A80637:186
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. And finally, the soul doth not claim his right unto any conditional promise, by his performance of the condition; nor doth he deny himself the blessing that the promise may reach forth unto him, though he be wanting in obedience to this or that Commandment: pregnant for this purpose is the example of Jacob (which we mentioned before) Gen. 32.9, 10. who though he had a plain and a full promise of God, to do him good if he would return to his Country, and to his kindred, yet when he did return according to the word of God, he claimed not his interest in that promise, for that he had done as God commanded him, but I am less then the least of thy mercies; and yet he cometh unto the Lord for the performance of his promises, but not upon this ground; only for the sake of mercy and ⟨p. 97⟩truth, Deliver me I pray thee: for thou saidest, I will surely do thee good, ver. 11, 12. so that (mind you) though the soul can make use of a conditional promise, and come to God for the blessing of it, yet not expecting it in the least manner, by virtue of his obedience: and truly this is the freedom of a Christian soul; whereas another man, if he have kept the Commandment, and performed the condition, he then looketh for acceptance from God: as if the Lord make this promise, that he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin, shall find mercy; this man confesseth his sin unto God, and forsaketh it, and therefore he looketh for mercy: but this is not the manner of Gods people; and yet if they look for any mercy, it is in the way of God, but not because of their own goodness; their hope is in the faithfulness, and free grace of God: they may make mention to the praise of God, how he hath guided them, and carried them an end in his own ways; yet they challenge nothing from any thing that they have done, but put the Lord in mind of his free promise, that as of his free grace he hath freely promised: so from the same grace he may make good what he hath promised.
4. And finally, the soul doth not claim his right unto any conditional promise, by his performance of the condition; nor doth he deny himself the blessing that the promise may reach forth unto him, though he be wanting in obedience to this or that Commandment: pregnant for this purpose is the example of Jacob (which we mentioned before)