The covenant of life opened, or, A treatise of the covenant of grace

A. Death hath room in the broken Covenant of Works, as the Pursuivant and Sergeant of revenging justice. Hence deaths reign, [I must die whether I will or not] Unwillingness to die and bondage through fear of death is the Law-sting in death, from which Christ hath delivered us, Heb. 2.15.¹ Original sin and death came and entered the world by the Covenant of Works. The Covenant of Grace made not death, but found it in the world, Christ made of an old enemy death a new servant: its now the Kings ferry-boat to carry the children over the water. Its a suitable condition to a spiritual state to die being sent for, not legally summoned, and to die, because I desire to be dissolved, Ph. 1.23. not because I must. And better it is to summon our selves then to be summoned. Though we love heaven too much as a place of pleasure, rather then a place of holiness, yet most men would wish a better causey to it then to sleep through th• cold grave or a dark hole in the earth.

A. Death hath room in the broken Covenant of Works, as the Pursevant and Sergeant of revenging justice. Hence deaths reign, [I must die whether I will or not] Unwillingnesse to die and bondage through fear of death is the Law-sting in death, from which Christ hath delivered us, Heb. 2.15.¹ Original sin and death came and entred the world by the Covenant of Works. The Covenant of Grace made not death, but found it in the world, Christ made of an old enemy death a new servant: its now the Kings ferry-boat to carry the children over the water. Its a sutable condition to a spirituall state to die being sent for, not legally summon'd, and to die, because I desire to be dissolved, Ph. 1.23. not because I must. And better it is to summon our selves then to be summoned. Though we love heaven too much as a place of pleasure, rather then a place of holinesse, yet most men would wish a better causey to it then to sleep through th• cold grave or a dark hole in the earth.

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