A80637:173
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.
Now as the Lord Jesus giveth the Law, and as it were reneweth it, so he doth also give his Spirit unto his servants, enabling them to keep it, Jer. 31.33. Ezek. 36.27. I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them. And again, I will put my law in their hearts, and write it in their inward parts. Now this Law would he not write in the hearts of his people, nor give unto them his holy Spirit enabling them to keep his Law, were it not his will in Jesus Christ, that the Law should be the rule of holiness and righteousness unto his people: hence it is, that the children of God, though they be not under the Covenant of the Law, yet take themselves to be bound to the obedience of it; for if Jesus Christ have given the Law, as well as Moses, and if he have ratified it by giving them his Spirit, to teach and strengthen them to keep it, though not perfectly, yet sincerely, then they take themselves bound to obey the Law, though they be under the Covenant of Grace; for do we make void the law through saith? God forbid yea, we establish the law. For what need have Christians of free Justification by Christ, if they were not bound to obedience by the Commandment of the Law? Therefore the free Justification of men under a free Covenant of Grace, doth establish the obedience of the ⟨p. 85⟩Law, otherwise what need they run to Christ to save them from the curse of the Law? Why do we still run to Christ for the continuance of our justification? But that we find our selves ungodly creatures against the righteous and holy Law of God: therefore if God have given men the Law, and his holy Spirit to strengthen them in the obedience of it, and his grace to save them from the curse of it; then Christians are to know that they are bound to keep the Law; they lie under the authority of it, and dare not pluck their necks from under that yoke.
Now, there are two Effects springing from the subjection of Gods people to the Commandment of the Law.