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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	father_n	holy_a	miserable_a	3,417	5	10.5583	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34673	The covenant of Gods free grace most sweetly unfolded and comfortably applied to a disquieted soul from that text of 2 Sam. 23. Ver. 5. : also a doctrinall conclusion that there is in all such who are effectually called, in-dwelling spirituall gifs [sic] and graces wrought and created in them by the Holy Ghost / by that reverend and faithful minister of Gods word, Mr. John Cotton, Teacher of the Church at Boston in New-England ; whereunto is added, A profession of faith, made by the reverend divine, Mr. John Davenport, in New-England, at his admission into one of the Churches there.	Cotton, John, 1584-1652.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670. A profession of faith.	1645 (1645)	Wing C6424; ESTC R30971	35,301	46

diminished Deut. 4.2 Rev. 22.18 19. Which also is so clear in truths necessary to salvation that the entrance into it giveth light yea understanding to the simple Psal 19.7 2. Concerning the Godhead in the Vnity of Essence and Trinity of Persons That God is a Spirit most holy immutable eternall every way infinite in greatnesse goodnesse power wisdome justice truth and in all divine perfections 1 Tim. 6.15 16. Joh. 4.24 Isai 6.6 Exod. 34.6 7. And that in this Godhead are three distinct Persons coeternall coequall and coessentiall being every one of them one and the same God not three Gods and therefore not divided in essence nature or being Deut. 4.3 but distinguished one from another by their severall and peculiar relative property the Father is of none but of himself the Son is begotten of the Father before all worlds the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son from all eternity all together are to be worshipped and glorified 3. Concerning the Decrees of God That God hath unchangeably decreed in himself from everlasting touching all things great and small necessary contingent and voluntary with all the circumstances of them to work and dispose them according to the counsell of his own will yet without being Author of or having fellowship with the sins of any to the praise and glory of his great name And touching the eternall estate of men that God hath according to his most wise free and unchangeable purpose in himself before the foundation of the world chosen some in Jesus Christ to eternall life to the praise and glory of his grace and rejected or reprobated others to the praise of his justice 4. Concerning Creation and Providence That in the beginning God made by his Word all things of nothing very good and made man male and female after his own Image righteous and as a faithfull Creator doth still uphold dispose and govern all things to the ends for which they were created having care especially for man and amongst men chiefly for the righteous and believers so that neither good nor evill befalls any man without Gods providence 5. Concerning the fall of man and originall sin That in as much as Adam was the root of all mankind the Law and Covenant of works was given to him as to a publike person and to an head from whence all good or evill was to be derived to his posterity Seeing therefore that by the subtilty of the Serpent which Satan used as his Instrument first Eve then Adam being seduced did wittingly and willingly fall into the disobedience of the Commandment of God Death came upon all justly and reigned over all yea over Infants also which have not sinned after the like manner of the transgression of Adam Hence also it is that all since the fall of Adam are begotten in his own likenesse after his Image being conceived and born in iniquity and so by nature children of wrath dead in trespasses and sins altogether filthy and polluted throughout in soule and body utterly averse from any spirituall good strongly bent to all evill and subject to all calamities due to sin in this world and for ever 6. Concerning mans restitution That all mankind being thus fallen yet the elect and only they are redeemed reconciled to God and saved not of themselves neither by their own works but only by the mighty power of God of his unsearchable rich free grace and mercy through faith in Jesus Christ who of God is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption in the relation both of a surety to satisfie God justice for us and of an head to restore the Image of God that was lost and repair the nature that was corrupted in us 7. Concerning the Person and Natures in Christ That the Lord Jesus of whom Moses and the Prophets wrote and whom the Apostles preached is as touching his Person the everlasting Son of God the Father by eternall generation coessentiall coequall and coeternall God with him and with the holy Ghost by whom he made the world and by whom hee upholdeth and governs all the works he hath made who also when the fulnesse of time was come was made of a woman of the Tribe of Judah of the seed of David and Abraham viz. of Mary that blessed Virgin by by the Holy Ghost coming upon her and the power of the most high overshadowing her and was in all things like unto us sin only excepted so that in the person of Christ the two natures the divine and humane are truly perfectly indivisibly and distinctly united 8. Concerning the Offices of Christ That Jesus Christ is the only Mediatour of the new Testament even of the Covenant of Grace between God and man the Prophet Priest and King of the Church of God for evermore and this office is so proper to Christ as neither in the whole nor any part thereof it can be transferred from him to any other And to this office hee was from everlasting and in respect of his Manhood from the womb called separated and anointed most fully with all necessary gifts as it is written God hath not measured out of the Spirit unto him 9. Concerning Christs propheticall Office That Christ hath perfectly revealed the whole will of God so far as it is needfull for his people either joyntly or severally to know believe or obey and that he hath spoken and doth speak to his Church in his own Ordinances by those instruments whom hee sendeth and by his Spirit 10. Concerning the Priesthood of Christ That Christ being consecrated hath appeared once to put away sin by the offering and sacrificing of himself and hath fully performed and suffered all those things by which God through the blood of his crosse in a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savor might be reconciled to his elect and having broken down the partition wall and finished and removed those ceremoniall rites and shadowes is now entred into the most holy place not made with hands to the very heavens and presence of God where he for ever liveth and sitteth at the right hand of Majesty to make intercession for such as come unto the Throne of Grace by that new and living way and he maketh his people a spirituall house and an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through him 11. Concerning Christs Kingly Office 1. In generall That Christ being risen from the dead ascended up to heaven set at the right hand of God the Father hath all power in heaven and earth given to him and doth exercise his power in his government of this world over all Angels and men good and bad to the preservation and salvation of his elect and to the ruling and destruction of the reprobate communicating and applying to his elect the benefits vertue and fruit of his prophecie and priesthood to their regeneration justification sanctification preservation and strengthening in all their spirituall conflicts against Satan the world and the flesh

use much fasting and prayer and yet fail much of our performances of the best duties yet notwithstanding if we give up our selves to be bound to this service if we come to God submit our selves to him in all things to do with us as hee pleaseth and as shall seem good in his sight submitting our selves to be ruled and squared by him in all things hee shall have our whole hearts to do with us what he will here is the Covenant made up between God and a good Christian God then offers himself to us he is ours and wee are his Psal 27.8 When thou saidst seek yee my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek You must herein resolve to take heed of all sin labour to perform every good duty and be sorry you can do it no better notwithstanding herein stands the difference between one that serves an apprentiship to become free and one that enters into service to be with God The apprentise must serve seven yeers before he can become a free man but the childe of God is made free that first day that hee gives up himself to God though thou be a servant to another man yet art thou the Lords free man 1 Cor. 7.22 If we can but content our selves to be the Lords servants we shall be his freemen yet herein are those services sutable in the beginning an apprentises service is very difficult hee is exposed to much hardship he knowes not how to please Master or Mistresse if he knew their mindes hee would be willing to frame himself accordingly So when we come into Gods service if he but a little hides his face we think presently wee are cast off and that we were never any of his but all this comes for want of experience of a Christian mans life if you can be content to break off from all your evill wayes and with all your hearts cleave unto God doubtlesse then God hath made with you an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure If you be not in the Covenant but your whole desire is that you may you must labour to bring your selves into a good family and that you may be fitted for any service you must deny your selves and give up your mindes wills and affections unto God take Christs yoak upon you if hee calls you to any crosse stumble not at it but bear it patiently and wait upon him for a deliverance out of it and that you may the more earnestly strive to get within this Covenant consider that in so doing you shall certainly bring a blessing upon you and yours though you and your family be disordered yet Gods Covenant will remain firm and sure unto you all estates though never so free conveyed are nothing unto this and therefore as you love your selves and would leave a sure inheritance to those that shall come after let your speciall care be how yee may attain to this for even a kingdome without this is but a poor state Vse 3 It must teach all such as are under this Covenant of Grace to walk thankfully and humbly and faithfully See Davids humble thankfulnesse 2 Sam. 7.18 Who am I O Lord God and what is my fathers house that thou hast spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come We must walk fruitfully with God in the sense of this Covenant in pardon of sins in beating down corruptions there is no better sign that we are in this Covenant then to grow thankfull for it and humble under it and fruitfull in communicating our experience unto others and labouring to bring them within the compasse of it Thus much for this Doctrine The third thing is the confining of Davids desire and salvation to this Covenant whence observe Doctr. 3 That the security and sufficiency of the Covenant of Gods Grace is all the salvation and desire of Gods people This is evident in the Text it is all his will the will comprehends the desire and the delight of a man so that this Covenant is so compleat that a man needs nothing more to salvation or to satisfie his desires and these two comprehend all that hath been said of Gods Covenant What is it that he saith it is all my salvation and desire Salvation comprehends in it these two things First a deliverance from dangers Secondly a safe comfortable and glorious estate So that salvation implies in it safety viz. deliverance from all dangers Ps 3.8 So also a safe comfortable and glorious estate in heaven When David said This is my salvation his meaning is I had never been freed from danger nor set in a safe and glorious condition but by vertue of this Covenant Secondly this is the substance of my salvation for this Covenant gives us such hold of salvation that though we have it not yet we believe we have salvation by vertue of this Covenant we are in many discouragements but God hath made a covenant to deliver us Thirdly This is all my desire viz. the object and summe of all my desire nothing but as it comes within the compasse of this Gods glory is my desire as all my desire is here so all my rejoycing for the word which is here desire in the first Pslam v. 2. is translated delight all Davids desire and delight was in this Covenant he took no comfort in his crown nor that he was a sweet Singer of Israel nor in his children though comly nor in the ordinances of God no further then they were wrapped up to him in this Covenant of God and the Reason is Reason 1 First because there is no blessing safe to us no desire or delight but so far forth as it is conveyed in this Covenant unto us If a man were delivered from danger unlesse by vertue of this Covenant it is a cold deliverance For if he be saved from drowning the gallows may claim his right of him if the gallows cannot hell fire will reach him if he be not within the compasse of this Covenant if hee have credit and wealth in this world yet if not conveyed unto him by vertue of this Covenant it is a miserable estate children beauty strength gifts may be desired if they come under this Covenant Reas 2 Secondly from the compleatnesse of the sufficiencie of this Covenant No deliverance we can stand in need of but this Covenant can convey it unto us all the desires and delights of the Church are wrapped up in it No good thing will he with-hold from them that live a godly life Psal 87.7 All my springs saith David are in thee God delights in us when we are in his Covenant his Covenant reacheth to his Church and wee being members of that Church Hence it comes to passe that we partake of all the pleasant springs of Gods love and rich mercies to us in Christ Jesus For the Use of this point Vse 1 First it may serve to teach men and women be their condition never so happy

have our eternall happinesse in the highest heavens Luke 12.32 Fear not little flocke it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you your inheritance Vse 1 First it may serve to prove a distempered passion of our spirits who cannot be perswaded Gods Covenant reacheth to us unlesse we prosper in the world wee should rather be men after Gods own heart as David See how David carried himself in the like case and condition he doth rest himself in Gods Covenant whether his house grow or grow not but we are of another spirit though wee know Gods Covenant is everlasting and sure yet unlesse our children be great ones and all may prosper in the world according to the desire of our hearts we think we have no favour in the Covenant of Gods grace alas all things are counted otherwise but as dry things like Manna which at length the children of Israel began to loath and hate As concerning the light afflictions which are but momentary herein wee should comfort our selves that God will temper all to our everlasting happinesse as in the issue thereof wee shall see This pride of nature was the sin of Human Est 5.13 all availed him nothing as long as Mordecai the Jew did not bow to him If other mens sheafs may not bow to ours then wee think all little worth besides but this is a grievous sin against God it argues a base estimation of the Covenant of Gods grace it is a sin to be reproved and rooted out Wee think because God doth not make our houses to grow and flourish that there is no contentment to be found in the Covenant of Grace This sin of pride was also in Hezekiah in shewing to the Babylonish men all his garments and precious Jewels Vse 2 Secondly we must learn to grow in the Covenant of Grace though we should never grow great nor rise high in this world nor in the things thereof we must rest satisfied in and by the Covenant of Gods grace If David think it sufficient so must we What though wee be neglected in the world and finde no contentment in outward things yet this may serve to quiet the hearts of Gods children that though they grow not much in the world yet having a part in the Covenant of Grace they need not to trouble themselves about any other thing that is wanting to them this condition is a happy condition Vse 3 Thirdly it may teach every righteous Housholder and Parent to take more care to leave a good covenant to their children and servants then any thing else If they have but this portion left to them they shall do well whether they grow and prosper in the things of this world or no God hath made a Covenant with the Parents and Housholders and it shall descend upon them so far as God doth order it Vse 4 Fourthly it may serve to help our faith in the desolations of the Churches abroad though they grow not but decay yet seeing God hath made a Covenant with their fathers and undertaken to do them good they will at length prove the better for it and God will make his Covenant good unto them all that God doth exercise them withall is that hee may do them good at length Gods Covenant being an everlasting Covenant their condition at last shall be a glorious condition Vse 5 Fifthly it may be usefull to all such who have part in the Covenant of God that undoubtedly at length it shall be well with them though God never make them nor theirs to grow in outward things yet they may rest upon the Covenant there is enough for them Rejoyce we then in this Covenant for it is an everlasting Covenant and let us make it our chiefest happinesse that wee have a part in it though wee and others seem not to our selves to grow yet wee shall grow so far as God sees it meet for us to grow although we for our parts perceive it not Isaiah 3.10 11. Say to the righteous it shall be well with them for they shall eat the fruit of their own doings but wo to the wicked for it shall be ill with them for the reward of his hands shall he given unto him It shall be ill with Rome and her adherents the Covenant of Works shall be required at their hands A Doctrinall Conclusion That there be in all such as are effectually called and united unto Christ in-dwelling spirituall gifts of grace wrought and created in us by the Holy Ghost that is by the begetting whereof we are begotten and renewed to a spirituall life unto God and so become fit members of his Church The opening of the terms of this Doctrine BY gifts of Grace I mean holy qualities the same which Philosophers call vertuous habites or good dispositions whereby the faculties and affections of the soule which by corrupt nature are set upon a mans self and earthly things and cannot savour the things of God and so are said to be dead are hereby sanctified and lifted up to God and set upon him and heavenly things and so are said to be quickened and made alive to God Whence we are said to be begotten again to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 and the faith of the righteous is opposed to the dead faith of vain men Jam. 2.20 These gifts we say are wrought or created by the Holy Ghost because they are the fruits or effects of the Spirit of God in us Gal. 5.22 23. wrought by his Almighty creating power out of nothing Col. 2.12 Ps 5 1.10 and thereby making us spirituall men 1 Cor. 2.15 And fit Instruments for Gods spirituall service 1 Pet. 2.5 and therefore every one of these gifts of grace whereby any faculty or affection of the soule is sanctified it is called the spirit of such a faculty or affection as the sanctified disposition of the mind is called The spirit of a sound minde 2 Tim. 1.7 The spirit of Faith is the gift of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 The spirit of love or of the fear of the Lord are the gifts of holy love and fear sanctifying such affections 2 Tim. 1.7 Isai 11.2 Further we say these gifts of grace are in-dwelling and abiding in every child of God effectually called and united unto Christ in as much as they are neither mortified and extinguished in us as some would have it by our union with Christ for mortification is of corrupt lusts or of the body of sin in us Col. 3.5 Rom. 6.6 not of the gifts of grace neither are these gifts of grace transient and passing away as they would be if they were meer actions of the Spirit proceeding and passing from us Nor are they abiding in the Holy Ghost though he abideth in us because no created gifts or qualities abide in him whatsoever is in him is himself but they are preserved in us by the Holy Ghost as they were wrought by him and are also by him increased and perfected in us against the day of our dissolution

continually dwelling in them by his holy Spirit begetting and nourishing in them faith hope love repentance obedience with peace and joy unto immortality but on the contrary limiting using restraining the reprobates his enemies by his mighty power as seemeth good in his divine wisdome and justice to their seduction hardening and condemnation till his appearing in glory with his mighty Angels to judge both quick and dead where he will be and separate all his elect from them for ever punishing the wicked with everlasting perdition from his presence and joyning together the godly with himself in endlesse glory 12. Concerning his Kingdome 2. In speciall That in the mean time besides his absolute rule in the world Christ hath here on earth a spirituall Kingdome in his Church which hee hath purchased and redeemed to himself as a peculiar inheritance into the body whereof he doth by the power of his Word and Spirit gather his heople calling them through the Ministery of the Gospel out of the world and from Idolatry superstition and from all works of darknesse to fellowship with Jesus Christ and by him with the Father and the Holy Ghost and with his people making them a royall Priesthood an holy nation a people set at liberty to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light and uniteth them together as members of one body in his faith love and holy order unto all generall and mutuall duties and instructs and governs them by those instruments and ordinances which he himself hath prescribed in his word for the edification of his body the Church 13. Concerning the Application of Redemption That the Holy Ghost is sent by the Father and the Son to make application of Redemption only to those whom the Father hath by his eternall Decree given to Christ and for whom Christ maketh intercession to his Father and whom the Father accepts in Christ unto fellowship of the everlasting Covenant of his free Grace having called them out of the world to fellowship with Jesus Christ by the Gospel made effectually to that end by the mighty power and operation of the Holy Ghost Which grace of effectuall calling is thus dispensed to a poor lost sinner awakened and humbled by the Law through the effectuall working of the spirit of bondage judging himself worthy to be destroyed for his sins and seeing himself utterly destitute of all help or hope of himself The Lord in the preaching of the Gospel by the powerfull work of the Holy Ghost revealeth the fulnesse and all-sufficiencie of that grace and salvation which is laid up in Jesus Christ as the only sutable good to him that hee also enableth him spiritually and savingly to apprehend Jesus Christ as given him of the Father And the same Spirit having thus enlightened him doth leave a supernaturall vertue and impression of Gods love upon the soul whereby the soul is drawn to close with Christ and with that grace of God in him so entirely that there is now nothing between Christ and the soul but it willingly parts with all things that hinder his enjoying of Christ and by this effectuall calling all that are brought to Christ are 1. justified that is absolved from sin and death and accounted righteous unto life for and through Christ apprehended received and relied upon by faith 2. They are adopted that is accepted for Christs sake to the dignity of Gods children They are also 3. sanctified that is really changed by degrees from the impurity of sin to the purity of Gods Image and lastly they are glorified that is changed from the misery or punishment of sin unto everlasting happinesse which begins in the inward sense of Gods love to them in Christ whence they have hope of glory boldnesse in accesse to God certainty of salvation peace joy unspeakable and it endeth in their full perfection in soul and body 14. Concerning a particular instituted Church and the Priviledges thereof That it is a company of faithfull and holy people or persons called out of the world to fellowship with Jesus Christ and united in one Congregation to him as members to their head and one with another by a holy covenant for mutuall fellowship in all such wayes of holy worship of God and of edification of one towards another as God himself hath required in his Word of every Church of Christ and the members thereof 15. Concerning the manner of gathering a Church That it is the duty of all Christians having renounced all false wayes of Idolatrous Antichristian and superstitious worship and of sin and the world as to instruct and govern their own families according to God so to joyn willingly together in Christian communion and orderly covenant and by free confession of the faith and profession of their subjection to the Gospel of Christ to unite themselves unto peculiar and visible Congregations wherein as members of one body whereof Christ is the head they are to worship God according to his Word To this Church he hath given royall priviledges as the holy Oracles the Promises the Seals of the Covenant his presence love protection and blessing in a speciall manner here all that acknowledge him to be their Prophet Priest and King are to be inrolled amongst his houshold servants and to present their bodies and soules and gifts and solemn services for a spirituall sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Being thus united they to whom God hath given gifts to interpret the Scriptures being approved by the Church and appointed thereunto may and ought to teach publikely the Word of God by prophecying according to the proportion of faith for edification exhortation and comfort of the Church till such time as men may be had fit for such office or offices as Christ hath appointed to the publike Ministery of his Church and then they are upon due triall to proceed to the choyce and ordination of those officers according to God and then the officers are to dispense the seals of the Covenant viz. Baptisme to the seed of the faithfull in their Infancy and to others not yet baptized when by profession of their faith they are added to the Church And all of the Church that are of yeers and are able to examine themselves must communicate also in the Lords Supper in both kindes viz. Bread and Wine 16. Concerning the Sacraments That they are in the ordinance of God signs and seals of Gods everlasting Covenant with us representing and offering to all receivers but exhibiting only to true believers the Lord Jesus Christ and all his benefits unto righteousnesse sanctification and eternall life through faith in his name to the Glory and praise of God 17. Concerning the power of every Church That Christ hath given the power of chusing Officers and of receiving in or calling of any member to the whole body together of every Church and not to any one member apart or to more members sequestred from the whole or to any other Congregation to do it for them yet so as every Church ought to use the best help they can hereunto and the most meet member they have to pronounce the same in their publike Assemblies if they want Officers And to this censure and judgement of Christ duly and orderly dispensed every member of the Congregation yea and officer also how exellent or learned soever he be is subject Yet ought not the Church without great care and advice to proceed against such publike persons 18. Concerning the Communion of Churches That although particular Churches be distinct and severall Independent bodies every one as a city compact within it self without subordination under or dependence upon any other but Jesus Christ yet are all Churches to walk by one and the same rule and by all means convenient to have the counsell and help one of another when need requireth as members of one body in the common faith under Christ their only Head 19. Concerning Church-officers That Christ when hee ascended up on high gave gifts unto men and disposed of them in severall functions and for publike ordinary ministery he gave Pastors Teachers Elders Deacons helpers for the instruction government and service of his Church to the worlds end and that none may usurp or execute a Ministery in the Church but such as are rightly called by the Church whereof they stand Ministers and being so called they ought to give all diligence to fulfill their Ministery and to be found faithfull and unblamable in all things And that this ministery is alike given to every Church of Christ with like and equall power and commission to have and enjoy the same as God offereth fit men and means and the same rules are given to all for the election and execution thereof in all places which rules lawes it is not lawfull for those Ministers or for the Church wittingly to neglect or transgresse in any part And those Ministers thus chosen and executing their office faithfully every Church is bound to have them in singular love for their works sake to reverence them according to the dignity of their office which they execute and to provide for them that they be not entangled with the cares of this life according to the Law of Christ And this to do not as in way of courtesie or mercy but out of duty to them in the Lord and having hope in God that the resurrection shall be of the just and of the unjust of the just to the resurrection of life and of the unjust to the resurrection of condemnation 20. Concerning giving every man his due That unto all men is to be given whatsoever is due to them in regard of their office place gifts wages estate and condition endeavouring our selves to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men FINIS