Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

78 Book m. JLoolttug unto 'jjefu~. Cbap I .Secr.s. --~~--~~~~~~--~~~~~~ the Rock of Ifrael, the everlafting rock; the rock_ of their Salvation, Pfal. r9. 5 . The Rock. .•f their Strength, Pfal. ~2. 7· The Rork.. of their Heart, Pfal. 73.26. The Roclz.of their Refuge, I'faL9+· 21.. Their Roclzandth:irRedumer, Pfal. 19. 1 4. The Pfalmift is frequent and ordmary tn thJS fide, to fl1ew that Gud is the mighty, I table and immutable foundation and defenco of all the faithful, who fly umo him, and will rruft in him; he is fuch a Rock as will not flmnk nor fail his Creatures; man i; unflable, bur be is God, and not m1n, who IS the Author of this Covenant. 2. To whom is the Covenant ma~e? why, faith D.:~vid, He hath made with me an everlll}fing Co'l!enartt; (t.) wher WJth Chnft the Anmype, or elfe with Davidhimfeff the type ot Chrift. to the l?rmer fenfe we have fpoken elfewhere; the latter 1fuppof~ more genume; the Covenant mdeed was firfl: made withUmfl:, and then with Davidas a member of Jefus Chrill. Some are wholly for a Covenant betwixt God and ·chrirt. and they deny any fuch thing as a Covenant betwixt God and man; but are nor the re~ Deut. 4 • , 3 . flimoniesexprefs I Tak§ heed toyour [elves, left you forget thr Covtnant 1rhich the Lord Jer. 3 · l' • hathm11dervithy011. And, I will ma/zeanew CO'Uenantwith the Ho11{e of lfraal, and with tht Hmfe of Judah. And by name do we not f<e God Covenanting wich Abraham, with Ifaac,and with !acob? Gtn.I7·7·Gen.z6.z. Gen.3 5.12,L<vit. 26. 42.And here dowe net l'f 89·3•,3). fee Cod Covenaming withDavid? I have made a Covenant with my chofm; I have firorn 1111/o David; and once have I[worn by my holinefs, that I will not lie unto David, and rh: Pf. 'i'· "· Lord hathfivorn in truth unto David, he willnot turn from it. Oh take beed of fucl1 Do– ctrines as tend unto Liberty and Licemioufnef;! the Covenant God 1111kes with us, binds ' us falter to God; and if there be no Covenant betwixt God and us, it opens a gap to the loofenefs 'of our fpirits; for how Owuld we be charged with unfairhfulnefs unto God if we have not at all emred into a Covenaut with God. ' 3. What is this that the Covenant is f1id to be made? · this holds forth to us the free– Gtn. q. 1 , nrfsofGodsentringimoCovenant with us: Iwillmak§my Covenantbetweenmeandthce, faith God: or, I wit/give my Covenant, I will difpofe my Covenant between me and thee. fo it is in the Original. Aud elfewhere it is plain, Behold Igive unto him my Cownanroj Num. ,,, "· paltce: When Godmake~ a C?venant, then he gives the Covenant of Grace unto •ll that Deut.. -, s. he !Qkes into Co~enant wtth h1m: The Lord (et ht< love upo11 y011 (fa1d Mofesto Jfratl) 7 · tf1 tal!(! you into Covenant t:wth b,.m, not becaufe ye were more tn number than other p(oplt, but becaufe he loved you, ~nd chafe yo11r Fathers; as noting out the freenefs of his Love towards them ; he loved them: Why ? He loved them becaufe he loved t!Jem. This freenefs of his Grace in giving a Covenant, may appear in thefi! Particu– lars.--- I. In that God is the firft that feeks after us, to draw us into Covenant with him; we f~ek not hin1, but he feeks us; we chufe not him, but he chuletli us; he loves mfir]/; 1 Joh. 4. 19. I am fot~nd of them that fought me no(· I faid, behold me, beholdme, ttntoa Nation that JfJ. 6>· 1 ' 'was not calledby my name. · 2. In thatthere is nothing in us, to draw God into a Covenant with us; many a man feeks firU after the unmarried Virgin, butthen there is Beamy, or there i• Dowry, or there i•fomethingorotherwhichdraws on the man; but there is nofuchthing in us; this made .David fay, when he hear.d of Gods Covenant with l1imand his, Who am I, 0 1 sa. 7 , 1 s, , 9• Lord God? and what;, m;~ Fathers Houfo that thou haft brought me hither;o .'-~nd ri thi< the manner of man, 0 Lord (iod? q. d. 0 Lord God, thou dealeft familiarly With me as a man dealeth with man ; or as it is elfewhere, Thot< haft regarded me according totbr 1 Chr.•7.x7. -.jfare of ,nnan of high degree. It would.make any Soul cry out, that deeply we1ghs the freenefs ~f this Covenant ; Lord, what;. man that tho" art nnndful of htm, or the Son •f 1t1an,that thouvifitefthim? . . 3. In that there is enough rn us to keep off the ~o.rd from ever ownrng us; we are as contrary to God as Darknefs is to Light, or as ev1lts to good : The carnal mmd ." rn– mity a,gainft God (faith tbe Apofile) it i< not fub;efl to thr Law of God, nttther :ndeed Ram. 8 •1· can it be. We are a crooked Generation, that cannot abide the ftra~ght wayes of the Lord . our whole Nature is linful and corrupt before him, and for the moft part when wear;mofi averfe and backward, and have leafi thought of ever feeking afrer him, then it is that he foeks us to take us unto himfelf \ thus the Lord called Saul whenhe was perfecuting, and r~ging, and breathinP, out {laughter againft the Lord, and ag•m~~~;s Saihts: and thu• the Lord calledthofe fcws that mock§dtile Apollles wl1en they fpt k- ' verfe Languages, theft men are full of new wine; ay bunhe next word that they pead; ~~. ;';,;; 37 ., is, Mrn ~nd Brethren, what foa/111'~ d9 ? '0 the free and u~e):ptCl:ed Grace of our ~01;

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