A59035:110
The bowels of tender mercy sealed in the everlasting covenant wherein is set forth…
The bowels of tender mercy sealed in the everlasting covenant wherein is set forth the nature, conditions and excellencies of it, and how a sinner should do to enter into it, and the danger of refusing this covenant-relation : also the treasures of grace, blessings, comforts, promises and privileges that are comprised in the covenant of Gods free and rich mercy made in Jesus Christ with believers / by that faithful and reverend divine, Mr Obadiah Sedgwick ... ; perfected and intended for the press, therefore corrected and lately revised by himself, and published by his own manuscript ...The bowels of tender mercy sealed in the everlasting covenant wherein is set forth the nature, conditions and excellencies of it, and how a sinner should do to enter into it, and the danger of refusing this covenant-relation : also the treasures of grace, blessings, comforts, promises and priviledges that are comprized in the covenant of Gods free and rich mercy made in Jesus Christ with believers / by that faithful and reverend divine, Mr Obadiah Sedgwick ... ; perfected and intended for the press, therefore corrected and lately revised by himself, and published by his own manuscript ...
London: printed by Edward Mottershed for Adoniram Byfield, 1661
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.
Now here fall in two notable questions.
1. Question. Whither faith were not required in the Covenant of works?1
- 1Whether faith were not required in the Covenant of works. How faith was rerequired.
Sol. To this I answer three things.
1. Faith was required in the Covenant of works, as Faith may be taken, either for a dependence on God the only Author of being and blessing, or for an expectation of that good of life, which God promised with a reliance upon God for it; or for a persuasion of Gods love to him, and acceptance of his obedience whilst continuing upright with God. As to these considerations of faith, Adam (who lived under the Covenant of works) had faith, and did exercise it: for he was bound to acknowledge God as the only fountain of his good, and to depend upon him as so: And he was bound to believe the possession of that life which God promised to him, whilst he should continue perfectly obedient: and likewise he was bound to be persuaded of the love of God unto him in that course of obedience, and also the acceptance of his obediential services unto God.