The Covenant of God Entered with Mankind, Notice
An Advertiſement to the Reader touching this ſecond Edition.
READER,
IT was once the ſad complaint of Reverend Davenant, Diſſertatio. de morti Chriſti. Cap. 1. pag. 1.that, Religionis noſtrae myſteria, quae ſunt ad parem & ſolatium animarum promulgata, in ſolam penè litigandi & pugnandi materiam vertantur. The great myſteries of Religion, thoſe pretious Beamings of the Sunne of righteouſneſſe which were ſhed abroad, for the begetting of ſpiritual heat and life in the beleeving heart, were often eclipſed, and their influence much debilitated, through the intervening body of cloudy Controverſies. This way Satan gained upon the Church in its Infancy, which gave occaſion to that good admonition, we have upon record from the bleſſed Apoſtle, Heb. 13. 9. Be not carryed about with diverſe and ſtrange doctrines, for it is a good thing that the heart be establiſhed with grace; What theſe diverſe and strange doctrines were, Interpreters have their different thoughts, which I ſhall wholly wave; the Reader may yet obſerve the Apoſtle hinting at, and tacitely reproving, the proneneſſe that was in men eagerly to purſue, ſtudiouſly to ſweat, and tug about empty notions, whileſt the ſpiritual ſenſe, and feeling of truth in the heart, was little heeded. The ſame Apoſtle traces Satan in the ſame deſign among the Coloſſians, Cap. 2. Which puts him upon that pathetical exhortation, Cap. 3. To ſeek the things that are above, to lay out their zeal, and centre their affections upon things of a more ſolid, ſublime, and ſpiritual nature, viz. the application of Chriſt in the power of his death, and precious in-comes of his Spirit for the mortification of luſt. What unſpeakable advantage this continued enemy of a beleevers life and comfort hath gained in our age (not to mention the ſpoyles made in the intervening) our preſent breaches, ſad decays, two fully evidence; yea, ſo fully, that did not a graciory word uphold, and everlaſting armes fix themſelves underneath, our ruines had been uncapable, of any further breach. In the midſt of theſe aſtoniſhing providences, and terrible diſpenſations, the Lord (ſuch is his infinite wiſdome, and goodneſſe) hath brought forth meat out of the ſtrong, and honey, out of the deſtroyer. Theſe windy ſtormes have through rich grace more deeply rooted ſome, whileſt others have been toſſed to, and fro; theſe Controverſal colliſſions have brought forth much light; thus Satan lyes bleeding under his own weapons. Among other precious treaſures which the Church through mercy doth enjoy, here thou mayeſt ſee truths of the greateſt concernment to beleevers polemically vindicated, practically improved, that mens judgments might be ballanced, and their hearts feel the weight of truth, both which neceſſarily make up a beleevers acquaintance with the truths of Chriſt as they are in him. The Covenant of grace both in its ſure mercies, and diſtinguiſhing priviledges, is a truth of the greateſt magnitude, appearing rather as a glorious conſtellation, than ſhining with the light of a ſingle ſtarre; It is a rich Cabinet of Diamonds, rather than any ſingle jewel. How far the Reverend Authour (my ever Honoured and endeared Father) hath been ſerviceable in the hands of Chriſt for the unſealing of this rich Cabinet, the abundant acceptance which this Treatiſe found from men eminently judicious, when it was wrapped up in the ſwadling bands of blurred papers, before it went abroad, doth fully ſpeak. I need not adde thoſe many ſpecial acknowledgments from ſome of the ableſt pens in the Nation, which after the Authors death were found upon the file in his ſtudy; much might be ſpoken by me, did not my relation to him command a ſilence; the Lydian Princes tongue would break no bonds; when violence was offered to his father; give me leave to apply that to the Reverend Author, which ſometimes was obſerved of the Athenian Orator, that in his publique diſcourſes, he did not only foreign, but aculeos in animis auditorum relinquere; And if I may without envy adde holy Melancthons pythy verſe upon Luthers picture, Fulmina erant linguae ſingula verba tuae. But I ſhall forbear, craving only thy patience, in receiving an account, how far thy gain will be doubled, in this ſecond Edition: In the firſt, the Learned Author was neceſſitated to take notice of ſeveral controverſies, which were then ſtarted, theſe afterwards growing more perſonal (& therefore only beautiful in their ſeaſon) are in this wholly waved, and truths aſſerted in Theſi. In the firſt, ſeveral expreſſions (through the natural brevity of the Authours ſtile) were obſcure, and occaſioned the readers ſtumbling, In this they receive an additional light, what paſſages might ſeem abſtruſe, now are enlarged. In the firſt the method was unavoidably clouded in ſeveral places through digreſſions, and appendices, In this each head is digeſted in its proper place. In the firſt, ſeveral things were omitted which now upon ſecond thoughts, and deeper wading into the controverſies herein handled, are by the learned Authour in this inſerted; And the whol of this don by the Authors own hand, which he had no ſooner taken off, and ſent it to the Preſſe, but the Lord diſpatched a fiery chariot for him, which took him away to the enjoyment of Truth it ſelf; what thou readeſt of him now, was ſealed with his death. They that were acquainted with his ſtate, and frame of ſpirit in that juncture of time when it was finiſhed, muſt needs teſtifie, there was no room for any carnal end to byaſſe, or ſelf-intereſt to ſteer his notions. Reſpective to the doctrine here aſſerted, I ſhall aſſure thee from the mouth of this bleſſed Author, that as he ſweetly laid down his life, in clear, and unſpeakable aſſurance of glory, ſo he dyed without the leaſt Scruple in any of the truths here vindicated. I ſhall no longer entertain thee in the porch, but give thee poſſeſſion of the houſe, craving only thy Candor in the peruſal of it; orphane children though under the eye and care of endearing friends, yet ſometimes may feel the want of a parental wing, I am not without fears that this Orphane Treatiſe, may complain of ſom Errata's, through the Authors unexpected death, the ſlow progreſſe of the Preſſe, and my great diſtance from it. The God of truth teach thee how to profit, break every ſhell, that thou mayeſt taſte of the kernel, clear up truths to thy apprehenſion, and imprint them upon thy heart, ſo prayes he, who beggs thy prayers for him, becauſe he is
Thine in our Lord Jeſus Samuel Beresford.