A09990:491
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 is true, saith he, the Serpent is your enemy, and hath overcome you; but, saith he, you shall not be slaves to him, and captived to him for ever; but you shall resist him, and be an enemy to him, I will put enmity between the Serpent and the Woman, and you shall fight together, there shall be a war between you, and this shall be the issue of the war, the Serpent shall afflict you, and hurt you something, but thou shalt overcome him, and bruise his head, thou shalt be the death of him, thou shalt have the victory over him. The Woman might ask, But how can this be? Alas, I am weak, I find my self too weak already in the Battle, he is too strong for me? Saith he, I will give thee a certain seed, one that shall be borne of thee, and he shall be an enemy to the Serpent and his seed; that is, to all evil men, that are called his seed, because they are like him: there shall be enmity between them two, and he shall fight the Battle for thee; and in that Battle between him and the Serpent, this shall be the issue, the Serpent shall bruise his heel, that is, he shall prevail so far as to cause men to crucify him, which is but as the bruising of the heel; but, saith he, he shall break his head, he ⟨p. 107⟩shall utterly destroy him, and overcome him for thee: so thou shalt prevail again, and be set in the place, and enjoy all the promises. The Church continued in the virtue of this promise, this preaching of the Gospel, until Abraham's time, and then GOD begins to manifest his Covenant again; he calls forth Abraham and tells him he means to make a Covenant with him, he tells him that he will bless him, and that all the Nations of the world should be blessed in him: one while it is said thus; another while, all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed in thy seed. Beloved, there are many difficulties in this, how the promise should be made to the seed? how again it should be made to Abraham himself? (for it is said to be made to both) how all Nations are blessed in Abraham, and yet it is said, they shall be blessed in thy seed?
it is true, saith hee, the Serpent is your enemy, and hath ouercome you; but, saith hee, you shall not bee slaues to him, and captiued to him for euer; but you shall resist him, and be an enemy to him, I will put enmity betweene the Serpent and the Woman, and you shall fight together, there shall be a warre betweene you, and this shall bee the issue of the warre, the Serpent shall afflict you, and hurt you something, but thou shalt ouercome him, and bruise his head, thou shalt bee the death of him, thou shalt haue the victory ouer him. The Woman might aske, But how can this bee? Alas, I am weake, I finde my selfe too weake already in the Battell, he is too strong for mee? Saith hee, I will giue thee a certaine seede, one that shall bee borne of thee, and he shall be an enemy to the Serpent and his seede; that is, to all euill men, that are called his seede, because they are like him: there shall bee enmity betweene them two, and hee shall fight the Battrell for thee; and in that Battell betweene him and the Serpent, this shall be the issue, the Serpent shall bruise his heele, that is, he shall preuaile so farre as to cause men to crucifie him, which is but as the bruising of the heele; but, saith he, he shall breake his head, he