A39658:121
The balm of the covenant applied to the bleeding wounds of afflicted saints First…
The balm of the covenant applied to the bleeding wounds of afflicted saints First composed for the relief of a pious and worthy family, mourning over the deaths of their hopeful children; and now made public for the support of all Christians, sorrowing on the same or any other account. To which is added, A sermon preached for the funeral of that excellent and religious gentleman John Upton of Lupton esq; by John Flavell, preacher of the gospel at Dartmouth in Devon.The balm of the covenant applied to the bleeding wounds of afflicted saints First composed for the relief of a pious and worthy family, mourning over the deaths of their hopeful children; and now made publick for the support of all Christians, sorrowing on the same or any other account. To which is added, A sermon preached for the funeral of that excellent and religious gentleman John Upton of Lupton esq; by John Flavell, preacher of the gospel at Dartmouth in Devon.
London: printed for J. Harris, 1688
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
There the loving kindness of God is secured to their Souls, whatever Afflictions he lays upon their Bodies.1 Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not take away. And their pardon is as safe as the favour of God is; 'tis safely locks up in that Promise,2 I will remember their sins no more. Yea, Heaven, together with our perseverance in the way to it, are both put out of hazard by that invaluable Promise, They shall never perish, 3neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Thus are all the Essentials of a Believers Happiness secured in the Covenant; and these being safe, the loss of other enjoyments should not much affect or wound them, because if he enjoy them, they add nothing to his Happiness; ⟨p. 63⟩and if he lose them, he is still happy in God without them. And this unriddles that Enigmatical Expression of the Apostle,1 As having nothing, and yet possessing all things; (i. e.) the subtraction of all external things cannot make us miserable, who have Christ for our portion, and all our happiness entire in him.