A47489:161
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.
Thus Christ, and his Seed, are but one Party in the Covenant of Grace, as it was primarily made between the Father and Son, who was set up from everlasting, as our Head. And thus, in Christ, Grace was gave to us before the World began, as the Apostle saith, 2 Tim. 1.9. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose, which was given to us in Christ, before the world began. Christ therefore became Surety for us, to make firm and sure, all Covenant Blessing, to us; indeed if Man could not, did not stand, but break Covenant with God, when he had no Sin, no depraved Nature, when he had Power to have performed his Covenant with his Maker, How unlikely was it, that we (who are so corrupted, so weak and feeble, so depraved in every Faculty, no Power to do that which is spiritual Good, that are attended with such a Body of Sin and Death, Rom. 4.24.) to undertake to enter into Covenant with God any more? or, What Reason is there for us to think, God would trust us without Security, and the Suretyship of another Person, whom he knew well, could not fail? He said, That he would lose nothing that was given him; none of his Sheep shall perish, Joh. 10.38. and ver. 28.
2. This Covenant is made upon the unchangeable Decree and Council of God, and his Decrees are compared to Mountains of Brass, Psal. 89.28. to the 34 My mercy will I keep with him for ever, and my covenant shall stand fast with him, his seed shall endure for ever, &c. ver. 28, 29. My covenant I will not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth, ver. 34. If you can break my covenant of the day and night, then may also my covenant be broken with David, Jer. 33.20, 21. 'Tis the free Promise of God, like the Covenant of Day and Night; and this stands upon the Pass of God's eternal Counsel; therefore, 'tis sure.