
Now the ready way to attain all this, to have such manifestations of God's love to us, is to be truly thankful for the least appearance of Grace; Then will God say to such a Soul, art thou so thankful for a beam of Light, I will fill thee with the fountain of Light; art thou thus thankful for crumbs that fall under the board? I will feast thee with marrow and fatness at my Table.  
5. One other great means conducing to a certainty of our interest in God's Covenant, is a serious trial of our hearts, and of the state of our Souls, by and according to the Word of God: the Scripture tells us, who are the people of God, his Covenanted one's, what are their qualifications and properties; therefore let us see what the Scripture holds forth in this point, and then let us diligently prove ourselves, whether we be such persons, so qualified, that by this means we may come to a certainty of our estate.  
Now for direction herein (to make short work of it) know this, that where holiness is, there is the Covenant of God his love:— Holy, Beloved; 
Col. 3.12.  all holy Souls are beloved of God; prove yourselves then whether there be a true work of Grace wrought in you by the spirit of God, whether you are of the number of God's holy ones.  
Qu. How may this be known? who are holy ones?  
An. Where corruption is by Grace so far subdued, that sin reigns not, there is holiness; when a Soul is delivered (not wholly from sin, that will not be in this life? but) from the law of sins, so that sin hath not dominion over him; The Apostle saith, 
Rom. 6.12.  Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lust thereof: he doth not say, ne sit, let not sin be in you (though we must not allow it in ourselves, or suffer it to be quiet) but ne regnat, let not sin reign in you.  
Sin reigneth when it hath the will's consent, & the heart's delight, and commands the whole man: when a man is a willing servant of sin, and (as the Apostle saith) yields his members weapons of unrighteousness unto sin, is in a readiness to obey sins commands, and to fulfil the lusts of the flesh.  
Sin cannot be said to reign, when a man doth unwilling service to sin, bewails and hates the evil that is in him, and the evil that is done by him, and wars against sin, and prays against Sin, and desires and endeavours to shake off the yoke of sin; I say, here sin cannot properly be said to reign; though it exerciseth a Tyrannical power, forcing a poor soul many times to do its commands; and where this reign of sin is not, there is holiness, but where sin reigneth there is no Saintship.  
2. He that is universal and serious in his desires to be good, and do good, having respect to all God's commands; that truly desires to be filled with the knowledge of God's will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, and to walk worthy of the Lord unto all well pleasing, and to be fruitful in every good work; that desires and endeavours to order his conversation aright, in the fear of God, and to keep his Conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men, to be conformed to the mind of God in internal, as well as external holiness, and righteousness, he is a holy man, though he may have many infirmities falling short of his duty, and doing oft times that which is displeasing to God.  
3. If a man be sincerely diligent in using the means of Grace, setting his heart to seek God in them, aiming at the profiting and perfecting of himself by them, and bewailing his unprofitableness and barrenness under them, such a person is to be numbered among holy ones; true desires of Grace, and cadeavours to get Grace, are a sign of the truth of Grace; but where the means of Grace are slighted and neglected, and God is not songht unto for Grace, there is no Grace, no work of Holiness yet wrought in the Soul; for Grace is such a good thing, such a precious thing, and Holiness is so desirable, so comfortable and delightful, that he who hath any thing of it, desires more, and thinks that he can never have enough. Well, thus prove your real, spiritual estate, that hereby you may come to a knowledge of your relative estate: This is the way to assurance of an interest in the Covenant of God's love: Thus much briefly, touching the way to assurance the means by which it may be attained.  

Marks of assurance.  Now, for some marks or evidences of the assurance of Faith; to show you how it may be discerned from Presumption.  
1. The presuming heart is a proud heart that is lifted up in itself, and makes no humble acknowledgement of the grace of God; but the assured soul is humble in itself, and admires the love of God toward it in Christ Jesus, Ah Lord! who am I, that thou shouldst thus manifest thyself to me? Oh, what a mercy is this, and what manner of love is this, that thou shouldst thus embrace me in thine arms, and take me into thy bosom, and kiss me with the kisses of thy mouth? O my God, what rich grace is this, that thou shouldst give me assurance of my interest in thee, of my Union and Communion with thee, of thine everlasting love toward me?  
2. The presuming soul resteth satisfied with that of God, which he presumeth he hath; but a true Believer earnestly longeth after a fuller enjoyment of God and Christ, after clearer and fuller Manifestations of his: 
Psa. 63.1.  O God, thou art my God saith David, here is Faith apprehending an interest in God, and applying the Covenant of his love, well, hath David enough of God? No; see what follows; Early will I seek thee, my soul thirsteth for thee.  
3. The presuming Soul is still quiet, it is all peace with such a one the Devil doth not at all trouble him, but lets him alone, and laughs at him to see how he disceives himself, and how he is Devil deluded, and befooled; but where true faith is taking up the Covenant, the Devil assaults the Soul, and seeks to disturb and destroy its peace, as he buffeted Paul after that he w●s wrapped up into the third Heavens, and had seen such visions of Glory; The Devil rageth against the Soul that hath any measure of assurance; because this is that which doth excellently fit the soul to do God service. They who have no experience of Satan's onsets, have reason to question the truth of their assurance, if they pretend to any such matter.  
4. Presumption will not bear up the spirit under afflictions, troubles and crosses, against dangers and deaths; but assurance will: David was assured of God's mercy and love toward him; he saith therefore, 
Psal. 23.  That though he walk thorough the valley of the shadow of Death, he will fear no evil. The Apostle writing to Believers, saith, Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, (known in yourselves) that you have a better and more enduring substance.  
5. The presuming Sou●●s bold with sin, and goes on in sin, but a well grounded assurance of God's love breeds a distance betwixt the Soul and sin, and arms and strengthens the Soul against sin, it makes a man to loath sin; Sin is hateful to the assured Soul: How shall I do this thing, and sin against my God who loveth me, and hath shed abroad his love in my heart? shall I dishonour him and grieve him, and despise his Commands? and be found a rebel against him?  
The assured Soul fears the Lord, and his goodness, fears to offend him, 
Psa. 85.8.  because he is a good God his good God; God will speak peace to his people, but let them return no more to folly; when peace is Preached in any one's heart: this is the use which naturally flows from that Doctrine; now return no more to folly.  
6. If we say that we have assurance of Sonship, and of an interest in Christ, and in the Covenant of God's love, let us examine whence we have it, by what Testimony we are assured: As Christ said to some of his Disciples upon a certain occasion, [ye know not what Spirit ye are of] so we may say to many that are ready to boast of their assurance, that they know not from what Spirit it comes, or whence they had it.  
There is a dangerous ill grounded peace, and false persuasion that many have, which comes from an evil Spirit, from the Devil that old deceiver, the beguiling Serpent, and from a vain, carnal, lose spirit of their own.  
Qu. What then is the true witness, from whose Testimony true assurance is had?  
An. The Apostle tells us, 
Rom. 8.16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 una testatur cum spiritu nostro; hâc ratione duo erunt testes, nempe Spiritus Dei, & Spiritus noster, certior ab eo factus.  The Spirit itself bears witness with our Spirit, that we are the Children of God; that same spirit which he called the Spirit of God, ver. 14. and the Spirit ●f Adoption, for 15. that same Spirit beareth witness with our Spirit, so that there is the Testimony of the Spirit of God, and the Testimony of our Spirit, and they both agree in one.  
First, the Spirit of God witnesseth bringing this assurance to the Soul: We have received the Spirit, which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given us of God; Cor. 2.12.  
Now the Spirit of God witnesseth, and giveth, such assurance, by working, and by speaking.  
The Spirit of God witnesseth Sonship, by his Works, which h● effecteth, which he createth in the Soul upon which the promise cometh.  
This way of witnessing is first in order of nature: The Spirit brings in the nature of God's Child, working so great a change that it is called the renewing of the holy Ghost, and the subject of this change, th● soul thus changed, is called a new Creature.  
2. There is the Word of the Spirit, testifing to the spirit of a Christian, that he is the child of God by promise, I say, there is the Spirits Word, viz. a full, sensible, clear conviction, which the Spirit of God brings to the heart of a believer, persuading him, that the promise belongs to him.  
This Word of the Spirit comes upon the work of the spirit, so that where the Spirits work it not, (which is a work of renewing the heart, and delivering it up to a conformity in some good measure to the mind of God) there the Spirits word comes not to witness God's love to the Soul, therefore let people take heed of mistakes herein.  
The Spirit of God never told you, that you are in God's favour, unless he hath put into your hearts Gods fear, he never gave you the name of Sons or Daughters, or suggested to you your interest in the inheritance of Sons, unless he hath brought in the nature of Sons, and stamped the image of God upon you.  
Now, because mistakes about this are too ordinary and very dangerous, I shall give you more distinctly, some clear difference between the true assuring report and testimony of the spirit of God, and the false deluding testimony of another spirit.  
1. The Testimony of the Spirit of God witnessing to Souls the love of God is not given by extraordinary immediate Revelation or an audible voice from Heaven, as the Devil makes people to believe, and as some pretend to have assurance they way, while they slight, and despise the word and promises, those sacred Oracles of God, to which believers should have recourse for their comfort, and vilify and mock at that persuasion which believers have in God's way of persuading Souls, that is, from the operation of the Spirit, working true Grace and Holiness in them, and thereupon speaking comfortably to them, persuading them of God's love toward them, and of their interest in his Covenant.  
These poor Souls are deluded by Satan transforming himself into an Angel of Light, and imitating God in those extraordinary ways wherein he hath been wo●● heretofore to manifest himself to his people. The witnessing word of the Spirit of God is a word coming upon, and through his working in us, and it is an inward voice, a secret whispering, that makes report within us of the love of God to us, powerfully persuading us, and sensibly convincing us of our Covenant interest in God.  
2. The Testimony of the Spirit of God comforting Souls, by reporting God's love to them, and assuring them of their interest in God, is not given to any, but those that fear the Lord, and walk holily. So Cornelius a devout man, 
Acts 10.2, 3  one that feared God, which gave much alms to the People, and prayed always; to him, while he was praying, an Angel of God appeared, telling him, that his Prayers and his Alms were come up in remembrance before God.  
While Daniel was praying, confessing his sins, and the sins of the People, 
Dan. 9●  and presenting his supplications before the Lord for the holy Mountain of his God; in the time of prayer, even at the beginning of his supplication, an Angel comes, and tells him, 
Isa. 64.5.  That he is greatly bel●ved. Thou meetest him that Rejoiceth and worketh Righteousness those that remember thee in thy w●ys. To him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show the Salvati●● of God; he shall s●e my Salvation with the eye of Faith, and my Spirit shall wit●●ss to him my acceptance of him, and give him assured hope 〈◊〉 eternal happiness.  
The holy Spirit never witnesseth the love of God to any Soul out 〈◊〉 thy way of holiness; therefore, i● peace be spoken, and the love 〈◊〉 God reported to ungodly people who walk loosely and carelessly, th●● is from the Devil, this is the hi●●●●● of the old Serpent, and not th● whispering of the good Spirit.  
3. The good Spirit of God always witnesseth according to th● word of God; there is always a● agreement betwixt those two witness which are both of God, vi● his word the outward witness, a● his spirit the inward; If the test m●ny of the Spirit should cross th● Testimony of the word, than th● Spirit should contradict himself, s● the Scriptures were indicted by t●● holy Spirit, so that the word it s● is the Spirits testimony; he do● not immediately testify any thing contrary to that testimony which he hath given in the world? where the word bindeth, the Spirit doth not lose, where the word condemneth, the spirit doth not acquit, where the Word proclaimeth war, and threatneth Destruction, the spirit doth not there whisper peace, and promise Salvation; the Spirit doth not bless any whom the Word curseth.  
Now the Word saith, 
Rom. 8.14.  That they are the Children of God, who are led by the Spirit of God. that they are the children of promise, who are changed by the spirit of promise, and made new Creatures, and that walk in the steps of the faith of Abraham, and to none but these doth the spirit witness their adoption and their interest in the Covenant of God's love: That Testimony which crosseth the Testimony of the word, speaking peace to a carnal, unbelieveing, impenitent, graceless heart; I say, that testimony comes from the lying spirit of Hell.  
4. The Spirit of God is a holy Witness, as formally and originally, so efficiently holy, he maketh a gracious and holy Soul; The holy Spirit sealing peace and the love of God to the Soul doth strongly engage the Soul unto holiness, and maketh it to increase in holiness: 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  the love of Christ constraineth us, saith the Apostle, Christ his love manifested to us, hath power over our Souls, and rules us over to the mind of Christ. The Testimony of the holy Spirit maketh a Christian fearful to offend God, and careful to please him, and circumspect in walking before him.  
That Testimony and speaking of peace to the Soul, which makes a man bold with sin, and lose in his walkin●, that breedeth a neglect of holy duties, and a despising or slighting of God his ordinances; surely, that testimony is from the Devil: It is clear that the Spirit of God guideth those that are the Sons of God, to whom he giveth this testimony that they are Sons; now this Spirit leads from Sin, and leadeth unto holiness and righteousness.  
Thus you have seen, which is the first witness, from whose testimony true assurance is taken up; and I have given you some rules for discerning between the true and false Witness, whereby people may judge, whether they have taken up true assurance, or be possessed with a false persuasion and confidence. (Secondly, The spirit of a Christian is another Witness, that assures him of his interest in the Covenant of God's love.  
The spirit of a man, of a Christian witnesseth, with the spirit of God, by reception, and expression, by taking in the effects of the Covenant of promise, (as knowledge, faith, and Love, and all graces) and thence witnessing to him his interest in the Covenant.  
Object. But is there any trusting to the Testimony of our own Spirit? can that be a true witness in which we may confide? Q●id corde humano fallacius? Is not man's heart deceitful above all things.  
Answ. It not is our own carnal Spirit, our own natural spirit, that is the assuring witness, 
Spiritus noster est cornostrum regeneratum. Par.  but our own Regenerate Spirit, the new Spirit, which God giveth: now of this Spirit the Apostle John speaketh, saying, If our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God; Dictamen cordis regeneratiest infallibile, saith Pareus.  
Now it is Good for us to understand and note the difference between the testimonies that proceed from those two different witnesses, different spirits: that in this great matter, we may not be deceived by our own hearts: I shall therefore briefly show you the difference between the testimony of a ca●nal heart, and the testimony of a renewed pirit.  
1. The carnal heart takes up its evidence confusedly and groundlessly, not heeding whether there be any gracious, saving work of the Spirit of God upon the heart, which in order of nature necessarily preceds the Testimony of that good spirit whisper, to witness the love of God to the Soul. But the Regenerate new spirit takes up its evidence, and gives forth its testimony within the Soul to the Conscience, orderly, and upon good ground, observing herein the order of the spirit of God, and grounding its testimony upon the work of the holy Spirit in the Soul. Ye have not (saith the Apostle) received the Spirit of bondage again to fear; 
Rom. 8.15.  but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, F●ther. The Spirit that brings in peace, hath caused a man to see himself lost in himself, so that he hath seen his bondage, and miserable condition by sin, before he came to apprehend his liberty by Christ; and his happiness in the enjoyment of God his favour.  
2. The testimony of a carnal heart will be without the Word, and contrary to the word, justifiing where the W●rd condemneth, speaking peace to a formal Hypocrite, or loose-liver, or a carnal, earthly minded worldling; such a one may have a spirit that speaks good, speaketh peace to him; but it is a carnal lying spirit that speaks falsely: but the Regenerate Spirit, which is the true witness within a man, giveth evidence concerning a man's condition, and speaks comfort by and according to the word; a Regenerate Spirit will not flatter, will not falsify, will not make thy condition better than the Word makes it to be.  
3. If it be the testimony of a carnal heart speaking peace to a man, it will make him careless of duty, and give him much liberty, but if it be a true spiritual Witness, it will make him more careful, more studious to honour God, more diligent in the service of God. Serve thy God, honour thy God, strive to please thy God, who hath given the Covenant of his love to thee, saith the new Regenerate Spirit, taking up the evidence of God's love, and telling the Christian that he hath an interest in the Covenant of Grace.  
Thus you have the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the proofs and evidences of the truth of assurance, whereby we may be able to discern between it and presumption, well, now to resume, and a little further to press this particular exhortation, 
Exhortation resume.  the fourth counsel which I suggested to you from the Doctrine.  
Labour truly and thoroughly to apply the Covenant, strive to a certain knowledge of your spiritual estate real and relative, to know whether you belong to God or no, and whether the Covenant of his love doth belong to you.  
Take two or three suasives or incentives hereunto, 
Incentives.  besides those which you have had already.  
1. Mistakes herein are most dangerous; for such a mistake of ones condition judging it to be good, when it is naught, is a very great strengthner of sin, making a man regardless of bettering his condition, and causing him to misapply Scripture to apply promises and comforts, when threaten and terrors belong to him.  
2. The commonest cause of souls undoing is this, that they would not be persuaded to try their estate, but gratify Satan, joining with him to deceive themselves being persuaded by him to pass a way their years in security and a careless oscitancy, not once questioning their condition, or spending any time at all, to prove what their estate is Godward; if any man think himself to be something when he is nothing, be deceives himself, and this self deceiving is self-undoing.  
3. A certain knowledge of a Covenant interest in God, will set the soul on working sweetly toward God, with its affections and graces.  
1. Such a soul will sorrow after a godly sort, bewailing his finning against God, whom he now knows to be his God, who dearly and tenderly loved him, even while he was sinning against him, and dishonouring him.  
2. 
Psa. 18.1, 2.  Such a soul will love the Lord, when he knows his near relation to God, and God's affection toward him.  
3. Desire will be drawn out after God, when the soul apprehends its interest in him; O Lord, 
Psa. 63.1.  thou art my God, early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee.  
4. A known interest in God will be a ground of continual rejoicing; I will rejoice in the Lord, 
Hab. 3.17.  I will joy in the God of my Salvation.  
5. This is that which will strengthen the souls confidence in God, even in the greatest straits.  
Such are the fruits and effects of assurance of an interest in God, 
Psa 46.1, 2 3.  and the examination of ourselves, the trial of our estate is the way to this assurance.  
Thus you have had a 4th. branch of the use of exhortation, a fourth counsel from the point; apply the Covenant of God's love [truly] and [thoroughly].  
You have seen how and why you should labour to make such an application.  
I proceed now to a Fifth Counsel, 
Couns. 5. Meditate on the Covenant.  having laid hold on the Covenant, Meditate on it, and on your interest in it, that frequently and seriously viewing your relative estate, your relation to God, and interest in his Covenant, you may be deeply affected with it, and enjoy the sweetness of it.  
This is that which I would persuade you to; not only to think of this Covenant, and of an interest in it, of the preciousness of the Covenant, and of the souls happiness in such an interest; (it is not a bare work of the understanding and memory that is here called for) but to get these things from the head to the heart, from the understanding to the affections, that there may be heart as well as life in the soul; that by acting our understanding and affections upon the Covenant, and upon God in Covenant with us we may have a sweet enjoyment of him.  
To Meditate, is diligently and intently to think upon, and consider a thing.  
Meditation brings God near, sets him full in the eye of the soul, and presents him with his Covenant of Grace in the most afflicting way; serious and deep meditation will draw up arguments to affect us, from every Attribute of God, and from the consideration of our former estate, when we were without God in the World, and without Christ, and without Hope, and from the happiness of our present estate, in having and apprehending the Lord to be our God, and from the preciousness of the promises in which we are interessed, and from the confirmation of the Covenant, and from the present fruits of it, and its future privileges and advantages.  
Thus Meditation is a means to affect the soul with the goodness, and sweetness of the Covenant, that we may take much comfort in it.  
And further, a due diligent, serious meditation of the power and wisdom, and mercifulness, and faithfulness, and satisfactoriness of God, in whom we have interest through Christ, of his everlasting love toward us, and of the freeness of his grace, in making a Covenant with us, becoming our God and taking us to be his people, and of the riches of his grace held forth to us in the Covenant of Promise; and the consideration of the tender love of Jesus Christ, who undertook to be the Mediator of this Covenant for us, reconciling us to God by his Death, making peace for us by his Blood, bearing the Curse which should have come upon us, and restoring us to the blessing which we had lost, purchasing for us eternal Salvation, pleading his Blood with his Father, and making continual intercession for us, that we may be kept in favour with God, notwithstanding our many sins and provocations, who is become our head, and the immortal husband of our souls, who kisseth us with the kisses of his mouth, and embraceth us now in the arms of his love, and will take us to a perpetual abode and Communion with himself hereafter: I say, a due Meditation hereof would be a means to stir up in us holy affection toward God.  
1. This would be a means to inflame us with holy love to God and Christ, who have loved us with such a free, preventing, tender, abounding, fruitful, and everlasting love.  
2. This would be a means to excite desire, and to set the Soul on longing for a nearer uninterrupted communion with, and a fuller enjoyment of this God, and this Jesus Christ that my Soul may be no longer at a distance from my God, but that I may dwell with him for ever.  
3. This will be an excellent means to quicken and strengthen hope; I say, hope of all needful blessings here, and of eternal Salvation hereafter; Is the Lord my God, and shall I not hope? Have I God's Promise, and Oath, and shall I not hope? Is not the Promise of God so sure, that hope therein maketh not ashamed? Therefore in wants, and straits, and difficulties, and in my greatest sufferings, I will say with the Church, 
Lam. 3.24.  The Lord is my portion, therefore I will hope in him; It is Jehovah who hath promised to bless me and save me: the almighty God can do it, and the faithful God will do it; he will perform his promise, his Covenant, therefore I have hope in wants, in trouble, in sickness, in death; I will hope in my God to the end.  
4. A diligent, serious meditation of God's Covenant and our interest in it, will raise our joy; God hath made with me a Covenant of Peace, a ●ovenant of Life, the Lord is my God, and will be my God forever: The Covenant which he hath made with me, is his deed of gift, whereby he hath made over himself to me, and hath bestowed upon me the everlasting inheritance, it is my Father's good pleasure to give me a Kingdom, he hath promised me a Crown of Glory, and this promise of his, is surely a ground of joy, Rejoice therefore, O my Soul, in hope of the Glory of God.  
Thus you have had a Fifth Counsel.  
Having applied the Covenant to thyself and gotten some assurance, that it is thine, now meditate on it, and set it to thy heart, for the exciting of love, and desire, and hope, and joy in thy soul.  
6ly. Let us admire and adore the mercy, love, 
Couns. 6. Admire the grace of God in the Covenant.  and grace of God in this Covenant of his; his mercy toward the miserable, his love to Enemies, his grace to sinners, in setting himself down to us, and taking us into Covenant with himself, who had otherwise been utterly lost and miserable for ever; Let us cry out with admiration, O the height, and depth, and length, and breadth, of the love of God; O freegrace, O richgrace, O glorious-Grace. Why did God pass by those Angels that fell, leaving them in a remediless condition, and take the Seed of Abraham into Covenant with himself, to pardon them and save them, who is a God like unto our God, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his People, performing his truth to Jacob, and his mercy to Abraham.  
7thly. Hath God made such a Covenant, 
Couns. 7. Bless God for it.  and do we apprehend our interest in it, then let us bless God for it, and abound in all thankfulness to him, who is the Fountain fr●m whence such streams of Grace do flow; how should they who have tasted the goodness of God's Covenant, have their hearts and mouths, and lives filled with his praises?  
God's Covenant is a Covenant of pardoning sin, and healing diseases, of redeeming our life from Destruction, and of Crowning us with his loving kindness, and tender mercies, and for these mercies whereof believers are made partakers by virtue of the Covenant, David stirs up himself to bless God; 
Psa. 103.  Bless the Lord O my soul, who forgiveth all thine iniquties, etc. Oh, let our souls bless God, & let all that is within us praise his holy Name, for the Covenant of his mercy and love which he hath given us; and that he hath so clearly revealed this Covenant to us, and hath given us to apprehend our interest in it.  
Now there are these reasons (among others) why believ is should stir themselves up to bless God for his Covenant. 
Incentives.   
1. The end of God's goodness to his Creatures is his own glory; Surely this is the end of his making and confirming his Covenant to Abraham with his seed, that Abraham and his seed mi●ht glorify him; this is the great end of all his works of grace in Christ J●s●s, he h●th done all to the praise of the glory of his grace; 
Eph. 1.6, 12.  that we should be to the praise of his gl●ry.  
2. The Covenant itself is so precious, such a rare gift, that it well deserves our praises; God is worthy to be blessed by us for such a ble●●●ng as this, for,  
First, Consider of what worth those things are, which the Covenant doth give believers a Title to, and interest in; (O precious things) an inheritance immortal and undefiled, a ●●own of life, an exceeding great, and eternal weight of glory.  
2 Consider what matchless consolations, the Covenant affordeth to believers, even when all outward comforts fail; Thy word is my comfort in my afflictions, 
Ps. 119.50.  f●r it hath quickened me.  
Gospel-comforts, those which flow from the Covenant of mercy, and peace, to such as are interested in it, are the purest and surest and fullest comforts.  
Now (by the way) from the preciousness of the Covenant, in respect of the worth of the things promised in it, and the excellency of the comforts that flow from it; I infer this, That the worst of a believer, is better than the best of an unbeliever; or,  
That the lowest estate of one interested in the Covenant of promise, is better than the most raised condition of any one that is uninterrested in it, and a stranger to it.  
A believer may be a stranger in the world, and afflicted with want of food and clothing convenient, and may meet with a great deal of hard usuage; yet, he is a Citizen of the Heavenly Jerusalem; he is the Lords Freeman, he hath God for his Father, Jesus Christ is his Brother; and though he hath little or nothing at present to the eye of the World, yet he is rich in hope; though he hath nothing in possession visible, he hath a rich Inheritance, a Kingdom, an immortal Crown in reversion.  
Who is the better man? the poor Christian whom God hath chosen to be rich in Faith, heir to a Kingdom, to the Kingdom of Heaven? or the rich and honoured Worldling, that wears a Gold-ring, and hath the highest room given him in the Assmblies? surely there is no happiness like to the happiness of a believer, that hath an interest in the Covenant of Grace, the Lord is his God, this is the Crown of all enjoyments, the compendium of all happiness.  
Whence it follows, that God is to be praised by us, for nothing in this world so much, as for giving us an interest in his Covenant.  
3. This Covenant which is so precious and so comfortable, (a● interest wherein makes us happy, is freely given us of God, nothing moved him to it, but his own goodness; it was free grace that made God to be a Promiser, a Cov●nanter; now that which is exc●●●●ng precious, an● freely given to us, is to be received with much thankfulness.  
4. We can make no other return but love and thanks, for alithe love of God; ●●●r●●ore, let us lov● God, and give him praise, makin● it not only the labour of our lips but the work of our hearts, pow●ing out our very souls unto him who hath manifested the gracious purpose of his heart towards us, it the Covenant of Life and Salvation, which ●e hath given us.  
5. Praising of God for the Covenant of his mercy and love, shal● be the constant, eternal work of Saints in Heaven, when they sh●●● b● fully made partakers of 〈◊〉 blessings of the Covenant, being taken up to the fullest fruition of their God, and made full of joy with the light of his countenance: and is not Heaven work to be begu● by us here? do we not pray, that Gods will may be done on Earth as it is in Heaven? now this will argue a heavenly Spirit, to be taken up with heavenly employment and action, and this will be a means to make the heart more heavenly; Oh, let us now enure ourselves to our everlasting work, and labour to be as like as may be here to what we shall be hereafter.  
6. The more we let our hearts out to God in thankfulness, for the grace of the Covenant, praising him for the free donation of himself to us, as prising him above all, the more will he let himself out to us, and communicate his goodness, clearing up to us our interest in him shedding abroad his love in our hearts, 
Psa. 50.23.  so making us glad with the Light of his Countenance.  
Qu. How shall we show ourselves thankful to God, for the Covenant of promise, the Covenant of his love?  
Ans. In cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the Flesh and Spirit, and perfecting holiness in the fear of God: This is the return which God expects from us, for his love toward us, that we declare ourselves on his side against sin which is his great enemy, that we freely give up ourselves to him, who hath engaged himself to us, that as he is become our God, so we should be his people, a people of his holiness, and that we strive to walk worthy of the Lord unto all well pleasing.  
2. Let us declare to others the preciousness of the Covenant, and the comfort and sweetness of a Covenat interest in God, tell them, that this is infinitely more worth, than all other interests and enjoyments, seeking thus to draw souls unto God; this is thankfulness for exhibiting grace, cordially and affectionately to commend both the gift and the giver.  
3. 〈◊〉 us thankfully, and with enlarged hearts bless God for the Lord Jesus Christ the root of the Covenant (as I may say) and the Mediator of the Covenant. By his Blood the Covenant was purchased for us, and by his mediation it is performed to us; therefore let us set the name of Christ to all this grace; God the Father delighteth to have his son honoured, and he that honours not the Son, honours not the Father: therefore, let Christ be great with us upon this account, that he hath procured the love of his Father to us.  
4. Our prising of the Covenant, and our thankfulness for it, will be shown in our longing for a nearer communion with God, and a fuller fruition of him, in the accomplishment of all the promises of the Covenant.  
We are not thankful to God for the Covenant, whereby he is become our God, unless we make him our ●rd, our portion, our treasure, and have our hearts set upon him and desire carried to him.  
O Lord, thou art my God; why have I no more enjoyment of thee? why is my soul at such a distance from thee? it contents me not to see thy back parts, O show me thy face: O let the time hasten when I shall see, as I am seen; Thou art my God, early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee, O blessed day, when I shall come to appear before my God in Zion.  
Thus you have had a seventh Counsel, and some directions about it.  
8thly. Let us constantly act faith upon the Covenant which God hath given us, 
Couns. 8. Act faith upon the Covenant.  and upon God in Christ covenanting with us. This is the way to fetch sweetness from the Covenant, to suck out the honey that is in it.  
I shall hold forth some exciting considerations, 
Incitements  some arguments to persuade to the acting of Faith upon God, and upon his Covenant of Promise.  
1. Consider, that as God repairs this, so he is greatly delighted with the actings of precious faith upon such a precious object as himself, who is the believers and and happiness.  
This is very pleasing to God, because it gives him the glory of his goodness, and of his all sufficiency, and of the truth and certainty of his Covenant; by acting saith upon God's Covenant of promise, and so fetching our comfort from thence, we set to our Seal that God is good, and that he is sufficient for us, and that he is tru●, ●●e real in Covenanting, and faithful in performing his Covenant to his people; now, I say; it must needs he that God is delighted with these actings of Faith while the soul rowl's itself upon him, and fetches its comforts from him, and satisfies its self with him, because thus the sold gives him the glory of his precious Attributes which are so dear to him.  
2. This is a most sweet, pleasant and delightful life to the believer himself, to lie sucking by faith at the fu●l breasts of consolation, to drink in the pure waters of the Fountain of Life, to feed upon the marrow and fatness, the honey and sweetness of the sweet Covenant of grace; to be satisfied with God, to have all in him.  
There is a vast difference between Faith's repasts, and the world's refresh, between Covenant comforts which are received by faith, and creature comforts which are apprehended and taken in by senses: Oh, how do they differ in respect of pureness, and fullness, and durableness, and universality, or extensiveness.  
1. In respect of pureness; there is a mixture of wax in the most clarified honey of earthly delights; there is some bitterness in the sweetest morsels of sublunary contentments; they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitter-sweets; there is a mixture of dregs in the purest liquors of the world's comforts; but the comfort of a Covenant interest in God, is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sincere; this is honey without wax; it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sweet indeed, without any bitterness in it, it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pure indeed, liquor without any dregs.  
2. Great is the difference betwixt the comfort which the faith of a believer fetcheth from God's Covenant, and that which a worldling fetcheth from the Creature, in respect of fullness.  
Alas, the b●st comforts which the world yields do rather provoke than fill the appetite, do rather enerense than quench thirst; no inferiors good, no sublunary enjoyment is adequate or proportionable to the capacity or desire of the Soul; When Hannah wept before the Lord, because she was Childless, said, E●kanah to her, Why weepest thou? am not I better to thee then ten sins? (as if she should be satisfied in him) but suppose she had had ten such comforts as she longed for, ten Sons; and imagine her Elkanah to be an enjoyment ten times more comfortable than he was, yet all this could not be satisfactory; Ahabs Kingdom was as nothing to him, till he had Naboths Vineyard, and was he (think you) satisfied when he had that? Can not a World satisfy All xander? no more would the whole World content us. These things, when we seek to fill ourselves with them, seem to say to us, as Jacob to Rachael; What? are we to y●u instead of God?  
The good that is satisfactory to the Soul, must be aptimum & maximum, the best good, that it may sistere appetitum, fix the appetite, (there being nothing so desirable as it,) and the greatest good, that it may implore appetitum, fill the appetite, (there being nothing needful beside it.  
Now when faith is acted upon the Covenant; the soul takes up such a comfort, such a good, viz. Deum optimum maximum, God the best good; there being nothing so desirable as he is, and God the greatest good even the all comprehending good, that brings all with him, and so is satisfactory to the Soul; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have fed, said the Epicure, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have found; said the Philosopher; there was a kind of a sudden ravishment with the enjoyment of their sensual and intellectual pleasure, (an empty delight) but when the believer acting faith upon the Covenant as his, feeds upon the goodness of God in it, he may well cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have fed upon that which fills me with a gratful satiety, My s●ul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I have found that which contents me, which fills me with delight; let David come in and attest this: when acting faith upon the Covenant, he had tasted afresh the consolation of his interest in God, he cries out, 
Ps. 73.25.  Whom have I in Heaven but thee, and there is none on Earth th●t I desire beside thee; God is mine I have enough.  
3. Covenant comforts, those which faith fetches from the Covenant, have this excellency in them beyond all Creature comforts that they are durable, abiding comforts; Creature comforts have in them a vanity of Corruption (as well as a vanity of emptiness,) they last but for a time, even a short time, (like Jonah's gourd) they are transient and momentary; we can have no assurance of any worldly comfort; no, not for a day, f●r who knows what a day may bring forth?  
But, now the comforts which faith doth fetch from the Covenant, are streams issuing from a living Fountain, that is always yielding out, they are day comforts, and night-comforts, summer-comforts, and winter comforts, to support and refresh the Soul in the night of trouble, and the winter of adversity; as well as in the day of outward peace, and summer of prosperity: God's Covenant is an everlasting Covenant which yields everlasting comfort to those that are interested in it: and if a Soul that hath an interest in it, do at any time, or in any case want comfort from it, it is for want of a lively acting of faith upon it.  
4. The best of Creature-comforts are applicable only to some particular condition, they are not a salve for every s●r●, but the comforts of the Covenant are suitable to every condition of a believer: It is not the God of all comforts, who hath given us this Covenant, in which he hath given himself to us, so that there is no case, wherein the sold acting faith upon the Covenant shall not find comfort in its God.  
5. To urge one argument more, that may persuade to the acting of faith upon the Covenant.  
This will be a notable means of making a sweet and happy improvement of our interest in the Covenant: I shall show this in particulars.  
1. By familiarising God to the Soul, through the frequent constant actings of faith upon God in Covenant with us, the thoughts of God will be sweet and comfortable to us: The greatness and power, and jealousy, and justice of God, when s●●o●sly thought upon must needs be troublesome, and terrible to those that are lirangers to him, and have no apprehension of an interest in him; but this will be matter of comfort to the believer that is interested in the Covenant of God's love, and frequently acteth faith upon it: Why, this is may God; his greatness and his power, and his justice shall be for my advantage, put forth for my good; and Oh! what a comfort will it then be to the soul to consider; my God is merciful and gracious, abounding in goodness and truth, forgiving miquities, healing disease's, redeeming the life of his people from destruction, and crowning them with his loving kindness, and tender mercies.  
2. By thus acting faith upon the Covenant, which God hath given us, we shall be sweetly emboldened in our requests to God, O Lord I come to thee now in a weighty case, and in my great necessity, to implore thy goodness toward me, and why should not I with an humble boldness approach to the Throne of thy Grace, being confident of acceptance through Christ, seeing thou art verily my God, and hast given me a promise to hear me, and help me, and to grant my requests for thy Son's sake?  
3. This will wonderfully sweeten all mercies: When my heart is kept up in a believing frame, and my acquaintance with God is increased, and assurance of his love toward me strengthened by renewed acts of faith; what comfort may I now take in my enjoyments, what sweetness may I find in inseriour good things, and in those that comparatively are small matters? why, this is from my God, and that is from my Father; this is a gift of God's good will, it cometh from a Father's love: this is part of the blessing of the Coverant, and all these gifts are the beginnings, and earnest of everlasting mercies.  
4. By acting Faith upon the Covenant, and by a frequent believing recognition of our interest in God, we shall be enabled to bear afflictions patiently, and to undergo them with cheerfulness. The sting of afflictions, and the burden of the Cross is the apprehension of God's anger in it, but while this persuasion is kept up in the Soul, that God is my God, that the Covenant of his love is with me; here is a surpassing, comforting consideration in the greatest affliction. Surely my God means me no harm, he intends no evil to me in this, he hath promised that all things shall work together for my good, while he afflicts me, he is my God still, he threatens me, and loves me still, it is all for my profit; I know that in faithfulness he afflicteth me, all God's ways are mercy and truth to his Covenanted one's; O my Soul, lie quietly under the red, cheer up under his affliction, it is a father's rod, it is the dispensation of my God.  
5. The frequent actings of faith upon the Covenant, bringing it home to ourselves by renewed application will be an execllent means to frame our hearts to contentedness with our condition, we have a notable instance of this in David, Although my house be not so with God, 
2 Sam. 23.5.  yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant, well ordered in all things and sure. It is not indeed with my house altogether as I hoped not fully answerable to the letter of the Promise, which God hath made to righteous Rulers; That they shall be as the Light of the morning when the Sun riseth, etc. yet this is my comfort, I am in Covenant with God, he hath made an everlasting Covenant with me; this helps all, and this is all my desire, though he maketh not my house to grow; I am contented with that which I have in the Covenant.  
Quest. Whence is it, that the Soul acting faith upon the Covenant, fetcheth such contentment from it?  
Ans. 1. Because when Creature-comforts that are the Conduit-pipes conveying God's goodness to us, are cut off, faith goes to the Fountain, and drinks there, The believing soul makes God its portion, and finding all in him, is satisfied with him; this is the excellent skill & singular art of faith, thus to supply wants, and so to bring contentment by taking up all in God.  
2. Faith in God's Covenant presents the believer with the principal full blessing of the Covenant, and gives it into the bosom of the soul, faith gives the soul a light of Heaven, and sets the Crown, the everlasting inheritance before the believer. 
Heb. 12.1.  Faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the subsistence of things hoped for; that which makes Heaven and future glory present to the soul. Thus Faith fetcheth contentment from the Covenant, by appropriating the Covenant, and looking into the grace and riches of the Covenant, and ascertaining the soul hereof.  
The carnal man hath his contentment (such as it is) or at least, he seeks contentment, in that which he sees before him, and that which he hath about him here in the World, but the believer fetcheth contentment from what he hath in hope, upon account of his interest in the everlasting sure Covenant of God.  
6. The constant acting of Faith upon God's Covenant, Ours, will help us to improve our Covenant interest in God, to a Saintlike, Son like dependence on him, for protection and provision, for all needful mercies and comforts; Thus David excellently improves his interest in God unto such dependence on him, and confidence, 
Psa. ●3.  in him, The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Though, I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death, I will fear non● evil, for thou art with me. Surely; mercy and goodness shall follow me all the days of my life, for the Lord is my God: and so in another Psalm, 
Psal. 71.  In thee O Lord do I put my trust, deli●●● me (O my God) thou art my hope.  
An active faith makes a sweet, improvement of the Souls interest in God, unto such confidence in him, to make him our all-sufficiency in all estates.  
And there is very good reason, why believers in the exercise of faith should rely on God in Covenant with them.  
2. Because they know, that God is all-sufficient for them in every estate.  
1. There is in him a sufficiency of wisdom, to find out ways for the bettering of the conditions of his people, and to understand what is good for them.  
2. There is in him a sufficiency of Power, to act by the means which he finds out, and to render them effectual for our good; yea, and he can do us good without means; his Power is unlimited, he can do what he will, and how he will.  
3. There is in God likewise a sufficiency of Goodness, and Mercy, to put forth his wisdom and power for his people's good. Truly, God is good to Israel: the Prophet Isa. tells us, 
Isa. 63.7.  of the loving kindness of the Lord, and his great goodness, and his mercies, and the multitude of his loving kindnesses towards his People.  
This Mercy and Goodness, and love of God will surely put forth his wisdom and power for the good of his People; and this is that which faith lays hold on, to cause the true believer to cast himself upon his God.  
2. The Soul that acteth faith upon God's Covenant given him, is sensible of God, his relation to him, and of his relation to God, and hath herein a ground of confidence; for, if we be God his Covenanted one's.  
1. He is our Shepherd, and we are his sheep: now every good Shepherd is careful of his flock to defend it, and provide for it; upon this account, David promiseth to himself all needful supplies from God, and his gracious Protection, because the Lord is his Shepherd: See how the Prophet Isaiah holds forth God's provident care for, and indulgence and tenderness toward his People, 
Isa. 40.11.  who are his Sheep: He shall feed his Flock like 〈◊〉 Shepherd, he shall gather the Lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.  
2. If we be Gods Covenanted one's, 
Mal. 1.6.  then; he is our Master, and we are his Servants: a good Master hath a care of his servants, a counts himself to stand charged by virtue of his relation, to look after them, and provide for them; now surely God is the best Master, he is most loving toward, most careful of, and makes the best provision for his servants.  
3. God is a Father to his Covenanted one's, and they are his children; and like a Father, he loves them, and pities them, and is ready to minister to all their necessities, surely Gods bowels are more tender than man's, and his love is infinitely beyond the love of earthly Parents; 
Tam pater nemo, tam pius nemo.  there is no Father like him, none so indulgent as he is. If ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give? When God promises to heal Israel's condition, he gives this re●s●n of it; 
Jer. 31.9.  For I am a Father to Israel. This relation of a Father works much upon the heart of God, so that he remembers his children, when they are unmindful of him.  
4. God is a Husband to those that are in Covenant with him, 
Isa. 54.5.  and they are his spouse, his dearly beloved; now in this near relation, ●●●iction is drawn out between Creatures, to do what they can to ●elp, and comfort, and procure the good of one another; and though there may be a failing between a Man and his Wife, for want of ●ower, or ability, and sometimes or want of a good disposition, and due conjugal affection, yet God cannot fail to answer this relation 〈◊〉 the full.  
Now the Soul, I say, acting faith ●pon the Covenant is confident in God, upon account of such relation of God to the soul that is in Covenant with him.  
3. God hath tied himself by ●ovenant to his People, to heal ●●m, and help them, and to give ●●m all needful good things, and to be all in all to them; I will make an everlasting Covenant with them, 
Jer. 32.40.  that I will not turn away from them to do them good, yea, I will rejoice over them, to do them good.  
Now the Soul knows that God is no Covenant breaker, and therefore in remembrance of this tye which God hath laid upon himself, while faith is awake and active the believer hath a dependence on his God, O Lord, thou art my God, I will trust in thee; I shall not perish; I shall not want, there, is wisdom enough, and power enough, and goodness enough in my God; and these Attributes of his are engaged to me, that I may stay myself upon them.  
Oh, Christians, the acting of faith with strength and vigour upon God's Covenant, would make us to depend on him, and have confidence in him, even in a Sea of miseries, in the deepest affliction, casting ourselves upon the power, and mercy, and faithfulness of our God, when our condition seems to be desperate: Is it thus and thus with me, are matters brought to this pass? yet I will not let go the Covenant, I will not lose my hold on God, I know God will deliver me one way or other, even in that way which he sees to be best for me.  
This well be one happy improvement of our interest in the Covenant, by acting faith upon it.  
7. By this means our interest in the Covenant would be improved unto love, toward God, and obedience to him; (I put them together as for hafts sake, so in regard of their necessary, connection, and conjunction, they being insuperable, in as much as obedience doth naturally flow from love) I say, the more? constant, and the stronger the actings of faith upon the Covenant are, the more affectionately will the Soul love God, and the more cheerfully, and constantly obey him. True faith is a loving faith, which carries the affection of love unto God, who hath given the Covenant of his love unto us, and it is a lively, working faith, which moves and acts the soul towards God, and gives it up to him who hath not withheld himself from us, but hath bestowed himself upon us.  
A clear apprehension of an excelling good, and a knowledge of my interest in it, must needs draw my affection to it: Relation hath ever been a ground of affection, where loveliness is apprehended.  
Now, the Lord full of all glorious excellencies, transcendently good, is my God, my Father, my Husband; he love's me with an abounding, immense, constant, everlasting love, oh! how can I choose, but love him, yea, love him much, while he vouchsafes to give himself full of all goodness and blessedness, into my bosom; and so satisfies my soul, fills me with himself? I cannot choose but love a satisfying good; and oh! I truly desire to please him, my soul is grieved for any unkindness of mine toward him, or disobedience to him; Gospel-grace, the grace of the Covenant, which appeareth bringing salvation, teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, 
Tit. 2.12.  and to live soberly, and righteously, and godlily in this present world.  
This is another notable effect and fruit of acting Faith upon the Covenant of grace.  
8. By this means our interest in the Covenant will be improved, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to that strong consolation spoken of in the sixth.  
Therefore God with whom the soul is in Covenant, is called the God of all consolation. 
2 Cor. 13.   
Now they are (as hath been said) pure, full, sure comforts, that are fetched from the Covenant by the extractory virtue and power of Faith, which is a rare Chemist indeed. God comforteth the believer acting faith upon him, shall tribulations, in every pressing, pinching condition. This is my Comfort in affliction, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Psal. 119.50.  for thy word hath quickened me. When the believer is damped in spirit, and as it were dead in regard of spiritual operations and affections, faith reviveth him drawing lift out of the word of promise, from the Covenant of God. Though it be thus, and thus with me, yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant; The sense hereof doth not only support the soul, but rejoice it; The soul is comforted against sin and Satan, and death, and Hell, and amidst sorrows, and afflictions in the world, when a Christian remembreth what he hath in the Covenant, and how he stands related to God; and are these consolations of God small?  
9 Faith acted upon the Covenant leads the soul, as it were, to the top of an exceeding high hill, or mountain, and thence shows it the kingdom of heaven, and the glory thereof. And saith, All this will God the Father give thee, this is thy inheritance, thy God hath given in thee in promise and will give it thee in hand, for his Covenant is sure. Faith acted upon the promise of God giveth the soul a lively hope of salvation; verily there remaineth a rest to the people of God; it is certain to them by the certainty of God's promise; God's Covenant gives believers a right to it, and it is certain to them (as to their fruition of it) by God's unchangeable decree; Though it be to be enjoyed upon condition of enduring to the end, of persevering in faith, and new obedience, yet in as much as that condition is likewise absolutely promised, and Christ hath undertaken to be the worker and finisher of our faith, and perfecter of our salvation, this salvation is still absolutely certain upon promise. Hope, O my Soul, saith faith, hope to the end for the salvation which is to be brought to thee at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Wilt thou distrust God? hast thou not his promise to rest upon, hath he not given thee his Covenant and Oath for thy assurance rance? When the flesh hath nothing wherein it may rejoice, yet do thou, O believing soul, keep the rejoicing of hope firm unto the end.  
10. A lively acting of faith upon the Covenant, will raise the Christian to heavenly mindedness, to have his heart much in heaven with his God, who is his portion and his treasure; when faith reads the love, and goodness, and desirableness of God, as he hath expressed himself in the lines of the Covenant, and gives the soul a true account of it, now the soul must needs love, where it is thus loved, and where there is such louliness, for this is attractive of love; Now, anima est ubi amat, the heart, the soul is where it loveth; if the treasure be in Heaver, there will the heart be; therefore if we would have our hearts to be in Heaven, let us keep them still possessed with true believing thoughts and apprehensions of the free, abounding grace and love of God toward us, expressed in the Covenant which he hath given us.  
Oh, if we could by faith lodge our souls in the bosom of God's Covenant, that there we may see how God loves us with the truest and fullest, and most constant, and most advantageous love, it would not then be a hard matter, to have our hearts with God, and surely, when the heart is with him, it is where it should be, and where it finds the sweetest being.  
Thus you have seen the fruits of acting faith upon the Covenant, the improvement of the Covenant thereby to such sweet advantages of the soul; thus our Covenant interest in God, will be improveed.  
1. To the sweetening of our thoughts of God.  
2. To a holy boldness in our approaches to God.  
3. To the sweetening of all mercies to us.  
4. Unto patience and cheerfulness in afflictions.  
5. To contentedness with our conditions.  
6. To a firm settled dependence on God.  
7. Unto love and obedlence.  
8. Unto consolation of the heart in tribulations.  
9 To a lively hope of Salvation.  
10. The heavenly mindedness, and a heavenly conversation.  
Now to proceed to a Ninth counsel.  
If you have applied God's Covenant, 
Couns. 9  so that you have a feeling apprehension of your interest in it; then let not the enjoyments and outward supposed felicity of men in the World be an eyesore to you, or move you to envy; Alas, they are not to be envied, but to be pitied, because they have not such an inheritance as you have; their enjoyments are but small heaps of dust; whereas the believers enjoyments and hopes are great Mountains of Gold; O happy believers, if they know their own happiness in such an interest: We read in History, That when the Spanish Ambassador boasted of the largeness of his Master's Dominitions, and his many Titles, that he was King of this and that, and the other Kingdom; and Prince of such a place, a●d Duke of such a place: The French Ambassador answered, My Master is King of France, King of France, King of France, intimating, that France was more worth than all places under the King of Spain his Power.  
When the men of the World shall boast that this is theirs, and that is theirs, and shall cry out, O their riches; O their honours; now let the believer make his boast in the Lord his God, and cry, Oh, the Covenant! Oh! the Covenant of Grace: Oh! the Covenant of God's Love is mine; why! this is more worth than all the riches, and glory of the World.  
10. Hath God been pleased to make a Covenant with us, 
Couns. 1●.  and to give it so confirmed to us; oh! let us then more and more break off the Covenant, and disannul the agreement, between our Nature and the Devil, and let us break off the league which hath been and is between our souls, and any lust or vanity; let us renounce all for God; and as he vouchsafeth to become our God, so let us give up ourselves more and more unto him, as his People; as he is a Covenanting, Covenant-keeping God, so let us be a Covenanting, Covenant-keep in People: Let us with all our hearts accept the Lord to be our God, solemnly and cordially entering into Covenant with him, and yielding ourselves up unto him, to be wholly at his disposal, resolving that we will not be led by the Devil, or the World, or the Flesh, any more; but that our God shall lead us, and order us in all things.  
And let us see, that we prove not unfaithful in the Covenant which we have made unto God, wherein we have promised, to renounce the Devil, and the World, and the Flesh, and to serve our God only. Oh, let us labour to keep, Covenant strictly with the Lord our God: Let us not conform ourselves to the World: Let us not willingly give one affection or thought unto any lust: Let us labour to work our hearts to, and keep them in an abhorrency of the Devil and all his works; and let us be still warring against the Devil, and the World, and the Flesh; and let us labour to become daily more spittle an● holy▪ and heavenly, 〈…〉 God, and more 〈…〉 ●o him, endeavouring th●● 〈◊〉 may be found in all things to the praise and glory of God. Oh, that we may love him, and delight in him, and walk with him, and live to him, who hath loved us, and set his eyes, and his heart upon us, and hath given the Covenant of his love into the bosom of our souls.  
It is so that the Covenant confirmed to Abraham, is confirmed to all belivers to the World's end; confirmed I say, as by God's Word, and Oath, and Seals, so by the death of Christ, by his perfect, all-sufficient satisfaction? Oh, then what a feast of comfort, what a banquet of sweetmeats is here for believers? Here is that which is sweeter than the honey, and the honeycomb.  
Believers; The Covenant wherein you are interested, that is so confirmed to you, is most comprehensively comfortable, carrying in it all matter of sweet consolation, so that from this confirmed Covenant Gods Covenanted one's may fetch sufficient consolation against any thing that may put in for their discomfort.  
This Covenant is comfortable against sin, and all self unworthiness, for what saith God in his Covenant; I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their transgressions will I not remember any more. Oh, how many and how great have my sins been (saith the poor soul) how exceedingly aggravated? I have sinned against God who wonderfully made me, and hath graciously preserved me, and plentifully provided for me; I have sinned against the bowels of God's mercies, against the blood of Jesus Christ; against the riches of Gods free Grace; are there any sins like to my sins? now is there any pardon, any mercy, any hope for such a sinner.  
Now, let a sinner fasten mediation upon this branch of the Covenant, which is confirmed by the death of Christ, and consider, here is pardon of sin, offered in the promise, and it is God's pardon, and it is a Free pardon, and it is a Final pardon, never revoked. Here is admirable comfort for humble souls that are pressed down even to the Gates of Hell, under the sense of their own sinfulness and guilt. The Covenant of Grace confirmed to believers is comfortable against sin. And hence it follows, that it is comfortable against the wrath of God, and the threaten of the Law, and against Death.  
I might show you, how this Covenant answers all objections against, and removes all impediments of the believers happiness, and Salvation; how it is set up against the guilt, and filth, and power of sin; against the curse, and condemnation of the Law; against discouragement from weakness of graces, and imperfection of duties; against death and Devil, and whatsoever may be supposed to hinder the Salvation and Happiness of God's Covenant-people.  
Would I stand further to instance in the several positive privileges and blessings of the Covenant; I might show you what abundant comfort flows from each of them.  
How great is the comfort of Redemption and Reconciliation, and Justification, and Sanctification, and the Promise and hope of Glory? and now all these Well-springs of comfort are carried in the Covenant, which is confirmed to believers by the death of Christ.  
Here now Christians, is Wine and Milk, here is Nectar and Ambrosia, here are delicates indeed for those that have laid hold upon this Covenant of God's love.  
Eat, O Children of Abraham; drink, yea drink abundantly, O ye believing Souls.  
Blessed Soul that can say, God's Covenant is mine.   

God's Christ OURS.  Rom. 8.32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 
IN the former verse the Apostle boasts of his own, and every Believer's security against all enemies and evils, grounding this his triumph of Faith the upon unchangeable love of God towards Believers, and the presence of his Grace with them: And whereas the flesh is ready to cast many doubts, and the weak Christian is apt to be discouraged by cross events, and afflicting providences, and by the consideration of the Devil's malice, and the World's enmity against believers, the Apostle obviating such doubts, and anticipating such objections, answers and clears off all, that faith may not be entangled with any of them.  
The scope of the Text, the Apostle h drift therein, 
Scope.  is to take off from the children of God, the fear of want, assuring them of all needful good things, and for this purpose he useth an argument drawn from the consideration of what God hath done for us, what he hath given; he hath given us his own Son, a gift more worth than ten thousand Worlds; why then should we doubt, but that he will give us other things? undoubtedly, the love of God which hath been commended to us in such a wonderful gift, will not stick at small matters.  
How shall he not with him also freely give us all things?  
This interrogation hath the force of an affirmation with an asseveration: Surely God who for our sakes hath not spared the life of his own only, dearly beloved Son, Jesus Christ, but hath delivered him up to death for us, will together with him give us all things.  
Though there be not much difficulty in the words, yet it may not be amiss to give a little light to the terms.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he who relates to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God. The Apostle insisteth on the commendation of the love of God, illustrating that, and seeking to establish Souls upon it,  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own Son, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth most strictly signify propriety and a peculiar interest in a person, or thing; and it is one of those distinguishing notes, whereby the natural Son of God is distinguished from the rest of his Sons, who are not Sons by Nature, but by Grace, by Adoption, and Regeneration; Gods own Son is Jesus Christ.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He spared not, but delivered up. The Apostle here amplifyeth the great love and rich grace of God, he spared not, but gave i e. he sticked not to give; he spared not the Life of his own Son, his dearly beloved Son, but delivered him up for us, delivered him ●up ●o Death. thus Rom. ●. 2●. Christ w●s delivered for our offences, i. e. He was by his Father delivered to death; that there we must so understand it, is clear, from the opposite term raised, and he was raised again for our justification, was raised from the dead. We have other Texts speaking this plainly. For the suffering of Death, 
Heb. 29.  that he by the grace of God should taste of Death for all men. 
1 Pe●. 3.18  Christ also hath once suffered for sins being put to death in the flesh. (thus here [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for us, pro nobis; i. e. vice nostri in our stead; and propter nos, or bono nostro, for our benefit: we sinners must have died, if Christ had not died for us, for Death is the wages of sin: God therefore delivered up his Son to death for us, that we might not die.  
And surely, very many and great are the benefits and advantages that accrue to sinners from Christ his dying for them, which may be all reduced to, and summed up in this one word Redemption; which is the great fruit and effect of Christ his Mediation; and being taken in its full Latitude, is all spiritual grace and blessing in this World, and the World to come.  
The whole work of God's grace toward sinners in Christ Jesus, is usually in Systems of Divinity, called Redemption; 
Pro nobis, hec nostrae salutis causâ & nostrâ vice ac loco nempe ut morte suâ peccatis nos tris expiatis a morte nos redimeret, & justitiam atque vitam amissam nohis repararet, Par.  Christ was delivered to death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for us, in our stead, suffering what we should have suffered, that we might not suffer, but might be set free; and for us, for our sakes, to our behoof, that he might obtain eternal Redemption for us, as Heb. 9.12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth not say for all, but for us all, for me and such as I am, Elect and Beloved, as afterwards ver. 33.34, 35, Who shall lay any thing to the charge of [God's Elect.] It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? see here who they are for whom Christ died to clear them from accusation, to set them above Condemnation; they are God's Elect, they are those that have Christ his love; so that here in the Text we have an universal Particle, with a restriction upon it, [Us] is exclusive of some, of many, of all others; according to that of our Saviour, 
John 10.15  I lay down my life for the Sheep, for them only.  
And indeed the Scripture doth limit, and appropriate the death of Christ, the fruit and benefit of it to a certain sort of persons, those for whom he undertook to be their Redeemer, and doth not extend it to all.  
He gave himself to die for his Church his body, 
Eph. 5.23, 25.  now the Church is not the World in the universality of Men and Women, but God's portion in the Wo●●▪ contradistinguished to the World; 
Jo. 17.9.  those that are Redeemed unto God, 
Rev. 5.9.  by the blood or Christ, out of every Kindred, and Tongue, and People, and Nation, he doth not say, all Kindred's, and People but some out of every kindred▪ etc. here is no holding forth of Universal Redemption.  
Christ is said, 
Jo. 10.11, 15.  to give his Life, to lay it down for his sheep, n●w not all men and women are the Sheep of Christ, 
Mat. 25.32  we read of Goats as well as sheep. Christ died for his People, to Redeem them, 
Mat. 1.21.  to save them from their sins, viz. for those that are in a special consideration, the People of God; 
Rom. 11.  those whom he hath foreknown, his Elect People. Christ gave himself for his Children, his seed. 
Heb. 2.13, 14, 15.  And whereas it ●s said, ver. 9 That he tasted Death for every man, It is to be understood of every sort of men, Gentiles as well as Jews, for this is afterward limited to Sons, Brethren, and children of Christ: The Spiritual seed are those many and all those for whom Christ suffered Death.  
Christ died only for those that were given him of his Father; Thou hast given him power over all ●lesh; 
Jo. 17.2.  that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. How doth Christ give them eternal life? by dying for them, thus purchasing by his death, and ●hen applying to them the purchased redemption.  
Surely Christ did not die for all, ●e would not die for those for whom he would not pray; 
Jo. 17.9.  now see what he himself saith of this, I pray 〈◊〉 for the world, but for those whom 〈◊〉 hast given me out of the world.  
He who delivered by his own ●on for us all, (saith the Apostle in ●he Text) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, how ●all he not freely give? give of grace, and with gracious thoughts ●nd purposes. This word stands 〈◊〉 opposition to ●an's merits, and ●o God's common bounty.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with him, viz. with ●hrist: All the good of souls is measured up in Christ, and all the enjoyments of Christians are ●●etened, and become valuable ●●d profitable to them by their enjoyment of Christ. He that hath not Christ hath nothing that is truly good to him, or that will prove comfortable in the end, there is no more than a shadow of good things without him; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things.  
Some expound this of all things that God hath made; others interpret it thus, all things that are good and necessary, others, all things that may be furtherances of our salvation.  
The two latter senses hold very clearly, and the other may be admitted, if we distinguish between the right of God's children, and their possession: God hath given them a right in and through Christ to all things for their good; 
1 Cor. 3.22.  all things are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is Gods; and as for possession of earthly things, it 〈◊〉 given or witheld, according to the most wise and gracious dispensation of God, as he sees to be for the good of his children.  
Well, thus understand the Apostle: God, who hath given his Son, will with him freely, graciously, and in good will give all things that may further our salvation, and that are good and necessary for us.  
Now there are two general parts of the Text.  

Parts of the Text.  1. An argument of God his surpassing love toward the elect, that he gave his own Son to die for them.  
2. A most comfortable inference thereupon, that having given his Son, he will give all things with him.  
The words being opened, the Text gives us many doctrines.  

Doctrines deducted.  1. That Jesus Christ (who is here called Gods own Son) is very God.  
2. That this Son of God was given by God for the ransom of souls.  
3. That God did not give his Son, nor did Jesus Christ give himself to die for all, but only for the Elect.  
4. That the love of God is wonderfully made out to souls in giving his Son to die for them.  
These four observations lie very clear in the antecedent, viz. that God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up to death for the Elect.  
Now in the consequent or inference, [that God will surely together with Christ give all other things) we have these notes.  
1. That even all earthly things are given and dispensed by God. 
Doctrines.   
2. That Jesus Christ is the great gift of God,  
3. That where God giveth Christ, he will give all other needful good things.  
4. That all the enjoyments of believers are gifts of grace; where Christ is given, there is (a gracious) gifts of other things with him.  
5. Where Christ is not given, nothing is given with a purpose of grace.  
6. That where the love of God in giving Christ, is apprehended and particularly applied, there faith hath sure footing to stand and bear up the soul in expectation of all other needful good things, (This comes up to the scope of the Text.)  
Thus you see, this 32th verse of this 8th Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, is like a special branch of a fruitful tree, singularly well loaden with precious fruit, yielding us many useful observations.  
But now I shall pluck and give you to eat only two of those choice Apples which grow upon this most fruitful bough, 
Two doctrines handled.  opening and improving too of those Doctrines which the Text gives.  
The points are these,  
1. God the Father delivered his own Son Jesus Christ unto death, for the redemption of souls.  
2. Jesus Christ is the principal gift of God.  
God the Father delivered his own Son Jesus Christ unto death, Doct. 1 for the redemption of souls.  
B●fore I take into consideration the express terms of this proposition, 
Explication.  I shall premise something that here is supposed and implied.  
1. It is supposed, that this Son of God was made Man; here is a necessary supposition of the incarnation of the Son of God; for as God he could not die; the divine nature is impassable: The Word therefore must be made flesh, the Son of God must become Man, that he might be capable of suffering for sinners, who were to be redeemed by his death.  
2. Here is necessarily implied the union of two natures in the person of Christ; he was both God and Man; therefore he is called Immanuel, God with us: and hence it is said, 
Acts 20.28.  that God purchased his Church with his own blood; Christ, as God had no blood to shed, and considered as a mear man his blood could not be a valuable price for the redemption of souls; he must be man therefore, that he might be in a capacity to die, and he must be God, that his death might be satisfactory and meritorious.  
Now to the point, as it is expressed, herein we are to consider, the Agent, the Action, the Object, and the End.  
1. The Agent, God, (that is his name) the Father, (that is his relation to the Son, who is the Object here.)  
2. The Act, delivered to death.  
Obj. But the Evangelists tells us that Judas delivered him, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the same word that is here used, though there it is englished, betrayed him.  
Ans. The same action may very well be ascribed both to the principal, 
Sol.  and the instrumental cause; God the Father was the principal cause of the delivery of his Son to death, appointing, and by his providence ordering the actions of Judas, and the Jews, and of Pilate in this business; God by the teachery of Judas, and by the malice and cruelty of the rest of the actors of that Tragedy, delivered his Son to death. He was smitten of God, 
Isa. 53.  The Lord laid on him the iniquities of us all, it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and to put him to grief.  
3. The object, his own Son Jesus Christ; Of this term of special relation, or singular appropriation, I spoke something when I opened the letter of the Text; I shall say no more of the object now.  
4. We have in the point, the end of this act put forth by this agent, upon this object, that is, the redemption of souls.  

Redemption deliverance.  The word Redemption noteth both a Deliverance, and the way of accomplishing it.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to redeem, is Emereri, to buy off, or buy out a person, or thing, to set a person free from prison, 
Dato pretio asserere in libertatem.  or punishment, or slavery, to set a thing free from alienation, or engagement, or mortgage, or forfeiture (be it house, or land, or goods) to clear it, to fetch it off by the payment of a price.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, redemption, signifies both the act of delivering, or freeing, and the effect, the liberty, or freedom procured and enjoyed.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, redemption, is improperly taken up sometimes, to note any deliverance from any danger, or evil, as Heb. 11. this word is used concerning a temporal deliverance from the danger of death. 
Heb. 11.39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●st liberatlo allcusu● ab Incommodo, intere●dente — Others were tortured not accepting deliverance.  
Properly, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, est vinditatis personae vel rei, etc. is a vindication, a clearing, or freeing of a person or thing captived, or all●nated, by paying, or giving a price.  
And such redemption is either corporal, or spiritual.  
Now Christ his redemption is not corporal, but spiritual.  
Man before he finned had spiritual liberty; this being lost by sin, there comes in the room of it guilt, and a spiritual captivity; partly under the wrath and judgement of God h●s Judge, and the curse of the Law, partly under spiritual enemies, sin, devil, death, and hell.  
Now there is a spiritual redeemer given, the mediator Christ Jesus, and a spiritual price or ransom paid, the death of Christ, which however according to the history it was corporal, yet in respect of the end of it, is wholly spiritual; and the fruits and benefits of this redemption are spiritual, viz. a deliverance from the wrath of God, and the curse of the Law, and the power of Satan, death, and hell; remission of sins, adoption, regeneration, and eternal salvation; and in our doctrine, we say, it is the redemption of souls.  
This is the redemption that is in Christ, or by Christ, purchased; procured, effected by his death, which was satisfactory to the justice of God (so that upon account hereof God is ready to release sinners from his curse and wrath, and the punishment due for sin) and destructive to the Devil's power and kingdom; so that in respect of Satan, the Redeemer fetcheth of his poor captives from him by strong hand, an almighty power. Thus the redemption that we are speaking of is the vindication or recovery of sinners, from the bondage in which they were under sin, Satan, death, and the wrath of God, into the contrary spiritual liberty, by the payment of a sufficient price, which was the blood of the Son of God.  
Yet let me add a word more concerning this redemption.  
As there is a twofold adoption pointed out in Scripture, the one inchoat, whereby we are made the Sons of God; the other consummate, whereby we are manifested to be the Sons of God, and entered into a full possession of the inheritance of Sons, (which adoption the Sons of God are said to wait for) so there is a twofold redemption. 
Rom. 8.   
1. The work of redemption once wrought, 
Plena ac perfecta beratio liomnibus gradibus & numeris absoluta redemptio tumanimae, tum corporis, in die judicii, Gerh. in Harm. Eu.  whereby we are redeemed from sin and death, pardoned and reconciled to God, etc.  
2. That which is called the redemption of the body Rom. 8. and the redemption of the possession, Ephes. 1. which is a full deliverance and freedom from all corruption and misery, unto a full fruition of immortality and blessedness, which believers are said to wait for, which they shall have at the day of Judgement.  
This is the end for which Christ was delivered to death.  
God the Father contrived, commanded, and ordered the death of Christ, of his own Son, as a satisfactory price to his Law and Justice (that thereby poor sinners might be redeemed; i. e. bought out of slavery and misery, delivered from the guilt and power of sin) and as the means by which they might be rescued from out of the hand of Satan, and from all the powers of darkness, and vindicated into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God.  
Now for proof of the point. 
Proof.   
To those Texts that were hinted in opening the Word, I shall add oath s; He made him to be sin for us, 
2 Cor. 5.21.  which knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, i. e. He made his own guiltless Son to become a sacrifice for sin, offered up to God for the expiating of our sins.  
He of God is made to us redemption. 
1 C 30. Gal 3 13.  He hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us.  
Thus you have had the Quid si●, and the Quod sit; the Explication, and proof of the Point.  
Now as to the Cur sit, 
Demonstration.  the why so, of the Doctrine; there are two questions about this, which shall be satisfied in two words.  
Quest. 1. Quest. 1 Why must Jesus Christ needs be delivered to death for the redemption of sinners?  
Ans. 1 
Ex hypothesi.  Answ. There must needs be a mediator of redemption for the recovery of lost sinners (God having decreed this way of saving souls) and he that would deliver sinners, must mediate for them by blood, must answer the offended law and justice of God, which could not be satisfied, but by the death of the sinner, or of an undertaker, or surely for him; (this was the price of satisfaction) Man could not by himself any way satisfy God's law and justice, for that required infinite satisfaction, but a finite creature cannot make infinite satisfaction; nay, a finite sinner can make no satisfaction at all, therefore one that was no sinner, and one that was true man, and one that was more than man, no less than God, must be the redeeming Mediator, to deliver poor sinners, by paying down a price, a sufficient price, satisfactory to the justice of God; and that must be his blood: 
Heb. 9.22.  For without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins; So that it must needs be Jesus Christ, God and Man, that must suffer death in the flesh, for the redemption of souls.  
Quest. 2. Why would God deliver his own S●n up to death for the redemption of s●uls?  
Answ. 2. This may satisfy us, because so it pleased him; it proceeded only from the free grace, and good pleasure of God, there was no other impulsive or moving cause. This is a part, and a great act of God's special gracious providence toward his Elect, which is a stupendious argument of the freeness and the riches of his grace to sinners: God was not cruel to his own Son, but merciful, and most tenderly compassionate toward poor sinners, wretched creatures, that had undone themselves; either we must die eternally, or the Son of God must die for us (must be under the power of death for a time.) Now guilty sinners are spared, and the innocent Son of God, the Son of his love is given to death for us, that we might live: This is grace indeed, and as this proceeded from grace, 
Eph. 1.5, 6, 7  so it was aimed by God at the glorifying of his grace to all eternity, So much to the Doctrinal part of the Point.  
I come now to Application.  

APPLICATION.  
First, Use 1 
Information.  I shall draw up some inference for information.  
1. It follows hence, that by nature we are all miserable captives, and wretched slaves; otherwise there needed not a Redeemer; The Prophet tells us, 
I●a. 61.1.  what was the office of Christ, and to what purpose he was sent; to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those that are bound.  
Paul tells us, 
Rom. 7.14.  that he was by nature sold under sin, and though he was redeemed with the blood of Christ, and regenerated by the spirit of Christ, yet sin did still hang about him, he could not shake off his fetters, nor get wholly clear from his bonds, but he was still so clogged and fettered with corruption, that he cries out, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉? O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me?  
And as for unregenerate men, 
2▪ Tim. 2.26.  they are said to be taken captive by Satan, according to his will, the Devils absolute slaves: Ah, woeful is the condition of those souls, to whom Jesus Christ is not a Redeemer.  
And (now, by the way) the worse the dis●ase is, the better is the remedy, and the more to to be prized; the more wretched the condition of poor souls is by nature, the more is grace to be esteemed and adored, that translateth us out of so bad an estate, into so good a condition, that from such a depth of misery raiseth us up unto such a height of happiness, as souls are advanced to by Christ Jesus: Surely the greater, the viler our bondage is, the more gracious, the more glorious is the work of our redemption, and the more precious should our Redeemer be to us.  
2. This informeth us of the vileness and cursedness of sin, 
Infer. 2.  which brought us into such bondage and slavery unto Satan, death, and hell, that the Son of God must die to deliver us from it, which when it took hold on Christ our surety, took away his life, as dear ●s he was to God; if he undertake for sinners, he must die, surely then those sinners must die, for whom he did not die; woe to those souls whose guilt is not transferred upon Christ, that have no share in the redemption purchased with his blood: Let wicked persons that trample under foot the blood of Christ, that contemn the doctrine of Christ, and wallow in the filth of their lusts, refusing the grace of God, which is offered to them, and rejecting Christ the Redeemer; let them consider what they are like to suffer for sin, from the impartial justice of God.  
Oh that sinners may be awakened to repentance, that they may seek to make their p●a●e with God, coming in, and closing with Jesus Christ, that in him they may have redemption through faith in his blood.  
Oh that our hearts may be wrought to a due hatred of sin, considering that it brought▪ the Son of God under the power of death, when it was imputed to him.  
3. This informs us of (or we may hence infer, 
Infer. 3.  the exceeding worth or souls. The Lord did set a great prize upon them, or else ●e would not have given such a price for them (he spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us) if God had not valued the souls of men at a great rate, he would not have laid out the life of his Son for them.  
Ah what foolish creatures are Men and Women, so to undervalue their own souls, as to prostitute them to base lusts, and to the Devil's pleasure, and to sell them for toys?  
Let us consider the worth of our souls, and make more account of them, and be more careful of them, and watchful over them.  
4. We are hence to take notice of several attributes of God, 
Infer. 4.  wonderful glorious in the redemption of sinners.  
1. His wisdom in finding out a way, and such a way for the effecting of it.  
2. His power in thus confounding and overcoming Satan and sin, and death, and all the powers of darkness, opposing themselves against poor man.  
3. His justice in requiring such a satisfaction before he would remit the offence, and release the sinner.  
4. The immense mercy of God is here to be admired, who would rather that his own Son should suffer a most shameful, and painful, and accursed death, than that Mankind should perish. The sending of Jesus Christ into the world to be a Redeemer, is a special evidence, and a wonderful stupendious demonstration of the mercy of God. 
1 Jo 4.9.  Herein was manifested the love of God toward us, that he sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him, hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; (this is the mercy of mercies.) It was not with gold, or silver, or any corruptible thing that we were redeemed, but with the precous blood of God's own dear Son; and this is that which commendeth the exceeding riches of God's grace, that he gave his son to die for sinners, for enemies, for rebels, to reconcile them to God.  
2. Use 2 
Terror.  Here is matter of terror to all wicked despisers of such Gospel-grace, are not souls worthy to perish, if when God sends his Son to save them, they will not be saved? God delivered his own Son up to death for the redemption of souls, and Jesus Christ offers himself to you, as a Redeemer, and foolish creatures prefer bonds before liberty, will still continue the servants of sin, slaves to lusts, the Devils vassals, they care not for Christ his redemption. Oh, how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; Christ will be one day terrible to them, who now despise the Gospel-offers of his grace.  
3. Here is encouragement for poor sinners that feel themselves pinched, Use 3 and galled with the yoke of sin, and groan by reason of their spiritual bondage, that see in what a miserable case. they are by nature, and long to be brought out of it; why, hear this: God hath delivered his own Son to death for the redemption of poor creatures, and he hath paid a sufficient price for the ransom of all; therefore come to Jesus Christ, and cast thyself upon him, giving thyself up to him; he can, and will redeem thee from sin to God, from death to life, from the power of Satan into the glorious liberty of God's children.  
4. Was the Son of God himself delivered up to death for the redemption of souls, Use 4 here is abundant comfort for such as have by faith laid hold on Gospel-redemption, they may be sure of their being thoroughly redeemed, it is a full redemption that is wrought by the Son of God, God's work is perfect work, the soul that cometh to Christ, and by faith closeth with him, is freed from the guilt of sin, and the curse of the law, and is certainly set above condemnation: Though there be matter of condemnation in a believer, that for which he deserves to be condemned, yet actual condemnation there is none to him: Christ hath taken it away, he died for this purpose, he was delivered to death for our offences, and the dying of the Son of God cannot be in vain, cannot fail of its end; surely, the satisfaction that Christ made to his Father, was a very full satisfaction, and his death was full of merit, for those for whom he died; For,  
1. The sufferings of Christ were infinite (though not in respect of time) yet in respect of the quantity, and quality of them, and in respect of the person suffering, who was God as well as Man.  
2. Christ his death must needs be satisfactiory, and meritorious on behalf of those for whom he died, because it was that which God required, the means of satisfaction, and acquisition which he himself appointed; it was according to the Covenant of redemption, a performance of that 
Rom. 3.25▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Hath fore-appointed.  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation for sin, through faith in his blood. This fore appointment of God, must be referred not only to the person of the Redeemer, (as that God had appointed his Son to be the Mediator of Redemption) but likewise to the manner and means of Redemption; that Jesus Christ being made man, should expiate the sins of men by the sacrifice of himself, by shedding his blood, and that his death should be the meritorious procuring cause of righteousness and life, and the favour of God, and all blessing and happiness to those for whom he died.  
So then here is that which may give satisfaction to Believers, to cause them to rest in Christ's Redemption because he is God, and because his Father from Eternity designed him to be our Redeemer, and his Death to be the effectual means of a full Redemption.  
Therefore when Satan tempteth and Conscience accuseth, and the Law threatneth a Child of God, and when Death and Hell would make him afraid, let him turn his eye to Christ, and let him fix meditation on the Death of Christ the Son of God, it was to purpose; the work which his Father gave him to do, he did throughly; he fully expiated Sin, and so the Law is answered, the Curse removed, the Devil conquered, the wrath of God appeased, and righteousness and life restored to those for whom he died; and the evil from which he hath redeemed them, shall never return upon them, and the good which he hath purchased for them, shall never be lost from them.  
5. I shall now close with words of Counsel. Use 5 
Exhort.  Did God give his Son to die for Sinners? Then let us search out and consider, what that good is which the death of Christ bringeth to souls, that so we may take comfort in meditating on this great gift of God. Certainly it was for special purpose that God gave his Son to die, now we must know the advantage that hence redounds to souls, or else we cannot taste the sweetness of such a mercy.  
I shall instance in some fruits and benefits of Christ's death, which comprehend all the the specialties of advantage by it, amounting to a full redemption.  
1. Hereby full satisfaction is made to the justice of God, for believers; The word satisfaction indeed is not found in Scripture, applied to the death of Christ, but the thing is made out fully in other expressions, as when it is said, that he did bear the sins of many, 
Isa 53.12. 1 Pet. 2.24  and he bore our sins in his body on the tree, the phrase importeth (according to the signification of the original word) the taking of the punishment of sin off from us upon himself, and so intimates satisfaction. Christ is said to be the propitiation for our sins, 
1 Jo. 2.2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is to expiate sin by making satisfaction to justice, and so to render God propitious; in what sense can Christ be said to be a propitiation for sin, but by satisfying Gods offended justice, and violated law. The Apostle saith by the righteousness of one, 
Rom 5 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the free gift came to the justification of life; it may be read, by one satisfaction: Jesus Christ by death for sinners hath paid their debts (hath not left one farthing upon the score) hath satisfied for their sins, (not leaving one sin unsatisfied for, so that they stand not liable to the justice of God, which inflicteth everlasting punishment upon sinners, (as all poor souls will find, who have not a part in Christ.) Christ hath made full satisfaction for all those who apply to themselves the fruits of his death, so that they are acquitted and justified by virtue of his death, for the merit of his satisfaction.  
2. God's justice being satisfied, his anger is appeased, he is reconciled to souls, by this propitiatory sacrifice, so that now God and they are friends, there is amity betwixt them, being enemies, 
Rom. 9.10.  We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; 
2 Cor. 5.18 ●●a 53.5. Modo Deo fivamur propitio, nihil metuendum a creaturis.  God hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, the chastisement of our peace was upon him.  
Now, as it is a fearful thing to have God to be our enemy, so it is most sweet and comfortable to be in his favour; for if God be for us, who can be against us? This reconciliation to God is a great privilege indeed, that which lets the soul into the enjoyment of all other privileges and blessings.  
3. The Devil that great Enemy of Souls is conquered, the Serpent's head is broken, the Seed of the Woman hath broken it: Jesus Christ the Son of God was made flesh, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, 
Heb. 2.14.  that is the Devil.  
4. By Christ's dying, 
1 Cor. 15.54. 2 Tim. 1.10.  Death is swallowed up in victory: Jesus Christ hath abolished Death, and hath taken away the fear of Death from Believing Souls; That he might deliver them, 
Heb. 2.15.  who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage. Christ delivereth his from spiritual death in sin, and from eternal death for sin; and as for natural death, the death of the body, unto which God hath appointed them, it is not now formidable, the sting of it being plucked out by Christ, it is that which Saints have desired, which is welcome to Souls steadfast in the faith of the promises, because death frees them from the power of sin, and annoyance of corruption, puts an end to their sinning (which is grievous to a gracious heart.) Now comes that happy deliverance from the body of death, which St. Paul so earnestly longed for; and by death they have their passage to everlasting life.  
5. Regeneration and the sanctification of souls, is the fruit of Christ's dying; he of God is made to us sanctification; 
1 Cor. 1.30. 1 Pet. 2.24.  he his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness; he gave himself for us, 
Tit. 2.14.  that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.  
The mortification of sin in us, and the vivification of grace, the healing of our nature, and the renewing of the image of God in us, is a great benefit of Christ's death; he merited this for the Elect, obtaining at God's hand, that the holy Spirit should be given to sanctify them, that the Spirit of his Son should be sent into their hearts.  
6. Christ by his Death hath purchased eternal life for Souls. God gave his only begotten Son, 
● John 3.16  that whosoever believeth in him should n●t perish but haeve everlasting life; 
1 Joh. 5.11  God hath given us Eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  
Thus the full benefit of Christ's Death is a full redemption from all evil to all good, from sin, Satan, Wrath, Death, and Hell, to Grace and Glory, to the enjoyment of all good here and hereafter.  
Now unless we know these things, and except we know ourselves to be interessed in Jesus Christ, whose Death is of such exceeding great advantage to those for whom he died, we can take no comfort in the notion of Christ his Death.  
Therefore having counselled you to search out what the benefits of Christ's Death are, I should in the next place exhort you, to make sure your share in them: to labour to clear up to yourselves your interest in Christ, and in the advantages of his Death. But this will be a special part of the application of that other point, which is to be opened and improved, therefore our second counsel now shall be this.  
Did God give his Son to Death, 
Counsel. 2.  to satisfy for us; to reconcile us to God, to obtain for us Remission of sins, and Sanctification of the Spirit, and life eternal, then let pardon of sin, and peace with God, and the grace of Sanctification, and the hope of Eternal life, be valued by us, according to the price that was paid for the purchase of them, It was the Blood of the Son of God, which was of infinite value. Therefore that which was purchased by it is more worth than all the World; Carnal hearts have no such estimation of these things; if they had, they would look more after them, and seek them diligently in the use of the means: Bu● alas, how many poor souls are the●e, that have no apprehension of the worth of these mercies? Gold is of more account with them then Grace, and the countenance of man is more looked after then the favour of God; but David can tell us, that a comfortable apprehension of God's love is more worth than all worldly enjoyments, and Solomon his judgmant is that Wisdom i e. Grace, is the most excellent thing, that the most desirable things in the World are not to be compared with it. Now therefore, let Christians who by faith have laid hold on Christ, and are int●rr●ss●d in the benefits of his death, let them know what and an excellent portion they got, and let them judge of their privileges by the price that was paid for the purchase of them, and prise them accrdingly. And let Worldlings consider the means by which Spiritual blessings, soul-mercies, the Christians Privileges were procured, and let them esteem them accordingly, never resting till they come to be made partakers of them.  
Did God give his son to Die for sinner, 
Counsel. 3.  then let us take heed of sinning against Christ's Death? Abel his blood cried for vengeance on them that shed it.  
What will Christ his Blood do?  
Certainly, the Blood of the Son of God is very precious, and they who sin against it, draw horrible guilt upon themselves.  
Now there are many ways by which souls sin against the Death of Christ.  
1. When men do deny the efficatious merit of Christ his Death, and will piece it up with their own merits, as Papists, who teach and boast of humane satisfactions.  
2. They who resist or despise the means of the application of Christ Crucified to themselves.  
3. They who have low thoughts of those things, for the purchase whereof Christ died; The privilege of Justification, and Sanctification, and the Scriptures of God and a Gospel Ministry, and Gospel Ordinances, and all Gospel privileges, and all true Gospelers in the Church, are all the purchase of Christ his Blood: So that it is clearly a sinning against the Death of Christ, to cry down or reproach, or slight any of these,  
4. They who make much of sin, which caused the Death of Christ, and that allow in themselves, and maintain the life of that, for the destruction of which Christ died, they sin against the Death of Christ; And many other ways do people sin against Christ his Death.  
Now let us take heed of this, that we sin not against the Blood of the Son of God, which was given to be shed for us.  
I may take a hint from the Doctrine to counsel you to mercifulness to your own sulles; 
Counsel. 4.  Is God so merciful to us not be cruel to ourselves.  
Did Christ die to Redeem us and set us free, then let us not enslave ourselves, let us not yield ourselves servants unto sin and Satan; Did Christ die to Redeem us from destruction, let us not be self destroyers; I remember what Paul saith in the case of Scan als, what a charge he giveth to shun giving of offence, and upon what ground; Do not for meats sake, 
Rom. 14.15.  destrom him for whom Christ died; Oh do not for any Lust's sake destroy thy soul for which Christ died,  
5. This consideration is to be urged upon ourselves, 
Couns 5.  as a motive to mercifulness towards others? Hath God been so merciful to us, as to give his own Son for us, let this stir up in us, bowels of compassion toward our brethrens, and let us be ready to do good to the souls and bodies of our fellow creatures, specially, let us desire and endeavour to be instrumental for the saving of others.  
6. Did God give such a price for us? 
Couns. 6.  Then let us remember that we are not our own, we are not Satan's; therefore we must not live as we list, must not seek to please ourselves, must not be ruled by Satan; If God hath given such a price for us, 
Nor be devoted to the world.  he is worthy to have us, and we must be wholly his own; therefore, let us yield ourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, (as the Redeemed of the Lord) and our Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God.  
Consider, my beloved, wherefore God gave his Son, and to what end Christ gave himself; viz. That he might Redeem us from all Iniquity, 
Tit. 2.14.  and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Christ died, not only to redeem us from Hell and Condemnation, but also from our vain and wicked Conversation. 
1 Pet. 1.18   
Christ was given to Death for us, not only that we should not die for sin, 
1 Pet. 2.24.  but that we should die unto sin, and live unto Righteousness. We are taught in Zacheriahs' Song, 
Lu. 1.74.  That for this end Christ hath delivered us from the hands of our Enemies, that we might serve him in holiness and Righteousness. and if we refuse to serve our Redeemer; th●s is to deny the Lord that bought us.  
This was an Argument which the People used, to provoke one another to return to their obedience to David, and to cleave to his Service, 
2 Sam. 19.9.  even the consideration of the deliverance that they had by him; and this is the Argument which Ezra useth, to tie himself and the people to strict Obedience to God: Seeing thou O Lord hast given us such a deliverance as this, 
Ezra 9.13 14.  should we again break thy Commandments?  
O let us Consider what a deliverance God hath wrought for souls by the D●ath of his Son, and let us think what horrible ingratitude this would be, if we should deny his service, and serve his Enemies.  
Well, to conclude this Use, and so to finish this point.  
Do we lay claim to Christ, and pretend to an interest in his Death, which he suffered for the Redemption of souls, then let not the Devil have any more service from us, let not lusts be any longer obeyed; let us not make provision for the flesh, let us not ser●e Mammon, Christ died to Redeem us from these Tyrants, to himself; therefore let us willingly serve our Redeemer, and let us glorify God in our souls and bodies, for they are Gods.  
I Come now to speak something to that other great point; which I promised to take into consideration.  
He who hath delivered up his own Son for us, how shall he [not with him] freely give us all things.  
S●e the te Text up●ned and dvided in the beginning of this dco●rse, and you will be able to prevent me, in raising from hence the point, which I am now about to hold forth to you, from the Apostle his way of arguing and manner of expression, this truth naturally ●●we●●.  
jesus Christ is the greatest and best gift of God. Doctrine 2  
I shall give a brief (but full) account of this assertion, clearing up the truth of it; and then shall improve it:  
Christ is the principal best gift because,  

1. He is the most comprehensive good. 
demonstration.   
2. He is a conveying gift, as well as a gift conveyed.  
3. He is the Engaging gift of God the Father.   
1 jesus Christ is the most comprehensive good, carrying in him that which serve's for a supply of all the wants of Souls: Hence it is, that we have such resemblances of Christ, that he is compared to those things which are most useful and comfortable, 
john 6.  He is bread to feed the hungry Soul, and to nourish it to everlasting life, 
Ie●. 2 13.  He is a fountain of living waters, of which who so drinketh, shall never thirst more, but this water shall be in the soul a well of water springing up unto life eternal, 
joh. 4.14.  hi● fl●sh is meat indeed, 
joh. 6.55. ch 15. v. 1.  and his blood is drink indeed, he is a vine, the true vine, which beareth the sweet grapes of consolation, 
Rev. 3.17.  for the comforting and gladding of the souls of his people, he is raiment to cover the nakedness of people and to put a comeliness upon them and adorn them; 
Rom. 13.14.  put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, he is a father and a husband to every believer, his Name shall be called the everlasting Father. Thy maker is thy husband.  
Now Christ is held forth to us under such notions, 
Isay. 9.9. c 54. v. 5.  and by such metaphors, not only to waylay our thoughts that we should look up to Christ in all these things, but to teach us, that whatsoever sweetness is in the creature, all that and much more is to be found in Christ.  
Is bread useful, is water useful, is wine useful, is raiment useful, is a tender father, or a good husband or wife, or a towardly hopeful offspring, a blessing and a comfortable enjoyment, why of more use, of more concernment, a greater comfort than any of these, yea than all these is jesus Christ to the souls that enjoy him.  
2. Christ is a conveying gift, he is the Lord high-Steward (as I may say) of God the Father, who by the appointment of God, giveth to every one of the household his portion; It is in and by Christ jesus, that God blesseth us with blessings spiritual and temporal; we are elected in him, adopted in him, justified by faith in his blood, sanctified through him, and by his spirit, and saved by him: and all things are bestowed upon the people of God through him, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, ye shall receive. 
joh. 16.23.   
Now it is good for us to note the fullness and the freeness of the conveyance of mercies and blessings made to us in and through Christ.  
It is a full conveyance, the fullness that was put into the person of the mediator, was all for poor souls, that of his fullness we might receive, grace for grace, and there is through him a conveyance of all things pertaining to life and godliness.  
2 There is a free conveyance of God's bounty to us through Christ Jesus, how shall he not with him (freely) give us all things If the first gift were free, the accessories must be free also; but the first gift was free, whether we look to the decree or the execution, what was there to move God to appoint his Son to be mediator, and to send him in the fullness of time to work out the redemption of sinners, surely nothing unless it were the creatures misery.  
3 Jesus Christ is the engaging gift of God the Father, God having given his Son, cannot but with him also give other things, for,  
1. An argument from the greater to the lesser, concludeth probably in reason, but the conclusion made by faith, is necessary in this case, if we look to Christ as heir of all things, upon whom all is ●ntailed (as I may say)  
2 This appears more clearly, if we look upon God's faithfulness in making good his promise, and his Justice engaged by Christ his purchase; Jesus Christ purchased all things for those for whom he gave himself, therefore God is engaged to give all things together with Christ.  
Now if Jesus Christ be such a comprehensive gift, such a conveying gift, and such an engaging gift, than he is the principa gift of God, a gift above all other gifts,  
I come to some improvement of the point by application. 
Application.   
I shall make a fourfold use of the doctrine. Use 1  
1. If Christ be such a comprehensive good, 
Information.  than we see the nearest way and indeed the only way to the enjoyment of all needful good things, whether should we go for water but to the fountain, when it is near, now Jesus Christ is near, he is brought home to us, and there are free offers of Christ. made to our Souls, and he is a Fountainè that is always full, always open; and always running, therefore let us make out to Christ, from whom, and in whom we may have all supplies, when all other comforts fail, when riches fly away, and when friends die away, and when health is gone, and life is going, than Christ will stand us instead, and be All, and more than all those things to us; When the the leaking Cisterns will be found empty, then shall we find the fountain full, and that will still yield us as much as we need, if we want not the Bucket of Faith, to draw water out of this well.  
2. If Christ be the conveying gift of God, than we must seek all good from God in and through Christ, and give thanks to God by Christ, for all the good that we receive; God bestoweth in and through Jesus Christ, all that he giveth graciously and in a way of love, and so God receiveth all from us in the way of duty and service by the hand of Christ, So that we must have mind upon Jesus Christ, and take in the consideration of Christ, in all our prayers and praises.  
3. If Christ be the engaging gift of God, and if we reckon that God hath bestowed his son upon us, and so (as it were) bound himself to give us all other needful good things, than there is an engagement upon us, to give ourselves back unto God; it is contrary to Religion and reason, that we should think to be lose from God, and yet to have him bound to us.  
4. We are informed hence, who are the richest men and women, surely they are believers, such as enjoy Christ; for though such may be sometimes in a poor outward condition, yet they cannot want any thing that is necessary for their Spiritual and Eternal welfare, and having Christ, they have that which can supply all wants, that which can satisfy the Soul; When Paul was come to Christ, than he had learned in what soever estate he was, therewith to be content;  
5. This speaketh the unspeakable happiness of those souls that enjoy Christ, God giveth all things with him, and all proced's from love;  
There is a great difference betwixt Believers and unbelievers, as in point of hope for the future, so in respect of their present enjoyments.  
1. They are exceedingly distinguished in their hope;  
Alas, What hope hath a wicked man, or a carnal worldling! why? he is full of vain hopes; He hopes that he shall live and see many good days upon Earth; he hopeth to increase his estate, he hopeth that his posterity shall prosper; But what hope hath the Hypocrite, 
Job 27.8.  when God taketh away his soul? Alas the confidences of worldly men shall be plucked up, their hopes shall perish, they build in the sands, and building sinketh, the house falleth, it is the house built upon the Rock that standeth, hope fised on Jesus Christ will never fail, will never make a man ashamed; It is true that carnal worldly men, such as are faithless and Christless, do profess their ●opes of happiness hereafter.  
Some bear themselves up upon their good meaning and honest lealing●, civil honesty is the best soundation that their hope hath. Others that have not this foundation, that have no honesty nor civility, yet say, they hope well, and they trust God will be merciful to them; many souls are undone for ever, by presuming upon the mercy of God, turning the grace of God into wantonness: Sottish drunkards and profane sweaters, and such as live viciously, slatter themselves in their sins, and even die with this in their mouths, God is merciful; but be not devived, saith the Apostle.  
Neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, ●●r Adulterers, 
1 Cor. 6 9  n●r Thieve●, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, no such ungodly wicked persons, shall inberit the Kingdom of God.  
Let no man decive y●u wi●h vain words, 
Eph. 5 6.  for because of these things, cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience; It appears from both these scriptures, that there were divers who had such deceitful thou h●s, as if liung and dying in such sins as are there mentioned they should yet go to heaven, presuming upon God's mercy; but friends this is most certain, that no man hath any reason to hope for salvation, till by faith he h●th ●aid hold on Jesus Christ, who is the only Saviour of souls, God deals out mercies through Christ, where he bestoweth Christ, there he giveth grace glory, and withhold's no good thing: but without Christ, and out of him, there is no exhibition of any thing to men and w●men, in a gracious way, nothing proceeding from love, Christ is the conveying gift of God, who brought all good with him out of the bosom of his Father, to those that enjoyhim; now if other gifts of Gods good will, lesser gifts be not bestowed, but through Christ, & with Christ, then surely, he will not give Eternal life without him, or out of him.  
Therefore so long as souls are ●●thout Christ, stranger● to him, 〈◊〉 they close with him by faith, ●●d take him as Lord and Jesus, ●●y have no ground to hope for ●●lvation: He that hath the Son, ●●blife: 
1 joh. 5 12  This is the will of him ●●t sent me, that every one which 〈◊〉 the Son, and believeth on him, 
joh 6.40.  ●●y have everlasting life▪  
The spirit of God speaketh ex●●sly, 
1 joh. 5.11  that eternal life is in Jesus ●●ist, and that he who hath not 〈◊〉 Son hath not life & that people ●●not have a confident expectation of any good from God, out of ●●rist.  
But now it is as clear as the Sun, ●●t many who pretend hope of ●●vation, are without Christ, and ●●thout Faith, for where Christ ●●meth, he worketh a change, ●●ere Faith is, it purifieth the ●●rt, and purgeth the conscience ●●m dead works, to serve the Li●●ng God, it acteth a man toward ●●d, it giveth up the Soul to Jesus ●●rist; it frameth people unto sliness, and new obedience: Therefore all unholy and irreligious persons, all workers of iniquity, being without Christ, are without hope of happiness, whatever they say. 
Po. 14.32  But the Righteous hath hope in his Death; He that by Faith hath laid hold on the Righteousness of Christ, and is Sanctified by the Spirit of Christ to bring forth the fruits of righteousness in his life; he hath hope through Christ Jesus, that God who hath bestowed Christ upon him, to Justify an●. Sanctify him, will together with him, and through him, give life Eternal, 
Acts 28.10 1 Tim. 1.1 1 Cor 15.19.  Christ is called the hope of Israel and the hope of Believers; The Christians hope is in Christ; If in this life only we have hope [in Christ] Beloved, he that hath the Son hath everlasting life, is saved by hope; living and dying he is in certain expectation of Salvation by Christ.  
Here is a main difference now betwixt the Believer and the unbeliever, between the true Christian, and the worlding in this particular.  
And truly, the condition of men and women in point of happiness is to be judged of, not by what we see, or what is now possessed, but by what is hoped for hereafter upon good ground; he is a poor man, a wretched man, that hath no hope in Christ; As for your present outward enjoyments, what an emptiness is in them, and how uncertain are they? these earthly considences shall be plucked up, they must perish; If a man take up any serious thoughts of Eternity, what comfort can he take in his present enjoyments, when he hath no hope of Heaven hereafter? Now alas, the Christless soul is a hopeless soul, when the truth of the matter comes to be tried, and therefore is a miserable soul indeed. But as for the Believer who possesseth Christ, though he hath but little here of the World, yet hath hope of an exceeding eternal weight of glory, hath hope of enjoying a Crown hereafter, and this hope is the anchor of the soul sure and steadfast, which will not give way, it entereth into that which is within the Veil, it is fastened on the Rock Christ Jesus, so that it cannot be broken off, there can be no disappointment of the Christian his hope, he hath Christ, that is the engaging, and conveying gift of God, and the rest must follow.  
This is the great happiness of 7 those that enjoy Christ, such souls, and such only, have hope of eternal life; Grant that the children of God do live here in a poor outward condition, and are under God's Rod in the School of affliction, while the ungodly flourish, about in wealth, & have no changes; (allow I say to wicked men the greatest ●dds in this life) Yet Believers have infinitely the advantage of them, in regard of the hope that they have of another life, which is transcendently beyond this in the best condition of living here.  
2. There is a great difference between the Believer, and the Unbeliever, between the soul that possesseth Christ, and the soul that hath not Christ, in respect of present enjoyments.  
There are many carnal men that have this world's goods in a plentiful measure, in great abundance, but as long as they are without Christ (if they seriously think upon it) they have little reason to bless themselves; they can take but little comfort in their enjoyments: for where Christ is not given, nothing is given of God with a purpose of Grace, so that the unbeliever hath reason to think, that these things are given him in anger, and in judgement to make him the more inexcusable, to be a snare to him, to fatten him against the day of slaughter, to aggravate his sin, and increase his condemnation,  
But now where God hath bestowed Christ, and where the soul takes him up by faith, other things coming in with him are gifts of God's will, they are fruits and tokens of God his love; whatsoever cometh from God together with Christ, must needs come from love.  
This is a sweet consideration indeed, and surely all other enjoyments of Christians, are (as hath been hinted) much sweetened to them, and become much more valuable and profitable by their enjoyment of Christ; he that hath not Christ, hath nothing that is truly good to him, nothing that will prove comfortable in the end; but when I know that Christ is mine, than I can look upon every thing that I enjoy, and say, This is the good gift of my God. This is a gracious Dispensation; this my Father's love; now let my Soul rejoice in the God of my comforts. 6. 
Infer 6.  If Christ be such a gift of God, the great all-comprehending gift; then Christians should be satisfied with Christ, though they possess not these outward things; Christ makes up all. If God hath given Christ to us, he hath done enough for us, though it is sure that with him he will give us all things, and things needful, and that which he sees to be good for us.  
2. If Jesus Christ be the great and principle gift of God, Use. 2 
Conviction.  than it is great folly in people to prefer any thing before Christ; now surely, many are they, who may be convicted of folly upon this account; for alas, how few are they that make out after Christ? People are content generally to be without him, to be strangers to him; some are Voluptuous, some Covetous, some Ambitious, 
Haec tria pro trino numine vul gus habere  some for Pleasure, some for Profit, some for Honour; these are the things that men look after, but there is little looking after Christ; he is held out to be the great gift of God, the most comprehensive gift, in whom there is a fullness of all good to give abundant satisfaction to the Soul; that makes him its portion, in him we shall find contentment, which is not to be found in any thing beside him; and he is such a conveying gift, as brings along with him all things pertaining to life and godliness, and this gift is held forth by God; and offered to souls in the Ministry of the Gospel, Come saith God, take my Son, and give yourselves up to him, you shall surely find enough in him, but oh, how is Christ slighted, as a thing of no value, so that people will not be persuaded to seek an enjoyment of him; Ah foolish worldling's, you will not be called off from your vain and sinful courses, nor from the eager pursuit of the things of this world, to look after ●hrist, to get an interest in him, Do you not in effect say, rather let us enjoy the pleasures of sin, rather let us have this World's goods, we judge these things to be better than Christ: Ah poor souls, Why do you follow after lying vanities, forsaking your own mercies? 
John 4.10.  What saith Christ to the woman of Samaria? If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water, Oh, did you know the gift of God, and what it is that he holds forth to you, when he offereth Christ to you on condition of your repenting and believing: I say, did you know this gift of God, you would not despise an offered Christ, but would close with the motion, & accept of the tender withal your hart, crying out to God, o Give me Ch. above all things, Christ, though without any thing else. Lord what ever thou takest a way, or withold'st from me, give me thy Son, bestow Jesus Christ upon me. See how it is with Paul respecting this matter: when the eyes of his understanding were opened, and he once become thoroughly apprenensive of the excellency of Christ; I account all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, 
Phillip 3.8.  and d● count them but●dung; that I may wi● Christ, Were we thus taught of God, were we convinced, that Christ is such a transcendent good, that he is beyond comparison, the richest gift and best for us, than desire would be carried unto Christ, than you would be enquiring, how may I get ●hrist, and how may I know whether I have him, or no; and then people would come carefully to the Ordinances, and attend to Preaching, and wait without weariness upon the Ministry of the Word, wherein God upholdeth the Mystery of Christ, maketh this gift known, and setteth forth the riches of it, wherein he offers it to those that will take it, and which is the means of Faith, that is the hand to receive this gift of Go●: But when people turn thei●●acks upon the Ordinances, or sleep under it, slighting the Doctrine of Christ, it is because they are ignorant of the worth of these things; they have no Knowledge of Christ, they see no desireableness in him, and so they prefer any thing before him. And surely the Prophet's Charge falls heavy upon a number of people; They are foolish people, they know not Christ, 
Jer. 4 22.  they are sottish Children, they are void of Understanding; while they set their hearts upon tristes, highly prising that which is worth nothing, and in the mean time slight and make no reckoning of that which is infinitely more worth than all other things; Ah foolish Creatures, to forsake the Fountain of living waters, and hue out to ourselves broken Cisterns, that will hold no waters.  
Now to carry on this Use of Conviction, by particular demonstrations of people's folly, in neglecting and slighting Jesus Christ.  
1. Is it not folly to refuse that which will be to us 〈◊〉 om●ium, as much as all things, yea more than all other things; that which will serve our turn at all needs. Now Christ is such a full good, he is all in all to the Soul that enjoys him; he is light in darkness, peace in trouble, comfort in affliction, liberty in imprisonment, health in sickness, life in death; and yet the offers of Christ are slighted, and despised: Surely upon this account people are justly charged with notorious folly.  
2. Will not every one be ready to call him fool, who shall accept of a small piece of money, rather than of the gift and conveyance of a very great estate? Now Christ is a conveyance beyond all conveyances, in him, by him, and together with him, God conveyeth all things pertaining to life and godliness, makes over Heaven and Earth to us, all things are ours if Christ be ours; Ah what fools shall we prove ourselves to be, if we slight the offers of Christ?  
3. Christ is the engaging of God, so that where Christ is received, all other things may be expected, because God hath promised to give all things with him, and because Christ hath purchased all things for those who by Faith close with him, and God cannot prove unfaithful, to fail of his word, nor can he be unjust, to withhold from us, that which Christ hath purchased for us.  
Now will any wise soul refuse an engagement from God? is it not a great matter to have God engaged to us, So that we may be able to urge him with his own engagement, coming to him confidently in the want of grace, or when we stand in need of any comfort. Lord give me this for thy Son's sake, For thy promise sake: Christ is mine, and through him, by virtue of thy Covenant and his purchase, I have a right to other things; therefore let not this be denied me.  
Thus the believer that hath laid hold on Christ, may with an humble boldness plead God's gracions promises, and Christ's merits, while he denies himself, and in low abasement of spirit acknowledgeth his own desert of the contrary to that grace and mercy which he lays claim to through Christ, and acting faith upon God in Christ may expect a gracious return from God, in giving all that is necessary for salvation, and in bestowing, or else withholding, or withdrawing other things, as he sees to be for the good of his poor servants: And is it not folly, I say, to refuse such an engagement from God, tendered to us.  
Thus you have had a triple demonstration of people's folly in refusing Christ, and so I have done with the use of conviction,  
Use 3 I shall now give out some counsel.  

First, To all. 
Exhortati.   
Secondly, To those that have received Christ.   
I shall suggest and press two general counsels. 
Exhort. General.   
1. Seeing Christ is the principal gift of God, labour above all things to get Christ, 
Get Christ.  make out after him, and seek to lay hold on him.  
By way of motive, I shall urge nothing but what hath been already suggested, desiring you to think feriously thereupon, for the working of your hearts over unto Christ.  
Consider, 
Motive 1.  that Christ is the engaging gift of God the Father, so that where this gift is received, where Christ is apprehended and applied, there Faith hath good ground and sure footing, to stand and bear up the soul in expectation of all other needful good things: For God hath given in Christ, and with him a right to all things; Christ is Lord of all things, and in and through Christ, Believers are Heirs of all: So that if if we do possess Christ, we may confidently expect to receive from God, all that may further salvation, and whatsoever he sees to be good for us, and the having of this gift gives the soul a certain hope of enjoying Eternal life hereafter. It is good to look after this ensuring gift, which gives assurance of all needful good things here, and of all complete happiness hereafter.  
What a quieting will this be to the spirit of a Christian, in all the changes and turn of this life, in every condition, which providence orders for him, to be able to say. This is best for me now, & I know that it shall be otherwise with me, when God sees another condition to be better for me: And what a stay and support will this be to the heart of a poor creature, ●midst all the storms that arise upon him in the troublesome Sea of this World; When considering his interest in In Jesus Christ can sayi know that my Redeemer, my Deliverer, my Saviour liveth; I know that there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness.  
2. Consider that where Christ is given, there is a gracious gift of other things together with him, not only they are given, and given freely, beside and contrary to our deserts, but they are given in good will, so that there is love in all God's dispensations to us.  
This we may be sure of, if God hath once given us Christ; for God doth not love to day and hate to morrow, but having once loved, he loveth to the end; If the first, the great gift were a gift of grace, so are all the rest, they all flow from one Fountain, viz. the love and Grace of God.  
Now surely the love of God is admirably made out to souls in giving them his Son, therefore there is love in the rest: Therefore get Christ, make sure of him, and so make sure of the love God in all other gifts.  
3. Consider, that Christ is a full good, a most comprehensive good, all in all to the soul that enjoys him  
1. He is all in respect of sufficiency, a man needs no more than Christ to make him happy  
2. He is all in respect of Efficiency, he brings to the souls of Believers all those privileges that ●rs spoken of in the Word of grace, He of God is made to them Wisdom, Righteousnses, 
1 Cor. 1.30.  Sanctification and Redemption, and in him all things are theirs. Now when a man can have all things wrought up in one, is it not wisdom for him to seek to possess himself of that thing, if it may be had? Why Christ is that great all comprehending good; once get him; and ye have in him, Whatsoever good the believer hath, he hath from and through Christ; and whatsoever he expecteth it is by Christ, In Christ are all the treasures of holiness, & happiness, and if he be thine, all that is his is thine; Therefore beloved, lay out for Christ, and lay about you to make sure of him.  

Directions for the getting Christ.  Now I shall show you briefly, what is requisite and necessary to your getting of Christ, shall give some few directions concerning the way by which you may come to be possessed of him.  
1. You must be convinced of your spiritual poverty, nakedness, and misery of your lost and undone condition without Christ, that so you may be prepared for him, being taken off from other foundations, from resting on any thing else: you must see the need you have of Christ, that you may desire him, and may be ready to reach out the hand of the Soul, to receive him, when he is offered to you.  
2. You must be persuaded of the worth of Jesus Christ, believe his excellency, 
Ignoti nulla cupido.  that he is valuable above all other things, that so desire may be carried to him, and that you may be willing to take this gift of God, as he is willing to bestow it: Oh, if souls were once otherwise persuaded of the desirableness of Christ, and of the usefulness of Christ, and of the fullness that is in him, and did duly weigh his excellencies, than they would account all things lost for Christ and would esteem all things as dung that they may win Christ, and would cry out with that blessed Mar, None but Christ, none but Christ.  
3. Think often and seriously upon Christ, what he is, and of what advantage to souls, that Adoption, and Righteousness, and Grace, and Glory come with him, and by him, let this I say be often thought upon, and probably by this means the soul may be wrought upon to look more after Christ, and the heart may be prepared to close with him, this means hath been successful, in Isa. 52. there is a speech of the exaltation of Christ in the hearts of People, and an intimation of the means by which they should be wrought to entertain such high thoughts of Christ; that which had not been told them, 
Isa. 52.13.15.  shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider: it shall it shall be discovered to them, what that Christ is whom they have despised, and now they shall speak against him no more, but shall condemn themselves for contemning him, and shall be willing with all their hearts to embrace him.  
4. If you have any apprehension of the excellency of Christ, and any desire to enjoy him, than you must be willing to take him upon God's terms, must let go self, let go the World, let go Lusts, let go Pleasures and Profits, when any of these stand in competition with Christ, must part with all for Christ; The Merchant man that will have the Pearl of great price, must sell all to make purchase of that. All must be sold in our judgement, and in our affection; and in respect of our confidence, and in respect of a full resignation of all up unto God, so that we must not set a high price upon these worthless things, must not cleave in affection to them, must not trust in these things, must be willing to let go all, when God will have it from us; and s rely there is nothing lost by exchanging all other things for Christ, if all worldly trash go for this true Treasure it should be no ill bargain; It is better to be with out all other things then to be without Christ; and it must needs be a great gain to get Christ, with the loss of other things; because God hath treasured up all riches in him, and hath appointed him to be instead of all other things, yea and far better than all other enjoyments.  
But now people stick at this; when Christ & self, Christ & lusts, Christ and pleasures, Christ and profits stand in competition; so that if they will have Christ they must let go these things, they like not to deal upon such terms: They see not so much in Christ, as they do in other things, therefore they will not be persuaded to part from these things for Christ, many are kept off from Christ by a conceit of self wisdom and self-righteousness, and by carnal interests and advantages in the World, and by the love of lusts, so that they are ready to say, as those Trees in the Parable, 
Judg. 9  Shall I leave my fatness, saith one, Shall I leave my sweetness, saith another, to be promoted over the trees? What shall I get by Christ, saith the carnal heart shall I leave my pleasure, and take myself off from my advantages in the World? to take a naked Christ? What gain is there in this? Are there not many, who do in effect say as those daughters of Jerusalem: What is thy bel●ved more than other beloved's? 
Cant. 5. 9  What a do is here about Christ? you say above all your get get Christ's; let go all and take Christ, you tell us, he is the great Gift, he is all, Why, we find that there is something beside him, and that which pleaseth us well that which we will hold Fast, say you what you will, or may we not have Christ and hold fast the World? May we not have Christ, and take our pleasure, may we not enjoy Christ and our lusts together?  
O friends, if you will have Christ you must be resolved upon the terms, to part from all for him.  
5. You must seek Jesus Christ, in the use of those means which God hath appointed and afforded, particularly, in attendance upon the Ministry of the word, wherein God maketh offers of Grace, and holdeth forth Jesus Christ with his fullness to you, if you will receive him; God will be sound of those that seek him; Christ will come to those that wait for him in his own way. But as for those fanatics, and seduced souls, who reckon themselves to be above Ordinances, and those profane ones, who do wickedly despise them, and stubbornly refuse to bring their spirits under them, and turn their backs upon the Preaching of the Word, Surely they are not in the way to find Christ.  
6. As you must attend upon Ordinances, that you may find Christ in them, so you must heed God his offers of Christ, and Christ his tenders of himself to you; You must observe how Christ comes to you in the sweet motions of the Spirit, knocking at the doors of your heart, and importuning you to open to him; Istand at the door and knock, if any man open to me, I will come in to him, 
Reve. 3.26  Christ speaketh in the Ministry of the Gospel, calling you to faith and repentance, and new obedience, and he knocketh at the doors of your hearts by the motions of his Spirit, and this standing and knocking implies an earnest desire to be let in, to be entertained; Now when we repent and believe, and give Christ entrance into our hearts, this is to open the door unto him; Oh, take heed you do not neglect the calls and knocks of Christ, but open to him; let the everlasting doors of your souls be lifted up, that the King Glory may come in. Oh, how long have you kept Christ out of door? though he hath knocked hard, and called aloud, yet he could not hitherto obtain to have the door opened to him, you would not be persuaded to cast the World out of your hearts, and to turn out lusts, and take him in; but still continue as vain, as proud, as worldly, as intemperate, as irreligious, and every way as bad as you were? O sirs, take heed of resisting the Spirit, of giving Christ such often repulses, lest he be provoked to be gone, and resolve not to solicit you any further, that his Spirit shall not more strive with you, lest you be given up to your own counsels, to perish by your own gainsayings; Dear souls, give Christ entertainment; Oh, that the power of Gospel Revelations and Gospel Counsels may come in upon your hearts.  
2. Seeing Christ is the principal gift of God, 
Counsel. 2. Make sure an interest in Christ.  let us labour to clear up to ourselves our interst in him, to get assurance that we have him; for many there are, who are ready to say, that Christ is theirs, when indeed they have no part in him.  
Quest. How shall I know that I have Christ?  
Answ. In order to a solution of this, or to give satisfaction herein▪ I shall in general acquaint you with this.  
Our having received Christ; our being in Christ, and Christ his being in us; are notions that serve to express one and the same thing.  
This being premised, I shall propound two heads, or two ways of discovery for answer to the question.  

If Christ be ours than we are in Christ.  1. If we have received Christ, than we are in Christ.  
Now I find, that the Spirit of God useth a threefold comparison or similitude in setting forth a Believer his being in Christ.  
1. A Christian is in Christ as a branch in the stock; so that if we bud and blossom, and grow in grace, & be fruitful in holiness, this is an agrument, that we have received Christ, that we are in him.  
2. A Christian is in Christ as a member in the body, united to the head; so that if there be Spiritual life in us, and Spiritual sense, and Spiritual motion and action; this is an argument, that we have received Christ, that we are in him.  
3. A Christian his being in Christ, is set forth by the marriage union, so that if there be a sweet intercourse between Christ and the soul, if the soul receive comfort from Christ, and take pleasure in his company and delight in communion with him, than he hath Christ.  
2. If a man hath received Christ, than Christ is in him; 
Christ is in us.  Christ is in the Saints, as the soul in the body, as the Sun in the World, as a man in his house, as a King on his Throne.  
Now there are two means, or two manner of ways by which Christ is thus in the Saints, both expressed by the Apostle in one place, viz. the Spirit and Faith;  
The Believer's union with Christ, 
Ephes. 3.16, 17.  is not a natural mixture of Substances, of Christ his substance, and our substance, as if there were a real entrance of the body or Soul of Christ, into our body or Soul.  
Nor is it only a conjunction of love, or an union in affection between us and Christ; but it is a mystical union, in which Christand Believers become one; Christ stians are knit to brist and to one-another by joints and bonds, 
col 2.19.  (The Spirit and faith are those bonds) and this union is (as hath been said) shadowed out in Scripture by the union of the head and the members in the body of man, and by the union of a man and a woman in a married estate; This union is made on Christ his part, by his Spirit, on our part, by Faith.  

1. By his Spirit.  1. Christ is in us by his Spirit, (this is first in order, in as much as the Spirit is the worker of Faith, The cause is before the effect,)  

Evidenoes' he e●f.  Now there are divers effects whereby Christ discovereth himself to be in the soul by his Spirit.  
1. As the soul in the body is the principle of life, motion, and action, so is Christ in the Saints by his Spirit, the principle of spiritual life, putting into them, and preserving in them that life which is called the life of God, Ephes. 4.18. and as the soul acteth the body, and every member of it, so are Saints acted by Jesus Christ, by Spirit in them.  

John 3 6. Rom. 8.14.  That which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit.  
The children of God are led by the Spirit of God, which leadeth from sin unto duty, and acteth the soul toward God, (not as though we were merely passive, so acted, as not at all active, but) Christ acting the soul, puts spiritual, holy activity into the soul; he worketh in us both to wiland to do, there is the willing and working of that soul which is acted by Christ, by his Spirit.  
2. As the Sun is in the World, to give light and to give heat, and to cause fruitfulness, so that precious things are brought forth by the Sun, Deut. 33.14. and to make beauty and glory upon the Earth. So Christ is in the Soul by his pirit, scattering darkness, bringing in spiritnal light, rendering those things visible and evident which before were hidden, yea making those souls to be light in the Lord, 
Ephes. 5.8.  which which his coming to them were darkness it itself; it is the Spirit of Truth, 
Joh. 16.13.  which is the Spirit of Christ) that leadeth into all truth; and Christ by his Spirit brings in heavenly heat, and makes the heart within a man to burn in affection toward God, 
Rom. 12.12  and the things of God;— burning with the Spirit, therefore the spirit is likened to Fire. And as the Sun in the World, so the Spirit of Christ in the soul, causeth fruitfulness, so that every branch in this Vine Christ, is a fruit bearing branch, every soul in which Christ is, is by the influence of his Spirit made fruitful in Grace; Grace in the heart of Christians, and holy actions and duties in their lives; are called fruits of the Spirit, 
Gal. 5.22.  And Christ by his Spirit in the work of Grace, makes the soul beautiful, and puts a glory upon it, 
Cant. 4.1. (if he be master▪ If provident. If friendly)  How beautiful art thou my love, behold thou art fair my love, behold thou art fair, the King's daughter is all glorious within, etc.  
3. As a man dwells in his house, 
2 Tim. 14  there commanding, and ordering all things, and making provision for those of his household, and entertaining and cheering his friends and making them welcome; So Christ by his Spirit dwelleth in the soul; and by the Spirit he bears rule in the soul, so that his Word is a law to the soul. The Saints, so far forth as they are spiritual, are ordered in all things by Christ dwelling in them, though they find with Paul, that there is the flesh lusting against the spirit, and often interrupting the course of their obedience: and Christ dwelling in the foul, provideth for the soul taketh care that it want nothing, dealeth out to it the gifts of grace, which ●r● given by the spirit according to the measure of Christ, and Christ dwelling in the soul gives his refresh to the soul, maketh it a feast of fat things brings it into the banqueting house, or the house of Wine comforting the heart, by applying the promises of the Gospel, and the Grace of Christ to the soul, revealing his love, and speaking peace to the soul, thus feasting it, and filling it, as with marrow and fatness: These refresh of Christians are from the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them, therefore the Spirit is called the Comforter, and the joy which Christ giveth into the heart, is called the fruit of the Spirit.  
4. As a King on his Throne swayeth the Sceptre of his Realm, having all the people of that Realm subject to him, and governed by him according to Constitutions, and Laws of that Kingdom. So is Christ in all true Christians, giving laws to the conscience, and governing the whole man to the obedience thereof; he is there in power, making them a willing people, willing to obey his commands, willing to subject themselves to the laws and ordinances of his Kingdom, (which Earthly Kings cannot do. 
Psal 110, 3.  (Thy pe●ple shallbe willing in the day of thy power: And Christ is in the heart, as a King to subdue rebellious lusts, and tame nur●●y affections, to cast down all strong holds that are raised up by the Devil and the flesh, against him, and at last to bring under every thought into subjection to himself.  
And as a good King seeketh the good of his subjects, and desireth, not to impoverish, but every them. So doth Christ seek the good of that soul, in which he hath erected a Throne for himself, is always doing good to it, and enriching it with Grace here, and glory hereafter.  
And it is by the Spirit that Christ beareth rule: It is the Spirit that represseth corruption, and mortifieth the deeds of the body; It is by the Spirit, that Christ enricheth the soul with Grace, Knowledge, Faith, Love, and all those precious things of Grace, are the gifts of Christ, which he conveyeth to them by his Spirit.  
5. The Spirit of Christ, where he cometh in a spirit of supplication, teaching men to pray, and and framing their hearts to prayer, He hath sent the Spirit of his Son into ur hearts, 
Gal 4.6.  whereby we cry, abba father.  
6. Where Christ dwells by his Spirit, there is the influence of the virtue of his Death and Resurrection, to the mortification of sin, 
Rom. 6.6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  and vivification of Grace, Our Old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin should be destroyed, that it should be rendered inefficatious, unable to work; that sin may become powerless in us, that we may be freed from the law of sin, by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, i. e. by the lively powerful working of Christ's Spiret in us, which breaketh off the yoke of bondage that lay upon our necks in the state of nature, whereby sin held us wholly under subjection to itself; and in Verse 17.18. the Apostle makes out this more fully, that Believers are freed by Christ, from the dominion of sin, (so that the strength of corruption is abated in them, the old man, is weakened) and that by the Spirit of Christ, the soul is made alive unto God, and is freed unto righteousness, set at liberty to walk in the ways of God.  
In a word, take the Evidence of Christ his being in the soul, thus.  
Christ and his Spirit are not sundered, nor is the Spirir in us without the fruits of the Spirit.  
Let no man say that he hath Christ, unless he hath the Spirit of Christ.  
If we look upon a body, when the soul is gone out of it, we cannot say, this is a man; no more can we say of a man without the Spirit of Christ, This is a Christian; That is no true member of the body, which is not animated by the soul in the body, no more he a member of Christ, that is not quickened by the Spirit of Christ: Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, 
1 Jo. 4.13.  by his Spirit which he hath given us.  
Now again, the Spirit is not where idle or fruitless: but is operative, and hath its fruits, both in heart and life; 
Gal. 5.22.23.  The fruits of the Spirit are reckoned up by the Apostle Paul. Here is the issue; dost thou say, that thou hast Christ? if this be true, than his Spirit dwells in thee, if the spirit be in thee, the fruits of the Spirit will appear.  
Thus we may prove by the effects of the Spirit of Christ, whether we be possessed of Christ.  
Where the aforesaid effects of the Spirit are, Christ is in that soul.  
But where there is not that life, that light, that warmth, that fruitfulness, that willing subjection to ●hrist and obedience to his commands, which have been spoken of, there Christ is not by his spirit, where there is nither skill nor will to pray, there Christ is not, where sin is in its full strength, where the old man is not Crucified, and sin mortified, where the soul is not raised up to newness of life, and quickened unto holiness, there Christ is not possessed.  
2. I told you that Christ is in the Soul by Faith, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith.  
Christ is in us by Faith. 
Eph●●● 〈…〉 2 By s●●●●.   
1. When by Faith we have a right and true apprehension, and knowledge of Christ, of his Person and Offices.  
2. When by faith we apply Christ, and his benefits, when we take down (as I may say) and digest the fruits of his death and Resurrection, so that he becometh indeed Righteousness, and Holiness to us.  
3. When being justified and Sarctified by Faith in Christ Jesus, and by the Spirit of the Lord, we bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit.  
Thus Christ dwells in our hearts by Faith.  
Well, you have had two General Counsels suitable, and necessary.  
First, Seek Christ above all your get, labour to get him.  
Secondly, See whether you have Christ or no.  

Both Counsels urged.  Now to press both Counsels jointly.  
I shall hint a few considerations, which should be of force with us, as serving to evince this, that Jesus christ is worth the looking after, and that it is wisdom, to make sure of him.  
1. Christ is our Reconciliation, taking away all enmity betwixt God and us, and making us accepted to God.  
There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, 
Rom. 8.1. Ephe. 1.6, 7  (or in whom Christ is) God hath made us accepted to himself in the Beloved, in whom we have forgiveness of sins.  
2. Christ is to the soul that possesseth him, Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption.  
Christ is in us to make us wise, 
1 Cor. 1.3.  giving us the knowledge of God, enabling us to understand in some good measure the mysteries of Salvation, he maketh us Righteous, in putting his own Righteousness to us, and justifying us thereby, he maketh us Holy, Sanctifying us by his Spirit, and he will make us completely happy in the end, delivering us from all the miseries to which we are subject in this life, and translating us from death to life Eternal.  
3. If Christ be in us, dwelling in our hearts by Faith, and possessing us by his Spirit, than all the promises of God are in him, yea and amen to us, than we have the earnest of all the Spirit, and all sealed to us by the Spirit, which is given us.  
You know the use of a Seal, it is obligatory on the one part, and serveth for assurance on the other part.  
You know the meaning of an Earnest, it bindeth a promise; As it is part of the price to be given, or the sum promised, So, it is a pledge of a full performance.  
The Spirit of Christ in us is a Seal, and an Earnest, serving to assure us, that we shall in due time receive through Christ, all that good which God hath promised for his sake to give to us.  
4. If Christ be in us, his Grace is sufficient for us in every temptation to strengthen us, and to give a good issue to make us victorious, and in every evil that befalls us, to support us under it, and to deliver us from it, and to make our Consolations to abound, as our sufferings abound.  
5. This is a very great privilege, which the soul hath by Christ dwelling in it, he woundeth and weakeneth corruption, and frees the soul from the do minion of sin; maketh the Soul alive unto God, sets it at liberty to walk with God, and to run the way of his comandments, gives it a freedom unto righteousness: here is a freedom indeed, when the soul is thus made free by Jesus Christ the Son of God; If the Son make you free, 
Joh. 8.36.  then shall ye be free indeed.  
Surely, this is accounted a great privilege indeed by those who are sensible of the grievousness of that bondage in which they were held under corruption, when sin did reign and bear full sway in them, by those who apprehend the sweetness and preciousness of that freedom which Jesus Christ bringeth unto souls; by those who have proved the glory of this liberty into which souls are brought by Christ Jesus.  
What a base, vile, wretched condition is a man in, while the Devil is Lord Paramont to him, when every stinking lust hath power over him, and full command of him.  
What a happiness than is it, to have the Devil's yoke broken from off his neck, to be freed from sin, to have his spirit sweetly subjected to Jesus Christ, to have his will determined to that which is good, and bound over to Righteousness, to have the whole man given up unto God; though none knows the misery of the one, or the happiness of the other, but they who have experienced both.  
6. Where Christ is given, there is a gracious gift of other things with him.  
God doth not deal out his gifts to all men, graciously, and in good will, to some he giveth in displeasure, and for evil to them, giveth health and strength, giveth children, giveth graced parts and abilities, giveth riches and abundance of these outward things, but bestoweth none of these things in love: but here is comfort for a soul that hath made sure of Christ, he may look upon other matters, dealt out to him by the hand of Providence, as gifts of God's good will; as gracious dispensations; That which a child of God hath of the World, though it be but little in itself, yet is much with the love of God in it, and upon account of his blessing with it, thus that of David holds excellently and eminently true: 
Psal. 37.16  A little that the righteous man hathis better than great Reverenues of the wicked, than the riches of any wicked.  
7. Eternal life is the gift of God bestowed in and with Jesus Christ; so that he who now possesseth Christ by Faith, and hath him dwelling in him by his Spirit, hath assurance given him that he shall possess glory with him hereafter.  
Now friends, Is not Christ worth the looking after, is not he above all things to be sought? Christ our Reconciliation, taking away all enmity betwixt God and us? Christ that becomes to us, Wisdom and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption by whom we are enlightened, justified, sanctified and glorified. Christ, in whom the promises of God are yea and amen to us, who will be to us (if we have him) as a seal and an earnest, to assure us, that we shall enjoy all that good which is carried in them? Christ that will support us in every temptation, and trial, and be a comfort to us in every condition? hrist that will be the death of sin in us, and will bring in the life of Grace into us; that will bring such a happy liberty to us, making us of Satan's slaves to become the Lord's freemen; Christ with whom other things are given, and that graciously, in love and good will; Christ that will bring us into the bosom of God, to live with him for ever in Glory.  
Is not this Christ, I say worth the looking after, wherefore, let your aim be at Christ; and above all things labour to get him, to be possessed of him, and to be assured, that he is yours, and you are his.  
You invite friends to come to your houses, and tell them, that you shall be glad of their company, and ready to give them the best entertainment that the house affords, and heartio welcome; (though oft times, with some persons, this is but a compliment) Ah beloved; do you in reality invite Christ to come to your souls; entreat him to come and dwell with you, in you; Tell him that he shall have the command of every room in thy heart, the whole house of thy soul shall be at his disposing, that all the faculties of thy soul and all the members of thy body shall be at his his service; thus beg of him, woe him, to come and make his abode with thee; and in the use of Ordinances, and in Duties, wait for his coming to thee, and when he shall come and knock be ready according to thy invitation to open the door of thy heart, and receive him in with joy; for surely, he will prove a good Guest indeed, that will feast thee with his love, and will fill thee with delights; and make even the worst condition on Earth to be a very heaven to thee,  
Having urged these incentives to the seeking of Christ: I thought not to have proceeded any further in pressing this Counsel, but for as much as I am now dealing with people about a business, that is of the greatest concernment to them, and because I know that souls are not easily prevailed with in such a case. I shall beg a little more of the Reader's patience, while I make an essay for the driving of sinners (if they will not yet be drawn) unto Christ, and I think, that having a whip put into my hand by God, I must make some use of it.  
I shall therefore now urg some considerations about the want of Christ, setting forth the misery of being without him.  
1. If Christ be the life of the soul, 
Gal. 2.20. 1 Joh. 5.12 Col. 3.4.  (as he is certainly, Christ liveth in me. He that hath the Son hath life, When Christ who is our life shall appear, Christ is our life, as in this respect, that he made us, and gave us being and life in the World; and because he hath purchased Eternal life for us, and will bring us to it, and because he will in the last day, put life into our dead bodies and raise them up; So likewise he is our life, because by his Spirit he quickeneth our souls, when he finds them dead in sins and trespasses) I say now if Christ be our life, than souls without Christ are dead souls, and all their works are dead works, (there being nothing of the life of God put forth in any thing that they do, 
Nil dat quod non habe. 2.  because there is nothing of this life in them,) Here is the misery of being without Christ; the Soul is dead, as loathsome in the eye of God, and as stinking in his nostrils, as a piece of carrion or a dead Corpse that hath lain rotting a long time in the grave, is offensive to us, yea much more loathsome is such a soul unto God.  
2. Without Christ the soul is like the Would without a Sun, so that there is no Light, no Heat, no fruit, no Glory.  
1. Souls without Christ are in darkness.  
Ye are in darkness faith Paul the believing Thessalonians; 
1 Thes 5.4.  Now ye are not, but you were, before Christ came to you, 
1 Pet. 2.9. Col. ●. 3. Ephes. 5.8.  Christ calleth souls out of darkness; yea souls without Christ are under the power of darkness; yea, they are darkness itself.  
Oh, do but think, what a sad condition we should be in if the s●ll should forsake our Horizon, so that we should never any more see the light thereof: much more sad and dolorous is the condition of a soul without Christ, that hath not one glimpse of true, spiritual and heavenly light, hath no saving apprehension of God, or Jesus Christ, or of any thing that concerns his own ●●lvation, that belongs to his  
2. Where Christ is not there is ●o heavenly h●at; men are hot spirited in pursuit of the profits and pleasures of the World, are carried with heat of affection, to sin & vanity, but there is no fire of zeal for God, or toward him, no fervency of spirit in serving the Lord, they are ●old spirited, yea frozen hearted in ●espect of any affection to that which is good, what an indifferent ●hing is it to them that are without Christ, whether they do or leave ●●ndon those duties which God requires of them, I say, they are not carried to any duty with any warmth of spirit upon any spiritual consideration, or to any good ●●d; and so nothing that they do in the way of their duty finds acceptance with God.  
3. Where Christ is not, the soul is barren and fruitless altogether, in respect of that which is good, As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, 
Jo. 15, 4 5.  no more can ye except ye abide in me, be that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringtch forth much fruit with▪ me. He that abideth in me, & I in him the same bringeth f rth much fruit, without me ye can do nothing. Unless Christ be in the soul, it bringeth forth no fruit unto God, nor is it, or can it be profitable to itself. And now what is the doom of the barren tree? Cut it down, why Cumbereth it the ground?  
Ah, the soul without Christ, 
Heb. 6.8.  is like that earth which beareth Thorns and Briars, that is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burnt.  
4. Where Christ is not, there is no glory nor beauty, because no light, because no Grace, because no Righteousness, because no Holiness: In Christ Jesus the New man is created after God, 
Ezek. 16.  in Right cousness and holiness of Truth: In the state of nature, the soul is like a wretched infant in its blood, whose navel is not cut, that is unwashed, cast out in the open field to the loathing of its person, But Christ maketh the Christian like the King's daughter, all glorious within, So that he is beautiful through the comeliness which Christ puts upon him; but I say there is none of this beauty, none of this glory, nothing but ugliness and deformity, til● Christ comes into the Soul,  
3. A soul without Christ, is like a house that is without a Master or Governor: and so there is no order in it, no provision made for it, there is none to refresh, and comfort it, where the reviving consolations of the Spirit of Christ are not.  
4. A soul without Christ is as a Kingdom without a King, as a people without government, there all things are in a confusion, tending to ruin and destruction; Such a heart is not framed to the obedience of God's laws, there is none to subdue sin, and repress rebellious lusts in the heart, that rise up against God, and fight against the soul, which if not quelled by an Almighty power, will destroy soul & body utterly, where Christ is not, there is none to seek the good of the Soul efficatiously, and to the souls undoubted advantage; none that can enrich the soul with Grace here and bring it to Glory hereafter.  
5. A man's soul without Christ is in such a deplorable condition, as is the body, in which are all the principal defects of Nature, like a man deprived of all his senses, that can neither see, nor hear, nor taste, nor smell, nor feel, (if we could suppose such a one in life,) That such a soul is spiritually blind, I have showed already.  
Further, it is Christ in the heart, that furnisheth a man with a spiritual ear, it is only the ear bored by the Spirit of Christ, that can hear the voice of God, 
Multi habent aures audiendi; pauci aures obediendi. Aug.  that so heareth as to understand, and believe, and obey the Word of God: others are as deaf Adders, that hear not the voice of the Charmer, charm he never so wisely; Many reproofs, many instructions, many admonitions, many good counsels, and exhortations are dealt out to people yet they are deaf to all and so will be, nothing will enter into them, till Christ be with their Spirits.  
Souls without Christ are without feeling, like a man all over in a dead Palsy (we speak of spiritual feeling) neither God's Word, nor his works make any impression upon such a heart; it is as senseless of the smitings of God in the ministry of the Word, as the Anvil is of the strokes of the Hammer. That is true of such a soul, which Solomon speaks of the drunkard; They have stricken me, 
Pro. 23. ult.  and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not. So may such a soul say, or we may say of him, he hath been smitten with reproofs for his Drunkeness, for his Oaths, for his Covetousness, for his Sabbath-breaking, for his ordinance slighting, etc. Oh, many blows have been given him, but he felt them not; it appeareth so, because he is never the better, for these smitings, he reformeth not those evils, for which he hath been reproved.  
Lastly, In a word; A soul without Christ savoureth not the things that are of God. This term savour, is in Scripture applied both to tasting and smelling: to tasting, so meat is said to be savoury, Gen. 27. to smelling, and so there is the savour of ointments, and the savour of garments, spoken of in the Book of Canticles. Now, as a man that hath not the sense of tasting, cannot distinguish meats or drinks, all are alike to him, he perceiveth no sweetness in Sugar or Honey, no tartness in Vinegar, no bitterness in Gall, and as a man that hath not the sense of smelling, scenteth neither sweet nor stinking, taketh no pleasure in those things which yield a most fragrant smell, nor is offended at that which scenteth most noisomely and odiously, so is it in a spiritual sense with the soul that is without Christ, there is no sense of tasting or smelling, no perceivance or apprehension of the sweetness of Jesus Christ, and of the doctrine of the Gospel, of the deliciousness of the things of grace; such a soul savoureth not the heavenly Manna, the Word of God is not at all sweet unto his taste, but unsavoury unto him; nor is sin disgustful, he perceiveth no bitterness in it, but takes pleasure in it, so putting bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.  
6. Till you can find that you are in Christ, and Christ in you, you cannot look upon yourselves, but as vessels of dishonour ordained unto wrath. 
Rom. 8.1.  There is n● condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, but to all out of Christ. Christ is wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, to those to whom he is made redemption; it is Christ in us that is the hope of glory to us; Examine yourselves, 
2 Cor. 13. ●.  saith the Apostle, prove yourselves, know you not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates.  
If thou hast not Christ, who is that best garment, which the Father of the returning Prodigal called for, to put it upon his Son, if thou hast not put on the Lord Jesus Christ, who is that Wedding-garment spoken of in the Parable, M●t. 22. I say, if thou hast not Christ, thou wilt be speechless, dumb, not able to speak one word for thyself in that day, when the King of Kings, the great Judge of all the World shall ask thee, why thou shouldst not be condemned, and cast into hell, for the sin in which thou was born, and the sins in which thou hast lived; whereas the soul that hath gotten Christ, that hath taken him up by Faith, and hath him dwelling in it by his Spirit, hath the merits of Christ his death to plead, and the righteousness of Christ to hold forth unto God: Lord, though in myself I am worthy of death, and have deserved to die a thousand times, though I have no righteousness of my own, yet in as much as Christ hath died for me, I must not die, in as much as thy Son, whom thou hast given me, hath fulfilled all righteousness for me, and is made of God righteousness to me, I shall not be condemned; but, I say, he that is without Christ, will have nothing to say, when it shall be demanded of him, what he can plead for himself, why he should not die for his sins: and what hath the judge then to say, to such a Christless wretch: Oh, he passeth a dreadful sentence.  
Bind him hand and ●oot, and take him away, and cast him into ou●er darkness, there shall be weeping and guashing of teeth.  
Ah now, dear souls, seeing the unhappiness of men and women, and their misery is so great in the want of Christ, labour to be deeply sensible of this great want, and greatly to bewail it. Surely, this is the greatest want in the World, this is the only Damning want, better it is to want land, to want money, to want clothes, to want health, to want bread, to want all outward things, then to want Christ, to be without him, therefore let all your sorrowing for other wants, be turned into mourning for this great want; For surely, as long as your souls are Christless you are in the way to die for ever to perish without rememedie.  
And being thus sensible of your want and grieving under it, go to God for a supply urging him with his promise to bestow Grace upon all humbled souls, that are afflicted in the sense of their own want of Christ and Grace. God hath promised Christ, and Salvation by him, to those that are afar off, Seeing the promise runs in such general terms, and holds forth Christ, and Grace to every poor humbled, dejected sinner, to every desiring Soul; Lay thyself now at the foot of the promise, and say unto God, Lord, my soul is Christless, and graceless, and so in danger of perishing Eternally, Hast thou not said that thou wilt give Christ and Grace, and Salvation to them that are afar off; O let this promise be good to me poor wretch, let me receive Christ, and all Grace with him, and be brought into a state of Salvation, for thy mercy's sake, so shall I speak of thy goodness and sing unto thy praise, declaring what thou hast done for my soul.  
Now, having pressed such general counsel, as I judged to be proper, naturally flowing from the Doctrine. 
Special Counsels.  I shall drop some special words of advice to those that are possessed of Christ, upon whom God hath bestowed this great gift.  

Counsel. Be satisfied, with Christ  1. If you have Christ, be content, be satisfied with him, and say with David. I have gotten a goodly heritage: and with Jacob, I have enough: Let us not reckon that we lack any thing, if we enjoy Christ; have you that all comprehending good, and will you be complaining as if you had nothing? Surely the wants of people in respect of temporals, are commonly more in desire, then in the absence of things, more in conceit then in reality; (for set aside fancy, and there is nothing indeed necessary for the body, but food and raiment daily bread, that which serveth for the sustentation of life, and preservation of health.) There was never any worldly minded man that was satisfied with the World; He that loveth Silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with increase. 
Eccle. 5.10  This is vanity saith the Preacher: The heart of man is still coveting this and that, and the other thing, which seems to him desirable, and when he hath this and that and the other thing too, yet he wanteth something, (not that there is a true want, but the appepetite is not filled, the greedy, or wanton or proud desire is not satisfied) I say Worldly men are never satisfied with the World, with that which they have of it because they are Christless, and all things without Christ are vanity, and vexation of Spirit But they that have Christ have all in him and with him; Therefore let the Christian possessing Christ say to his soul; Soul, thou hast enough, be at rest thou hast all good laid for Eternity. Should the rich man be complaining of want? now Christ where he is possessed, is great riches: Therefore Christians, who are poor in the World, are said to be rich in Faith, because Faith I yes hold on Jesus Christ, and by faith we possess him who is the only true riches. Thus the Apostle his riddle is expounded, as having all things, yet possessing nothing, though possessing nothing in the World, yet having all things by Faith, having all in Christ: Oh, let the Believer be satisfied with Christ, would you have more than all?  

Counsel. 〈◊〉 Be thankful for Christ.  2. Have you Jesus Christ, Oh, then be thankful to God for this gift, admiring and adoring such grace, Oh, what a rare gift is this which God hath bestowed upon you? to how few is it given? Now the rarer gift, the more thankful should we be. Ah Lord, hadst thou not given Christ to me, what a sad condition had my soul still been in? Before Christ came to my soul, what a bondslave was I to sin and Satan? How full of noisome lusts was my heart? What a hell was in my soul? Magnified be the Father of Mercy, who hath given me Jesus Christ, to work a change in me, to cast those unclean spirits out of me, to Redeem such a wretched slave, and to make a Heaven in my soul by Christ dwelling in me: Blessed be God for Jesus Christ.  

Couns. 3. Hold fast Christ.  3. Christians, Take heed that you do not lose Christ, when you are once possessed of him: Not that Christ can indeed be wholly lost from the soul that once, hath him; but the working of the Spirit of Christ in the heart, may be so remitted, yea intermitted, in respect of direction, and quickening, and strengthening and comforting, that the soul may be at a loss for Christ; having no feeling of the presence of Christ in it, Christians may so carry themselves toward Christ, as to provoke him to alter his carriage, and to change countenance toward them; When a Christian hearkeneth not to the voice of Christ, consenteth not to the motions of his Spirit, takes liberty to himself, to sin against Christ, and against that light which Christ hath given in to him, in such cases, for such causes Christ will withdraw himself, and not vouchsafe to have any Communion with the soul, and so leave it in a lightless, lifeless, uncomfortable condition.  
Therefore Christians, be careful so to carry yourselves toward Christ, that he may not withdraw himself, and hid his face, but may abide with you, and reveal himself to your souls, working more powerfully in your hearts, that you may clearly perceive, he is still present with you, in you, and may have more comfortable experience of the sweet operations of his Spirit in your souls.  
Now that you may keep Christ, 
Directions,  so as to be still taking in the comfort of such an enjoyment.  
1. Take heed of grieving Christ by any unkindness toward him, by the unyieldingness of your spirits to the motions of his Spirit, by sluggishness, and security, and by taking in the World and lusts to be inmates with Christ, or by allowing yourselves in any thing that is contrary to the mind of Christ; for this will grieve the Spirit of Christ, and make him to v●il his face, and (as it were to draw a curtain between himself and the spirit of a Christian.  
2. If you would keep. Christ still with you, would enjoy his presence in a feeling apprehension of it, so as to be sensible of his gracious and comfortable workings in you, and of the shinings of his face upon you, into your souls; th●n see that you do that which may delight Christ, so will he be working sensibly in your spirits, bringing in more light and li●●, and heat, and making you more fruitful in holiness, revealing his love in your hearts, so that you shall still say, blessed be God for Jesus Christ.  
Now to give some directions about this, showing how you may delight Jesus Christ.  
1. Show yourselves willing and ready to take commands from Christ, to hear and obey his voice, and to yield unto, and be ruled by the motions of his Spirit, Christ is much taken with the willingness & cheerfulness of Christians in their obedience: If ye love me (saith Christ, Keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father, 
Joh. 14.15, 16, 18.  and he shall give you another Comforter, that he m●y abide with y●u for ever; I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you; If you shall have a care of your obedience, I will take care for your comfort.  
2. Make out to others the preciousness of Christ, and speak it to the honour of Christ, what a gift he is, and what a happiness it is to enjoy him: If we prise Christ, he will delight to continue with us, and the more we impart our experience of the comfort and sweetness of Christ the more will he communicate himself to us, we find it often in the Canticles, that it was thus betwixt Christ and his Spouse.  
3. Acknowledge unto Christ his wonderful love, and rich Grace toward you, in giving himself for you, and in bestowing himself upon you, and in that which he hath wrought in you, O Lord Jesus, how infinitely am I engaged to thee for thy love, that thou hast vouchsafed to come to my poor soul, and to bring in light, and life, and comfort, and happiness, with thyself? Such thankful acknowledgement made unto Christ, 
Gratiarum actio, est ad plus dandum invitatio.  will tie him fast to you and cause him to do more for you.  
4. Let there be long of the soul to enjoy more of Christ, here in the Kingdom of Grace, and to be brought, (as soon as the Lord pleaseth to a full fruition of him hereafter in the Kingdom of Glory.  
Beg of Christ, to reveal himself more clearly to thee, and to carry, thee on further in understanding of Divine Mysteries, to lead thee into all Truth, and to fill thee with the knwleedge of his will in all wisdom ●nd Spiritual understanding.  
Beg of him quickening grace, ●nd strengthening grace, and beseech him to be more mightily this way upon thy spirit, causing a great increase of spiritual strength, ●nd holy activity in thy soul humbly desire Christ to reveal himself more and, more in thy soul as a Comforter even to power in flagons of his love, and to fill thee with the consolations of his Spirit.  
Thus account, that you are never near enough to Christ, that you are never intimate enough with him, that you have never enough of him, and so long to be fil●ed with him here, and to be taken to a full enjoyment of in glory hereafter desiring with good old Simeon, to departed in peace, having Christ in your hearts, and embracing him by Faith, ●nd with Paul, desiring to be dissolved and to be with Christ.  
This is very pleasing to Christ, and he delighteth in that soul, which taketh pleasure in him; and surely, he will never forsake the soul in which he delighteth.  
5. If you desire that Christ should continue with you, and not withdraw himself, or hid his face from you; then see that he have a place of residence in you suitable to him, and such as may give him content, he must have thy heart, and he must have all thy heart, and it must be a heart well kept, a heart clean swept: he will have the heart or nothing, and he will not be thrust into a corner of the heart; he will not endure that the World should have the chief room, or indeed any room there, or that lusts should be entertanied in the heart where he dwelleth; he will not lodge in a filthy heart, a stable is not now a receptacle for him, a place to entertain him in; If you desire the company of Christ, you must carefully fly the pollutions that are in the world through lusts, you must be casting sin and the world out of your hearts, and cleansing yourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. When Christ sees that there is a desire and care to make the heart clean, fit to entertain him, and to keep out of the heart every ●hing that may offend him, and ●o keep the Spirit pure and entire ●or him, he delighteth to dwell in such a soul.  
And surely, if you labour thus constantly to please Christ and to do that which may delight him, ●nd then will he be so powerfully comfortably operative in your souls, that you shall be able to say, I find, I feel that of a truth, Christ ●s in me, This is Christ his working ●n my heart, none but Christ could do that which is done in my soul, Surely, My beloved is mine and I ●●m his.  
Thus I have dealt out a third Counsel to Christians that have Christ.  
Take heed that you do not ●oose him, keep him with you, ●old him fast, and I have held ●orth some directions in this ●ase.  
If ye have have received the Lord Jesus Christ, 
Counsel. 4. Walk in Christ. Col. 2.6.  Walk in him, This is the Apostle his Counsel.  
Quest. What is it to walk in Christ?  
Answ. Plainly, to walk in Christ, (according to the Scripture sense of this phrase) is so to live, that we may make it to appear to others, that we may be sure in ourselves, that we are in Christ, and that he liveth in us, to walk according to the rule of Christ, to live as a people acted by the Spirit of Christ, which leadeth from sin unto duty, and guideth souls in the way of God, in our conversation to hold forth the virtues of Christ, to be Patiented as he was, Meek and lowly in heart as he was, Loving as he was, Heavenly minded, as he was, Zealous for God's glory, as he was, in all things to express Christ, to walk in the light of his Doctrine, and according to his example; to keep up Communion with him in the exercise of Christian Graces, and practise of holy duties, and to walk in Christ, is to live by the Faith of Son of God who liveth in us, to ●elie on him for Justification, and Sanctification, and Preservation, and provision, and comfort here, and for Eternal Salvation hereafter.  
And this phrase, To walk in Christ implieth.  
1. Light, and knowledge of the mind of Christ.  
2. A progress in that way which is pleasing to Christ, a going onward, and a rising up to further measures in Christ,  
3. An uniformity in this course, ●ot to go in & out, to take one step ●n the right path, and two steps ●eside it, but to walk steadily in Christ.  
5 If God hath given us his Son, 
Counsel. 5. Give jour selves up to Christ.  and all things with him, if Christ ●ath given himself for us, and be●owed himself upon us; then let ●s give up ourselves wholly to ●im, in all that we are, and all ●hat we can do, let us be his, truly ●his is but just; and alas, What is my all, to his? We are infinitely advantaged by this gift, which God hath given us, (Christ is in life and death advantage) but we cannot in any thing be profitable unto God; Can a man be profitable to God, 
Job. 22.2.  Yet if we give our poor all unto God, if we give ourselves to him, devoting ourselves to his service, though all this be nothing in comparison of God's gift to us, Yet he is graciously pleased to account it something, and taketh pleasure in the willing offering of his servants.  
Thus it must be, beloved, and thus it will be with the Christian that hath Christ; upon the receipt of this gift from God, there is a giving up of the soul unto God; Faith that takes Christ, or rather Christ who is taken by Faith caries the believer unto God in all duty: Faith or the Spirit of Christ persuades the soul to make the Word of God its Rule, and so to give itself up to God in all obedience, Faith worketh by love; 
Cant. 2.16.  My beloved ●s mine, and I am his, saith the spouse of Christ, when we do by faith truly apply Christ, and all his grace ●o ourselves, we shall by holiness of life give ourselves to Christ, desiring and endeavouring to do his will.  

Couns 6. Let Christ be your support.  6. If we have received Jesus Christ, ●et us then to the honour of Christ make show of our riches, let it appear that we are possessed of him, let ●s not be so cast down by crosses or losses of any kind in the world, as if we had no other or better portion to trust to or take comfort in, but let us still rejoice in Christ Jesus, and amidst all the changes of this life, and in all conditions, let us walk cheerfully in the way of our duty, having a propriety in and possession of, such riches and treasure as this which God hath given us; let Christ be to us a support and comfort in sickness, peace in trouble, liberty in imprisonment, riches in poverty, enlargement in straits, life in death, Let him be to us a heaven upon earth; certainly, the believer may have, and aught to have sweet peace and tranquillity in his soul, in all conditions, arising from his enjoyment of Christ.  
I come now to the last Use of the Point, with which I shall presently finish my work.  
Use 4 
Consolation.  4. Is Christ the great gift of God, a gift above all gifts, this is a ground of much comfort to Christians, to true believers, that by faith close with Jesus Christ: A believer that hath Christ hath all in him, and carries still his happiness ●ith him, a happiness that cannot be lost; the true Christian stands fast forever in his happy union with Christ, so that here is the Christian his happiness above all others in the world, that he alone is sure never to lose his happiness.  
Now the happiness of a Christian in the enjoyment of Christ might be much amplified, and held forth in many particulars. I shall hint something for the comfort of Believers.  
1. As many as receive Christ, have by him and with him this privilege; he makes them the Sons of God: As many as received him, 
Joh. 1.12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  ethem gave he power, (rather pri●iledge or prerogative) to become ●he Sons of God. The soul that takes Jesus Christ receiveth sonship with him, and surely many and great are the privileges of God's Children in this world, and in the world to come.  
2. They that have received Christ, are by Christ interessed in ●he gracious providence of God, which ordereth all things for their good.  
3. All things are theirs by God's ordination and promise, in respect of the use and end for which they ●re; (all things in kind, not in the ●ndividuals.) This is held out by ●he Apostle in a notable enumeration of particulars: 
1 Cor. 3.21  All things are ●urs, whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, ●r things present, or things to come: All Officers and Ordinances in the Church, all creatures in the world, ●ll conditions, and all events, all are for the good of believers, are in this respect given them with Christ, all things are yours.  
4. The having of Christ is a firm ground of consolation in all troubles and distresses: Is the conscience troubled and distressed through the sense of sin and guilt? 
1 Jo. 2.2. Rom. 3 25. 1 Jo. 1.7.  why Christ is the propitiation for the sins of believers, him hath God set forth to be a propitiation for sin, through faith in his blood. It is the blood of Christ that cleanseth from all sin.  
Now Christian, this Christ is thine, by whom thy sins are taken away, through whom God is reconciled to thee, by whose blood thou art cleansed from thy sin. Doth Satan come to winnow the soul by temptations, and vex it with accusations, telling the Christian, that he is thus and thus sinful and guilty, and that the Law which he hath transgressed, threatens death and damnation to him? what saith Paul for the believer his comfort in this case? 
Rom. 8.33.34.  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? it is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died; yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall lay any thing to thy charge, if Christ clear thee? who or what shall condemn thee, seeing Christ (who is given to thee) hath died for thee, for thy sins, and risen again for thy justification, in as much as thou hast by faith laid hold on Christ, who died, and rose from the dead, and sitteth at the right hand of God, making intercession for thee? And further, this Christ is with thee, in thee, to strengthen thee in temptations, that thy faith fail not, and that thou be not overcome of the evil one, 
Heb 2.18.  he was therefore tempted himself, that he might secure them that are tempted.  
Doth the consideration of thine own weakness discourage thee, because thou hast not strength and abilities to do that good, and perform those duties which thou shouldst and wouldst do? why! now consider, that Christ is thne for all saving purposes, for all soul advantages; he will be thy strength, and show his power in thy weakness; his spirit is with thee, in thee, to help thine infirmities.  
Do outward troubles annoy thee? art thou in an afflicted condition? why! Christ, whom the Father hath given to thee, gave himself for thee, that he might deliver thee from this present evil world; he is a covert from the tempest, as Rivers of waters in a dry place, as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land; he hath a fellow-feeling of thy sufferings, and will not suffer thee to be tempted above measure, and his grace is sufficient for thee, to strengthen, and support, and comfort thee, in every affliction and tro●ble, and to give thee a great advantage by it, causing sweet to come out of the sour, and meat out of the Eater, and in due time to deliver thee, wholly to deliver the burden from thy shoulders. So that believers may have (what our Saviour promised to his Disciples) peace and and comfort in Christ, when in the world they have tribulations.  
Doth death look upon thee with a grim countenance, to put thee in fear? Now consider that Christ who is thine, hath overcome Death for thee, and hath by his Death destroyed him that had the power of Death, hath delivered thee from the wrath to come, hath opened to thee the way to Heaven, and every gate of Heaven, he himself is the way, and the door for thee to enter in by and he will be to thee the Resurrection and the life.  
Thus, if Christ be thine, he is thy Propitiation, thy Justification, thy Srength, thy Salvation: Wherefore let Faith carry thee to lean on him in all temptations and afflictions, that thou mayst be borne up by him, and comforted with the thoughts of thy interest in him.  
Yet I cannot thus leave this theme, but must add something for a further amplification of the comfort of Believers, who are received Christ.  
As I have showed you, that the having of Christ is to believers a firm ground of comfort, for Faith to pitch upon in all Spiritual and corporal inward and outward afflictions, so I shall give you to see, how Christ is actually & effectually a Comforter in such cases to those that have received him.  
If the soul be afflicted with strong temptations Christ comforteth it with this Word, My grace is sufficient for thee, to keep thee from being overcome, and to make thee more than a Conqueror.  
If Satan hath prevailed against the Christian by temptation, and drawn him into some great sin, whereupon there followeth soul affliction, when the conscience is awakened; Then Christ comforteth the soul, leading to the Fountain which is set open for sin and for uncleanness, presents to it the flow of his Blood, sets before it the fullness and freeness of the Grace of God in Christ, for the pardon of all sins, for the refreshing of every weary soul, for the satisfying of every hungering, thirsting soul, that hungereth and thirsteth after Righteousness; and when a humbled Christian closeth by faith with this Grace of Christ, and washeth his soul in the Fountain of his Blood, then is he comforted.  
If Christ for the trial of a Christian do hid himself from him, so that he is troubled and inwardly afflicted for want of the felt presence of Christ, and for want of the manifestation of Christ his love to his soul, in this case Christ will be a seasonable Comforter to the poor humbled soul, he that casteth the soul down, will lift it up again, leading it by his Spirit to lay hold upon the comfort which lies for every child of God, in that of the Apostle, There is no temptation hath taken you, but that which is common to men, 
1 Cor. 10.33.  but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted abo●e that ye are able, but will the temptation also make to escape, that ye may be able to bear it, and Christ helpeth the soul to gather up comfort from those sweet words; 
Isa. 45.7, 8.  For a small moment have I forsaken thee; In a little wrath I hide my face from thee, for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon the, saith the Lord thy Redeemer: And thus Christ returns in due time to receive the spirits of his humble ones.  
Christ in the believer is seasonable Comforter in all Spiritual distress, in all soul affliction.  
So likewise in case of outward trouble, and temporal distressess, Christ in heart is a Comforter, telling the Believer, that he is all sufficient for him, tells him, that there is in him a sufficiency of Wisdom, to find out a way for his deliverance, and a sufficiency of power, actually to accomplish his deliverance, how great soever the evil be that lies upon him, yea and a sufficiency of Love and grace, to make out his power and wisdom for his good, and so comforteth him abundantly, filling him with this persuasion, that all things shall work together for good to him.  
Here is the happiness of a Believer, that he hath a Comforter in his bosom, in the midst of all troubles.  
This is made out clearly in the experience of the Saints, of which I might give you sundry Scripture instances, David in his soul trouble found Christ a Comforter.  
When Peter was by Herod cast into prison, was not Christ there a Comforter to him.  
When the Jews fell maliciously and desparately upon Stephen, and in their rage Stoned him, did not he receive then glorious comfort from Christ dwelling in him? Paul found this to be true, at sundry times, and in sundry cases: And Paul and Sylas together in the Prison, had experience of this truth. Where Christ is in the soul, helping the soul to act faith upon him; he is actually a Comforter in all conditions, in every distress of soul and body.  
Well, now for a cl●se; I shall sum up in few words, the happiness of believers, upon account of their interest in Christ, and possession of him.  
Christ brings with him all good to those that enjoy him.  
1. They have by Christ all temporal good things, as much as is needful for them, and that which God sees good for them to have; (now if a man hath what is for his necessary use, and so much as is for his good, is he not well provided for?) and he that hath Christ, hath that which will make full amends for all seeming and conceited wants, that which is infinitely better than those things which God is pleased to withhold from them; and Christ being in contentation to many pirits, so that in a poor outward estate, the believer is as well pleased, as if he had abundance, and so he hath all in contentation; he that is content wants nothing.  
2. Christ bringeth spiritual good to the soul, bringing in the treasures of grace, and the riches of consolation (though to some soul he giveth more of that treasure, more of these riches, than he doth to others.) Christ is made to us sanctification, he is the author and worker of grace and holiness, so that the hearts in which Christ is, must needs be gracious and holy; he giveth in wisdom, and meekness, and love, and zeal, and other graces of the spirit, and he tells his Disciples, (and all believers in them) that he will not leave them comfortless. I am he that comforteth you, saith the Lord Christ.  
3. Jesus Christ bringeth believers to the enjoyment of eternal good, he bringeth them to heaven, ●ven all those souls to whom he is united on earth. Father, I will that those whom thou hast given m be with me, 
Jo. 17.24.  where I am, that they may see my glory: My sheep hear my voice, 
Jo. 10.27, 28.  and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life.  
Every soul that is here an habitation of God through the spirit, in whom Christ dwelleth, shall be received into everlasting habitations with Christ.  
This is the happiness of every soul that enjoys Christ.  
And now, as the Apostle saith, Christ in you, the hope of glory; so I may say, Christ in you, a spring of comfort.  
Blessed soul that can truly say Christ is mine.   
FINIS.