A80637:156
A treatise of the covenant of grace, as it is dispensed to the elect…
A treatise of the covenant of grace, as it is dispensed to the elect seed, effectually unto salvation. Being the substance of divers sermons preached upon Act. 7. 8. / by that eminently holy and judicious man of God, Mr. John Cotton, teacher of the church at Boston in N.E.
London: printed by Ja. Cottrel for John Allen, 1659
THE COVENANT OF GRACE, As it is Dispensed to the Elect Seed, effect… › Part 5-100
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.
4. They are of use to help us to know our spiritual state, and means to discern thereof: All these qualifications to which the Promises are made, are fruits of the Spirit, and will ⟨p. 70⟩more or less declare unto you your sanctified state; which is a marvellous blessing: upon the promises made unto such conditions, the Lord stirreth up the hearts of his people to seek for such conditions, to which the promises are made; and when the Lord hath given us them, he then openeth our hearts to see what he hath given us, and so to discern our sanctified estate: Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son, thine only Son from me; so the Lord said to Abraham, Gen. 22.12. wherein he bare witness to his work; and this doth fill Abraham with strong Consolation, together with the oath of God unto him: for now the Lord doth not only know it, but causeth him to know it also: so that if the Lord do but breath in such a fruit of the Spirit, if he doth but give power to the Soul to do such a work unto which the promise is made, and do make it appear unto the Soul to be indeed such, by the revelation of his own blessed Spirit, then doth the Lord fill the soul with consolation, Psal. 9.18. The patient expectation of the meek shall not perish for ever: when the poor soul is meekened by Gods hand, and the Lord letteth him so discern it, that now he quietly resteth upon the Lord, now the Spirit of God doth help David along to be supported with some stay: and besides, the waiting of a Christian upon him, who hath made the promises, doth make him yet more patient and hopeful: and this is a fourth use of conditional promises.
4. They are of use to help us to know our spiritual state, and means to discern thereof: All these qualifications to which the Promises are made, are fruits of the Spirit, and will ⟨p. 70⟩more or lesse declare unto you your sanctified state; which is a marvellous blessing: upon the promises made unto such conditions, the Lord stirreth up the hearts of his people to seek for such conditions, to which the promises are made; and when the Lord hath given us them, he then openeth our hearts to see what he hath given us, and so to discern our sanctified estate: Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son, thine onely Son from me; so the Lord said to Abraham,