A59035:1140
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.
3. Consider persons comparatively with other persons; you shall find that the 1taking of any person into Covenant is gracious and free; in comparing of persons with persons, ordinarily God passeth by those on whom we should six admiration, and look at some cause and reasons of pre-acceptation, and chooseth those, and brings in those in whom nothing at all is to be pre-supposed. Sometimes he passeth by the greater persons, and takes in the meaner persons, he passeth by the wise, and takes in the foolish; he passeth by the mighty, and takes in the weak; he passeth by the noble, and takes in the base. 1 Cor. 1. 2•. Not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. Ver. 27. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, and the weak things of the world. Ver. 28. and base things of the world, and things which are despised, and things which are not. Ver. 29. that no flesh should glory in his presence. So sometimes of persons, whereof some are more notorious and wicked, and vile, and others are not so abominable; he is pleased to leave the lesser sort of sinners, and to bring in the vilest of sinners; Publicans and Harlots were brought in into the Kingdom of God, when the superstitious and righteous Pharisees were excluded; Paul the chiefest of sinners was taken in, and others were left; Mary Magdalen was brought in, and others past by; and why doth God do this, but that men should acknowledge that it is no worthiness of the sin; that brings him in, nor any unworthiness of the sinner that shuts him out? but all springs from the grace of God alone; that he brings not in any sinner upon his own account, but only upon the account of free grace.
3. Consider persons comparatively with other persons; you shall finde that the 1taking of any person into Covenant is gracious and free; in comparing of persons with persons, ordinarily God passeth by those on whom we should six admiration, and look at some cause and reasons of pre-acceptation, and chooseth those, and brings in those in whom nothing at all is to be pre-supposed. Sometimes he passeth by the greater persons, and takes in the meaner persons, he passeth by the wise, and takes in the foolish; he passeth by the mighty, and takes in the weak; he passeth by the noble, and takes in the base.