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CA
P.
I
V.4:
z;
;,4
Of
the
Covenant
ofGrace.Gen.
17.7
.Opened.
96
tant Truth
from
the
firft
way
of
Declaration,
whereby God hath
affured them
that
it
{hall
be
to
them
according
to
the
Tenor
of
the
Purpofes
infifted on;
and that
is his Covenant
ofGrace.
The
Principium
effendi
of
this
Truth
Off
may
fo
fay)
is
in
the
Decrees
and
Paypofes
of
God:
the
Principium
Cognofcendi
in
his Covenant,
Promife, and
Oath,
which alto adde much
to
the
reali
Stabi
-
lity
ofit, the
Truth
and Faithfultneffe
of
God
in
them,
being
thereby
pecu-
liarly engaged therein.
4.
z,
It
is
not
in
my
Purpofe
to handle the
Nature
of
the
Covenant
of
Grace,
but
only breifely
to looke into it,
fo
farre
as
it
bath
Influence
into the
Truth
in
hand: The
Covenant
of
Grace
then,
as
it
enwraps
the
Unchangeable
Love
and Favour
of
God, towards thofe,
who are taken into
the
bond'thereof,'
is
that
which
lyeth
under our
prefent Confideration.
The other
great branch
ofit,
(upon the
account
ofthe
fame
Faithiiiallneffe
of
God)
communicating
permanency
of
Perfeverance
in
it
felfe,
unto the
Saints, fecuring
their Con-
tinuancewith God,
(hall
(the
Lord ;flitting) more
peculiarly
be
explained,
when
we
arrive to the head
of
our
Difcourfe:
unleffe
enough
to
that
pur'pofe
may
fall
in
occafionally in
the
progreffe
of
this bufineffe.
4.3
For
oufprefent
purpofe, the producing and vindicating
of
one
or
two
Texts
of
Scripture,
being unavoidably expreffive towards
the end
aimed
at,
{hall
fuffice.
The
firft
of
thofe
is Gen.
17.
7.
Iwill of
ab1ifh
my
Covenant between
me
and
thee,
and
thy
feedafter
thee,
in their
generations,
for
an
Everlafing
Covenant, to
be
a
Godunto
thee
and
thy
feed after
thee.
This
is
that,
which
God engageth
himfelfe
unto
in this
Covenant
of
Grace,
that
he will for everlafling
be
a
God
to
him, and
his
Faithfull
Seed.
Though the
external!
Adminifiration
of
the
Covenant
was
given
to
Abraham,
and
his Carnal).
Seed, yet
the
effeauall
difpenfation
ofthe
Grace
ofthe
Covenant is
peculiar
to
them only, who are
the
Children
of
the
Promife, the
Remnant
of
Abraham
according
to
Ele&ion,
with
all,
that
in
all
Nations
were
to
be
Bleffed in
him, and
in
his.
Seed
Chrift
Ga1,4,22,23,
Jefus: ifbniael
though Circumeifed
was
to
be
put out, and
not
to
behere
with
so.
Ifaak
nor
to
abide
in
the
Houfe
for
ever, as
the
Sonne
of
the Promife was:
Now
the
Apoftletells
you, looke what
Bleffings
Faithfull
Abraham
received
by vertue
of
this
Promife, the
fame
doe
all Believers receive.
Gal.
3.9.
We
which
are
of
the
Faith,
are
Bleffed
with Faithfull
Abraham:
which
he
prooves
(in
the
words foregoing)from
Gen.
r
2.3. becaufe
all
Nations were
to
be
Blef-
fed
in him.
What
Bleffing
then
was
it,
that
was
here
made
over
to
Abraham?
All
the
Bleffings,that from
God are conveighed
in
&
by
his Seed
Jefus
Chrift,
(in
whom both he and
we
are
Bleffed)
are enwrapped therein.
What
they
are
the
Apoftle tells you Ephef
i.3.
They
are
all spirituallBle
ngs:
If
Perfeverance,
if
the Continuance
of
the
Love and
Favour
of
God towards
us, be
a
Spiritual!
Bleffing,
both
Abraham
and
all
his
seed,
all Faithfull
ones
throughout the
world, are
Bleffed
with it
in
Jefus Chrift:
and
if
Gods continuing to
be
a
God,
to
them
for
ever,
will inforce this Bleffing,
(being but the
fame thing
in
ano-
ther
exprefíion) it
is
here
likewife afferted.
4;
It
is
importunately excepted,
that
though God undertake to
be our
God
in an EverlafiingCovenant,andupon
that
account
to
Bleffe us
with the whole
Bleffing,that
is
cònvayed by
the
Promifed
Seed,.yet
if
we abide
not
with
hind,
if
we forfake him, he will alto
ceafe
to
be
our God, and
ceafe
to
Bleffe
us
with the
Bleffing, whichon
others
in
Jefus Chrift
he
will bellow.
An(:
If
there be
a
neceffity
to
(mite this Evafion
fo
often
as
we
fhall
meet
with it, it
muff
be cut into an
hundred
pieces.
For the
prefent
t
fhall only
obferve
two
evills
it
is
attended
withall. Firft,
it
takes no notice
that
God,
who
bath
undertaken
to
be
a
God unto
us,
bath
with
the like
Truth,
Powers
and