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OR,

A BRIEF AND PLAIN DISCOVERY

OF

THE RICHES OF GOD'S COVENANT OF GRACE.

BY REV. RICHARD ALLEINE,

A.D. 1665.

LONDON:

THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY,
Instituted 1799.

SOLD AT THE DEPOSITORY, 56, PATERNOSTER ROW;
AND BY THE BOOKSELLERS.

1836.

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READER,

THE providence of God hath led me to the publication of the ensuing treatise, much beyond my first intentions.

There came to my hands a Synopsis of the covenant of grace on God's part, with a Soliloquy annexed, (both penned by the worthy author of that form of man's covenanting with God, inserted in my Vindicia Pietatis,*) attended with the author's desires, and of divers other christians, that this also might be incorporated into the same book.

These desires, neither being able to resist, nor willing to deny, I prepared some meditations to be premised, with a purpose to have put forth another edition of that book with this addition; but finding it to grow into too great a bulk to be there inserted, both this on God's part, and the former on man's part, come into thy hands in this distinct treatise, followed with my prayers—that the good land, whereof some clusters are here presented to thee, may be thine inheritance. See and take.

Thine, because the Lord's

July 8, 1665.

covenant servant,

R. ALLEINE.

* His brother Joseph Alleine, author of the "Alarm."

HEAVEN OPENED.

The Introduction.

Good news from heaven! the day-spring from on high hath visited this undone world! After a deluge of sin and misery, behold the bow in the cloud! the Lord God hath made and established a new covenant, and this is it that hath cast the first beam on the dark state of lost and fallen man, and hath brought life and immortality to light. This covenant is the hope of sinners, the riches of saints, the Magna Charta of the city of God. The forfeited lease of eternity renewed; God's deed of gift, wherein he hath, on fair conditions, granted sinners their lives, and settled upon his saints an everlasting inheritance.

Hear, O ye forlorn captives, who have sold yourselves to eternal bondage, spoiled yourselves of all your glory, sealed yourselves up under everlasting misery, you are dead in your sins, guilty before God, under wrath, under a curse, bound over to eternal vengeance. But behold, there is yet hope in Israel concerning this thing; the Lord God hath taken compassion upon you, hath opened a way for you to escape out of all this misery and bondage. Lift up the hands that hang down, comfort the trembling

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