Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	full_a	lord_n	psal_n	2,435	5	7.5110	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29699	Paradice opened, or, The secreets, mysteries, and rarities of divine love, of infinite wisdom, and of wonderful counsel laid open to publick view also, the covenant of grace, and the high and glorious transactions of the Father and the Son in the covenant of redemption opened and improved at large, with the resolution of divers important questions and cases concerning both covenants ... : being the second and last part of The golden key / by Thomas Brooks ...; Golden key to open hidden treasures. Part 2	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1675 (1675)	Wing B4953; ESTC R11759	249,733	284

them So Psal 89. 34. My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth As if he should have said Though they break my Statutes yet will I not break my Covenant for this seems to have reference to the 31 vers If they break my statutes c. Though they had prophaned God's Statutes yet God would not prophane his Covenant as the Hebrew runs My covenant will I not break that is I will stand stedfastly to the performance of it and to every part and branch of it I will never be inconstant I will never be off and on with my people I will never change my purpose nor eat my words nor unsay what I have said So Jer. 33. 20. Thus saith the That is the order that I have set upon the courses and the Revolutions of day and night Lord if you can break my covenant of the day and my covenant of the night and that there shall not be day and night in their season vers 21. Then may also my covenant be broken with my servant David c. It is impossible for any created power to break off the intercourse of night and day so it is impossible for me to break the Covenant that I have made with David my servant the day and night shall as soon fail as my Covenant shall fail So Isa 54. 10. The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Though great and huge mountains should remove yea though heaven and earth Psal 46. 2. should meet yet the Covenant of God with his people shall stand unmoveable The Covenant of God the mercy of God and the loving kindness of God to his people shall last for ever and remain constant and immutable though all things in the world should be turned upside down So Psal 111. 4. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion vers 5. He will ever be mindful of his covenant God looks not at his peoples sins but at his own promise he will pass by their infirmities and supply all their necessities God will never break his Covenant he will never alter his Covenant he will still keep it he will for ever be mindful of it The Covenant of God with his people shall be as inviolable as the course and revolution of day and night and more immoveable than the very hills and mountains From what has been said we may thus argue If God hath by many choice precious and pathetical promises engaged himself to make good that blessed Covenant that he has made with his people then certainly there is a Covenant between God and his people But God hath by many choice precious and pathetical promises engaged himself to make good his Covenant to his people Ergo. I might have laid down several other unanswerable arguments to have evinced this blessed truth That there is a Covenant betwixt God and his people but let these eight suffice for the present Seventhly and lastly premise this with me viz. That it is a matter of high importance and of great concernment 2 Sam. 23. 3 4. for all mortals to have a clear and a right understanding of that Covenant under which they are God deals with all men according to the Covenant under Psal 105. 8. ●sal 111. 5. 1 ●●r 11. 28. Gal. 4. 23 24 25. which they stand we shall never come to understand our spiritual estate and condition till we come to know under what Covenant we are If we are under a Covenant of works our state is miserable If we are under a Covenant of grace ●ur state is happy If we die under a Cov●nant of works we shall be cert●inly damned If we die under ● Cove●ant ●f grace we shall be certainly sav●d 'Till we come to understand under what Covenant we are we shall never be able to put a right construction a right interpretation upon any of God's actions dealings or dispensations towards us When we come to understand that we are under the Covenant of grace then we shall be able to put a sweet a loving and a favourable Rev. 3. 19. J●b 1. 21. Jer. 24. 4 5. Rom. 8. 28. Heb. 12. 10 11. 2 Cor. 4. 15 16 17 18. construction upon the most sharp smart severe and terrible dispensations of God knowing that all flows from love and shall work for our external internal and eternal good and for the advancement of God's honour and glory in the world When we come to understand that we are under a Covenant of works then we shall know that there is wrath and curses and woes wrapped up in the most favourable dispensations and in the greatest Prev 1. 32. Mal. 2. 2. Deut. 28. 15 16 17 18 19 20. Levit. 26. 14 to the 24. 2 Cor. 2. 14. Heb. 12. 1. outward mercies and blessings that Christ confers upon us If a man be under a Covenant of grace and doth not know it how can he rejoyce in the Lord how can he sing out the high praises of God how can he delight himself in the Almighty how can he triumph in Christ Jesus how can he chearfully run the race that is before him how can he bear up bravely and resolutely in his sufferings for the cause of Christ how can he besiege the throne of grace with boldness how can he be temptation proof how can he be dead to this world how can he long to be with Christ in that other world And if a man be under a Covenant of works and doth not know it how can he lament and bewail his sad condition how can he be earnest with God to bring him under the bond of the New Covenant how can he make out after Christ how can he chuse the things that please God how can he cease from doing evil and learn to do well how can he lay hold on eternal life how can he be saved from wrath to come c. If we are under a Covenant of grace and do not know it how can we manage our duties and services with that life love seriousness holiness spiritualness Psal 16. 4. Ames 8. 5. Mal 1. 13. H●s 6. 4. cap. 4. 10. Psal 36. 3. and uprightness as becomes us c. If we are under a Covenant of works and do not know it how rare shall we be in religious duties how weary shall we be of religious duties and how ready shall we be to cast off religious duties By these few things I have been hinting at you may easily discern how greatly it concerns all sorts of persons to know what Covenant they are under whether they are under the first or second Covenant whether they are under a Covenant of works or a Covenant of grace Now having premised these seven things my way is clear to that I would be at which is this viz. That there are

work of Creation Again the works of Providence are great very great in the eye of God of Angels of men but what are the work● of Providence to the works of Redemption for in order to the accomplishment of that great work Christ must put off his Royal Rob●s take a journey from heaven to earth assume our nature do and die c. Again the work of Redemption by Christ will be sound a great work if you will but compare it with those Redemptions that were but Types of this Israel's Redemption from their Egyptian Bondage and from their Babilonish Bondage were very great Redemptions that were brought about by a strong hand a mighty hand and an out-stretched arm as the Scripture speaks But alas what were those Redemptions to our being redeemed from the love of sin the guilt of sin the dominion of sin the damnatory power of sin and to our being redeemed from the power of Satan the curse 1 T●●s 1. 〈…〉 of the Law Hell and wrath to come Lastly the great things that are wrapped up in the womb in the belly of Redemption speak out our Redemption by Christ to be a very great Redemption in the womb of this Redemption you shall find reconciliation justification adoption eternal salvation c. and are not these great very great things surely yes But A Second excellent Property of that Redemption that we have by Christ is this that its a free and gracious Redemption All the rounds in this Ladder of Redemption are made up of free rich and soveraign grace though our Redemption cost Christ dear as has been before hinted yet as to us it is most free Eph. 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his bl●od the forgiveness of sins according 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this word properly signi●ies a deliverance which is brought to pass by ●●●ing of a ran●●● and price 〈◊〉 Mat. 20. 28. 1 ●●r 6. 20. 1 〈◊〉 1. 18. to the riches of his grace that is according to his exceeding great and abundant grace Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus our Redemption is from the free love and favour of God It was free grace that put God the father upon finding out a way for the redemption of lost sinners It was free Grace that put God upon providing of such a surety as should undertake the work of Redemption as should carry on the work of Redemption and as should accomplish and compleat the work of Redemption And it was free grace that moved God the father to accept of what Christ did and suffered in order to the bringing about of our Redemption and it is free Grace that moves God to make an application of this Redemption to the souls of his people Ah poor souls the Lord looks not neither Isa 52. 3. for money nor moneys worth from you towards the purchase of your Redemption and therefore always look upon your Redemption as the mere fruit of rich Grace But The Third excellent Property of that Redemption that we have by Jesus Christ is this it is a full and plenteous Redemption Psal 130. 7. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption Christ redeems us from all sin and from all Tit. 2. 14. Hos 13. 14. the consequences of sin he redeems from death and from the power of the grave he redeems us from the Rom. 7. 6. Gal. 4. 5. Gal. 3. 13. Law and from the malediction of the Law Christ took that off he was made a curse for all that believe on him he did not only stand in the room of eminent believers but he stood in the room of all believers and endured the wrath of God to the uttermost for every one that believeth on him Every believer is freed from a cursed estate by the least faith every degree of true faith makes the condition to be a state of life and passeth us from death and condemnation There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus And Christ redeems us from this present Rom. 8. 1. Gal. 1. 4. Rev. 14. 3 4. 1 Thes 1. 10. Luk. 1. 71 74. evil world and from the earth and from among men and from wrath to come and from the hands of all our enemies Jesus Christ hath gone thorough-stitch with the work of our Redemption Christ does not his work by halves all his works are perfect there is no defect or flaw in them at all Christ does not redeem us from some of our sins and leave us to grapple with the rest he doth not work out some part of our Redemption and leave us to work out the rest he doth not bear the heat and burden of divine wrath in part and leave us to wrestle with other parts of divine wrath O! no Christ makes most complete work of it he redeems us from all our iniquities he delivers us out of the hands of all our enemies he pays Heb. 7. 25. all debts he cuts all scores he delivers from all wrath he takes off the whole curse he saves to the uttermost and will settle us in a state of full and perfect freedom when grace shall be turned into glory in heaven our Redemption shall be entire and and perfect The Fourth excellent Property of that Redemption that we have by Jesus Christ is this It is an eternal a permanent a lasting yea an everlasting Redemption Heb. 9. 12. Neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained e●ernal redemption for us Redemption is in general Exod. 6. 6. a freeing one out of thraldom Now this is done three ways 1. By interceding and pacifying wrath Thus the Prophet Oded procured Redemption for the Captives 2 Chron. 28. 9 c. of Judah by his intercession 2. By force and might Thus Abraham redeemed his brother Lot and the people that Gen. 14. 16. were captives with him by overcoming their enemies 3. By ransom or paying a price Thus an Hebrew that Levit. 25. 48 49. was sold a slave to a stranger might be redeemed by one of his brethren the last of these is most agreeable to the notation of the several words which in the three learned languages do signify to redeem though the last be especially intended In that mention is made of a price namely Christ's blood yet the other two are not altogether exempted for Christ hath all those three ways redeemed his people This will more clearly appear if we duly weigh the distinct kinds of bondage in which we Ma● 6. 12. Eph. 2 3. Heb. 2. 143 5. were by reason of sin 1. We were debtors to Divine Justice 2. We were children of wrath 3. We were slaves to Satan 1. As debtors Christ hath paid a ransom for us 2. As children of wrath Christ makes intercession for us 3. But though Divine

creature by vertue of the Covenant and according to the Covenant By the blood of the Covenant Luk 16. 24 25. believers are delivered from the infernal pit where there is not so much water as might cool Dives his tongue and by the blood of the Covenant they are delivered from those deaths and dangers that do surround 2 Cor. 1. 8 9 10. them When sincere Christians fall into desperate distresses and most deadly dangers yet they are prisoners of hope and may look for deliverance by the blood of the Covenant this does sufficiently evince a Covenant betwixt God and his people But Fifthly God has threatned severely to avenge and punish the quarrel of his Covenant Levit. 26. 25. And I Deut. 29. 20 21 24 25. cap. 31. 20 21. J●s● 7. 11 12 15. cap. 23. 15 16. Ju●● ● 20. 2 King 18 9 10 11 12. will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant or which shall avenge the vengeance of the Covenant c. consult the Scriptures in the m●●ge●t Breach of Covenant betwixt God and man breaks the peace and breeds a quarrel betwixt them in which he will take vengeance of man's revolt except there be repentance on man's side and pardoning grace on his For breach of Covenant Jerusalem is long since laid waste and the seven golden candlesticks broken in pieces and many others this day lie a bleeding in the Nations who have made no more of breaking Covenant with the great God than if therein they had to do with poor mortals with dust and ashes like themselves Now how can there be such a sin as breach of Covenant for which God will be avenged if there were no Covenant betwixt God and his people But Sixthly The seals of the Covenant are given to God's people Now to those to whom the seals of the Covenant I● reason the Cove●ant and the S●●ls must go together Were it no● a fond and foolish thing in any man to make a Covenant with ●●e and to gi●e the seals to ano 〈…〉 In Equity and Justice the Co●enant and Seals must go to the same persons are given with them is the Covenant mad● for the seals of the Covenant and the Covenant go to the same persons But the seals of the Covenant are given to believers Abraham receives the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith Rom. 4. 11. Ergo the Covenant is made with believers Circumcision is a sign in regard of the thing signified and a seal in regard of the Covenant made betwixt God and man Seal is a borrowed word taken from Kings and Princes who add their broad seal or privy seal to ratifie and confirm the Leagues Edicts Grants Covenants Charters that are made with their Subjects or Confederates God had made a Covenant with Abraham and by circumcision signs and seals up that Covenant But Seventhly The people of God are said sometimes to keep Covenant with God Psal 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies Mercies flowing in upon us through the Covenant are of all mercies the most soul-satisfying soul-refreshing soul cheering mercies yea they are the very cream of mercy Oh how well is it with that Saint that can look upon every mercy as a present sent him from heaven by vertue of the Covenant Oh this sweetens every drop and sip and crust and crum of mercy that a Christian enjoys that all flows in upon him through the Covenant The promise last cited is a very sweet choice precious promise a promise more worth than all the riches of the Indies Mark All the paths of the Lord to his people they are not only mercy but they are mercy and truth that is they are sure mercies that stream in upon them through the Covenant Solomon's dinner Prov. 15. 17. D●● 1. 12. John 6. 9. of green herbs Daniel's pulse Barley loaves and a sew fishes swimming in upon a Christian through the New Covenant are far better greater and sweeter mercies than all those great things are that flow in upon the great men of the world through that general providence that feeds the birds of the air and the beasts of the field Psal 44. 17. Yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant that is We have kept Covenant with thee by endeavouring to the uttermost of our power to keep off from the breach of thy Covenant and to live up to the duties of thy Covenant suitable to that of the Prophet Micah We will walk in the name of the Lord our Mi●ha 4. 5. God for ever and ever Persons in Covenant with God will not only take a turn or two in his ways as Temporaries and Hypocrites do who are hot at hand but soon tire and give in but they will hold on in a course of holiness Rev 14. 4. and not fail to follow the Lamb withersoever he Cap. 17. 14. goes Psal 103. 17. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting vers 18. To such as keep his Covenant c. All sincere Christians they keep Covenant with God 1. In respect of their cordial desires to keep Covenant ●●em 1. ult 〈…〉 119. 133. Psal 39. 1 2. with God 2. In respect of their habitual purposes and resolutions to keep Covenant with God 3. In respect of their habitual and constant endeavours to keep Covenant with God This is an Evangelical and incompleat keeping Covenant with God which in Christ God owns and accepts and is as well pleased with it as he was with Adam's keeping of Covenant with him before his fall From what has been said we may thus argue Those that keep Covenant with God those are in Covenant with God those have made a Covenant with God But all sincer● Christians they do keep Covenant with God Ergo But Eighthly a●d lastly The Lord hath by many choice precious and pathetical promises engaged himself to make 2 Pet. 1. 4. good that blessed Covenant that he has made with his people yea with his choice and chosen ones take a few instances If ye hearken to these judgments saith God to Deut. 7. 12. Israel and keep and do them The Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto Under the name Ju●gments th● Commandments and Statutes of God are contained thy fathers This blessed Covenant is grounded upon God's free grace and therefore in recompencing their obedience God hath a respect to his own mercy and not to their merits So Judg. 2. 1. I made you to go up out of Egypt and have brought you into the land which I sware unto your fathers and I said I will never break my covenant with you God is a God of mercy and his Covenant with his people is a Covenant of mercy and therefore he will be sure to keep touch with

we consider all men as Rom. 5. 12. involved in the first transgression of the Covenant they must all needs perish without a Saviour this is the miserable condition that all mortals are in that are under a Covenant of works But Secondly Such as are under a Covenant of works their best and choicest duties are rejected and abhorred for the least miscarriages or blemishes that do attend them or cleave to them Observe the dreadful language of that Covenant of works Cursed is he that continueth not in all Gal. 3. 10. things that are written in the law of God to do them Hence it is that the best duties of all unregenerate persons are loathed and abhorred by God as you may clearly see by Isa 1. 11 12 13 14 15. Jer. 6. 20. Isa 66. 3. Am●s 5. ●1 Mic. 6. 6. Mal. 1. 10. comparing the Scriptures in the margent together the most glorious duties and the most splendid performances of those that are under a Covenant of works are loathsome to God for the least mistake that doth accompany them The Covenant of works deals with men according to the exactest terms of strict justice it doth not make nor allow any favourable or gracious interpretation as the Covenant of grace doth the very least failour exposes the soul to wrath to great wrath to everlasting wrath This Covenant is not a Covenant of mercy but of pure justice But Thirdly This Covenant admits of no Mediator There was no days-man betwixt God and man none to stand Hence this Covenant is called by some Pa●tum ami● 〈◊〉 a Covenant of friendship between them neither was there any need of a Mediator for God and man were at no distance at no variance man was then righteous perfectly righteous now the proper work of a Mediator is to make peace and reconciliation between God and us At the first in the state of innocency there was peace and friendship between God and man there was no enmity in God's heart towards man nor no enmity in man's heart towards God But upon the fall a breach and separation was made between God and man so that man flies from God and hides from Gen. 3. 8 9 10. God and trembles at the voice of God Fallen man is now turned Rebel and is become a desperate enemy to God yea his heart is full of enmity against God The Rom. 8. 7. wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God not an enemy as the Vulgar Latine readeth it but enmity in the abstract The word signifies the act of a carnal mind comprehending thoughts desire discourse c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the words noting an excess of enmity As when we see a proud man we say there goes pride so here is enmity nothing can be said more for an enemy may be reconciled but enmity can never a vicious man may become vertuous but vice cannot There are natural Antipathies between some creatures as between the Lyon and the Cock the Elephant and the Boar the Camel and the Horse the Eagle and the Dragon c. But what are all these Antipathies to that antipathy and enmity that is in the hearts of all carnal men against God Now whilst men stand under a Covenant of works there is none to interpose by way of mediation but fallen man lies open to the wrath of God and to all the curses that are written in his book When breaches are made between God and man under the Covenant of grace there is a Mediator to interpose and to make up all such breaches but under the Covenant of works there is no Mediator to interpose between God and fallen man These three things I have hinted a little at on purpose to work my reader if under a Covenant of works to be restless till he be got from under that Covenant into the Covenant of grace where alone lies man's safety felicity happiness and comfort Now this consideration leads me by the hand to tell you Secondly That there is a Covenant of grace that all believers all sincere Christians all real Saints are under for under these two Covenants all mankind fall The Apostle calls this Covenant of grace The law of faith Rom. ● ●● Now First this Covenant of grace is sometimes stiled an everlasting Covenant Isa 55. 3. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David You need not question my security in respect of the great things that I have propounded and promised in my word for the encouragement of your faith and hope for I will give you my bond for all I have spoken which 2 Sam. 23. 5. shall be as surely made good to you as the mercies that I have performed to my servant David The word everlasting hath two acceptations it doth denote 1. Sometimes a long duration in which respect the old Covenant cloathed with figures and ceremonies is called everlasting because it was to endure and did endure a Psal 105. 9 10. Heb. 13. 2 c. long time 2. Sometimes it denotes a perpetual duration a duration which shall last for ever In this respect the Covenant of grace is everlasting it shall never cease never be broken nor never be altered Now the Covenant of grace is an everlasting Covenant in a twofold respect First ●x parte faede●antis in respect of God who will never break Covenant with his people but is their God ●it 1. 2. Psal 90. 2. and will be their God for ever and ever Psal 48. 14. For this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our God even unto death I and after death too for this is not to be taken exclusively oh no! for he will never never Five times in scripture i● this pre●ious o● 〈◊〉 renewed Joh. 1. 5. Deut. 31. 8. 1 King ● 57. Gen. 28. 15. That we may be 〈◊〉 a pre●●ing of it ti●l we ha●e 〈◊〉 all the 〈◊〉 out of ●● Isa 66. 11. leave them nor forsake them Heb. 13. 5. There are five Negatives in the Greek to assure God's people that he will never forsake them According to the Greek it may be rendred thus I will not not leave thee neither will I not not forsake thee Leave us God may to our thinking leave us but forsake us he will not So Psal 89. 34. My Covenant will I not break Heb. I will not prophane my Covenant nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth Heb. The issue of my lips I will not alter Though God's people should prophane his Statutes vers 31. yet God will not prophane his Covenant though his people often break with him yet he will never break with them though they may be inconstant yet God will be constant to his Covenant Isa 54. ●0 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on

us not shrink nor saint nor grow weary under our greatest sufferings for Christ when sufferings multiply when they are sharp when they are more bitter than Gall or Wormwood yea more bitter than death it self then Remember the Covenant of Redemption and how punctually Christ made good all the Articles of it on his side and then saint and give out if you can Well may I be afraid but I do not therefore despair for I think Austin upon and remember the wounds of the Lord saith one Nolo vivere sine vulnere cum te video vulneratum Ob my God as long as I see thy wounds I will never live without wound saith another Crux Christi clavis Paradisi The Damas●●n Cross of Christ is the Golden Key that opens Paradise to us saith one I had rather with the Martyrs and Consessors have my Saviour's Cross than with their Persecutors the worlds Crown the harder we are put to it the greater shall be our reward in heaven saith another Gardius the Martyr hit the nail when he said it is to my loss if you Chrysost●m ab●●e me any thing in my sufferings If you suffer not for Religion you will suffer for a worse thing saith one V●n●●mi●s Never did any man serve me better than you serve me said another to his Persecutors Adversus gentes gratias agimus quod à molestis dominis liberemur We thank you for delivering us from hard Task-masters that we may enjoy more sweetly the bosom of our Lord Jesus said the Martyrs 'T was a notable saying of ●●●her Ecclesia totum mundum convertit sanguine oratione the Church converteth the whole world by blood and prayers They may kill me said Socrates of his enemies but they cannot hurt me so may the redeemed of the Lord say they may take away my head but they cannot take away my Crown of life of righteousness of glory of immortality The Lacedemonians Rev. 2. 10. 2 lim 4. 8. 1 Pe● 5. 4. 5. were wont to say it is a shame for any man to fly in time of danger but for a Lacedemonian it is a shame for him to deliberate Oh what a shame is it for Christians when they look upon the Covenant of Redemption so much as to deliberate whether they were best suffer for Christ or no. Petrus Blesensis has long since observed that the Courtiers of his time suffered as great trouble and as many vexations for vanity as good Christians did for the truth the Courtiers suffered weariness and painfulness hunger and thirst with all the Catalogue of Paul's afflictions and what can the best Saints suffer more Now shall men that are strangers to the Covenant of Redemption suffer such hard and great things for their lusts for very vanity and will not you who are acquainted with the Covenant of Redemption and who are interested in the Covenant of Redemption be ready and willing to suffer any thing for that Jesus who according to the Covenant of Redemption has suffered such dreadful things for you and merited such glorious things for you But Thirdly From this Covenant of Redemption as we have opened it you may see what infinite cause we have to be swallowed up in the admiration of the Father's love in entring into this Covenant and in making good all the Articles of this Covenant on his side When man was fallen from his primitive purity and glory from his holiness God so loved his Son that he gave him all the world for his possession Psal 2. 8. But he so loved the world that he gave Son and all for its Redemption Bernard and happiness from his freedom and liberty into a most woful gulf of sin and misery when Angels and men were all at a loss and knew no way or means whereby fallen man might be raised restored and saved that then God should firstly and freely propose this Covenant and enter into this Covenant that miserable man might be saved from wrath to come and raised and settled in a more safe high and happy estate than that was from which he was fallen in Adam Oh what wonderful what amazing love is this Abraham manifested a great deal of love to God in offering up of his only Isaac but God Gen. 22. 12. has shewed far greater love to poor sinners in making his only Son an offering for their sins for 1. God loved Christ with a more transcendent love than Abraham could Joh. 10. 18. Heb. 10. 10 12. love Isaac 2. God was not bound by the commandment of a superiour to do it as Abraham was 3. God freely and voluntarily did it which Abraham would never have done without a commandment 4. Isaac was to be offered after the manner of holy Sacrifices but Christ suffered an ignominious death after the manner of Thieves 5. Isaac was all along in the hands of a tender Father but Christ was all along in the hands of barbarous enemies 6. Isaac was offered but in shew but Christ was offered indeed and in very good earnest Is not this an excess yea a miracle of love 'T is good to be always a musing upon this love and delighting our selves in this love But Fourthly From this Covenant of Redemption as we have opened it you may see what signal cause we have to be deeply affected with the love of Jesus Christ who roundly and readily falls in with this Covenant and who has faithfully performed all the Articles of this Covenant had not Jesus Christ kept touch with his Father as to every Article of the Covenant of Redemption he could never have saved us nor have satisfied Divine Justice nor have been admitted into heaven That Jesus Christ might make full satisfaction for all our sins He was made a curse Gal. 3 13. for us whereby he hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law All his sufferings were for us All that can be desired of God by man is mercy and truth mercy in regard of our misery truth in reference to God's promises That which moved Christ to engage himself as a Surety for us was his respect to God and man To God for the honour of his Name neither the mercy nor the truth nor the justice of God had been so conspicuously manifested if Jesus Christ had not been our Surety To man and that to help us in our succourless and desperate estate No creature either would or could discharge that debt wherein man stood obliged to the justice of God This is a mighty evidence of the endless love of Christ this is an evidence of the endless and matchless love of Christ We count it a great evidence of love for a friend to be surety for us when we intend no damage to him thereupon but if a man be surety for that which he knoweth the principal debtor is not able to pay and thereupon purposeth to pay it himself this we look upon as an extraordinary evidence of love