Chapter I.--Some Things Premised for the Information of the Ignorant
For the better understanding of this, we shall premise some things for the
information of those who are more ignorant, and then speak more directly to the
thing. As for the things to be premised:-- 1. The Lord did, at the
beginning, out of His bounty, make a covenant with man in Adam--'And the Lord
God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree in the garden thou mayst freely
eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of
it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.' (Gen. 2:
16, 17.) And He gave the man ability to abide in that covenant--'God has made
man upright' (Eccl. 7: 29); but man, by eating of that forbidden fruit, did
break that covenant--'They, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant' (Hos. 6:
7); and made it void forever, and involved himself in misery thereby--'By the
deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in His sight' (Rom. 3: 20);
'As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.' (Rom. 5: 12.) 2. The Lord
did most freely, from everlasting, purpose and intend to save men another way,
namely, by Christ Jesus, and the covenant of grace, in which He intended
reconciliation with the elect through Christ Jesus, God and man, born of a
woman, in due time to make this agreement effectual. And this device of
satisfying His own justice, and saving of the elect by Christ, He did at first
intimate to our parents in paradise, saying, 'That the seed of the woman shall
bruise the serpent's head.' (Gen. 3: 15.) And the Lord has in all generations
made this known to His church. 3. The Lord has in all ages covenanted to be
the reconciled God of all those who, by their subjection to His ordinances, did
profess their satisfaction with this device, and oblige themselves to acquiesce
in the same, and to seek salvation by Christ Jesus, as God does offer Him in
the gospel; so all the people of Israel are called the Lord's people, and are
said to avouch Him to be their God, and He does avouch them to be His people
'Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in His ways,
and to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and to
hearken unto His voice; and the Lord has avouched thee this day to be His
peculiar people, as He has promised thee, and that thou shouldst keep all His
commandments.' (Deut. 26: 17, 18.) Yea, the Lord does also engage Himself to be
the God of the seed and children of those who do so subject themselves to His
ordinances. The covenant is said to be made between God and all the people,
young and old, present and not present that day (Deut. 29: 10-15); and all are
appointed to come under some seal of that covenant, as was enjoined to Abraham.
(Gen. 22: 10.) Not only was it so in the Old Testament, but it is so in the New
Testament also. The Lord makes offer of Himself to be our God in Christ Jesus;
and the people professing their satisfaction in that offer, and in testimony
thereof subjecting themselves unto the ordinances, they are reckoned a
covenanted people, and are joined unto His church in thousands, receiving a
seal of the covenant, without any further particular previous trial--'Then
Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of
Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins. Then they that gladly received the
word were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three
thousand souls.' (Acts 2: 38, 41.) 4. Many deal treacherously with God in
this covenant--'Nevertheless, they did flatter Him with their mouth, and they
lied unto Him with their tongues; for their heart was not right with Him,
neither were they steadfast in His covenant.' (Psa. 78: 36, 37.) And although
they profess their estimation of Christ the Saviour, and their
heart-satisfaction with that device of saving sinners by Him, and having the
image of God restored by Him in them; yet their heart is not right with God,
and they do content themselves with an empty title of being in a sealed
covenant with God: 'Abraham is our Father,' say they. (John 8: 3.) For although
the Lord obligeth every man, who professeth his satisfaction with Christ Jesus,
the devised ransom, to be cordial and sincere herein; and only to those who are
so does He make out the spiritual promises of the covenant, they only being
privileged to be the sons of God who do really receive Christ (John 1: 12); yet
the Lord does permit many to profess their closing with Him in Christ, both in
the Old and New Testament, whilst their heart is not engaged; and He does admit
them to be members of His church, granting unto them the use of ordinances, and
many other external mercies and privileges denied unto the heathen, who are not
in covenant with Him. 5. Although the greater part of people do foolishly
fancy that they have closed with God in Christ Jesus sincerely and heartily;
or, at least, they do, without any ground or warrant, promise a new heart to
themselves before they depart this life; yet there be but very few who do
really and cordially close with God in Christ Jesus as He is offered in the
gospel: and so there be but very few saved, as is clear--'Strait is the gate
and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be who find it'
(Matt. 7: 14); 'Many are called, but few are chosen.' (Matt. 20: 16.) If people
would believe this, it might help to alarm them. 6. Although none at all do
cordially close with God in Christ Jesus, and acquiesce in that ransom found
out by God, except only such as are elected--'But the election has obtained it,
and the rest were blinded' (Rom. 11: 7)--and whose hearts the Lord does
sovereignly determine to that blessed choice--'No man can come to Me, except
the Father, which has sent Me, draw him' (John 6: 44); yet the Lord has left it
as a duty upon people who hear this gospel, to close with His offer of
salvation through Christ Jesus, as if it were in their power to do it; and the
Lord, through these commands and exhortations, wherein He obligeth men to the
thing, does convey life and strength to the elect, and does therein convey the
new heart unto them, which pointeth kindly towards this new device of saving
sinners, and towards Christ in His covenant relations; for it is the Lord's
mind, in these commands and invitations, to put people on some duty, with which
He uses to concur for accomplishing that business between Him and them: so
then, it is a coming on our part, and yet a drawing on His part; 'No man can
come to Me, except the Father, which has sent Me, draw him.' (John 6: 44.) It
is a drawing on His heart, and a running on our part--'Draw me, we will run
after Thee.' (Cant. 1: 4.) It is an approaching on our part, and yet a
'choosing and causing to approach' on His part. (Psa. 65: 4.) It is a believing
or receiving on our part--'But as many as received Him, to them gave He power
to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name;' and yet 'it
is given us to believe.' (John 1: 12; Phil. 1: 29.)
This document (last modifiedJuly 14, 1998) from Believerscafe.com
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