A09990:471
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.
Fifthly, they differ in this; in the New Testament there is a more clear perspicuous knowledge of things, there are better promises, a larger effusion of the Spirit, there is more clearness, as we see, Heb. 8. 10.1 After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my Laws into their minds, &c. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest of them. That is, they shall know much more, and that which they do know, they shall know in another manner: ⟨p. 83⟩they shall know it more distinctly, more particularly. Moreover, as the knowledge is greater, so the promises are better promises, Heb. 8. 6.2 §6But now our high Priest hath obtained a more excellent office, in as much as he is the Mediator of a better Testament, established upon better promises. The meaning of it is this, the promises which were made in the Old Testament, (though the promise of salvation was not excluded, yet) the main of them, the most appearing and insisted on, were, they should have the Land of Canaan, & they should have an outward prosperity, you see the old Testament much insists upon that; the New Testament meddles little with them, but with promises of salvation, remission of sins, sanctification by the Spirit: therefore, saith the Apostle here, it is established upon better promises. And again, there is a larger effusion of the Spirit, the Spirit is now poured on us in a greater measure, then it was distilled by drops, now the Lord hath dispensed it in a greater abundance to the sons of men, in the time of the Gospel, there is greater measure of grace, and it follows upon the other, Grace & truth come by Jesus Christ; that is, because there was more truth, and more knowledge, there went likewise more grace with it; as there is a greater revelation, so likewise there goes more grace: that is a sure rule, that all knowledge, when it is increased, when it is saving knowledge taught by GOD, it carries grace proportionably with it. This is the fifth difference.