A09990:590
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.
Take heed of refusing the acceptable time,1 take heed of not coming in when the door of Grace is open; take heed of doing as the foolish Virgins did, they would come, and came, but they stayed still the door was shut upon them: Beloved, there is a certain acceptable time, as we say to you, when God offers grace, and after he offers it no more, as we told you, the time of this life is the time that we can propound, we know no other; but there are certain secret times, that God reserves to himself, that none knows, but himself, and ⟨p. 191⟩when that time is past over, he offers it no more. You know, those in the Wilderness, they lived many years after, and therefore it was not the time of this life to them, after God had sworn in his wrath: therefore, I say, take heed of deferring; it is an exceeding dangerous thing; beloved, delay in all things is dangerous, but procrastination in taking the offer of Grace, is the most dangerous thing in the world: beloved, we know not what we do when we do it. I beseech you, consider it seriously, it is that that deceives all the world, they think to do it to morrow, to morrow, though they be not come in, yet they will do it, and do it speedily: take heed you be not deceived in this, I will do it now, and now, Modò, & modò, &c. The Chariot wheels, when they run, the second runs near the first all the day long, but never overtakes it; as in a Clock, the second minute follows the first, but it never overtakes it; so it is with us, this doing of it, now, and now, and to morrow, and to morrow, these little distances deceive us and delude us: we think to do it in a short time, and by reason of the nearness and vicinity of the time, that we shall do it easily, that we can take hold of that time; but it is not so, we are deceived and deluded with it: as Grass-hoppers and Butter flies deceive children, when they think to lay their hand upon them, they hop a little further, and a little further, that in the conclusion, they take them not at all; so ⟨p. 192⟩it is with us, we cozen our selves in that manner, we lose our life, we lose our opportunity of taking grace, because we think it to be so near, we think we can take it the next week, or the next month, and out of this we are confident it is in our power, we may take it.