A80637:303
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 150-200
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.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope; that is the proper work of a Father, to beget; he sheddeth abroad the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour, Tit. 3.6. thus doth the Holy Ghost sanctify us, as the Father doth regenerate us, and frame us to be new creatures; though it be the Father's work in us, yet he worketh it by the Holy Spirit. And for the work of the Son, the proper character of a son is liberty, a servant is in bondage; a child in the way of child-like liberty may expect much from his Father: this the Lord Jesus properly giveth, Mat. 11.28. Come unto me, and I will give you rest; freedom, and ease of Conscience he gives his servants: and how doth he work this ease and liberty, but by his Spirit? the same Spirit that is in him, dwelleth in us, and breaths a kind of liberty in us, which it hath from Jesus Christ: For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, 2 Cor. 3.17. and where he is, you may see the soul hath liberty from the anguish of Temptations: so that, is there any ease? any liberty? ⟨p. 180⟩It is from Jesus Christ the Son of liberty, who hath spoken some peace unto the soul. Thus the Father doth reveal the Son in us; and in point of sanctification the Father doth regenerate us, but it is by a spirit of regeneration; the Son redeemeth us into liberty by a spirit of liberty; he comes in the Fathers name, and in the Sons name, to carry on that work, which they have in hand in the Saints, Joh. 14.26. and chap. 15.26. the Father will send him, and I will send him; and the Holy Ghost doth kindly work all, to make us regenerate sons unto the Lord: these things he doth in their name; he doth some things also in his own name, though from their power also: now though both these are sanctifying works, there is a third work of sanctification which is proper to the Spirit; this was foretold by Christ, Act. 1.8. You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: they were the sons of God before, and free sons before, set at liberty by the Spirit of the Son; but there is yet more to come; You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: so this is the proper sanctifying work of the Spirit, to give a further power in sanctification;