A09990:636
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
Part › Sermon 14: THE FOURTEENTH SERMON.Part › Sermon 14: THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON.
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.
I will answer it in a word;1 It is very true, they may be exercised, though all the host of heaven and earth be at peace with them, and there is not any creature can do them the least hurt; no, they neither will, nor can go about it, to lift up their hand against them; yet they may be exercised with many afflictions, but there is a very great difference between these two, the same disease, the same grief, the same apprehension, lies on the heart, and wounds the spirits of the one man, but to the other that is in Covenant, it is a rod in the hand of a father, enabling him to keep his Covenant the better, it is as a Medicine in the hand of a Physician, to heal him, to comfort him, to do him good; that very disease to another is as a sword in the hand of an enemy, as poison in the hand of the destroyer to hurt him. As, for example, the Devil had power to vex Saul, and to vex Job, here was the same instrument, the Devil had power over both, but there was a great deal of difference, you know, he had power over Saul as an enemy, he had power over Job as a friend: and so likewise Judas had a messenger of Satan, to fill his h•art, and Paul had a messenger of Satan ⟨p. 238⟩too, to solicit him, and to trouble him, and to join with his lusts, to make them as pricks in his sides, but there is much difference; to the one he had a restraint, the Lord saith to the Devil, What hast thou to do with Job? thou shalt •oe thus far, and no further, thou shalt not hurt •ob To Paul there was a restraint too, thou shalt go th•s far, for what purpose▪ as there was a restraint, so there was another end likewise, so far it shall go, as till it hath humbled him; Job and Paul were humbled by it, a jot further it cannot go: for the devil in truth, though he be hostile to them in affection, yet cannot hurt them in action, because God only useth him to do them good, and to humble them; Job was the better, and Paul was an exceeding gainer by it, but Saul and Judas were great Josets; so there is a great difference between these two. The Shepherd sets his Dog upon the Sheep to bring them in, another man sets his Mastiff on another creature to worry it, and to destroy it; the Lord sets the creature upon his own servants, but as the Shepherd sends out his Dog, to bring them in;