A Goodly Heritage

ON THE TWO COVENANTS The covenant of WORKS, in the order of time, was proclaimed to Adam before the covenant of GRACE. But, the covenant of grace, called in Scripture the everlasting covenant, was entered into by the divine people in the Godhead, before the world was made. While contemplating this dispensation of mercy, our views must stretch themselves into eternity. We must pass beyond the origin of earth, and enter into those revelations which record the purposes of God before time began. And how wonderful are the counsels of infinite love, wisdom, and power! Jesus, in the volume of inspired truth, is declared to be "the Lamb of God, who was foreordained before the foundation of the world," (1 Peter 1:20). "Slain from the foundation of the world," (Rev. 13:8). His redeemed ones were "chosen in him before the foundation of the world," (Eph. 1:4). "From the beginning chosen to salvation," 2 (Thess. 2:13). "According to his own purpose and ...

ERROR Indeed heresy cannot possess a church, but it gives a subversion to it. ‘I may err, a heretic I cannot be,’ says Augustine. Furthermore, Tertullian claims that what is diametrically opposed against the truth is heresy, yea, though it be an ancient and long-received custom. A church may be sick of error, and yet live; but heresy (a wilful error against the fundamental truth, violently prosecuted and persisted in) kills it. Therefore heresy is rather death than sickness. When the truth of doctrine, or rather doctrine of truth, has been turned to the falsehood of heresy, God has removed their candlestick, and turned their light into darkness. Error may make it sick, but so that it may be cured. The churches of Corinth, Galatia, Pergamos had these sicknesses; the Holy Ghost, by Paul and John, prescribes their cures. If they had been dead, what needed any direction of medicine. If they had not been sick, what purpose was there in prescribing a remedy? To God alone, and to ...

ERROR Indeed heresy cannot possess a church, but it gives a subversion to it. ‘I may err, a heretic I cannot be,’ says Augustine. Furthermore, Tertullian claims that what is diametrically opposed against the truth is heresy, yea, though it be an ancient and long-received custom. A church may be sick of error, and yet live; but heresy (a wilful error against the fundamental truth, violently prosecuted and persisted in) kills it. Therefore heresy is rather death than sickness. When the truth of doctrine, or rather doctrine of truth, has been turned to the falsehood of heresy, God has removed their candlestick, and turned their light into darkness. Error may make it sick, but so that it may be cured. The churches of Corinth, Galatia, Pergamos had these sicknesses; the Holy Ghost, by Paul and John, prescribes their cures. If they had been dead, what needed any direction of medicine. If they had not been sick, what purpose was there in prescribing a remedy? To God alone, and to his ma...

B y the name of Jehovah was God known to Israel, from the time of the first mission of Moses to them, and their manumission out of Egypt, and not before. For, saith God to Moses, 'I appeared unto Abraham, and to Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them,' Exod. 6:3. This I AM is an eternal word, comprehending three times: 'that was, that is, and is to come.' Now, to testify the equality of the Son to the Father, the Scripture gives the same eternity to Jesus that it doth to Jehovah. He is called Alpha and Omega, primus et novissimus , 'the First and the Last: which is, which was, and which is to come,' Rev. 1 and here, the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever.' Therefore he was, not only Christus Dei , the anointed of God, but Christus Deus ,' God himself anointed; seeing that eternity, which hath neither beginning nor ending, is only exclusive and proper to God. The words may be distinguis...

ERROR Indeed heresy cannot possess a church, but it gives a subversion to it. ‘I may err, a heretic I cannot be,' says Augustine. Furthermore, Tertullian claims that what is diametrically opposed against the truth is heresy, yea, though it be an ancient and long-received custom. A church may be sick of error, and yet live; but heresy (a wilful error against the fundamental truth, violently prosecuted and persisted in) kills it. Therefore heresy is rather death than sickness. When the truth of doctrine, or rather doctrine of truth, has been turned to the falsehood of heresy, God has removed their candlestick, and turned their light into darkness. Error may make it sick, but so that it may be cured. The churches of Corinth, Galatia, Pergamos had these sicknesses; the Holy Ghost, by Paul and John, prescribes their cures. If they had been dead, what needed any direction of medicine? If they had not been sick, what purpose was there in prescribing a remedy? To God alone, and to his ...

Paradise had four rivers that watered the earth..............and howsoever neglected by many , they make glad the city of God . So Bernard sweetly ; eternal life is granted to us in election , promised in our vocation , sealed in our justification , possessed in our glorification . Conclude then , faithfully to thy own soul . I believe , therefore I am justified; I am justified, therefore I am sanctified ; I am sanctified , therefore I am called ; I am called , therefore I am elected ; I am elected , therefore I shall be saved . O! settled comfort of joy , which ten thousand devils shall never make void . 

Predestination is pleaded. If I have been written to life , I may do this , for many are saved that have done worse . If not , were my life never so strict , hell appointed is not to be avoided . These men look to the top of the ladder , but not to the foot . God ordains men not to jump to heaven , but to climb thither by prescribed degrees . He has decreed the end , decreed also the means that conduce to it . If you take liberty in  sin , this is none of the way . Peter describes the rungs of the ladder ; "Faith , virtue , knowledge , temperance , patience , godliness, charity ,"You run a contrary course in the wild paths of unbelief , profaneness , ignorance ,riot , impatience , impiety , malice; this is none of the way . These are the rungs of the ladder that go downwards to hell . God's predestination helps many to stand , pushes none down . Look thou to the way , let God alone with the end . 

The creation of the world is a shadow of the regeneration of a Christian . First , there was an earth without form , void , and a darkness upon the face of the deep . Predestination is this great deep , which cannot be discovered or discerned . There the  light was separated from the darkness ; here knowledge is separated from ignorance of the soul ; there is calling . Then was the sun created ; so here the bright beams of grace are diffused into our hearts which fill us with spiritual joy ; there is sanctification .  Lastly , Adam was created in the image of God , and placed in Paradise ; so the new man is conformed to the image of Christ , and shall be reposed in the paradise of everlasting glory .