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grace_n adam_n covenant_n fall_n 2,656 5 9.6090 5 false
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A54025 Concerning God's seeking out his Israel likewise concerning the principle of lief [i.e. life] whereby he seekth them and the way of their closing with his spirit therein : as also concerning the two covenants under one whereof he pleaseth to exercise and prepare them for the life and inheritance which he hath treasured up for them in the other : with a postscript relating some things necessary for lost man to be acquainted with in his travels from his lost estate / by Isaac Penington. Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679. 1663 (1663) Wing P1155; ESTC R30089 16,495 25

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understanding and the reasonings thereof Clearness of Light is a state which is to be grown up into but before thou comest to this thy understanding must be darkened confounded and brought to nothing and thou canst not have such a clearness there while it is confounding There is indeed a true clearness in the Principle of Life proportionable to its state and growth even then but the reasonings of thy dark m●nde will be continually overclouding and overbearing it as if it were darkness and not the Light will prevail unless thou be kept in the savour and suffer not thy understanding to judge but keep it under the judgement of the savour Mark therefore heedfully this which follows The first work of the Lord is to confound the knowledge and understanding of the creature especially in those who have been deep in wisdome and experience of things for if they were not closely pursued with darkness and confusion they would presently be gathering a stock into the old store-house again and so grow wise after the flesh and never learn the Life of the Spirit Now in this work of confounding how can the leadings of God's spirit be manifest and clear after the flesh and to the fleshly understanding yea if they were manifest after this manner how were it possible to withhold the fleshly part from drinking them in and so the man would live again but the Seed not live which gains its life and being and form and perfection in the man by the death of the man even by the man's being hunted and battered and broken out of his wisdome and knowledge and reasoning and comprehension and becoming as a fool or child being able to know nothing nor retain nothing nor performe nothing nor keep his standing but still as he is led and taught and created and preserved in the power and by the presence of the Life Concerning the two Covenants WHat is the Covenant of the Law Doth it not contain and hold forth Eternal Life to man upon his faith in an obedience to the spirit of God What is the Covenant of the Gospel Doth it not contain the promise to the Seed and Life to man through the Seed and forgiveness of his sins for the Seed sake and the uniting of his heart to and preserving it in the Seed through the grace as also repentance faith and obedience from the grace Mark then the difference between the two Covenants The Covenant of the Law is all of works and according to works yea even the faith that is there found which is begotten and brought forth in man by vertue of that Covenant is of the man or of the working Principle The Covenant of the Gospel is all of grace and the very works that are there found are from the grace and the Seed bestowed and conveyed by Promise Now mark The Seed or standing Principle of Life in both Covenants is the same It is the same Christ by which Adam stood before the fall and which was the promised Seed after the fall The light of both the Covenants is the same even the eternal Light of the Spirit The Life and power is the same even the life and power of the Spirit The end or mark at which man aims and towards which he travels in both is the same even the land of rest and peace in the Spirit of the Father who begets a living soul under both Covenants But the tearms of the Covenants and the manner of dispensing them are different and the wombs whereof the children of each Covenant are born are different likewise the one being the working Nature which also came from God and hath its blessing from him in its obedience and subjection to him the other the womb of grace which brings forth the Child of grace in man according to and by vertue of the promise and doth not finde a will in the day of man's choice and liberty but createth a will in the day of God's powerful appearance in it Yet this Seed of promise or this new man begotten by the Seed of Life according to the promise must walk through the Law and travel through all the dark paths of that Covenant before it come to inherit the promised Land where the rigor of the Law and weakness of the flesh will be throughly felt and many transgressions and many stripes yea many Captivities and cuttings off from the life may be felt also yea the Seed of the first Covenant may live and flourish and injoy and boast much of God while this Seed is miserable But when this womb is visited with the strength of grace and free power of Life and bringeth forth her children therein and no more is called for from the working part of man but all brought forth in the free full and fresh power or Life then shall the Seed of Israel after the promise become an everlasting habitation for and a perfect joy in the Life Therefore distinguish in spirit between the Law and Grace and the Covenants of each and the dispensations of each and how they are mixed and intermingled both towards man and towards the Seed in the several dispensations in which each are brought forth For there hath been no perfect Covenant brought forth either of Works or of Grace in a way of publick administration since the fall of Adam Had there been a perfect Covenant of works there had been no capacity of salvation thereby to fallen man Had there been a perfect Covenant of grace there had been no possibility or capacity of destruction for grace in its perfect going forth cannot but overcome and save the man But God ordereth both these Covenants both towards the man and towards the Seed according to the state of the man and the state of the Seed and according to what in his eternal wisdome he judgeth meet to work upon them thereby Man being fallen and having lost his strength of Faith and obedience in and to the requirings of Gods Spirit the visitation of him is now by grace and not meerly to call forth what is left in him but to help him with light and power and by the influences of the grace and of the power to quicken him towards God Yet man in the receiving of this is apt to over-look the grace and attribute too much to his own strength thinking himself somewhat because of the grace and power which hath visited him and new refreshed the strength and nature of his principle in him again Hereby he is apt to fix his standing on his obedience to the Spirit or appearance of the grace and so in effect builds his life and hopes again on his own principle or on a new-received power as held or kept to by him which he may fall from now as well as he did at first and not on the free begetting and free preserving of a principle of life in him This visitation of grace is to all mankinde there being none upon earth whom the Lord doth not thus