Proposition VIII. And as the Covenant of Peace is the Govenant of Grace; so it results from God as an act of Infinite Mercy; It is therefore a merciful Covenant; it was not made with Man considered in his State of Innocency; for Man, as so considered, could not be the Object of God's Mercy; for tho God appeared very good and gracious to us in our First Creation, and as we came out of his Hands, and that many ways; Yet such was our Happy State, that we stood then in no need of Mercy; for where Mercy is showed, it is to such that are in Misery; but before Man fell he knew no Misery, Pain or Sorrow; but when God first cast his Eyes upon us, and entered into this Covenant of Peace with his own Son for us, he saw us lie in our Blood, and fallen under his Divine Wrath and Anger; and this indeed the very name of the Covenant of Peace doth import: There was no need of Peace had there not been a War, or a fearful Breach between God and us; and that this Covenant results from God's great Mercy, read again my Text, Saith the Lord ⟨p. 22⟩that hath mercy on thee. 1God foresaw us cast out like a wretched Infant in the day of its Nativity, whose Navel was not cut, neither washed in Water, nor salted, nor swaddled at all; and what doth God say more, None Eye pitied thee to do any of these things for thee, but thou wast cast out in the open Field, to the loathing of thy person in the day thou wast born. This was the time of his Love, and also of his Pity and tender Mercy; And when I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thine own blood, ver. 6. that is, when he was first concerned for us, in this Covenant of Peace, and entered into that holy Compact with his own Son: Behold, thy time was a time of love, and I spread my Skirt over, and covered thy nakedness; yea, and I sware unto thee, and entered into Covenant with thee, saith the Lord, and thou becamest mine. This was the time of God's entering into Covenant with his Elect, viz. it was with them in Christ, and what of this is actually accomplished on us in Time, in our own Persons, is but the execution of all that Grace, Pity and Mercy manifested to us in Christ from Eternity; he then showed his Eternal Purpose of Compassion towards his Chosen, and he then said in his blessed Covenant to them live.
Proposition VIII. And as the Covenant of Peace is the Govenant of Grace; so it results from God as an act of Infinite Mercy; It is therefore a merciful Covenant; it was not made with Man considered in his State of Innocency; for Man, as so considered, could not be the Object of God's Mercy; for tho God appeared very good and gracious to us in our First Creation, and as we came out of his Hands, and that many ways; Yet such was our Happy State, that we stood then in no need of Mercy; for where Mercy is shewed, it is to such that are in Misery; but before Man fell he knew no Misery, Pain or Sorrow; but when God first cast his Eyes upon us, and entered into this Covenant of Peace with his own Son for us, he saw us lie in our Bloud, and fallen under his Divine Wrath and Anger; and this indeed the very name of the Covenant of Peace doth import: There was no need of Peace had there not been a War, or a fearful Breach between God and us; and that this Covenant results from God's great Mercy, read again my Text, Saith the Lord ⟨p. 22⟩that hath mercy on thee. 1God foresaw us cast out like a wretched Infant in the day of its Nativity, whose Navel was not cut, neither washed in Water, nor salted, nor swadled at all; and what doth God say more, None Eye pitied thee to do any of these things for thee, but thou wast cast out in the open Field, to the loathing of thy person in the day thou wast born. This was the time of his Love, and also of his Pity and tender Mercy; And when I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thine own bloud, ver. 6. that is, when he was first concerned for us, in this Covenant of Peace, and entered into that holy Compact with his own Son: Behold, thy time was a time of love, and I spread my Skirt over, and covered thy nakedness; yea, and I sware unto thee, and entered into Covenant with thee, saith the Lord, and thou becamest mine. This was the time of God's entering into Covenant with his Elect, viz. it was with them in Christ, and what of this is actually accomplished on us in Time, in our own Persons, is but the execution of all that Grace, Pity and Mercy manifested to us in Christ from Eternity; he then shewed his Eternal Purpose of Compassion towards his Chosen, and he then said in his blessed Covenant to them live.
- 1Ez. 16.4, 5
