A34674:189
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.
For the first of these; the Apostle Paul, Acts 23.1. had kept so good a Conscience, that he knew not any sin against the Law that he had lived in, but though he was unrebukeable, he did count it all loss afterward, Phil. 3.7,8. Those things that before he thought had heen his gain, now he counteth them but dung that he may win Christ: when a man attaineth unto outward conformity to the Law, he is then indeed ready to justify himself, and to think that it is indeed good for poor sinful men to look for salvation by Jesus Christ: but for himself he hopeth in his self-devotion, and that he is able to save himself; these are such as justify themselves before men, to whom our Saviour speaketh, Luke 16.15. And of whom he saith, that Publicans and harlots shall go into the kingdom of heaven ⟨p. 113⟩before them. Mat. 21.31,32. For many times you shall have the most deboist and profane more humbled and readier to hearken to the voice of Christ, and sooner convinced of the necessity of the Covenant of grace, than those that are morally righteous by the law, Rom. 9.30,31,32. & Chap. 10.21. Thus the Law becometh a snare unto them, and that which is of singular and wholesome use unto the children of God, is made death unto them. And as their obedience to the Law is thus a snare unto them; So, secondly, the delight and comfort which they take in their obedience, is a greater snare than the other; The stony and thorny soil did hear the word with joy, and so those hypocrites, Isai. 58. did delight to approach unto God; but what followed upon the delight which they took in God, and in holy duties, it made them ready to expostulate with God, why he did not answer them according to their works: the delight which they found did so fill their hearts with Assurance of the grace of God, that they looked at their duties, as so many tokens of the love of God unto their ⟨p. 114⟩