A09990:137
The new covenantThe nevv covenant
The new covenant, or the saints portion A treatise unfolding the all-sufficiency of God, and mans uprightness, and the covenant of grace. delivered in fourteen sermons upon Gen. 17. 1. 2. Whereunto are adjoined four sermons upon Eccles. 9.1. 2. 11. 12. By the late faithful and worthy minister of Jesus Christ John Preston. Dr. in Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty, master of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inn.The nevv covenant, or the saints portion A treatise vnfolding the all-sufficiencie of God, and mans uprightnes, and the covenant of grace. delivered in fourteene sermons vpon Gen. 17. 1. 2. Wherevnto are adioyned foure sermons vpon Eccles. 9.1. 2. 11. 12. By the late faithfull and worthie minister of Iesus Christ Iohn Preston. Dr. in Divinitie, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiestie, maister of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.
London: printed by I. Dawson for Nicolas Bourne, 1629
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
My Beloved, 1consider (for this I will be very brief in) that thou needest not fear that thy disobedience, if thou be once within the Covenant (if thou be one whose heart is upright with him) shall […] the Lord to depart from thee, he will not be unfaithful to thee, though thou be weak in thy carriage to him; for he keeps Covenant for ever. That is His▪ Covenant is to keep thy heart in his feared, that thing we forget; if the Lord keep Covenant with us, he doth not suspend his promise of help upon our obedience, and leave us […] but he promiseth to give us a heart and […] he hath promised to circumcise […], ⟨p. 92⟩that we shall not depart from him: and therefore in Isaiah 40. the Lord expresseth it thus; You shall know me as Sheep know their Shepherd, and I will make a Covenant with you, and thus and thus I will deal with you: And how is that? Why the Covenant is not thus only; As long as you keep within bounds, and keep within the Fold, as long as you go along the paths of righteousness, and walk in them, but this is the Covenant, that I will make, I will drive you according to that you are able to bear; if any be great with young, I will drive them softly, if they be lame, that they are not able to go (saith he) I will take them up in 2mine arms, and carry them in my bosom. If you compare this with Ezech. 34.3 you shall find there he puts down all the slips that we are subject unto; (speaking of the time of the Gospel, when Christ should be the Shepherd,) he shows the Covenant that he will make with those that are his; saith he, if any thing be lost, if a Sheep loose it self, this is my covenant, I will find it: if it be driven away by any violence of temptation, I will bring it back again: if there be a breach made into their hearts, by any occasion through sin and lust, I will heal them and bind them up. This the Lord will do, this is the Covenant that he makes. Now consider these Reasons, I made heaven and earth, and, I keep Covenant and mercy for ever.