Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	abraham_n	covenant_n	seed_n	2,017	5	9.1132	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26654	God's covenant displayed by John Alexander, a converted Jew ; with a proœmial discourse of the reasons of his conversion.	Alexander, John, Converted Jew.	1689 (1689)	Wing A914; ESTC R18631	21,651	38

Christ's Miracles of a meer supernatural Power I could not but satisfie my self in that point also that he was the same that was to come All this while admiring the Divine goodness and wisdom I was invited to glorifie his holy name for that he was pleased to open my Eyes and to shew me the true path of Salvation that being rescued from the power of Sathan I had been admitted to the hope of enjoying him for ever according to his holy Covenant under which I now found my self comprehended And now as for the COVENANTS of GOD willing shortly to handle the matter we will in the first place consider the Notion of the name In Hebrew it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath chosen for that persons and conditions are chosen in a Covenant which word in the English proceeds from Convening or agreeing on such Articles as are liked by them that are upon a Treaty Next we will consider the notion of the thing it self And thus it is taken 1. in a large sence when it doth import as much as a Commandment as for Example to pass by other passages for shortness sake Josh 7. 11. Israel hath sinned and they have also transgressed my Covenant which I commanded them for they have taken of the accursed thing c. and 15. because he hath transgressed the Covenant of the LORD This Covenant was nothing but a Commandment under a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jos 6. 17 18. Or it is taken secondly in a more strict sense only for a promise of GOD without any intervening conditions as for Example Gen. 9. 9. Behold saying to Noah with you and with your Seed after you and with every living Creature that is with you c. I will establish my Covenant c. Where that by this Covenant is understood only a promise of GOD is manifest not only for that there was no stipulation neither express nor implicit but that the benefit thereof extended it self to the very Beasts without any regard of Souls Immortal Or lastly it is taken in the strictest sense for the Covenant as it is commonly call'd of Grace established in the promised Seed under the condition of Faith and Repentance as was that which GOD uttered to Abraham Gen. 15. 17. Gal. 3. 17. Thus having shortly explain'd the several acceptions and meaning of the word Covenant my position is That GOD never entred upon a Covenant as the word is duly to be taken with Man but the Covenant of Grace in Christ So that all other passages wherein the word Covenant is found do intimate either a Commandment or else a Promise without any stipulation of the parties concern'd except that of Sinai which by reason of its ratihabition changed the Scene of GOD'S purpose and proposal There is therefore no Covenant of Nature for that none was made before the Fall and after it none could be made The Transaction that passed between GOD and Adam in Eden Gen. 2. was a meer Sanction on God's side whereunto Adam was obliged to listen by nature which as yet uncorrupted was able to perform what was enjoined We find indeed a saying in Hosea 6. 7. They have transgressed the Covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Adam But if Adam should here be taken for the Protoplast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covenant must be taken in a large sense for a Commandment However 't is agreed upon by the learned and skilled in the Hebrew that Adam is taken here for a noun common that is for every Mortal according to several Translations in particular the English But they like Men have transgressed my Covenant The Poland translation that of my native soil takes the word adjectively for human they have transgressed my Covenant as a human or as a Man's Covenant not as if it had been of Divine Authority wherein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have dealt disloyally against me To these and the like interpretations which are not against the Analogy of Faith. I will add one which I deem the most grammatical and significant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they as one Man transgressed the Covenant That is they were so unanimous to break the LORD'S Institution and Will that in the prosecuting of their sinful and rebellious Enterprize all of them were as one Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus the doubt being clear'd and we having shewed that Adam is here taken appellatively I proceed If there had been any Covenant of Nature the Heathens had been under some Covenant for that such like conditions as this Covenant might have had if ever it could have been were written in their hearts Rom. 2. 15. yet the Apostle calls them strangers from the Covenants of Promise Eph. 2. 12. From the Covenants in the plural as pointing at that which was uttered to Abraham and that of Sinai grounded by the rash ratifying of the Jews in some measure upon the Law of Nature though not with a difannulling of the promise the like whereof we never read to have been done by the Heathens Which leads us to another consideration about the impossibility of such a Covenant as that of Nature for that neither the Justice of God will permit that such conditions as the Law of Nature containeth should in a Covenanting way be proposed to Man after the fall of the first nor is Man able to perform them and Grace without Christ hath nothing to do in meer naturals yea though general Grace may extend it self to the Heathens yet neither that speaking strictly can be admitted to the retinue of a Covenant of Nature standing on the bottom of selfpossibility At last since whereever an Arithmetical proportion is observed betwixt the transacting parties that are unequal there can be no Covenant and if there could such a commensuration cannot be expected after the fall it follows there was not nor is not yea cannot be any Covenant of Nature To make here a long harangue about the difference between the arithmetical and geometrical proportion as it doth not belong to my Province so it would prove tedious to the Reader Yet lest I should meet with some not unwilling to understand me waving several niceties about it I will give a taste Arithmetical proportion is when the Medius terminus is equally distant from both extreams Geometrical when it is liker and nearer to one of the extreams than to the other Thence to distributive Justice is allotted Medium Geometricum to the communitative Arithmeticum And this commutative Justice is when an equal proportion is observed between giving and receiving between the merit and reward between the injunction and the performance But pray now where is there a person after the fall of Adam that should be able to draw this Radix equally distant from and equally commensurate to the injoining and the performing party And if at the best it could at any time be found yet what should the upshot of it be in reference to a reward