A34674:265
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 There is a further work of God in drawing us home throughly and effectually to Jesus Christ, when he giveth the Spirit of Adoption, which reacheth beyond all the former work; he hath cut us off from our selves, and now we stand in a state quite contrary to nature, and if any saving work be wrought in us, it is quite contrary to nature; if any thing fall upon the heart and soul of a man, to bring his will to this pass, to lye down at Gods feet, that he knoweth not what to do, and yet whatsoever the Lord calleth him unto, he is willing, if it were possible to be done, he would run through fire and water to do it: but he findeth himself unable to do any ⟨p. 185⟩thing, and now he will tell you that to believe is as impossible for him as to build a world: why then bid him wait, wait? saith he, I, but I cannot wait, and if I seek the Lord, I cannot find him, and I see others of Gods servants wrought upon graciously, but dead-hearted I, nothing will work upon me; now in such a case as this, the Spirit of God cometh into the heart of a Christian, and taketh possession of the soul for Jesus Christ, and so draweth the soul to Christ, and maketh it there to stay, and there to lye down, and to be willing to be drawn yet nearer and nearer unto Christ, and to be carried an end by him, to take all from him, & to give all the glory to him. This Spirit of Adoption doth give a man a Son-like frame to lye prostrate at his Fathers will, like unto the Prodigal Son, Luke 15.17,18,19. who when he came to himself, and saw how unable he was to provide for himself, and how unworthy he was that his Father should do any thing for him, he came and lay down at the feet of his Father, for he is unable and unworthy of any mercy. Now this stooping of the heart ⟨p. 186⟩unto God, and yielding unto him to do with us as seemeth good in his own eyes, is such a prostration of the heart, wherein the Lord hath taken possession of the soul, that now a man is led unto fellowship with Christ, that there is None in Heaven but him, none in the earth in comparison of him that the soul desireth after; and now a man waiteth upon Christ to see what he will do for him; and though he cannot tell you that he waiteth, yet he doth wait, that he may be helped of God, to depend upon him. Thus he receiveth all from Christ, and giveth all unto him.