The New Covenant, or The Saints Portion

p. 1OF GODS ALL-SVFFICIENCY.

When Abraham was ninetie yeares olde and nine, the Lord appeared vnto Abraham, and sayd vnto him, I am GOD All-sufficient, walke before me, and be thou vpright, or perfect.

BEcause, in the performance of all the Duties of Sanctification, Sinceritie is all in all, therefore I haue chosen this Text, that you may not be deceived. It is true; many things are very excellent, if they be right: There is no question but the Diamond is very precious, if it be a true Diamond, but if it be false, it is nothing worth; If you take a precious Balme, you make no question of the thing, and of the excellency of it in generall, all the question is, whether it be right or no, And so p. 2in the graces of Gods spirit, especially, seeing they concerne our salvation; It much concernes vs, to know whether they be right or counterfeit; and therefore you see the condition, that God requires here of Abraham, is, that he be vpright, and perfect, without hypocrisie; (so the word signifieth) walke before me without hypocrisie. Now we haue rather chosen this Text than another, because sets forth the ground of all sinceritie, and perfect walking with God, which is, even this apprehension well setled in the heart, that God is Allsufficient: for this is the Lords precept, Walke before me, and be thou perfect, or vpright, or sincere, let it not be in hypocrisie: and this is the motiue that he vs◊th to perswade him to it, I am All-sufficient, as if he should say, if there were any defect in me, if thou didst neede or couldest desire any thing that were not to be had in me, and thou mightest haue it elsewhere, perhaps thy heart might be imperfect in walking towards me, thou mightest then step out from me to take in advantages elsewhere; but seeing I am All-sufficient, since I haue enough in me to fulfill all thy desires, since I am every way an adaequate obiect, that if thou lookest about, and considerest all that thy soule can wish for, thou maiest haue it in me, why then shouldest thou not consecrate thy selfe to me alone? Why then shouldest thou be vneven in thy wayes, serving me sometimes, by fits, and sometimes the creature? for there is nothing in the creature, but thou maiest finde it in me, I am Allsufficient. I am All-sufficient, therefore walke before me, and be perfect.

p. 3Yet these words containe somewhat more, which you may see by that which followes, I will make my Covenant betweene me and thee, and I will multiplie thee exceedingly. The ground of all our sinceritie is the Covenant, that is betweene God and vs. Now these words doe the most briefly, that I finde, of any in the Scriptures, expresse the Covenant betweene God and vs on both sides, for they are but the summe of the Covenant, which in other places of Scripture is explicated, and set forth more at large; so that the opening of the Covenant on both sides, is the ground of all the sinceritie, of all that obedience that we yeeld to God: And therefore, I say, you shall not onely haue occasion from this Text, to examine the graces of Gods spirit in you, and the actions that flow from them, whether they be sincere or perfect, but likewise we will shew you the ground of this sincerity whence it ariseth; and how it is wrought in every mans heart. And thus these words containe the Covenant, sayth the Lord to Abraham, I will be thy God. On the other side; thou shalt be mine. Now he shewes what a kinde of God he▪ will be to him, I will be All-sufficient to thee; which consists in two things, [Gen. 15. 1.] If you compare this with Gen. 15. 1. I will be thy Buckler to preserue thee from all evill: And againe, I will be thy exceeding great reward: that is, I will not onely be a shield, but I will be a Sunne to thee; I will both preserue thee from all evill, and I will fill thee with all good things, I will ◊omp◊◊ss◊ thee about with mercy and loving kindnesse: so that thou shal◊ finde, that I will be an exceeding p. 4great reward. So God expresseth himselfe to Abraham. And this is the Covenant on Gods part. Now that which is required on Abrahams part, is, that he be the Lords, as the Lord is his, for so you see in the words following. The question onely is, in what manner Abraham shall be the Lords; how that shall be declared? Sayth he, It is not an emptie relation, but thou must shew that thou art mine by walking before me. And yet it must not be any kinde of walking before the Lord, but it must be a perfect walking before him; Walke before me, and be perfect, and therefore it is added, I will make my Covenant, that is, this is the Covenant, of which Circumcision was but a Signe, for it was instituted presently, as we see in the words following.

p. 4There are three especiall poynts that we will gather out of the words.

The first is from the connexion, and we will begin with that, because it is a preparation to the other two: In that the Lord vseth this as an argument to Abraham, I am All-sufficient, therefore walke before me, and be thou perfect; We may obserue this; that

The cause of all departure from God, [Doct. 1.] of all vnevennesse in our wayes towards God, [Doubting of Gods All-sufficience, the cause of departure from God.] is from hence, that we doe not thinke God to be All-sufficient.

As on the other side, the cause of all our sinceritie and perfectnesse, ariseth hence, that we doe apprehend him to be All-sufficient. This you see evidently p. 5ariseth from the words; for thence is the force of the Argument, I am All-sufficient, therefore walke before me, and be perfect. My Beloved, it is evident, that the cause of every mans keeping off from God, the cause of his vnevennesse after he is come in to him, is from hence, that men thinke not God, to be All-sufficient; for if a man had enough in the Lord, he would never goe out from him; but because he wants something, he desires something that is not in him, or he feares something, that he thinkes he cannot keepe off from him: hence it comes to passe that he steppes out from God, he goeth out of the wayes of his Cōmandements. And therefore I say, the cause of every mans departure from God, the cause of his keeping off from God, or of his vnevennesse in the wayes of God, is from hence, that he thinkes not God to be All-sufficient; and this you shall see in three sorts of men.