A59035:1141
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. Lastly, the Covenant is free as to the dispensations and donations of it; what 1is that? that is all that drops out of this Covenant; all that good flowing from it, and running down upon us, are only gracious flowings, only free bounties and gifts. The Papists talk of a meritum de congruo, whiles we are in the state of nature; and of a meritum de condigno, after we are in the state of grace. But we know no merit but that of sin which deserves damnation; and the merit of Christ which deserves salvation; All our standing, and all our expectation it the grace of God, that is the reason of all our enjoyments; God doth not give us Christ because we deserve a Christ, but because he is pleased freely to bestow Christ upon us; God doth not forgive our sins for our own sake, but for his own Name sake. God doth not love us for any thing in us, but he loves us freely, because he is pleased to love us; God doth not save us for any works of ours, but he saves us for his mercies sake; God doth not bless us for our goodness sake, but he blesseth us only for his Christs sake, and his promises sake: God doth not justify us for the sake of our own righteousness, but he justifies us freely by his own grace, through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Romans 3. 24.
3. Lastly, the Covenant is free as to the dispensations and donations of it; what 1is that? that is all that drops out of this Covenant; all that good flowing from it, and running down upon us, are only gracious flowings, only free bounties and gifts. The Papists talk of a meritum de congruo, whiles we are in the state of nature; and of a meritum de condigno, after we are in the state of grace. But we know no merit but that of sin which deserves damnation; and the merit of Christ which deserves salvation; All our standing, and all our expectation it the grace of God, that is the reason of all our enjoyments; God doth not give us Christ because we deserve a Christ, but because he is pleased freely to bestow Christ upon us; God doth not forgive our sins for our own sake, but for his own Name sake. God doth not love us for any thing in us, but he loves us freely, because he is pleased to love us; God doth not save us for any works of ours, but he saves us for his mercies sake; God doth not blesse us for our goodnesse sake, but he blesseth us only for his Christs sake, and his promises sake: God doth not justifie us for the sake of our own righteousnesse, but he justifies us freely by his own grace, through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus,