Original title: Paradise Opened, or the Secrets, Mysteries, and Rarities of Divine Love, of Infinite Wisdom, and of Wonderful Counsel—Laid Open to Public View
by Thomas Brooks
In epub, .mobi & .pdf formats
The Covenant of Grace, and the high and glorious transactions of the Father and the Son in the Covenant of Redemption opened and improved at large, with the resolution of important questions and cases concerning both Covenants.
You have further—Several singular pleas, that all sincere Christians may safely and groundedly make to those ten Scriptures, which speak of the general Judgment, and of that particular Judgment, which must certainly pass upon them all after death.
With some other points of high importance, that tend to the Peace, Comfort, Settlement and Satisfaction of all serious sincere Christians.
To which is added a sober and serious discourse, about the favorable, signal and eminent presence of the Lord with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers.
The covenant of grace, and the covenant of redemption, are a rich armory, out of which you may furnish yourselves with all sorts of spiritual weapons, wherewith you may encounter Satan's temptations, wiles, devices, methods, depths, stratagems. Nothing of Satan's can stand before the covenant of grace and the covenant of redemption, when well understood and well applied, Eph. 6:11; 2 Cor. 2:11; Rev. 2:24.
In the covenant of grace and the covenant of redemption that is passed between God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, [2 Sam. 23:5; Isaiah 54:9-10; Jer. 32:38-41; Zech. 9:11; Heb. 13:20.] you will find many rich and rare cordials, which have a strong tendency to preserve all gracious souls from desponding and fainting:
(1.) in times of affliction;
(2.) in times of temptation;
(3.) in times of desertion;
(4.) in times of suffering for Christ's sake and the gospel's sake;
(5.) in times of opposition;
(6.) and at the time of death and dissolution.
There are no comforts nor cordials which can reach the souls of Christians in their deep distresses, but such as flow from these two covenants. The more it concerns all such Christians to study these two covenants, and to be well acquainted with them, that so they may the more readily have recourse to such cordials as their present estate and condition calls for.
In these two covenants you will find much matter which has a strong tendency:
(1.) to inflame your love to God and Christ, and all in the covenant of grace;
(2.) to strengthen your faith;
(3.) to raise your hopes;
(4.) to cheer your souls;
(5.) to quiet and satisfy your consciences;
(6.) to engage you to a close and holy walking with God;
(7.) to provoke you to triumph in free grace, and in the Lord Jesus Christ;
(8.) to sit loose from this world.
[Psalm 116:1-9, 16, and Psalm 3; 2 Sam. 23:5; Psalm 103:17-18, and 111:5, 9, 17; 2 Cor. 2:14; Gal. 6:14.] The riches and treasures that are wrapped up in both these covenants are so great, so sure, so durable, and so suitable to all believers—as may well deaden their hearts to all the riches and glories of this lower world, Rev. 12:1.
In these two covenants every sincere Christian will find:
(1.) a special salve for every spiritual sore;
(2.) a special remedy against every spiritual malady;
(3.) a special plaster against every spiritual wound;
(4.) a spiritual storehouse to supply all their spiritual needs;
(5.) a spiritual shelter under every spiritual storm.
(6.) food to nourish you;
(7.) a staff to support you;
(8.) a guide to lead you;
(9.) a fire to warm you;
(10.) springs of life to cheer and refresh you.
In this covenant of grace and the covenant of redemption, you may clearly see the wisdom, counsel, love, and transactions between the Father and the Son sparkling and shining; there being nothing under heaven which contributes more to the peace, comfort, assurance, settlement, and satisfaction of sincere Christians, than such a sight. [It was the saying of an eminent saint, on his deathbed, that he had much peace and quietness, not so much from a greater measure of grace than other Christians had, or from any immediate witness of the Spirit; but because he had a more clear understanding of the covenant of grace than many others, having studied it and preached it so many years as he had done.
The main reason why so many gracious souls are so full of fears, doubts, darkness, and disputes about their internal and eternal estates, is because they have no more clear and full understanding of these two covenants; and if such Christians would but more seriously buckle down to the study of those two covenants, as they are opened and applied in the following treatise, their fears and doubts, etc., would quickly vanish. They would have their triumphant songs; their mourning would soon be turned into rejoicing; and their complaints into hallelujahs. Neither do I know anything in all this world that would contribute more to seriousness, spiritualness, heavenliness, humbleness, holiness, and fruitfulness, than a right understanding of these two covenants, and a divine improvement of them. There are many choice Christians who have always either tears in their eyes, complaints in their mouths, or sighs in their breasts; and oh that these, above all others, would make these two covenants their daily companions! Let these few hints suffice concerning the following treatise.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Epistle Dedicatory
The Covenant of Grace (Part 1)
The Covenant of Grace (Part 2)
The Covenant of Redemption (Part 1)
The Covenant of Redemption (Part 2)
The Covenant of Redemption (Part 3)
The Book of Life