A treatise of Mr. Cottons clearing certain doubts concerning predestination together with an examination…A treatise of Mr. Cottons clearing certaine doubts concerning predestination together with an examination…

and thou in thy Covenant of grace hast undertaken this, even to be our Lord and God, to sanctify us; and to this purpose thou hast given us thy Sabbath, as a sign that thou the Lord doest sanctify us: to this and thou hast given us thy word, which is that truth of thine, ⟨p. 107⟩according unto godliness, which alone can sanctify us: and thou hast promised to circumcise our hearts, and the hearts of our children, that they shall love the Lord our God with all our hearts; and as to love thee, so to fear thee also; and that, all our days: and to this purpose, to put thy fear in our hearts, that we shall never depart from thee; yea, and to put thy spirit within us, and to cause us to walk in thy statutes, and in thy judgements, and to do them. And, surely, if God desires such an heart to be in us, he will not false to give us such an heart; seeing he alone is able to work such an heart in us. Therefore I conclude, this is not to be understood properly, but figuratively: And you may as well infer out of that of the Psalmist, The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers, that God hath eyes and ears, in proper speech; as out of such places as these to conclude, that humane ineffectual desires and wishes and velleities are found in God. If God transfer upon himself the members of our bodies, in a figure of speech called [Greek or Hebrew], why may he not as well transfer upon himself, by the same figure of speech, the desires and affections of our minds? especially, considering that God hath made us apt to be moved and wrought upon by such passionate expressions; and it is Gods usual course to work in all things agreeably to their natures. And I make no question but such expressions are usually prevalent with true Israelites, with Gods own people; not so much by the force of a passionate expression, which is accommodated to the condition of mans nature, as chiefly by the operation of Gods Spirit, whose sword the Word of God is.

and thou in thy Covenant of grace hast undertaken this, even to be our Lord and God, to sanctifie us; and to this purpose thou hast given us thy Sabbath, as a figne that thou the Lord doest sanctifie us: to this and thou hast given us thy word, which is that truth of thine, ⟨p. 107⟩according unto godlinesse, which alone can sanctifie us: and thou hast promised to circumcise our hearts, and the hearts of our children, that they shall love the Lord our God with all our hearts; and as to love thee, so to feare thee also; and that, all our dayes: and to this purpose, to put thy feare in our hearts, that wee shall never depart from thee; yea, and to put thy spirit within us, and to cause us to walke in thy statutes, and in thy judgements, and to doe them. And, surely, if God desires such an heart to be in us, hee will not false to give us such an heart; seeing hee alone is able to worke such an heart in us. Therefore I conclude, this is not to be understood properly, but figuratively: And you may as well inferre out of that of the Psalmist, The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his eares are open unto their prayers, that God hath eyes and eares, in proper speech; as out of such places as these to conclude, that humane ineffectuall desires and wishes and velleities are found in God. If God transferre upon himselfe the members of our bodies, in a figure of speech called , why may hee not as well transferre upon himselfe, by the same figure of speech, the desires and affections of our minds? especially, considering that God hath made us apt to be moved and wrought upon by such passionate expressions; and it is Gods usuall course to worke in all things agreeably to their natures. And I make no question but such expressions are usually prevalent with true Israelites, with Gods owne people; not so much by the force of a passionate expression, which is accommodated to the condition of mans nature, as chiefly by the operation of Gods Spirit, whose sword the Word of God is.