A47489:115
The everlasting covenant, a sweet cordial for a drooping soul, or, The excellent nature…
The everlasting covenant, a sweet cordial for a drooping soul, or, The excellent nature of the covenant of grace opened in a sermon preached January the 29th, at the funeral of Mr. Henry Forty, late pastor of a Church of Christ, at Abingdon, in the county of Berks, who departed this life Jan. 25th 1692/3 and was interred at Southwark ... : to which is added, An elegy on the death of the said minister / by Benjamin Keach ...The everlasting covenant, a sweet cordial for a drooping soul, or, The excellent nature of the covenant of grace opened in a sermon preached January the 29th, at the funeral of Mr. Henry Forty, late pastor of a Church of Christ, at Abingdon, in the county of Berks, who departed this life Jan. 25th 1692/3 and was interr'd at Southwark ... : to which is added, An elegy on the death of the said minister / by Benjamine Keach ...
London: printed for H. Barnard, 1693
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
1. The Sovereignty of God shines forth gloriously in the Contrivance and bringing in this Covenant; for God he having Absolute Dominion for ever over the Works of his Hands, to dispose and determine them as seemeth him good; and doubtless to manifest his own Sovereignty, he created both Angels and Men; And part of the first sinning against him, he leaves for ever under that Wrath and Misery they brought upon themselves; and the other he determined out of his Sovereignty to confirm in their Primitive State.
And also part of Mankind he left under that Wrath they brought upon themselves by original and actual Iniquity, and affords no eternal Redemption to; and indeed, 'tis only Sovereign Grace he afforded a Saviour for any of the Off-spring of fallen Man: for he was not under any Obligation to enter into a Covenant for any of them, any more than he was not to redeem the fallen Angels: he would therefore have been just, if he had let us all have perished under Sin, and his own fearful Wrath, as he dealt by them.
And also part of Mankind he left under that Wrath they brought upon themselves by original and actual Iniquity, and affords no eternal Redemption to; and indeed, 'tis only Sovereign Grace he afforded a Saviour for any of the Off-spring of fall'n Man: for he was not under any Obligation to enter into a Covenant for any of them, any more than he was not to redeem the fall'n Angels: he would therefore have been just, if he had let us all have perished under Sin, and his own fearful Wrath, as he dealt by them.
2dly, His infinite Wisdom shines forth in this gracious Covenant, and hence the Gospel is called the manifold Wisdom of God, Eph. 3.10. which may refer to the whole Economy of our Redemption, as also to the several Forms and Manners of God's revealing of it to his Church and People: 'tis called the Wisdom of God in a Mystery, even his hidden Wisdom which was ordained before the World began to our Glory,