A34674:99
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 The Lord giving Himself, his Son, his Spirit upon condition, though it be but to works, yet he is pleased to receive them into some kind of relative Union, expressed Jer. 32.32. Which my Covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them. He was married unto them in Church-Covenant, this was some kind of Union, he was their God and they were his peculiar people, and yet the Lord cast them off (a Generation of his wrath) from this Marriage Covenant between them and him: from this Union there springeth a kind of Faith, by which the soul cleaveth unto the Lord in some measure, else there could not be this marriage union; and this faith is that which you read Psal. 106.12,13. They believed his words, they sang his praise, &c. So also Exod. 14.31. it is said, They believed the Lord and his servant Moses. This is that faith ⟨p. 41⟩which men may receive, and yet may Apostate from it, spoken of, Heb. 6.3. to 6. and Luk. 8.13. but all that faith was never grounded upon any free promise of grace, but all was built upon Ordinances and Duties, and upon no higher ground. In the 2 Chron. 13.8. to 12. marvellously strong are the expressions of Abijah when Jeroboam came against him, You think to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hand of David, &c. Where we see what faith he did express, and hereupon (vers. 18.) The Children of Israel were brought under, and the Children of Judah prevailed; and yet this Kings heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, 2 Kings 15.3. and yet (mind you) a strong confidence he had that the Lord was with him, and that he would be present with his own Ordinances; there was faith built upon fellowship with Ordinances, like unto that Faith in the Scripture before alleged,