The Gospel-Covenant, To the reader 1
❧ TO THE READER.
CHRISTIAN READER;
I Doe here offer to thy view a ſubject not unſutable to the ſtate of theſe preſent times. Times wherein there is no peace to him that goes out, or to him that comes in; but great trouble to all the inhabitants of the earth. Nation deſtroyed of Nation, and Citie of Citie, God troubling them with all adverſities, ſetting all men every one againſt his neighbour. Times they are wherein death comes in, not …t our windows (as in the Prophet) but rageth with open violence in our ſtreets; he that rideth upon the Red horſe, having power given him to take peace from the earth, and that men ſhould kill one another, (Apoc. 6.) In theſe times ſo full of perplexitie and trouble, it cannot but be welcome newes to heare of Conditions of peace; and when death comes to our dores, and we are at deaths-dore, then to be offered a Covenant of life. This Covenant here ſpoken of, is a Covenant of life and peace, and therefore ſeaſonable. It is alſo the more ſutable, in regard of that holy and gracious practiſe begun by our renowned Parliament, going before the body of the Kingdome, in entring into an holy Covenant with the God of heaven, to become the Lords people, the onelyonly way to a bleſſed peace. Till we be at one with God, it will be in vaine by humane policies to deviſe wayes of peace with men; but peace being once made in heaven, will bring peace on earth, and good will amongst men. If otherwiſe man ſtill rage, yet ſhall his rage be reſtrained and turne to Gods praiſe, the Lord on high hath a bridle for his lips, and an hooke for his noſtrills; he will ſubdue the oppreſſour, and will ſtill the enemy and the avenger. Bleſſed be they whoſe care it hath been to draw the Land into this holy covenanting with God; let mercy and peace be upon them, as upon all the Iſrael of God. And bleſſed be that God, who hath put this care into their hearts, as being the onelyonly way to obtaine an aſſured bleſſing. This Covenant ſo happily begun, is the principall ſubject of this booke, in which thou mayſt ſee both the neceſſitie for every ſoule to enter into a Covenant with God, and how it is to be done, as alſo how thoſe that have made a Covenant with God, are to walke in it, and what bleſſings doe belong unto thoſe that ſo walke. When theſe things were firſt preached in New-England, there was little thought of publiſhing them in ſuch a time. But he which inhabiteth eternitie, with whom all things are preſent, fits things paſt, to thoſe that are preſent, and to come, that his wiſdome might be knowne to order all, beyond what we conceive or thinke. It is now ſome five or ſix yeares ſince I firſt began to handle this doctrine now publiſhed, a time then full of trouble in theſe American Churches, through the inordinate activeneſs, and impetuous violence of ſome buſie ſpirits (of whom the Country is now well rid through the Lords great goodnes) deeming all others (except themſelves) to be wholly ignorant of the Covenant of grace, and to be ſhut up under a Covenant of workes; All the Preachers in the Land were legall Preachers, the Chriſtians, legall Chriſtians, as having onelyonly the letter of the Goſpel, but not underſtanding the myſtery or ſpirituall meaning of it, as it was revealed unto themſelves by the ſpirit. The diſputes about the two Covenants did then exceedingly trouble the minds of many, amongst whom there was little ſpeech but about the covenant of grace and of workes, and of being under a Covenant of workes. I having then in the courſe of my Miniſtery propounded to my ſelf this order to follow, namely on one part of the Lords day to handle one part of the body of Divinitie, concerning God, Creation, Man, his firſt pure eſtate, and ſo on, concluding that part with his lapſed and falne eſtate; and on the other part of the day to ſpeak of the means of Gods reſtoring man againe to the ſtate of ſalvation; I could not then paſſe by the handling of the Covenant of grace, without a purpoſed declining from that, which both the agitations of the Countrey, and mine own propoſed method did lead me unto. Hereupon I entred upon the handling of this ſubject in the ordinary courſe of my Miniſtry, endeavouring my ſelf (ſo far as the Lord enabled me) to ſettle the minds of thoſe amongst whom I lived, in the knowledge of the truth, concerning which ſome were wavering, by reaſon of thoſe ſpirits of error which were gone abroad, deceiving the minds of ſome. This was the occaſion of handling this doctrine. When I had finiſhed it, it pleaſed God to give it ſuch acceptance in the hearts of the hearers, that many of the chiefe amongst them came to me with a ſolemn requeſt, deſiring me to publiſh what I had delivered, that ſo they might have it continue with them, which requeſt of theirs, as it was unexpected by me, ſo was I both unwilling, and unable to ſatisfie their deſire; unwilling, as being conſcious to my ſelf of mine own infirmities, unfit to publiſh any thing in this learned age; and unable, as not having ſo penned any part of it, as to make it fit for publick uſe. But the earneſtneſſe of their deſire on the one ſide, and the rawneſſe of the draught which I had written for the help of my ſelf, on the other ſide, ſo far croſſing one another, gave occaſion of a ſecond reviſing of what was before done; which alſo cauſed ſome further additions thereunto, and hath at laſt brought forth that (ſuch as it is) which is now preſented to thy view. And thus thou underſtandeſt (gentle Reader) the occaſion both of the preaching and publiſhing of the doctrine of the Covenant which now comes forth. Which (notwithſtanding the former inducements) I ſhould hardly have adventured to have publiſhed, had I not been encouraged thereto by ſome others of better note. It is not any confidence I have in my ſelf which hath drawne me forth into publick view. I thank God, I do in ſome meaſure know mine own weaknes. But if the Lord will uſe his weakeſt inſtruments to perfect his own praiſe, who am I that I ſhould let God? I wiſh this had been undertaken by ſome other of greater ſtrength, but none hitherto appearing in this kinde, being deſired to what I have done, I have been content to yeeld to the deſires of thoſe that have perſwaded me hereunto. There is a Treatiſe of the New Covenant publiſhed ſome yeares ago by a precious light in the Church of God, whoſe worke is come almoſt into all mens hands. If that worthy ſervant of Chriſt, had lived to ſee theſe dayes we now live in, or then were, when theſe things were delivered, I doubt not but he would with much more accurateneſſe have handled theſe things then my weakneſſe is able to attaine unto. But God having carried him to his reſting place, before theſe queſtions brake forth, which have ſince troubled, and doe ſtill trouble the world, it is not to be marvelled that ſome one coming after him, inferior unto him, may adde ſomething to that which hath been before delivered. The opinions formerly ſtirring in New-England, and now in old, (if fame be not a lyer) have given occaſion to touch ſome things not of ordinary occurrence. As namely, 1. Whether the Covenant of grace be made betwixt God and man, or onelyonly betwixt God the Father and Chriſt. 2. Where alſo (by occaſion of the former queſtion) is handled that place in Gal. 3.16. concerning the one ſeede of Abraham, to which the promiſes are made, which ſeede is Chriſt, ſhewing who is that one ſeed there called Chriſt. 3. What the Covenant at Sinai was, whether a Covenant of workes, or of grace. 4. Whether juſtification may be evidenced by ſanctification, & whether that way of evidencing be a going aſide to a Covenant of workes; and whether one under the Covenant of works may be truly ſanctified. 5. Whether the commandement commanding faith, be a commandement of the Law, or no. 6. Whether faith be a condition onelyonly conſequent to our juſtification, & not antecedent. 7. Whether the conditionall promiſes be promiſes of free grace or no, and of their agreement with thoſe promiſes which are called abſolute. Theſe and ſome other ſuch paſſages are herein touched, as occaſion was miniſtred by the matter handled. And in regard that ſome of the ſame opinions are now ſtirring in old England, which lately troubled New, my hope in the Lord is, that this my weak endeavour (the Lord accompanying it with his bleſſing) may be of ſome uſe now in theſe times; if not to recall thoſe that are led aſide by errour, yet to ſettle ſome that are doubtfull and wavering in the truth. But though theſe things are touched here and there, yet my chiefe ayme hath been to lead on the weake Chriſtian to a practicall uſe of the truths which are here delivered; in which the greateſt part of this work is ſpent. If in any of theſe, thou findeſt thy ſelf helped by this my labour, either in thy knowledge or practiſe, returne glory to God, and help me by thy prayers, that I may ſo finiſh that little remnant of my courſe which is yet before me, that I may rejoyce in the day of Chriſt, that I have not run in vaine, neither have laboured in vaine. If any that are more judicious ſhall vouchſafe to ſee what is herein performed, and ſhall thinke themſelves burdened with interruption by reaſon of application by uſe of each point delivered; I deſire them to conſider, that as in the preaching, ſo in the publiſhing of this Treatiſe, it was then, & is now, intended rather for their ſakes which ſtand in need of both, then for ſuch as need not. I write not to teach the judicious, but to help the weak, who ſtand in need not only to know the truth, but to be led on, to ſee how the knowledge of it doth ſerve to any uſe for practiſe of life. One thing more I may not omit; Whereas it may be marvailed, that in the beginning of the Treatiſe I propound two points to be handled, viz. firſt, to ſhew the nature of the Covenant of grace, and ſecondly, that we are ſaved by that Covenant, and not by the Covenant of workes, whereas I ſay, both theſe are propounded, and yet I handle but one of them, the reaſon of my ſo doing is, partly becauſe I ſaw the Treatiſe to exceed in bulk what I expected in the beginning, partly becauſe the handling of the former alone doth anſwer the end, which in the beginning was aymed at, which was to open the nature and ſubſtance of the Covenant of grace, and partly alſo becauſe this is my firſt adventure in this kinde. If this which I have done ſhall finde acceptance with the Saints, I may adde the reſt in due time, if the Lord give life and ſtrength; otherwiſe I ſhall thinke this enough and too much, which is done already. In the meane time I commend this my endeavour, with thee (courteous Reader) to the bleſſing of God, beſeeching him that is the God of all grace, to enable us ſo to live a life of grace here, that in the end we may enjoy the grace of life, according to the covenant and promiſe of grace wch he hath made with us in Chriſt his beloved; To whom be glory for ever, Amen. In whom I reſt
Thine in any ſervice of love for Chriſts ſake, PETER BULKELEY.