A09990:475
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.
Secondly,1 from this difference of the Covenants, you have these two things to observe: First, in that the Covenant of Grace only, is the ministration of the Spirit, when the other is but the ministration of the letter, it should teach us thus much, to labour to grow to assurance of the forgiveness of our sins. If a man would desire to change his course, to have his heart renewed, to be made a new creature, to be translated from death to life; beloved, the way is not to consider presently the Commandment, for a man to think with himself, this I ought to do, and I will set about it, I have made a Covenant, I have resolved with my self to do it, but the way is, to labour to get assurance of forgiveness, to labour to apprehend the Covenant of Grace: for by that means thy heart shall be softened, there shall be an infusion of the Spirit, that shall write the Law of God in thy inward parts: all those places of Scripture make this good, wherein it is said, faith purifieth the heart, and by the promises we are made partakers of the godly nature, as 2. Pet. 1. 4.2 and likewise, Heb. 9. 14.3 How much more shall the blood of Christ, which, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without fault to God, purge your conscience ⟨p. 88⟩from dead works, to serve the living GOD. The meaning is this, if a man would have his conscience purged from dead works, let him labour for faith, whereby he may be justified, let him labour to be sprinkled with the blood of Christ, to have assurance of the forgiveness and pardon of his sins, through that blood, then he shall have that Spirit put into his heart, that eternal Spirit, that shall purge and cleanse his conscience from dead works. So likewise, Gal. 3. 4Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law? Did you not rather receive it by the hearing of aith preached? And so,