A34674:132
The Covenant of Grace
The covenant of grace discovering the great work of a sinners reconciliation to God / by John Cotton ... ; whereunto are added Certain queries tending to accommodation [sic] between the Presbyterian and Congregational churches ; also a discussion of the civill magistrates power in matters of religion ; by the same author.The covenant of grace discovering the great work of a sinners reconciliation to God / by John Cotton ... ; whereunto are added Certain queries tending to accommodadation [sic] between the Presbyterian and Congregationall churches ; also a discussion of the civill magistrates power in matters of religion ; by the same author.
London: printed by M.S. for Francis Eglesfield and John Allen, 1655
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Object. Yes (you will say) there is a plain difference, for an hypocrite is ever full of himself, but a true Christian doth all in faith, he seeketh God daily, and waiteth upon God daily, and these are not the ways of hypocrites.
Object. Yes (you will say) there is a plaine difference, for an hypocrite is ever full of himselfe, but a true Christian doth all in faith, he seeketh God daily, and waiteth upon God daily, and these are not the wayes of hypocrites.
Answ. Consider (I pray you) what the Word of the Lord holdeth forth as the Root of this sanctification, and I will go no further than express Scriptures. Isa. 58.2. They seek me daily; and this is spoken of hypocritical Israelites, and for waiting, we often hear it spoken of the five foolish Virgins, that they all went out to meet the bridegroom, Mat. 25.1. though while they tarried long, they all slumbered and slept, and so did the wise Virgins also; and for more particular application of God unto themselves, we find that also Hos. 8.2. Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee; and yet this Israel (in the same Scripture) had transgressed the Covenant, ⟨p. 64⟩and cast off the thing that is good. And for a further Act of faith, which is a staying a mans self upon God, what saith the Text, Isa. 48.2. They stay themselves upon the God of Israel; and these were obstinate sinners, and their neck as an iron sinew, and their brow as brass: there was not truth and uprightness; True it was not, but how shall we know the difference? Truly it is hard to perceive when men differ, and therefore it is not an easy matter to make such use of Sanctification, as by it to bear witness unto Justification: and it will be a very hard case and much more difficult, when men cannot feel the presence of spiritual gifts, but want spiritual light: and when they do find faith in themselves, they do find it in hypocrites also, even in hypocrites also, even faith to seek the Lord, & faith to wait upon him, and faith to apply him, saying, My God, and faith to stay upon the God of Israel; and yet these men do vanish away in hypocrisy; this hypocrites may do; seeing therefore what easiness of error may befall Christians, whether this or that grace be of the right stamp or no, it will behove