Now, when ever you look upon your graces or gracious evidences with one eye, be sure you look upon the Covenant of grace, your last royal Fort with the other eye. The whole hinge of a mans comfort and happiness hangs upon the Cove• of grace. The Covenant of grace is the Saints original title to […] 'tis a Saints best and brightest evidence for life and salvation. ••re was an eternal design (an eternal plot, if I may so speak) be••• God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ; a bargain, a Covenant ••de between the Father and the Son, for the salvation of his chosen […]; and by this patient and tenure of grace, all Saints have title to heaven, &c. Dear Christians, many times your gracious evidences are so blotted and blurred that you can't read them. O then, turn to the Covenant of grace; when other evidences fail you, the Covenant of grace will be a glorious standing evidence to you; 'tis upon the score of the Covenant that you must challenge an interest in all the glory of another world. The Covenant of grace is the great Charter, the Magna Charta of all your spiritual privileges and immunities. Now in this great Charter the Lord declares, That sincerity shall go for perfection:1 In this great Charter the Lord hath declared, That he judges his people by the standing bent and frame of their hearts, and not by what they are, under some pangs of passion, or in an hour of temptation. In this great Charter the Lord declares, That his eye is more upon his peoples inward disposition, than 'tis upon their outward actions; and that his eye is more upon their will,2 than 'tis upon their work. In this great Charter, the Covenant of grace, the Lord hath declared, That he will not forsake his people, nor cast off his people,3 because of those failings and weaknesses that may and do attend them, 1 Sam. 12.22. For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people. He chose you for his love, and he still loveth you for his choice. God will rather ⟨p. 369⟩pity his people under their weakness, than he will reject them for their weakness. The Covenant of grace that God hath made with his people, is as the Covenant that a man makes with his Wife. I will betroth thee unto me for ever, saith the Lord. 4Turn O back-s•iding children, saith the Lord, for I am married unto you.
Now, when ever you look upon your graces or gracious evidences with one eye, be sure you look upon the Covenant of grace, your last royal Fort with the other eye. The whole hing of a mans comfort and happiness hangs upon the Cove• of grace. The Covenant of grace is the Saints original title to 〈…〉 'tis a Saints best and brightest evidence for life and salvation. ••re was an eternal design (an eternal plot, if I may so speak) be••• God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ; a bargain, a Covenant ••de between the Father and the Son, for the salvation of his chosen 〈…〉; and by this patient and tenure of grace, all Saints have title to heaven, &c. Dear Christians, many times your gracious evidences are so blotted and blur'd that you can't read them. O then, turn to the Covenant of grace; when other evidences fail you, the Covenant of grace will be a glorious standing evidence to you; 'tis upon the score of the Covenant that you must challenge an interest in all the glory of another world. The Covenant of grace is the great Charter, the Magna Charta of all your spiritual priviledges and immunities. Now in this great Charter the Lord declares, That sincerity shall go for perfection:1 In this great Charter the Lord hath declared, That he judges his people by the standing bent and frame of their hearts, and not by what they are, under some pangs of passion, or in an hour of temptation. In this great Charter the Lord declares, That his eye is more upon his peoples inward disposition, than 'tis upon their outward actions; and that his eye is more upon their will,2 than 'tis upon their work. In this great Charter, the Covenant of grace, the Lord hath declared, That he will not forsake his people, nor cast off his people,3 because of those failings and weaknesses that may and do attend them, 1 Sam. 12.22. For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people. He chose you for his love, and he still loveth you for his choice. God will rather ⟨p. 369⟩pity his people under their weakness, than he will reject them for their weakness. The Covenant of grace that God hath made with his people, is as the Covenant that a man makes with his Wife. I will betroth thee unto me for ever, saith the Lord.
- 1Luke 1.5, 6. Acts 13.22. 2 Chron 3•.•8, 19, 20.
- 22 Cor. 8.12. Phil. 2.13.
- 3Ponder much upon Jer. 31.31, to 38.
- 4Hos. 2.19, 20. Jer. 3.13.
