A34674:169
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.
2 As the Promises are of use before our Union with Christ, so In our union with him they are of great use; for when the Lord giveth himself to the soul, he doth it in a Promise; he cometh unto the soul, riding (as it were) upon the Chariot of a Promise, and begetteth Faith back again in the soul by the Promise, whereby we receive Jesus Christ; though before him we can have no Promise, yet in a Promise we do receive him. This is the very first stroke of closing with Christ, he giveth himself, and we take him as he offereth himself, even in an absolute Promise; such a like dispensation of himself we read of, Acts 3.25,26. where Christ is offered in an Absolute Promise of free grace, without any Qualification mentioned, Howbeit many of them that heard the word believed, and the •umber of the men were about five thousand about three thousand of them believed before, so that here are two thousand that believe upon this Absolute Promise, the Lord Christ is offered to them, and they receive him by Faith. The like we read also, Acts 10.43,44. To him give all the Prophets witness, that through his name, ⟨p. 93⟩whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins. And while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the words; to that the Holy Ghost giveth himself, and they receive him in an absolute Promise; and left it should be a matter of absolute doubt unto any, consider thus much, that whereas the Lord doth unite himself to the soul, as a Father to a child, or as an Husband to a wife, it is free: For did you ever know a true real Marriage made in a Conditional Promise? Doth a man say to his wife, If you prove a loving and a kind wife, then I will be thine Husband? Or doth a wife say to her Husband, If you will take me and love and maintain me, and all the children that God shall bless us with, then I will be your wife? Would not your soul rise against such a Covenant as this? Now I beseech you consider whether we shall not put an unspeakable dishonour upon the Covenant of free grace, to conceive and expect, that if we carry our selves thus and thus, then God will be ours, and we his: But if thus and thus, then he will cast us off; Hath the Lord made such a Covenant with his ⟨p. 94⟩