94 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CLXVII.
'judgment without mercy/ James ii. 13. Sometimes for the covenant of grace, and free promises of God, or that merciful right which he hath established between hini and his people, wherein God acteth as an absolving and pardoning judge. Of this", see ver. 132. And of this the prophet speaketh, Isa. i. 27, ' Zion shall be redeemed with judgment ; ' that is, by his mercy promised according to his judgment. David desireth to be quickened. From thence observe —
Doct. 3. That God's mercy and loving-kindness, manifested and impledged in the promises of the gospel, doth notably encourage us to ask help from him.
You have heard what encouragement we have by the loving-kindness of God ; now what we have over and above that by his judgment.
First, Quickening and enlivening grace is promised in the new covenant.
1. In general, from the general undertaking of the covenant. The covenant of grace differeth from all other covenants in the world, be- cause everything that is required therein is also promised ; and there- fore it is called, ' The promise,' Gal. iii. 18, because God hath promised both the reward and the condition — faith and perseverance therein, as well as righteousness, pardon, and life ; the new heart to bring us into the covenant, and the continual assistance of grace to keep us in that covenant. And so it differs from the usual covenants that pass be- tween man and man. Among men, each party undertaketh for and looketh after his own part of the covenant ; but leaveth the other to look to his duty and his part of the engagement. But here the duties required of us are undertaken for by him that requireth them. No man filleth. his neighbour's hand with anything to pay his rent to him, or enableth him to do what he hath covenanted to do ; but God filleth our hand with a stock, yea more than a stock, of habitual grace, with actual influences, to draw forth habits into act ; and cloth with strength so far enable us to perform every commanded duty, that in the performance thereof we may be accepted. Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27, God owneth there not only the principles of acting, but also the excite- ment of these principles; yea, the very act itself. He hath under- taken to infuse the principle, and stir up the acts and exercise of it : ' I will cause you to walk in my statutes.' So Jer. xxxii. 39, 40, ' And I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them and of their children after them, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me.' Besides converting grace, superadded influences. It differeth from the covenant of works, that had more of a law, and less of a promise : there was a promise of re- ward to the obeyer, but no promise of giving obedience. God indeed gave Adam a stock of habitual grace, but no promise of assisting grace. There man was to keep the covenant ; here, in effect, the covenant keepeth us, Jer. xxxii. 40. And indeed therein lieth the exceeding graciousness of the covenant of grace, that God undertaketh for both parties, and worketh in his people all that is required for entering into and keeping this covenant with him.
2. In particular, this part of actual influence, which is more espe-
VER. 149.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 95
cially called quickening, is promised in the covenant of grace ; for the covenant concerneth mainly the life of grace, the care of which he hath taken into his own hands, not to lay it down till it be perfected in the life of glory ; and therefore alloweth his children to repair to him when their life is any way enfeebled or decayed : so that besides that the general undertaking of his covenant will' warrant such a plea, his particular promises of preserving and restoring our life will embolden us to ask quickening; for with respect to his judgment or covenant engagement, God is called, ' The God of our life,' Ps. xlii. 8, and ' The strength of our life/ Ps. xxvii. 1. The care of life, bodily, spiritual, and everlasting, lieth upon him ; by virtue of the covenant he hath undertaken to keep it, feed it, renew it in all the decays of it, till we be possessed of the life of glory.
Secondly, The advantage we have from this promise. We have a double argument, not only from God's mercy, but his truth; both which do assure us that God is not only easy to be entreated, but bound and tied by his own free condescension. His loving-kindness showeth that he may do it for us ; his judgment, that in some part he will do it. He is not only inclined, but obliged, which is a new ground of hope. His promise in the new covenant inferreth a debt of favour, though not of justice ; when God hath bound himself by promise, both his mercy and fidelity are concerned to do us good. We have not only the freeness of God's love to encourage us, but the certainty of his help engaged in the promise. God inviteth men to him by his grace, and engageth his truth to do them good. The nature of God is one encouragement, he is wonderful ready to do good ; but in his covenant he hath established a right to believers to seek his mercy, so that all is made more sure and comfortable to us.