A09990:659
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.
and therefore you shall find the Apostle S. Paul, Ephes. 1. when he revealeth there those spiritual blessings, that we have in Christ, when he had declared many of those glorious privileges, in the 18. verse he prays,1 that the eyes of their understandings might be opened, to see the hope of their Calling, and the riches of this glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints, & the exceeding greatness ⟨p. 10⟩of his power towards them that believe. The meaning of it is this; when Paul had discovered all this, saith he, this labour of mine will be but in vain, except the Lord open the eyes of your understanding. So it is when we preach to you, of the All-sufficiency of God, when we discover to you those glorious privileges, that we have by Christ, except the Lord open mens eyes, except he send the spirit of revelation into mens hearts to discern those things, except he preach to the heart, as well as we do to the ear, it is but lost labour; saith the Apostle, if he would open your eyes to see the hope of your Calling, to see those great hopes that you have by reason of your Calling, to see the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints, it is not only rich, but abundant riches. Again, (saith he,) to see the exceeding greatness of his power: A man is able to see some thing, that God is able to do this, and to do that; but to see the exceeding greatness of his power, how far it reacheth, this none is able to do, unless he have the spirit of revelation, to open his eyes to see it; That, even as Elisha said to Gehasi•, there are more with us them against us. But how came Gehasie to know that? Elisha prays the Lord to open his eyes, and when his eyes were opened, he saw it visibly: after this manner, the Lord deals with his children; when such truths as these are propounded to them, that God is All-sufficient, yet all this is nothing, except God will open their eyes, except he will be with them; as he was with Job, all that his friends said to him would not ⟨p. 11⟩persuade him, till God himself spake to him out of the whirlwind. When God himself will say to a man as he did to Abraham, I am All-sufficient, then he persuades him, and not before. And this, Beloved, is the office of the holy Ghost; it is he that shows the Father, and the Son, to the sons of men, it is he that glorifies the Father, and the Sonne.