A47489:62
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.
Answ. I wonder at this Expression: was not the Covenant of Grace, (as I said before) made with us in Christ, as our Head and Representative before the Foundation of the World? and was not those Covenanting Transactions as well as the Spring or Fountain of the cause of all the Grace we receive in the Covenant of Grace, upon the Account of what Christ Covenanted to do, and suffer for us, or in our room and stead: True, the Members were not actually in Being, but the Head was; and if it be not thus, what doth the Apostle mean? Tit. 1.2. In hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised before the World began. It could not actually be promised to us, we (as they say) having then no Being; therefore it was promised to us in our Head: with whom the Covenant was then for us made? was not Christ set up as Mediator from Everlasting? Was not then the Covenant of Grace as Ancient? We were considered in him, because chosen in him; tho' Christ's Redemption was not the cause of our Election, yet we were chosen in him as our Head and Redeemer; therefore I say, the Stipulation of the Covenant of Grace, was from Eternity, and the Revelation of it was in time, and not till Man had sinned, and broke the Covenant of Works: so that it was more then by Decree and Purpose; the Covenant of Grace in my Text, is called an Everlasting Covenant, and it may refer before time, as well as after all time; even from Eternity to Eternity.
Answ. I wonder at this Expression: was not the Covenant of Grace, (as I said before) made with us in Christ, as our Head and Representative before the Foundation of the World? and was not those Covenanting Transactions as well as the Spring or Fountain of the cause of all the Grace we receive in the Covenant of Grace, upon the Account of what Christ Covenanted to do, and suffer for us, or in our room and stead: True, the Members were not actually in Being, but the Head was; and if it be not thus, what doth the Apostle mean? Tit. 1.2. In hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised before the World began. It could not actually be promised to us, we (as they say) having then no Being; therefore it was promised to us in our Head: with whom the Covenant was then for us made? was not Christ set up as Mediator from Everlasting? Was not then the Covenant of Grace as Ancient? We were consider'd in him, because chosen in him; tho' Christ's Redemption was not the cause of our Election, yet we were chosen in him as our Head and Redeemer; therefore I say, the Stipulation of the Covenant of Grace, was from Eternity, and the Revelation of it was in time, and not till Man had sinned, and broke the Covenant of Works: so that it was more then by Decree and Purpose; the Covenant of Grace in my Text, is called an Everlasting Covenant, and it may referr before time, as well as after all time; even from Eternity to Eternity.