A09990:587
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.
There is not only this, but likewise there follows this, further, when Christ hath written his Law in the heart, that man hath not only his heart weaned from all the sinful ⟨p. 187⟩lusts that before he delighted in, but there follows a wondrous forwardness and propenseness to the Law of God, to keep it; there is a wondrous desire to grow in grace, to do the duties of new obedience, that by his good will he would live in another Element. But in doing the duties, and using the means, by which he may receive strength to do them; beloved, when that Law is out of the heart, when we look upon the letter of the Law, there is no such matter; but when it is put into the heart, when it is written within, there is an inward disposition and proneness put into the heart. If you look upon the Law without, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and shalt fear him, &c. it is a hard Law, who can keep it? but when thou hast it put into thy heart, that is the grace of love, (for that is to put the Law into the heart, when there is such a habit planted in the heart, a habit of fear, and of every good grace) then there is a great proneness and aptness in a man, and willingness to keep the Law; and therefore in that place, 1. Tim. 1. 9. The Law is not given to the righteous, they are a Law to them selves. Beloved, if thou findest this to be thy case, that thou needest not the Law to set thee on with terrors, and the threatenings of it, but thou art now a Law to to thy self; that is, thou findest in thy self such an inward aptness and propenseness to keep the Law of God, that, if thou were put to thy choice, if there were no ⟨p. 188⟩necessity laid upon thee, if there were no threatening, no Hell, yet thou delightest in God, and desirest exceedingly to have communion with him, there is nothing seems to be so beautiful as Grace, as the Image of God renewed in thy soul; I say, this will be thy disposition, and this is for a man to be a Law to himself: for you know this common nature is between the Image of the old Adam, and the Image of the new, between the flesh and the spirit, between those lusts that remain in thee, when thou art under the Covenant of Works, and between this Covenant of Grace, and fervency in well doing; I say, common nature is between these two,1