A80637:183
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.
2. As a Christian looketh not for salvation by his obedience to the Law, nor feareth condemnation by his disobedience: so neither doth he seek for any blessing from his obedience, nor fear any curse from his disobedience, ⟨p. 93⟩he seeketh not for blessings from his obedience, and therefore if there be any promises of blessing made to any obedience, though God should help him to as much obedience as might be, he doth not look for any blessing from that obedience, Rom. 4.4, 5, 6. To him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned of grace, but of debt; but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted to him for righteousness, even as David describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works. He looketh not for his blessedness from his works; though he should perform all the conditions to which the promises are made, yet he expecteth all his blessing from free justification, and union with the Lord Jesus Christ: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin, this is the blessedness of Christians. It is true, the Lord doth bless the workings of his servants, and accept them, Mat. 25.34, 35, 36. The king shall say unto them on his right hand: Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungry, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Thus Christ blesseth them: but they are not sensible of their good deeds, so as to expect blessings for their obedience sake, and therefore they make answer, and say, Lord, when saw we thee an hungry, and fed thee; or thirsty, and gave thee drink? &c. neither do ⟨p. 94⟩they fear the curse of God, or that their sins should separate them from God: those that are under the Law, are cursed indeed, if they do not continue in all things that are written in the Law to do them; but this curse is removed from the elect by Jesus Christ.
2. As a Christian looketh not for salvation by his obedience to the Law, nor feareth condemnation by his disobedience: so neither doth he seek for any blessing from his obedience, nor fear any curse from his disobedience,