A09990:508
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.
Fourthly,1 and lastly, it is by faith, because the Lord would have it by free grace, and not of debt: for, saith he, If I should give a Law, and rules to men, and promise them life upon it, when they had performed the work, they would challenge it of debt: no, saith the LORD, it is an inheritance, I do not use to deal with my children, as men do with their servants, that I should give them work to do, and when they have done it, I should give them wages, then they would come and challenge it a my hands by way of debt: no, saith the Lord, this is an inheritance, and you are my sons, and you shall have it given you freely, and given you as it becomes a Father to give it, so you shall take it; therefore, that ⟨p. 120⟩it might be of free grace, and not of debt, therefore it is by faith, and not by works. And that is added, likewise, if it had been by works, men would have been ready to boast▪ and have said, I have done this, I am able to keep the Law, therefore the promise of eternal life shall be made good to me, I shall receive it as wages, men would boast in themselves: No, saith the LORD, no creature shall boast in it self: for that puts every man further from the LORD, the more a man rejoiceth in himself, the more he stands upon his own bottom, the more he is divorced from GOD, and separated from him: but, saith he, he that rejoiceth, let him rejoice in the LORD: for that fits a man for the LORD, and therefore I will have it by faith, it shall not be by works. So, beloved, you see now what is the Condition. Surely, look how Abraham was made partaker of the Covenant, so every one of us must be; Abraham was made partaker of it by saith, so shall every man be made partaker of it by faith, and no otherwise. Abraham believed God, when he had a promise, and because he believed him, (not that particular act of faith but) that grace of faith, whereby he believed this, and the other promises of the Messiah, was counted to him for righteousness: and so for this cause, because we believe the promises, and the Covenant of Grace, therefore the LORD accepts us, and accounts us righteous; and because this seems strange to the ⟨p. 121⟩sons of men, therefore we see with how much ado Paul labours to make it good, what strong objections were against it in all times. I have showed the reason. Now when you read