Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	covenant_n	promise_n	seal_n	4,049	5	9.6971	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81043	A briefe discourse touching a broken heart In which the nature, causes, and signes of it are solidly treated of; as also, its acceptablenesse to God; together with many other motives pressing us to labour after the procurement of it, and the means leading thereunto: Being the summe and substance of certain sermons preached by Mr. Daniel Carwardine, late minister of Eling in the county of Middlesex. And since his death put forth by S.R. a friend of his. Whereunto is annexed, a confession of faith by Mr. Samuel Rowles, late fellow of Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge. And now minister of Thistleworth in the county of Middlesex.	Carwardine, Daniel, b. 1600 or 1601.; Rowles, Samuel, fl. 1652.	1652 (1652)	Wing C720; ESTC R230173	37,786	142

disclosed that gracious designe which he had resolved upon from everlasting of recovering saving some of the sons and daughters of the first Adam Recovery by Christ the second Adam who was exhibited though somewhat obscurely in that glorious promise the seede of the woman shall breake the head of the serpent which words containe the tenour of the Covenant of grace or second Covenant which God entred into with man suspending life and salvation upon the condition of believing of which I shall speake more hereafter This second Covenant was at first called no other then the promise of the blessed seede Severall names of the Covenant of grace with the reason of them viz when made knowne unto Adam in the words forementioned namely that the seede of the woman should c. Afterwards it was called a Covenant when revealed to Abraham and ratified by many solemnities Afterwards it was styled a Testament or Legacy where in Moses his time it was sealed with the bloud of Christ who was typically slaine in the severall sacrifices and now the new Testament because sealed with the bloud of the Testator Jesus Christ himselfe which is a new seale in comparison of the bloud of Christ typically shed which was long before it Other reasons there are of its being called the new Testament though it be for substance the same with the old Testament which is very Gospell as well as the new for the Covenant of workes was never called a Testament nor could beare that name which we shall hint hereafter Touching the Promise Condition Mediator and Seales of the new Covenant or Testament I believe as followeth First that the things promised to those which are concerned in it are Christ with all his rich purchases Covenant of grace its promises such as are the gift of the spirit pardon of sin healing of our natures peace of conscience and eternall happinesse New testament-promises are mostly spirituall but those of the old testament were more carnal that is more relating unto temporall and outward things Secondly That the condition of the new Covenant It s condition not assurance but faith Assurance proved not essentiall to saving faith on which the forementioned promises are suspended is Faith I do not say assurance for that Faith may be where assurance is not is cleer to me from 1 Joh. 5.13 These things have I written to you that believe on the name of the sonne of God that you may know that you have eternall life and had their Faith beene Assurance they would have knowne that they had had eternall life i. e. were heires of it without his writing to them and that yee may believe on the name of the sonne of God that is that you may increase in faith Now assurance being the highest pitch of faith a speaking the absence of all doubting doth admit of no increase Indeed vision is beyond Assurance but there is no degree of faith higher and greater then assurance if unbeleife may be mingled with true faith as appeareth from this place it may as also from Mark 9.24 when the man cryes out Lord I believe help my unbeliefe there Assurance is not of the essence of true faith but a higher degree of it for Assurance excludes all unbeliefe I might adde that the fruits of saving faith Faith as purifying of the heart prizing of Christ c doe experimentally appear to be in the hearts of many who are farre short of Assurance But such a Faith is required to bring us within the Covenant as is an Affiance or resting innitency or resting of the soul upon Jesus Christ exhibited in the promise for life and salvation expressed in Isaiah by trusting in the Lord and staying upon the name of God when we sit in darkenesse and see no light As for the effects of true faith they are these 1. It workes by love and consequently puts men upon obedience to the commands For those that love God wil keep his commandments are indeed constrained thereto by the love of God shed abroad in their hearts So you see that faith doth not exclude but include obedience to the commands of God wherein holinesse consists Though we are justified by faith without workes yet not by a faith which hath no works Saving faith receiveth Christ according to all his offices as well as he is a King and Lord as Priest and Saviour Touching the Mediator of the New Covenant which is Christ I believe concerning him as such Mediator and his Offices 1. The duplicity of his nature that he is God as wel as man man as well as God 2. The triplicity of his offices namely that he is 1. a King having a Mediatorious Kingdom committed to him by God the Father by vertue whereof he doth chiefly act and appeare in the Kingdom of grace and ought principally and immediately to be addressed to which Kingdom it is said he shall hereafter deliver up to God the Father and then shall God be all in all This Kingdom of his he doth administer by certain outward means and visible dispensations as the Word and Sacraments as wel as by the inward operation of his Spirit which whosoever cast off in so doing doe in effect say that they will not be subjects of Christ his Kingdom 2. That he is a Prophet for the enlightning and instructing of his Church which yet he doth not ordinarily immediately but mediately by those Ordinances which he hath appointed in his Church having given variety of gifts for the edification thereof 3. That he is a Priest who hath offered up himslfe a sacrifice for us did raise himselfe from the grave within three daies by the power of his Godhead shortly after ascended up to Heaven where he now sets at the right hand of God the Father alwaies making intercession for us As touching the seales of the new Covenant having spoken of the promise condition and mediator thereof I do this further believe namely that they were and are but two Sacraments properly called Seales or Sacraments viz The Passeover and Circumcision under the Old Testaments administration Baptism and the Lords Supper under the of God c. He had said vers 13. that Moses did put a vaile upon his face that the children of Israel could not see to the end of those things which are abolished that is they could not see Christ who was the end of the Ceremoniall law which is now abolished by reason of that vaile which is not onely upon the hearts of the Jewes at this day but was then upon the face of Moses that is of Moses his writings which vaile was no other then the darkenesse and obscurity of the manner in which the mysteries of the Gospell were then delivered They are said to have had but the shadow of good things to come the shadow of a man is so darke a representation of him that he can never or very hardly be known by it but we to see

those same things as in a glasse we may as well know a man by the representation of him in a glasse as if we should see him face to face and with open face too which may signifie more light shining into the understandings of men under the Gospell then did in the time of the law and to behold the glory of God whereas they saw little of it in comparison 3. Efficacy 3. In point of efficacy the new Testament administration of the Gospell doth excell But believers in the old Testament were generally as trees growing in the shade except some few worthyes such as Abraham and David Whereas believers under the new Testament dispensation are as trees growing in such places where the influence of the warm beames of the Sun may come at them without hinderance or interposition Hence the time of the old Testament is called the time before the comming of Faith Gal. 3.23 Before Faith came i. e. in that plenty that it comes in the time of the new Testament we were shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed All which expressions doe speake the old Testament administration of the Covenant of grace to have beene lesse effectuall then is the new some thinke that place Zach. 12.8 He that is feeble shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angell of God before them I say some thinke that it is a promise of that eminency of grace which shall be in believers in the time of the new Testament above what was in the generallity of old Testament believers 4. 4. Change of Seales a a fourth difference The administration of the Covenant of grace under the new Testament differeth from that of the old in respect of the alteration of seales of which we have spoken already Thus have I declared my perswasions touching the Covenant of grace and the severall things belonging thereunto After the publication of the foresaid Covenant in that first promise the seed of the woman shall breake the head of the Serp●nt God was pleased by severall piece-meales and in severall manners to make knowne himselfe to those who lived in the infancy of the world declaring himselfe to them sometimes by a voyce from Heaven as the law was given from Mount Sinai sometimes by visions other times by dreames other times by prophecies sometimes by inspiration of things not propheticall which things were afterwards written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come that we thorough Faith and patience might inherit the promises Scriptures which writings are commonly knowne by the name of the Bible or holy scriptures concerning which I thus believe namely that they were inspired by God and left as a rule of faith and manners so to continue to the worlds end and are able to make the man of God perfect to every good word and worke As also that we who live under the Gospel ought still to have respect unto that part of Scripture which is called the old Testament My reasons for it are these 1. That exhortation of Christ Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures Reasons why the old Testament should be still respected which is meant of the old Testament for then they had no other for in them yee thinke that is you your selves are perswaded as well as the truth is that yee have eternall life that is the way to eternall life which is Christ himselfe declared to you as appeareth to be the meaning by the following words and they are they which testifie of me Who dare reject that word which gives testimony to Christ if you say that the ceremoniall law did so I answer that the observation of it now would be a witnessing against Christ as if he were not already come in the flesh but expected hereafter and therefore it is abolished 2. The identity or samenesse of the old and new Testament is another reason why I contend for having respect to it The old and new Testament doe both treate of the same subject namely Christ and the way of salvation by Faith in him though with some difference of circumstance c. It is said that unto Christ did all the prophets beare witnesse 3. The frequent quotations which are in the new Testament out ot the old as if Christ himselfe and his Apostles had but commented upon the old Testament and would not urge things upon the beliefe of those to whom they Preached without good warrant and testimony from Moses and the Prophets 4. I am induced to have respect to the old Testament from this undeniable principle namely that as it is dangerous to plant what God hath not planted so much more dangerous to plucke up what God hath planted till he begin to doe it with his own right hand Now we doe estranging them to the world affecting them to and enflaming them for God 2. Touching the duties of men towards God The duties of men towards God I thus believe viz. That all sorts of men are bound to love feare serve and trust in him with all their hearts and soules by vertue of their being received from him in conjunction with all other mercyes as also for the continued preservation which is equivalent to a continuall creation of their beings and wel-beings But that there is a double tye upon believers to give up their whole selves souls and bodies unto God For they are least of all their own being Gods not onely by creation and forfeiture as all wicked men are but by redemption also he having bought them with a price The manner in which they are to serve God for the externall part of it I conceive to be in the way of his ordinances viz by praying reading Singing of Psalms what it is hearing meditating singing of Psalmes which is meditating and praising of God with the voyce lifted up for the expressing and provoking of greater cheerefulnesse and affording further leisure by due pausing and treatable delivery for divine consideration not to omit attendance upon God in the sacraments of baptisme and the Lords supper Right manner of performing duties what it is As for the manner of performing these duties in which the life and spirit of religion doth consist they are to be done in Faith from Gospell motives to spirituall ends by way of testifying our thankefulnesse and the rule of them is to be the word of God I might adde that God is to be served in the exercise of all graces as Faith humility patience self-denyall zeale Expectations of men from God Of all men c. which are the fruits of the spirit of God within us Lastly I shall conclude with my perswasions touching what men are to expect from God 1. In generall 2. In speciall In the generall all men are to looke for a summons by death to a particular appearance and accompt for the resurrection of their bodies after they have laine awhile in the grave for a citall of soule and body to appeare before God at the day of the great Assize to give an account of the deedes done in their bodies These things are to be expected in common both of good and bad Of wicked men But to descend to particulars As for men continuing in unbeliefe and impenitency I know nothing belongs to them but a certaine dreadfull expectation of fury and vengeance to be poured out upon all the adversaries and that having compassed themselves with sparkes they should have this at length at Gods hand namely to lye downe in sorrow and that their soules being at the great day reunited to their bodies should return to hell whence they came the Sentence of eternall condemnation being irrecoverably past upon them Depart yee cursed c. Of good men in respect of the present life and of that which is to come But as for Believers they have something to expect from God here and something hereafter Here they expect some things for themselves and other things for the Church for themselves the keeping of them by the power of God to salvation the peace of God to guard their hearts For the Church The presence of Christ with it by his spirit to the worlds end the breaking of the Serpents head and putting downe of the man of sinne and all other enemies of Christ which shall be made his footstoole For hereafter they expect that their soules being joyned to their bodies which shall be made conformable to the glorious body of Christ shall re-enter into their mansions of glory being an intire glorified essence whereas but a part of them was before in glory having heard their judge who is also their redeemer and surety thus pronounce concerning them Well done good and faithfull servants enter into your Masters Joy FINIS