2 Everything which is a ground of grief or sorrow to the people of God, is not a snflB- cient ground of questioning their integrity, or the goodness and happiness of their spiritual estates and conditions. If, upon every slip, failing, and iniirniity, a Christian should question all that ever was wrought in him, and done by God upon him, his life will certainly be made up of fears and doubts, and he will never attain to any settled peace, comfort, or assurance, or be able to live that life of joy, praise, and thankfulness that the gospel calls for.
804 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. I
covenant, it cannot be utterly broken. As among men there be some trespasses against some particular clauses in covenants, which, though they be violated, yet the whole covenant is not forfeited ; it is so here. Every jar, every miscarriage doth not break the marriage covenant ; no more doth every sin, every miscarriage break the cove- nant between God and the soul. But,
[2.] Secondly, Seriously consider that many tveah Chnstians are tnuch onistaken about the terms and condition of the covenant of grace ; they think that the condition of the covenant is perfect and unsinning obedience, whereas it is only sincere obedience. Mark, that man sincerely obeys and sincerely walks in covenant with God, who smcerely, who heartily, who ordinarily desires, labours, and endeavours to obey the law of God, the will of God, and to walk in covenant with God.^ Mark, particular actions do not denominate any estate ; it is the course of actions which doth denominate a man's walking in cove- nant with God, or his not walking in covenant with God. If his course of actions be sinful, he walks not in covenant with God ; but if his course of actions be holy and gracious, he walks in covenant with God. Though the needle of the seaman's compass ma}' jog this way and that way, yet the bent of the needle will still be northward ; so though a Christian in covenant with God may have his particular sinful joggings this way or that way, yet the bent of his heart will still be to walk in covenant with God. But,
[3.] Thirdly, Consider that infirmities, abeiTations of weakness, do not nullify or evacuate our covenant vnth God, nor hinder our walk- ing in covenamt with God; for if they should, then no man could pos- sibly keep covenant with God, or walk in covenant with God. Infir- mities God passes by and pardons in course, and will never put them into the account, and therefore they cannot hinder our walking in cove- nant with God. Breaches made in the first covenant were irreparable, but breaches made in the covenant of grace are not so, because this covenant is established in Christ, who is still a-making up all breaches. Mark, there are five things which shew that the deviations of God's people are only infirmities and not enormities, weaknesses and not wickednesses ; and the first is this, viz., that they do frequently and principally arise from the subtilty and sudden power of Satan's temp- tations. 1 Chron. xxi. 1. (2.) That the frame of their spirits is against the evil that they do, Rom. vii. 15, 16, 19, 23, 2-t. (3.) Their daily cries, tears, and complaints, speak it out to be an infirmity. They are in this particular like a lost sheep, or a lost child, or a lost friend. (4.) Though they do fall, yet they rise again ; though they do step or wander out of the way, yet they do return into the right way again. (5.) When they do fall, there i.s a vast difference, a miglity difference be- tween their falls, and the falls of wicked men that are not in covenant with God, and that [1.] first, in respect of willingness; [2.] in respect of choice ; [3.] in respect of affection ; [4.] in respect of course ; [5.] in respect of quietness ; [6.] in respect of continuance. Mark, when wicked men fall, when men out of covenant with God fall, then they fall willingly, they fall out of choice, they fall out of afiection to fall, they fall in a course, they fall, and they are quiet under their falls ; they fall, ' Isa liv. ; vii. 8-10 ; Jur. xxxi. 33-37.
Chap. I.] a cabinet of jewels. 305
aud continue to fall, 'to-morrow shall be as to-day,' Isa. Iv. 12. But persons in covenant with God, though they do fall, yet they do not foil, nor cannot fall, as they do that are out of covenant with God. For [1.] first, there is in all such persons an habitual purpose to keep cove- nant with God ; [2.] an habitual desire to keep covenant with God ; [3.] an habitual resolution to keep covenant with God ; [4.] an habitual endeavour to keep covenant with God. Now, where it is thus, that man is certainly in covenant with God, and that man walks in covenant with God ; he is under a covenant of grace ; his sins are pardoned, and there- fore they shall never be his ruin. Doubtless many precious Christians have charged and condemned themselves for those things that the great God will never charge them with, nor condemn them for, Isa. Ixiii. 17. Blessed Bradford wrote himself an hypocrite, a painted sepulchre ; but doubtless God will never bring in such a charge against him.^ O sirs ! the stirrings of sin, and the workings of sin, and the prevalency of sin for particular acts will stand with the covenant of grace, though not with the covenant of works. You may not by any means conclude that you are not in a covenant of grace, because such and such corruptions stirs in you, or because such or such weaknesses now and then breaks forth and discovers themselves, either in your lips or lives. Did Chris- tians but study the covenant of grace more, and understand better than they do the difference between the covenant of grace and the covenant of works, how would their fears and doubts about their spiritual and eternal estates vanish, as the clouds before the sun when it shines in its greatest strength and glory ! &c.
It was the saying of an eminent minister on his deathbed, that he had much peace and quietness, not so much from a greater measure of grace than other Christians had, or from any immediate witness of the Spirit, but because he had a more clear understanding of the covenant of grace than many others, having studied it and preached it so many years as he had done. Doubtless, had Christians a more clear and a more full understanding of the covenant of grace, they would live more holily, serviceably, humbly, fruitfully, comfortably, and sweetly than they do; and they would die more willingly, readily, and cheerfully than many (may I not say than most ?) Christians use to da. But,
The eigldeenth maxim or consideration.