A66098:105
Covenant-keeping the way to blessedness, or, A brief discourse wherein is shown the connection…Covenant-keeping the way to blessedness, or, A brief discourse wherein is shewn the connexion…
Covenant-keeping the way to blessedness, or, A brief discourse wherein is shown the connection which there is between the promise, on God's part; and duty, on our part, in the covenant of grace as it was delivered in several sermons, preached in order to solemn renewing of covenant. By Samuel Willard teacher of a church in Boston in New-England.Covenant-keeping the way to blessedness, or, A brief discourse wherein is shewn the connexion which there is between the promise, on God's part; and duty, on our part, in the covenant of grace as it was delivered in several sermons, preached in order to solemn renewing of covenant. By Samuel Willard teacher of a church in Boston in New-England.
printed by James Glen for Samuel Sewall, 1682
Discourse › Pages 1-60: Covenant-Keeping the way to Blessedness.
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.
3. God having pleased to deal with Man, in the Gospel, in a way of Grace. Hence, though He do command him as a Sovereign, yet he mixeth Grace in all His Commands, so that there is no command which is enjoined us in the Gospel which brings not its benefit ⟨p. 34⟩along with it. Or there is no command in the Gospel which comes to us under the Title of mere Sovereignty, but also carries with it the sweetness of a Promise, as well as the rigour of a threatening. We may observe that the quality of a condition is not only put upon Faith, as, Mark, 16. 16. but upon Obedience too, Heb. 12. 24. Rom. 8. 13. That command in the Gospel which if a Man do perform, he hath assurance of Life in his performance, but if he do not perform, he is certified of Death and Damnation by the neglect of it, and all this according to the proposition of the Gospel-Covenant, that must carry the respect of a condition; but such is Gospel-Obedience, as the Scriptures forecited, and many more do evidence, or we may take it thus: All that which God propounds in the Gospel as needful to be performed by us; yea, so needful, as eternal Life, and Death are infallibly consequent thereupon; yea, and are referrible thereto, is of the condition of the Gospel-Covenant, and that is Faith and Obedience: separate Obedience, and you have a Faith which is vain, Jam. 2. 14. and which may be found in Devils, vers. 19.
3. God having pleased to deal with Man, in the Gospell, in a way of Grace. Hence, though He do command him as a Soveraign, yet he mixeth Grace in all His Commands, so that there is no command which is enjoyned us in the Gospell which brings not its benefit ⟨p. 34⟩along with it. Or there is no command in the Gospell which comes to us under the Title of meer Soveraignty, but also carryes with it the sweetness of a Promise, as well as the rigour of a threatning. We may observe that the quality of a condition is not only put upon Faith, as,