A25241:459
Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…
Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of Jesus as carrying on the great work of mans salvation from first to last / by Isaac Ambrose ...
London: printed for Richard Chiswel, 1680
Book 3 › Chapter 1 › Section 5: Of the Covenant of Promise, as manifested to David.
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.
4. It is well ordered in respect of the end and aim, to which all the parts of the Covenant are referred;1 the end of the Covenant is the praise of the Glory of his Grace: the parts of the Covenant are the Promise and the Stipulation; the Promise is either Principal or Immediate, and that is God and Christ; or secondary and consequential, and that is Pardon, Justification, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Glorification; and the Stipulation on our parts are Faith and Obedience: we must believe in him that Justifies the ungodly, and walk before him in all well pleasing. Observe now the main design and aim of the Covenant, and see but how all the streams run towards that Ocean: God gives himself to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace, God gives Christ to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace, God gives pardon, justification, sanctification, salvation to the praise of the Glory of his Grace; and we Believe, we Obey to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace; and good reason, for all is of Grace, and therefore all must tend to the Praise of the glory of his grace: it is of Grace that God hath given himself, Christ, pardon, justification, reconciliation, sanctification, salvation to any Soul; it is of grace that we believe; By grace ye are saved through faith, 2not of your selves, it is the gift of God. O the sweet and comely order of this Covenant! All is of Grace, and all tends to the praise and glory of this grace, and therefore it is called a Covenant of grace: Many a sweet soul is forced to cry, I cannot believe, I may as well reach heaven with a finger, as lay hold on Christ by the hand of faith; but mark how the Covenant stands like a well marshalled army to repel this doubt;3 if thou canst not believe, God will enable thee to believe; to you it is given to believe: O the Covenant of Grace is a gracious Covenant: God will not only promise good things, but he helps us by his Spirit to perform the condition: He works our hearts to believe in God, and to believe in Christ, all is of Grace, that all may tend to the praise of the glory of his grace.
- 1Eph. 1.6,