A09990:416
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.
Beloved,1 it is easy to know it by this; take a man whose heart is not sound, whose heart is impure, who is hollow toward the LORD, and take out the other respects, and leave the naked Commandment alone, and he will stand still, ⟨p. 47⟩he moves not; let other respects be took away, let the work want that outward glory, and he stands still, he goes not about it so diligently: let the suffering be sequestered from the praise of men, which accompanies it, let there be nothing but a bare Command, yea suppose sometimes they incur discredit with men, as sometimes they do, in suffering, there is only a naked Commandment to encourage them to it, I say, if the heart be unsound, it stands still, and moves not: but when the heart is upright, take away the Commandment, and leave the other respects, and it stands still on the other side; by which you may know, that it is not respect to mens commandments that moves a man, because when that is took out, when there is not the will of God signified in it, when he thinks with himself, this is not for GODS glory, I have no warrant from GOD to do it, though there be other respects to my own credit and profit, the heart stands still, as a Mill doth, when it hath no water nor no wind to drive it. This is an argument of sincerity, when still the Commandment moves it.