Gods Love to Man and Mans Duty Towards God, Title page – Addenda
God's Love to Man, AND Man's Duty towards God: MANIFESTED In ſeveral Diſcourſes on the COVENANTS OF Works and Grace.
Wherein divers Propoſitions are laid down, and ſundry Caſes reſolved.
By JOHN BARRET, Miniſter of the Goſpel.
LONDON, Printed for S. R. and are to be ſold by Jonathan Robinſon, at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard, MDCLXXVIII.
TO THE READER.
AS in the Apoſtles days, ſome were Exceeding Zealous about the Law, underſtanding neither what they ſaid, nor whereof they Affirmed; There are ſome in our days, who have the Covenant of Grace and the New Covenant much in their mouths, while yet they underſtand little of it, yea, are under very great Miſtakes about it.
Perhaps (Reader) thou wilt wonder to ſee a New Treatiſe of this Subject, upon which there are ſo many Extant. Yet it were to be wiſhed, that in ſome of them there were not Multa Corigenda, foul Errata's. And beſides, let who will Write of it, inſtead of putting to it a Finis, he may conclude with a Nonnulla Deſiderantur, there are ſome things yet behind.
Indeed the Subject is exceeding Copious, and withal, a neceſſary Subject to be oft Inculcated. Without ſome knowledge of Gods Covenant, Men can neither underſtand God, nor Jeſus Chriſt, nor Themſelves aright.
Touching the Occaſion of this preſent Diſcourſe being in Company with a Worthy ſpecial Friend, I was Speaking my Thoughts, That moſt of the Prevailing Errors of our Times, were from Ignorance of the Covenant of Grace, or not being right in the Doctrine of it: Whereupon he willed me to apply my Thoughts to that Subject. When Conſidering further with my ſelf the dangerous Tendency, and fad Conſequences of ſome Miſtakes about it, I was ready to ſay [I alſo will ſhew my Opinion.] Now to make way for my Intended Diſcourſe on the Covenant of Grace. it was very Requiſite to Premiſe ſomething of Mans State under the Covenant of Works.
Many Points relating to theſe Two Covenants, I wittingly paſs by, to Inſiſt more largly on what I conceive very Needful at this Day, that might be an Antidote againſt Prevailing Errors, and a means of Eſtabliſhing Souls in the preſent Truth.
I conclude before-hand, ſome will account this Diſcourſe a Dry Piece, to wit, Such as look only at the ſtirring of Affections. But woful Experience may Teach us, that it is as well a Chriſtians Duty to ſee to the right Ballaſting of his Judgment; for want of which, we have ſeen many ſadly Toſſed to and fro.
The Scripture is Profitable for Doctrine, 2 Tim. 3.16. This is one end and uſe it ſerves for. And if the Doctrine herein laid down be Sound, and according to the Scriptures of Truth, I ſhall hope, it will not be Unprofitable.
Further, I muſt expect, others will be Prejudiced, and take Diſtaſte, meeting with ſome things here Croſs to the Opinions, which they have Eſpouſed. Yet I can ſay, the Diſcovery of Truth is my Endeavour and Deſign, (and not to lay open the Nakedneſs of any of a different Perſwaſion, further than it might ſerve that Way.) And ſure I am, Truth ought to be dearer to us all, than our Credit, or Worldly Concerns.
Ʋpon a Review of the whole, I eſpecially commend to thy ſerious Peruſal, the Twelfth, and Thirteenth Propoſition of the Covenant of Grace, beginning at Pag. 225. and ending at 297. ſhewing the Terms and Benefits of the Covenant of Grace, wherein every mans Grand concern lieth. Reader, if thou haſt a mind to ſee, there I have Indeavoured to ſhew thee the things that belong unto thy Peace. Diog. Laert. in Socrate. l. 2. p. 111.As Aeſchines ſaid to his Maſter Socrates, foreign, &c. I am poor, and have nothing elſe, but I give thee my ſelf: And it took with his Maſter. We have nothing to give to God worthy of his Acceptance; yet if (with the Believing Corinthians, 2 Cor. 8.5.) we would now give our ſelves to the Lord, it would be very Acceptable to Him, and every way Advantagious to our Selves. We ſhould come better out of his Hands; Yea, He would be ours (our God, and Portion) if we are willing, and reſolved to be His. Methinks, the Lord ſays to Sinners, as Jehu to Jehonadab, 2 Kings 10.15. Is thine heart right as my heart is with thy heart? If it be, then give me thy hand. O how glad ſhould I be, if this Diſcourſe might promote that Holy and happy League betwixt God and Souls! Indeed, I am not without hope, but through the Bleſſing of God, it may be of Good uſe to ſome. And otherwiſe no Reaſons ſhould have moved, no Perſwaſions ſhould have prevailed with me to yield to the Publiſhing of it. The Succeſs (I know) depends wholly on His Bleſſing.
foreign,
foreign.
I write with Calmneſs, and would be Sorry this ſhould Raiſe the leaſt Storm in any. Where then canſt not Aſſent with Judgment, yet Diſſent with Affection. Let us follow the Truth in Love. If thou findeſt any Light and Warmth here, acknowledge the ſame to come from the Father of Lights. Let Him have the Praiſe: And forget not to Pray for one, who is greatly Aſhamed, that he hath ſo little ſerved God, and his Generation, who without a better Head, and a better Heart, is ſtill like to do little Service,
J. B.
Addenda & Corrigenda.
PAge 3. Line ante penult. add. [There is par ratio, why this Firſt Covenant ſhould be ſo called, though it ſhould not be directly intended in that place.] p. 9. l. 14. r. External. p. 11. l. 29. r. flowing. p. 12. l. 31. for but, r. be. p. 13. l. 10 blot out or. p. 14. l. 14. r. owed. p. 15. marg. foreign is put for foreign, p. 18. l. 29. r. Law, p. 21. l. 10. r. had, p. 24. l. 7. r. he. l. 9. r. commonly uſe, p. 25. l. 6. r. as a moral, p. 33. l. 8. r. goods, p. 34 l. 10. r. Judge p. 41. l. 12. r. carried, p. 24. l. 4. r. in, and l. 31. r. Niti, p. 61. l. 2, r. ſo we. p. 73. marg. r. mod. div. p. 76. marg. r. quicquid mandat. Calv. p. 93. l. ult. foreign p. 137. l. 16. r. without, p. 152. l. 12. after grace that in marg. to ſome, &c. p. 162. l. 1. r. cur p. 164. l. 31. Cocceius, p. 174. l. 20. r. ac. l. 21. r. in eo quidni, p. 213. l. 11. blot out be, p. 232. l. 16. r. guileleſs, p. 233. l. 27. blot out the Law of, p. 235. l. 9. r. juſtifaction, p. 245. l. 13. r. by Faith, p. 247. l. 25. r. many, p. 253. l. 15. r. godly ſorrow, p. 279. l. 18. for of, r. to, p. 282. l. …13. r. Hendiadis, p. 285. l. 25. for long, r. large, p. 300. l. 13. for now, r. nor, p. 306. l. 32. blot out the ſtop at Faithful, p. 307. l. 9. after Preached, r. ſo explicitely, p. 321. l. 7. r. Opponitur, l. 8. r. Externae, p. 322. l. 22. r. includeth, p. 326. l. 18. r. Incompoſſibilia, p. 424. l. 26. r. diſpenſe, p. 429. l. 7. r. quatefaciendam, p. 405. l. 7. r. Maymony. One reference of good uſe is omitted. p. 385. l. 4. marg. ſcil. Mr. Baxt. of Infant Bapt. p. 98, 99. Other literal Miſtakes, and falſe Pointings, which I hope will not much hinder the ſence, the Ingenuous Reader will paſs by.