The doctrine of the covenant of redemption Wherein is laid the foundation of all…

he addresseth these with his power, and causeth them to hear his voice that they may live; we have such an expression in Acts 15. 48. as many as ⟨p. 100⟩were ordained to Eternal life believed. Yea and our Saviour Christ lays that down as a Rule which never fails, John 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me, shall come unto me. Christ first redeems them by Price, and then the spirit delivers them by Power: he first buys them out of the hands of Justice, and then the Holy Ghost comes and fetcheth them out of the Prison of Sin, and from under the Power of Satan, and enlargeth them. So that the Covenant of Grace in respect to the extensiveness of it, to the Subject, is made just as large as the Covenant of Redemption, that being the pattern according to which it is made, and the reason of this is grounded in the former consideration: for till men are bought out of the hands of the Law they are not free to be indented with in a way of Grace they are not Sui Juris, they cannot Covenant for themselves; they are the servants of sin and satan, and prisoners of the Law: except therefore Christ have paid the price for them, they are in no capacity for this Grace, but must abide under their former state of Condemnation.

3 All the encouragement which an awakened sinner hath to embrace & take hold of the Grace which is exhibited in the Gospel ⟨p. 101⟩Covenant, ariseth, or is fetched from the Covenant of Redemption. There is a previous Conviction which is wont to be wrought in the heart or conscience of a sinner, in order to the proposal of the Terms of the Gospel to him: and this is requisite, for without this Conviction he cannot be brought to see any need that he stands in of the benefits of the New-Covenant; and consequently cannot be persuaded to give them entertainment. Now in the working of this Conviction, he is made to see and apprehend his forlorn wretched state, and how he came to fall into it: that an holy law hath been broken by him; that by virtue hereof he lies under guilt, and is fast bound by a Sentence of Condemnation, to suffer the wrath of God, and vengeance of hell: that he hath to do with a God who is a just and a righteous Judge, who will stand to his word, and is unchangeable, and will give accomplishment to all that he hath said without fail. So that when he is under the terror of these Convictions, and now the Grace of God is tendered him in the Gospel, and he is spoken to, and treated with about the things of his peace: he is told that God is Gracious, ready to pardon, willing to receive him into favour, and to bestow salvation upon him; although these thing