Tbe (ownant and the Nature of our ConJent opened. ty, and do g,i"ve up _our_fdvcs to h~m a~ his childrc~, to fttk.. him, and pleafc him, and perH~d:ly tO Lovt him, Delight m htm, and En;oy htm for ever m Heave~ as our Ulumare End. And in Confenting to rhefe Rrlmiont, we covenant to do tQe Duties of themmfincerity· §. g, I V. The Tcrnu or Condition! which God rcquircth of man in his Covenant are Confent,. and Fidelit)' or Ferfcrmance : He tirtl Confonwh conditionally•, if we will conflnt: And he con[entetb to be a[iluYy(lur God, when we cnnftnt robe his people_: fo that as bareConfent, ~itbout any performance · doth tOund rhc Relation between Husband and W1fe, Mafier and Servant, Prmce and People; bur the fincere performance of the dUii:s of the R~lation which we~ c?nfent to , arc needful afterward to contintte the Relation, and attam the bcnehts and ends; fo ts !C alfo between God and man. We are his C~ildren in Coveuant as foon as we confenc ; but we !hall not be glurified but on Condition ef finccre prrformanct and obedience. 9· 9· V. Gods Covemmt with man is norhing elfc but the Vnivtrfal Promife in the Glljp"ei; and (to tht: fokmni1.1tion,) th$: Dtclaratitm, and Application, and folemn Invtftiture or Delivery by his.autho~ rized MiniCt~.rs. I• The GofPel as it relateth•the inarters of fact in and about the work of our Rt– demption, is a S,;cred Hijiory: 2· As it containeth the Terms on which God will be ferved , and comrnandc:th m to obey them for our f•lvation, it is called The LiJw of Chrift or Grace. 3• As it con– tai1w/J the Promi{e uf life ar.d falvationconditionally offered, it is called Gods Pr6mift, and Covntant, (viz. ott hi/ p:zrl, as it is Propo{edonly ). 4· When by oHr Confonl tht Condition is fo far performed, or the Cuvenanl Accepud, then Gods Conditional Vniverjal Prcmife or Covenant, becometh allual and .particular as to the cjfea , and fo the Covcn3nt becometh }rluwal between God and m.u : As if a King make an Ati or Law ofP.zrdon and Oblivion, to a Nation of RebdsJ faying, Whoever corq.ethin by fuch a day, ar.d confcff<rh his faulr, and futth out his pardon, and promifeth fidelity for the fu– ture Ollll be pardoned: This Act is a La~v in one refpcct, and"it is an Vniverfal Conditional pardm of all thofe Rebells : ot a Promijt of pudon; and an Offer of pardon to all that it is revealed to : But it is an Allual Partkn to thofe that t 1•mt in, and c0nferreth on them the benefits of the ACl as if they were named in it, a11d is their very Title 10 their pardon, of which their Con[ml is the Condition; and the Condition being performed, the Pardon or CoVatim of the benefit bccometh par,icular and ol1~tal, without any JJ£'1¥' a{J; it being the Lcnfe o'f the Law it felf, or Condi,ional Grant, that fo it Lhould do. So as to the reality of the Internal Covtnanf...interdl: and benefits, Jujlification and Atlop~ lion, it is ours by verrue of this Univerfal Conditional Covenant, when we perform the condition. But aS to our Title in foro Ecclefie, and the due[olemniz.1tion aud InvdJitrtre, it is made ours when Gods Minifier applyeth it to us in Baptifm by his Commifiion. As the Rebel that was fundamentally pardoned by the Act of Oblivion, mufi yet have his ptrfonal pardondelivered himby the Lord (;han– cellqr under the Great Seal. In this fenfe Minifiers are the inihuments of God, not only in dedaring us to de pardoned, but in Dtlivering to IU the pardon of our fins, and folemnly invcjfingus tbttti.n: As an Artorney delivcrcth fOifdlion to one that before had his fundamental Title. Thus God entreth into Covenant with man.. · ~· IO· vI. The Qgalifications of abfolute Nccellity to the Validity of our Covenant with God in Quisveronori foro inttriore are thefe, 1· That we underfiand what we do as to all the Effentials of the Covenant : do!eat BJptif.. t~or i$tiOrantiJ non rft confonfut. 2. That it be ou_r own all, performed by our Natural, or Legal[elves, mo pler~f<J;_ · that ts, fome one that hath power fo far to d1fpofc: of us (as Pasents have of their children). ad(#tos mmo ?· :fhat it be Ddibmtte) fob~r an~ ratimaU, done ~y one t~a.t is compos _menzH, in.his w_irs, and not ~~n~:t~mpo~ m Dr~nk._ennefs, mad~t{J_ o~ tncogHa~cy. 4• T~a~ 1t be fer,.oufly. d:me W!th a rtal Jntt1flton of doing re non uro the dung, and uot hlfinomcall)", ludJc;roufly or m JCafi. 5• That 1t be done emirely as to all tffential ~ntc perfundi parts; for if we leave out any effential part of the Covenant, it is no fuffic;ient confent : ( As to con~ quam Chrifti~ Cent thar Chrifi fhall be.our Jujfifier, bur nor the Holy Ghofi our .SanCtifier). 6. That it be a Prtfont •:•fi C'['' con[en: to be prt[mtly in Cov~nant with God : I-'or to ~onfent that you will be his (ervants 1o mor... ~;d'i~rri~er row or bcreafte~, but ~ot y_et, IS b1Jt to purpofc to be tn Covenant with him htreafter, and is no prc~ reneAnt! . n~q; fent covenantmg with h,m. 7• l.afily, It mufi be a Rrfolved and Abfolute Confent without any open an fi>g>tr~fz Qf fecret Exceptions or Reforvu. !faef~~;~n~:;~ g~o~u~, mq; vcro id ~pfum quod. :tcripiutit, an velim ..accipere, fati~ conO:et. Aco{l11. l. 6. e. :.. p. SlO, Nili pet~~;n~ain~~~;, ~hnfhan~ VHZ profefl~onedon:mdt non funt. JJe111 p. 5''·. An~ ~gain, ":'hi!eignor~nt or wicked men do baAe 1 t :my hew, by ught or wrong, by r;_utle or force> to make- the barbarous people Chnfitans, they do nothmg elfe but make the Gofpel a fcorD and certainly deO:roy the d:fer.ters of a rafuly Wtde,~p.ken faith. Id. iiid. p. su. 1 ~· 11. V I I. The Fruits of the Co~enant .which G_od reapcth .(though he netd nothing) is the Pleaftng of.h1s Gocd. and_ Gracwus JYtll, tn rhe txercife of his Love and Mercy, and the Praife and Glory of hts Grace, 111 IHs peoples Love and ~appinefs for ever. The fruits or Bencfirs whkh ac~ crew to man are unfpeakablc, and would rec:tum: a Volume compc:tently to open them : EfpeciaUy that .(&..... God ~sour God, and Chrifi_ourSaviour, Hea~, lnterceffor a~d Teacher, and fhe Holy Ghofi is our SanChfier :, and that God wtll regard us as hts own, and w11l prote6\ us, prc:ferve us, and provide for us, and will govern us, and be our God and Joy for ever : that he will Pardon us Jufiifie and ' Adopt us, and Gloritic us with his Son in Heaven, ' l'ttt 2
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