A09990:658
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.
We may make this use of it:1 we see the reason, why one man is able to see and to trust to this All-sufficiency of God, 2and another is not. The reason is, because Christ hath revealed it to one man and not to another: God hath taught it to one man and not to another. We see it in common experience; A wise, learned, witty, and able man, that can discern more then many others of the vanity of outward things, of the All-sufficiency, and fullness that is in God, yet when he comes to the practice of it, he is able to do nothing: On the other side, we shall find in experience, that many poor Christians, that are able to say little, yet when they come to practice, they are able to part with their liberty, with their credit, with their goods, and with their lives, that they may cleau••o God, and keep a clear Conscience: what is the reason of it? because they be taught of God, they are persuaded by him, & therefore they are able to practice it; As for the others they are taught by men, they are taught by themselves, and therefore they are not taught it indeed, they are not fully convinced of it, and therefore though they know such ⟨p. 9⟩things, though they be floating in their minds, yet they have not the use & the practice of them. Wherein you shall observe this difference, That a man may know a truth, and yet not be led into that truth,3 as you see Joh. 16. 13. when he shall come which is the spirit of truth, he shall lead you into all truth. (Mark it) he shall lead you into all truth. It is one thing to preach the truth, and another thing to be led into the truth. The holy Ghost shall lead you into all truth, as a man is led by the hand into a place: for we are not only blind, but lame too; we are not only unable to see spiritual truths, but when we see them, we are not able to follow the guidance of the holy Ghost; Therefore saith he, the spirit shall not only show you such and such things, but shall lead you into those truths, he shall lead you into the practice of them. Many men they know what temperance, what sobriety, and patience are, who are not able to practice them, that are not led into the truth of these points: because that is proper to the holy Ghost, it is he only that leads us into them; it is he only that enableth us so to see them, as to be fully convinced, so, as to resolve upon the practice of them;