A09990:382
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.
First,1 he aims at the highest degree of holiness, he looks at the very mark it self, he looks at the top, at the standard, at the utmost exact line of holiness, and he labours to square himself to it, though he cannot reach it, yet it is his endeavour, he propounds not to himself a shorter journeys end then he should do, but his aim is even at the very top of perfection, at a perfect conformity to the Image of Christ; for that is it the Apostle here speaks of, that we may be conformable to the Death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, this was his aim:2 whereas, on the other side, another doth not so, but he sets a certain compass, a certain limit to himself, there he fixeth his staff, he doth not intend to go any further, he doth not intend to grow up to full holiness, as it is expressed,3 2 Cor. 7. 1. he doth not intend to be holy, as the Lord is holy, in all manner of conversation, this is not his intent, this is not the thing he aims at. So herein they differ; he that hath a perfect heart, he follows hard after the mark, he aims at the very top of perfection; and the ground of this difference is, partly, because a man that is unsound-hearted, will not be at so much cost and pains for heaven,4 as to aim at the top of perfection; ⟨p. 14⟩he thinks th•s with himself, that to be so strait laced, that he must be exact in every thing; to observe all his speeches, that he may not speak freely; and to give an account of all his time, and of all his actions, that he may not walk in many things according to his own phantasies, according to his own delight and pleasure, he thinks, if he must be tied to this, that he may not, at any time, give the bridle to his humour, and to his inordinate appetite, but still he must be so restrained and fe•tered, and pinioned, as it were, to walk by an exact r•le, that all his actions, and all his steps may be pondered; he thinks with himself, it is more then ever he shall be able to do; he doth not indeed prize Christ and Heaven at such a rate, hat he will be thus exact and perfect; and therefore he aims not at it, he never goes about it: And partly again;