A39658:73
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.
Certainly therefore, David was at the right door of relief and comfort, when he repairs to the Covenant, as here in the Text, Yet hath he made with me an everlasting Covenant. There, or nowhere, the Relief of Gods Afflicted is to be found.
Now, to make any thing become a complete any perfect relief to an afflicted Spirit, these three Properties must concur and meet in it, else it can never effectually relieve any man.
Now, to make any thing become a compleat any perfect relief to an afflicted Spirit, these three Properties must concur and meet in it, else it can never effectually relieve any man.
I. It must be able to remove all the causes and grounds of troubles. II. It must be able to do so at all times. III. It must be capable of a good personal security to us.
For if it only divert our troubles, (as Creature-comforts use to do) and do not remove the ground and cause of our trouble, 'tis but an Anodyne, not a Cure or Remedy. And if it can remove the very ground and cause of our trouble for a time, but not for ever, then 'tis but a temporary relief; our troubles may return again, and we left in as bad case as we were before. And if it be in it self able to remove all the causes and grounds of our trouble, and that at all times, but not capable of a personal security to us, or our well-established interest in it, all signifies nothing to our relief.