The Gospel-Covenant, Title page – Dedication 1
The Goſpel-Covenant; OR THE COVENANT OF GRACE OPENED.
Wherein are explained;
1. The differences betwixt the Covenant of grace and Covenant of workes.
2. The different adminiſtration of the Covenant before and ſince Chriſt.
3. The benefits and bleſsings of it.
4. The Condition.
5. The properties of it.
Preached in CONCORD in NEVV-ENGLAND by PETER BULKELEY, ſometimes fellow of Johns Colledge in Cambridge.
foreign.
GEN. 17.1.7. The Lord ſaid unto Abraham, I am God all-ſufficient, walke before me and be thou upright; And I will make my Covenant between me and thee, and thy ſeed after thee in their generations, for an everlaſting Covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy ſeede after thee.
ISAI. 55.3. Encline your eares and come unto me, heare and your ſoule ſhall live; and I will make an everlaſting Covenant with you, even the ſure mercies of David.
Publiſhed according to Order.
LONDON, Printed by M. S. for Benjamin Allen, and are to be ſold at the Crowne in Popes-head Alley. 1646.
they doe concerne. This Covenant hath been a port of refuge, to which the Saints have alwayes fled in their diſtreſſes, they claiming the bleſſing therein contained and grounding their hope upon the faithfulnes of him that hath promiſed. This Covenant hath been the rock for the anchor of their hope to faſten upon, when the winds & waves of temptation have beaten upon them. The troubles of the Church & people of God are not yet finiſhed, by reaſon whereof we, no leſſe then our fathers before us, do ſtand in need of help and conſolation from this Covenant in theſe dayes of affliction in which we live. Neither is it only a conſolation to know the great things which God hath by Covenant promiſed unto us, but it is a foundation to all godlineſſe and holy walking before God, perſwading us to walk worthy of the Lord, as beſeems thoſe whom he hath taken into Covenant with him, to be a peculiar people to himſelf. God hath ſo linked together the bleſſing of the Covenant (which is his to give) with the dutie and way of it, (which is ours to walk in) that we cannot with comfort expect the one, but it will worke in us a carefull endeavour of the other. To ſpeake more hereof, I ſhall forbeare. When I had finiſhed this Treatiſe, and bethought my ſelf to whom I ſhould dedicate it, I could not thinke of any, to whom it was ſo ſuitable as your ſelf. You are (to omit other relations) one of the children of the Covenant, which was firſt made with Abraham your Father, and with Sarah your Mother, both which, as they lived by faith, ſo they dyed in faith, having now received the end of their faith, which they waited for. Your honoured Father, the thoughts of whom are ever precious unto me, was a right Abraham indeed; If I ſhould ſpeake leſſe of him, I ſhould ſpeak too little of that ſingular piety, and exemplary grace and godlines which ſhined in him. I abhorre giving titles unto man, but give me leave to beare witnes unto the truth. I knew his faith, his feare, his uprightneſſe and holy walking before his God, whereby he became as a Prince of God among the people of the world,Gen. 23. with whom he lived. Wherein he went before you alſo, as a patterne to be for ever in your eye, to be imitated by you. Sir, let it (I beſeech you) be your chiefeſt care, and count it your higheſt honour, to walke in the ſteps of your pious & bleſſed Father. His faith follow, conſidering what was the end of his converſation. That ſweet peace, thoſe heavenly conſolations, which he taſted of, thoſe inward feelings which carried him out of himſelf, even whiles he was yet in the fleſh, are ſtrong engagements and encouragements unto you, to walke after his foote, as the Prophets expreſſion is, treading in the ſame ſteps of faith and holines in which he went before you. I am ſure you cannot forget thoſe dying words of his a little before his end, (You that are in the fleſh thinke, &c. I ſpare the reſt) in mention whereof I ſpeak a myſtery to others (being but a broken ſound) but not to you; you can interpret my meaning and 'tis enough to me that you know the meaning of them, for whoſe ſake I mention them, that you may often remember them for your own good. They will never out of my heart, and I truſt they will never be forgotten by you. Goe on (deare Sir,) in the wayes of grace which you are entred into, the Lord having made good his Covenant towards you, be you alſo mindfull to walke in Covenant with your God. Set Gods kindneſſe before your eyes, to ſtir up your ſelf the more to walke before him in his truth. The more you honour him, the more you honour your ſelf. Study therefore to do great things for God; ſeeke the peace of Jeruſalem, the proſperitie of Sion. Your goodnes extendeth not unto him, but to his Church and Saints that are here on earth; yet what you doe unto them, he will ſay, Yee have done it unto mee. Remember Davids troubles, Joſephs affliction, Pauls bonds, the diſtreſſed eſtate of Gods Church and people, and thinke of Mordecai his Item to Eſther. This way was Davids ſpirit working when he was ſitting in peace in his own houſe; He was conſidering what the LORD had done for him, and what he ſhould render to the Lord for all his benefits. Wonderfull was his zeale for the Houſe of God; The coſt he prepared for it was almoſt incredible, an hundred thouſand talents of gold, beſides ſilver & other things without number; but he loſt nothing by all, (no man loſeth by lending to the Lord, no more then the rivers doe by powring their water into the Sea, which they receive back againe by ſecret paſſages in the earth, and ſo are ſtill ever full.) The more he honoured God, the more God honoured him. He ſpared not his riches in things pertaining to God, and God caſt in more upon him ſtill, ſo that he dyed in riches and honour, 1 Chro. 29.28. Let your life be like his, and then in death you ſhall not be divided. The God of all grace, who hath done ſo great things for you, go on in bleſſing to bleſſe you, that you may with Nephthali be ſatisfied with favour, and filled with the bleſſing of the Lord, even with all bleſſings of heaven and earth, of this life, and of that to come.
Decemb. 3. 1644. Yours to command in any ſervice of Chriſt, PETER BULKELEY.