Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	according_a	lord_n	love_a	2,028	5	9.4424	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54589	The difference between the old and new covenant stated and explained with an exposition of the covenant of grace in the principal concernments of it / by Samuel Petto ...	Petto, Samuel, 1624?-1711.	1674 (1674)	Wing P1896; ESTC R31110	148,845	372

Works though in its execution and application it cometh after and presupposeth the breaking of it As a healing balsam may be prepared before the wound is made and a salve before there be a sore although the applying thereof be afterward So the Covenant of grace was made from Eternity not actually with us in our own persons but with Jesus Christ for us as our great Feoffee in trust though we then were unborn and had not a being Corol. 7. Hence the whole contrivement of the Covenant of grace must be ascribed to God alone seeing it was from all Eternity No creature was then existing to have any hand or stroke therein there was none to counsel advise or perswade this way It was conceived in the heart and bosome of God and none but he had to do in the concluding of it and so he is alone to be magnified and extolled therein A Christian as one transported may cry out on this account as Isa 25. 1. O Lord I will exalt thee for thou hast done wonderful things thy Counsels of old are faithfulness and truth Now there is no room for our boasting nothing to be ascribed to our selves God alone is to be admired in Covenant grace seeing it was working towards as from all Eternity 2 Tim. 1. 9. It is said to be not according to our Works The Eternity of our mercy is exclusive of our duty as any cause of his affording of it This putteth a glory upon Covenant grace and love that it is antient before the world began Corol. 8. Hence there is stability is Covenant mercies seeing that compact which giveth assurance thereof was from all Eternity Saith he Psal 25. 6. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses Why For they have been ever of old The antientness thereof is a good argument to urge for the obtainment of them We may have hope to receive what the Lord was so early determined to give out 2 Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure The apostasie of eminent professors is a great temptation unto many sincere Christians they are apt to say If such glistering shining Stars fall good Lord how shall we stand But to help against it he telleth us the foundation that is stedfast firm unmoveable it standeth sure by the Covenant of grace they are granted to Jesus Christ from all Eternity 2 Tim. 1. 9. Such eternal acts of God are firm and stable abiding for ever will secure against defection or falling away Satan shall never utterly prevail against them grace shall never utterly be overthrown or extinguished Having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his He hath set his mark upon them and where ever they be he can distinguish them from the world as he knoweth them by number so also by mark or scal and when he maketh up his jewels not one of them which are his shall be wanting Corol. 9 Hence there is a bottom of consolation for all that are within the Covenant of grace in that it was established from all Eternity O how may it fill them with comfort that their salvation standeth by an eternal act of God that cannot be revealed altered or changed yea by a Covenant act wherein the fai hfulness of God ●s ingaged for the affording of it even by the Fathers gift How often doth Jesus Christ mention them as given to him Joh. 6. 37 39. Joh. 17. 2 9 12. as if he delighted and gloried in or boasted of this giving act How may this secure them gainst all fears of everlasting miscarrying that they are given to Jesus Christ from all Eternity For he will never forseit his Fathers gifts nor displease him so as he should withdraw them from him they will be gifts without Repentance This eternal act will never be recalled which may make for their everlasting Consolation CHAP. VI. Of the Old and New Covenant what they are and how distinct HAving cleared the Covenant of Gr●● as to the transactions between the Father and the Son from Eternity as to the first revelations of its grace to the Patriarch● as Abraham and David c. before the incarnation wherein the great thing promised was that blessed Seed so as al● blessings were to be expected only in him We now come to consider First that Dispensation which held forth the way and means whereby Jesus Christ came under our obligation and by answering of it confirmed the Covenant of Grace and this is contained in the Old Covenant made at mount Sinai Secondly that Dispensation whereby the special blessings and priviledges which an the issue of his obedience are imparted to us and this is the New Covenant The Apostle compareth these together i● diverse Chapters in the Epistle to the H●brews and saith of Jesus Christ Heb. 8. He obtained a more excellent Ministry by b● much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant Which implies that there is another Testament viz. that at mount Sinai when they came out of Egypt ver 9. which the Aaronical Priesthood appeartained to that is worse but it is the excellency of Jesus Christ that his ministration is conversant about a better Testament that hath the pre-eminence on this account as being established upon better promises And the opposition is not laid between the Covenant of Works as with the first Adam and the New Covenant but between that at Sinai and the New The word for Covenant is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testament it noteth a disposition or declaration by way of Will or Promise and may be the act of one or more Indeed the Hebrew word Berith is used Jer. 31. 31 32. and the same expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 8. v. 8 9 10. But the Apostle intimated that a Testamentary disposition is intended by it Gal. 3. 15 17. As if Jesus Christ by fulfilling the condition of the Covenant of grace had turned it into a Testament the blessings of it being now legacies absolutely promised to us in the New It will be necessary here to inquire what is the worse Covenant and what is this better Testament which is compared with it Answ 1. The worse Covenant is that Conditional Divine grant of blessings upon the obedience required in the Law of Moses Or that Old Covenant which was made amount Sinai This is undoubtedly it which is compared with the other For it is that which the Levitical Priesthood did belong to which the Priesthood of Christ is compared with as is manifest Heb. 7 and 8 and 9. Chapters It is that Covenant which the Lord made with the Fathers in the day when he took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Egypt Heb. 8. vers 9. And therefore undeniably it was the Sinai Covenant for then that was made with them Exod. 19. vers 1 2 3 4 5. c. In the third moneth when the Children of Israel were gone out of the Land of Egypt the same day they came to the

righteousness consisting in Precepts Threatnings and Promises holding forth life upon an impossible condition to lapsed man perfect doing in this sense Moses gave it not nor is it a Covenant of faith but of works But this doth not satisfie for I see no ground for that large acceptation of the Law Rom. 10. vers 4. speaketh of the Law for righteousness and so is taken as strictly as vers 5. only it is said to be performed by Jesus Christ and then by believing souls are interessed in his performance and Gal. 3. vers 12 23 24. he speaketh of the Law as a Schoolmaster to Christ which we are not under Besides the Law in that strict sense wherein this Objection granteth it to be a Covenant of Works is that in which it was given at Sinai Rom. 10. vers 5. Moses describeth the righteousness of the Law he that doth them shall live in them Therefore the Law was given in that restrained sense by Moses Further in that large acception it cannot be proved to be cloathed with the nature of a Covenant whatever in that is of a foederal nature or can belong to it as a Covenan trunneth upon the terms of that perfect Obedience in that strict sense Do and Live and so apparently it putteth on the Nature even of a Covenant of Works though not intended to be performed by Israel for life but by Jesus Christ for them SECT VII Prop. 2. THat the Sinai Covenant under a typical servile administration of the Covenant of grace promised temporal mercies to Israel upon the condition of their Obedience It s servile and typical nature is clearly holden forth Gal. 4. vers 3. 24. Heb. 8. vers 9. and will be more fully manifested elsewhere It s Conditional form is obvious it promiseth nothing but upon the condition of obedience and that not only to be performed by Jesus Christ but also by Israel Exod. 19. vers 5 6. If ye Israel will obey my voice and keep my Covenant c. Deut. 4. vers 13. He declared unto you his Covenant which he commanded you to perform even ten commandments you i. e. Israel as v. 1. is required to yield obedience or commanded to perform it and he speaketh of the same Covenant made in Horeb or at Sinai when the Lord spake to them out of the midst of the fire vers 10 11 12. yea Israel is blamed for violating that Covenant Jer. 31. vers 32. Which Covenant they brake c. therefore it was their duty to keep it That it promised Temporal mercies to Israel upon the condition of their obedience is manifest Levit. 26. vers 3 4 c. If ye walk in my statutes and keep my commandments and do them what then then will I give you rain in due season and the Land shall yield her increase c. these are outward mercies vers 6. I will give you peace in the Land c. there is another temporal mercy And not only obedience to the judicial commands which respecteth them as a Commonwealth but to all moral and ceremonial precepts is required to these ends The Ten Commandments are rehearsed Deut. 5. and then Statutes and Judgements mentioned and observing all is urged to this end that they may live and enjoy the land of Canaan and length of dayes therein V. 31 32 33. Deut. 6. vers 1 2 3 17 18 24. and Deut. 11. vers 8. Therefore shall you keep all the commandments which I command you this day here a universal obedience is injoyned they were to keep not only some but all the Commands and what will follow Vers 9. I will give you the rain of your land in his due season c. by all which it appeareth that Israels obedience to the whole Sinai Covenant was required in order to their fruition of temporal blessings Yea not only external viz. that of the outward man but cordial obedience is required to this end Deut. 11. vers 13. If ye will hearken diligently to my commandments which I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul Then vers 14. I will give you the rain of your land c. send grass c. outward mercies So Deut. 6. 5. Conscience then was concerned even about these things and disobedience to moral precepts which did bind their Conscience was given as a reason of their being excluded from their temporal mercies Jer. 11. vers 8 10 c. Jer. 44. vers 21 22 23. It resteth then to be proved that the Sinai Covenant as to be performed by Israel did belong to the administration of the Covenant of grace or had grace in it to them It is true it required of them not only sincere but perfect obedience even in order to temporal mercies it must be to all commands with all the heart as I have proved their coming short of that was sinful for in that very Covenant some Sacrifices were appointed where sincere obedience was performed for sins of infirmity as of ignorance c. as well as for others Lev. 4. vers 26 29 31 35. and 5. vers 10 13 16 18. and alsewhere This providing a relief a remedy doth imply that Israel would fail would sin and stand in need of that forgiveness which in many cases was here promised yet in pursuance of these directions which are punctually given by the Lord in offering sacrifices exactly according to appointment they should be forgiven that is so far as temporal judgements threatned should be averted and temporal mercies promised should be afforded these sins should not be any hindrance in the way of them thus far it was a real forgiveness for if there had been no real expiation by those sacrifices and something forgiven how could they have been typical of that forgiveness which Believers have of their sins by the true sacrifice Jesus Christ It was not real spiritual forgiveness as to the Conscience that was promised there so the Law could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Heb. 9. 9. And let it be observed when the Apostle speaketh not in relation to temporals but to eternals then he mentioneth the tenor of the same Sinai Law to be Do and live and cursed is he that continueth not in all things Gal. 3. vers 10. Rom. 10. verf. 5. We are not to think that the righteousness whereby we are justified is to be performed by our selves as if the sacrifice of Jesus Christ were intended only to expiate and obtain the pardon of our sins in coming short thereof No such a righteousness is exacted unto justification and eternal life as is absolutely perfect hath no flaws or sinful imperfections in it no forgiveness is needed there it is such as could not be performed by any but Jesus Christ alone vers 4. Rom. 5. latter end hence if the Romans and Galatians would so much as attempt the seeking it by any works of their own