A59035:402
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.
'Tis true, and so you should find it, if God dealt with you according to your deservings; but your God is a gracious God, and deals with his people, not in a rigorous way, but in a gracious way, of loving kindness and mercies.
'Tis true, and so you should finde it, if God dealt with you according to your deservings; but your God is a gracious God, and deales with his people, not in a rigorous way, but in a gracious way, of loving kindnesse and mercies.
2. Is the gracious God your God? then all your mercies are sure: you shall assuredly possess them, and inherit them: The children of grace are the surest 1heirs of mercy: It is of grace that the promise might be sure, Rom. 4. 16. Beloved! If God had Covenanted with you to be your God upon a respect to your works, and not upon a sole respect to his own graciousness; and if he had promised you mercies, and other blessings, upon a bargain for your goodness, and not upon a foundation in his own graciousness; neither could God be sure to you, nor could the mercies of God be sure to you. Adam had as much (in a way of works) to have perpetuated, and ensured, and settled God and mercies upon himself, and more than ever we shall have, and yet all became unsure unto him; much more would it be with us, if God and we should traffic that way; If God should say to any of us, I promise to be your God, and to give you all blessings, upon condition of your perfect, constant obedience; your never failing obeying of my will, shall be the condition, and the reason of your certain enjoyment of me! I dare aver it, that our enjoyment of God, and the good things by him promised would not be certain, or sure unto us not one day, not one hour, nay, hardly one minute. But there comes the certainty of enjoying of God, and of his promised mercies, viz. the grace or the graciousness of God, I am freely yours, I will love you freely, I will bless you freely for mine own sake, though not for your sake.