his Lord, renounceth his allegiance, nor recalleth, nor repenteth of his covenant, nor can be properly said to break that covenant, while that faith continues, which is the condition of it. Indeed, those that have verbally covenanted, and not cordially, may yet tread under foot the blood of the covenant, as an unholy thing, (Heb. x. 29; Matt. xxiv. 13; Rev. ii. 26, 27, and iii. 11, 12; John xv. 4-6, 9, and viii. 31; Col. i. 23; Rom. xii. 22,) wherewith they were sanctified by separation from those without the church; but the elect cannot be so deceived. Though this perseverance be certain to true believers; yet it is made a condition of their salvation, yea, of their continued life and fruitfulness, and of the continuance of their justification, though not of their first justification itself. But eternally blessed be that hand of love, which hath drawn the free promise, and subscribed and sealed to that which ascertains us, both of the grace which is the condition, and the kingdom on that condition offered. Sect. VI. And thus you have a naked enumeration of the essentials of this people of God: not a full portraiture of them in their excellencies, nor all the notes whereby they be discerned; both which were beyond my present purpose. And though it will be part of the following application, to put you upon trial; yet because the description is now before your eyes, and these evidencing works are fresh in your memory, it will not be unseasonable, nor unprofitable for you, to take an account of your own estates, and to view yourselves exactly in this glass, before you pass on any further. And I beseech thee, reader, as thou hast the hope of a Christian, yea, or the reason of a man, to deal thoroughly, and search carefully, and judge thyself as one that must shortly be judged by the righteous God; and faithfully answer to these few questions which I shall here propound. I will not inquire, whether thou remember the time or the order of these workings of the Spirit: there may be much uncertainty and mistake in that; but I desire thee to look into thy soul, and see whether thou find such works wrought within thee; and then, if thou be sure they are there, the matter is not so great, though thou know not when or how thou camest by them. And first, hast thou been thoroughly convinced of an universal depravation, through thy whole soul; and an universal wickedness through thy whole life; and how vile a thing this sin is; and that by the tenor of that covenant which thou hast transgressed, the least sin deserves eternal death? Dost thou consent to this law, that it is true and righteous? Hast thou per ceived thyself sentenced to this death by it, and been convinced of thy natural, undone condition? Hast thou further seen the utter insufficiency of every creature, either to be itself thy happiness, or the means of curing this thy misery, and making thee happy again in God? Hast thou been convinced, that thy happiness is only in God as the end; and only in Christ as the way to him, and the end also as he is one with the Father; and perceived that thou must be brought to God by Christ, or perish eternally? Hast thou seen hereupon an absolute necessity of the enjoying Christ; and the full sufficiency that is in him, to do for thee whatsoever thy case requireth, by reason of the fulness of his satisfaction, the greatness of his power, and dignity of his person, and the freeness and indefiniteness of his promises? Hast thou discovered the excellency of this pearl, to be worth thy selling all to buy it? Hath all this been joined with some sensibility; as the convictions of a man that thirsteth, of the worth of drink; and not been only a change in opinion, produced by reading or education, as a bare notion in the understanding? Hath it proceeded to an abhorring that sin; I mean in the bent and prevailing inclination of thy will, though the flesh do attempt to reconcile thee to it; have both thy sin and misery been a burden to thy soul; and if thou couldst not weep, yet couldest thou heartily groan under the insupportable weight of both? Hast thou renounced all thine own righteousness? Hast thou turned thy idols out of thy heart; so that the creature hath no more the sovereignty, but is now a servant to God and to Christ? Dost thou accept of Christ as thy only Saviour, and expect thy justification, recovery, and glory, from him alone? Dost thou take him also for Lord and King? And are his laws the most powerful commanders of thy life and soul? Do they ordinarily prevail against the commands of the flesh, of Satan, of the greatest on earth that shall countermand; and against the greatest interest of thy credit, profit, pleasure, or life; so that thy conscience is directly subject to Christ alone? Hath he the highest room in thy heart and affections; so that though thou canst not love him as thou wouldst, yet nothing * In one word, the very nature of sincerity lieth in this; when Christ hath more actual interest in thy heart, esteem, and will, than the flesh; or when Christ hath the supremacy or sovereignty in the soul; so that his interest prevaileth against the interest of the flesh. Try by this as an infallible mark of grace. else is loved so much? Hast thou made a hearty covenant' to this end with him; and delivered up thyself accordingly to him; and takest thyself for his and not thine own? Is it thy utmost care and watchful endeavour, that thou mayest be found faithful in this covenant; and though thou fall into sin, yet wouldest not renounce thy bargain, nor change thy Lord, nor give up thyself to any other government for all the world? If this be truly thy case, thou art one of these people of God which my text speaks of: and as sure as the promise of God is true, this blessed rest remains for thee. Only see thou abide in Christ, and continue to the end; for if any draw back, his soul will have no pleasure in them. But if all this be contrary with thee, or if no such work be found within thee, but thy soul be a stranger to all this, and thy conscience tell thee, it is none of thy case; the Lord have mercy on thy soul, and open thine eyes, and do this great work upon thee, and by his mighty power overcome thy resistance: form in the case thou art in, there is no hope. Whatever thy deceiving heart may think, or how strong soever thy false hopes be, or though now a little while thou flatter thy soul in confidence and security; yet wilt thou shortly find to thy cost, except thy thorough conversion do prevent it, that thou art none of these people of God, and the rest of the saints belongs not to thee. Thy dying hour draws near apace, and so doth that great day of separation, when God will make an everlasting difference between his people and his enemies: then wo, and for ever wo to thee, if thou be found in the state that thou art now in. (Deut. xxxii. 25.) Thy own tongue will then proclaim thy wo, with a thousand times more dolour and vehemence, than mine can possibly do it now. O that thou wert wise to consider this, and that thou wouldest remember thy latter end! That yet while thy soul is in thy body, and a price in thy hand, and day-light, and opportunity, and hope, before thee, thine ears might be open to instruction, and thy heart might yield to the persuasions of God; and thou mightest bend all the powers of thy soul about this great work; that so thou mightest rest among his people, and enjoy 1 Whether thy infant baptism will serve or no, I am assured thy infant covenant will not now serve thy turn: but thou must actually enter covenant in thy own person. (John xv. 4-6; Matt. xxiv. 13; Heb. x. 38, 39.) m I speak not this to the dark and clouded Christian, who cannot discern that which is indeed within him. the inheritance of the saints in light! And thus I have shown you who these people of God are. Sect. VII. And why are they called the people of God? You may easily from what is said discern the reasons. 1. They are the people whom he hath chosen to himself from eternity. 2. And whom Christ hath redeemed with an absolute intent of saving them; which cannot be said of any other. 3. Whom he hath also renewed by the power of his grace, and made them in some sort like to himself, stamping his own image on them, and making them holy, as he is holy. 4. They are those whom he embraceth with a peculiar love, and do again love him above all. 5. They are entered into a strict and mutual covenant, wherein it is agreed for the Lord to be their God, and they to be his people. 6. They are brought into near relation to him, even to be his servants, his sons, and the members and spouse of his Son. 7. And lastly, they must live with him for ever, and be perfectly blessed in enjoying his love, and beholding his glory. And I think these are reasons sufficient, why they peculiarly should be called his people. THE CONCLUSION, And thus I have explained to you the subject of my text; and showed you darkly, and in part, what this rest is; and briefly who are this people of God. O that the Lord would now open your eyes, and your hearts, to discern, and be affected with the glory revealed! That he would take off your hearts from these dunghill delights, and ravish them with the views of these everlasting pleasures! That he would bring you into the state of this holy and heavenly people, for whom alone this rest remaineth! That you would exactly try yourselves by the foregoing 200 THE SAINT'S EVERLASTING REST. description! That no soul of you might be so damnably deluded, as to take your natural or acquired parts, for the characters of a saint! O happy and thrice happy you, if these sermons might have such success with your souls, that so you might die the death of the righteous, and your last end might be like his! For this blessed issue, as I here gladly wait upon you in preaching, so will I also wait upon the Lord in praying. |