A09990:430
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.
it was a great work of faith, to send back half his Army, and to go on so much encouraged notwithstanding; yet after, in the same Chapter you shall find, though faith went thus far in him, and carried him through so difficult a case, yet it had not its perfect work: for immediately after he had overcome the Edomites, he set up their Gods, and a Prophet comes and tells him, Amaziah, art thou so foolish, to set up the Gods of the Edomites, that were not able to deliver their own people? Saith the Text,1 he would not hearken to the Prophet, but bade him cease, and the Prophet ceased. So you see, faith had a work in him, and a great work; but herein he had an unsound heart, as it is said, Verse 2. he walked before the LORD, in the way of his Fathers, but not with a perfect heart. And you shall find this very Story, that I have now named, brought in as an evidence that his heart was not sound, that his faith had not a perfect work: so far his faith went, thus far he did by virtue of that faith that he had, ⟨p. 58⟩but a perfect work his faith had not. Another example is in Rehoboam, 22 Chron. 11. When the Kingdom was divided, and given to Jeroboam, and the ten Tribes had made that defection from Rehoboam, he gathered together ninescore thousand fighting men to go up against Israel: but, saith the Text, the Word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, a man of God, saying, Speak to Rehoboam, the son of solomon, King of Judah, and to all Israel, and Judah, and Benjamin, saying, Thus saith the Lord, You shall not go up to fight against your brethren, return every man to his house: for this thing is done by me. They obeyed therefore the Word of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam. You see here a very great work of faith, that caused him to give over, to sit down, to be content to lose so great a part of his Kingdom, and to look no more after it; that, when he had an Army ready of valiant men, yet he was content to sit down; though he were a man that was not sound-hearted, yet faith had thus far a work in him; and not only for this time, but for three years after, he cleaved to the Lord, and served him in all things: and yet, for all this, it had not its perfect work, it carried him not through: for afterwards he departed from the Lord.