N05035:113
An humble inquiry into the rules of the Word of God, concerning the qualifications…
An humble inquiry into the rules of the Word of God, concerning the qualifications requisite to a complete standing and full communion in the visible Christian church. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Northampton. ; With an appendix by Mr. Foxcroft. ; [Ten lines of quotations]An humble inquiry into the rules of the Word of God, concerning the qualifications requisite to a compleat standing and full communion in the visible Christian church. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Northampton. ; With an appendix by Mr. Foxcroft. ; [Ten lines of quotations]
Boston: : Printed & sold by S. Kneeland in Queenstreet, 1749
Title page typeset from the transcription.
An Inquiry into the Qualifications for full Communion in the visibl… › Part 2
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 to return to the Argument from the Nature of covenanting with God, or owning God's Covenant: As to the Promises, which are herein, either explicitly or implicitly, made; the making these Promises implies a Profession of true Piety. For in the Covenant of Grace universal Obedience ⟨p. 37⟩is engaged, Obedience to all the Commands of God; and the Performance of inward spiritual Duties is as much engaged in the Covenant of Grace, as external Duties; and in some Respects much more. Therefore he that visibly makes the Covenant of Grace his own, promises to perform those internal Duties, and to perform all Duties with a gracious Sincerity. We have no Warrant; in our Profession of God's Covenant, to divide the Duties of it, to take some and leave out others: Especially have we not Warrant to leave out those great Commands of believing with the Heart, of loving the Lord our God with all our Heart and with all our Soul, and our Neighbour as our selves: He that leaves out these, in Effect leaves out all; for these are the Sum of our whole Duty, and of all God's Commands: If we leave these out of our Profession, surely it is not the Covenant of Grace, which we profess. The Israelites when they covenanted with God at Mount Sinai, and said, when God had declared to 'em the ten Commandments, All that the Lord hath spoken will we do and be obedient; their Promise implied, that as they professed to know God, they would in Works not deny, but own and honour him, and would be careful to conform to those two great Commandments, which are the Sum of all the ten, and concerning which God said, These Words which I command thee this Day, shall be in thine Heart. Deut. vi. 7.—So, when they covenanted on the Plains of Moab, they promised to keep and do God's Commands with all their Heart and with all their Soul, as is very evident by Deut. xxvi. 16, 17. So it was also when the People owned their Covenant in Asa's Time, 2 Chron. xv. 12. They entered into a Covenant to seek the Lord God of their Fathers with all their Heart and with all their Soul. We have also another remarkable Instance, 2 Kings xxiii. 3. &