A09990:753
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.
Secondly;1 The Lord doth it to spare mankind; for if the LORD should punish presently,2 men should perish from the earth. And therefore he doth in this case, as Generals are wont to do with their Soldiers, when there is a general fault committed, they cast lots and pick out two, or three, and put them to death, that the whole Army may be saved; So the Lord doth, he takes here and there one, whom it may be, he follows with open and great judgements for open sins; But for others again, the generality, he suffers and lets them alone, because he would spare mankind. This reason I find used,3 Gen. 6. 3. the Lord said there, when he was about to destroy man from the earth, My spirit shall no longer strive with man, for he is but flesh: That is, if I should continually deal with men, as I do now, if I should take them, and sweep them away with the Besom of destruction, as I do these, there would remain no flesh upon the earth; and therefore, saith he, I will not strive with them, but bear with them patiently, though their sins are great and many. ⟨p. 52⟩Again;4 the Lord doth it, that he might keep from us the events of things;5 It is his good pleasure to reserve them to himself, and therefore he goes not in a constant course. When men sin, he doth not presently punish, neither when a man doth well, doth he presently reward him, that is, he goes not in one tract, as it were, but sometimes he doth the one, and sometimes the other, promiscuously; and for this end, saith the Wise man, he hath made this contrary to that, that no man might find any thing after him: That is, that he might leave no foot-steps behind him; (as we have that phrase used,6