Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A53077
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The covenant of grace effectually remembred being the substance of a sermon or two / preached by a minister of the Gospel.
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Newcome, Henry, 1627-1695.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing N894; ESTC R13264
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17,290
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32
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the fulness of time was come the blessed Christ came the Covenant Isa 42.6 and the Mediator of it The word which he hath Commanded to a Thousand Generations i. e. The word of promise which he hath commanded that is hath appointed to be thrown out for his Servants to rely upon that which is firm and setled is said to be commanded as Psal 42 8. God commands his loving-kindness and Psal 133.3 he commands the blessing And it is a certain number for an uncertain a Thousand Generations that is for ever God engages with fallen man upon royal and blessed terms to be reconciled and engaged to him He will forgive and give grace and glory Man is to believe repent and obey Poor sinners could claim and expect nothing but God makes himself a debtor to his truth and promise and oath This Covenant is everlasting ordered in all things and sure 2 Sam. 23.5 2. Tim. 1.1 The blessed Apostle stiles himself an Apostle a messenger of God to Souls and the matter of his message The promise of life which is in Christ Jesus 1 Joh. 5.11 12. This is the record the whole business of the Gospel Written and Preached that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son c. Life is promised and is to be Preached to sinners if they come in and close with Christ He will pardon sinners give them grace change their hearts give them peace keep them to persevere bring them through Death to Glory Man is to believe repent and obey and to walk worthy of it According to that of Ezekiel 16.8 I sware unto thee and entred into Covenant with thee said the Lord God and thou becamest mine 2. God always remember his Covenant It is sacred to him Many forget their promises and keep them not but God is known by his truth and faithfulness He hath exalted his word above all his name Psal 138.2 1. He remembers his Covenant to perform it faithful is he that hath called you and that upon his promiser of acceptance and he also will do it What promise he makes you may write upon it He is not as man that he should lye he will not alter the thing that is gone out of his lips None of his words shall fall to the ground He is a God keeping Covenant for ever Mic. 7.20 He will perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham which God hath sworn from the days of old It was Mercy in the Original it is Truth in the pursuance of it What he hath promised in his infinite Mercy he will perform in his inviolable Truth To all intents and purposes he will perform the Covenant for he ever remembers it 2. More particularly He is mindful of his Covenant to perform many glorious things for believers that are the result of the Covenant which the Soul was undone without and could never be looked for but for the promise The Covenant obtains it 1. For infinite forbearance and long-suffering Haenc longanimitatem Deum sapientissimo consilio erga homines adbibere quia ut ritè August notavit nisi expectaret impium non inveniret quem glorificaret pium Rivet in Exod. 34.6 He hath promised to suffer long to wait to be gracious he is slow to anger Exod. 34.6 One Orient Jewel in that royal Character and Name of his is that he is long-suffering 1. To bear with us till we repent how is it that we are not destroyed for sin before the time of repentance comes but from this infinite patience of God 2. To bear with us after we repent and sin again That delivers us yet again tho' we have broken our vows with him 3. To bear with them that never repent Ro. 9.22 That sinners that repent not nor never will are not immediately ruined and destroyed from the presence of the Lord is sure from the Covenant and that the wickedest are not destroyed as soon as they are is sure from the Covenant and from Christ whom God doth ever remember 2. For pardon upon repentance He hath promised to forgive iniquities trangression and sin Exod. 34.7 All words put in to signify Sin to make the assurance of pardon full and strong Mic. 7.18 19. Psal 103.8 11 12. Here is a poor sinner convinced of the evil of sin and of his own particular wickedness his Eyes are opened as Adams were and he sees his wickedness What can a poor wretch do in this case Whither can he go he may as Job say I have sinned Job 7.20 what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men To know what it is to be Guilty before God detected of villany and seized and bound over by conscience to answer all to the God that made me is a sad and tremendous state of Soul The Angels sinned and find no place for repentance No more could we if it were not for the Covenant by this Covenant there is place and room for repentance he delighteth in mercy and therefore penitents are pardoned It would little avail at mans bar if convicted of the crime alledged to say It is true my Lord I have done this thing but I am sorry for it I grieve that I did it c. Alas the answer would be Friend I pity you that you took no better care but our work is to see that you have Justice done you and that the matter of Fact be evidently proved and if it be we do Justice to Execute the Law upon you And God might do so too with every convicted sinner but the Covenant is otherwise he hath promised to forgive such as repent abundantly to pardon Isa 55.7 to multiply forgiveness to those that come with their multitudes of iniquities The poor Rebel comes in upon the Proclamation of Grace falls down at the Soveraigns feet acknowledges the iniquity of his sin and he then remembers his Covenant and is ready to forgive nay he takes as great pleasure in forgiving a great offender as such a one can take to receive a pardon His bowels are moved towards the broken-hearted penitent and remembers his Royal word towards them when ever they come to relieve and comfort them and to speak peace unto them What penitent was ever yet turned back He looketh upon men Job 33.27 28. and if any say I have sinned I have perverted that which is right and it profited me not poor miserable wretch that I am I have sinned sadly and wretchedly I have done unjustly and dishonestly to the laws of my Creation and Nature basely and unworthily and find also it never did me good to do on this manner I have gotten nothing but Guilt horror and sorrow by my perverse way But I repent I fly to the Mercy of the Covenant in the case why he looketh for such and if such a one come thus to him he will remember his Covenant and will deliver his Soul from going into the pit Num. 14.17 18. and his life shall
Children after many Generations in faithfulness unto them and who can tell but these bad Children's Children may likewise come in 3. It may be if the Covenant was better understood and better kept and better taken hold of for Children than it is it might more effectually operate for them in the case they are in who knows but that Mercy might sooner be obtained for them and they might yet turn to their Fathers God and the disobedient might yet come in again to the wisdom of the just 4. And who knows yet what may be done for these Children of the Covenant God may remember Mercy for them and bring them back again 5. And doth not God remember his Covenant for such Children in that tho they have not the desired grace of the Covenant yet God give them the discipline of the Covenant Psal 89.31 32 33. God doth correct them duly for their Trangressions and they are usually crossed as some others in their Circumstances are not It is not ordinary for bad Children of good Parents to prosper in the World they may account to be crossed which I take to be Gods remembring the Covenant of their Fathers for them to withhold them thereby from some degrees of wickedness and to keep them still in the way of cure and recovery by their afflictions So that he doth remember his Covenant for ever with respect to our Children 10. For the Church of God He still will have a Church the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it The Enemies shall not be able to root it out God hath not cast off his People when they are in greatest distresses he hath remebered for them his holy Covenant When his People were in Egypt in great distress and bondage Psal 106 4â— he says I have heard the groanings of the Children of Israel Exod. 6.5 whom the Egyptians keep in Bondage and I have remembered my Covenant And we know how effectual it was for their thorough and speedy deliverance when there is none shut up nor none left he will then own his Relation to his own People He sware to Abraham to give him that Land whereas yet he had no Child when so long there was so few when oppressed so long in Egypt yet it is done at last If the promise seem to run under ground yet it shall break out again in a mighty stream Isa 43.1 to the 8. His Covenant for his whole People as his Church as the body of Christ the fulness of him that filleth all in all Eph. 1.23 shall obtain it in two things especially 1. That whatever advantages Enemies get shall in the end make against them It is but to ripen them for their ruin they do but in one misery fill up the measure of their iniquity and the full account will be brought upon them and they shall not do what they will neither 2ly Whatever the Church suffers shall in the end tend to its advantage the very sufferings for the truth shall advance it Philip. 1 12. all tends to the furtherance of the gospel the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church 3ly How should we be always mindful of this Covenant 1. To close with it In an utter disclaim and abhorrence of all worth of thy own to lay hold of the grace of the Covenant â—ieb 6.18 To fly for refuge to the hope that is set before thee let the righteousness of Christ reign in thy Soul continually Phil. 3.8 9. Count all but loss and dung that you may win Christ and be found in him If he be extream to mark what is amiss who can stand but by the Covenant there is forgiveness with him we are undone but for the Promise that hath no foundation but meer Mercy and Goodness Psal 103.3 4. Isa 56.4 6. The Eunuchs and the strangers that take hold of the Covenant shall find favour This explicite owning of the Covenant is our duty and interest as in all the benefits of it Isa 44.5 The Soul consents to the match to belive and to recive Christ They delivered and gave up themselves to the Lord and unto us 2 Cor 8.5 We Ministers as the friends of the Bridegroom sue for consent in this case we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5.20 And men should be mindful always to do their duty on this account 2. To keep it Gods Mercy is Everlasting to them that keep his Covenant and remember his Commandments to do them Psal 103.17 18. They are mindful of the Covenant that feel themselves under the force of its obligation that observe the terms and the condition of it that they may keep up their title to all the benefits of it Exod. 19.5 If ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant then ye shall be a People unto me above all People for all the Earth is mine If ye will have me remember my Covenant for you you must be mindful to live by the rules of it to take heed that you forget not the the Covenant of God Isa 44.17 but that with purpose of heart you cleave unto the Lord Acts 11.23 3. To trust to it God would be believed and relyed on He would have men to set their hope on him Psal 78.7 He taketh pleasure in them that fear him and in those that hope in his Mercy Psal 33.18 The Church relies for pardon upon the Covenant which is compounded of Mercy and Truth Mic. 7. ult He takes pleasure to be trusted Be always mindful of his Covenant so as to trust in the Lord at all times Psal 62.8 for every thing Soul and Body Self and Others Private and Publick 4. To plead it Remember thy word to thy Servant wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust Psal 119.49 says holy David And Nehemiah when he prayed for the Church in great distress he pleads with God in prayer from this That he is God that keepeth Covenant and Mercy for them that fear him and observe his Commandments Neh. 1.5 and 9.32 the best Plea we can have at the Throne of Grace and that which an infinitely good God that remembers his Covenant for ever delights to be argued with 5. To renew it Frequently and Solemnly Jer. 30.21 22. and 50.5 and this upon solemn occasions and ordinances for that purpose wherein we have opportunity to take fresh hold of it and to renew our engagements in it 6. To improve it Against temptataitions 1. To sin When tempted to sin remember the Covenant is this according to the Covenant am I not bound to do otherwise Is not my own hand against me As I hope for the priviledge must I not do the duty of the Covenant 2 Tim. 2.19 1 Cor. 6. uli I am devoted and vowed and espoused to the Lord and I cannot be free to sin 2. To despondency Why whatever my condition is this well-ordered Covenant is all my Salvation and my desire 2 Sam. 23.5